Semester Reflection

This semester has been one that has included some firsts.  One, it is the first time I have ever written a blog.  I didn’t really like blogs (and really still don’t) at the beginning of this class.  But, it is what the class is structure upon so I just went with it…and I survived.  Blogs are a good way of just getting ideas out there and writing down thoughts.  There is really no right or wrong in a blog when it’s is your opinion and thoughts.

We have read and discussed a wide range of information regarding the Anthropocene this semester.  Some I like and some I didn’t, but that is how anything goes.  Since I have taken classes on climatology, natural resources, sustainability, geology, and other classes I didn’t really learn anything new about the Anthropocene…as far as facts.  But, I learned a lot about ideas and thinking that I had not known before this class.  I just knew facts and figures and data, but not really what it means to live in the Anthropocene and think about where we are and where we are headed.

That is one of the most important questions and concerns that humanity faces right now…where are we headed?  How will climate change affect our planet, how are we going to combat rising sea levels, how are we going to free ourselves from fossil fuels, how are we going to have clean water for everyone, how do we get people on earth to view each others as equals instead of Global North vs. South, how do we get environmental equality, how do we reduce greenhouse gas emissions, how do we live sustainably, and many…many more questions about the future of our planet?

The main answer that we have learned during this class…it’s hard to say.  There is no magical quick fix to this global problem.  Will it be a technological remedy or social changes and ways of thinking?  Most likely it will take a combination of both.  We need to look at short term fixes that can be a middle ground to long term solutions.  With that be electric vehicles, solar (long term also), and other technologies that already exists that need to be more put into more widespread use.

With the big question of the future we also need to see more top down solutions along with bottom up.  The government of the U.S. (and other countries) needs to look at the facts and prepare for the future.  Weather they believe that humans are causing the heating or natural processes, the fact is that the global climate is getting warmer.   We need to mitigate and adapt to the first major threat of rising global temperatures, and that is the rising sea level.  Nearly 40% of the global population lives on the coastal locations that are threatened by this.  This will just add to the global instability that already exists.

The second on my firsts this semester is me trying to be more positive about my thoughts and opinions about humanity and its fight against global warming.  I’m trying to get away from “transition through catastrophe” to a more positive outcome.  I hope it is more of a “transition through equality and caring”.  We need to look at each other as one species in the same fight to save our one planet and future instead of one country or one race against another.  This isn’t a fight that excludes anyone, but a fight that includes everyone…everywhere.

Probably the single greatest thing I learned this semester is from Steve Rayner and his Pragmatist Approach.  Rayner’s “pragmatic (a reasonable and logical way of doing things or of thinking about problems that is based on dealing with specific situations instead of on ideas and theories) strategy to restart stalled global climate efforts through the pursuit of energy innovation, climate resilience, and no regrets pollution reduction.”  In his talk on Top-Down or Bottom-Up: Getting Traction on Climate Change he posted a slide that completely changed my view of humans combating climate change.  I always thought that I needed to change other peoples view to my own view.  Now, I know that is the wrong way to think and this is how I look at it now.

I graduate from college in a few weeks and have already accepted a job.  It is not in Geography, but I will take what I have learned in that area and apply it to my personal life.  I have goals about how I will choose to live my life and the choices that will shape it.  Here are a few things that will be in my future.  They are not just to benefit me, but to also benefit everyone globally.

The Tesla Model 3…fully electric with a great range to reduce emissions (also Ford just announced plans for a 200+ mile range electric vehicle).

Solar energy to power my future home to reduce emissions and water consumption for electricity production and my goal to a carbon neutral house.

Less consumerism and more re-use.  And, always to recycle as much as I can.

Will I continue to add to this blog?  Well I am not sure at this time, but it is a possibility.  If I do reach some of my goals in my journey to reduce my carbon footprint then I may add them to this blog.  Or, I may choose this as my last post on this blog and just work on my personal goals.  I’m not one that feels the need to post everything about my life so I may just sign off here…

Objects of “Nature”

What is nature?  How would you define it? Are humans a part of it or are we separate?  In class we have been discussing this very thing.  And really the answers to these questions are not simple or very well definite.   The answer for one person may not be the same answer to the next.  And, can someone tell you that your answer is wrong?  I don’t think they can.

