Odyssey 2050

            I wanted to write my blog on the same thing I wrote my wiki page on this week, reason being I wanted to talk more about a film rather than a reading to change it up.

            Odyssey2050 is a film that was initially released in 2012 with aims to help get the youth involved with the ongoing change in our climate. The film was an advocate on showing young people that unfortunately climate change isn’t necessarily their fault, but it will encompass their life, so it is time to take action and work towards helping ongoing activist. This film was made in Costa Rica, by Daniel and Miguel Bermejo and directed by Bruce Callow. This film also tried to promote many different ways for kids to get involved through workshops and the internet to learn more about the climate that surrounds them.

            The movies itself is about a group of space travelers/aliens that come across Earth in the year 2050 and are discussed by what has happen to the planet. They are surprised that humans are completely aware of what they are doing to the planet, yet don’t seem to care what the outcome is. The film used both animation and real life pictures/film to show what is actually occurring on our planet. Some of the topics that are brought up are greenhouse gases, how our atmosphere takes in solar energy, glacial melting, and more. With the details and information that is seen in the year 2050, the aliens decide to go back in time to warn humans of the damage that they are doing and what their future will be like.

            I personally thought that making an animated film was a great way to help interact with children and young adults to really show them what is necessary for today and the future of our planet.

This is still from the film of some of the alien character

Exposure

            Quite frankly I’m not the biggest fan of cli-fi types of books. Not only that, I’m not the biggest fan of fiction too. Though this book drew me in simply by its name, Exposure. I thought for a moment that this could be a fictional book about exposing some of the hidden truths about climate change in the future and what wasn’t expressed to the public until the climate was changed permanently. Though I was completely wrong.

            The book actually seems to be about contradicting the idea of climate change. The main character is a scientist who is on the road to expose the “truths” or what he considers the flaws that arise from renewable energy sources. In this altered future, energy has been changed to more reliable sources and has pushed out fossil fuels. With fossil fuels being removed from society, the economy moves in a different direction. This scientist is out to prove that the claims about climate change are false and because of that society suffers greatly from the altered economy. With knowing this information, he is constantly trying to evade terrorist/criminal elements that are trying to stop him from revealing the truths behind climate change.

            Up to this point, I am not that far into the story, but I find it interesting because it takes a whole new way of looking at climate change. Even though it is fiction, and as a class we have learned that climate change is a real entity in our lives, it strikes my interests in seeing a story made up to see the other side of climate change.

            The author of this book, Dr. Rex Fleming, is scientist with a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Michigan. He is also a mathematician, with 45 years’ experience in government and industry that dealt with weather/climate research.

The Grapes of Wrath

            The book I chose to read was called The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. It is quite an interesting book taking place during the 1930s. At this time in history, the Depression was going strong and plays a big part in the story.

            During this time in the Depression, many farmers living in the southern plains were being hit with a massive drought. States like Oklahoma, where our story starts off, are having huge problems with crop failure. The farm lands in this area were being over used, which was causing loose topsoil to form. When the drought hit, the soil wasn’t getting saturated with water causing dust storms to flourish and is where the term “Dust Bowl” originated from. People couldn’t grow their crops, which was their one source of income and also their way of feeding their families.

            With the issues that occurred, people had to figure out a way to get food on the table for their families. During the Depression, there wasn’t much work for anyone in our country, so people became desperate for anything they could get. Food was hard to come by because no one had money and the shortage from the crop loss.

            The one big movement that arose during this time was by farmers and just about anyone that needed a job moved west to California. California was a newer land that had better soil, that wasn’t over used like in the Dust Bowl. People came by the thousands, looking for work, a lot of them though would not even reach California. Those that did were competing for work, which ended up leaving the majority still unemployed and struggling to survive.

            This book follows the Joad family through their journey westward. After their family farm is destroyed by the drought and perceiving dust storms, they start their way west. This book takes you on the journey with them, through all of the good and bad, as they proceed to California for a new life.

