Overall
1. What do you like best about the paper?
- Overall I think the paper was honestly very good. It was well written, blending lots of statistical information with an informative style of writing while keeping a good balance as to not have the reader feel too consumed by quotes or the like.
2. Authors particular area of concern.
- I found that there were good transitions between all of the main points mentioned in the thesis statement except one. That would be the transition between the effects of global warming and glacial retreat. As far as jumping from topic to topic, no I think that there is a lot of valuable information presented within the paper.
Thesis
3. Does the author clearly express his/her opinion of the topic in the thesis? What argument does the thesis make?
- Yes the author definitely makes her opinion known within the thesis of the essay; she is arguing that polar bears will soon be extinct due to global warming, glacial recession, beach erosion, and environmental changes to the ecosystem.
4. What group of people agrees with the author? What group disagrees with the author?
- The author seems to be speaking to the public generally, however I did not notice anywhere that the author specifically addressed the oppositions viewpoint.
5. Does the paper have an argumentative thesis statement using ALTHOUGH and BECAUSE?
- The thesis statement of the paper does follow the format of the “although” and “because.”
Content
6. On a scale of 1 to 10, how interesting did you find this paper to read? Be brutally honest!
- To be brutally honest, I would give this paper an 8 out of 10, with 10 being “oh my god I can’t stop reading this.” I think that’s really pretty good. It definitely made me realize that I have a lot of work to do on my own paper.
7. Where can the author more fully develop ideas, either by providing examples or explaining/clarifying concepts for the reader? Be specific (e.g. “the 3rd is dullsville”; “the conclusion is really vague”).
- It is in my opinion that although there is a ton of really good information in the paper, the topic of polar bears is not brought about until the last point in the paper. However, given the fact that your thesis makes it appear as though polar bears and the effects that all the points listed are having on the polar bears is your main topic, perhaps they should be mentioned a bit more throughout the paper.
8. What kinds of objections might someone who disagrees with the author’s point of view raise?
- Opposition would probably argue that many of the effects being discussed are caused by natural cycles and phenomena rather than human impact. One topic in particular that is strongly refuted is the idea of global warming itself; some would say that global warming is just a natural cycle as the Earth is moving closer to the sun, etc. There are many opposing viewpoints that could be addressed.
9. Has the author dealt with these objections?
- No the author needs to dedicate some more energy on addressing the opposition’s viewpoints.
10. Is the relationship between each paragraph and the thesis clear? If not, what suggestions do you have for the author to improve the connection?I would perhaps try to put in a lead sentence in each paragraph that introduces a new point that contains the exact terminology describing the main point within the thesis statement.
Style
11. Are there easy transitions from one paragraph to the next, or does the author jump from topic to topic?
- As stated earlier, I don’t believe that the paper jumps around too much, and the transitions are pretty good. However I would spend some time trying to make it more apparent while reading within each different main point, which main point that it is exactly is being discussed. Such as using the lead sentence method described above.
12. Does the opening of the essay capture the reader’s attention? How so? If not, what suggestions can you make that might strengthen the opening?
- I would say that the opening is pretty good, but perhaps a little stronger voice could be used. Such as when the author writes, “Polar bears face possible extinction due to global warming” (Baker, 2008), one could write, “Polar bears are on the verge of extinction and the killer is global warming,” or at least something to that effect.
13. Does the concluding paragraph serve to bring the discussion to an end that logically follows from the thesis and its direction?
- The problem that I see within the conclusion of the essay relates back directly to the content as well, and was briefly addressed earlier in this workshop. That is that in the thesis statement polar bears and the effects that these various climate changes are having on them was the main topic of the paper; however, in the body of the paper polar bears aren’t really even mentioned again until the last main point is discussed. Perhaps the other points need to be related a little better to polar bears and why they are going extinct. In the conclusion the author writes, “…polar bears could live longer without going extinct, glaciers will not retreat as fast, and beaches will not be eroded blocking access to shorelines” (Baker, 2008), however this makes it sounds as if polar bear extinction was just a point in the paper, not the main topic of the essay.
Research
14. . How many different sources are cited in the paper?
- There are fifteen sources cited within the paper. As previously stated, a lot of good research is presented.
15. Does the author rely heavily on just 1 or 2 sources, or does the author equally use all of the sources to support the paper’s thesis?
- The author does rely on a couple of the sources more than others, however I don’t believe it is so much as to constitute a problem. Some sources are just more useful than others.
16. Does the author have more quotes in his/her paper than personal opinion?
- There is probably more research and quotes then personal opinion, however it is done in a very nice way so that the reader is not distracted by the information, and it is presented in an informative way. There is a lot of paraphrasing that can be attributed to the success of the authors style.
17. Are there any sources listed on the Works Cited or References that are not cited within the body of the essay? (This is a no-no)
- It does not appear that any sources are listed that were not used in the paper.
18. Is all the information retrieved from research, including opinion, ideas, paraphrases, quotes, and statistics, cited with in-text (parenthetical) citations? If not, list specifics of what needs to be cited (friends don’t let friends turn in plagiarized papers).
- Yes, it appears that everything is cited well within the paragraphs, including paraphrasing.
19. All quotes in research papers should be commented upon. Does the author comment after every quote? If not, help the author decide what the underlying reason behind putting the quote in the paper was.
- It appears that the author commented on pretty much every quote.
Overall I would say the paper was well written, with a great blend of informative research and personal opinion. The biggest change that I would recommend is to relate the body of the paper more to the thesis; more to polar bears. Other than that there are a few more little suggestions up there that may or may not be helpful for you. Anyway though, I enjoyed reading your paper and wish you luck on your rewriting.
Baker, X. (2008). Global Warming Threatens Alaska’s Ecosystem. Xia’s English 213 Blog. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://xia-xia08.blogspot.com/2008/03/research-paper-rough-draft-english-213.html
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Ice Shelf Collapsing (Reading Assignment, Week 9)
These four articles: “Giant Antarctic ice shelf breaks into the sea,” by Claire Truscott; “Earth in Flux: An Antarctic Ice shelf Crumbles,” by Andrew C. Revkin; “Bye-bye, Antarctica?” by Andrew Leonard; and, “Antarctic ice shelf ‘hanging by a thread,’” by Catherine Brahic, are all written for a very general audience to become informed in a very generalized way about the recent collapse of a large portion of ice from the Wilkins Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula, in Antarctica, as well as the possibility of the entire ice shelf collapsing in the near future. In all of the articles the authors seem to be voicing their claims in a more or less pro-environmentalist voice without much mention of the opposition. The only exception to this would be “Bye-bye, Antarctica?” by Andrew Leonard, in which he opens the article with, “I seized upon the news about the crumbling Wilkins shelf, a 5,000-square-mile chunk of ice that is part of the Antarctic Peninsula, as an opportunity to find out how the skeptics were spinning the news” (2008). However, even Leonard swung the article back around to a seemingly pro-environmentalist stance by the end.
