For exhibition I chose to create ecological footprint posters, with facts about reusing, reducing, and recycling. I think I did a fairly good job on Thursday, getting all of my facts and organizing them properly on the posters, although I could have started a bit sooner.
After realizing that my original concept of floor mats around the school wasn't doable, I was suggested by Ms. Staff to simply create posters to hang on the wall. I later began getting facts from the internet, and the book "New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours". I had some difficulties getting facts that would fit into my posters specific themes, but in the process I learned a lot of crazy new things that I would've never guessed were real. Like, 44 billion paper cups are used each year, and that recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a TV for five hours!
My definition of "Sustainability" would be ones' ability to survive at a constant rate, never taking too many resources at one time, and being a responsible steward. To me, being an environmental steward for Earth means understanding that everyone has an ecological impact and that it's very important to minimize that footprint as much as possible, for generations to come.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Termites
Biomimcry is the science of creating a real thing, synthetically. For example, it would be biomimetic if a scientist produce a human heart, from a lab.
Termites are a prime subject for biomimcry research because simply through eating, they produce chemicals that can be used for alternative energy.
An enzyme is something that causes a biochemical reaction between substances, and a catalyst is something that speeds up the reaction between substances.
Cellulosic material, are the non-edible parts of a plant. Such as : Wood, bark, husks, etc. Scientists find interest in these materials, because they can be converted into usable energy, that would otherwise be wasted.
Cellulosic Ethanol is more efficient than biofuels using corn or sugar cane, because it used the part of the plant, that would otherwise be trashed.
Termites are a prime subject for biomimcry research because simply through eating, they produce chemicals that can be used for alternative energy.
An enzyme is something that causes a biochemical reaction between substances, and a catalyst is something that speeds up the reaction between substances.
Cellulosic material, are the non-edible parts of a plant. Such as : Wood, bark, husks, etc. Scientists find interest in these materials, because they can be converted into usable energy, that would otherwise be wasted.
Cellulosic Ethanol is more efficient than biofuels using corn or sugar cane, because it used the part of the plant, that would otherwise be trashed.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sustainability Concepts Learned
Sustainability: Conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources.
ex., "We must improve the sustainability of our community, in order to continue living on Earth"
Freegan: An anti-consumerism lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on 'limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources'.
ex., "Freegan's don't dumpster dive because they are poor, they do it because they believe the food would have been wasted otherwise."
Stewardship: A person whose responsibility it is to take care of something.
ex., "When in class, teacher have a high stewardship for their students."
Biomimicry: The process of the creation of synthetic life.
ex., "Scientists are interested in the "
Ecological Footprint: The impact one has on their environment, through the resources they use.
ex., "To reduce your ecological footprint, use energy saving light bulbs"
Overshoot: When resources are taken or used, faster than the Earth can produce them.
ex., "Since the year 1987, humans have been overshooting their use of Earth's resources"
Area x Bioproductivity = Biocapacity [Supply]
Population x Consumption per Person x Footprint Intensity = Ecological Footprint
Supply: How much resources the Earth is producing.
Demand: How much resources Humans are using.
1987 - That was the year, that mankind began taking more energy from the Earth, than it could produce. When humans begin taking more resources than the Earth can produce, we begin a road to an ultimate end of society as we know it.
October 6th 2007 - The day that we used all of the energy we could annually use, for the year of 2007.
ex., "We must improve the sustainability of our community, in order to continue living on Earth"
Freegan: An anti-consumerism lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on 'limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources'.
ex., "Freegan's don't dumpster dive because they are poor, they do it because they believe the food would have been wasted otherwise."
Stewardship: A person whose responsibility it is to take care of something.
ex., "When in class, teacher have a high stewardship for their students."
Biomimicry: The process of the creation of synthetic life.
ex., "Scientists are interested in the "
Ecological Footprint: The impact one has on their environment, through the resources they use.
ex., "To reduce your ecological footprint, use energy saving light bulbs"
Overshoot: When resources are taken or used, faster than the Earth can produce them.
ex., "Since the year 1987, humans have been overshooting their use of Earth's resources"
Area x Bioproductivity = Biocapacity [Supply]
Population x Consumption per Person x Footprint Intensity = Ecological Footprint
Supply: How much resources the Earth is producing.
Demand: How much resources Humans are using.
1987 - That was the year, that mankind began taking more energy from the Earth, than it could produce. When humans begin taking more resources than the Earth can produce, we begin a road to an ultimate end of society as we know it.
October 6th 2007 - The day that we used all of the energy we could annually use, for the year of 2007.
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