Dear Philly,

The only reason I like you is because this is where my house is, and that is where I stay. I don’t enjoy the events, too much noise, too many people. I don’t like walking around the city, I have no desire to be hit by a car again. In the winter, your streets are cold, and the wind blows too strong. I still miss my turquoise headband. In the summer, it’s too hot, and the stench of the trash people carelessly leave on the ground is overpowering. 

The buses are annoying, filled with rude people who blast their bad music and make getting off at the right stop difficult. The buses themselves smell, they’re loud, and kick up dirt and grime in my face as they drive off without me. My experiences with Philly aren't as magical as what most people seem to have.

Sorry Philly, I’m just not that in to you.

2 cups Grated Raw Potatoes with skin (round white or red)

2 T Whole Wheat Flour

2 Well Beaten Eggs

1 t Salt

1 t Sugar

Pre-heat oven to 425˚ F. Pour off dark water accumulated on top of grated potatoes. Add the ingredients and beat well. Heat pan with one tablespoon of olive oil. Spread oil thinly and spoon drop batter onto pan. Spread as thin as possibly and fry each side until nearly golden. Remove from pan and soak extra oil off cake with paper towels. Bake in oven for 10 minutes.

For this project, I chose to make potato pancakes, also called Latkes. They’re traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday, Hanukkah. Because latkes are a little different depending on the country, I chose to use the Polish version. In my efforts to make a healthier version of that latke recipe, I made sure to keep my ingredients as whole as possible, like the potatoes, red instead of russet, and eggs. The cooking oil, salt, and sugar is processed. The whole wheat flour, which is substituting bleached while flour. is only a little processed, since it’s not shelled and bleached. When selecting the ingredients at the store, I went for the organics, especially the eggs. The salt, oil, sugar, flour, and potatoes were produced by lager manufacturers, like the Acme brand where the ingredients were purchased. If a person were to eat nothing but the latkes, health problems would certainly arise. It has all of the basic vitamins, proteins and fiber that the human body needs. The main problem is that one batch doesn’t have enough of everything to stave off malnutrition. In order to get all the essentials, one would then have to deal with obesity. Luckily, the ingredients aren’t all that regulated. Everything found in latkes are common staples of the Western Diet. The one ingredient that is a little special would be the eggs. They require special processing, shipping, and storage. They also need to be cooked in a certain way to prevent food-borne illnesses or food poisoning.

The problem with our food choices is related to a few things. The amount of money we have. Groceries needed to make fresh, healthy meals all week can cost $100 or more. Fast food is cheaper, especially with their dollar menus. Another issue is availability. While the nearest grocery store is about a mile or more away, fast food can be found right around the corner, especially in poor-income areas. Unhealthy food is everywhere, in corner and dollar stores, and much closer and cheaper then healthy foods. Yet another issue is motivation. Americans these days as a whole are lazy. Electronic addiction overrules the body’s basic needs, like exercise and nutrition. I would know, I am one of those people. 

Like many people in America, I find it easier to go out and grab some chicken, fries, and soda than cook for myself. If I want to make the food myself, which I have done before, it can eat up over an hour that I could be using to browse the internet, make progress in my favorite games, or chat with friends. While cooking for myself can be fun once in a while, it gets tiring and boring. Exercise is the same. It take time and dedication. It’s hard work. 

The worst part is that the only people who can fix this are the people themselves. Instead of driving to the nearest fast food restaurant they can walk there. Try cooking once or twice a week. Pick stairs over elevators. Get some friends together and go out. The government can’t make people to do so, and even if laws were made they’d be difficult to enforce. The only thing they can do to help is make healthy alternatives more readily available. This is what I learned this semester.

Dwindling supply and negative environmental impact is pushing the public to embrace renewable energy sources in exchange of conventional fossil fuels. When burned, coal and oil release tons of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, with the potential to cause catastrophic impacts on the environment. The impending threat of global warming is pressing environmental scientists and engineers to improve the systems we use to gather renewable energy from unlimited natural resources. Each method of generating usable electricity has its own set of environmental problems, but people are always researching ways to improve them. Compared to the environmental consequences of burning fossil fuel to generate electricity, the pros of using renewable energy sources outweigh the cons.

Wind Power:

While large amounts of land are required to have a productive wind farm, the space between turbines is not exclusively for the turbines only. The towers can be constructed on leased farmland, where they can sit amongst the crops and animals. Cattle and other farm animals are often seen grazing nearby, resting in their shade, or using them as a scratching post. Farmers can plant crops right up to the base and several studies have shown that crops like corn and soybeans benefit from the decreased frosts and fungus caused by the turbines’ presence. An unexpected benefit is that wind turbines are already combating global warming in their own way. Studies have shown that the turbulence generated by the turning of their blades can keep the surrounding temperatures from getting too hot in the day and too cold in the night. Studies imply that crops planted near the turbines are protected from damaging frost and fungi because of the impact they have on the surrounding temperature. The most extreme issue raised by the use of wind turbines is the impact they have on local bird populations. By doing a population count before construction, during construction, and after construction, scientists are able to gauge whether or not the wind farm produces a negative effect on local populations. There are cases in which rare and endangered bird species have died after flying into the spinning blades. Studies on the common causes of bird death place wind farms towards the bottom of the list, with the worst offenders being the Transmission lines of conventional fossil fuel power plants, hunters, and domestic cats. (graph in Wikipedia of bird casualties)