Overall the articles are all fairly similar with the exception of one, which is the “Bye-bye, Antarctica.” The rest of the articles all have a fairly simplistic view that global warming is causing the ice of Antarctica to melt quickly. However, “Bye-bye, Antarctica” talks at first about the opposition’s viewpoint and then entwines the fact that after researching the opposition’s viewpoint, Leonard could, “…invariably connect the dots back to Exxon [the oil company]” (2008).
Once again, with the exception of one article, they were all similarly structured and contained more or less the same content. However, the way that the article, “Bye-bye, Antarctica?” went about expressing the view in a creative way definitely led to that particular article sticking out from the rest.
Truscott, C. (2008, March 26). Giant Antarctic ice shelf breaks into the sea. The Guardian. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/26/poles.antarctica/print
Revkin, A.C. (2008, March 25). Earth in Flux: An Antarctic Ice Shelf Crumbles. The New York Times [Electronic Version]. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/earth-in-flux-the-antarctic-ice-shelf-crumbles/index.html?ex=1364270400&en=0e55436afb96d0d2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Brahic, C. (2008, March 25). Antarctic ice shelf ‘hanging by a thread.’ New Scientist. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn13530-antarctic-ice-shelf-hanging-by-a-thread.html
Leonard, A. (2008, March 26). Bye-bye, Antarctica? How the World Works. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/03/26/antarctic_ice_shelf/index.html
Overall the articles are all fairly similar with the exception of one, which is the “Bye-bye, Antarctica.” The rest of the articles all have a fairly simplistic view that global warming is causing the ice of Antarctica to melt quickly. However, “Bye-bye, Antarctica” talks at first about the opposition’s viewpoint and then entwines the fact that after researching the opposition’s viewpoint, Leonard could, “…invariably connect the dots back to Exxon [the oil company]” (2008).
Once again, with the exception of one article, they were all similarly structured and contained more or less the same content. However, the way that the article, “Bye-bye, Antarctica?” went about expressing the view in a creative way definitely led to that particular article sticking out from the rest.
Truscott, C. (2008, March 26). Giant Antarctic ice shelf breaks into the sea. The Guardian. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/26/poles.antarctica/print
Revkin, A.C. (2008, March 25). Earth in Flux: An Antarctic Ice Shelf Crumbles. The New York Times [Electronic Version]. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/earth-in-flux-the-antarctic-ice-shelf-crumbles/index.html?ex=1364270400&en=0e55436afb96d0d2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Brahic, C. (2008, March 25). Antarctic ice shelf ‘hanging by a thread.’ New Scientist. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn13530-antarctic-ice-shelf-hanging-by-a-thread.html
Leonard, A. (2008, March 26). Bye-bye, Antarctica? How the World Works. Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/03/26/antarctic_ice_shelf/index.html
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Losing Battle for Coral (Research Paper - Rough Draft)
Rain forests are being cut and burned, environmental groups are up in arms, and people fight to save these rapidly depleting resources. However, what about the habitat that is commonly referred to as the “…rainforest of the sea…” (“Coral Reef,” 2007)? Where is the media coverage relating to these incredibly bio-diverse marine habitats being threatened and destroyed; why does the public not know of the threats that have come to the coral reefs of the world? Although coral reefs are an important global resource, they are being threatened by human impact because of rising ocean temperatures, nutrient pollution, and aggressive commercial fishing tactics.
In order to understand what is threatening coral reefs, one must first understand how these beautiful structures are formed and why they are important on a global scale. According to The Coral Reef Alliance, “Coral reefs are massive structures made of limestone that is deposited by living things” (2007); however, there is a bit more to it then just that. One must understand that, “Old coral reefs may be over 30 meters (98 feet) thick, but the living part is only a thin veneer of corals and other organisms, perhaps only a meter (about 3 feet) thick on the surface” (Freeman, 2003). The actual structure of a coral reef is composed of the skeletons of various calcifying marine organisms, including some types of corals, which are shed and pile up to form the infrastructure of the reef. On the outside of the reef there is the living corals and organisms which will eventually shed their own skeletons and over time become part of the infrastructure. (Freeman, 2003)
According to The Coral Reef Alliance, “… [They] support over twenty-five percent of all known marine species” (2007). This is an astounding number of species which in itself makes coral reefs an absolutely amazing habitat well worth preserving. However there are even more reasons that these incredibly beautiful and diverse structures deserve our attention; they are important to the economy of many coastal regions due to commercial fish habitats as well as being a major attraction in the realm of tourism, they are, “…home to over 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other forms of plant and animal life” (The Coral Reef Alliance, 2007), as well as providing a very important structural protection for beaches and coastline areas around the world.
As stated, coral reefs are being threatened in multiple ways by the impact of humans on their environment; one way in which humans are impacting coral reefs is the rising ocean temperature of the earth’s oceans. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was cited in the magazine Water, Environment, and Technology as saying, “When coral is subjected to environmental stressors, such as warmer water temperatures, it expels the symbiotic micro-algae living within its tissues, the news release explains. These algae - the coral's food source - also provide the coral its color, making it appear bleached when absent. Coral bleaching occurring for more than 1 week can lead to coral death and the subsequent loss of coral reef habitats for a range of marine life…” (2006). Scientists are currently studying the rising ocean temperatures and trying to determine the cause, so far there have been a few things discovered; for one, scientists believe that El Nino is a contributing factor to the current rise in ocean temperatures. According to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), El Nino is a, “…warming of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America that occurs every 4 to 12 years when cold, nutrient-rich water does not come up from the ocean bottom” (2004). However, in addition to the naturally occurring phenomena of El Nino, scientists also believe that warming ocean temperatures are being caused by the increased levels of carbon dioxide within the atmosphere. Humans are believed to be directly responsible for this increased level of carbon dioxide in the air, a situation often referred to as global warming; it is the result of multiple things which include carbon emissions from power plants and automobiles, as well as deforestation. This excess carbon dioxide is doing many things to the atmosphere and to the earth. For one, it is depleting the ozone layer, which in effect is causing the earth’s temperature to rise, in effect causing the ocean’s temperature to rise. Also, the excess carbon dioxide is being absorbed by the earth’s oceans, which is a natural process. However, due to the large excess of carbon dioxide in the air, there is an above average amount being absorbed by the ocean, leading to a phenomenon called ocean acidification. Ocean acidification, according to Crystal Davis, in an article entitled "Ocean Acidification, the Other Threat of Rising CO2 Emissions," “…occurs when CO2 in the atmosphere reacts with water to create carbonic acid, [it has] has already increased ocean acidity by 30 percent…” (2007). This phenomena has multiple effects which are in themselves currently being studied by scientists, but one of the major effects of ocean acidification is it’s degradation of calcifying marine organisms, which as stated before, corals are. Another type of calcifying marine organism is a type of plankton which helps to shade the ocean from the direct rays of the sun, and as this type of plankton is affected by the acidity of the ocean it dies, creating a cycle of rising ocean temperatures. Cheryl Lyn Dybas wrote a paper called, “On a Collision Course: Ocean Plankton and Climate Change,” and in this paper she quotes scientists Helen Coxall and Steve D'Hondt as saying, “Plankton ecosystems in Earth's oceans took 3 million years to fully recover after the mass extinction event 65 million years ago…” (2006), this is obviously not good news for plankton, corals, reefs, or the global community as a whole. Global warming and the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air are having multiple detrimental effects on the oceans and on coral reefs in general. These effects all combine to create long term devastation of coral reefs due to coral bleaching, as well as the skeletons of corals being degraded by ocean acidification.
