GARBAGE ISLAND:
In this video a man who traveled from Hawaii to California via boat reported seeing tons and tons of trash in the ocean on his way back. He said the amount of trash seen would be double the size of Texas. There was tons of broken plastic and other identifiable objects. He stated that plastic does not biodegrade, but photodegrades. This means that the sun breaks down the plastic into smaller pieces, but the plastic always stays plastic. It never fully degrades. He stated the the plastic to plankton ratio was 6-1! Ocean life ingests these bits of plastic and debris and eventually we end up ingesting it by eating food from the sea. All this garbage and debris is said to possibly affect our reproductive system and even increase our risk of diabetes and other diseases.
POPULATION GROWTH:
The main idea of this video comes from a quote by Sir David Attenborough stated in the video which says, "Instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, maybe we should control the population to ensure the survival of our environment." The video talks about how quickly our world population is increasing and how fast it will continue to grow in the coming years. If it continues to grow at this rapid rate and we continue to thrash our environment we will suffer great consequences. The video offers 3 suggestions to help control the population and to help the environment. First, we should reduce consumption and sustainable solutions. Second, we should make family planning tools such as contraceptives universally available. Lastly, we should empower women and educate them on health care and birth control.
BOTTLED H2O:
The negative effects on the environment that bottled water consumption has are real. It's interesting to point out that in blind taste test, tap water is preferred over bottled water. Although we blindly prefer water from the tap, bottled water companies have manufactured demand of buying water in bottles. They tell us we need it, that water from the tap is unsafe to drink, which in most cases is actually false. They seduce us with nice designs of bottles and mislead us with skewed facts of bottled water versus tap water. All our plastic water bottles are piling up in landfills and not being recycled. We should say no to buying bottled water and invest in public water infrastructure.
THE GIRL WHO SILENCED THE WORLD FOR 5 MIN:
This is a pretty powerful video of a young teenage girl who is speaking in front of the leaders of the world in fight for her generations future. She is boldly telling them that if they don't stop their ways there will be none of the Earth's beauty for future generations to enjoy. She said that they need to do more in the way of action and less in speaking. Their actions need to match their words. A powerful statement was that if you don't know how to fix something, don't destroy it. We don't know how to bring back extinct species, so we shouldn't kill endangered ones. I think this video is good for all to watch because we all could be doing a little more to ensure the environment's safety.
AMAZON DEFORESTATION:
Amazon deforestation contributes 20% of greenhouse gases. This is more than all the transportation methods put together. The most common reason for deforestation these days is plantations to supply cheap feed for major companies' livestock. Chain restaurants and other major food companies want as much product as possible for the least cost. All this selfish demand, is majorly contributing to the health of the environment.
SAVING VALENTINA:
While boating in the Sea of Cortez a couple comes across a humpback whale. They watch as the whale stays still for several minutes. One of the boaters decides to jump in the water with his snorkel gear to assess the situation and he finds that the whale is tangled in a large fishing net used by local fisherman. Careless acts such as littering or misuse of equipment are negatively affecting the ocean and its wildlife.
CANARY IS DEAD:
In an intense coral reef study, findings show that two-thirds of the Earth's coral reefs are at serious risk of disappearing. One quarter of the Earth's coral reefs have already disappeared. In this study, the Phoenix reefs proved to be some of the most pristine coral reefs. Just a short 5 years later however, the Phoenix reefs are all dead. Some of the causes of coral reef decay are the killing of ocean wildlife, pollution and over heating. Major overheating of ocean waters in the region of the Phoenix reefs was shown between August 2002- March 2003.
GLOBAL WARMING:
Over the past 2.5 million years the Earth's temperature has fluctuated. Over the last century however, the temperature has risen greatly. Human activity has caused a 1.2-1.4 F increase in temperature over the last 100 years. Greenhouse gases trap heat near the Earth in what is known as the greenhouse effect. As the temperatures continue to rise, we will see a decrease of polar ice and weather changes that will affect environmental health.
Additional Sources for Bottled Water:
http://www.saynotobottledwater.in/index.php?id=1
http://pacinst.org/publication/bottled-water-and-energy-a-fact-sheet/
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Bully
Summary:
The movie, Bully, is a documentary that can be watched on Netflix. The movie profiles individuals and families who are facing different stages of bullying. Some families have lost loved ones due to bullying and other individuals are currently being bullied. The film also touches on the aftermath of severe bullying and how these people who have been so negatively affected by bullying are trying to put a stop to it. The documentary takes place in different states and towns in the midwest and southern parts of the United States. For more information on the documentary, you can visit the website www.thebullyproject.com
Reaction:
Before we had watched this movie in class, I had stumbled upon it on Netflix and began to watch it. I couldn't watch the whole thing the first time I tried watching it because I just felt sad. It made me feel sad watching kids be so mean and hurtful to kids who seemed so defenseless. I was shocked at how much these kids were getting away with, especially on the bus. Whenever I have ridden a school bus, the rules were very strictly enforced. I was outraged out how poorly the assistant principal was handling all the bullying incidents. Not only did she tell a child who was being severely bullied that he had sunk to the level of his tormenter, but she blatantly lied to the parents of a child being harassed on the school bus, telling them there are no problems on that particular bus and that those children were "golden." This movie made a pretty big impact on me. I couldn't watch it all the way through the first time I tried, but I'm glad I had to watch the whole thing in class. It really made me think about my own experiences in those teenage years. It made me question whether or not there was that much bullying happening when I was in middle school and high school. If there was, was I just blind to it all? Was I participating in it without even knowing?
