The Carbon Footprint That Takes up 4 Planet Earths

As the final Action Project of this third term here at GCE, in my FUEL class we learned more about the pollution that affects our environment. Now, a can on the floor may be disrespectful, but we’re talking about the big gasses here; carbon.

Yet carbon can come in multiple forms, like the ever so common carbon dioxide, but there’s one much, much worse than that. Colorless, so you can’t see it, tasteless and odorless, meaning that there’s practically no way to know it’s there. An invisible poison known as carbon monoxide is created when there’s more carbon than oxygen in an area and comes from many things. Carbon monoxide can come from wood burning, like a fireplace, boilers, steamers, heaters, furnaces, and even a car (that’s turned on, granted) in a closed garage. The boilers and furnaces can malfunction to create this gas while everything else is from an incomplete combustion creating the CO (carbon monoxide). It’s best to avoid these scenarios if you want to keep away from the room or area where these might occur. Here’s a diagram to show you the dangers on a visual perspective.

Now, the other assignment, that focuses upon the project was to enter your carbon footprint data, and then simulate scenarios and compare it to other cases like how many pounds of coal burned equals that same amount. Here I have the actual report I made which includes more detailed facts about my carbon footprint and how I can reduce it.

What is pollution? Well, pollution is a harmful toxin that affects the environment, it gets released in multiple ways and in multiple forms. There are different pollutants that affect the environment in different ways, like air pollution, water contaminants, and even pollution that affects underground structures. Carbon can be released through exhaust of vehicles, as a byproduct of combustion, and even when we exhale. Why am I talking about pollution? Because pollution is destroying our world slowly, but by a lot each day.

My life uses 16.5 tons of carbon a year, that’s 15 metric tons. In other words, that’s the greenhouse gas emission of 11,600 pounds of trash sent to a landfill each year by those dump trucks full of exhaust. That exhaust translates to the carbon produced by 1,678 gallons of gasoline. However, all this can be reverted, because most pollution can be replaced and reduced.

All we need to do is plant trees. It would take just 384 seedlings to be planted to compensate for the carbon I produce. Sure, if everyone on Earth lived like me, it would take 4 Earths to provide the substances and materials we need.  However, in the span of a decade, we could plant 384 trees for each person, and the carbon would balance itself out with the oxygen. If you’re interested in the mathematics, or wondering how that amount of trees came to be, then let me display the equation that calculated this in my favor.

“x” metric tons (1 tree/0.039 metric tons) = ? trees

16.5 metric tons (1 tree/0.039 metric tons) = 384 trees

Now, what if planting isn’t really an option, like if you live in a snowy or desert-like area, or even if you just live in the city? In a case like mine, I went to a website to simulate certain scenarios, which was the same site that I used for the calculations.  If I had pledged (and fulfilled) that I would use solar panels, my carbon use would reduce by 2.2 tons. Another scenario would be if I only purchase products that have reduced or recycled packaging, this would bring my carbon use down by 1.1 tons. Then, in a different scenario, if I were to own and use only energy-efficient products, the carbon would reduce even more, by 0.6 tons of the carbon. However these were not the only scenarios I could’ve chosen, but they were the most plausible for me to complete, solar panels, reduced packaging, energy efficiency, those all seem like a possible feat for anyone to complete.

My individual actions alone may not bring down the ppm (parts per million) of 400 to the much better 350, but if we all do our part, we’ll definitely be helping the environment. If everyone, who had the means to, could started to reduce their use, then the Earth wouldn’t be dying so fast.

A New Dream, and this one tells a tale

Once again, another Action Project comes my way. This is the final project for my integrated class, that studies philosophy and is named Who Am I, as we try to figure out who we truly are based on our; beliefs, memory, doubts, and dreams. This time, we were assigned to create a dreamcatcher that resembles  what we experienced in our dream and what elements would have been caught if passing through one. The general question was “What are your dreams and fears for the future?” So in this sense, I thought of how I wanted to be an arts related expert that makes successful animations.

Original image; Dream Catcher VG

I have made a dream catcher that symbolizes several elements in my dream that appeared in sequence, like a television series, and in an abridged, parody like, fashion. There are several parts that represent different elements and refer to different parts of my personality. The center of my dreamcatcher represents the base of operations and where I stayed place during most of my dream. The other bindings represent the web of lies I was told (hence the focus upon the octagon sides which relates to how spiders have eight legs and make webs). Each bead represents a danger and an ally, red and orange being enemies or the giant deadly humanoids, and green being my soldiers. This would almost map out my dream and the paths that were taken by others in it throughout the dream. The frame made from pencils represents the animated like visuals I had during the dream and the abstract form of the web illustrate my creativity in general, despite the many already made and well known characters..

