Think Blue? Volkswagen Takes Environmental Aim

For years, the green movement has always been directed by the smaller people, the farmers, the hippies, the environmentalists, people who were fractured, not whole companies like Volkswagen. Volkswagen is seeking to change this though, and is hoping to orchestrate some environmental change by implementing its "Think Blue" program. The Director of Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen South Africa, Mike Glendinning, says that ,"ecological sustainability is imperative, especially in a place such as South Africa." Through its three pronged process of BlueFactory, BlueMotion, and BlueEnvironment, Volkswagen hopes to set high sustainability standards with attainable goals of lower CO2 emissions then it already has, reduced electricity consumption, their patented BlueMotion technology which determines best fuel efficiency for the car, and has partnered with several environmental organizations.
http://3d-car-shows.com/2011/environmental-protection-is-the-top-priority-for-volkswagen/

It seems that environmental programs are showing up more and more often lately, and that it is a trending topic for big corporate businesses. I'm currently struggling to see whether this is for better publicity, or whether these companies are going to truly live up to their claims. With the on and (currently) off status of the Cap and Trade system, which apparently overtaxed some companies and was done away with, I have no idea where to put my faith in environmental sustainability and big companies.

From Brainwashing to Greenwashing

Whenever you go to the store, you always check the labels, the brightly colored stickers, the things that make a product stand out. These kinds of things drive corporate public relations offices to embellish and exaggerate certain claims made on certain products. Recently, more and more products have been shifting over to what has now been dubbed 'Greenwashing', brainwashing of a sort in which big time suppliers of food, cleaning products, and almost everything else are misleadingly trying to appeal to the consumers soft spot for the environment. As much as governmental committees like the Advertising Standards Authority and the Commerce Commission regulate what goes into the market, they can't always catch every mis-claim a company makes about its product, be it accidental or purposefully. It is with activist groups such as the Green Party, the World Wildlife Foundation, and Greenpeace that these mis-claims can be caught, but it is with the power of these governmental committees that the companies can be punished.
 http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5917931/Greenwashing-Consumers-beware

In order to make a difference, you have to do your research, and while this may take time and effort, the hope is that all the reports of mis-claims from these companies will add up, and that action will be taken.

Back to the Future Made Real? Refuse for Reuse

If you've never seen Back to the Future featuring Michael J. Fox in his early years alongside Chrisopher Lloyd, then you missed Marty (Michael J. Fox's character) working with crazed scientist Doc Brown (Chrisopher Lloyd) on his Delorean time machine containing the famed 'Flux Capacitor'. You may be wondering how this ties into an environmental article about wastes being turned into fuels, well you see, at the end of the first movie, Doc Brown flies in with a newly modified Delorean, which converts anything (he throws in a banana peel, a coke can, and an empty egg carton) into fuel. Well, that was 2015 in the movies, but here in 2011, I think we have managed to do something of the sort. The Chicago Tribune reported that in nearby Naperville, a new device is able to convert any day yard waste into three types of fuels: electricity, ethanol, and hydrogen. It may not QUITE do what Doc Brown's machine did, but it shows that our technology is going as far as the imagination without sacrificing the world around us.

Green Gasoline Heads to Louisiana

Biofuel, a gasoline formulated from various natural products with the addition of natural gas and/or other gas products, is quickly rising to become the bridge between current fuel for power sources and future fuel products. While not quite as environmentally friendly as COMPLETELY giving up natural gas, petroleum, and other natural, non-reusable resources, it certainly provides a much less harmful alternative. A major leader in the biofuels area is Sundrop Fuels Inc., which is based in Colorado, is hoping to expand its current operations into the Louisiana's Rapides Parish due to the abundance of natural gas and wood byproduct necessary for their biofuel operations. There is a lot of local support for Sundrop Fuels Inc.'s decision to move to Louisiana, because of the 170+ total jobs (direct and indirect) that will be created as a result of the companies 450 million dollar plant. Another reason for support is the hope current Louisiana residents will continue to stay in Louisiana, and also that this plant may provide an influx of people looking for jobs, rather than the large exodus that Louisiana has been experiencing recently.