Another threat to coral reefs is nutrient pollution; attributed to many things, nutrient pollution is caused by, “…agricultural runoff, sewage pollution, and deforestation” ("Nutrient Pollution Aggravates Coral Diseases," 2004). More or less the problem is that different types of corals, which previously stated shed their skeletons to create the structure of coral reefs, are susceptible to various diseases. Two of the diseases that affect corals are Aspergillosis and Yellow Band Disease. In a paper entitled "Nutrient Pollution Aggravates Coral Diseases," John Bruno, an Assistant Professor of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina, and his colleagues discussed the findings of their research conducted by exposing coral to concentrated nutrient levels found in agricultural fertilizers; their research shows that, “As nutrient concentrations increased two- to fivefold, yellow-band-related tissue loss … nearly doubled… The severity of Aspergillosis … also increased as nutrient levels increased. This shows that corals and in effect coral reefs are being affected by nutrient pollution. Humans have a great impact on the oceans of the earth, and in effect upon the organisms that live within the oceans; it is imperative that as a global community humans monitor the amount of waste that is allowed to spread into the ocean and affect coral reefs and all other resources that exist in the ocean.
At the same time, rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and nutrient pollution are not the only things affecting coral reefs, there are also aggressive commercial fishing activities that are having adverse effects on the reefs as well. There are various fishing practices that fall into this category, for example blast fishing, cyanide fishing, bottom sea trawling, and over-fishing are all having negative effects on coral reefs. Blast fishing usually involves the use of dynamite or grenades to catch fish, inadvertently destroying anything that may be near the blast wave of the explosive device, such as coral or coral reefs. Cyanide fishing, according to The Coral Reef Alliance, is a process involving, “fishers dive down to the reef and squirt[ing] cyanide in coral crevices and on the fast-moving fish, to stun the fish making them easy to catch. Although some large tropical fish can metabolize cyanide, smaller fish and other marine animals, such as coral polyps, are poisoned by the chemical cloud produced during this process” (2007). At the same time bottom sea trawling is a commercial fishing technique using, “…steel rollers that clear the path for the net to come behind, so that the net doesn't snag on anything” (The Coral Reef Alliance, 2007), inevitably the rollers also destroy anything in their path, including delicate coral reefs. Of course another problem is over-fishing of coral reef habitats. This in essence disturbs the natural cycle of things, throwing off the food-chain and causing reefs to no longer function in the natural rhythm of nature.
As a whole, coral reefs are being threatened by human impact in multiple ways whether by direct means or indirectly. Carbon dioxide emissions are one of the largest areas of this impact affecting reefs, but there is also pollution and commercial fishing. The reefs are absolutely incredible places to visit and recreate, the aesthetic beauty that they possess is almost unparalleled anywhere else on earth, however the benefits of coral reefs as economic and environmental resources stretch even farther than the purely aesthetic value of them. It is important as a global community to think about the importance that these often overlooked structures play in the overall well-being of the earth’s oceans, and as a global environmentally conscience community, it is important to do all we can to ensure that these beautiful, diverse, and incredible habitats are not destroyed in the coming years.
Coral Reef. (2007). Encyclomedia: Free Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 24 March, 2008, from http://www.encyclomedia.com/coral_reef.html
The Coral Reef Alliance. (2007). Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://coralreef.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=72
Freeman, M. (2003). About Corals & Coral Reefs. Coral Reef Adventure. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://www.coralfilm.com/about.html#issues
Coral Threatened by Warmer Caribbean Waters. (2006). Water Environment & Technology. 18(4), 29. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from ASTA Database (BAST06123051).
Gutro, R. (2004). NASA Satellites See El Nino Creep in From the Indian Ocean. National Atmospheric and Space Administration. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/elnino_ocean.html
Davis, C. (2007, September). Ocean Acidification, the Other Threat of Rising CO2 Emissions. Time for Change. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://timeforchange.org/ocean-acidification-effect-of-global-warming
Bruno, J. (2004). Nutrient Pollution Aggravates Coral Diseases. Water Environment & Technology. 16(3), 10. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from ASTA Database (BAST04117983).
Dybas, C.L. (2006). On a Collision Course: Ocean Plankton and Climate Change. Bioscience, 56(8), 642-646. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from ASFA Database (7233874).
In order to understand what is threatening coral reefs, one must first understand how these beautiful structures are formed and why they are important on a global scale. According to The Coral Reef Alliance, “Coral reefs are massive structures made of limestone that is deposited by living things” (2007); however, there is a bit more to it then just that. One must understand that, “Old coral reefs may be over 30 meters (98 feet) thick, but the living part is only a thin veneer of corals and other organisms, perhaps only a meter (about 3 feet) thick on the surface” (Freeman, 2003). The actual structure of a coral reef is composed of the skeletons of various calcifying marine organisms, including some types of corals, which are shed and pile up to form the infrastructure of the reef. On the outside of the reef there is the living corals and organisms which will eventually shed their own skeletons and over time become part of the infrastructure. (Freeman, 2003)
According to The Coral Reef Alliance, “… [They] support over twenty-five percent of all known marine species” (2007). This is an astounding number of species which in itself makes coral reefs an absolutely amazing habitat well worth preserving. However there are even more reasons that these incredibly beautiful and diverse structures deserve our attention; they are important to the economy of many coastal regions due to commercial fish habitats as well as being a major attraction in the realm of tourism, they are, “…home to over 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other forms of plant and animal life” (The Coral Reef Alliance, 2007), as well as providing a very important structural protection for beaches and coastline areas around the world.
