Survey Update

I believe there may be some trends emerging from my survey data, but I only have 9 respondents and it's hard to draw any conclusion from such a small sample size. If anyone else can take the survey, that would be great. So far most respondents identify as independents and voted for Barack Obama. Everyone finds voting important, and an overwhelming majority finds the two party system too limiting.

Survey Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NVHKVH7

Voting Opinions Survey

My theory is that most people feel disconnected from politics in general and don't feel represented in Washington. My survey is on surveymonkey.com and has a variety of question formatting from sliding scale to free response. I need as many survey responses as I can get, and if anyone can complete the survey, that would be great.

Survey Link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NVHKVH7

Water Sustainability

        Water is one of our most precious resources, and is fundamental to life on Earth. Today, consumption of water has increased to the point that water is no longer necessarily a renewable resource. The number one consumer of water in the modern world is in agriculture. Agricultural water usage accounts for 67% of the total water usage by humans. Water use in households for cooking, cleaning, and operating bathrooms only accounts for 9% of water usage. with growth in the population and growing development around the globe, there will be more farming and more domestic water usage. The only way to meet the incredible demand ahead is to develop more efficient water usage systems. We may need to focus on crops that need less water, and to rework the quantity of water used in showers and toilets. Industrial use accounts for 13% of the total water usage, and is made up by manufacturing, power, and mining operations. These industries may also require a rework. The key to meeting the demand of the future and maintaining a level of sustainability is greater efficiency. Where efficiency is not enough, we may have to cut back on water depleting activities.

http://www.climate.org/topics/water.html

Artifact

        This artifact is an image of a t-shirt logo. The logo is a very well done graphic opposing fracking and shows tap water burning. The tap water around fracking sites has been filmed burning and posted all around the internet. The flames are cleverly shaped onto the exclamation point in the exclamation "Stop Fracking with our Water!" This image conveys the environmental ethics of protecting groundwater and reducing pollution from the oil industry.

Fracking Source

The article Fracking Fury lays out the pros, cons, and possible risks associated with fracking. It goes into some detail describing the process of hydraulic fracturing, and the disposal of waste. "In 2009, about 14% of natural gas production came from shale formations." Pros listed in Fracking fury include more jobs and economic growth, as well as having natural gas which is cleaner than fuel. The brief summary of the cons is worded best by the article. "Hazards associated with natural gas production and drilling are not as well known as with other fossil fuels, and regulations have not kept pace with production (NYT 2011). Escalating concerns include adverse effects on drinking water, human health, animals, and ecosystems." So, fracking is too new, and under-regulated. Concerns over water include: massive pollution to local groundwater if anything goes wrong, "neurological impairment, loss of smell, and nerve pain" from the pollution, billions of gallons of water used in fracking, waste disposal may not be meeting standards for fracking fluids. Fracking may be responsible for disease in local residents, killing farm animals, causing earthquakes, and polluting ground water. EPA studies have not been reassuring about the safety of fracking, and the industry is not being properly regulated.

Palliser, Janna. "Fracking Fury." Science Scope 35.7 (2012): 20. Science Reference Center. Web. 2 Oct. 2012.

Fracking

            Fracking is the process of pumping a mixture of chemicals into the ground at high pressure in order to loosen the rock and release trapped oil and gas. In the article “EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination,” a new EPA study was described. The new study found that fracking fluids were in fact leaking out of the oil wells and into the ground water.  Synthetic compounds thought to be from fracking fluids were detected in the groundwater around the town of Pavilion, Wyoming.  

            The most disturbing thing about the EPA study, is how mixed up in politics the science is. Somehow, merely challenging the position that fracking is safe can create political firestorm with people taking sides. It seems as though many are more concerned about profits than they are about major pollution. It seems logical that pumping synthetic compounds into the earth at high pressure would lead to ground water pollution. The safeguard against this pollution is supposed to be steel and concrete barriers that must contain the fluids on their journey. It seems again plausible that these barriers could occasionally fail, and that the concrete may not be poured properly from time to time.

            In the article, Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla was quoted as finding the EPA report “offensive” and accused the EPA of bias. A truly scientific study would have no bias, and should only reveal the truth. Assuming this study is airtight, major changes to regulations and possibly the legality of fracking must be considered. One important detail about the opposition to any scientific digging about fracking, was the secrecy surrounding the fracking fluid’s composition. The drilling companies were withholding information about the compounds contained within the fracking fluid, making it much more difficult to get to the truth. Many of the compounds were thought to be carcinogenic, and are being pumped into the earth in large volumes. If fracking is to continue, I think the concrete barriers should be guaranteed not to fail, and the fracking fluids should be regulated to prevent any major health and environmental risks. It is incredibly unlikely that the drilling companies have the public health or environmental health prioritized over profits, and thorough scientific testing must be continued to ensure fracking’s safety.

Turtle Island Themes III

        In the chapter "For the Children" I focused on three poems: Dusty Braces, The Jemez Pueblo Ring, and For the Children. Dusty Braces is about Snyder's hatred of the acts of his ancestors. He sees the work of past generations "progress" as a destructive act. He says that his mustached lumberjack ancestors killed off  the grizzly and the cougar. When Snyder says "nine bows. Your itch in my boots too." he may be sympathizing with extinct species, or may be saying that he wants to connect with more distant ancestors that lived off the land. In The Jemez Pueblo Ring, Snyder the life of an old ring caught under the construction of modern Japan. The ring is discovered a century later when the construction above is recycled, like a time capsule from a past civilization to the east. This poem shares the theme of connecting with the distant past. For the Children is about how "progress" and growth are bringing us down, but if future generations can survive the challenges ahead they'll need to work together. His message is to "stay together, learn the flowers, go light." For the Children continues the use of vivid imagery, and the theme of the destruction of nature. In this chapter, he also seems to want to connect with the distant past in order to aid the future of humanity.