Link to my survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/285D2Q2
Update: My initial hypothesis for the experiment has proven to be correct. Most people directly correlate almost all of the technology in their lives as having some specific need. Whether it is mass communication, correcting handwriting, or producing some form of data: computers are making our lives easier. I also found that people tend to upgrade technological devices frequently, only keeping the traits that proved to be the most helpful. This supports Darwin's theory of Evolution. I hope to receive more quality information through my survey to better prepare my research for Essay 4.
English 101
Monday, November 19, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Darwinism Theory of Evolution applied to technology
My studies have proven to be more initially helpful than the survey itself. I have only had two people complete the survey which does not produce quality information. This being said, my research with an article comparing the darwinism theory of evolution has been really helpful in understanding the trends and reasons behind technology in the lives of society. The article explains that all parts of technology have been created to solve a problem. The history of technology is directly related to the discoveries that we have made in past decades. My survey studies are working to confirm that though we might not see tweeting as correcting a civil problem, it in fact does just this. After the survey is completed by multiple others, the information will become more helpful.
Article: http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Darwinism-theory-of-evolution-applied-to-technology
Monday, October 29, 2012
Indigenous Resistance
Indigenous resistance and racist
schooling on the borders of empires: Coast Salish cultural survival by
Michael Marker describes the separation of indigenous people from society. The article focuses on educational policy and
the ways in which the Coast Salish have adapted to society. The Coast Salish population has set forth
measures to resist conforming to society. Marker focuses a lot of the education
barrier of racism when indigenous groups in society integrate into public
school. Coast Salish and other groups in
society have created government boarding schools to continue their
culture. It keeps the problem of
creating cultural barriers away from public schools.
In
response to Marker’s article, I believe that it is important for every group in
society to keep their culture. However, segregating yourself from society to
avoid racism is a bit of an extreme. Conformity is not always a bad thing;
sometimes it is good to embrace other’s cultures as well as your own.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
New York City: Food and Sustainability?
Fact: Population = 8,244,910 people
Now how do we feed them?
If we consider the environment of just one specific location, the problems become more obvious.
-We are importing food to sustain the population (No food grown locally)
-We are using Genetically Modified Organisms and Urbacides to increase food production (What does this do to our heath?)
-Health regulations are being sacrificed
I found a video that we read in class called "The Meatrix" really interesting. It called out several of the issues that have been formed to meet the growing society's need for food. We all picture the typical barn with hay and pigs running around, but yet we never think about how expensive and impractical it would be to feed everyone off of these farms. The result is the agriculture businesses. They border line animal cruelty and use many different chemicals to produce more, regardless of how it affects your health. It is important that we start thinking for once about the food and sustainability problems we are facing. I would much rather eat quality meat than genetically-altered and processed meat that that is cheap and abundant. We need to act now.
Now how do we feed them?
If we consider the environment of just one specific location, the problems become more obvious.
-We are importing food to sustain the population (No food grown locally)
-We are using Genetically Modified Organisms and Urbacides to increase food production (What does this do to our heath?)
-Health regulations are being sacrificed
I found a video that we read in class called "The Meatrix" really interesting. It called out several of the issues that have been formed to meet the growing society's need for food. We all picture the typical barn with hay and pigs running around, but yet we never think about how expensive and impractical it would be to feed everyone off of these farms. The result is the agriculture businesses. They border line animal cruelty and use many different chemicals to produce more, regardless of how it affects your health. It is important that we start thinking for once about the food and sustainability problems we are facing. I would much rather eat quality meat than genetically-altered and processed meat that that is cheap and abundant. We need to act now.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Environmental Ethics
Martin Heidegger and Environmental Ethics
http://www2.hmc.edu/~tbeckman/personal/Heidart.html
This article is by Martin Heidegger regarding his views of technology and how it is affecting our environment. The article also includes how the essence of art adds to our environment. Art enriches our culture and reinforces good environmental practices. Our attention is focused too much on the technology that surrounds or lives, that we lose the essence of the environment. "Whether we embrase technology, or condemn it, for we are all equally enslaved by our misunderstanding of what technology actually is."Heidegger portrays a different sense to technology as something that should not be just a part of our lives, but something we use in addition to the environment. It is really important to openly think about how much technology is involved in our lives. Heidegger's article is apart of works that influence us to think more openly.
