Synopsis

imagesource:http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/i/keep-calm-and-study-environmental-science-3.png

I think everyone should be required to take this class so they can become more conscious about the decisions they make on a daily basis because everyone is contributing to the environment every day and if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem!I've learned a lot over the course of the semester and honestly, all of it would make someone think, "How much time do we have left?" The way humans are living and treating this planet, I'm surprised it's not any worse, or maybe it is and the government is hiding it as to not alarm us while they have scientists try to fix it.(I am way too interested in conspiracy theories.) It makes you look at society as a whole as inconsiderate, selfish, consuming creatures. "As long as I can buy whatever I want I don't have to worry about anything else." The American dream right? Consumer nature has consumed US! The most atrocious/interesting fact that I learned about in class was that 50% of food will end up in the trash! The fact that HALF of food is thrown away when there are people starving in third world countries, is so disturbing. There are people going hungry within our own country!

"--36.3 million people--including 13 million children--live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. This represents more than one in ten households in the United States (11.2 percent). This is an increase of 1.4 million, from 34.9, million in 2002.

--3.5 percent of U.S. households experience hunger. Some people in these households frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for a whole day. 9.6 million people, including 3 million children, live in these homes.

--7.7 percent of U.S. households are at risk of hunger. Members of these households have lower quality diets or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot always afford the food they need. 26.6 million people, including 10.3 million children, live in these homes."

source:http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/04/editorials/hungry_us_children.html

Here is a more in depth blog post I wrote about food waste:http://benisi.blogspot.com/2014/03/environemntal-science-in-news.html I highly encourage anyone who is interested in helping to volunteer at a food bank!

All of the subjects we've talked about as a class are very important, be it renewable energy sources or exploitation of natural resources, but the subject that I think everyone should take notice and learn more about is climate change! Climate change does not affect only one country, or one group of people, it affects the entire WORLD. I am irritated that some sources still are adamant about climate change being a myth or that climate change has some benefits.

 imagesource:http://izquotes.com/quotes-pictures/quote-climate-change-is-happening-humans-are-causing-it-and-i-think-this-is-perhaps-the-most-serious-bill-nye-137258.jpg

 

 

 Imagesource:http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/c2c/share/37/376/693/3769335_370.jpg

Here is a video narrated by Bill Nye about the basics of climate change:

 

  imagesource:http://climaterealityproject.org/climate-101

Like I said before, it’s the most important crisis because it affects the whole world! It is not a myth, there is factual evidence of climate change “Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that man-made climate change is a reality.” It’s not just that some places are warming, we are also experiencing flooding, rising sea levels, and storms like we’ve never seen! The reason why doubt still exists is because of Big Polluters like oil and coal companies. “After all, they’re making billions from dirty energy while the rest of us pay to clean up their mess. That’s why they’ve spent decades running well-funded campaigns to mislead and deceive the public about what’s really happening to the planet.  These polluters—and the special-interest groups they support—are even following the exact same playbook as the tobacco industry used to confuse the public about smoking and cancer.”

What Can We Do?

As a society, we need to have these big companies pay for the cost of carbon pollution through policy fees, carbon cap and trade programs, ending subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuel companies, and stopping leaders that deny climate change by using your political power as a voter. We also have to shift to renewable energy instead of relying on fossil fuels, and with the abundance of renewable energy sources there is no excuse not to! Making polluters pay for there mess is not a new concept, the U.S. has done it before and we know it works. Spread the word about climate change!

sources:http://climaterealityproject.org/climate-101

 

 

 

 

 

Unplug-Easier Said Than Done

 

 imagesource:http://www.quickmeme.com/img/5b/5b76ae3bbc71f4b133e7db857c

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 For this assignment the class was supposed to minimize their energy usage as much as possible
within a 24 hour period. We were given guidelines to follow like unplugging appliances that were not in use, not using phones, TV's, restricting your driving, and using cold water, etc.

I thought, heck, shouldn't be too hard!

