WEEK 14
Working with my team.
The past 14 weeks have been filled with a lot of learning and new experiences with my class and team. The first meeting I had with Kaushal, Tina and Philip was one filled with uncertainty. I was still struggling to get used to new terminologies in my course, new approaches to teaching and studying, Blackboard; knowing which deliverables are due when, and so many other issues. Lucky for me, I found my group to be very brave and willing to go out of their comfort zone in order to learn, research and get into the system. This helped me a lot. I quickly learnt what deliverables and hybrids really were; I learnt how to be a part of a team and deliver my part of the work within the stipulated time.
I especially appreciate Tina’s presence in my team as she has, probably without knowing it, pushed me to do a great job! I never once wanted to go for a team meeting and say, “sorry guys, I couldn’t finish my work”! I admire Kaushal’s extensive research abilities and his deep understanding of some concepts that I would otherwise have tough time understanding. Philip has been a great teammate, always ready and willing to do whatever would make the team achieve its goals and grow.
WEEK 12
Go Green to be Healthy Seminar by Deborah Mac Donald.Deborah talked about the effects of our daily activities on our health and the health of the Earth.What negatively affects our Homes and Workplaces?· Industry and Pollution.· Fast food.· Consumerism and Over-packaging.Their impact on our Health and Work.· Physical and psychological stress.· More people taking time off of work.· Increased use of Pharmaceuticals· Increased diabetes, cancer and heart disease· Drastic increase in obesity
Due to environmental misuse and pollution; and people taking a more reactive rather that proactive approach to health, people’s health has deteriorated and healthcare is in crisis.Deborah showed us a preview of Andrew Nicker’s film: Garbage! The Revolution Starts at Home.According to research, 62% of home owners are willing to pay more for a more sustainable home; while 8% are willing to pay even higher than average requiment.
Fighting Global Warming.Some of the tips she gave us on how to fight Global warming are:· Minimising vehicle usage.· Eating organic everything.· Reducing Energy by using energy-efficient appliances.· Using renewable energy.· Having our houses energy audited.
In addition to the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, she gave us 2 more Rs:Re-thinkWe should rethink the way we dispose our garbage. Proper disposal is important.Quality is so much better than cheap. Most environmental hazards are usually cheap.Resist.We should resist the urge to use plastic bags. Plastic bags photo-degrade and suffocate sea animals which try to feed on them thinking they are food!We should purchase re-fillable items such as dishwashing liquid and other cleaning fluids containers.
Ecology of Commerce Phrase: “Death of birth”: Life begets life, so this means killing the future.
WEEK 11.
BIOMIMICRY. Highlights from Peter Senge’s video:There is a difference between the icecap in 1970 and 2002. In 2002, it was definitely melting away.Interdependence: Accordng to Senge, we cannot learn from the past mistakes because this is a new era; there has been no such technology before to affect the environment as we do today. The earth cannot replenish at the level which we are exploiting it.There’s no such thing as unemployment in nature.
Highlights from Farming girls Video: Vermontfarms.blogspot.comThey are changing lives through applying systems thinking to food.They use modern technology together with old fashioned ones to come up with the best produce.They have defined a farming relationship to weather, water and seasons which enables them to plant in time and when there are suitable conditions.They understand group dynamics and are able to work together to produce their food and food for the immediate community. Systemic rhythms reside in our communities?
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WEEK 14
Working with my team.
The past 14 weeks have been filled with a lot of learning and new experiences with my class and team. The first meeting I had with Kaushal, Tina and Philip was one filled with uncertainty. I was still struggling to get used to new terminologies in my course, new approaches to teaching and studying, Blackboard; knowing which deliverables are due when, and so many other issues. Lucky for me, I found my group to be very brave and willing to go out of their comfort zone in order to learn, research and get into the system. This helped me a lot. I quickly learnt what deliverables and hybrids really were; I learnt how to be a part of a team and deliver my part of the work within the stipulated time.
I especially appreciate Tina’s presence in my team as she has, probably without knowing it, pushed me to do a great job! I never once wanted to go for a team meeting and say, “sorry guys, I couldn’t finish my work”! I admire Kaushal’s extensive research abilities and his deep understanding of some concepts that I would otherwise have tough time understanding. Philip has been a great teammate, always ready and willing to do whatever would make the team achieve its goals and grow.
Go Green to be Healthy Seminar by Deborah Mac Donald.
HAZARDOUS WASTE DAY.
During this weekend, my family took part in the one-day depot for Household Hazardous Waste. This was as a response to an announcement in the Metro Newspaper. 
Hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or to the environment. It has also been defined by U.S. Environmental Lawsa as "Waste that has the potential to pose a substantial (present or potential) hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed". These wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. Furthermore, a hazardous waste is a special type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on the physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be available. In other cases, however, there is not much that can be done to prevent harm.
We went through the house and collected all the containers that had chemicals which could not be put together with the normal garbage due to their dangerous nature. The chemical we collected included: - Window cleaners.
- Herbicides.
- Terpentine.
- Aerosol containers.
- Brake fluid.
- Stains for wood.
- Disinfectants.
- Cleaning chemicals.
- WD40 canistas- lubricants-presurised cans.
We took these chemicals to Tunney's Pasture where we found people who took these chemicals from us for proper disposal. 
We collected the used paint containers in readiness to returning them to Home Depot.
By ensuring that these hazardous wastes are properly deposited, we support and promote a more sustainable society, reduce the amounts of waste generated, and lower the toxicity and persistence of wastes that are generated in our home and eventually, the planet. Just as the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, the journey to a cleaner, greener planet begins with me.
Friday, October 1, 2010
WEEK 4
Deep Economy Chapter 2.
I am fascinated by how far back we have come yet coal, oil and natural gases are still the core of most of our activities.When for example one spends 100 BTU of fossil energy to produce 134BTU of ethanol, this is not an acceptable ratio as it shows that we're spending too much on producing so little. With economic growth, there has been increased stress on the environment and resources. Considering that the world has only been modernized a few hundred years, I fear that earth's natural capital will be depleted in no time unless this growth and the use of these energy sources are regulated. The author here is worried that we are headed for doom as far sustainability is concerned. Considering that the energy we use from coal is only useful for a short while, it is therefore not worth all the carbon dioxide it emits into the atmosphere thus causing global warming. It is hardly possible that earth will be able to sustain our children, our children's children.
WEEK 3- SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS 2.
Deep Economy Chapter 1
As I begin to read through the first pages of this book, I am captivated by the narration of the history of energy exploitation. I become aware of the 1712 invention of the first practical steam engine by a British man, Thomas Newcomen, which used steam from burning coal. This must be when the human race began its exploitation of some of the earth's most important resources, page 6: "..Men and women could exploit the earth's storehouse of fossilized energy...coal, oil,...and natural gas...". I agree with the writer's thoughts on how efficiency is the ultimate tool for exploiting the earth's resources in order to advance material wealth and progress. Environment overuse is brought about by our quest for a bigger and better economy, faster cars, faster and easier ways to cook our foods, easier ways to clean our houses and more.
It is noted that even though productivity was growing faster than it did in the past years, earnings across the globe fell considerably between 2000 and 2004. It is argued that increased minimum wages and corporate taxes stifle the economic growth. However this will only be effective in an environment of zero corruption so that the taxes are used for the purposes intended for them. I read about two rich individuals that have so much money that they have become spendthrifts buying anything that money can buy, from huge houses to boats and expensive cars. It is so sad that while the rich were investing in these things, one poor Mexican farmer could not sell his produce to some leading global supermarkets like Wal-Mart. Reason being he could not afford greenhouses or the cost of treating his crops with pesticides! This just shows how the environment had been totally ignored while a few rich people just focused on 'efficiency' and making quick money. The inequality is saddening.
Al Gore.
Al Gore is often so enthusiastically involved in his projects and is intent on achieving the set results.
Al Gore worked tirelessly and constantly to inform the people about the dangers of greenhouse gasses. He lent his support to the Kyoto Treaty which was an agreement between 39 industrialized countries and the European Union to commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) produced by them, and all member countries give general commitments.
Al Gore is a believer in positive Change. He speaks of changing the minds of the people so that they themselves will hold each other accountable to keeping a safe world. http://www.green.tv/cote_gore?set_location=en
He campaigns to protect the environment. This includes his congressional efforts to clean up toxic dumps as well as his battle against climate change as exemplified by his critically-acclaimed documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". He has toured the world and shown his slide over 2000 times in an effort to educate the people about Global Warming.
Al Gore is a popular and charismatic leader considering the big crowd that supported him during the 2000 elections in the US. He is very gracious and peaceful since he peacefully conceded the election to Bush despite the fact that he had a the popular vote.
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
WEEK 2 - SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS
WANGARI MAATHAI.
