Natural exposure to radiation chart

Here is a cool chart about how much radiation you're exposed to on a daily basis vs. medical procedures and exposure to nuclear disasters, etc. Everything is explained on the chart. A larger image can be found here:
http://www.xkcd.com/radiation/

It is provided by Randall Monroe, writer of the webcomic XKCD which you'll like if you like nerd humor.

post for Cory Gates

http://kaosmaschine.com/works/design_trap.jpg



This ad provides an environmental warning by providing a satirical look at the mindset of people who do not care about the environment. By emphasizing that people are doing their part in this pollution this ad truly provides a warning to the rest of the population that they must in fact do the opposite the ad suggests in order to protect the fragile environment.



http://kara.allthingsd.com/20090814/microsofts-vision-of-the-future-and-the-inevitable-spoof/


This picture taken from the cover of a 1979 book entitled “The World of the Future: Future Cities.” On its cover it shows a potential view of the future all possible through the exploitation of technology. With new advances this shows a very optimistic view of how technology will enhance the lives of everybody.

paper & presentation

For your paper and presentation, please choose one of the following options:

1. Compare an example of technological optimism and one example of an environmental warning from the same historical period. (Preferably these documents should be from the same decade or at least within the same 50 years period)

2. Compare two examples of environmental warnings from two different periods (at least 50 years apart).

3. Compare two examples of technological optimism from two different periods (at least 50 years apart).

Leigh Concessi: Blog Assignment

An example of technological warning is the following link to the video, "Too Hot Not Too Handle", which warns against the overuse of fossil fuels. It encourages nations like the United States to be cautionary when dealing with the impacts of climate change, and to take the necessary measures to reverse this dangerous trend.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5368452289665474330#


The following article published on Sify.com is an article of technological optimism. "Breakthrough in nanocomposite for high-capacity hydrogen storage" announces a promising new alternative to fossil fuels made from hydrogen that can be safely stored and easily accessed while maintaining its clean combustion that makes it so appealing.

http://www.sify.com/news/breakthrough-in-nanocomposite-for-high-capacity-hydrogen-storage-news-international-ldoq4hahchc.html

Emily Boyd, Blog Assignment

Optimism: 350.org a project trying to spread the word about 350ppm and getting back to a healthy atmosphere through grassroots global social change (350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in "Parts Per Million" in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.)

check out understanding 350 @ http://www.350.org/en/understanding-350

or watch a video of art depicting "350" from all over the world @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-HnrMrQ6Tw

(sorry couldn't figure out how to embed links)

Warning or pessimism: Eaarth by Bill McKibben in his latest book author and environmental activist Bill McKibben breaks down exactly how humans have fundamentally altered the planet creating a new place not called planet Earth but planet Eaarth. While he is optimistic that humans can take action to slow the processes of global warming he is pessimistic in that he believes that there is no stopping or going back, humans will need to evolve in order to continue living on Earth at all and will definitely need to make drastic changes.

Rosie O'Brien, Blog Assignment

Synthetic Genomics Inc. is an example of technological optimism. Here, scientists are researching and testing a brand new algae biofuels program in a greenhouse facility at the SGI headquarters in La Jolla, California.Click on the highlighted link to learn more.

Environmental Warning Example: Here are 2 amazing videos of children who spoke at the UN to warn our leaders about the future of the environment and they are calling for action. The first is of Severn Suzuki, also known as "The Girl who Silenced the World in 5 minutes", who spoke at a UN meeting on behalf of  her organization, environmental childrens organization (ECO) which is a group of 12-13 year olds dedicated to the protection of the environment. This video had resonated with many and has had over 4 million views.This kid is amazing and her speech sends a huge warning for the future that we create.

Above is another video of an inspirational kid, Felix Finkbeiner, who is a 13 year old tree ambassador. His organization is "Plant for the Planet" which is dedicated to planting millions of trees around the world. He spoke at a UN meeting and told our leaders and decision makers to "Stop Talking and Start Planting". Plant for Power is dedicated to empowering children to take control of their future by planting trees. There are 100,000 children participating in 91 countries with 3.5 million trees planted. Here is a link to the "Stop Talking and Start Planting" posters, which picture children covering the mouths of political leaders, celebrities (Gisele Bunchen, Harrison Ford) and many other influential powers. Learn more at http://www.plant-for-the-planet.org/

Ben Caplin: Blog Assignment

The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey was an example of technological optimism. Movie showed that computers were able to have conversations with humans, and even outsmart them, possessing its own intelligence. The movie also explains how supposedly, humans took monumental steps in evolution.






The book " Z for Zachariah, is written in the style of a post nuclear apocalypse, first person novel. It tells the story of a 16 year old, living in a valley, shielded from the radiation. This shows an example of Environmental warning.

Bryan Keen, Blog assignment

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/25/obama-state-of-the-union-_1_n_813478.html

The link above shows an example of technological optimism. It is President Obama's State of the Union speech 2011. In his speech he promoted education, science, technology, engineering, and math. He spoke of innovation and how the United States needs to remain the technological super power of the world.