Monday 26 May 2014: 

I cheated by sleeping in until 2 so I would be awake for less time and I wouldn't use up as much energy. I made a shake when I woke up using a blender, and I realized a lot of the breakfast foods I enjoy require some type of energy, but I figured a 1 minute blender use has to better than 7 minutes of sautéing something on the stove. I then did the dishes, I started off with warm water because it is a habit and remembered to switch it to cold, but I found that I kept changing it back to warm out of habit. I believe it was mentioned in class that the dishwasher saves more water than washing them by hand, but we do not know how to use the dishwasher at my house. My parents had left money for me to buy fast food for my brothers and sisters. I really could have not made the drive but my siblings were not going to eat home cooked food. It is rare when we eat fast food so they wanted it. I drove to one pizza place and the service was so slow, other customers in front of me were complaining and I could have waited it out but chose to drive to the other side of the street to another pizza place. While I was driving I automatically would turn on the radio, and turn it off again when I remembered the assignment. When I got home my siblings decided to watch a movie which is what we do when were all home during the day. I kept forgetting to turn the lights off in my room when I walked out. I took a shorter shower than usual but there is no way I can give up hot water! The easiest thing was giving up my laptop, it left me with a lot of extra time. There were a lot of plugs to unplug at home!

I felt like the changes are not hard, but inconvenient. For example, I could have crossed the street to the second pizza place instead of driving to it, I could have not used the blender and instead made something to eat not using any energy, and I could have opted out of watching the movie.

I believe I could continue with the change of giving up my laptop and not using it every single day, especially since summer is coming up and I wont have school assignments requiring me to do research and have essays typed. I'd have more time to run and get other things done because the internet is this vortex where you go on it to do one thing and all of sudden you lost 4 hours of your day! I could take shorter showers definitely. I actually don't have service on my phone but I use it to jot down notes and I suppose I should just write in my planner so I don't have to keep charging it but I like to use the camera feature as well. I defiantly could not give up my hot water and watching tv on Tuesday nights! I can live without driving so much, I have a friend who lives down the street and my parents insist I take the car at night but I refuse and choose to walk instead. Giving up music is hard! Especially when I'm driving!

To increase energy efficieny around the home, we could buy those appliances that save energy(we just bought a fridge recently that has an inexpensive yearly energy use), and lightbulbs that reduce energy use as well. I found a great link to assessing the energy usage at you home and at the end there are links on how to improve the energy efficiency in your home and lowering utility bills!

 

image sources and link:https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=home_energy_yardstick.showGetStarted

 

The U.S. Is "On The Fence" About Climate Change A.K.A. Global Warming

This week's assignments is regarding climate change. Why is it that people still doubt climate change is happening? My guess before I delve into the internet to extract the truth, is companies that contribute to climate change (or produce a lot CO2) put out ads, articles, speakers that insist climate change is not real. They have the resources and money to do so, where areas scientists and environmental protection agencies may not be able to inform the public as easily and aggressively as big companies can in the same way. Not to mention the U.S. considers other things a priority over climate change.

imagesource:http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/5/w/4/save-the-twinkie.jpg

imagesource:http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/originals/e0/c2/1b/e0c21bb430eda203793815133d0c7706.jpg

 

1. According to evidence, is the climate changing right now?

Answer: Yes according to the center for climate and energy solutions, it has been increasing over time as is evidenced by the chart. In more recent times, the temperature has begun to rise at an accelerating rate.

 

imagesource:http://www.c2es.org/facts-figures/trends/surface-temp

2. What does evidence say about humans’ roles in the changing

climate?