Prof.Maathai is an environmentalist who fought her way to a greener Kenya. She fought agains the then Kenyan President and dictator Moi, who wanted to convert Uhuru Park, one of the two only parks in Nairobi into a business centre by contructing a 60-story Kenya Times Media Trust Complex. The plan also included a large statue of the president. She wrote many letters in protest. She introduced her tree-planting concept to ordinary Kenyan citizens in 1976 and went on to develop it into the Green Belt Movement, a broad-based, grassroots organization whose main focus is helping women’s groups plant trees to conserve the environment and improve quality of life. Through the Green Belt Movement, she now has helped women plant more than 30 million trees on their farms, on schools, and on church compounds. The Green Belt Movement helps people understand the connection between environmental degradation and a multitude of other issues such as global warming, soil erosion, drought, hunger, poverty.
Its projects empower women, providing them with income, raising their status, and advancing their skills as leaders and organizers.
It has drawn together supporters from across social and economic classes in Kenya and from around the world. Maathai has excellent leadership qualities. She was able to pool people from various backgrounds to join her course and make their voices heard. In her activitivism, Maathai was persistent, she didnt give up even when the police arrested her and humiliated her and her supporters in public.
"....very important program has been education. Until people understand the linkages between environmental degradation and their own problems, people become trapped, and they feel disempowered, they feel like they can’t do anything, they get overwhelmed by the problems." Maathai.
JAMES LOVELOCK
James Lovelock invented the electron capture detector, a uniquely sensitive device that could detect tiny amounts of pollution. His theory that the earth is a living inter-related organism proposses that the earth functions as a single organism that maintains conditions necessary for its survival. Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of unusual and unstable gases, thus life is a present. Earth's gas is not in chemical equilibrium...but is perfect..The whole system of the climate, the rocks, the air the ocean is a self regulated process. Earth will therefore adjust to activities of man. He sees life as a system. Temperature is regulated on earth by clouds. More clouds lead to more sunlight reflected from the sun, and earth cools, less clouds mean more sunlight reaches the earth, erath warms. If we overwhelm Gaia with our population toxins demand on planets, Gaia will act to bring us back into balance with our planet. Gaia proposes an endless future, for life.
Hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or to the environment. It has also been defined by U.S. Environmental Lawsa as "Waste that has the potential to pose a substantial (present or potential) hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed". These wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. Furthermore, a hazardous waste is a special type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on the physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be available. In other cases, however, there is not much that can be done to prevent harm.
We went through the house and collected all the containers that had chemicals which could not be put together with the normal garbage due to their dangerous nature. The chemical we collected included:
- Window cleaners.
- Herbicides.
- Terpentine.
- Aerosol containers.
- Brake fluid.
- Stains for wood.
- Disinfectants.
- Cleaning chemicals.
- WD40 canistas- lubricants-presurised cans.
We took these chemicals to Tunney's Pasture where we found people who took these chemicals from us for proper disposal.
We collected the used paint containers in readiness to returning them to Home Depot.
By ensuring that these hazardous wastes are properly deposited, we support and promote a more sustainable society, reduce the amounts of waste generated, and lower the toxicity and persistence of wastes that are generated in our home and eventually, the planet. Just as the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, the journey to a cleaner, greener planet begins with me.
Friday, October 1, 2010
WEEK 4
Deep Economy Chapter 2.
I am fascinated by how far back we have come yet coal, oil and natural gases are still the core of most of our activities.When for example one spends 100 BTU of fossil energy to produce 134BTU of ethanol, this is not an acceptable ratio as it shows that we're spending too much on producing so little. With economic growth, there has been increased stress on the environment and resources. Considering that the world has only been modernized a few hundred years, I fear that earth's natural capital will be depleted in no time unless this growth and the use of these energy sources are regulated. The author here is worried that we are headed for doom as far sustainability is concerned. Considering that the energy we use from coal is only useful for a short while, it is therefore not worth all the carbon dioxide it emits into the atmosphere thus causing global warming. It is hardly possible that earth will be able to sustain our children, our children's children.WEEK 3- SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS 2.
Deep Economy Chapter 1
As I begin to read through the first pages of this book, I am captivated by the narration of the history of energy exploitation. I become aware of the 1712 invention of the first practical steam engine by a British man, Thomas Newcomen, which used steam from burning coal. This must be when the human race began its exploitation of some of the earth's most important resources, page 6: "..Men and women could exploit the earth's storehouse of fossilized energy...coal, oil,...and natural gas...". I agree with the writer's thoughts on how efficiency is the ultimate tool for exploiting the earth's resources in order to advance material wealth and progress. Environment overuse is brought about by our quest for a bigger and better economy, faster cars, faster and easier ways to cook our foods, easier ways to clean our houses and more.
