Products/Waste and Recycling

http://www.psdgraphics.com/psd-icons/green-recycling-symbols/

1. "Designers begin by specifying materials with as low an environmental impact as possible and this requires understanding their material chemistry and life cycles in detail—not only the toxicity of a material itself, but also where it came from and how it was produced."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 254.

The important thing to realize here is that the designer cannot approach this issue on the product level. They have to investigate further in to the methods used to produce the materials used in the product. The book uses gold for an example and how we might look at it as a harmless material, but most of the time we fail to realize the effects of all of the processes used to produce it. Just like lithium used in batteries. We look at the batteries as a small good that has little to know impact on the environment. What we don't realize is that mining lithium requires creating a giant hole in the ground. 

2. "One of the issues with packaging is the practice of creating a package that is used once and immediately discarded."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 260.


Think about this, what was the first thing you did when you got a Christmas present in a huge box as a kid? If you are anything like me you ripped it apart and threw all the pieces everywhere until you got to what was inside. Then your mom probably threw away all of the trash while you played with your new toy. You never really thought about where the trash went though, but it has to go somewhere right? Usually it ends up in a waste plant or landfill somewhere to be forgotten about. The point here is that the trash is still there and we need to be more conscience of how we dispose of or packaging. It is so easy for use to just throw things away because it then becomes someone else's problem. However is it just as easy to re-purpose the card board boxes and use them for storing various things. If we are creative enough, there are several things that we can do to reduce the amount of waste we produce just by re-purposing "trash".

3. "The idea of waste is a human construct."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 268.


This statement really stuck out to me in this section because we are so quick to just throw things away. We think that just because we are done using something, like a Styrofoam cup, that it is just trash. IN all actuality we can reuse that same cup over and over again for other drinks. This is why there is such a big push for using reusable water bottles. The amount of plastic "disposable" water bottles on the earth is astonishing. We need to learn to use things to their full potential and not throw hem away because we are done with them.  

Climate

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https://thefederalist.com/2017/03/30/taxpayers-cant-talk-climate-change-policies-neither-can-scientists/

1. "Temperatures are rising more than twice as fast over land as over the oceans. They are rising faster in the Northern Hemisphere, where most of Earth’s land area is, than in the Southern Hemisphere. Temperatures in the Arctic have risen fastest of all, four times as fast as for the rest of the world at large."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and Practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 74.

   The thing that I find the most interesting about this quote is that tmeperature in the Northern Hemisphere have rise much faster than it has in the Southern Hemishpere.  It is really interesting to me that the temperature changes are directly related to the areas where there is more land, and thus more people. I do not think that very many people realize just how much the temperature effects the various environments around the world. Temperature changes determines a lot as far as what type of ecosystem is in a certain area. It determines how much rainfall occurs on average, as well as the types of life that can be sustained in a given area. Temperature plays a huge role in the climate, and we must be conscience of how big of an impact we humans have on it. With a population that is growing exponentially, we produce tons of greenhouse gases that cause the earth to become hotter. If we are not careful, we could totally change the ecosystems all around the world. 

 2. "For measurements before 150 years ago, scientists use proxies: indicators that stand in for temperature."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and Practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 75.

   I think this statement is very interesting because I never knew that temperature could be measured by the rings inside a tree or by the layers of coral. I knew that the trees' rings help us determine the age of them, but i never knew that they were effected by temperature changes as well. I also did not know that coral could provide information about temperature or even that it made layers just like the trees. Coral is a very sensitive organism and can be manipulated by even the slighted touch of a finger. With all of the pollutants that are found in the ocean, it is no wonder that we have killed a great amount of the coral around the world. We fail to realize that coral is a very crucial to the survival of many marine life forms. Reefs are usually home to thousands and thousand of fish, and if we continue to destroy them, we will destroy the population of those fish as well. Reefs are also very important for producing oxygen as well. Any adverse effects that we have on the ocean, and the environment overall, come back to have adverse effects on use even though we are oblivious to it. 

3. "Earth’s surface is constantly on the move, with continental plates rafting about on top of heavier oceanic plates."  

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and Practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 75.

     I actually have  had the opportunity to study a lot about the continental plates as I took Intro to Geology a few semesters ago. It was very cool to see how the continents actually move about and form volcanoes and trenches and things like that.  We also studied a lot about how the components of the plates melt and turn to magma that flows underground. Most people do not understand that the land we build and live on is constantly moving. This is because the movement is so slow that it can only be measured over a very long period of time. I am very happy that I got to take part in such an informative class. Studying different aspects of how the planet come together to form our home has always been fascinating to me, and I look forward to learning more about it in the future. 

