Save Earth's Beauty.

In unit 3 of  the Fuel class, which is called Pollution, the class was assigned to write and calculate how pollution harms Earth, using our own data from a website. This was the first time I have ever calculated my own carbon footprint and seen how they affect the Earth. And I was extremely surprised. The most difficult part of this project was the math. I had a difficult time understanding how to calculate and come up with numbers that reflected the negative impact of my actions on the Earth. In order to overcome my mathematical struggle I had to practice the calculations many times. Although I had a hard time with that part of the project, I am proud at how I handled it.I am also proud of the specific actions I outlined in my essay, because even though I understand the harm that pollution causes, I also know how I can change my own lifestyle to help diminish the damage done to our beautiful Planet Earth. The Pollution unit was a very eye-opening experience. I never realized how just one person can contribute to the injustices doings done to the Earth. Thanks to this action project, I am now considering making changes in my lifestyle, in order to see more of nature’s beauty grow.  

Pollution is something that affects us all. Pollution is caused by both human and natural actions. Pollution caused by natural actions might include volcanic eruptions, forest fires, wind erosion, and pollen dispersal. Even though pollution can come from natural actions, it does not happen often. We even contribute to the poisons that kill nature’s beauty. Many people today use transportation, because it is  a key part of our lives. Buses, cars, trains, trucks, and airplanes all burn a lot of fossil fuels in order to work. The emissions given off from those sources come from both primary and secondary pollutants, both of which are  very difficult to manage.  In order for this injustice to be resolved or even approached, we must step up and develop solutions to help stop it.

Carbon dioxide is one pollutant that is causing most of the harm towards the earth. According to the calculations on my “Footprint calculator,” I release about 16.2 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Most of my carbon emissions are from my services (49%), which is half, while the other half consists of my food, shelter, mobility and goods. My lifestyle requires 4 Planet Earths to provide all my resources. It is also equal to 17.9 acres of Earth’s productive area. (“Clean Energy:Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator”)

The numbers above provide a general perspective on the emissions that I give off annually  while living. If I were to continue living this way, I would give off the same greenhouse gas emissions as 1,648 gallons of gas consumed. My calculations really surprised me, because I know how harmful emissions are, and the extent of damage that greenhouse gases can cause our planet. Another fact I learned was that I also give off the same emissions as 612 propane cylinders used for home barbeques. I did a project earlier in this term about propane, and I know how harmful it can sometimes be. For example, even if you breath only a little amount of propane that is not ignited, you can get hypoxia, which is oxygen deprivation (ehow.com). So, it is reasonable to assume that releasing CO2 from 612 propane cylinders is not a good idea!

I want to step in and make a change to help stop all the pollution that is happening, but in order to do that, I must be willing to change. Some of the changes that I am considering making include:

• Purchasing products that use less packaging or are made out of 100% post-consumer recycled content material. I pledge to recycle more by buying products that require less packaging. If I were to produce less waste, my footprint reduces by .2 Planet Earths, requiring 3.8 Planet Earths instead of 4.
• Reducing the amount of meat I eat by half.  I usually eat dairy, chicken, pork and beef. By changing my usual diet, and reducing the amount of meat I eat by half, it would reduce the amount of carbon emissions that I give off.  Livestock release greenhouse gases, so by eating less meat, I can reduce the amount of carbon emission I give off. Eating less meat will reduce my carbon emissions from 16.2 tons to 15. 6 tons of carbon. The amount of Earths will be reduced by 0.3, which means only 3.7 Planet Earths are required, instead of 4.
• Taking a local vacation instead of flying. Even though staying local does not change or reduce the amount of planets in my footprint, it reduces the amount of carbon, going from 16.2 tons to 15.7 tons.

RD. Better actions. Photography. 2014

Trees are also known to reduce the amount of carbon emissions. Scientists know that when 1 urban tree is planted, it can remove 0.039 metric tons of carbon from the air.  I already know that I produce 16.2 tons of carbon annually. If I were to calculate the number of trees needed to remove all my carbon, I would come up with 377 trees based on the following formula:

16.2 metric tons (1 tree/0.039 metric tons) = 16.2/0.039 = 377 trees

Taking all the actions above, I only require 3.4 planet earths to support my lifestyle now. Those actions would also reduce my carbon footprint from 16.2 to 14 tons of carbon. That would be 2.4 less tons of carbon let into the air. Going from 4.0 planet earths to 3.4 Planet Earths, it would reduce my footprint by 0.6. Considering all the changes I mentioned above, now I would only have to plant 326 trees to help reduce the amount of carbon let into the atmosphere. I am glad to know that I would be saving  51 trees.