http://www2.hmc.edu/~tbeckman/personal/Heidart.html
This article is by Martin Heidegger regarding his views of technology and how it is affecting our environment. The article also includes how the essence of art adds to our environment. Art enriches our culture and reinforces good environmental practices. Our attention is focused too much on the technology that surrounds or lives, that we lose the essence of the environment. "Whether we embrase technology, or condemn it, for we are all equally enslaved by our misunderstanding of what technology actually is."Heidegger portrays a different sense to technology as something that should not be just a part of our lives, but something we use in addition to the environment. It is really important to openly think about how much technology is involved in our lives. Heidegger's article is apart of works that influence us to think more openly.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Lustgarden, Kusnetz, and McKibben
The peer reviewed article “Seven
days: 4-10 May 2012” discuses several interesting scientific topics that took
place during this week period. The are article includes an excerpt with
information about the United States Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land
Management releasing a draft on May 4th of rules that would require
companies to disclose the chemicals that they use in hydraulic fracturing or
“fracking” (Thompson). The reviews were in response to “public protest” that
was provoked by “fears that chemicals used in the process could pollute ground
water”.
The
article is of most importance to Lustgarten and Kusnetz’s article because they
highlighted the issues of fracking and its concern that it left with the
citizens of Pavillion, Wyoming. It is a relief that the U.S. Department of
Interior’s Bureau of Land Management reviewed the case and released new
regulations. These new regulations will help control the use of dangerous
chemicals and protect the surrounding citizens from harm. Although the article
most directly relates to Lustgarden and Kusnetz’s article, McKibben would also
be influenced by it. The regulations not only benefit the community but they
stop harmful chemicals from contaminating ground water and soil. This peer
reviewed article serves as a great follow up, regarding action, to the problems
we have discussed in class.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Fracking in Pavillion, Wyoming
It
is fair to say that water is one of the most important things in our lives.
Besides air, there is not anything that a person cannot survive for at least a
few days without. A person can even live without food for over a week!
Scientific American posted a story by Lustgarten, Kusnetz and ProPublic about
an issue that was just raised around the town of Pavillion, Wyoming. The
problem is that the processes involved with “fracking” for natural gas has been
linked to contaminating the water supply in underground water supplies. The
Environmental Protection Agency began observing the case in 2008 and came to
the conclusion that the hydrocarbons and contaminants had a correlation with
the chemicals used in fracking. The case continued to 2010 where the testing
results also reported that the water was becoming unsafe to drink. They also
cautioned that the high levels of methane in the water were explosive! It was
not until the following year after the EPA drilled in two more wells and found
that they confirmed increased levels of carcinogenic chemicals. In December of
2011, the EPA connected the issue with 33 abandoned oil and gas waste pits.
The citizens of
Pavillion, Wyoming had filed complaints about the water and it took four years
to prove that they were right! The fracking process polluted the water that
they drink, bathe, and surround their lives with. This contamination could have
been the result of death among many people of the community. This issue should
not be taken lightly. Every process that involves the uses of toxic chemicals
should be thoroughly examined to ensure that they are not going to put any
community’s lives at risk. It is very reassuring that the EPA is not taking
this observation lightly. They are working to correct the problem as fast as
possible and are creating new safety measures to prevent it from happening in
the future.
The cement that
surrounded and protected the well must be designed to be more reliant. The “sporadic
bonding” that was described in the article should have been something tested
and foreseen before it jeopardized lives. It is important to understand that
not every problem in society is prepared for, however this issue is something
that could have been avoided if the correct safety measures and testing were
performed.
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