An Inconvenient Truth

       I would first like to start off by stating that An Inconvenient Truth was a very well done documentary film. Al Gore did a fantastic job on explaining many of the causes that scientist have clinically proven to be causing global warming or what is also considered climate change. This film does an excellent job at showing hard core facts that are irrefutable to those who put climate change out to be a sham. Through Gores experience as a child, to his travels as a Politian, he has seen what us humans are doing on a first hand basis which has promoted him to take the initiative to help educate the people of the world, one city at a time.

            Al Gore brings many different topics to the table which all encompass the information we have already learned about in our class. I found it pretty interesting that he used the example about the hottest years up until the year 2005. Where the statistic showed that the hottest ten years had happened in the last 14 years. I remember our class seeing how this statistic changed for the years leading up to 2015 and how every year since has been hotter, ending with 2015 being the hottest on record.

            One really interesting thing about watching this movie is seeing how things have changed since this film came out in 2006. How some things have gotten better, like fuel efficiency of automobiles and forms of alternative energy. Also seeing how somethings have still trended in a negative slope, like the fact that each year has still gotten warmer and the ice caps are still melting at a record rate.

 

Gore makes a statement that really questions why people would

choose money/economy (the gold) over the planet that they inhabit

and contains everything in our lives.

           Gore defines what global warming (aka climate change) is and many specific issues that contribute to the ongoing change in our climate. Some being about the amount of carbon dioxide that is being put into the atmosphere, the burning/cutting down of trees, politics (Money/Economy), the melting of the ice caps, ocean levels rising, animal extinctions, powerful storms, drought, extreme heat and flooding were some of the topics that were addressed by Gore.

            This documentary was extremely powerful, because it used facts and statistics to show the undeniable true behind the problems, us humans have contributed to the changed planet we live on. Even after digging at the viewer with all of this information, Gore does it with a unique way to educate us but not scare us to a panic. He shows that there is plenty that can be done to change our situation. It was very encouraging seeing this film because I knew that I could make a difference with the tools I already have and that our society has the technology and tools as well.

            I want to end things by quoting Gore after a scene in the movie about his son being in a car accident. He states, “This turned my whole world upside down and then shook it until everything fell out. My way of being in the world, it had just changed everything for me.” (An Inconvenient True) I saw this as a powerful quote that could be put into the context of our planet and what we have done to it. The recent changes that have occurred are mostly because of us humans and I don’t think a lot of us see this as a serious issue. This planet is in such a bad shape and is leading into an even worse direction. We have to realize that the Earth is our home, our planet, our everything. Without it, we are nothing. You get so close to seeing it all disappear, then you realize it is time to make a switch. Hopefully this film might have helped spark that idea in your mind or was a wake up call and encouraged you to participate in changing our planet for the better.

We must change our climate because this is the only Earth we have.

The Great Transition: Shifting from Fossil Fuels to Solar and Wind Energy

            The book I chose to read was The Great Transition:  Shifting from Fossil Fuels to Solar and Wind Energy, by Lester R. Brown. What drew me to read this specific book was because I have such a fascination about alternate forms of energy. As you can tell from the title of this book majority of the topics revolve around the more recent solar and wind energy markets.

            The beginning of the book started off quite similar to Bill McKibben’s Eaarth, and it also has the same feel in regards to having a large number of statistics thrown at you all at once. Though this is where things changed completely from Eaarth. As most of you who are reading this know, McKibben’s book is quite depressing, going on and on about the almost infinitive reasons on how we are destroying our planet. This book how ever put a smile on my face quite quickly. The statistics in this book really show that us humans are actually trying to make stride to step away from fossil fuels in a positive way.

            Right away on the first page of the first chapter Brown states, “The worldwide transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy is under way.” (Page 16) Then goes on to give a very powerful statistic saying, “We can now see this new economy starting to take shape. We saw it in 2013, when Denmark generated 34 percent of its electricity from the wind. In January 2014, wind supplied a whopping 62 percent of that country’s electricity. Portugal and Spain each got over 20 percent from wind in 2013, and Ireland, 17 percent.” (Pages 16-17) These statements really do show that first world countries, who are the leading causes to climate change are making large strides in renewable energy.