As stated, coral reefs are being threatened in multiple ways by the impact of humans on their environment; one way in which humans are impacting coral reefs is the rising ocean temperature of the earth’s oceans. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was cited in the magazine Water, Environment, and Technology as saying, “When coral is subjected to environmental stressors, such as warmer water temperatures, it expels the symbiotic micro-algae living within its tissues, the news release explains. These algae - the coral's food source - also provide the coral its color, making it appear bleached when absent. Coral bleaching occurring for more than 1 week can lead to coral death and the subsequent loss of coral reef habitats for a range of marine life…” (2006). Scientists are currently studying the rising ocean temperatures and trying to determine the cause, so far there have been a few things discovered; for one, scientists believe that El Nino is a contributing factor to the current rise in ocean temperatures. According to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), El Nino is a, “…warming of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America that occurs every 4 to 12 years when cold, nutrient-rich water does not come up from the ocean bottom” (2004). However, in addition to the naturally occurring phenomena of El Nino, scientists also believe that warming ocean temperatures are being caused by the increased levels of carbon dioxide within the atmosphere. Humans are believed to be directly responsible for this increased level of carbon dioxide in the air, a situation often referred to as global warming; it is the result of multiple things which include carbon emissions from power plants and automobiles, as well as deforestation. This excess carbon dioxide is doing many things to the atmosphere and to the earth. For one, it is depleting the ozone layer, which in effect is causing the earth’s temperature to rise, in effect causing the ocean’s temperature to rise. Also, the excess carbon dioxide is being absorbed by the earth’s oceans, which is a natural process. However, due to the large excess of carbon dioxide in the air, there is an above average amount being absorbed by the ocean, leading to a phenomenon called ocean acidification. Ocean acidification, according to Crystal Davis, in an article entitled "Ocean Acidification, the Other Threat of Rising CO2 Emissions," “…occurs when CO2 in the atmosphere reacts with water to create carbonic acid, [it has] has already increased ocean acidity by 30 percent…” (2007). This phenomena has multiple effects which are in themselves currently being studied by scientists, but one of the major effects of ocean acidification is it’s degradation of calcifying marine organisms, which as stated before, corals are. Another type of calcifying marine organism is a type of plankton which helps to shade the ocean from the direct rays of the sun, and as this type of plankton is affected by the acidity of the ocean it dies, creating a cycle of rising ocean temperatures. Cheryl Lyn Dybas wrote a paper called, “On a Collision Course: Ocean Plankton and Climate Change,” and in this paper she quotes scientists Helen Coxall and Steve D'Hondt as saying, “Plankton ecosystems in Earth's oceans took 3 million years to fully recover after the mass extinction event 65 million years ago…” (2006), this is obviously not good news for plankton, corals, reefs, or the global community as a whole. Global warming and the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air are having multiple detrimental effects on the oceans and on coral reefs in general. These effects all combine to create long term devastation of coral reefs due to coral bleaching, as well as the skeletons of corals being degraded by ocean acidification.
Another threat to coral reefs is nutrient pollution; attributed to many things, nutrient pollution is caused by, “…agricultural runoff, sewage pollution, and deforestation” ("Nutrient Pollution Aggravates Coral Diseases," 2004). More or less the problem is that different types of corals, which previously stated shed their skeletons to create the structure of coral reefs, are susceptible to various diseases. Two of the diseases that affect corals are Aspergillosis and Yellow Band Disease. In a paper entitled "Nutrient Pollution Aggravates Coral Diseases," John Bruno, an Assistant Professor of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina, and his colleagues discussed the findings of their research conducted by exposing coral to concentrated nutrient levels found in agricultural fertilizers; their research shows that, “As nutrient concentrations increased two- to fivefold, yellow-band-related tissue loss … nearly doubled… The severity of Aspergillosis … also increased as nutrient levels increased. This shows that corals and in effect coral reefs are being affected by nutrient pollution. Humans have a great impact on the oceans of the earth, and in effect upon the organisms that live within the oceans; it is imperative that as a global community humans monitor the amount of waste that is allowed to spread into the ocean and affect coral reefs and all other resources that exist in the ocean.
At the same time, rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and nutrient pollution are not the only things affecting coral reefs, there are also aggressive commercial fishing activities that are having adverse effects on the reefs as well. There are various fishing practices that fall into this category, for example blast fishing, cyanide fishing, bottom sea trawling, and over-fishing are all having negative effects on coral reefs. Blast fishing usually involves the use of dynamite or grenades to catch fish, inadvertently destroying anything that may be near the blast wave of the explosive device, such as coral or coral reefs. Cyanide fishing, according to The Coral Reef Alliance, is a process involving, “fishers dive down to the reef and squirt[ing] cyanide in coral crevices and on the fast-moving fish, to stun the fish making them easy to catch. Although some large tropical fish can metabolize cyanide, smaller fish and other marine animals, such as coral polyps, are poisoned by the chemical cloud produced during this process” (2007). At the same time bottom sea trawling is a commercial fishing technique using, “…steel rollers that clear the path for the net to come behind, so that the net doesn't snag on anything” (The Coral Reef Alliance, 2007), inevitably the rollers also destroy anything in their path, including delicate coral reefs. Of course another problem is over-fishing of coral reef habitats. This in essence disturbs the natural cycle of things, throwing off the food-chain and causing reefs to no longer function in the natural rhythm of nature.
As a whole, coral reefs are being threatened by human impact in multiple ways whether by direct means or indirectly. Carbon dioxide emissions are one of the largest areas of this impact affecting reefs, but there is also pollution and commercial fishing. The reefs are absolutely incredible places to visit and recreate, the aesthetic beauty that they possess is almost unparalleled anywhere else on earth, however the benefits of coral reefs as economic and environmental resources stretch even farther than the purely aesthetic value of them. It is important as a global community to think about the importance that these often overlooked structures play in the overall well-being of the earth’s oceans, and as a global environmentally conscience community, it is important to do all we can to ensure that these beautiful, diverse, and incredible habitats are not destroyed in the coming years.