Nature as we see it today is really a human created and controlled nature.  The Konza Prairie is a good example of what modern nature is.  It is created by people and strictly controlled by study groups and the people that run it to limit how much outside influence humans have on it.  A few weeks ago there was an article in the K-State Collegian about how they may close the area to visitors because they are not following the rules.  They are going off the controlled paths and bringing dogs to the area which is not allowed.

The project that we had for our blogs this week was to “collect 3-4 found objects that tell you something about how we think about nature…the idea is to interpret each object and gain new insights into how we think about nature and also associated ideas like “technology,” “civilization,” or “wilderness.”

1)  Buffalo Grass

The first object I chose is the roundabout outside the student union.  Probably for many that drive or walk around it they pay little to no attention to it or to what is planted inside.  The grass that is growing inside of it is a species of buffalo grass.  This grass is what is out at Konza and Tallgrass Prairie and it is the native grass that would have been here before the university was created.  Why is this important?

Because, over the many decades that Kansas State University has been here we humans have changed the native landscape into an urban area with trees, concrete, buildings, grasses, and other things that are not native to this area.  Now after that many years there are a variety of locations on campus where they are creating landscape that use the native grasses of this area.

We spent so much time and money to change the landscape into something that wasn’t found in nature in this area.  Now we are spending time and money to change the landscape back into what was originally in nature in this area.  Sometimes instead of going out to nature we bring nature into our daily surroundings.

2) Is There No Limit to Changing Nature?

The second object is a newspaper article from the Kansas City Star dated January 1, 2016.  The title of the article is “At the bottom of the world, nations scramble for a spot.”  The article deals with a Russian Orthodox Church that was built on King George Island in Antarctica.  The wood that built the church were brought down from Siberia.  The U.S. also has a church down there so don’t think they are the only ones.

But, the articles main topic isn’t about the church being built down there.  The main concern is that many nations are creating stations down there to do research, and many claim that it is really to get a foot hold on the continent if, at some point in the future; it will be open to resource exploration.  As of now there drilling or mining of resources is not allowed.  Antarctica is protected by a national Treaty.

Since I used to work in Antarctica this really bothers me.  This is really the last “natural” place left on earth that humans haven’t destroyed or changed beyond recognition.  We are allowed to study and observe, but not to disrupt natural processes even though we still do just by our presence.  I hope that the day that humans are allowed to extract resources from Antarctica I won’t still be alive.

Antarctica is about the “purest” nature that we have.  Humans didn’t have to create this one.  The majority of the biodiversity is in the oceans and not on the ice.  But, the wildlife that exist down there is usually safer from extinction that most places on earth except for the deep sea fishing that goes on in seas around Antarctica.  There are many organizations that do not like this practice and work hard at fighting it.  The species that is hit the hardest is Antarctic Cod or, as restaurants call it, Chilean Sea Bass (also if you go out to eat a restaurant…know where your food really comes from and if it’s from a sustainable source).

3) River Rock

The third object is a river rock.  What does this have to do with nature?  Well it obviously came from nature, but that’s not where I found it.  It came from my driveway.  Humans spend millions of dollars every year to move things from nature into our society.  Some things are for aesthetics and landscaping, such as trees, shrubs, and grasses.  But, this was picked up, most likely mined, form a river and dumped in a lawn to be driven over.

We disturb the natural environment to make an unnatural environment.  The cranes and machinery that remove river rock and gravel from the bottom of rivers are huge.  They create more sediment that is moved down river, they disturb wildlife, and they dirty up the water even more. All to move across the country and put into dump trucks to be spread out over your yard to kill the grass and make a driveway or a flower bed.

4) My Damn Computer

The fourth object, and since I haven’t discussed technology, is my computer.  A computer is something we all have.  It is probably the most used technological innovation in the world…not backed by science…just my assumption.  We use it for all sorts of things such as email, movies, sports, social media, reading, and looking at pictures.  The computer comes with default desktops of landscapes, nature, and sceneries of the United States.

