The Perks of Parks

            As of 2011, there were more urban households with dogs than with children. The majority of dog owners feel just as strongly about achieving the happiness of their canines as parents do about pleasing their children. Hence, the United States has seen a major surge in the number of urban dog parks popping up in large cities. Portland, Oregon tops the charts, with 5.7 dog parks per 100,000 residents. It is followed closely by Norfolk, Virginia, which tallies 5.1 dog parks per 100,000 residents (Nasser). Not only do these canine playgrounds increase the social interactions between dogs, but they also forge strong ties between humans with similar interests.

Naturally, when a dog owner takes their canine to a community park surrounded by other dog owners, conversations will ensue and friends will be made. These social ties increase the shared sense of community and goodwill in cities, thus dismantling the individualism and rush often found in large urban areas. The great enthusiasm for urban dog parks picking up in many cities across the US also promotes greenery and foliage in congested cities. It offers a chance for residents to slow down and appreciate the beauty of nature, while simultaneously allowing their deserving canines to stretch their legs. If this excitement for dog park continues to grow in the US, the sustainability benefits for cities will be boundless.

Works Cited

Nasser, Haya E. "Fastest-growing urban parks are for the dogs." USA Today: News. USA Today, 8 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-07/dog-parks/51715340/1>.

The Future of Sustainable Foods: Community Gardens

        Growing up in Portland, Oregon with two reformed hippies for parents has its benefits. I was given a Waldorf education, taught that ferries are real, spent many days outside since my parents did not own a TV, and helped tend to my family’s small plot in a community garden. It was this last activity that brought me the most satisfaction and joy. Every Saturday, my parents would pack my two siblings and I into our Subaru Forester, and we would go tend to our small garden. Not only did I learn to plant, harvest, and appreciate what the land has to offer, but I also saw the effect community gardens can have on neighborhood life. 

        Donna Armstrong, a professor of Epidemiology at the University at Albany SUNY in New York City, reports that “gardeners have greater consumption of fresh vegetables compared with non-gardeners, and lower consumption of sweet foods and drinks.” The health benefits of community gardens are undeniable, as they encourage the gardeners to consume their own homegrown produce. This also contributes to financial stability, as Armstrong’s studies show that many gardeners saw “savings of between $50 and $250 per season in food costs.” These savings have a huge impact on the wellbeing of families, especially low to middle-income households. In addition, Armstrong’s study “reported that 5000 [pounds] of vegetables were produced by 37 gardeners and 1000 [pounds] of vegetables were shared with friends and neighbors, local soup kitchens and senior centers.” This sharing of produce not only builds valuable relationships between community members, but also promotes the health and wellness of more than just the gardeners themselves. 

        When individuals provide for themselves and for those around them, the self-sustainability of entire communities is achieved. Considering the limited resources that control our access to food and the rate at which we extract these resources, it is of utmost importance that we begin consuming local and sustainable foods. Community gardens, in addition to serving as great community builders, may just be the future of sustainable foods around the world.

Works Cited

Armstrong, Donna. "A survey of community gardens in upstate New York: Implications for health promotion and community development." Science Direct. Elsevier B.V., 1 Dec. 2000. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829200000137>.

Global Climate Changes

          The Medieval Global Temperature Optimum, which occurred from approximately 900-1300 AD, was a time period in European and North American climatic history that saw temperatures comparable to, or even exceeding, those of the late 20^th century. This period was, however, marked by cooler and warmer periods as well. Due to this Medieval Warm Period, agriculture was at a prime. Records show that harvests were remarkably high in Europe, as “agriculture was possible at higher latitudes” (Mann). For example, grapes in England were grown hundreds of kilometers north of their current limit of growth, as were fig and olive trees in Italy and parts of Germany, respectively. Another outgrowth of this climatic period was glacial movement. Glaciers receded rather rapidly during this period, and advanced in later periods. Severe winters were also less prevalent, as indicated by “ A host of historical documentary proxy information such as records of frost dates, freezing of water bodies, duration of snowcover, and phenological evidence (e.g., the dates of flowering of plants)” (Mann).

            The Little Ice Age, which occurred between the 16^th and mid-19^th centuries, marked the end of the Medieval Global Temperature Optimum.  There were three notable intervals of temperature drops in the Northern Hemisphere during this period: one occurring around 1650, another in 1770, and the final one around 1850. Each of these colder periods was followed by periods of mild warming. These fluctuations in temperature have been “associated with a particularly dramatic series of mountain glacier advances and retreats” (Mann). These dramatic temperature oscillations also affected human populations. Most notably in Greenland, Norse settlers arrived around AD 1000 and had thriving cattle and sheep farms. These successful farming settlements lasted until about AD 1400, at which time they were lost to the advancing fronts of mountain glaciers. Crop yields also declined drastically during this time period, as the cooler temperatures did not support agriculture. Rates of child mortality, famine, and disease were also several outgrowths of the Little Ice Age, particularly in Europe.  

Works Cited

Mann, M. E. (2002). Little Ice Age. In Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change (Vol. 1, pp. 504-509). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mann, M. E. (2002). Medieval Climatic Optimum. In Encyclopedia of Global Environmental Change (Vol. 1, pp. 514-516). Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Air Pollution in Santiago, Chile

          Currently, the air quality index of Santiago—Chile’s capital and largest city—is at hazardous levels, which means, “everyone may experience more serious health effects” (World Air Quality Info). Interestingly, it is the only city in South America that experiences such disastrous air quality. All of the other South American cities experience air quality that is good, moderate, or only unhealthy for sensitive groups. From 2000 to 2010, the air pollution of Santiago doubled, and it is now commonplace for atmospheric concentrations to exceed the standards set by the EPA. Santiago is an outlier for various reasons.