I could easily tell that my dream was heavily inspired of the new Japanese anime, Attack on Titan, because of the way it was constructed and it’s plot. The slight difference would be that the characters of that show were replaced with other very iconic characters from multiple franchises including several other japanese anime and popular companies like Nintendo, Sega, Konami, Kojima productions (as in Hideo Kojima), DC universe, Marvel comics, Hasbro, and many others. My dream featured a large cast of characters I thought were cool, ones that I generally liked (meaning that influence and opinion was a very large factor in this dream). I like to think that the id was influenced by what I recently watched and that the ego produced the imagery, simulating the scenario for my id. Now, the id is the inner child that keeps all the inappropriate ideas, or at least based on our perspective, while the ego keeps these thoughts at bay. What I think is that it was the sense of violence that the ego was simulating so the id would not act upon it in reality. My defenses wouldn’t have broken down, if I hadn’t had trusted the entity who had a bad reputation of a malevolent past.

However, there weren’t all upsides to this dream, as the battles went on, my allies grew weaker. Some had fallen others retreated, but if I fought sooner within the dream, then one of the greatest warriors wouldn’t have to sacrifice himself. I believed my dream to be a reflection of influence and how I enjoy to be around others, with heroes by my side, protecting the world from harm. Overall, there was one main lesson that I learned in the dream which would be; “Don’t trust those who have a bad reputation”,hmm, sounds like a bumper sticker.

Questions and Doubts

Another Action Project in my second class, Who Am I (studying literature and philosphy), and in this class, we're fast fowarding thorugh unit 3. The study of the unit is still present, but the students all zoomed through that lesson plan. So as the third action project, to relate to the guiding question of doubt, we were assigned to create a guiding question of our own and then answer other question about that question. Sound, confusing, but wasn't really.

There was a choice between having a seven slide presentation and a 500 word essay. Naturally I felt that the essay would be easier because my voice isn't the most optimun one for recording. So as I pursued the research about pursueing my goal, I found a few things that met the criteria. As a summarization of the points made to meet, I needed to state and review the similarities between what we went over in class and my question. Then we needed to research at least two experts who shared they're thoughts on the subject, which did not mean an interview was required. I bet you wondering what I questioned and why I've made that one, well just below you can read the copy of the essay.

Thanks and enjoy.

Guiding Question; Do we really have control?

Do we really have complete control of our lives? Life can truly be mysterious. For instance, whether we have the free will to control it or not is the real mystery. Doubt is something most people have on a daily basis. People might doubt whether they should buy a coffee in the morning or make it at home before they leave. But in this case, I have doubts of whether or not humans truly have control of themselves. I am compelled to this question and it is important for me to me to pursue it because of several cases where my life has seemed as if an outer force was controlling everything that’s happened to me. This question isn’t something simple that can be answered by an internet search nor can it be answered with a few words. This question was also inspired to me by certain characters, both fictional and factual. This is a universal question because we truly have no idea if we are beings of free will or if this is a reliving of the past, or even simply the course of nature. We have seven minutes of activity left in our brains before we die, it is said that that is truly when your life flashes before your eyes, meaning that this in itself could just be a re-experience of our life in seven simple minutes.

In the movie, The Truman Show, a fictional character named Truman was unaware of his unusual life. Truman’s life, from the very beginning was a set-up. He was legally adopted so his life could become a television series. Every moment of his life was not from real control… it was preset, his fate was predestined, controlled by the TV producers.He never had to face any risks, his best friend and wife were picked for him, and so was his career. He had no control over his life, which is what I’m questioning now. However, certain mistakes in the production of the TV series (in movie), like actors found behind the set enjoying a break, lead Truman to start questioning himself. His sanity, his existence, his choices, was any of it him? But by the end of the film it was revealed to him that his life was just a show to the public.

Then there’s the philosopher, Rene Descartes, who had doubts of his very own. My question isn’t about how we may or may not have free will. It is about doubting that my actions, which are so simple, could’ve caused what (at times) happens to me. Other times I feel as if I’m being controlled by an outer force. Descartes wrote a study upon the “Discourse on the Method for Reasoning Well and for Seeking Truth in the Sciences”, in which he believed that, our senses deceive us sometimes, and how god is perfect while nothing else is nor compares to perfection. Also, he said, “I think, therefore I am”, “noticing the truth so firm that all the most extravagant assumptions of the skeptics would not be able to weaken it.” The disbelief in his mind lead to reassurance as well, which can be odd in case where the focus is doubt. Descartes doubt he had full control, and in this scruple, he thought it was God that had control in his life

Two other experts have also study a case of the control we have over our lives. One of these experts is Dr. Bruce B. Abbott, Ph.D who states that, “At the heart of perceptual control theory says that us humans are super intricate machines.” Then there was Albert J. Reiss, a theorist who believed that, “...behavior consequent to the failure of personal and social controls.” However, these statements seem rather scientific and biological, but they inconsistency of choice makes things seem that it can be explained so simplistically.

Now if were to pursue this question as my career, there are plenty of risks I’d be taking. Lets say, if my life was actually being controlled by an outside force, I risk losing what I have and I’m not sure up to what lengths, whomever it may be, might do to stop me from figuring it out. However if that person is distant, then the further I try to answer the question, I may one day venture to depths of sea or space, which would risk my entire life if I were to get lost in one or the other. Should my efforts be going after something that never existed in the first place, I may live a life of paranoia and never feel relaxed because I wasn’t satisfied with finding nothing.