Instead of going outside and looking at the real nature we sit on our computers (writing blogs) and look at pictures of nature.  Is this what we have come to?  I know that most of what we call nature is really a man made area that is controlled as tightly as possible to not allow any changes to occur.  But, are we just going to spend our lives looking at nature in pictures on the computer or what others have posted on Facebook when they were actually out in Nature?  I human created natural environment with great scenery, landscape, and biodiversity is better than having nothing like that at all.  With the growing population and rising sea levels we may have even less of that in the future.

Social v. Technology…Which do we NEED?

We have been discussing in class the things that are needed to change in order to reduce the impact of climate change and the Anthropocene.  Some, such as Steve Rayner, believe that it a technological change that will be easily adapted by the most people with the least amount of loss or changes by the individual would be beneficial.  The After Oil (people) would disagree with this and that it is a social change and a different way of thinking and values to get us through the Anthropocene away from our fossil fuel dependency and beliefs.  My opinion would be…both?

What I mean by this is that we do need a change in the social beliefs and the way people think, especially those in the Global North, but we can also use technology that will help us make the necessary changes without actually needing to change.  I see this as a near future-far future scenario where both options will be needed.  To me the problem with just the changing of our values or beliefs, as After Oil and many others call it, is that this process will take too long. This can be a change that will help in the far-future or long term.  But, I think with things like long range electric cars, like I explained in my last blog, is something that can help change the impact of the Anthropocene in the near-future.

After Oil people would, instead of electric cars, have electric trains or other forms of public transportation that is operated with renewable green energy.  I totally agree with this idea and would like for this to happen too.  But, how long would this take to be in operation on a large enough scale to make an impact?  There are many regions, like Europe, that already have this in place and could expand it, but the U.S. is far behind in this area.  The massive amounts of infrastructure needed to complete this huge project would take years, if not decades, to complete.

What can we do in the meantime?  With years or decades in waiting on this infrastructure should we continue to operate as Business As Usual?  No, we should not and that is where Tesla’s and long range electric vehicles come in.  They could be used on a massive scale to be a transition period between the near and far future.  We can use and develop both aspects of technology and social change at the same time…simultaneously.

Plus, even with renewable green transportation, will it reach everyone in the U.S.?  Will all the small towns in Kansas, for example, have a train station or public transportation hub in it?  Most likely this will not be the case.  So there “may” always be a need for privately owned vehicles in the U.S. and around the globe.

We definitely need to change our ways and get away from our fossil fuel culture, but this cannot happen overnight.  It will take time and the necessary pieces in place for it to work on a scale large enough to make an impact on the Anthropocene.  This will take a change in social behavior, but it will…or can, also involve the technology that we have to not have to change everything all at once.

Should we sit around and think of a perfect plan for technology to help us?  Should we change the way people think and their values to move toward a solution to this issue?  Or, should we “wayfare” and do both at the same time?  Seems to me, and what we talked about in class, is that we always seem to do both at the same time anyways.  Changing the minds of 7.2 Billion people to think alike and move forward is a great idea, but that will take a long time.  And, time is not on our side in this fight that mankind is in right now against climate change and the Anthropocene.

The End of Pessimism…

After reading the article After Oil and our discussions in class I realized it may be of great benefit to go from a pessimist to an optimist about climate change and the Anthropocene.   It may be my lack of faith in people is getting the best of me and the opportunity I have to make a difference in this fight.  I need to move away from the “Transition through Catastrophe” idea into something more positive.

There will always be those people that will not change until they are forced to.  And, there will be those people that will fight against those who want to change because they may lose political power or mostly likely money.  I think because a lot of people are ignoring or denying that climate change is real is one reason that I have the lack in faith in humanity to solve this issue before it is too late.  Also, political leaders who have their own agenda and it is not in the best interest of the public is another reason for it.

But, today I am challenging myself to get rid of the pessimism and look at the things that need changing and how people are working towards that goal.  The “transition from below” is where the majority of the “average” person will fit in.  It is society working towards a change in our future.  From the individual to the community people are making changes that have positive outcomes.

Next is “transition without loss” and deals with a smooth transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.  The impasse says that we do not have the right technologies in place yet.  But, the good thing is that we have the right technologies available, and that they are starting to be implemented in large scale in some areas.  Other areas, such as lesser developed countries or regions, still need to see this implemented.  But, it is very hard for them to do with the money they have available.