Coral Reef. (2007). Encyclomedia: Free Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 24 March, 2008, from http://www.encyclomedia.com/coral_reef.html
The Coral Reef Alliance. (2007). Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://coralreef.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=72
Freeman, M. (2003). About Corals & Coral Reefs. Coral Reef Adventure. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://www.coralfilm.com/about.html#issues
Coral Threatened by Warmer Caribbean Waters. (2006). Water Environment & Technology. 18(4), 29. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from ASTA Database (BAST06123051).
Gutro, R. (2004). NASA Satellites See El Nino Creep in From the Indian Ocean. National Atmospheric and Space Administration. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/elnino_ocean.html
Davis, C. (2007, September). Ocean Acidification, the Other Threat of Rising CO2 Emissions. Time for Change. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://timeforchange.org/ocean-acidification-effect-of-global-warming
Bruno, J. (2004). Nutrient Pollution Aggravates Coral Diseases. Water Environment & Technology. 16(3), 10. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from ASTA Database (BAST04117983).
Dybas, C.L. (2006). On a Collision Course: Ocean Plankton and Climate Change. Bioscience, 56(8), 642-646. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from ASFA Database (7233874).
Monday, March 24, 2008
Run-On Sentences (Week 8 Reading Assignment)
Run-on sentences seem to be a common occurrence for the author of this blog; the reason for this seems to link back, as stated in a previous posting, to the fact that the author of this blog writes using a very "stream of consciousness" type of attitude. At the same time, due to the fact that the author knows that run-on sentences are a problem for him, he tries to proofread everything in order to assure that he does not use them during his writing.
It was interesting in the Grammar Girl episode number forty-nine, which had to do with run-on sentences to hear the different uses of punctuation and how they affect the overall tone of the writing. It was definitely something to think about and to make good use of. The author of this blog enjoyed the information that was presented, and would recommend listening to or reading the podcast to anyone that enjoys writing, or is in a writing class.
"Episode 49: Run-On Sentences," (2007, April 3). Grammar Girl. Retrieved March 24, 2008 from http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/run-on-sentences.aspx
It was interesting in the Grammar Girl episode number forty-nine, which had to do with run-on sentences to hear the different uses of punctuation and how they affect the overall tone of the writing. It was definitely something to think about and to make good use of. The author of this blog enjoyed the information that was presented, and would recommend listening to or reading the podcast to anyone that enjoys writing, or is in a writing class.
"Episode 49: Run-On Sentences," (2007, April 3). Grammar Girl. Retrieved March 24, 2008 from http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/run-on-sentences.aspx
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
A Case for Glass - A Fairbanks Recycling Program Call to Action (Solution Essay - Final Draft)
The landfills are filling up and soon the earth will be one large garbage heap. As time goes on people are starting to realize the impact that humans are having upon the world they live in; they are becoming more aware of ways in which they can help to mitigate the negative effects that those impacts are having upon the environment. Every inhabitant of the Earth has a responsibility to take on the role of environmental steward to the planet. Although Fairbanks, Alaska, has a few good recycling centers, the local community needs to put into place a glass recycling program because there is a large amount of glass that is going straight into landfills, littering is increased due to a lack of places to recycle, and glass is a material that is easily recycled given the correct resources.
Glass that is put into the garbage is taken to a landfill along with the rest of the non-recycled waste. Unfortunately this waste accumulates and causes a very large amount of land to be used up as storage for the garbage as the very long process of decomposition takes place within these landfill facilities. Glass is one of the worst materials in relation to the amount of time that it takes to break down; Earth911 says, “A glass bottle can take up to one million years to break down…” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). Recycling glass offers opportunities to not only make something useful out of something that is “used up,” but it also frees up a lot of room within the landfills that could be used to store other waste products. With no resources available to recycle glass, it is not only ending up in landfills, but also littering the streets.
Littering is of course a problem everywhere, in every city in America, and in every country in the world. However, in Fairbanks, Alaska, the problem is especially bad due to the fact that there is no local glass recycling program. An example of this is the fact that the author knows first-hand that one local restaurant which will remain unnamed, dumps all of it’s glass bottles into a pit in the ground behind the building; when asked why they do this, the establishment expressed that they would like to recycle the glass but there is no way to, therefore they would rather just throw it out back then send it to the landfill. This type of an attitude is the direct effect of a lack of recycling resources around the Fairbanks area.
Glass is one of the easiest and most useful materials to recycle. An online environmental website called Earth911 says that, “Unlike other substances such as paper, glass can be recycled infinitely without any loss of purity or quality” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). This means that a product made of recycled glass is absolutely no different from a product that is made from non-recycled glass; a glass jar for instance could be made entirely of recycled glass and one would never know the difference. This is an important fact to take into consideration when thinking of how critical it is to have a glass recycling program in place in Fairbanks, Alaska.
A local glass recycling program was instituted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2004, however it was cancelled after a year because, “…the glass recycler in Anchorage was no longer able to process the glass coming from Fairbanks.” On the Associated Students of the University of Alaska website they went on to say that they are, “…presently looking for an economically feasible method of shipping plastics [and glass] to Anchorage” (Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, n.d.). This means that the local community of Fairbanks, Alaska, needs to work with the University of Alaska in finding a feasible transportation method of glass to Anchorage in order for Fairbanks to operate a local glass recycling program. This obstacle is not a huge hurdle; it is something that has not been given enough energy to in order to overcome. Some would argue that the program has already failed once therefore it would be foolish to try it again; however there is no proof of this, and someone making that argument would be committing themselves to an argument by using a logical fallacy. Not only that, but many people feel that the time and resources needed to recycle glass are just not worth it, but as this essay has pointed out, glass is actually one of the most easily recycled materials there is and the only thing standing between the community of Fairbanks and a glass recycling program is to find a cost effective way of shipping it. The community of Fairbanks, Alaska, has a large mix of environmentalists cohabitating with industrialist miners and people with a large variation of views on the earth and the world. However, the one thing that most Fairbanksians have in common is that the majority of the residents enjoy being outside in the clean fresh air of Alaska; if glass continues to pile up in landfills, litter the streets, and get scattered throughout the beautiful landscape of Interior Alaska the clean fresh air will soon begin to smell like one large trash dump.
Overall the idea of a glass recycling program in Fairbanks, Alaska, would benefit the community and the environment greatly. There is no reason why the people of this community cannot find a solution to the one hurdle that stands in the way of being able to recycle all the glass that is filling up the local landfills and littering the land. It is time to act; it is time for each person to take responsibility for the land that they call home.
