Recently in ESA, we learned about the wetlands and even completed a some citizen science with Save the Bay.
Wetlands are areas where water at least for part of the year covers the land. They can be swamps, marshes and are ever changing ecosystems. They serve an incredible number of functions for unique animals and for the health of our Earth. Wetlands serve as a habitat and nesting ground for many migratory birds and other important organisms. They filter water, protect the shore from storms and the tides, mitigate flooding, retain sediment and other important ecological functions. Wetlands are also an economic resource for fishermen and those who rely on the organisms in the wetlands. The major causes of wetland decline are that people have been filling in the wetlands or destroying them for development. Locally, the Bay Area's wetlands have primarily been destroyed for this reason. We learned about our local SF Bay history though documentary entitled "Saving the Bay". Check out my sketchnotes about the film below:
Our citizen science for the unit was collecting soil data with Save the Bay through their DiRT program. I was sick the day of the field trip so I did not attend, but I went last year with AP Bio so I could still contribute to discussions. The class went to the Palo Alto Bay Lands and collected data on the non restored areas of that site. Data was collected about moisture, pH and salinity at different points on the marsh's slope. Once we got back to school, we analyzed this data and created graphs. Look below for my group's presentation!
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To kick off our agriculture unit, we watched the documentary "Botany of Desire". The film is based off a book of the same name by Michael Pollan and discusses five pivotal crops and how they have shaped human civilizations. In class, we watched the segments on potatoes and apples, and skipped over the tulip and cannabis discussions.
We later learned about the Green Revolution and agricultural practices that were implemented at that time. These practices, such as selective breeding for high yield crops, new irrigation systems, fertilizers and pesticides, were both positive and negative but regardless have greatly impacted the way that food is grown worldwide. One one hand, the Green Revolution allowed for a more efficient production of food for the growing world population. However, many of these pieces of new technology have detrimental impacts on the environment. Fertilizers and pesticides pollute water supplies and damage ecosystems. To further explore certain aspects of the Green Revolution we created a presentation on specific new technologies. My group focused on high yield variety crops which are crops that are bred to produce more food per hectare.
High yield crops produced a monoculture in the agriculture industry and damaged soil quality creating an increased number of natural disasters. After the Green Revolution, we moved through farming history into the implementation of GMOs. Genetically modified organisms are organisms such as plants and other organisms that have had their genomes altered. Like the new technologies of the Green Revolution, GMOs have been largely debated. Opponents fear the potential health hazards of GMOs. Supporters, however, cite the scientific support of GMOs and the real benefits that more nutritious and plentiful food can provide the world. Overall, the food choices and products that an individual consumes should be made with the impact that that crop has on the world. If everyone could think and be conscious about the decisions they make, regardless of the stance they have, the industry would be much healthier and . I had a very relaxing winter break this year. After the holidays, my family went to southern California to visit family and celebrate the new year. And although I was finalizing my final college applications, it was still very nice. Plus, I have never been more relieved than when I submitted my last application and enjoyed the final week of break immensely.
In 2018, my personal goal is to be more positive in general. It was a rough year but there are (hopefully) many things in life to look forward to, both personally and in the world. I realize that my general pessimism will only add to the negativity already so prevalent in our world. This year will hold many big milestones in my life so looking towards those as achievements will help bring more positivity into my life. While realistically, I will probably never be a true optimist in life, I can definitely attempt to be happier in general. Environmentally, I have also set a goal to cut back on my meat consumption and eat meat only twice a week at the most. Culturally, my family eats a lot of meat, but I think that cutting back is a small choice that can make a relatively large impact on my own footprint. For the world, I hope that more people begin to realize the severity of environmental issues and take more action. If the current administration is unable to do so, I hope that individuals will take initiative and create change. I sincerely hope and truly believe that 2018 will be better than 2017. There are many moments I have to look forward to (graduation, my 18th birthday, starting college, etc.) that are worth looking forward to in a positive light.
To enhance our water pollution unit in ESA, we watched "Blue Gold: Water Wars", a documentary about the problems facing our water supply. This documentary followed several different facets of the water crisis: the cause, politics, historical disputes and solutions. Check out this link to learn more about the documentary!