Transition through localization is just what it sounds like.  Issues are becoming more regulated and dealt with at the local level and people in communities having a say in what goes on in their back yard.  They are not just letting someone in the government making the decision for them.

Transition after capitalism is the hardest one in this list in my book.  What can we have besides Capitalism?  Is the answer Marxist Communism?  Marxism has nothing to do with the Communism in China, N. Korea, Cuba, or Russia…this is totally different.  But, as some point out, how do factor in the market system (i.e. goods) in this type of system.   Equality is a definite need for our future, not just in the US, but globally.

Transition through state reform is one of the greatest needs on this list for me.  We may or may not get it with the next presidential election.  Feeling the Bern may provide a leader who is the side of the environment, but can he work with both parties to get the necessary bills into law and the funding needed to combat against climate change.  Only time will tell.

Transition through catastrophe is the worst option and I am being hopeful and optimistic that the human race will work to avoid this one all together!  Time to think happy thoughts about our future…

More Clarification

I should clarify more about my last post on the “Game Changer”.   After thinking more about the post on the Tesla Model 3 and the Harley Davidson Livewire I realized that I did not explain as clearly and deeply as I should about how this is a game changer.

Electric vehicles (EV) have been around for a long time.  The first electric motorcycle was created 1867 for the World Exposition in Paris by the Austrian inventor Franz Kravogl and the first electric car/buggy was invented by Thomas Parker in 1884 in London, England.

There are other EV’s out there such as the Ford Focus and the Nissan Leaf, but what separates them from the Tesla models (and the new Chevrolet Bolt) is range.  The Tesla’s and the Bolt are the only ones that have a 200+ mile range.  Almost all the others in production have less than 100 mile ranges.  What is so big about the range you say?

If you have an EV that has a 75 mile range, such as the Ford Focus, you will most likely use that for around town or to and from work.  But, if you like to travel then this vehicle will not work for that or you will have to stop at every charging station you can find.  So, most likely you will have a second vehicle for traveling.  If you have a family this may be no big deal.  But, if you don’t then you will have multiple vehicles.  With the extended range of the Tesla’s and the Bolt you can have the option of having only one vehicle instead of two.

While this has been mostly an economic benefit it also has an impact on climate change and the Anthropocene also.   These vehicles with the longer ranges allow free movement of people without the hindrance of range per charge.  If the Harley Davidson Livewire goes into production and becomes an option to buy, and has a long range, it will also provide the same benefit for motorcycle riders.

The benefits are a vehicle that has a long range, can replace a standard fuel vehicle, and can create a huge impact on the environment.  They can do all of these things without people having to actually change!  They can create change without changing and that is the reason why this is a game changer.

Game Changer

Last night at 8:30 PM a game changer was revealed to the world.  One that could make a major impact in the world and help those of us that are trying to find our way to impact the Anthropocene.  It can help reduce your carbon footprint toward the goal of 1 earth…or maybe even lower depending on your lifestyle.

It was designed by a man who “is the founder, CEO and CTO of Space X; co-founder, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors; chairman of SolarCity, co-chairman of OpenAl; co-founder of Zip2; and co-founder of PayPal …as of March 2016, he has an estimated net worth of US$13.5 billion, making him the 75th wealthiest person in the US.”

If you haven’t figured who and what it is yet…the answer is in the previous paragraph.  Who is it? Elon Musk.  What is it? The Tesla Model 3.  He took a gamble with the Tesla Motors company and I think it is paying off, not just financially, but for the sake of our planet and its finite resources.  It will be a “high volume, affordable price” vehicle.

The all new Tesla Model 3 was unveiled last night.  But, how is this car a game changer? Because it will costs around $35,000, BEFORE incentives.  People in California could get this for around $25,000 dollars after state and federal incentives.   While there are other fully electric vehicles in this price range none of them have the range that this one has, at least a 215 mile range. It has a 5 star crash rating, autopilot safety features, seating for 5, and for those that care 0-6 in under 6 seconds.  Unfortunately not as fast as the all wheel drive Model S.