For more information, here's a link to the article ---------> http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20111123/NEWS01/111230327/-450-million-biofuel-plant-Rapides-Parish-will-make-green-gasoline-?odyssey=nav|head

While my aspirations for solely electric cars are coming to fruition with models such as the Chevrolet Volt, which is a hybrid, but can be solely electric for local travel, cars using biofuels rather than petroleum based fuels like now is the next best thing.  The fact that Sundrop Fuels Inc.'s biofuel requires no engine modification whatsoever and allows for it to be put directly into current gasoline tanks provides alot of incentive to switch over to this new fuel. While current fuel output will be relatively low at first (50million gallons of fuel per year, low compared to BP, Exxon-Mobile, or other gasoline giants), Sundrop Fuels Inc. hopes to put out about 200 million gallons of gasoline by 2016.

Environmental Education in the Truest Sense

Throughout the semester, environmental education has permeated many a conversation, and has sneaked into many more unrelated ones. I believe environmental education important because humanity, as self-deemed stewards of the Earth, should value their surroundings, and learn to understand these surroundings as much as possible. While North Carolina State University continues to do its part in both educating its students in environmental sustainability as well as participating in environmentally sustainable practices, it pails in comparison to the Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. Much like NC State, Green Mountain College weaves environmental sustainability into all aspects of its courses, but to a much higher degree, because the college classifies itself as an "Environmental Liberal Arts" school. In an effort to practice sustainability on campus, which the school does prolifically, part of student fees goes into environmental projects and research. If that weren't enough, much of the food provided on campus is grown directly from the campus's oxen-tilled fields. Through its many iterations as a school, Green Mountain College has become a leading school in the environmental sustainability movement.


http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20111120/GREEN01/111118024/Green-Mountain-College-evolves-toward-environmentalism?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

Economy Mixing with Environment, a Question of Compatability

Just recently, we discussed in class the possibility that Capitalism, the economic system under which America has thrived off of over the short time we have existed, may be failing. It seems to be a trending topic, because of the fact that I stumbled upon someone who was asking a very similar question, whether or not capitalism could accommodate environmental sustainability? I unearthed this question on the global forum site YahooAnswers, and the responses vary from stalwart "no's" to hopeful "yes's", and everything in between.

In my personal opinion, I believe that if capitalism were tweaked just a bit, the possibility of a capitalist system coexisting with an environmentally sustainable system is highly likely. One way we could tweak the system is by offering incentives in order to drive sustainability rates up. This has already been tested through the 'Cap and Trade' process that corporate companies practiced just recently. It allowed for the companies to be slightly more sustainable, while still benefiting from the capitalist system. While support for this program has been on and off, leading to it currently being under suspension, I believe that this is the right direction that should be taken to make a capitalist system compatible with environmental sustainability.

A day in the life of Brady Crawford

My day wasn't very different from any normal Thursday, nor will it be after I post this. I woke up at around 10:30-11:00 after going to bed at 1:00, normal/early for a weekday, because it had been a busy Wednesday. Wednesday, my busiest day, begins with a 9:00 Chemistry Lab, from there, I usually grab something to eat at the Atrium, and proceeds to not end until 3:00, but on top of my usual schedule, I needed to meet up with my engineering design team. After meeting for 2-2 and a half hours, we accomplished a little more design and building on our project, which is due in two weeks (our aspirations for a pinball machine are coming to fruition slowly but surely). From there, I headed to eat, then proceeded to do homework afterwards until midnight. Deciding I was about to pass into the realm of sorely needed sleep, I watched television for an hour or so, and didn't open my eyes until 9:00, where my pillow was stained with a dabble of drool, signifying a good sleep had occurred, and then I proceeded to go back to sleep. To resume my current day, between 1:30 and now, I have done homework, my calculus class, and am now here, in English. The highlight of my day was going to Case dining hall for the first time, which astonished me, because it is approximately 10 BILLION times greater than the food at Fountain, and I hate myself for not trying it out sooner. My day will be finished most likely with dinner with some of my friends, then back to the place I call home to do some homework and then maybe play some video games, who knows, it all depends on how the night progresses from here on. And so concludes the insight into my FANTASTIC and STUPENDOUS life, I hope you enjoyed the monotony of my day to day schedule, seeing as it is quite tedious, and far from varied.