Works Cited:

“Carbon Dioxide emissions”. epa.gov. np. 2014. web. 17 Feb. 2014

“Footprint calculator.” Global Footprint Network. Sept. 2011. web. 14 Feb. 2014.

“What is air pollution?” about.com. West, Larry. nd. web. 17 Feb. 2014.

“Why is EPA moving to limit industrial carbon pollutants?” nrdc.org .np. 2012. web. 17 Feb. 2014.

My mystery

In unit 4 for my Who am I? class, we learned about our dreams and the meanings behind them. We were able to explore and analyze many dreams and try to find some of the hidden messages behind them. For the fourth action project we were assigned to build our own dream catcher. I enjoyed being able to analyze my own dream with a partner, and trying to find the different meanings behind it. I wanted to include the different meanings and feelings behind my dream in my dream catcher,  but since I have never built one before and, because  I did not know how to portray them well enough, it was difficult. I was proud at  how I handled that situation.

RD. Photography. Comfort. 2014

In the center of my dream catcher I have one little feather, that I had as a necklace. Whenever I had that necklace on I felt safe for some reason, and that's exactly what I wanted the center of my dream catcher to symbolize, safety, and love. I want feelings of joy, happiness, power and comfort to pass through. While I sleep I know that the dreams I am having are sent from my unconscious, and I certainty want those kind of messages to be filled with those elements. I chose the colors of black, and many shades of blue because black symbolizes many different things like power and elegance, but also evilness, mystery and fear. Most of those elements contribute to my dream that I was able to analyze, which I want those to be filtered out by my dream catcher.  I chose the many shades of blue because that color represents confidence, safety, and calmness, things that I want passed on in my dream catcher. I also went over the clear sinew with black sinew on two of them representing the two times I had the same dream.

RD. Photography. Feather. 2014.

The one dream that has really affected me, to the point where I chose it to do a dream catcher about went like this:  I was sleeping in my bedroom, and suddenly I would hear a noise. I turn to my phone to check the time, which was 2:33 a.m.The noise was the sound of footsteps. Right away I freak out  because I know everyone in my house is sleeping and my sister was sleeping right next to me, so I know it couldn't be her.  Even though I am scared I look by my bedroom door and all I see is someone or something pacing back and forth in front of my room. I cannot see what it is, all I see is a shadow. From there I get a very nervous and scared feeling. Even though I am scared to death I couldn't resist getting up and  I holding the doorknob to try to open the door as quietly as I can, but the person is holding it. I know that person was trying to come in, so I hold the door as tightly as I can. It was almost like we were fighting.  I shout for my mom, but when I do, nothing comes out, or its not loud enough. I eventually give up, because the person is way stronger than me, and let them in my room.

If I could go back to that dream, then I would hold onto the door handle longer and stronger, so the stranger would not have gotten in. If I would not have panicked so much, then maybe I would not have let the person in. This dream really opened me up to looking at my life. If this dream was sending me a message or lesson it would be that something in my life is probably scaring me or bothering me, and I'm not strong enough to fight it off. Which is why I wrapped the ring in black to show mystery and fear. I want to be able to to let go of that, and bring in confidence and calmness into my life.

Reality

In the third unit of the class Who am I? which is simply called Doubt, the class learned about the different doubts that we experience, and how it influences our lives. For the third action project the class was assigned to make up our own guiding question that is unique to us, and makes our mind go into deeper perspectives, while thinking. My guiding question(s) were what is reality and is it the same for everyone? Right away the most difficult part with writing my essay was thinking about my own reality. I had to actually think about how I see the world, and the things that surround me. I had to also try to understand the different realities that some people go through. Even though I had a hard time trying to understand everything, I am proud that I was able to pursue a question that made the wheels inside my brain turn, and make a essay out of it. Thanks to this project, I learned the importance of trying to understand, and respect everyone's own reality. 

Myers,Ken. Photograph. 2012

I have always wondered, what is reality and is it the same for everyone? I want to know if people see the world the same as I do. Reality is something that you think you’re in touch with. At the same time you are, but not really because you are in touch with your own only.  Automatically you think what you see, hear or believe is reality. Aristotle believed that the physical world is real. Another different philosophical view on reality would be with Humes. He believed that reality is based on an expectation you make, and it usually causes life to be a bit more doubtful.

Universally, people struggle with reality or the missing part of it. You do not realize that you struggle with that, because you always think you are in touch with it. We often make the mistake of always thinking that everyone experiences the same reality as us, or thinks the same. They don’t. One example of a different reality would be when you are mad, frustrated,or disappointed by someone. When you are going through that inconstancy, you are experiencing a conflicting reality. You see the situation different from them.