Answer: Humans are causing their own demise. We are the ones that are largely responsible for recent climate change especially over the past century.All this industrialization benefits us in becoming more advanced but at what cost?"The majority of greenhouse gases come from burning fossil fuels to produce energy, although deforestation, industrial processes, and some agricultural practices also emit gases into the atmosphere."

source:http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/

3. How is climate change likely to affect our society and our world?

Answer: Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, society will become affected negatively by climate change. The U.S. will be better able to cope with the repercussions of climate change but sadly poor countries will not be so lucky. We focus on tobacco use, poor nutrition and not enough exercise as preventable negative health factors but it should also be just as publicized that higher temperatures will exacerbate air pollution affecting human respiratory health,"may increase the risks of vector- and water-borne diseases"(from increased precipitation), as well as higher mortality rates from heat waves. I myself remember watching the news in the summertime and there are always a few unfortunate stories of dogs and babies left in hot cars that die from the heat.

source: http://www.c2es.org/publications/human-health-amp-global-climate-change-review-potential-impacts-united-states

4. Around what does this skepticism(about climate change) center? Why do you think that it still exists?

Answer:Because of information like this:"Probably two-thirds of the warming in the 1990s was due to natural causes; the warming trend already has stopped and forecasts of future warming are unreliable; and the benefits of a moderate warming are likely to outweigh the costs." all this is wrong and where the evidence to back this up was dug up from must have been from scientists paid off by corporate companies that produce large amounts of CO2. First of all, as stated in the EPA website, humans are largely responsible for recent climate change, as evidenced by the chart above climate change has not stopped and will continue to rise if we do not do something about it, and I do not know of any benefits of global warming-animals are being endangered as well as our health. The above quote comes from http://heartland.org/ideas/global-warming-not-crisis

5. Given what you have just learned, briefly describe what you think the world will be like in 50 years if we continue with our current path and do nothing to slow the rise of CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

Answer: My only guess is negative repercussions from society not taking climate change seriously, that results in higher rate of diseases spread though air and water, extinction of animals that cannot adapt to the quick changing temperatures, and other unforeseen frightening consequences.

 

 

Badlands Landfill Second Class Fieldtrip *Extra Credit*

Photographs by yours truly. (The blonde woman is my professor!)

So on May 9th we had our second fieldtrip for my Environmental Science Class. I was looking

 forward to visiting the landfill because waste and its disposal is something that I am becoming more concerned about.

First of all, let me just say that MapQuest cannot be trusted 100%. My professor gave us directions on her website for students, but like a FOOL, I used MapQuest. It sent me in the complete opposite direction before I started to get a feeling that I was heading the wrong way so I stopped at a liquor store to get directions and sure enough my gut feeling was right. I hightailed it back the right way and I started seeing landfill signs and knew I was on the right track. I saw cars parked on a dirt strip next to the road and I assumed I was in the right place because the professor had mentioned something about parking a little off from the location. I looked at the cars next to me if they had the RCC parking sticker but they did not.(I do not recommend wearing old converse if anyone should choose to go there after reading this. You will certainly slip as I did when I walked down dirt strip and around the Landfill). I proceeded warily up the road and it looked like a construction site at first. I went up to the post where they let cars into the main parking lot and knocked on the window but no one was there. I was going to head back to my car when I saw a small group in bright orange vests  in the short distance. I jogged up and out of breath  and sweaty and hoped I had made enough of a graceful inconspicuous  entrance so that I did not distract the tour guide and group. That is the background story to how I found my Fieldtrip group and why I was late.

Any who, I got handed one of the orange vests, and tried to get caught up on the tour. One thing I want to point out is, that it did not smell! I thought their was going to be that unbearable stench of garbage but there wasn't; they got things under control there! Maybe the tour group had the opportunity of visiting the stinky area-if they did I missed it. They are very diligent about not taking hazardous materials and monitoring everything that is discharged from the landfill site. The trash is covered by tarps so rodents do not get in. Would it be that bad if rodents did get in and eat the trash though? Wouldn't that make for less trash? (I did not ask these questions as they are just coming to my mind as I write this.) That specific landfill has 10 years left. What I thought was smart was that there is a "litter fence" I'm guessing around the perimeter of the landfill, so that on windy days it can trap the loose trash. They have a recycling area! I was really glad to see that there. It is generally for electrical appliances like fridges and TV and whatnot. They break the appliances apart and ship designated parts to their specific recycling locations. Before this program (which I asked how long had been running-apparently for a good deal of time) appliances used to get thrown in the dump as well. 72% of the waste has to be diverted from the landfill by 2020 the tour guide said into recycling etc. She (tour guide)  told us about the liner system and many layers underneath the actual waste. The Landfill site is a as big as 7 Disneylands! If we changed out disposal method to incineration it would be 150$ per household! We were told about a new waste management technique called gasification but it's exceedingly more expensive than incineration. Also I thought it was interesting that Los Angeles has to ship their trash to Orange County, I'm guessing because their sites are filled already and because their is so many people there. The second thing I was surprised about as you can see in the photos is that the site is like a v-shaped canyon, here I thought we were going to see mountains of trash! They are running a tip-top shape landfill site if you ask me and makes me feel a little bit better about landfills and how they work.