Everyone knows that water is important, but many people, especially in industrialized countries, take this resource for granted. While our planet may primarily be covered in water, only 3% of that water is consumable fresh water. This small section of drinkable water is being pumped and polluted at an alarming rate. In America alone, 30 billion gallons of groundwater is pumped every day, which is a far too high a rate to be naturally replenished by the water cycle. The increasing use of bottled water, unsustainable business and farming practices, spread of urbanization, and general pollution are all damaging the sustainability of the Earth's water. In addition to the alarming depletion of the Earth's resources, the privatization of fresh water is an upsetting human rights violation. Every human needs water to survive and yet some companies have a monopoly on the water supply. Massive corporations like Suez and Nestle have taken advantage of disadvantaged areas and profited off of their desperation. Currently water is not recognized as human right by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even though logically, water is a crucial necessity. I was not totally surprised by the majority of this information. Last year, I watched the documentary "FLOW" and wrote this reflection on the film, and much of the content was similar. To learn more about this documentary, check out their website. Here is a deleted scene from the "Water Wars" that I found on their website.
Works Cited
“Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008).” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt1137439/. “The Action Plan.” Blue Gold : World Water Wars, Purple Turtle Films, www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com/actionplan/index.html. A week ago, ESA 2017 went on our second field trip! This time we went to the Tech Museum in San Jose, along with the AP Biology and Sports Medicine classes, to look at the Body Works exhibit. This exhibit contained preserved human bodies and taught us about different body structures and systems. Through the models we were able to better understand the skeletal system, muscular structures, digestive systems, reproductive organs, respiratory pathways and many many more.
One of my favorite parts was seeing the diseased vs healthy lungs and livers. The side by side comparison was incredibly poignant and did an amazing job illustrating the dangers of damage to those organs. The damaged lungs made me think about air pollution and the detrimental impacts it can have on our lungs. Breathing in toxins and smog, amongst other things, has the power to impact not just our lungs but our other body systems. Seeing organs both isolated and in the context of the entire body was very illuminating. Walking through the exhibit I found many applications to environmental science. Maybe not directly but nonetheless incredibly valuable. Seeing the bodies of humans reminds me again how similar we all are both to each other and other animals. Mammals share so many characteristics, it is incredible to think that some humans are damaging our common earth. One thing that I would change about the trip is I would have liked to spend more time in the Body Works exhibit specifically. It was so fascinating I never wanted to leave. I think that Body Works is a very good presentation of the human body and had aspects that anyone could appreciate. This season in ESA, our class went on our first field trip of the year! I couldn't attend, but in conducting my own research on the organization, I learned a lot about NOAA and marine debris.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program put in place the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) to determine the magnitude and impacts of the marine debris problem. This program monitors beaches and waters to create records of both the quantity and types of debris in the environment. In doing so, they hope to identify the problem and then prevent it from spreading. MDMAP utilizes citizen scientists to help collect data which is what our class went to help with! The project logs all plastic debris finds at this link! Marine debris causes a myriad of problems. Economic losses, habitat destruction, wildlife entanglement, animal ingestion and alien species transport are all damaging ramifications of marine debris. The most fascinating impact to me is alien species transport. Organisms from one location can cling to debris and as the debris travels to a new location, those organisms are transported. The transported organisms then become invasive and can damage the indigenous species. Explore more about the problem here! I hope that projects like this continue and that this information can help find solutions to the marine debris problem!
During the month of October, ESA participated in the Project Green Challenge. This challenge was put on by an organization called Turning Green that encourages students like us to become envolved and informed about the environment. Their hope is that by educating young students, we will grow into responsible global citizens for a better planet in the future!
The Project Green Challenge was one of the ways that Turning Green sought to engage students. Every day a new educational challenge would be posted. These ranged from watching videos to reflections on observations of the world. My personal favorite challenge day that I did, researched several superfoods that could replace animal products for protein and could be sourced sustainably. The challenge was calledMeatless Monday and was very interesting to explore. I watched this video about an acai products below!
Overall the Project Green Challenge 2017 was very interesting. I love that the group focuses on student involvement. It is very encouraging that there are organizations that actually value the voices of the younger generation. I learned a lot through the challenges and it was very rewarding to be a part of a larger learning community!
This week in school, we have been talking about Pope Francis' message in Laudato Si, his statement on climate change and the environment.
I think it is incredibly valuable and important that Pope Francis gave this statement. There are many questions surrounding climate change from people who either fear the implications of a changing world or are ignorant to the reality of the probem. Having a major and well respected religious leader say the things he said, put far more weight behind the matter. Climate change and human interactions with the environment is an urgent problem, and Laudato Si is just one more step in the right direction. We watched a TED talk given by the Pope and it was very powerful. I am not even religious, but I was very moved by his words. The quote that most moved me from Pope Francis' speech was "Hope begins with one you. When there is an us, there begins a revolution." He talked about how one person can make a difference and incite change. I just loved how he addressed the question of how can one person make a difference. In so many words, he says that while one person may not be able to change the entire world, an individual can start a revolution as more people join. This was so profound and stuck with me. To read more about Laudato Si check out these links: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/06/18/world/europe/encyclical-laudato-si.html Here is the TED Talk: |
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