The best way to explain the idea of different realities would be the example of Plato and the Allegory of the cave. While in the cave, the people that were in chains are being shown shadows and lead to believe that, that is the only reality, because that is all they see. That example would show how we all perceive things differently, and therefore we all have a different perception on reality. Plato’s main lesson of the cave is that people usually see reality as the visible world, when reality is more than just that. Plato also states how we are like the slaves in the cave. We live in a world of shadows because we don’t see the reality of ideas.

In order to pursue this question even farther, I tried researching on how humanity tries to convince us, that we can live a total different “reality” outside the real world. In todays days it it very easy to convince yourself to live a different life, using social media and other websites. I checked out the website Second life. From there I saw how an avatar can take up many forms including a human, animal, plant, vegetable, or residents can decide to resemble themselves as they are in real life. Second life Culture includes the many activities and behavior that are present in the real world. The problem with that is that many people get hooked to it, and since it includes many real life activities, players feel compelled to keep playing or “living”. The idea of the whole game or “life” is to simply live a second life,or convincing yourself that you are in a whole different reality. Psychologists state that many people go to these websites to try to escape from the reality that they already know, and try to create a new one for themselves.

My guiding question fits in with Wilhelm’s definition because some people might think no, we all have the same reality and see the world the same, while other people have their own definition on how they look at life and reality, and how they decide those reasons to influence their life. 

From researching and understanding the philosophical views and psychological views on reality, I came to the conclusion that even though there is only one reality, everyone has their own.  We all perceive in different ways, and we decide to see the world and live life, using that perception, whether its the same or not the same from most people around you. Everyone’s world and reality is shaped by their own experiences and thoughts, both good and bad.

Keep your wallet packed! $$$$

In the second unit of the Fuel class, which is simply called Energy, the class learned about the many types of energy that exist. For the second action project, we were assigned to conduct a video, about a renewable energy, and figuring out how much we would save by switching to that type of energy, compared to what we use now. The hardest part for me was doing the math. It was difficult for me to figure out my electrical supply charge, and trying to come up with an equation, that showed how much money I would eventually save. Eventually I got the hang of it, and I was proud at how my graph and calculations came out. Conducting the video was the funnest part. Being able to work with a friend, and coming up with fun, creative ways on how to make the video interesting, is what really made this experience on learning about renewable energy fun.

Time machine

For the second action project in the humanities class in Who am I? the class was assigned to create some sort of "Time machine". We had to recall a memory that we treasure, or that has shaped us into the person we are now. We have to recall this moment with our senses and with very much detail, so our audience can go back in time and try to experience that memory. The hardest part for me during this project was trying to include all the feelings that I had into my script. It is difficult to talk about a memory, that has brought so many different feelings towards me. Although I had a hard time with that, I am proud of how I was able to present it. I am also proud of myself for being brave enough to recall such a difficult time in my life.

                                                                               Created by RD 2014*

Families are gathered around Christmas trees, singing, sipping hot chocolate, and the smell of pies fill the rooms of homes around Chicago on December 24,2008. But my family and I were trapped in one hospital room. We were trapped in a room crowded with crying people,nurses, doctors, and the overwhelming scent of sanitizer. Christmas eve 2008, that day my aunt was diagnosed with Leukemia.

I was too young to understand fully what was going on, so I was very lost most of the time in that hospital room.The confusion led me to feel anxious because I wanted to know what was going on. For a year, I experienced feelings of sadness and nervousness every time I visited my aunt in the hospital. I had to go through what I usually was used to seeing my fun, loving and outgoing aunt, laying in a hospital bed, almost dying. Me being only 9 years old,when her beautiful locks of hair were falling out, I really realized how much she was changing. Looking in the mirror myself, I realized how much I have changed. I had puffy eyes, and a red nose, from all my crying. I was even too sad to eat. The only thing that really comforted me were my tissues. They were the only things that were able to wipe away my tears, because everyone else was too busy wiping away their own.

My house was chaotic most of the time. Everyone running around the house. Rushing to get to the hospital sometimes. I can still smell and hear the crying pot of soup cooking in my kitchen, waiting to be taken to my aunt. My normal day consisted of coming back from school, doing my homework, and heading out to the hospital. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car while driving to the hospital almost everyday in the winter of 2009, watching the beautiful, twinkling lights of downtown and watching people happily stroll down Michigan Avenue. Getting to the hospital I remember seeing the usual security guard already having all the badges waiting for us, because he knew how much of a huge family we are. Traveling to the 16th floor, I had to go through hearing, what I now find haunting the beeping of the elevator.

