The blogs

Well, I do not the assignment of the blogs itself was hard, what was difficult about it was the time that it was due. The time it was due was hard to keep up with because at one point you will say that I have to do it, but then you think about it it’s a Saturday, and not a perfect time to do it all. I rally had a hard time with technology, because I know we are in the time of technology, but I hardly had access to the internet over the weekend when I had to work and then go to my cousin’s house to do the blog, which will be around 10 PM. And yes, some assignments were frustrating at some point, especially the one that we had to write about the research paper. I guess it wasn’t the blog that was hard to do, it was because I didn’t know what to write about the research paper, and so doing anything about the paper was frustrating. I think besides that everything was interesting; it was fun to comment on each others blog, although I did not comment on many people blog. I also find it interesting that mostly we all had the same concern about something.
I do not think that it was hard to write at least 250 words because it was mostly about our thought, and like one of my Professors said that “if you can think clearly, then you can write clearly, and that if you can write clearly, and you can speak clearly” so no 250 words was that bad.
I do think there should be a deadline because if there wasn’t a deadline I don’t think I would have really done it. Maybe I would have waited to the last minute and then do all the blogs at once. So the deadline was a good idea, maybe the day wasn’t the best day.
The comments were helpful, because I tried to change my profile a little bit around because one of the comments says that it needed improvement. And yes, I’ve learned a lot about who the person really is based on their page, I do not comment all the time, but sometime I do take the time to look over classmates blogs, and it gives me more idea of how I should improve my blogs.
Well, writing the blogs to me was like writing on Discussion board on blackboard when I took my ENG 101. Because we did comment on each others work. However it was a little easier for me because we did it in class. Moreover, they had the same context; it was basically about our ideas about readings that we were doing for the class, which also included Al Gore, the Inconvenient Truth.
I do not think I would keep on blogging on my own; not because I do not want to, but because I would not have the time to do so.

"Little things"

Rank of five “little things” from “really easy from me to do right” to “very difficult for me to do (right now)” are:

Water filters: because like it is said in the book that it helps you save money, and the filter only cost $29, when one gallon costs $1.29 or maybe more and you might drink more then one gallon a day depending how many people are in the household.
Trash bags: I think it is really easy to use left over paper and plastic bags as liners for your trash bags.
Pencils: I put pencils in the middle because it is easy for older students like me to use pencils that you can refill. However younger students would not be able to use such pencils because at young age their just learning to write therefore they put pressure on the pencils and with refillable pencils are very thin and soft so it might brake. On less they use the ones from recycled materials, which might cost a little more, and make harder for the parents because kids are always loosing the pencils.
Library Books: I find this one a little harder for me to do right now because when you have a research to do, sometime they ask for a book as a source. And for me I’m not too good at computers, so doing online research it not to easy for me. Plus sometimes you are in a rush and rather just take a book and read on your way. Moreover, doesn’t the computer increase the use of energy?
The temperatures: I find this very hard to do, because let’s take LaGuardia for instance over the summer, the C building is extremely cold for me, but I see people with really hardly anything on. So it is hard to control the temperature in a school because everyone body heat is different. It was actually the same in my high school; I had a friend who was always cold. In the winter time even when the heat is on, she would say that she is cold, and the temperature is okay for the rest of us.

Peer sharing

The main point of the draft is about Barrick Gold Corporation however, she (Nancy) does not have a thesis sentence yet.

An instance that I consider interesting and at the same time useful example is where Nancy explain about the Valle del Cura a told us what the Barrick Corporation did to that place and still talking about them saving the environment. This is the passage: "According to a show from Argentina called La Liga which is a show that questions they actions of the Government and protects the environment. Pascua Lama is located near a beautiful paradise that is called Valle del Cura (valley of the priest) in San Juan Argentina. Valle del Cura is one of the most amazing places in the province with a diversity of animals and plants which is the fountain of profit by the tourist in San Juan. The problem is that they only way to reach this valley a person has to cross the so called routes of the province (rutas provinciales) however this is impossible because this routes are blocked by Barrick corporation. Therefore any tourist that wants to go to this paradise is not allow to do so by Barrick workers or security guards in the routes, the consequences, no profit from tourist. By further investigation by the crew of La Liga we obtain new information first of all they found out that Barrick is not located near the valley is on the valley. Now a tourist place that was full of plants, animals and rivers is now a day a mine, where there is no plants, no animals, and no source of water for the people near the valley since the river is totally contaminated and the water is used by for the mining. "

I think there is anything boring in the draft, however I believe that others might find the chronological dates were suppost to be in sentences.