Hydropower:

Hydropower plants harness the natural energy of flowing water, and produce zero emissions. Any of the negative impact a dam causes on its environment is often magnified by the size of the dam.  New, large-scale dams are rare because the most suitable sites are usually under environmental protection. As a result, the demand for hydropower is failing. The development of new dams is further impacted by frequent protests from environmental activists who seek to preserve the natural flow of the river and the preservation of local fish populations. Fish counts confirm that the spinning blades of the generators can kill unwary fish, and not all fish will think to use the built in fish ladders many power plants install to please activists. Some power plants use flashing lights to direct the fish away from the turbines, but so far, the safest solution seems to be to shut them down during fish migrations. This solution is ineffective for the power plant, and the company looses money during this time. Fish aren’t the only animals that are affected by a hydropower dam. When a new dam is built, the flow may need to be redirected in order to maximize power generation, which can impact wildlife on land and their environment. The dam reserves water upstream, creating a man-made lake that floods the surrounding forest while downriver of the dam; the water level is liable to drop. Case studies of the current impact of established dams provide scientists with the information they need to improve the dams and reduce environmental consequences. 

Solar Energy:

Solar power cells are growing in popularity, especially in urban areas on roofs above the trees. The main con of solar energy is the hazardous materials used in production of the solar cells, and waste materials left behind, as well as the necessary space required for installation and the large price tag. Large-scale solar energy farms are very expensive, and they take up a lot of space, since they need to have the sun on them at all times. The space in between cells cannot be used for anything, since there isn’t much space left. Because they take up so much space, smaller cells meant for personal use have started appearing in cities and towns. Instead of filling fields, they are being places on the roofs of homes, airport hangers, and other places with space may have otherwise been left vacant. In addition to generating a lot of energy for personal use, a building that generates more energy then they can use are able to earn money by putting that power onto the grid. A problem with small-scale urban solar cells is that they are made of the same hazardous materials as the large-scale cells, and may produce toxic fumes during a fire. These fumes are dangerous for firefighters who may need to enter the building. Current research on experimental solar power aims to reduce hazardous materials and waste in production, as well as to improve the efficiency of the small-scale solar cells. One of the several improvements in progress is a solar concentrator, which is used to generate electricity, and when mounted on solar trackers, can adjust its position to optimize solar energy gathered. Another option being researched is space-based solar power designed to sit on satellites, and have the potential to gather ten times the amount of energy then they would on earth. By installing efficient solar panels in cities, it is possible to generate much of the power needed there daily, and severely reducing the need for coal and oil power plants. 

Sample Question:

What are the potential consequences of using Hydropower?

1. a. Fish will get caught in the blades of the turbines
2. b. The river upstream might flood the surrounding woods
3. c. Concerned local activists may protest
4. d. All of the above

By reading the passage on hydropower, you can judge what will happen when you build a hydropower dam. That way, you can eliminate any answer that doesn’t make sense, and pick the answer that you think is correct.

Why are scientists trying to improve the design of solar energy cells?

1. a. Because the sun is patchy, and it’s difficult to gather enough energy
2. b. Because solar energy cells may release toxic fumes during a house fire
3. c. Because the materials used during production are expensive and hazardous
4. d. Because the large energy farms are less efficient then small urban solar cells

Many of these answer might seem like the correct answer, in this case, you would need to look back at the passage and start eliminating answers. If you can’t judge which answer would be the right one, go with the answer that either feels the best, or that seems least wrong.

Sources:

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/impacts/environmental-impacts-of.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power#Experimental_solar_power

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_farm#Environmental_and_aesthetic_impact

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2167515/report-wind-turbines-little-impact-bird-populations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_wind_power#Impact_on_wildlife

http://www.hydroquebec.com/sustainable-development/documentation/etudes_impacts.html

My group and I created a campaign to promote literacy. I contributed as best I could to the campaign, and I feel like I was fairly helpful in my own ways. I encouraged the idea of making posters and thoroughly supported putting them in public places like the children’s sections of local libraries. When we worked on making the posters, I contributed to the overall project with my artistic skills and creativity, and drew an orange cartoon style cat on the poster, holding a sign that asks the viewer, “How well can you read?” Aja came up with the phrase, and I suggested that we use it as the title of our campaign. The rest of the group seemed to like it, and we agreed on using it as our title. When we were talking about where we wanted to put the posters, I suggested the library of a school with young children in it, but we decided against posting them there. I also did some research for the videos, looking up facts and statistics that we could use to prove our point. I also cited most of the sources that my group members and I found soon after we posted the link onto the Google doc. When it came to figuring out how to tell whether or not the campaign we created was effective, I helped test the system we plan on using via email. The test involved sending a form to my email address and I responded. Then we were able to teach ourselves to read the data that is presented to us after people respond to the questions we send out. While the project is not quite done yet, I think there is still much I can do to help out, for example, I may have to place the posters at a couple nearby libraries.