The delivery of this vehicle starts in late 2017 and Tesla hopes to build 500 thousand models before 2020.  It is their way of mass producing, but still having a quality product, that will help sustain our world…or Accelerating Sustainable Transport as Tesla puts it.  You can reserve your own for a down payment of $1000.  Looks like this is one of my first $1000 spent after graduation!

One of the reasons Tesla is so successful is because of the range that their vehicles have.  The Model 3 has a range of 215 miles, the least of their line, the Model S has a range of 240-270 miles depending on what option you buy, and the Model X SUV has a range of 220-257 miles.  I would love the Model S P90D because it has a Ludicrous (yes Ludicrous) Speed setting.  It can go 0-60 in 2.8 seconds! That is faster than most supercars!  But the price is well out of my range so I will settle (sarcasm) for the Model 3.

With the range that they have you can leave the excuse of traveling to those other electric vehicles with less than 100 miles.   There are supercharger stations all over the U.S. so you can travel across the country and only add hours to your trip. They are already programmed in to the cars GPS for your convenience.

While I sit saving and waiting for this car to come out, I will also sit and wait for the next motorcycle I want to come out, that is if Harley-Davidson is actually going to add it to its production line.  It is the motorcycle called Livewire and came out as a concept a few years back to see how people reacted.  If you have seen the movie Avengers, Black Widow rode one.  The current issue they have is that the range is lower than what they want and what the customer wants.  It is only 50 miles, but Harley Davidson is new to the EV (electric vehicle) technology.  Hopefully they sort out this issue and this bike makes it into production.

These are examples of where our future may be headed.  It will take ideas and products like these to end our dependence on fossil fuels and go toward a future of renewable energy.  So far one is a reality and the other I’m hoping will become one too.  People are taking things that everyone uses on a daily basis and changing them to suit our future…and doing this without inconvenience!

If you want to know more about Elon Musk and Tesla,

https://www.teslamotors.com/

Harley-Davidson Livewire,

http://www.harley-davidson.com/content/h-d/en_US/home/motorcycles/project-livewire.html

The Other 3%

I had a dilemma this week…what to write about?  I really had no clue what I was going to write in this blog until one of my classes on Thursday that made me so mad, that for the first time in my college life, I wanted to get up and walk out on their lecture.

I had a professor (I won’t mention their name) say something about the some presidential candidates and how they don’t know science.  I was assuming they were talking about Trump or Cruz, but they were talking about Clinton and Sanders.  The basic claim was that they don’t know science and that the burning of fossil fuels is not what is causing global warming and that it is just doing its natural process.  “We need to prepare for global warming, but not burning fossil fuels won’t help any.”  This is a professor that teaches a “Natural Science” subject!

They went off on a rant and basically called the “Liberal” idea of human caused climate change idiotic, stupid, and not based on real science.  The common estimate is that 97% of the science community believes humans are causing the change in climate…I just found one of the other 3%.

Their idea that the warming is caused by natural climate processes comes from ice cores from Vostok Station in East Antarctica.  Problem one is that that is only one source.  To be accurate for a global temperature you need to have other sources, such as ice cores from Greenland, upper altitude glaciers, lake sediments, from other sources than just Antarctica.  Ice core from one location does not always tell the total global picture.

http://sites.gsu.edu/geog1112/files/2013/03/Vostok_TemperatureCO21.png

Here is an example of the graph they handed out.  Their claim was that it took a long time to cool and that it warmed up quickly.  So, when Clinton or Sanders said that we have to worry about how fast we are warming, they said it was nonsense.  “Look how fast it warms up in this chart!” is what they said.  Yep pretty fast…even though after the last glaciated period it took almost 25,000 years to rise to the pre-industrial time period.  I know that is fast in Geologic Time, but we have only been involved in the Anthropocene for a few hundred years and we have already raised it by 1°C in that time.  By the chart is usually took thousands of years for 1°C.

In the graph it does show that CO₂ levels do lag the temperature which would be a positive feedback.  The warmer it gets the more thawing and releasing of CO₂ into the atmosphere which causes more warming.  But, this is only on location on earth.