Northwestern Memorial Pretence Hospital is a hospital for mothers and babies, so it was cute seeing the tiny babies strapped in their car seats waiting to go home, but at the same time depressing for me because I had to travel all the way to the cancer center of the hospital to visit my dying aunt. I was already familiar with the cancer floor of the hospital, so my mom would let me take my younger brother and sister to the waiting room, where their were only 2 computers, and their were 3 of us, so we would usually fight for them, but me being the older sister I would let my younger brother use it, because he was more confused about what was going on,and I wanted to get his mind off the situation. Since I was in the waiting room with nothing to do, I would usually look out the window, and watch the ferris wheel move from Navy pier. I would also look at how frozen Lake Michigan was, wishing I was able to ice skate on it. Sitting there I would also hear the squeaky shoes of the nurses,and the busy pagers of the doctors walking around. I would also look at the many cancer patients walking around the floor. My aunt being only 19, she was the youngest patient on the floor, so seeing older patients, made me think of how they felt, especially since most of the times I saw them, they were alone, which made me feel very bad, to the point where I wish I could go up to them and hug them all.

Although it was very unfortunate that my aunt got sick with cancer, the whole thing really taught me what is was like to be a family. We were all there for each other. In fact I feel like that brought us closer even more. During the whole thing, my family and I were together everyday, supporting not only my aunt, but each other also. I had to step up and take on responsibilities that a 10 year old usually would not have to do, like helping my younger siblings with homework, getting ready for school, and even comforting them throughout the hard times. I was brave enough to try to explain to them what was going on, even though I was still having a hard time understanding myself. This whole experience shaped me into a very caring and understanding person.


Citations:
Orange Ribbon. 2007.Wikimedia.commons.Web. 30 January. 2014

Propane

For the first Action project in the Fuel class, we were assigned to create a slideshow that explains a non-renewable resource. I chose to study Propane. I chose Propane because I noticed that many homes and cars use it, meaning it is an everyday essential. In the presentation I was assigned to find 2 points. One, of which is the time at which propane is at its peak production, the second is the current amount. The slope of the of a non-renewable resource is decreasing , because we are using them more quickly than they are being produced.

The most challenging part about this Action project was having to find 2 specific points because their was not that much information on propane production. I got over that by finding 2 points, not necessarily the peak or current ones . The most rewarding part about this project was finding out all the information about propane, because before I researched it  and spoke to someone who works with it I knew nothing about propane. Thanks to this project I have a better understanding about non-renewable resources.

                                   Created by RD 2014*

I believe in....

For the first action project in the Humanities class, Who am I?, we were assigned to create  a podcast about something we believe in.The first unit was about truth, which makes us think about the different definitions of truth, and the different beliefs people consider the truth.   I chose to write about Humor.The most challenging part about this project was having to write an essay, that is as powerful as my belief. Throughout the project I learned how to record my voice and create a podcast, something that I have never done before. I am proud of myself because I learned how to record my voice and use it to translate my beliefs. 

Keiner, C.M. "Good sense of humor". Flicker. Yahoo.!  21 June. 2011. web. 17 January 2014.

Elbert Hubbard said “Don’t take life too seriously, no one makes it out alive anyway.” I live by that quote because my sense of humor has saved me from feeling uncomfortable in a room or feeling unsure.  

I believe in humor. I believe that having a good sense of humor and not taking things too seriously can really help you connect to people, and to also live a happier life. While on my adventure on learning how to embrace my sense of humor, I noticed that I laughed a lot more, and I was more open in embracing the sound of laughter. Laughter has the power to fill up a room with positive energy and ends up bringing more people together. When a group of people laugh together they realize that they share more than just a sense of humor.

I learned the importance and  power of humor when I was in 7th grade. I am a very shy person, so it is very difficult for me to connect to people and become comfortable with them. I was assigned to sit in a table where I knew no one and hadn't made a connection with any one there. We were told to write about an issue that we would like to change at the school. I thought of an issue that I didn't realize anybody else noticed was taking place. So, I shared my thought in a joking way and was secretly cracking up in my head. I was sitting down and felt sort of embarrassed because no one laughed. A few seconds later the girl sitting next to me  started cracking up. I was amazed that someone else understood me and I was grateful to share that moment. We clearly saw the connection right away. That girl is now my best friend. This experience has taught me that I can use my natural abilities, my humor to open new doors for me and make connections.

 
My sense of humor didn't just magically appear, I've always had it.Through my experiences, I have learned that I can use my humor as a superpower.  I learned that I can use that superpower to make me feel more comfortable in a room of new people. As I was using humor to connect to people, it has also taught me to be more joyful. Before I used think that the sound of laughter and the sight of joy from people were  annoying, but I now know that those were the people who were really having fun in life.

I have always been drawn to people with a sense of humor, because they tend to have a  warmer and more attractive personality. A single smile or laugh can brighten up my day, and I hope other people’s day too.  I believe it is true when they say “Laughter is the best medicine”.