“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” (n.d.). Earth911. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://earth911.org/recycling/glass-recycling/benefits-of-glass-recycling/
Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://asuaf.org/recycle/faq
Glass that is put into the garbage is taken to a landfill along with the rest of the non-recycled waste. Unfortunately this waste accumulates and causes a very large amount of land to be used up as storage for the garbage as the very long process of decomposition takes place within these landfill facilities. Glass is one of the worst materials in relation to the amount of time that it takes to break down; Earth911 says, “A glass bottle can take up to one million years to break down…” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). Recycling glass offers opportunities to not only make something useful out of something that is “used up,” but it also frees up a lot of room within the landfills that could be used to store other waste products. With no resources available to recycle glass, it is not only ending up in landfills, but also littering the streets.
Littering is of course a problem everywhere, in every city in America, and in every country in the world. However, in Fairbanks, Alaska, the problem is especially bad due to the fact that there is no local glass recycling program. An example of this is the fact that the author knows first-hand that one local restaurant which will remain unnamed, dumps all of it’s glass bottles into a pit in the ground behind the building; when asked why they do this, the establishment expressed that they would like to recycle the glass but there is no way to, therefore they would rather just throw it out back then send it to the landfill. This type of an attitude is the direct effect of a lack of recycling resources around the Fairbanks area.
Glass is one of the easiest and most useful materials to recycle. An online environmental website called Earth911 says that, “Unlike other substances such as paper, glass can be recycled infinitely without any loss of purity or quality” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). This means that a product made of recycled glass is absolutely no different from a product that is made from non-recycled glass; a glass jar for instance could be made entirely of recycled glass and one would never know the difference. This is an important fact to take into consideration when thinking of how critical it is to have a glass recycling program in place in Fairbanks, Alaska.
A local glass recycling program was instituted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2004, however it was cancelled after a year because, “…the glass recycler in Anchorage was no longer able to process the glass coming from Fairbanks.” On the Associated Students of the University of Alaska website they went on to say that they are, “…presently looking for an economically feasible method of shipping plastics [and glass] to Anchorage” (Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, n.d.). This means that the local community of Fairbanks, Alaska, needs to work with the University of Alaska in finding a feasible transportation method of glass to Anchorage in order for Fairbanks to operate a local glass recycling program. This obstacle is not a huge hurdle; it is something that has not been given enough energy to in order to overcome. Some would argue that the program has already failed once therefore it would be foolish to try it again; however there is no proof of this, and someone making that argument would be committing themselves to an argument by using a logical fallacy. Not only that, but many people feel that the time and resources needed to recycle glass are just not worth it, but as this essay has pointed out, glass is actually one of the most easily recycled materials there is and the only thing standing between the community of Fairbanks and a glass recycling program is to find a cost effective way of shipping it. The community of Fairbanks, Alaska, has a large mix of environmentalists cohabitating with industrialist miners and people with a large variation of views on the earth and the world. However, the one thing that most Fairbanksians have in common is that the majority of the residents enjoy being outside in the clean fresh air of Alaska; if glass continues to pile up in landfills, litter the streets, and get scattered throughout the beautiful landscape of Interior Alaska the clean fresh air will soon begin to smell like one large trash dump.
Overall the idea of a glass recycling program in Fairbanks, Alaska, would benefit the community and the environment greatly. There is no reason why the people of this community cannot find a solution to the one hurdle that stands in the way of being able to recycle all the glass that is filling up the local landfills and littering the land. It is time to act; it is time for each person to take responsibility for the land that they call home.
“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” (n.d.). Earth911. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://earth911.org/recycling/glass-recycling/benefits-of-glass-recycling/
Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://asuaf.org/recycle/faq
Monday, March 17, 2008
Comma Splices - (Reading Assignment - Week 7)
Comma splices have long been a problem for the author of this blog. Unfortunately writing with a “stream of consciousness” type of an attitude often leads to placing a comma where there should not be one. Years ago the author was dating a girl that lived two hours away; communication took place mainly through letters and email. It was then that the author was first made aware of his over-abundance of commas within his writing. The girl made it a point to poke fun every time the author used unneeded commas and in actuality this harmless act made the author examine each and every comma before using it. To this day the author continues to examine his commas before use; of course there is still the occasional slip of the comma. It is in fact one of the author’s biggest challenges in writing, and one that he constantly works at to improve.
"The Case for Mandatory Organ Donation" - A Review (Reading Assignment, Week 7)
In “The Case for Mandatory Organ Donation” (2007), by Scott Carney, he makes the argument that organ donation should not be a choice; instead Carney believes that organs should be donated regardless of the wishes of the deceased and their family. In this article Carney quotes Eric Johnson, a professor at Columbia University as saying, “…there would be a [an] increase of between 16 percent to 50 percent in the availability of organs, and others have speculated that this would eliminate the shortage of organs in some categories” (2007). The argument that Carney has put together is very effective and is quite persuasive to solving the problem of a lack of organs to those that need transplants. However there are holes in the argument that Carney has proposed.
For example, although the opposition is stated briefly within the article, there is little attention given to the argument of spirituality and the beliefs that come along with some people’s thoughts on the afterlife and what happens to the human body after one passes away. Carney also uses an argument made by Aaron Spital and James Stacey Taylor in their article, “Routine Recovery of Cadaveric Organs for Transplantation: Consistent, Fair, and Life-Saving,” published by the American Society of Nephrology, that states, “…the government reserves the right to draft young men against their will into war and risk their lives in combat operations” (as cited in Carney, 2007). This statement seems to constitute a fallacy in that it is drawing the reader’s attention away from the actual argument and is instead trying to play upon a sense of patriotic obligation. It is in the author of this review’s opinion that this quote is distracting from the argument and takes away from the validity of what is being proposed.
The target audience of the proposal is the American public, those that have the ability to put a policy into action to make organ donation mandatory, however the author of this review does not believe that the target audience would be completely convinced by the article that Carney has written. All in all there is a lot of good information contained in the essay, and there is definitely a problem that needs to be confronted, however the proposed solution does not seem to have been completely convincing to the target audience.
Carney, S. (2007, May 8). The Case for Mandatory Organ Donation. Wired. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from http://www.wired.com/print/medtech/health/news/2007/05/india_transplants_donorpolicy
Spital, A. & Taylor, J.S. (2007, January 31). Routine Recovery of Cadaveric Organs for Transplantation: Consistent, Fair, and Life-Saving [Electronic Version]. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2, 300-303.