Sexism and Racism - Understanding Taylor and Helfenbein

"The implication for inquiry in educational foundations builds upon the plea that people not dismiss language or the 'givens' of communication that enable and encourage readings, and as Gee illuminates recognitions, of rhetorical situations in the everyday, be it in inner-city DC or in the exurban enclaves of Fairfax County." - Taylor and Helfenbein 

After better explanation, the meaning of this quote is better illuminated. The meaning behind this quote is that the things we say and do for communication, are completely different based upon the geographic places we reside in.

180 South

180 South may have been the story of one mans journey to conquer a dream, but it had a larger meaning behind it. Jeff Johnson's journey depicts the internal journey that each person must conquer in order to fulfill their own lives. I personally liked 180 south because it shows the adventure that's still out in the world, and that there are things worth fighting. While I myself may not be the most adventurous person around, 180 South shows that the cliche saying, "you can do just about anything if you put your mind to it," really does prove true.

Racism and Sexism in the Modern Day - Masked Truth

While some retain the ideal that racism and sexism belong to an era of ignorance in the earlier years of American society, the evidence against such ideals proves otherwise. Much of the youth of today believe sexism and gender inequality died in the 1960's, because we have all heard of the quiet goings-on in white suburban households between a man and his wife. Along with this, much of today's youth believe that racism died along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who sacrificed his life fighting for the equality of all races which he hoped would become one race united. While not as prevalent in the public as in the past, these malicious, tumorous frames of mind remain at large within our "civil society". We see it in the "harmless" jokes heard on the television, the private exchanges between friends and family, and the inadvertent actions we take. Our society is divided, as Taylor and Helfenbein state, by geography, physically and in a plethora of other ways. Physically, miles of roads and buildings seclude parts of cities deemed "slums", uncouth places where the ne'er-do-wells and "troublemakers" of our society remain. This, inadvertently, creates a racist cycle, because these places provide for the residence of minorities who, though work hard, work for wages incomparable to those whom live in the upscale homes on the other end of town. This provides for another geographical boundary through economic means. The gender inequality tends to be less influenced by geographical segregation, and more influenced by media means. Many a times, I have heard the joke, "Woman, bring me a sandwich." While little thought is taken into consideration of the words, this greatly furthers the sexist agenda, but this fact hides under the guise of comical genius. Racism and Sexism is very much alive, and these ideals flow around us in the visage of inadvertent stares, wandering thoughts, and comedic wit.

Reaction to 'Indigenous resistance and racist schooling on the borders of empires: Coast Slish cultural survival'

The articles main issue revolves around the fact that non-indigenous, in this case non-Coast Salish people, are learning about these cultures, histories and populations from people that are not OF the culture. Because of this, the argument arises that this is unfair, because certain biases tend to surface by teachers not of the culture. The fact that I did not realize such a place existed goes to show that little knowledge is known on a broad scale of the Coast Salish people.

Kolbert, The Butterfly, and the Environment - The Triangular Relationship

What is one claim or observation that Kolber makes in "Butterfly Lessons"? Locate a quote to frame you response.

 Kolber makes a claim that humanity has known that climate change is a constantly shifting element, and has known so since the time that humans first began to record climatological statistics. I believe this claim to be true, and that those who disregard that any climate change is going on choose to be blind to the truth (denial, two posts down, whole article on it). The evidence is provided through a quote by Chris Thomas (the entomologist/biologist in the article), who states, "Every single one [butterfly species] has moved northward since 1982". This provides physical evidence that such a change is taking place, now especially, and provides the basis that the climate has been changing constantly (but not to the degree it is now).