It is noted that even though productivity was growing faster than it did in the past years, earnings across the globe fell considerably between 2000 and 2004. It is argued that increased minimum wages and corporate taxes stifle the economic growth. However this will only be effective in an environment of zero corruption so that the taxes are used for the purposes intended for them. I read about two rich individuals that have so much money that they have become spendthrifts buying anything that money can buy, from huge houses to boats and expensive cars. It is so sad that while the rich were investing in these things, one poor Mexican farmer could not sell his produce to some leading global supermarkets like Wal-Mart. Reason being he could not afford greenhouses or the cost of treating his crops with pesticides! This just shows how the environment had been totally ignored while a few rich people just focused on 'efficiency' and making quick money. The inequality is saddening.
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland.
Al Gore.
Al Gore is often so enthusiastically involved in his projects and is intent on achieving the set results.
Al Gore worked tirelessly and constantly to inform the people about the dangers of greenhouse gasses. He lent his support to the Kyoto Treaty which was an agreement between 39 industrialized countries and the European Union to commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) produced by them, and all member countries give general commitments.
Al Gore worked tirelessly and constantly to inform the people about the dangers of greenhouse gasses. He lent his support to the Kyoto Treaty which was an agreement between 39 industrialized countries and the European Union to commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) produced by them, and all member countries give general commitments.
Al Gore is a believer in positive Change. He speaks of changing the minds of the people so that they themselves will hold each other accountable to keeping a safe world.
http://www.green.tv/cote_gore?set_location=en
He campaigns to protect the environment. This includes his congressional efforts to clean up toxic dumps as well as his battle against climate change as exemplified by his critically-acclaimed documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". He has toured the world and shown his slide over 2000 times in an effort to educate the people about Global Warming.
Al Gore is a popular and charismatic leader considering the big crowd that supported him during the 2000 elections in the US. He is very gracious and peaceful since he peacefully conceded the election to Bush despite the fact that he had a the popular vote.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
WEEK 2 - SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPIONS
WANGARI MAATHAI.
Prof.Maathai is an environmentalist who fought her way to a greener Kenya. She fought agains the then Kenyan President and dictator Moi, who wanted to convert Uhuru Park, one of the two only parks in Nairobi into a business centre by contructing a 60-story Kenya Times Media Trust Complex. The plan also included a large statue of the president. She wrote many letters in protest.
She introduced her tree-planting concept to ordinary Kenyan citizens in 1976 and went on to develop it into the Green Belt Movement, a broad-based, grassroots organization whose main focus is helping women’s groups plant trees to conserve the environment and improve quality of life. Through the Green Belt Movement, she now has helped women plant more than 30 million trees on their farms, on schools, and on church compounds.
The Green Belt Movement helps people understand the connection between environmental degradation and a multitude of other issues such as global warming, soil erosion, drought, hunger, poverty.
Its projects empower women, providing them with income, raising their status, and advancing their skills as leaders and organizers.
Its projects empower women, providing them with income, raising their status, and advancing their skills as leaders and organizers.
It has drawn together supporters from across social and economic classes in Kenya and from around the world.
Maathai has excellent leadership qualities. She was able to pool people from various backgrounds to join her course and make their voices heard. In her activitivism, Maathai was persistent, she didnt give up even when the police arrested her and humiliated her and her supporters in public.
"....very important program has been education. Until people understand the linkages between environmental degradation and their own problems, people become trapped, and they feel disempowered, they feel like they can’t do anything, they get overwhelmed by the problems." Maathai.
JAMES LOVELOCK
JAMES LOVELOCK
James Lovelock invented the electron capture detector, a uniquely sensitive device that could detect tiny amounts of pollution.
His theory that the earth is a living inter-related organism proposses that the earth functions as a single organism that maintains conditions necessary for its survival. Earth's atmosphere is a mixture of unusual and unstable gases, thus life is a present. Earth's gas is not in chemical equilibrium...but is perfect..The whole system of the climate, the rocks, the air the ocean is a self regulated process. Earth will therefore adjust to activities of man. He sees life as a system. Temperature is regulated on earth by clouds. More clouds lead to more sunlight reflected from the sun, and earth cools, less clouds mean more sunlight reaches the earth, erath warms. If we overwhelm Gaia with our population toxins demand on planets, Gaia will act to bring us back into balance with our planet. Gaia proposes an endless future, for life.