Other researcher, such as those by Jeremy Shakun (Harvard postdoctoral fellow), claims that this is not the case globally and that many locations show the opposite effect.  It is said of his research that “It’s the most comprehensive analysis ever done of carbon dioxide and temperature at the end of the last ice age, and it shows quite clearly that in most of the world, the thermometer began to shoot up only after the atmosphere was spiked with carbon dioxide.”

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/04/09/458724/deniers-global-warming-preceded-by-increasing-co2-levels-last-deglaciation/

What brought all this about is the material we have been reading and the documentaries we have watched this week in class.  We read an article from Timothy Mitchell called Carbon Democracy.  We watched the Colorado Experience: Ludlow Massacre and Oil Spills in Nigeria.  What all three of these have in common is the politics and capitalism that go with coal and oil and how people are affected by these resources.

Carbon Democracy was and eye opener to me because of the way the “West,” especially the U.S., has had their hand in controlling the Middle East oil production for almost a century.  I have known of the U.S. influence and ideologies concerning oil production and the Middle East (I served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, but I had no clue to the extent and for how long the U.S. has been involved in it.  It is actually quite disturbing.

How does the material from this week and the professor’s comment all tie together you ask?  They are in the Geology Dept (all I will reveal here) and most of their research is in hydrocarbons and oil source research.  Basically they look for future crude oil to be pulled out of the earth to be burned and put into the atmosphere.   That is why they don’t mind the burning of fossil fuels.  If there is a fix that is needed to change the climate it needs to be at the end of the equation, but not the beginning.

Their comment in class made me think to myself…”this person sounds like an oil & gas lobbyist!”  Sadly it turns out I was right.  Hopefully the others in the class can see through his political agenda like I can.  My biggest concern is that some students in the class won’t take any more natural science classes in college and their opinion has been shaped by this professor.

Now That’s What I Call Anthropocene Music Vol. 1

I would be what people call a pessimist, so I do not have a very optimistic belief in humans combating climate change.  I believe that some of us will do, or try to do, everything we can to help in the uphill fight against climate change while others who seem to deny climate change make it worse.  They won’t change their beliefs or way of life until they have to.  Instead of being proactive against climate change I believe most will be reactive.  “I told you so!” is not something I look forward to telling people in the future.  Sometimes they are just listening to the wrong people.

Most of the songs on my list are about changing people to benefit the world.  Since it will take a global change from people from all different locations and societies I tried to include multiple genres of music to try and reach as many people as I could.  There is also a song that shows my own progression of beliefs on climate change and what is needed to be done by everyone.    Nobody does 100% of what they can to limit their affect on the climate, but a little change is better than none.

Burning for You – Blue Oyster Cult

Burn out the day
Burn out the night
I can’t see no reason to put up a fight
I’m living for giving the devil his due

And I’m burning, I’m burning, I’m burning for you
I’m burning, I’m burning, I’m burning for you

This song basically shows us one of the largest polluters of CO2.  Burning fossil fuels to create energy and transportation of people and goods is releasing a very large number of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere creating a rising global temperature.

Land of Confusion – Disturbed

There’s too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there’s not much love to go around
Can’t you see this is a land of confusion?

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands we’re given
Use them and let’s start trying
To make it a place worth living in

Climate change is one of our biggest threats mankind has ever seen.  But, our country has a huge division in the population and its politics about climate change.  Currently Democrats are more concerned with climate change than Republicans are.  There are those on both sides that do not agree with the majority.  Humans are creating the problem, and it’s time for use to start making our world better.

Hey You – Pink Floyd

Hey you ! don’t tell me there’s no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.

This change will require a global effort on all levels because there is no simple and single fix for our problem.  We all must work together for the common good.  Both sides of the political scheme have different opinions, but we all should work together to meet our future needs for generations to come.

Invincible – Pat Benatar

This shattered dream you cannot justify.
We’re gonna scream until we’re satisfied.
What are we running for? We’ve got the right to be angry.
What are we running for when there’s nowhere we can run to anymore?
We can’t afford to be innocent
stand up and face the enemy.
It’s a do or die situation – we will be invincible.
And with the power of conviction there is no sacrifice.
It’s a do or die situation – we will be invincible.