Plan:
This movie made me think a lot about my participation or lack of participation in bullying and how I can not only not participate in bullying, but how I can prevent others from doing it as well. A powerful point in the movie is when they talk about how individuals really can make a difference. I know that for me, I am more dedicated to the cause of ending bullying after watching this movie. I have never been tolerant of bullies or bullying, but watching this movie made me realize just how many kids are still being negatively affected by bullying. Its amazing that we live in a world so diverse and we still are struggling with loving others and being accepting of them. I think Bully should be shown in all high schools and middle schools in the country. I think it would have a lasting effect on the majority of the students and that they would at least think twice before bullying others. I think for me, personally, I will be more adamant about sticking up for others who are being bullied. Its not enough to just not be a bully, but I need to help those in need. I can also encourage others who are bullying not to do so.
The movie, Bully, is a documentary that can be watched on Netflix. The movie profiles individuals and families who are facing different stages of bullying. Some families have lost loved ones due to bullying and other individuals are currently being bullied. The film also touches on the aftermath of severe bullying and how these people who have been so negatively affected by bullying are trying to put a stop to it. The documentary takes place in different states and towns in the midwest and southern parts of the United States. For more information on the documentary, you can visit the website www.thebullyproject.com
Reaction:
Before we had watched this movie in class, I had stumbled upon it on Netflix and began to watch it. I couldn't watch the whole thing the first time I tried watching it because I just felt sad. It made me feel sad watching kids be so mean and hurtful to kids who seemed so defenseless. I was shocked at how much these kids were getting away with, especially on the bus. Whenever I have ridden a school bus, the rules were very strictly enforced. I was outraged out how poorly the assistant principal was handling all the bullying incidents. Not only did she tell a child who was being severely bullied that he had sunk to the level of his tormenter, but she blatantly lied to the parents of a child being harassed on the school bus, telling them there are no problems on that particular bus and that those children were "golden." This movie made a pretty big impact on me. I couldn't watch it all the way through the first time I tried, but I'm glad I had to watch the whole thing in class. It really made me think about my own experiences in those teenage years. It made me question whether or not there was that much bullying happening when I was in middle school and high school. If there was, was I just blind to it all? Was I participating in it without even knowing?
Plan:
This movie made me think a lot about my participation or lack of participation in bullying and how I can not only not participate in bullying, but how I can prevent others from doing it as well. A powerful point in the movie is when they talk about how individuals really can make a difference. I know that for me, I am more dedicated to the cause of ending bullying after watching this movie. I have never been tolerant of bullies or bullying, but watching this movie made me realize just how many kids are still being negatively affected by bullying. Its amazing that we live in a world so diverse and we still are struggling with loving others and being accepting of them. I think Bully should be shown in all high schools and middle schools in the country. I think it would have a lasting effect on the majority of the students and that they would at least think twice before bullying others. I think for me, personally, I will be more adamant about sticking up for others who are being bullied. Its not enough to just not be a bully, but I need to help those in need. I can also encourage others who are bullying not to do so.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Aha Moments!
Chapter 2: Stress: The Constant Challenge
1. A stressor is a situation that triggers physical and emotional reactions and a stress response is the reaction to the stressor. Stress is the general physical and emotional state of the stress response.
2. Prolonged stress is linked to deterioration of your health. One theory that describes this is called the General Adaptation Syndrome. The syndrome indicates that when stress lingers, a person will learn to live at a new level of homeostasis, but the body can become exhausted and lead to disease.
3. Nutrition plays an important role in almost all aspects of life, including stress management. A good balanced diet will give you more energy, enabling you to handle stress better.
4. Stress doesn't have to be all bad. Eustress is good stress caused by a pleasant trigger while distress is caused by an unpleasant trigger.
Chapter 3: Psychological Health
1. Anxiety is the feeling of fear that is not in response to any definite threat. When the fear is in response to a specific thing it is called a simple phobia.
2. OCD deals with obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are constant, unwanted thoughts while compulsions are repetitive, difficult to resist actions that are associated with the obsessions.
3. 50% of college students report having depression severe enough to hinder daily functioning.
4. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-24 and is the 11th leading cause of death for all ages. For every death there are 15 attempts.
Chapter 7: Drugs and Addiction
1. Addiction isn't just exclusive to drugs and alcohol, but people can also have addictive behaviors. Addictive behaviors include compulsive gambling, exercising, buying and shopping and more.
2. Males, thrill seekers, and young girls who date older boys are at a higher risk of trying drugs. Troubled adolescents and those who come from a dysfunctional family are also at a higher risk.