For example, although the opposition is stated briefly within the article, there is little attention given to the argument of spirituality and the beliefs that come along with some people’s thoughts on the afterlife and what happens to the human body after one passes away. Carney also uses an argument made by Aaron Spital and James Stacey Taylor in their article, “Routine Recovery of Cadaveric Organs for Transplantation: Consistent, Fair, and Life-Saving,” published by the American Society of Nephrology, that states, “…the government reserves the right to draft young men against their will into war and risk their lives in combat operations” (as cited in Carney, 2007). This statement seems to constitute a fallacy in that it is drawing the reader’s attention away from the actual argument and is instead trying to play upon a sense of patriotic obligation. It is in the author of this review’s opinion that this quote is distracting from the argument and takes away from the validity of what is being proposed.
The target audience of the proposal is the American public, those that have the ability to put a policy into action to make organ donation mandatory, however the author of this review does not believe that the target audience would be completely convinced by the article that Carney has written. All in all there is a lot of good information contained in the essay, and there is definitely a problem that needs to be confronted, however the proposed solution does not seem to have been completely convincing to the target audience.
Carney, S. (2007, May 8). The Case for Mandatory Organ Donation. Wired. Retrieved March 17, 2008 from http://www.wired.com/print/medtech/health/news/2007/05/india_transplants_donorpolicy
Spital, A. & Taylor, J.S. (2007, January 31). Routine Recovery of Cadaveric Organs for Transplantation: Consistent, Fair, and Life-Saving [Electronic Version]. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2, 300-303.
"A Modest Proposal" - (Reading response - Week 7)
In Jonathan Swift’s satire, “A Modest Proposal” (1729), Swift makes a wild and far-fetched proposal to the people of Ireland to eat the young of the poor people. He proposes several reasons for this solution to the problem of an over-abundance of poor people living on the streets of Ireland. However, it is the opinion of the author of this review that Jonathan Swift did not successfully answer the question of how to pay for the rearing of the children. Therefore the argument is not truly effective.
At the same time, it is in this authors opinion that the solution given within the proposal was not in fact meant to be an actual answer to the problem, instead it was a call to arms for the people of Ireland to begin thinking about the growing problem of the poor, and to perhaps come up with some answers to the problem at hand. The solution itself is not that persuasive, however the emotional reaction to the solution itself is persuasive; therefore overall I believe the proposal served its purpose well.
The target audience of the essay is the people of Ireland, and it seems that there is a glaring propensity within the essay to speak directly to the rich and well off citizens as a whole. The overall response to the essay was probably one of shock at first, however once the initial shock value wore off I would assume that many of them began to look closer at the problems facing the country.
Swift, J. (1729). A Modest Proposal. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from
http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html
At the same time, it is in this authors opinion that the solution given within the proposal was not in fact meant to be an actual answer to the problem, instead it was a call to arms for the people of Ireland to begin thinking about the growing problem of the poor, and to perhaps come up with some answers to the problem at hand. The solution itself is not that persuasive, however the emotional reaction to the solution itself is persuasive; therefore overall I believe the proposal served its purpose well.
The target audience of the essay is the people of Ireland, and it seems that there is a glaring propensity within the essay to speak directly to the rich and well off citizens as a whole. The overall response to the essay was probably one of shock at first, however once the initial shock value wore off I would assume that many of them began to look closer at the problems facing the country.
Swift, J. (1729). A Modest Proposal. Retrieved March 17, 2008, from
http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
A Case for Glass (Essay #2 - Rough Draft)
The landfills are filling up and soon the earth will be one large garbage heap. As time goes on people are starting to realize the impact that humans are having upon the world they live in; they are becoming more aware of ways in which they can help to mitigate the negative effects that those impacts are having upon the environment. Every inhabitant of the Earth has a responsibility to take on the role of environmental steward to the planet. Although Fairbanks, Alaska, has a few good recycling centers, the local community needs to put into place a glass recycling program because there is a large amount of glass that is going straight into landfills, littering is increased due to a lack of places to recycle, and because glass is a material that is easily recycled given the correct resources.
Glass that is put into the garbage is taken to a landfill along with the rest of the non-recycled waste. Unfortunately this waste accumulates and causes a very large amount of land to be used up as storage for the garbage as the very long process of decomposition takes place within these landfill facilities. Glass is one of the worst materials in relation to the amount of time that it takes to break down; Earth911 says, “A glass bottle can take up to one million years to break down…” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). Recycling glass offers opportunities to not only make something useful out of something that is “used up,” but it also frees up a lot of room within the landfills that could be used to store other waste products.
Littering is of course a problem everywhere, in every city in America, and in every country in the world. However, in Fairbanks, Alaska, the problem is especially bad due to the fact that there is no local glass recycling program. An example of this is the fact that the author knows first-hand that one local restaurant which will remain unnamed, dumps all of it’s glass bottles into a pit in the ground behind the building; when asked why they do this, the establishment expressed that they would like to recycle the glass but there is no way to, therefore they would rather just throw it out back then send it to the landfill. This type of an attitude is the direct effect of a lack of recycling resources around the Fairbanks area.
Glass is one of the easiest and most useful materials to recycle. An online environmental website called Earth911 says that, “Unlike other substances such as paper, glass can be recycled infinitely without any loss of purity or quality” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). This means that a product made of recycled glass is absolutely no different from a product that is made from non-recycled glass; a glass jar for instance could be made entirely of recycled glass and one would never know the difference. This is an important fact to take into consideration when thinking of how critical it is to have a glass recycling program in place in Fairbanks, Alaska.
A local glass recycling program was instituted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2004, however it was cancelled after a year because, “…the glass recycler in Anchorage was no longer able to process the glass coming from Fairbanks.” On the Associated Students of the University of Alaska website they went on to say that they are, “…presently looking for an economically feasible method of shipping plastics to Anchorage” (Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, n.d.). This means that the local community of Fairbanks, Alaska, needs to work with the University of Alaska in finding a feasible transportation method of glass to Anchorage in order for Fairbanks to operate a local glass recycling program. This obstacle is not a huge hurdle; it is something that has not been given enough energy to in order to overcome. Some would argue that the program has already failed once therefore it would be foolish to try it again; however there is no proof of this, and someone making that argument would be committing themselves to an argument by using a logical fallacy.
Overall the idea of a glass recycling program in Fairbanks, Alaska, would benefit the community and the environment greatly. There is no reason why the people of this community cannot find a solution to the one hurdle that stands in the way of being able to recycle all the glass that is filling up the local landfills and littering the land. It is time to act; it is time for each person to take responsibility for the land that they call home.
