REFLECTION: WEEKS 7 & 8

Week 7

This week was composed of 2 reading reviews, the documentary "Green," and an eye opener.

The first reading review, Ch. 16, was one that I was required to do. It was basically about the problem with chemical plants polluting the air, and affecting the communities around the plant. The video "Green" focused on a 100 mile stretch along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Louisiana, which is referred to as "Cancer Alley." This video was really eye opening and it tied in perfectly to our reading review as well. The eye opener we did was called "Environmental Working Group" and focused on the everyday products we use, and how hazardous they are to both us and the environment. I did mine on chapstick and found out that many ingredients in the chapstick I use are linked to various chronic disease and illness. It truly was "eye opening!"

Week 8

This week was composed of a reading review on Ch. 31, and the documentary "Thirst." The reading mainly focused on the issue of privatizing water, and how many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, are deprived of clean water for drinking and other essential use. This topic has been a big debate, and a solution is much needed. The documentary we watched tied in to the reading review, and also highlighted the topic of privatizing water. Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish this video, due to technical difficulties.

What I Learned

Once again, I learned many important things these last two weeks. Week 7 made it clear to me that big factories and plants definitely affect the environment and people within that environment. The whole concept of "Not In My BackYard" became a reality when watching "Green." It's really sad that many people, especially the lower income population, have to deal the consequences of having these big factories to produce the products we use everyday. I truly think if we were put in a situation where we lived near a chemical plant that pumped carcinogens day after day, our use of products would change drastically. We wouldn't support such "monstrosities" as the article in Ch. 16 put it.

I also learned that mankind is corrupt. Of course this doesn't apply to all people, but a lot of people are driven by money and other tangible necessities that corrupt their minds. During weeks 5 and 6 we learned about Monsanto and how they want to basically own GM seeds. And now during week 8 we learned about water privatization. Why does everything HAVE to be owned by someone? Why can't we just let things be every once in a while, especially nature. The longer I'm in this class, the more I come to realize that the human race needs to realize we aren't separate from nature. It's not something that can be owned by something else. Instead, we need to realize we are a system that is apart of nature and one cannot survive without the other. Hopefully we will begin to understand this, and it isn't until then that we can start making drastic changes to improve our behavior and ultimately improve the environment! Well that's about all that I can think of. Hope everyone has an amazingly fun, and safe Spring Break!!! We'll see you in a week!