Do you know what's in your food?

This weeks assignment is investigating a food of our choice, it could be something like an orange, or something artificially made like cereal for example. We were asked to find out a lot of information that is not readily available on most food packaging; things like, is it organic, were pesticides used? How did it get to the place where you purchased it? What are the environmental impacts and so on. I will try to address as many of them as I can.

To begin, I chose to investigate Mother's Cookies Chocolate Chip Flavor.

imagesource:http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-14-Ounce/dp/B002EDIJL8

First off, my dad had bought them and I hadn't ate them in  years. They have the taste of actual homemade cookies even if the texture has that dry artificial brittle feeling. He bought two bags of them the day before the blog assignment was explained and I thought it would be interesting to find out more about them.

1. It IS a multi-ingredient food. Here are the ingredients. they are available on the bag and product website.

imagesource:http://www.motherscookies.com/cookies.aspx#

As for the ingredients I can tell right off the bat that TBHQ is a preservative, but they try to make it sound fancy by saying "For Freshness", basically to extend the shelf life by preventing it from going bad but doesn't "for freshness" just sound better? When I looked it up, I was not surprised to find that is can be harmful to the body and the amount used in food is regulated. It is Butane based and large amounts of it have been shown to "TBHQ cannot exceed 0.02% of the oil and fat content in a food. "

 high doses (between 1 and 4 grams) of TBHQ can cause nausea, delirium, collapse, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and vomiting. There are also suggestions that it may lead to hyperactivity in children as well as asthma, rhinitis and dermatitis. It may also further aggravate ADHD symptoms and cause restlessness. Long term, high doses of TBHQ in laboratory animals have shown a tendency for them to develop cancerous precursors in their stomachs, as well as cause DNA damage to them. It is also suggested that it may be responsible for affecting estrogen levels in women."

There are three coloring agents in these cookies, caramel, turmeric, and annatto. Is it any surprise that these are harmful as well?"Industrial caramel coloring is made by reacting sugars with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure and temperatures. The chemical reactions create 4-methylimidazole, which in government-conducted studies caused lung, liver, or thyroid cancer or leukemia in laboratory mice or rats. This is why California recently required foods containing caramel color to be labeled as potential cancer-causing agents.  But you won't see this warning label any time soon - manufacturers simply reduced the use of caramel color enough that the labeling requirements no longer applied."
So my takeaway is, if you are trying to avoid cancer.. maybe avoid these cookies??!

As for the "natural flavors" there is nothing natural about them, they are produced in a lab  and might as well be called artificial flavors, but that name is already taken by other manmade ingredients. I found some interesting information for people that do not eat meat and have serious allergies"sensitive to MSG, vegans, vegetarians and those with allergies should pay special attention to the phrase "natural flavorings" since glutamates, animal products or allergens may be the source of natural flavors. You can always contact the manufacturer for more information." I learned Soy Lecithin is an oily substance natural occurring in plants like soybeans and animals like in egg yolks. so this would NOT be considered Vegan in case anyone was wondering. Lastly I learned Vanillin is fake vanilla.