            Extensive usage of diesel trucks as a means of transporting goods contributes heavily to smog in Santiago. In an effort to reduce the amount of exhaust being emitted by diesel trucks, the Chilean government began a replacement process of the transit system in 2005, but these efforts ended quietly in 2010. Another major contributor to smog is the El Teniente copper mine. The smelter process conducted at the factory contributes to air pollution year-round, yet it is never mentioned as a source of pollution since it does not actually fall within the Santiago Metropolitan Region boundary. Therefore, ever since the mine’s opening in 1819, nothing has been done to reduce its harmful emissions.

            Despite these two highly problematic sources of air pollution, another major factor for Santiago’s smog is due to the physical geography of the city. The city is located in the “middle of two mountain ranges, surrounded by the Andes and the cordillera de la costa (Coastal Mountain Range)” (Gastal). This geographical set-up creates Thermal inversion during the winter, a phenomenon in which a layer of warm air holds down cold air close to the ground, trapping it there. Although Santiago may have a geographical disadvantage, it is vital that the city create more restrictions on air pollutants, thus creating a safer environment for its citizens.

http://www.julioetchart.com/images/environment/thumbs/Chile-107.jpg

Silver Mining

10 October 2014

Silver, which is currently valued at around 17 dollars per ounce in the United States, is mined most successfully in Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Canada, and the US. The largest producer of silver is currently Mexico, which yielded 169.7 million ounces in 2013 (Feldman). Silver hardly ever exists in a pure state in nature, instead forming an amalgam with sulfur, arsenic, antimony, or chlorine. Seeing as it combines with other ores, it usually has to be extracted through amalgamation—“a concentrating process”— or electrolysis—which uses an electric current to drive a chemical reaction and thereby separate it from the other material (Kubach). It can also be extracted from ore through smelting or chemical leaching. Although less lucrative than gold, silver has nevertheless produced “silver rushes” when new deposits are discovered. Silver is commonly used in coins, jewelry, silverware, and electronics. A few lesser-known uses of silver are in solar panels, control rods for nuclear energy, silver wire, and photographic film.

Silver Rush, a Discovery Channel show, documented the journey of sea explorers when they recovered over $500 million worth of silver in 2007 from a shipwreck. Check out the video of their discovery here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVABPFovrLw

Works Cited

Jim, Feldman. "Silver Production." The Silver Institute. Jim Feldman Creative Direction, 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.

Kubach, Charles. "Mercury Amalgamation." Mine-Engineer.com. Mine-Engineer.com, 2012. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.

Mercer Village Traffic Study

3 October 2014

Objective: The purpose of this activity was to analyze the traffic patterns in Mercer Village, and from these results objectively determine the commuting patterns of students and other people who pass through Mercer Village. This was accomplished by analyzing the total number of vehicles, the size of each vehicle, and the number of people in each vehicle.

Methods:

1.     Sit for 20 minutes in Mercer Village.

2.     Observe the size of each vehicle, and the number of people in each vehicle that passes by.

3.     Record these results.

Results: This observational research study was conducted on Thursday, October 2^nd from 6:36 to 6:56pm. 95 vehicles passed through Mercer Village during this time frame. Of these 95 vehicles, 67 were small, 25 were large, 2 were buses, and one was a bike. The exact results are listed below:

o   Small car with 1 person: 44

o   Small car with 2 people: 22

o   Small car with 3 people: 1

o   Big car with 1 person: 18

o   Big car with 2 people: 7

o   Bike with 1 person: 1

o   Bus with 1 person: 1

o   Bus with 8 people: 1

Conclusions: Based on these findings, the average number of people per car that passes through Mercer Village is 1.43. Out of the 133 people that passed by, 64 of them were alone in the vehicle. Commuters who traveled with two people in the car numbered 29 out of 133. Only two vehicles passed by with 3 or more commuters in them. The most conscientious of all these commuters, however, was the lone bicyclist. Overall, there is certainly substantial room for improvement in regards to the driving habits of the students and other commuters who pass through Mercer Village.

       

The Man who Stopped the Tank

On June 5^th, 1989, for two minutes and fifty seconds, one small, simply clad, and nameless man stopped up the procession of four immense tanks on a mission to kill. The day before, hundreds of student protestors had been slaughtered at the command of China’s then Communist dictator, Deng Xiaoping. The protestors had been camped in Tiananmen Square for nearly seven weeks, remonstrating the death of Hu Yaobang, an influential and forward-thinking liberal reformer. They were also concerned with recent political corruption, economic nepotism, and economic reforms. On June 4^th, Xiaoping sent his troops into the square with orders to kill. And they did so. Although the exact number is unknown, it is believed that hundreds to thousands of protestors—mostly students—were killed during the daylong massacre. We can only imagine what this nameless man was thinking one day later, when he single-handedly stood up to a procession of tanks. The importance of his life surely was not at the forefront of his mind. His courage in the face of near certain death begs the following question: if one man can halt the indestructible Chinese military for nearly three minutes, what could a united, outspoken, and brave group accomplish? Although the fate of this passive resistor is unknown to this day, his courage in standing up to the Chinese forces is never forgotten. 

To watch the tank man in action, follow this link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeFzeNAHEhU