Urban Dog Parks

     According to USA Today, dog parks have become the equivalent of playgrounds and community centers where there are large concentrations of singles, childless couples and lots of open space. Current demographics state that there are now more households with dogs than with kids. Dog parks are basically playgrounds for people without kids, and are the equivalent of community centers or playgrounds. They provide for socialization among both dogs and their owners. 
             MRPA online states many of the environmental benefits of dog parks. These benefits include the reduction of miles driven to dog permitted public lands outside city limits which reduces fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and dog ownership also increases the use of, connection to, and support of natural areas.





Douglas County, Director Of Parks, Trails, And Building Grounds. Beyond the Dog Park: (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

"Fastest-growing Urban Parks Are for the Dogs." USATODAY.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.

Significance of Community Gardens

Community Gardens

         As stated by its website, the Mission of the American Community Gardening Association is to build community by increasing and enhancing community gardening across the United States and Canada. The American Community Gardening Association also known as the ACGA is a bi-national nonprofit membership organization of professionals, volunteers and supporters of community greening in urban and rural communities. The ACGA recognizes that community gardening improves people’s quality of life by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, stimulating social interaction, encouraging self-reliance, beautifying neighborhoods, producing nutritious food, reducing family food budgets, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy and education.          
         The ACGA and its member organizations work to promote and support all aspects of community such as food gardening, landscaping, urban forestry, preservation and management of open space, and integrated planning and management of developing urban and rural lands. The Association supports community gardening by facilitating the formation and expansion of state and regional community gardening networks; developing resources in support of community gardening; and, encouraging research and conducting educational programs.



"The Beginning of the ACGA Coalition - American Community Garden Association." American Community Garden Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. 

Kyoto Protocol

          The Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding agreement through the United Nations under which industrialized nations reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases. The goal is to lower emissions from six kinds of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, methane, sulfur, hexaflouride, HFC's, and PFC's.

           Both the Clinton and Bush administrations refused to sign the pact saying it is flawed because it fails to hold developing countries such as China to the same mandatory greenhouse gas emissions caps as the industrial nations. I tend to agree. If other nations are not following the rules of the pact, then what is the point of even having one? In my opinion, nations should be held accountable especially id they signed and agreed to the Kyoto Protocol. However, I do think that countries should be more conscious of their greenhouse gas emissions. We all live on the same planet and will eventually have to reap the consequences of everyones decisions. 

Medieval Global Temperature Optimum and the Little Ice Age

     The Medieval Global Temperature Optimum, also known as the Climatic Optimum, Medieval 
Warm Period, or Medieval Warm Epoch refers to a period of history in which temperatures in Europe and regions of the North Atlantic are believed to have exceeded, those of the late 20th century. 

     A Swedish scientist named Leif Kullman performed a study in which he discovered that the planet was warmer in ancient Roman times and the Middle Ages than today. This study challenged the mainstream idea that man made greenhouse gas emissions are the main drivers of global warming today. In this study, Kullman analyzed 455 “radiocarbon-dated mega-fossils” in the Scandes mountains. He discovered an association between the higher tree lines for different species of trees, and higher temperatures.

     Kullman also found that summer temperatures during the early Medieval Warm Period may have been 2.3°C higher than they are now. The temperature spikes during the Roman and Medieval warming period that occurred between 9,000 and 5,000 years ago were succeeded by a gradual cooling period in which there were distinct tree line/temperature dips. This period of time is known as the Little Ice Age.

      For many years now, there has been a scientific consensus that the Earth was warming due to humans releasing greenhouse gases into the air, mostly through burning fossil fuels. For the most part, temperatures stopped rising after 1998, leaving scientists scrambling to find an explanation to the warming of the planet.

Air Quality at Yuxi Hotel, Luoyang

       According to the air quality index map, the Yuxi Hotel in Luoyang is designated as a location with  very unhealthy air quality. This also includes many other locations in the surrounding area. Most families in rural China cook and heat their homes using stoves that burn coal or wood. Domestic energy use is an extremely significant contributor to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Coal use in particular leads to dangerous levels of indoor air pollution, and contributes to the poor outdoor air quality in much of China as well. There is a significant resource of biomass residue such as straw and maize cobs that could be used as fuel, but current stove designs do not burn this effectively. According my research, China's air pollution is continuing to increase. Many citizens are considering moving in search of breathable air. 

Traffic study

Isabel Ward

October 3, 2014

OBJECTIVE: 

I am conducting this study in order to determine if people are more prone to drive eco-friendly cars or bigger gas guzzlers.

METHODS:

              1.) Sit outside of Jittery Joes for 25 minutes at 2:30 pm.

              2.) Make observations about the type of car that passes by. (small vs. large)

              3.) Tally results in table.

RESULTS:

            

CONCLUSION:

Judging by my results, I gather that people on not terribly concerned with being eco-friendly judging by their car choice. Although there are many people who drive small cars, there are more who drive big cars.

Aluminum Cans

       Aluminum undergoes a unique and high speed process in order to be made into cans. The aluminum is rolled in large sheets. It is then made piece by piece, starting from the round shape at the bottom, all the way to the neck and the lid at the top. The cans are cleaned multiple times, and then go through a printing and varnishing process before they are sent out to various drink companies. Throughout this process, the cans are photographed on the inside in order to ensure that they are made without flaw. If a can is defected, it is sent back to the recycling company, and undergoes the process from the beginning. It is important to keep in mind that aluminum never deteriorates and can be recycled. The process restarts by recycling cans. This is one of the reasons why recycling aluminum is so important.