Sources:  http://www.naturalnews.com/031318_TBHQ_food_preservatives.html#ixzz31r0eJguM

http://www.fooducate.com/app#page=product&id=5DD20D66-576C-11E2-A40C-1231381A0463

2.As for where does it come from, It was hard to find out, the Oakland factory was shut down in California and had to be relocated to Canada and Ohio due to financial problems.

3.As for how the ingredients were grown and raised, I cannot tell you if ingredients in it are organic or factory farmed, BUT because on the website it says KOSHER DAIRY was used, that means, "All kosher milk products must derive from kosher animals. In addition, the milk of impure cattle and game (e.g. donkey milk) is prohibited. Dairy products, of course, also may not contain non-kosher additives, and they may not include meat products or derivatives (for example, many types of cheese are manufactured with animal fats). Additionally, a number of pre-processed foods contain small portions of milk products, such as whey. According to food product regulations, such tiny additives do not have to be declared on the packaging but may nevertheless render the product non-kosher. This applies especially to bread." SO even thought kosher dairy is used for the cookies, it is not entirely Kosher because of the use of whey in the cookies. That explains why Kosher Dairy usage is not advertised on the packaging because it might give false advertisement perhaps.

source:http://www.koshercertification.org.uk/whatdoe.html

4.as of right now, the Kellogs corporation

is in charge of Mothers cookies, they bought Mothers cookies shortly after they had closed.

Here is a photo of the Oakland factory. It kinda has a willy wonka look.

imagesource:http://www.motherscookies.com/history.aspx

                           

imagesources:http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Mother-s-Cookies-abruptly-shut-down-3266029.php#photo-2415523

5. For it's environmental factors, what I could deduce is that it's packaging CANNOT be recycled and it sys it right on the bag in a small square on the back. It shows the recycle symbol with a diagonal line in front of it, implying it cannot be recycled The packaging material is "composite". But by having the symbol it is participating in a new initiative to inform  consumers about recyclability. You can find out more at http://www.how2recycle.info/it is distributed by Kellog Sales Co. and I would have to bet on it being transported by trucks.

Imagesource:http://www.how2recycle.info/

6.There is no question that the cookies are tasty, why else would Kellog buy the recipes and company. They came back by popular demand! They are at their 100th anniversary this year. I already mentioned some of the health risks that can be caused by some of the ingredients. Here is some of the dietary information that can be found on the mother cookies website and on the bag.

imagesource:http://www.kelloggs.com/content/dam/common/products/nutrition/MothersCookiesChocolateChipcookies_17251.gif

 

 

 

 

Gasland 2 Documentary Review*Extra Credit Post*

Imagesource:http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/07/06/arts/06GASLAND/06GASLAND-superJumbo.jpg

 

No the above image is NOT a photo-shopped image you see, but a still from the documentary Gasland 2 screened on a movie night hosted by the Student Sustainability Collective at Riverside Community College. This homeowner's water supply could be set on fire just like most homeowners' water supply affected by fracking. I really had no idea what fracking was (which is what the documentary is about) and didn't really think it affected me. Now I've come to learn that there is big support and plans to have fracking in California. "In most states, fracking operations are designed to extract natural gas reserves. In California, it’s all about oil. California has the largest shale oil play in the nation- the Monterey Shale. It spans much of the Central Valley and Southern California. It lies below many of the sources of drinking water for Central Valley residents and contains an estimated 13.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil that have historically been too difficult to extract." Yes, alternative energy sources are important so that the U.S. does not have to be so dependent on foreign energy sources, but at what cost? After viewing Gasland 2 I can say that the repercussions of fracking are unsafe and harmful and I strongly oppose any plans for fracking anywhere! The one thing that really scared me about the movie was the way that government was portrayed. The government is actually under the govern of corporations and companies as evidenced by the film, and if we can't turn to the government for help where can we go? I highly recommend this movie!