            The book goes into detail about many different topics like nuclear power, fossil fuels and how they affect the economy. Also about how large companies like Exxon-Mobil, Shell, and Chevron are trying to keep fossil fuels in the mainstream economy. Some other topics include the price of wind and solar energy and how technology is bringing down the cost so eventually it can be cheap enough for everyone to switch over.

            These are some of the interesting topics in the book thus far! I am excited to see what else has to come, but so far it has been a more positive experience!

Amazon Deforestation

            On our planet there are a few extremely large rainforests that cover our planet. These areas of lush forest are home to millions of species of animals, many being insects. The climate is considered tropical, which is extremely warm and humid. The Amazon rainforest probably being the most well know, is located in northern South American in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

            The issues with deforestation of the Amazon are huge. The Amazon is home to millions of animals that use the land which includes all of the vegetation and the water that runs through the area. The trees that inhabit the land are considered “Carbon Sinks.” This means that the trees withhold carbon dioxide, so that it doesn’t go into the atmosphere. The significance of this is that those trees are trying to stop climate changes to the best of their ability. When that extra carbon gets into the atmosphere we shall see even warmer temperature than we already have. Another product produced by the trees is oxygen, which is created by taking in that carbon in the air.

            Most of the causes of the Amazon deforestation are caused by man. There are a couple of main issues: mostly because of Logging, agriculture, and cattle farming. Most of the trees being logged is done illegally. When the logging is done, and the trees have been extracted, this leaves huge open area of land, open for the other issues. With the cleared space the land is being used by farmers for agriculture and cattle raising. The main plant being farmed is the soy bean. With the soy bean being over farmed the soil becomes infertile. The cattle are probably the biggest problem. The animals that are being raised completely destroy the vegetation that surrounds the areas of these farms. Another way that people have been opening the space and removing trees is by burning large areas. The burning of the trees causes huge amounts of greenhouse gases to enter the air. It is like a double edged sword, by burning all the trees, they put gases into the air that the trees are actually trying to take out of the air.

            These are some of the many issues that arise out of the Amazon deforestation. Hopefully with better ways to inform and regulate the areas of the amazon, things will change positively for the rainforest and its creatures.

This is an image that shows some of the Deforestation that has taken place up to 2006

Here is a link to a National Geographic Page that has some more information about the Amazon Deforestorestation:  http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/last-of-amazon/

I think there is hope in the distance... but it sure looks far away

In the next chapter of eaarth- High Tide by Bill McKibben, things seemed to start kind of pleasantly! I actually thought to myself that this chapter might actually give me some kind of hope to look forward too. That it did, but just as I started to get excited, things took a turn downwards.

            McKibben gives all of these statistics about the possibilities of new forms of renewable energy. Anything from solar and wind power to the possibility of clean nuclear energy. Then came the issues. All of the new forms of cleaner energy are there to grab but the problem that seems so prevalent is how our economy is set up.

            Moving to these new forms of energy come with a price, quite frankly an enormous price. Our economy has been configured in such a way that it needs fossil fuels and coal to work reliably. With more and more people starting to get informed and educated on climate change, they realize that these costly changes need to be made.

            So why don’t we make this change already!? The problem is money, and it always is. With our economics in the united states, money talks. Let use Exxon Mobil as an example. Our society so heavily depends on fossil fuels that Exxon’s revenue has grown to record levels. McKibben makes this statement about Exxon saying, “Exxon has spent the last decade underwriting an elaborate disinformation campaign to sow doubt about climate change and with reasonable success; 44 percent of Americans believe global warming comes from “long-term planetary trends” and not the pumps at the Exxon station.” (Page 55, eaarth) Money has quite the presence in our society, enough to create false ideas.

            Another powerful element that comes into play that slows change is politics. With the money to have strong lobbyist in government, companies like Exxon, can slow the change that is so desperately needed on our planet. These companies might even know that change is required, but the purpose of a company is to create a product that can be sold to create a profit. That is exactly what they are doing, following the money. If we don't change now, the money that is being gained won't make up what will be lost in the long road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Iz0NKA1yuo -Here is a little video about some things that will help the planet, while also saving us some money.