Energy and Place
- How does energy production impact place?
- How do your sense of place, your environmental ethic, and your understanding of our energy needs influence your perception of human’s use of Earth’s resources and your own lifestyle decisions?
Project Reflection
This project was created in order to inform our class as to the immense problem of climate change and give us context from which we could form our opinions on energy production and our sense of place. We first began by exploring Aldo Leopold's land ethic in which he explains his belief that all nature deserves rights and has intrinsic worth. He also explained how all ecosystems rely on the land, and as any link from this ecosystem is hindered, the entire thing can collapse. This resounded with me because it gave a scientific example of why the land ethic is important. We next began to explore the many different energy sources and solutions available to us. We talked mainly however about fossil fuels versus nuclear power. This was enlightening because these two energy sources are so fraught with political strife and environmental dangers that there is no clear answer as to what the best call on our future energy needs. Finally we read Edward Abbey and began to explore Nature Writing. Once we had synthesized this knowledge we wrote of sense of place essay with a focus on environmental ethic.
This project made me think deeply on many issues. Not only did it make me think about the future of our planet, but also about my own future and how my life would be influenced by climate change. It caused me to think of the possibility of our beautiful planet being a transient one. This was not a thought I could entertain in good faith. I realized that if I want to leave a legacy, make an impact on our planet, and allow future generations to thrive on this planet I will need to devote my life to sustainability. THis project also made me think about my sense of place. I had trouble with this idea especially because I do not feel a devout connection to any place in particular. Instead, I feel a more broad sense of home. I have long thought of this planet in a more abstract sense. Simply a speck of dust in an infinite vacuum. For this reason, I chose the entire planet as my sense of place.
I am very proud of my essay and take action project. I appreciate how my essay is unique in it's structure. I incorporated two short stories into the middle of my non-fiction essay to enforce my point. I have never done this before and it felt freeing and dynamic. It truly allowed me to express my opinion in a way I never have before. For my take action project me and two friends organized a protest against global warming. We called it #OccupyBikeSeat and it was a hoot. We had about twenty people show up and we provided them with picket signs. We rode down the main street of our town taking up the entire lane yelling chants like, "Occupy Bike Seat, Every Day, Every Week!". The purpose of our protest was to start a conversation about climate change in our town, and inspire people to ride their bikes more often. I think we achieved this goal, and if we didn't, at least we stood up for something we believed in and let others know.
This project made me think deeply on many issues. Not only did it make me think about the future of our planet, but also about my own future and how my life would be influenced by climate change. It caused me to think of the possibility of our beautiful planet being a transient one. This was not a thought I could entertain in good faith. I realized that if I want to leave a legacy, make an impact on our planet, and allow future generations to thrive on this planet I will need to devote my life to sustainability. THis project also made me think about my sense of place. I had trouble with this idea especially because I do not feel a devout connection to any place in particular. Instead, I feel a more broad sense of home. I have long thought of this planet in a more abstract sense. Simply a speck of dust in an infinite vacuum. For this reason, I chose the entire planet as my sense of place.
I am very proud of my essay and take action project. I appreciate how my essay is unique in it's structure. I incorporated two short stories into the middle of my non-fiction essay to enforce my point. I have never done this before and it felt freeing and dynamic. It truly allowed me to express my opinion in a way I never have before. For my take action project me and two friends organized a protest against global warming. We called it #OccupyBikeSeat and it was a hoot. We had about twenty people show up and we provided them with picket signs. We rode down the main street of our town taking up the entire lane yelling chants like, "Occupy Bike Seat, Every Day, Every Week!". The purpose of our protest was to start a conversation about climate change in our town, and inspire people to ride their bikes more often. I think we achieved this goal, and if we didn't, at least we stood up for something we believed in and let others know.
Final Sense of Place Essay
Take Action Project
Link to Chemistry DP Update
http://dfridegerdp.weebly.com/energy-and-place-capstone-lab.html