Moreoer, she did a good job at acknowledging where the information came from in the body. She also did a good job at proof reading her work, because she does not have grammar.

the researh paper

I will say that my research paper has really been overwhelming paper for me to do. I believe the reason for this is not because it is hard to do it. I suppose its because there so much information that I do not have any clue where or how to start. I think that it might be the topic, which confused me even more, when it comes to why the war started, and how they affecting their environment, but not unintationally. This is an issue that really concern me a lot and beleive that it should concern all because it has to with the Nile which is the longest River in the world and the Sudan is the largest country in AFRICA, that are been destoyed just like that and causing damage such as desertification, famine, deforstation, and overpopulation to its people and the neighbor countries.

Possible Working Thesis

Well I narrowed my topics to Southern Sudan instead of the whole country. However I think that the research I found is about the whole country. The country is only divided when they talk about the civil war that is going on. Furthermore, my research will cover the people of the south specifically the people of Jaba, and the dates are recent.
There is this particular website that gives all the information relating the issue of the civil war going on in the country and the environment. This document basically talks about how Sudanese are more affected by the enviroment then by the war. The Link below has both pictures and lots of information concerning the issue. However I'm also planing to look for books to at concerning the issue.
http://postconflict.unep.ch/publications/sudan/04_conflict.pdf

I also found another website that that says Sudan: Passion of the future, which I beleive is very helpful because on the website they talk about the UN resolution in Darfur.
My working thesis might be comparing the effect of the civil war and the effect of the environment in Jaba.

Reflection on my blogs

While going over my blogs, I realized that now I do think differently about the environment. It has change the person I am, because I never thought that at one point I would have been thinking or talking about the garbage in my country. Before this class, all I thought about my country was the right of people; I only had interest in the social issues. I guess it change the things that I value. I believe that the class wasn’t the only thing that made me realize that the environment is an important issue, because at one in my American History class, we are talking about the global warming, because there was this President during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s who was talking about it. This open up my eyes to really contribute to the environment. And for my research paper, I’m planning to write about the effect global warming had on us so far. One country that I would like to focus on will be Sudan. And the title of my topic will be economy and the environment. I chose economy because economy affects the way people live, which leads to many things that are done to the environment.

Reactions to the blogs

1. Sustainable Cities Blog
The first blog was very educative to me, because from this particular blog, I learned about what is happening around the city I live. I also found it very interesting that the National Science Foundation are actually taking some students to Antartica this summer. I think it is very important because like many people say seeing is believing.Therefore whem these kids are taken there like Algore show us all these pictures to prove to us that this is really happening.

2. Gristmill
One thing that I found very interesting in this blog is the idea that they came up with about creating more green jobs for poor people. In countries like mine, poverty is the base of evrything, so trying to soslve the problem form the roots is good idea, starting one of the most develop country (U.S) and by the main problem (poverty). Another thing that I liked a lot was the way the combine potical, the environment and other things such as music on the blog.

3. Green as a Thistle
I think her blog is amazing, she really show us that you can do anything you decide you can. I believe that her blog is insperational, it makes you wanna try and see if you can do what she did. I t excited me to see how people do what they have to do to follow their passion or made something her passion.

4. No Impact Man
I like the blog of No Impact Man, however I think we all know already about the things he is talking about. It is unralistic for people who live in NYC, because if like he said it is impossible to move the city as/ into a suburbs. For example in some suburbs parts of my country, reseidents do no get electricity everyday, maybe three to four days aout of the week. If something like that happen in NYC or any other parts of the U.S, people will never be able to take it. That's why I found some of ideas unrealistic, like he said it himself that "It doesn't make sense."

5. Eco Geeek
My first impression of this blog was wow. I personally never seen those heater, didn't hear about them before. Because technology is something i'm no really informed about. However, i found it very inresting.

I comment on vanessa's blog.
http://greenasathistle.com/

Earth in the Balance

Five things that made me obligated to other human beings today are:

1. I was braiding a customer hair and she asked me what was I going to school to study and after I told her, she told me encouraging words such as you doing great just keep up the hard work and you will finished before you know it. This made me feel good that someone other then my family encourages me to do well.
2. Another one will be when I spoke to my dad. He and me do not talk much to each other anymore because every time I call he is very busy. But today when I spoke to him, as usual he always tells me that anytime I need something I call always because he is my dad. This made my day because I now realize that not even the distance can change my love or my father’s love for me.
3. During the evening my sister went out and I had to babysat my niece. While my sister was out, I felt responsible for her.
4. I also had to make dinner for the people at my house.
5. When I took the bus to go home I interacted with people because we were all in the same bus.

I believe that the reason why we instead “enshrine the self as the unit of ethical account” (basically, what “I” consider “right” or “wrong” originates with what “I” want only), and forget all the people to whom we owe our lives is because live in a society that only sees things from the self conception. Everything we do evolves around the “I” perspective for example as Prof. X gave the example the last time is class about the sweater a person wear, we don’t even think about who made, or how was it, or where was it made, and how much did. And I have do agree with Gore when he said, “ We do this not because we don’t care but because we don’t really live in our lives.” Because we are kept ignorant from what is really happen around us.