Some people in the world are starting to get angry at the lack of action taken by governments around the world on this issue.   People around the world have the right to be angry because the actions of the few are destroying the world for the many.

It may be a do or die situation.  With the increasing temperature and rising sea levels people are going to be affected.  There is a possibility of mass food shortages and also a loss of habitable land for people to live on without overcrowding.

Change the World – Bone Thugs N’ Harmony

Everybody’s hating everybody, overrated
Why everybody acting agitated, I thought we graduated
Back in the saddle waiting, aboard the battle station
Hating is a birth defect and you know ain’t nobody perfect
And when the curtains, close open up the door, no more

See we loosing this world we love
And it looks like the sinning won’t end
So I’m reaching high up above
Lord, let your blessings begin

And let’s change the world, and let’s change the world

I adding this song to add to the diversity, but I also have listened to Bone Thugs N’ Harmony since high school.   Around the world the people who are less affluent are being affected by climate change at a much higher rate than the affluent population.  Climate change will affect everyone, but for some the affects are being felt more than others.  And, they are usually not the ones who are contributing the most to the problem.

This is causing hate and tension between social classes that is creating multiple issue groups come together to fight their cause, and at the same time fighting for a common enemy in climate change.

Don’t know what you got (Till it’s Gone) – Cinderella

Don’t know what you got till it’s gone
Don’t know what it is I did so wrong
Now I know what I got
It’s just this song
And it ain’t easy to get back
Takes so long

This song is such a cliché, but it is appropriate for the issue we have now.  For some we don’t realize what we have in this world until it is gone.  And, the vast majority of things we lose we will never get back.  Even if it can be replaced it won’t happen in our lifetime.

Now for a little more optimism songs to get people to think about change…

Don’t Stop Believin’ –Journey

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin’ anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on, and on, and on

Heal the World – Michael Jackson

There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place…

Heal the World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Time for Change – Motley Crüe

I feel the the future
In the hands of our youth
No more lies
Old, tired fools tell our future
With tarot cards, and lie of crime The lines on their faces so deep, yeah
A revolution, or reach out
And touch the day
We’re overdue, child

Change
Now it’s time for change
Nothing stays the same
Now it’s time for change

And finally a song that I can relate to the most…hopefully others can too!

Better than I Used to Be – Sammy Kershaw

I’ve pinned a lot of demons to the ground
got a lot of old habits licked
but there’s still one or two I might need you to help me kick
standin’ in the rain so long has left me with a little rust
but put some faith in me
some day you’ll see there’s a diamond under all this dust

I ain’t no angel
but I’ve been sittin’ out a few more dances with the devil
and cleanin’ up my act little by little
I’m gettin’ there
I can finally stand the man in the mirror I see
I ain’t as good as I’m gonna get
but I’m better than I used to be

I collaborated with a group of seven people of family and friends.  We were playing the dice game Farkle and just casually talking about it.  I just told them which songs that I chose and the purpose behind them.  It was mostly me talking and discussing the Anthropocene and how each song translates to an issue that is currently going on and how people are affected.    Since I know more about the issues it was almost a lecture, but since it was with a game that may or may not have involved alcohol.

How to get involved and move my project forward?

Since my blog project is turning into my belief that one of the ways we can combat climate change is to move away from fossil fuels as our source of energy production.   There are many ways to produce energy from perpetual recourses on earth.  But, in Kansas the best form is wind energy.  There is also the potential for solar, geothermal, and even nuclear.  I know many people think nuclear is bad, but it is actually very safe.

In my Anthropology class we discussed different methods we could use for our individual projects.   We were to write down at least three.  Mine were protesting, rewriting legislation (not in a position to do that), and join an existing organization that shares my beliefs.  I could probably link the first and last methods together, because they usually go together.  So I decided to look for organizations that are protesting state and federal legislation to move more towards renewable energy and away from fossil fuel sources.

So, I decided to do what anyone in position would do…Google them.  I found a few that sparked my interest.  But, I don’t have time to join them all so I had to figure out which one(s) that best fit my schedule and position.

One that I found was the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).  This is a premier association and they have many smaller organizations that partner with them.  They are one of the leading advocates for wind energy.  Their website has a lot of great facts about wind energy in every state and globally.  I even learned facts about Kansas’s wind potential that I did not know already.