A renewable energy

In another Action Project of this term, a new type of assignment arose in the Fuel class, integrated science and math studies. In the unit 2 Action Project we were to create a report or a script with a partner, then to make a video. There was a choice between two renewable energy methods, wind power and solar energy. In this collaboration I worked with a fellow C2 blogger, MH. He and I thought that the wind power would be more suitable than solar energy panels because of it's constant availability and super efficiency.

Beforehand of this project, we analyzed the cost and efficiency of a non-renewable resource and I chose petroleum, and at that time I had a different partner. The purpose of this Action Project was to compare non-renewable and renewable energy sources.

Through the process of the project, the work was split evenly. As I researched and gathered information, MH worked on the video, while I also created the script, and he would interpret and revise it. The way we completed it was nearly as efficient as one of the wind turbines themselves.

MH's choice of visuals and quality of video was truly what really helped this project become what it is. A special thanks and a link to his blog, with his version, will be inserted here.

Click me to go to partner's blog

The final product is present on here as well, hope you enjoy it, and maybe consider the savings yourself.

A Time Machine memory

    

In another action project, the second one of this term, we find out more of our experiences and take you back in time with ease. The essential goal of this action project is to take the viewer back in time, to experience what we once did as well. How this is done is fairly simple, just use sensory details like adjectives and you'll be traveling back in no time. With vivid descriptions, any picture can be painted.

    My memory took place when I was a mere 5 year old infant. I was on vacation to visit my family in Brazil in 2004 winter (here in the United State). A pleasant trip that was then followed by deception and pain. It was quite a surprise to me about what happened however I won't discuss this here. There is going to be a copy of a detailed event accounting below. I just believe I should also include one more thing... that being how horrendous the waiting for flights were, three hours minimum each flight and practically nothing to do at all, but the flight itself did make the trips even more worth traveling to Brazil. Here's the direct copy of the time machine, enjoy.

A memory that takes me back a long way was when I traveled to Brazil on vacation but got bitten by a large, old, and sick dog. However, I suppose before I get into that, I should start back from the beginning. It was the year 2004, the same year that George W. Bush defeated John Kerry and won re-election for presidency. I was on vacation to Brazil because that’s where a majority of my family lives whereas only my brother, parents, uncle, and 2 cousins live here in Chicago. My family; which this time only included my brother and  father, were off to O’hare airport. Our schedule consisted of us going to Atlanta to then go to an airport in Sao Paulo, and then headed to Rio de Janeiro As we had very long waits for our flights, we were thrilled, ecstatic even, to be in the wonderful weather of Brazil. I’ve been to Brazil multiple times, but this trip is my earliest memory of it. I went there before but only when I was very young, around 2 years old or less.

Our plans were to visit as much family as we could, but that’s quite impossible due to the enormous size of the rest of my relatives. I think at the time I had two generations of cousins and 3 uncles along with 3 other aunts. The air was fresh and brisk, there was usually the great scent of backyard barbecues and the cities looked bright, tall, and fairly unique in architecture. After we arrived at Rio de Janeiro, we stocked up on supplies like toothpaste and other hygienic items. We also enjoy the sights like the Cristo Redentor and the amazing beaches. We were then picked up by our uncle and headed to Joao Monlevade, where we saw the majority of our family, about eight-teen cousins and all of my aunts and uncles. It was great to see my ever  expanding family for the first time that I could remember, even though it may not be the case chronologically. Our next city, which was in the same state in Brazil called Minas Gerais, was to  visit my grandmother in Belo Horizonte. This is where  that dog, a weimaraner, bit me. He was short haired, floppy-eared, and generally droopy dog.

The dog’s name was Bob and he was one of the two dogs my dad used to own, one of them, who was also a weimaraner, died, so there was only one left. The dog, Bob, had an accident in his youth where he was hit by a car and half blind, meaning he could only see out of one eye. During of the first few days of our visit, Bob was very docile, however his easygoing nature didn’t last too long. One afternoon I was in the kitchen just sitting there petting Bob, but then he suddenly and unexpectedly attacked. A blur of my own vision and a loud snarl later, he latched to my face and nearly hit my eye. Luckily for me and my young, frail, body, his bite only lasted a couple seconds, although it felt like minutes, especially when in the jaws of and such a large weimaraner. My feelings mixed between confusion of why he launched at me and fear for my head. I was instantly rushed to the hospital so my wound could be healed, the marks of injury were an inch below my eye and another inch above it. After that day, rather than have an encouraged fear of canis familiaris (scientific alias of dogs), I wanted to learn more about why would he attack me. Plus after those nine years, I think that there was a range of reasons, one being as an old, sick, dog, he might have just snapped, or maybe it was something primal. I was staring at him in the eyes, grinning, and near his food, so primal instincts could’ve made him feel threatened, however after that one instance, he never showed any harm again. My next visit, a few years after and Bob was back to being friendly. I suppose we’ll never know why he attacked.