My paasions and values

I believe that you can follow your passion by fighting to do everything to protect it. Your passion most of the time connects with tour values, and anything you value, you will do anything to show people that my values are very important even if you have to stand alone. And considering the world today, education is the only way we will make this world a better place for everyone. Let’s take Al Gore for example he used his education to work around the issues he is passionate about. Although he was into politics, he did not stop fighting for the environment, something that he is passionate about from his years in college. Since I personally is interested in Human Right, I’m more passionate about the social environment. The only way I can make this world a better place is by using my education to influence and fight for others in need or that are been affected. I want to use my education to help kids in Africa, in the Middle East, India etc for them to be able to get access to education as well. I’m also passionate about young girls and women to be able to have right, to be free from abuse; which gives me the passion to work for the UN, and to study International Law. However, I started to worry about the environment, because now I’m more up dated which gives me more things to be concern about the issue.

http://climatechallenge.org/
Campus climate challenge is basically college students standing up in helping protect our environment. One reason why I chose this site is that it is organized by student like me using their other talent to make the world a better place. And one thing that I love about their website is that they used music to update people about global warming. And many of do listen to music, so putting it in music is a very good idea.

http://www.greenguerillas.org/
The green guerilla is another web site that caught my eyes while I was reading through it. I believe that it caught my attention because the helping the community cultivates gardens etc. When I was in high school, we also did something similar to it; we help cleanup parks, went to senior citizens center and plant flowers for them, help paint some recreation center. But I never that it was related to the environment, I just thought of it as helping the community and the elders.

The story of stuff

My blog is answering the second question which is asking about the relationship of the story of stuff around the world with another country where I’ve lived before. Well I’ve lived thirteen years of my life in another country, Guinea to be precise. Well the difference between the story of stuff and what is happening in Guinea is that I believe that the pollution is cause by people themselves; and the reason for this is that we do not have a sanitation ( as far as knew) organization to go around and pick up the garbage. Therefore people throw their garbage on the street. What my family use to do is: we use to throw our trashes at a corner outside my backyard, and when the garbage becomes too much, we’ll burn them. Growing up in Guinea, I only saw once in the blue moon those sanitary trucks coming to pick up the garbage people accumulate outside their houses. And even when those trucks pick the garbage up, they went and threw them around an area that was empty, however people lived there, and I know this because my aunt live around that area. I did notice differences role of consumption. And I would not say cultural, because I rather say that it is an economical difference, because I do believe that economy affects a lot the way people live, and the way people live is part of the definition of culture. The difference of between prevalence of advertisement will be that in NYC you will commercial on different channels, on buses, trains, and many other places, while in Guinea it’s only the Guinean channel that shows it.
There is definitely a difference of re-use and waste management, remember when I say that economy affects the way people live, here is an example, in Guinea because things are hard for many people, even plastic bags, people keep them to re-use them when they’re going to buy something, because if not, when you buy something, you also have to buy a plastic bag. The waste of water is also another issue; people try a lot not to waste water, because of the water bill.
Well leisure time in Guinea usually is spent either with family or with neighbors going to each other’s house and have a chat. Not many people like here use their free time to go shopping, because the big market place is not always close everyone and transportation can be really expansive so most of the time they might take a walk around the neighborhood
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My Environment

10-15 things I did today are:
Wake Up
Brush me teeth
Open the water and let it run for a couple minutes then took a shower
Dress
Drink a cup of tea
Watch weather
Walk to the subway, take the train
Went to the store
Meet up with a friend
Then arrives in school, went to the library to print schedule
Went to the first class (LIB200)


Two things from my brainstorming list that affected the environment is: the fact that I opened that I opened the water and let it run for a couple minute for it to get warm, affect the environment because the water was wasting on it own for a awhile. Another thing that I did that might affect the environment will be that when I went to the store, I bought a note book that doesn’t say recycle.
I haven’t really done much to help the environment. However I feel that I do contribute to not pollute the environment, and I do so by not throwing the garbage nowhere else but in the trash. I also try to help the environment in the social context, when it reaches to racial issues, I can’t make people what they do not want to see however, I try to myself to be more open minded about the reason why people do what they do ( keeping in mind that the environment do affect the way we live).
My concerns about the environment is global warming, because of the weather unexpectedly is not so secure. Having a 60degrees in December (winter) is not so fun or having a 17degrees cold in March id also not fun. Another thing that I’m concern about is deforestation, we need rain, but we will not have it if we do not have anymore trees. Air pollution is another that I’m very concern about, because in New York City people live too close to each that it would not be safe is one person is sick. The worst of it all is that I have all these concern and is pretty sure that many also have them but yet not doing anything or not much to prevent or reduce it.