How might you relate "Butterfly Lessons" to your project on place and environment?

It can be related because humanity is dramatically affecting the degree to which the climate is changing. Take my project focus for example, the Hudson River, which has been polluted for decades. Though this is a local effect on pollution, it shows the degree to which human processes affect. Fish are either evolving or dying off, and those that are evolving are doing so by becoming toxic resistant.

The Environment from a Frackers Perspective

Intro Paragraph for a Paper from a Fracking Advocate's Perspective

     In today's world, energy resources balance on a  knifes edge, swaying from surplus to deficit on a constant basis. Hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, is the process through which a very fast, highly pressurized fluid shoots from a drill into cracks/fractures, which speeds the natural weathering process and allows for the extraction of natural gasses and other fossil fuel based products. Fracking allows for access to a large supply of before non accessible fuel sources which will increase energy reservoirs, decrease pandemonium in the energy section of the economy, and allow for a larger land based operation for fuel extraction on non-foreign soils.

Definition of fracking from - - - - - -> http://www.energyfromshale.org/what-is-fracking?gclid=CMjXxM2e-KsCFQor7AodwmNJrg

Fibers, Vegetable Vs. Man-Made

As always, most of my posts deal with ways in which green science continues to help the world by reducing waste, reuse of waste through recycling processes, and through scientific benefit of the environment. This post in particular deals with a book dealing with how fibers derived from various sources affect ground reinforcement from natural processes such as erosion and weathering, or from man made processes like seepage. The book covers the various pros and cons of vegetable fibers in conjunction with  man-made fibers, and how each is beneficial in its own way.
For more information on the book, here is the website ----------> http://www.azom.com/news.aspx?newsID=30889

What does it mean to be in denial?

Denial is a Freudian concept that states that a person whom, in order to cope with some sort of painful or unwanted moment, chooses to reject something even in the face of insurmountable evidence proving that this moment or item is in fact truth. An example of someone in denial would be overzealous religious fanatics. The reason I bring this up is because of the fact that just the other day men with signs proclaiming "Evolution is a lie" and crosses stating "repent or perish" paraded around the brickyard, trying to influence others into their system of denial. These men, despite insurmountable scientific fact and overwhelming consent by the populace, choose not to accept the truth, and thus reject it, following the very definition of denial. The reason I bring a wide sweep in my example stating "overzealous religious fanatics" is because many within religious (mainly Christian or Islamic) organizations believe all to firmly that there deity is the "one true god", and remain close minded to any and all evidence of anything to the contrary.

The Standing Bear and Chief Seattle: In-Class Writing

 Synthesis
Luther Standing Bear and Chief Seattle were both Native Americans, not of the same tribe maybe, but they shared common roots, common ideas, and common goals. At the forefront lies  the simplest of goals, preservation. Both of the men understood that their people were being pushed to the brink of existence, and all they requested was that their culture, history, and people be preserved. Luther Standing Bear expressed a deep necessity to preserve the way in which his people viewed the natural world, from where his people came. Similarly, Chief Seattle wished to preserve his religion, and as I pointed out in my controversy blog of the article, I believe this might have been the only sincere "kernel of truth" that Dr. Smith put into his journal all those years ago. A differentiating theme amongst the two articles that separates the two chieftains pertains to their views on the white men (sometimes referred to as "pale skin" or "pale face" in Chief Seattle's article). For Luther Standing Bear, the white men were an intrusion into their way of life, and they should be fought against. For Chief Seattle (according to the article, for which I hold little believability in), the white man should be embraced, held in a friendly regard as brothers and sometimes protectors from other enemies.

Remark on Chief Seattle
My thoughts on the article are that its authenticity should be taken with a grain of salt. The knowledge that present scholars have on Native American culture depict a scene very much unlike this, where the Native Americans never saw eye to eye with white men. In an article review of a movie adaptation on Chief Seattle, author Daniel L. Boxberger (Visiual Anthropologist of Western Washington University) has the same view, stating that ". . . the Squamish tribal leader almost certainly did not make the speech attributed to him in coffee table books, posters, and greeting cards."(Boxberger 311). Boxberger goes on to back up his stance on the speech by stating how little documentary evidence there is on Chief Seattle. Though there are second hand accounts scribed, these secondary and tertiary sources do no provide enough information to give us the true identity of Chief Seattle. This only proves to heighten suspicions of the authenticity of the article. Though this does not go as in depth as my article below (The Controversies of Chief Seattle's Speech), it provides a summation of just how controversial the article is, and how thoroughly one must interpret the article.

Citation:
Boxberger, Daniel L. "Chief Seattle." Visual Anthropology Reviews. 311. Web. 29 Sep. 2011.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/683792>.

The Controversies of Chief Seattle's Speech

In my personal opinion, I do not believe Chief Seattle gave the speech that Dr. Henry A. Smith says he did. I believe it was an elaborate ruse by Smith to try and get his name as well as his prose and writing out into the public. My reasoning behind this is the fact that, from what I have learned about Native American cultures, there was a deep seeded dis-like of white people, even into the time frame in which Chief Seattle supposedly gave his speech. There are a few key elements that truly lead me to question the authenticity of this article's nature, and one such element is the reception that was given to the commissioner of Indian affairs for the state of Washington. Who could actually believe that people who are about to be "governed" by a foreign group of people forcibly would line up to greet them. That's equivalent to saying that the Polish pretty much waited at the border between their country and Germany and waved the Germans in, throwing flowers at them and offering them complimentary chocolates. Another item that really got me suspicious of this articles authenticity was the fact that Chief Seattle states that the "Great Chief in Washington" wants to buy their land. For one thing, if you've done your research on Native Americans, the concept of ownership of land was unfathomable to them. The fact that he had nothing to say other than cordially acknowledging the fact that we wanted to buy their land really stood out to me as a warning beacon. Another element is that the warriors in Native American culture are highly regarded, and to be chosen as a tribal warrior, it was a great honor. When Chief Seattle says that the young warriors are impulsive and wrong-doers who "disfigure their faces with black paint" while the older generations try to restrain them, this is completely contradictory to Native American culture. War painting was a symbol of bravery, to stare death in the face and to be unafraid, so when Chief Seattle diminishes the honor of the war painting by saying it is a disfigurement, the twinge that this article is nothing but a sham grew ever stronger. Then religion came into play, they didn't really acknowledge our god, so by separating their faith from ours, Smith got a kernel of truth into his essay. The controversy of this article is palpable, and it smacks of fantastical ideas. The authenticity of this article is debated even today, and with good reason. If we could only find something to contradict what Smith wrote down, but for now, people just have to choose whether they believe it or not.

One researcher who discredits Smith and also believes the article to be a sham is Daniel L. Boxberger of Western Washington University. Here is he take on the speech, which was represented in the video 'Chief Seattle'. ------------> http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-7294%282002%29104%3A1%3C311%3ACS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D&origin=serialsolutions&

"Artifact" - Religon and the Environment through the Ages

Here is the link to my "Artifact".
http://www.buddhachannel.tv/portail/spip.php?article3869

Innovative Green Engineering: The Bloom Box

The elective class I am taking this semester is ES 200 - Climate Change and Sustainability. The class deals mostly with ways in which humanity has affected the environment in the past, way we can reduce and limit our climate impact, and ways that we can create a self-sustaining society. Today's lecture focused on alternative sources of energy, such as Solar Photo Voltaic energy (known to the public as just "solar energy"), tidal and wave energy, and nuclear energy (though nuclear energy was approached tentatively because it can be qualified as both a sustainable and non-sustainable source of energy). While the professor lectured, I had a daydream that was relevant to the current lecture, and that day dreams focus was on the Bloom Box. The Bloom Box is a small black box that contains a uniquely engineered fuel cell, along with several layers of varying materials which, when the fuel cells percolate through the material, create energy. The most fascinating fact about this new, developing technology is that the energy it produces is essentially wireless. No cords or anything of the sort  are necessary, and the energy that the Bloom Box produces is highly efficient and waste free (no carbon emissions, no waste by-products, nothing). I first saw the Bloom Box early in the year (sometime in January or February) on 60 Minutes, and I am very curious, as well as excited, as to how the technology will develop current energy economic systems further.