3. To be considered dependent on a substance one must experience 3 or more of the following characteristics in 12 months. Develop tolerance, experience withdrawal, take the substance in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended, express a persistent desire to cut down or regulate use, spend a significant amount of time getting, using, and recovering from the effects of the substance, giving up or reducing important activities because of use, and/or continuing to use despite knowing its contributing to a psychological and/or physical problem.
4. Marijuana(Cannabis) is its own drug type. The other 5 types of drugs are opioids, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and inhalants.
Chapter 8: Alcohol and Tobacco
1. The proof value of alcohol is the concentration of alcohol in a beverage. The proof value is two times the percentage concentration.
2. In 2008, 11,773 Americans were killed in accidents involving a driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .08% or higher. This makes up 32% of all traffic fatalities. This number of fatalities is surprisingly 10% lower than the number of fatalities in 2007.
3. In the U.S., 90% of adult smokers started smoking before age 18.
4. The smoke exhaled by smokers is called mainstream smoke while the smoke that comes off the burning end of the cigarette or cigar is called side-stream smoke. Together, these two types of smoke are called environmental tobacco smoke, more commonly known as second hand smoke.
Chapter 16: Personal Safety
1. 75% of all motor vehicle injuries occur within 25 miles of home and at speeds lower than 40 mph.
2. 1-2 million older adults are abused, exploited, or mistreated by those supposedly caring for them. Only 1 in 6 incidents are ever reported.
3. Battering and child abuse is not exclusive to one socioeconomic level. It occurs in all walks of life. The main reason this occurs is because the abuser feels the need for control.
4. Children may view as many as 10,000 violent acts on TV or in movies every year. Consequences for violent behavior is depicted less and less in movies and television. This type of exposure may desensitize kids and teach them that violent behavior is okay and acceptable.
1. A stressor is a situation that triggers physical and emotional reactions and a stress response is the reaction to the stressor. Stress is the general physical and emotional state of the stress response.
2. Prolonged stress is linked to deterioration of your health. One theory that describes this is called the General Adaptation Syndrome. The syndrome indicates that when stress lingers, a person will learn to live at a new level of homeostasis, but the body can become exhausted and lead to disease.
3. Nutrition plays an important role in almost all aspects of life, including stress management. A good balanced diet will give you more energy, enabling you to handle stress better.
4. Stress doesn't have to be all bad. Eustress is good stress caused by a pleasant trigger while distress is caused by an unpleasant trigger.
Chapter 3: Psychological Health
1. Anxiety is the feeling of fear that is not in response to any definite threat. When the fear is in response to a specific thing it is called a simple phobia.
2. OCD deals with obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are constant, unwanted thoughts while compulsions are repetitive, difficult to resist actions that are associated with the obsessions.
3. 50% of college students report having depression severe enough to hinder daily functioning.
4. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in people ages 15-24 and is the 11th leading cause of death for all ages. For every death there are 15 attempts.
Chapter 7: Drugs and Addiction
1. Addiction isn't just exclusive to drugs and alcohol, but people can also have addictive behaviors. Addictive behaviors include compulsive gambling, exercising, buying and shopping and more.
2. Males, thrill seekers, and young girls who date older boys are at a higher risk of trying drugs. Troubled adolescents and those who come from a dysfunctional family are also at a higher risk.
3. To be considered dependent on a substance one must experience 3 or more of the following characteristics in 12 months. Develop tolerance, experience withdrawal, take the substance in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended, express a persistent desire to cut down or regulate use, spend a significant amount of time getting, using, and recovering from the effects of the substance, giving up or reducing important activities because of use, and/or continuing to use despite knowing its contributing to a psychological and/or physical problem.
4. Marijuana(Cannabis) is its own drug type. The other 5 types of drugs are opioids, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and inhalants.
Chapter 8: Alcohol and Tobacco
1. The proof value of alcohol is the concentration of alcohol in a beverage. The proof value is two times the percentage concentration.
2. In 2008, 11,773 Americans were killed in accidents involving a driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .08% or higher. This makes up 32% of all traffic fatalities. This number of fatalities is surprisingly 10% lower than the number of fatalities in 2007.
3. In the U.S., 90% of adult smokers started smoking before age 18.
4. The smoke exhaled by smokers is called mainstream smoke while the smoke that comes off the burning end of the cigarette or cigar is called side-stream smoke. Together, these two types of smoke are called environmental tobacco smoke, more commonly known as second hand smoke.
Chapter 16: Personal Safety
1. 75% of all motor vehicle injuries occur within 25 miles of home and at speeds lower than 40 mph.
2. 1-2 million older adults are abused, exploited, or mistreated by those supposedly caring for them. Only 1 in 6 incidents are ever reported.
3. Battering and child abuse is not exclusive to one socioeconomic level. It occurs in all walks of life. The main reason this occurs is because the abuser feels the need for control.
4. Children may view as many as 10,000 violent acts on TV or in movies every year. Consequences for violent behavior is depicted less and less in movies and television. This type of exposure may desensitize kids and teach them that violent behavior is okay and acceptable.
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