• In 2014, wind energy provided 21.67% of all in-state electricity production.
• The DOE Wind Vision Scenario projects that Kansas could produce enough wind energy by 2030 to power the equivalent of 1.1 million average American homes.
• Land based technical wind potential at 80 m hub height: 884,359 MW
• Installed wind capacity: 3,766 MW – Wind capacity under construction: 353 MW

These figures show that Kansas hasn’t even come close to its full potential for wind energy.  But, the price to join AWEA is pretty steep.  But, I think this association is more for corporations and NGOs to be in as a group rather than individuals.  So I opted out of this one, but I bookmarked the website because it has a lot of great information in it.

http://www.awea.org/

Then I came across Climate & Energy Project (CEP).  The CEP is a Kansas-based non-partisan 501(c)3 working to find practical solutions for a clean energy future.   They are connected to a very large list of partners throughout Kansas that help them with their cause.  There is a lot of great information and ideas listed on their website.

One page lists ways to communicate to legislation and just to other people on the issues of climate change and energy production.  They discuss on how to write, talk, and share important information with other people.  This may be a beneficial site for others in the class for their projects.  There is a donation, but there isn’t a sign up for this group.  So I subscribed to their newsletter to get more information about where, when, and what they are doing.

http://www.climateandenergy.org/index.php

The 3^rd one I came across is the Kansas Natural Resource Council (KNRC).  Their motto is “A Voice for the Kansas Environment Since 1981 LAND, WATER, WILDLIFE, ENERGY.”   Since they do such a good job outlining what they do I decided to just put what they have.

KNRC speaks out to:

• Protect the quality and supplies of Kansas’ water, Educate Kansans about our state’s natural resources and their conservation for future generations, Support sustainable family farming practices that respect and restore the land and the community, Ensure a competitive energy market where renewable resources and conservation can flourish,  Promote responsible solid waste management focusing on waste reduction, recycling and reuse.

KNRC in action

• Researches natural resource issues, Proposes innovative solutions to resource problems in Kansas and advocates for responsible natural resource legislation, Sponsors the Kansas Legislative Update, Monitors the actions of state agencies, Intervenes in state agency proceedings to ensure the enforcement of environmental laws, Creates opportunities for citizen participation in resource policy-making, Hosts environmental conferences and workshops, Works with our partners in Kansans for Clean Energy to promote renewable energy.

This group seems to be a good start.  I have held off on this group for now, but I feel this will be one that I will get involved with in the near future.  They have a local group here in Manhattan.

http://knrc.weebly.com/

In the end I already chose and became a member of the Sierra Club.  Membership is cheap, but that was not the driving force.  There are two main reasons why I chose this group over all the others.

One is that, while they do put a lot of emphasis on climate change and legislation, they also do many other projects that are related to the environment and the issues we are having in the Anthropocene.  They are looking to move beyond fossil fuels, protect the environment, protect wildlife, and to get people out and enjoy the outdoors.

Two is that they have chapters all over the nation and there is at least one chapter in every state.  This was important to me because they are broader than just one state.  While I want Kansas to move forward with these issues I also want the nation to move forward and make our future better.

I am graduating in May and do not know my future plans at this time.  So, I felt that an organization that I can join and get involved in that has chapters everywhere was the choice that I wanted to make.  My ideas and beliefs can follow me to a different state if that is what I choose to do after graduation.  Others in my Anthropology class could look at this organization to help with their own projects and to get involved in our path through the Anthropocene.

http://www.sierraclub.org/

Leo won an Oscar, but his speech was even better!!!

 

Did you watch the Oscars?  Yea me neither.  But, this morning I ran across this great speech by Leonardo DiCaprio.  It is a great speech and it gives light to the political issues that go along with climate change and other issues with man vs nature.  It is great to see someone who is so know and like around the world to bring this topic to national television and into the public spotlight.

It is hard to talk about climate change with people.  Sometimes you just do not know when it is appropriate or how the other people will react to the topic.  But, it still needs to be talked about so we can move forward and finally come together globally and do something about it.  This is just another reason to like this great actor.