Livable Cities

http://wallpapercave.com/nyc-at-night-wallpaper

1. "During that same period of time, much of our already-aging urban infrastructure will reach the end of its useful life and will need to be replaced."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge (208).

     This is a statement that hits very close to home with us because we are surrounded by all types of construction. Look at I-75 for example. There is not a single day that goes by that there is not some type of construction happening on the interstate. Most of us hate it, but what we fail to realize that infrastructure is the first step in accommodating the population growth. Without the infrastructure, roads and bridges, there would be no way for us to be able to get to new areas of growth. The world's population is growing so fast, that our current infrastructure is not sustainable and needs constant improvements. While the construction is a huge inconvenience, it is very necessary and will need to continue in order to keep people moving.

2. "Sprawl affects not only planetary health but social and individual health as well. Research surveys show significant links between the built environment and obesity. Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge (209).

     After reading this, I had to stop and think about what it was really saying for a minute. Sprawl is a method of settling land in a way that individuals rely hugely on vehicle or automotive transportation. This statement is saying that since we rely so heavy on our cars for transportation, we are not getting the exercise we need to keep our bodies healthy. It makes me realize that it is not just our eating habits that contribute to bad health, but it is also caused by the way we travel. Maybe we should think about moving more toward a culture where walking and biking are more feasible and reduce our reliance on vehicles. 

3.  "Density is a factor in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in creating places with social and economic opportunity."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge (212).

     With the growing population, the density, or amount of people in a given ares grows as well. While this may cause the need for more infrastructure, it also has some great benefits. With a high density, it is easier, and more feasible, to use public transportation like buses and subways. This would help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases because people are driving less. Higher density area also foster economic growth. With more people in one area, local businesses would have more business. For people like me, we will stick to the rural lifestyle, but areas with a more dense population definitely has its perks. 

Water

https://www.miamidiscounttours.com/everglades-national-park

1. "The higher we go up the food chain, the greater the virtual water content."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 99.

     The idea of virtual water is a very interesting concept to me, because we do not always think about all of the resources that are used to produce food. This chapter is directly related to the food chapter in that all things need water to grow. This quote brings into perspective that there are so many more resources that are used to produce our food. Take cows for example; cows need a lot of water in order to grow and survive. However, it does not stop there. The cows need water, but the corn, grass and grain used to feed them also need water to grow. By the end of this cycle, it probably takes thousands of gallons of water to grow one cow that we can eat. This is one of the reasons water quantity and quality is of chief concern to us.  

2. "A more-sustainable approach to stormwater uses infiltration. This approach mimics the kinds of conditions that would have existed on the land before development by giving water access to the soil."

 Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 108.

     I believe infiltration is the absolute best way to reintroduce water into the soil to be reused. I actually have personal experience with this type of conservation. My dad owns and operates a large construction company that works in the storm and waste water management industry. His company puts in lift stations and water retention areas that treat water before it is reintroduced to the aquifer. He built a retention area that has ground up rubber materials that actually filter out all of the nitrates and other harmful chemicals in the water. All of it is done naturally, which eliminates the need for concrete and steel pipes that are used in "gray infrastructure".   

3. "The Everglades begin at Lake Okeechobee."

Douglas, Marjory Stoneman (1988). The Nature of the Everglades. University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future, 107.

     I chose this quote because it directly relates to the service learning project that i am participating in. I am working with Captains for Clean Water, which is an organization devoted to restoring the natural flow of water from the Lake to the Everglades. This simple statement provides the absolute truth that the everglades need the water from the Lake. However, big sugar companies have purchased the land south of the Okeechobee and refuse to restore the water flow. The affects on both the east and west coasts of Florida have been very destructive to the fisheries located there. Also the depletion of water flowing into the everglades has caused the environment to suffer there as well. It is said to see the environment suffer at the expense of peo 

Food

http://mrswestaphg.weebly.com/olivias-project-factory-farming/fighting-factory-farming

1.   "By contrast, genetic engineering uses pieces of genetic material separate from organisms. Scientists add or remove segments of DNA, use splicing to recombine them in laboratories, and insert the pieces into genomes."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability Principles and Practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 226.

     I think genetic engineering of both plants and animals is extremely wrong and unethical. Genetic engineering and GMOs have been linked to various diseases in humans. In my opinion, all of the food we eat should be all nature. Putting all of these chemicals in our food so that farmers can make more money and produce more food has huge adverse affects on those of use who eat it. The percentage of obese children has increased immensely because of these chemicals. The health of the general population has dramatically declined because farmers are allowed to use harmful chemicals and farming practices. 

2.     One shocking part of the Food Inc. movie for me was when they said four companies control 80% of the meat industry. These companies are able to manipulate the supply and the manufacturing of almost all of the meat. Each brand is really just part of one larger company. They use this power to make sure they get more money in their pockets, and they also control the farmers themselves. This control is shown through size requirements of the animals all the way down to what they are fed. All of this is down so that the food companies can make more money. 

3. Another shocking part of the movie was when they were talking about how E. Coli is linked to feed cows corn. The movie tells us that cows were never supposed to corn, and because of it they are producing E. Coli bacteria in their organs. It then gets passed through to the other animals because of the terrible living conditions on the feeding grounds. The cows must standing in their own manure 24/7 and they end up covered in it by the time they get to the slaughter house. The slaughter houses also have very low sanitation requirements, and the manure end up passing the bacteria to the meat.  This lead to the biggest meat recall in history. It is very disturbing to see how low the standards for what we call "food" really are. 

Pollution

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution/

"One of its most significant chemical properties is its ability to dissolve other substances, which makes it easily contaminated, allowing it to dissolve and carry pollutants for long distances."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, P 141.

     This is one statement that really hit home with me. I did not realize that water is known as the largest chemical dissolver in the world. The reason this means so much to me is because my favorite thing in the whole world is fishing and being on the water.  I did not realize that the water carries the chemicals it breaks down and eventually can contaminate all of the fish and other life forms. It hurts me to see plastic bottles and bag floating in the water when I am out because I know it has huge harmful effects on the marine life. 

"Pollution remediation means stopping and reversing damage to environmental systems caused by pollution." 

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, P 147.

     This is probably the most important statement in this section of the text because it talks about reversing and fixing the problems with pollution. I have personally taken my own measure to reverse pollution. Every time I got out on the boat or even just outside in general, if I see trash, I will pick it up and throw it in the trash can or recycle bin. I really try to go out of my way to make sure I give back to the environment because it is so important to our survival.   

"The most alarming of all man's assaults on the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials."


Carson, Rachel (1990). The Obligation to Endure. University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future, 153.

The reason I chose this statement is because the way the author describes pollution as "man's assault" on nature. The way she describes it is different than the way I have heard pollution described before, and it really made me think. Humans really are assaulting the environment with different acts such as fracking and mining and logging. I cannot believe I never understood that we really are assaulting the environment because we are causing physical harm to it. We humans need to learn that doing this does not only hurt the environment, but it also hurts us. 

Shiva Biodiversity

http://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/ecology/

1. "Seeing other life forms as biological and genetic raw material is fraught with environmental risks."

Shiva, Vandana (2000).What is Biodiversity and Why is it so Important. University                                     Colloquium: A Sustainable Future, 41.

      I agree that there are some ecological risks involved with using various life forms as raw materials, but these risks only come if the materials are over harvested. If we use life form as materials at a sustainable rate where the overall health of the population of that life form are not changed, there is no reason why we cannot use the resources we are given. However, the moment we over harvest a resource the risk increases exponentially. 

2. "Ecosystems are a ecologically and biologically organized system consisting of diverse flora and fauna." 


Shiva, Vandana (2000).What is Biodiversity and Why is it so Important. University                                     Colloquium: A Sustainable Future, 42.

     The reason I chose this statement is because after I read it I realized that no matter how close or how far, each ecosystem is unique in its own way. Literally every ecosystem on the entire planet has one thing that makes it different that than any other ecosystem. This means that every organism in that ecosystem has a specific duty that helps it thrive. If we use too much of a resource, we are directly effecting the life of the other members of that ecosystem. This is why is said earlier that we need to be sustainable about how much natural resources we consume. 

3. "Mass extinctions have taken place during geological time, but the erosion of biodiversity has become a systematic product of industrialization."

Shiva, Vandana (2000).What is Biodiversity and Why is it so Important. University                                     Colloquium: A Sustainable Future, 45.

     This statement suggests that because the world is more industrialized, the amount of biodiversity on the planet is being decreased. This is a valid statement, because as we become more industrialized, we have to expand. This results in the destruction of natural habitats and forces the residents to either move or die. We need to find a way to be more sustainable in our expansion so that we can preseve the life around us.