“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” (n.d.). Earth911. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://earth911.org/recycling/glass-recycling/benefits-of-glass-recycling/
Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://asuaf.org/about
Glass that is put into the garbage is taken to a landfill along with the rest of the non-recycled waste. Unfortunately this waste accumulates and causes a very large amount of land to be used up as storage for the garbage as the very long process of decomposition takes place within these landfill facilities. Glass is one of the worst materials in relation to the amount of time that it takes to break down; Earth911 says, “A glass bottle can take up to one million years to break down…” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). Recycling glass offers opportunities to not only make something useful out of something that is “used up,” but it also frees up a lot of room within the landfills that could be used to store other waste products.
Littering is of course a problem everywhere, in every city in America, and in every country in the world. However, in Fairbanks, Alaska, the problem is especially bad due to the fact that there is no local glass recycling program. An example of this is the fact that the author knows first-hand that one local restaurant which will remain unnamed, dumps all of it’s glass bottles into a pit in the ground behind the building; when asked why they do this, the establishment expressed that they would like to recycle the glass but there is no way to, therefore they would rather just throw it out back then send it to the landfill. This type of an attitude is the direct effect of a lack of recycling resources around the Fairbanks area.
Glass is one of the easiest and most useful materials to recycle. An online environmental website called Earth911 says that, “Unlike other substances such as paper, glass can be recycled infinitely without any loss of purity or quality” (“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” n.d.). This means that a product made of recycled glass is absolutely no different from a product that is made from non-recycled glass; a glass jar for instance could be made entirely of recycled glass and one would never know the difference. This is an important fact to take into consideration when thinking of how critical it is to have a glass recycling program in place in Fairbanks, Alaska.
A local glass recycling program was instituted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2004, however it was cancelled after a year because, “…the glass recycler in Anchorage was no longer able to process the glass coming from Fairbanks.” On the Associated Students of the University of Alaska website they went on to say that they are, “…presently looking for an economically feasible method of shipping plastics to Anchorage” (Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, n.d.). This means that the local community of Fairbanks, Alaska, needs to work with the University of Alaska in finding a feasible transportation method of glass to Anchorage in order for Fairbanks to operate a local glass recycling program. This obstacle is not a huge hurdle; it is something that has not been given enough energy to in order to overcome. Some would argue that the program has already failed once therefore it would be foolish to try it again; however there is no proof of this, and someone making that argument would be committing themselves to an argument by using a logical fallacy.
Overall the idea of a glass recycling program in Fairbanks, Alaska, would benefit the community and the environment greatly. There is no reason why the people of this community cannot find a solution to the one hurdle that stands in the way of being able to recycle all the glass that is filling up the local landfills and littering the land. It is time to act; it is time for each person to take responsibility for the land that they call home.
“Benefits of Glass Recycling,” (n.d.). Earth911. Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://earth911.org/recycling/glass-recycling/benefits-of-glass-recycling/
Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2008, from http://asuaf.org/about
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Paraphrasing and Plagiarism (Week #6)
Plagiarism is more or less the borrowing of ideas or words from someone without giving them credit or properly annotating any direct quotations. This has been something that the author of this blog has strived to avoid since first learning about plagiarism sometime around middle school. However, the idea of paraphrasing is relatively new; it is something that has always been known but not well explained to the author, therefore avoided in order to prevent himself from committing the act of plagiarism. On the other hand, the informational articles about plagiarism and paraphrasing have shined some new light on the idea of paraphrasing; therefore the author may be compelled to try out this way of relaying someone’s ideas this semester in one of his papers.
A Unique and Imaginative Work of Art (Post Secret Reading Assignment Week #6)
There is a website on the internet called Post Secret; the basic idea of it is for people to send in postcards to an address and these postcards are used in a multitude of mediums as a community art project. The site itself describes it as, “…an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard” (Post Secret, 2008). This is a unique and interesting concept which has a lot of depth and scope to it; the fact of whether all of the “secrets” that are posted on the site are in fact secrets or not is kind of arbitrary to the concept of art and expression that the project itself represents. The site responds to the question of, “Are all 180,000 secrets real?” (Post Secret, 2008) by saying, “…think of each postcard as a work of art. And as art, secrets can have different layers of truth. Some can be both true and false, others can become true over time depending on our choices…Sometimes a secret we keep from ourselves only becomes true after we read it on a strangers postcard” (Post Secret, 2008).
The site itself serves an important function; it creates an avenue for individuals to express themselves in ways that in some instances would otherwise be more or less impossible. It seems that this sort of expression has the capacity in some situations to help people in a variety of ways; for instance sometimes people hold something inside that they believe is so dark or wrong, or whatever, that they do not feel as though they can share it with anyone for fear of being rejected or judged for their thoughts or actions. It is in this type of instance that being able to anonymously tell someone, or in this case many people, of that secret may in fact help to heal that person and to possibly help relieve the pressure of holding that secret inside. There is an example of this on the website which is a card sent in by an anonymous student in reference to the feeling of fear after dealing with the Virginia Tech school shootings. It is postcards like this that serve as avenues for people to express their feelings and secrets that would possibly never be shared without such a unique idea as, Post Secret. Personally the author believes that this is a vital and important avenue of expression; after living through the horrors and life-changing experience of walking the streets of Iraq for sixteen months, dealing with the fear, the death, the loss, and the unknown, it is apparent that this site could personally provide a way to express some of the feelings that present themselves after having such an experience. The website Post Secret provides a way for people to express thoughts and feelings that would otherwise be buried within them for perhaps an eternity.
The site itself serves an important function; it creates an avenue for individuals to express themselves in ways that in some instances would otherwise be more or less impossible. It seems that this sort of expression has the capacity in some situations to help people in a variety of ways; for instance sometimes people hold something inside that they believe is so dark or wrong, or whatever, that they do not feel as though they can share it with anyone for fear of being rejected or judged for their thoughts or actions. It is in this type of instance that being able to anonymously tell someone, or in this case many people, of that secret may in fact help to heal that person and to possibly help relieve the pressure of holding that secret inside. There is an example of this on the website which is a card sent in by an anonymous student in reference to the feeling of fear after dealing with the Virginia Tech school shootings. It is postcards like this that serve as avenues for people to express their feelings and secrets that would possibly never be shared without such a unique idea as, Post Secret. Personally the author believes that this is a vital and important avenue of expression; after living through the horrors and life-changing experience of walking the streets of Iraq for sixteen months, dealing with the fear, the death, the loss, and the unknown, it is apparent that this site could personally provide a way to express some of the feelings that present themselves after having such an experience. The website Post Secret provides a way for people to express thoughts and feelings that would otherwise be buried within them for perhaps an eternity.
Post Secret, (2008, March). Retrieved March 2, 2008, from http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
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