Here are notes I took while watching the film, so you can get an idea of what the film's about:

• Gas industry denies water contamination and air pollution result of fracking, "We don't believe... haven't seen proof..."
• Families told not to fish or swim in ponds because of unsafe water, altering their lifestyle
• Victoria Switzer-property values decrease, "hey have to bring your own water"
• Cabbot Oil and Gas had contaminated Dimmick, Pennsylvania water with methane (causing it to be able to set on fire)
• EPA told pavilion residents not to drink their water
• natural filtration in ground wont filter fracking chemicals
• this isn't news, resource extraction at expense of indigenous people done for years in the history of the U.S.
• Some residents forced to leave their homes because house can blow up, or they were getting really sick. forced to take the financial loss
• Counterinsurgency, psy-ops techniques used by companies against public. military terms
• Cement failure within the fracking systems at high rates, allowing chemicals to escape into resorvoirs
• fracking cause of earthquakes
• natural gas good for weaning of fossil fuels
• sufficient clean renewable energy available (wind)- do not need to dig for fuels
• corporations have high influence in government more than ever
• court cases with angry homeowners settled with nondisclosure agreements
• EPA rep said they could not tell the truth (lied and said water was safe). They have to listen to the higher ups in D.C.
• oil control  business has so much money and power over what's going on with fracking
• own government afraid of a business

Sources:If you would like to learn more about fracking in California visit:http://www.cleanwateraction.org/fracking-california

Tap VS Bottled Water? Is One Really Better Than The Other?

 

 

Maybe your better off giving up bottled water!

imagesource:http://everythingsimpsons.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/boyscoutz3.jpg

http://bestepisodeever.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/9f22b.jpg

 

So this week's assignment is about where our water at home comes from as well as learning if bottled water is any better than tap water. After short investigation at the site http://www.riversideca.gov/utilities/water-wqr.asp I learned my tap water is "groundwater from wells in the Bunker Hill Basin and Riverside Basin." The Water Annual Report from Riverside provides a little more information about my water:

Riverside’s water begins as rain and snow that touches down in our local foothills and mountains and flows down through the earth into underground aquifers. With every storm, these water sources, located throughout the Riverside and San Bernardino basins, receive new water that is filtered through percolation, a naturally occurring purification process.

I learned that California's drinking water standards are among the highest in the U.S. That certainly makes me feel a little better about drinking my tap water.. if I had too. Lab tests are carried out daily to test for harmful chemicals as well. The tap water is safe to drink and has a safe amount of chlorine to prevent bacteria from growing in it (but the water can be filtered if the chlorine is an issue).

 

On another note, it is of interest to know WHO regulates our bottled water and tap water. Not surprisingly, the Environmental Protection Agency regulates tap water. They have National Primary Drinking Water Regulations and primary standards to protect the public by limiting the amount of contaminants in drinking water by enforcing maximum contaminant levels. Bottled water is regulated by The Food and Drug Administration. It appears that tap water might be the safest to drink after all because "Public water systems must also provide reports to customers about their water, noting its source, evidence of contaminants and compliance with regulations." The FDA seems to lack in  regulatory authority unlike the  EPA. "By comparison, GAO said, FDA regulates bottled water as a food and cannot require certified lab testing or violation reporting. Furthermore, FDA does not require bottled water companies to disclose to consumers where the water came from, how it has been treated or what contaminants it contains."

 

There are also a lot of concerns and drawbacks with water bottles. Their has been a lot of media on the impact of plastic water bottles. Apparently the most environmental thing you can do is carry around your own reusable water bottle filled with tap water. A spokesperson for the Natural Resources Defense Council says roughly 70% or more of water bottles end up in landfills and incinerators, "That's 170 bottles per year for every man, woman and child in America,". You also have to think about the money and energy going into manufacturing the bottles as well as transporting them. The most alarming factor is the chemical bisphenol A found in plastic bottles that may alter the hormone levels in your body.

 

In conclusion, " In study after study, bottled water has been proven to be no cleaner than tap water, and has the added disadvantage that it isn't nearly as well regulated as your tap water." Let's not forget your tap water is cheaper than bottled water.

 

Additional Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/09/09greenwire-fewer-regulations-for-bottled-water-than-tap-g-33331.html

 

 http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/

 

http://www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/181/62/