 Here is a link to CBS's story on the bloom box ---------> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/18/60minutes/main6221135.shtml

From Old to New, the Green Shift

In fishing through the multiple Google alerts that I have compiled, I came across an interesting article about how Indianapolis is having most of its old buildings renovated or largely retrofitted with green friendly technology. The mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard, member of the democratic party, hopes that this will provide an economic savings by cutting costs used to maintain these buildings (upwards of 1.7 million dollars in annual savings). While the initial cost will be 18 million to begin with, the overall savings will accumulate quicker than one would think. The fruits of this idea are already being recognized with the nearly complete City-County building, which has been able to cut steam consumption down 93% and electrical consumption by 35%. The democratic party has always been a beacon of hope for environmentalists hoping to see change in our society today. I mean, lets face it, no one from the Green Party or the other miscellaneous environmental parties will ever be able to win a significant election of power, Ralph Nader was our best, last hope. Our political system allows for multiple parties, but in reality, who is ever going to vote for anyone who doesn't have a chance, it's essentially throwing your vote away, which is why no one tends to do it (elections are rare enough as it is). That is why if we want to put any faith into a political party that may actually help us, I believe we should back the democratic party (sorry for the random political tangent, but this is a blog, I've got myself some free space, I'm definitely going to post on it). To sum up, Indianapolis's green shift sets a goal for many other cities to follow, cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, notorious for high levels of waste and bad air quality(this is from a personal perspective of having lived in/near the city). For more, here's the link to the article <http://www.indystar.com/article/20110919/LOCAL18/109190369/City-says-upgrades-City-County-Building-finished?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Communities)>

Sikich, Chris. "City says upgrades to City-County Building finished." Indy Star. 19 Sep 2011: n. page.
     Web. 22 Sep. 2011. <http://www.indystar.com/article/20110919/LOCAL18/109190369/City-
     says-upgrades-City-County-Building-finished?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Communities>.

Lord of the Rings WIN!!!!

The hobbit you just called fat? He’s skipping 2nd breakfast. The dwarf woman you called ugly? She spends hours braiding her beard so you can differentiate her from a dwarf man. The Uruk-Hai you just killed? He’s been abused by Saruman. See that Gollum creature with the gangly limbs and large eyes? For 500 years the Ring poisoned his mind. That Elf you just made fun of for crying? She just lost her wizard friend to a Balrog. Reblog this if you’re against bullying in Middle-Earth.

Future of Engines

 MISCELLANEOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Alright, this is the official first post to my first blog. Seeing as this is made for my ENG 101, it will most likely be exclusive to this class, and possibly future college endeavors. Later posts will reveal any information on adjoining blogs or separate blogs of my own creation.

SUSTAINABILITY BEING PRACTICED: 
Anyway, to get to the topic on hand, I found an article today dealing with prototype engine being hypothesized and tested in Madison, Wisconsin. According to what I read, the engineering student from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Matthew Carlson, along with associate professor of mechanical engineering Timothy Shedd, have deduced a way to make engines for household appliances such as lawn mowers and generators more efficient and a little more green. Though there are pros and cons to the engine being developed, this shows how much attention the green movement is truly getting. The innovation would be cheap and could be implemented on older generation motors, which would allow for better energy efficiency and less waste on a greater scale. For more, here is a link to the article: <http://www.news.wisc.edu/19780>

"Wisconsin engineer, entrepreneur move ‘green’ diesel engine closer to market." University of Wisconsin - Madison News. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 19 Sep 2011. Web. 20 Sep 2011. <http://www.news.wisc.edu/19780>.