blog 11

By far the most important natural resource on earth that must be protected is our atmosphere. without it, radiation from the very sun that gives us life would scorch earth; rendering the planet unsuitable for any type of life. If civilization ran out of oil, we would find other things to burn, it wouldn't be the end of existence for us. But if our atmosphere was depleted by carbon emissions, we would have a much bigger problem than bits of plastics choking seagulls or the dangerous artificial hormones to worry about. Life for everything would end entirely. Cosmic and solar radiation would render the surface of the planet as baron as the moon, comets and meteors that usually burn up in the atmosphere would have an unhindered entrance into the earths surface, and surface temperatures from the sun would exceed the hottest of summer days. If our atmosphere was diminished, everything we know about on earth would be burned to a crisp. This is why I believe the atmosphere is one of our most important natural resources that must be protected.

In order to protect the atmosphere and repair it's current state, society would have to unite and put in their part.  Engines from motor-vehicles would have to use cleaner fuel alternatives such as Biofuels or electricity. Power-plants and other factories would have to start using carbon filters to reduce their smog emissions. Both of these carbon reducing methods could be subsidized by governments to help ease the cost of having to switch over to new and potentially expensive equipment. As an individual I am already doing my part in reducing carbon emissions that hurt the earths atmosphere by taking the bus and walking when I can.

Learning that air pollution and ozone depletion was indeed a real problem and that energy companies were actually funding false research and attempting to smear the authenticity of research changed my view on the subject and greatly interested me. I never knew such well known corporations could get away with lying and cheating. I no longer fully trust what mainstream media says and now I look for research straightly taken from scientists and reliable reporters.

post #10

For a three day period,we were to monitor the amount of waste we produced. Me and my family produced about 1 & 1/2 large sized bags of waste over the three day period. About 4/5 of the trash we produced was re cyclable material such as plastics and paper. The majority of our recyclable waist came from packaging of foods.

I went on the internet and looked up methods on how to cut back on waste production, the following list are a few methods I would use to cut back on waste production:

buying raw unpackaged foods
buying only what you need
reusing containers as often as you can

My efforts to reduce me and my families waste reduction worked moderately well. My parents work and don't have time to cook during the week so they occasionaly bought packaged food from fast-food. When they were home they ate pastas, grains, and produce that were bought unpackaged.

We plan on cutting back on purchasing packaged products when we can. This would mean we would have to limit buying prepared foods because they are usually packaged. It will be difficult to limit our consunption of packaged foods because we are constantly busey and have very little time to prepare food ourselves.

Post #9

According to evidence from the website we were told to research, the climate is in fact changing. We are adding too much smog emissions into the air with our big V8s and factories. Climate change will definitely cause chaos for many nations. Third-world countries will have the most difficulty adapting to the new climate change and they will surely need assistance from other nations. Many people believe that global warming isn't real because they read articles claiming global warming is false. People believe what they hear and read and will not doubt it unless they further research that topic. I believe the world will still be livable in the next fifty years. First-world countries won't have had too much trouble dealing with the climate change because they have air conditioners. New water conservation laws might be passed to deal with the increased use of it. Small Islands will have most likely become completely inundated and it's populations will have drowned or moved on. Europe will be a lot colder and they will regress to vikings. Life will definitely change if we do not do something to preserve the quality of our atmosphere.

Post #7

I took a Saturday to unplug myself from modern technology since I never have anything important to do on the weekends. I had to break the rules a bit and take a hot shower because it would be considered cruel and unusual punishment if i were forced to take a cold shower. I stuffed my cellphone in between a couch cushion to prevent myself from seeing or hearing it throughout the day. My meals were dry foods that required no heating such as bread, nuts, and water; it wasn't very appetizing but it kept me from starving. If I really wanted to I could have started a fire in my backyard and boil something like beans or my neighbors dog. I was upset that I wouldn't be able to use my computer or television to entertain myself, so I decided to leave my house and  hang out with my friends who i had nearly estranged because I preferred my xbox over them. It was a nice day and most of the neighborhood was out enjoying the sun, including my friends. I made small talk with them and caught up with current events. It felt nice to reconnect with people who you had known and been close to for over 5 years. I was out most of the day and when it became night I decided to go home. My parents weren't to keen on the idea of not using lights at night so i resided in the darkness of my room, gazing at the stars and  listening to crickets. I had a lot of time to think and explore my imagination because there was no digital media to fill my mind and cloud my thoughts. At the end of the day I didn't want to surrender anything because the few  comforts i have provided from modern living are the only things that make my life enjoyable. Back then people who had no technology were constantly working and fighting to feed themselves and their families, leaving little room for free time and comfortable living. I hate gardening and can't imagine what it would be like owning a farm. I don't believe becoming cavemen again is the answer to a more environmentally friendly nation. I believe technological advances, frugality, and recycling will help us become more self-sustainable.

Blog Assignment #4

I believe the campus of RCC Riverside is far from green. There are often plumbing leaks that waste gallons and gallons of water, the school has not invested in solar energy, and as far as i know, none of the paper thrown away on the campus is recycled. I believe that one of UCR's buildings uses solar panels to power it's electricity, so that's one step more than RCC has taken to go green. I also read an article on how UCR was given a 2 million dollar award to power electric vehicles with sunlight.
Riverside gets plenty of sun year round- especially in the summer. My plan to help RCC become more environmentally friendly would be to install solar panels on major buildings such as the library, quad, and Martin Luther King building. During the summer the solar panels could power some of the electricity requirements for lighting and air conditioning, saving money and electricity for the school. I would compare electricity bills prior to solar panel installation to confirm that electricity was saved. If I wanted this plan to take action I would go to the Environmental club and propose my plan to save energy for the school. They then would take the plan to the big-wigs running RCC and convince them that my plan is foolproof. Then RCC would have solar powered buildings and we would all live happily ever after.

Blog Assigment #2

I chose to sit on a bench at White Park close to RCC for this assignment. I observed plants, trees, and birds. The small plant life consisted mostly of grass and shrubs.There were mostly pepper trees, palm trees, and young sapplings I couldn't identify. Most of the birds were common sparrows, pigeons, and crows. I noticed most of the relationships plants and animals had were related to man; birds drank from water fountains in the park and ate food that was left behind by people. People often say not to feed wild animals so they leave and don't come back. Or that if people feed them, they'll forget how to look for  food on their own. I believe that people are obligated to take care of the animals since they no longer have a natural habitat to sustain them because it was taken over by people. The plantlife was also sustained by people. Without gardeners to water and prune the plantlife in the park, they would die quickly because they are not in their natural habitat. This brings me to the conclusion that wildlife needs people to protect it because it cannot survive on its own while humanity still exists and influences the planet.

Introduction

My name is Ivan Salazar, I am an RCC Tiger. I was born in Tustin, California. I have moved several times. The first time I moved was from Tustin to Santa Ana, then Santa Ana to Corona, and finally from Corona to Moreno Valley. I plan on obtaining my AA degree while from RCC with a major in Graphic Design. I plan on pursuing a career in graphic or web design. I have too many dogs too count. I enjoy reading, watching movies, playing video-games, and hanging out with friends, biking.
I am interested in environmental science because I believe it is important to understand the impact humanities' activities are having on the earth. I am hoping that by taking this class I will learn how I can positively affect the environment and how to avoid negatively affecting it. I hope this class opens my eyes to the severity of damage we as human beings are causing on our planet.

:edit:

I forgot to add my eco-footprint; It would take 6.4 earths for everyone on the planet to support my lifestyle. There is simply not enough room on the planet for everyone to live so fabulously! Vote Gingrich for moon condominiums!