"To attract the best jobs and newest industries, we’ve got to out-innovate, out-educate, out-build and out-hustle the rest of the world" -Barack Obama

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/seven-billion/kunzig-text

The above link shows an example of environmental warning. It is an article from National Geographic about world population. It warns that with world population growing at a rate of about 80 million people each year water tables are falling, soil is eroding, glaciers are melting, and fish stocks are vanishing.

Caroline Katsiroubas: Blog Assignment

Example of technological optimism:
This is a great commercial for the Nissan Leaf, their new 100% electric car. This is a technological advancement that would help us reduce our fossil fuel consumption, and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.



Below are the lyrics originally written and performed by Joni Mitchell in 1970. Joni was inspired on a trip to Hawaii when she glanced out her window at beautiful mountains in the distance and noticed an ugly parking lot tarnishing the view. The lyrics clearly state environmental concerns, and also how the beauty of nature cannot easily be restored once it is defaced by human development.

Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got until it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
Put them in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see them

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got until it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got until it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got until it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Meghan McCusker: Blog Assignment Response

http://windupstories.com/about/

The website above is the home page for author Paolo Bacigalupi, a famed short-story author who recently branched out into young adult science fiction. I co-host a young adult book group at my local library, and Bacigalupi was one of our most recent reads. His two novels, The Windup Girl, and Ship Breaker, are both examples of technological pessimism. The Windup Girl starts in Thailand, and paints the picture of a world where oil and other fossil fuels have been consumed and are gone, with rising sea levels and - most importantly - engineered technological mutation of both food, machinery, and creations that are supposedly alternatives to actual living creatures. It is a warning of technological mutation pushed to the brink and gone horribly wrong. The Ship Breaker presents an equally grim future, in a world which also struggles with rising sea levels that have engulfed coastal towns, where so many oil tankers have poisoned the American Gulf Coast that small children are hired to climb down the sunken tankers ship ducts to retrieve copper wiring and other useful metals.

There are also some links on his website to interviews where he talks at great length about the urgent need for sustainability in today's world.

"GM Food is Answer to Poverty and Hunger"

The above link provides a look at technological optimism in the form of genetically-modified food. This article discusses how Scotland's new chief scientific advisor urges the public to "embrace genetically modified (GM) food as an answer to poverty, hunger, and toxic pollution.

She argues that the public has been woefully and poorly informed on the subject and that labels such as "Frankenstein foods" are very misleading, as GM food actually has none of those horrible side effects.

Erika Lee: Blog Homework

An example of technological optimism was when the US landed first on the moon. The United States beat Russia to landing a space ship on the moon and signified a major technological accomplishment.

Below are lyrics to the Beach Boys song, "Don't go Near the Water" in reference to human pollution to the oceans and rivers. The Beach Boys used their popularity and music to warn the people of environmental damage.

Don't go near the water
Don't you think it's sad
What's happened to the water
Our water's going bad

Oceans, rivers, lakes and streams
Have all been touched by man
The poison floating out to sea
Now threatens life on land

Don't go near the water
Ain't it sad
What's happened to the water
It's going bad

Don't go near the water
Don't go near the water


[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/dont-go-near-the-water-lyrics-beach-boys.html ]

Toothpaste and soap will make our oceans a bubble bath
So let's avoid an ecological aftermath
Beginning with me
Beginning with you

Don't go near the water
To do it any wrong
To be cool with the water
Is the message of this song

Let's all help the water
Right away
Do what we can and ought to
Let's start today

The Atomic Cafe (archival footage of early nuclear culture)

Mike Tremblay: Blog Assignment Response

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/cotton-gin-patent/

The above link is an example of technological optimism. It includes some of Eli Whitney's words after he patented the cotton gin, as well as the impacts of his invention. The two quotes in the article, from Eli Whitney: "One man and a horse will do more than fifty men with the old machines," and "Tis generally said by those who know anything about it, that I shall make a Fortune by it."

The image to the left is a 1979 poster. The late 1970's was a time of a gasoline shortage, causing a spike in gas prices, mile-long lines and regulations on who could buy gas and when. While the purpose of this poster isn't exactly environmentalist, it does unintentionally promote an environmentalist cause-to use less oil. Ironically, at the end of the road seems to be a factory...

first blog assignment, due March 14th: technological optimism / environmental warnings

Please post two items to the blog this week:

1) A primary-source example of technological optimism from any historical period. (e.g. The New Atlantis, imagery and literature from world's fairs, post-WWII advertising, etc.)

2) A primary-source example of an environmental warning from any historical period. (e.g ancient myths and stories about the dangers of human hubris, Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, etc.)

All primary sources are acceptable here: essays, poems, stories, paintings, films, songs, etc.

images of the anthropocene

a gallery of excellent photographs from National Geographic

London Congestion Charge

Here is an interesting article about how London is dealing with heavy traffic in the city center and with air pollution at the same time.

Originally, London charged a flat rate of #8 (about $12) for any vehicle traveling into a certain zone of the city. The revenue was then put into the city's mass transit funding. This had good results, so they updated it further.

Residents of the congestion zone were unhappy, so residents of the area got up to 90% off of this charge. However, more gas-guzzling vehicles had to start paying up to #25 (roughly $35-$40) every time they entered the congestion zone. Heavy vehicles also tend accelerate slower than lighter vehicles, so this would also reduce overall congestion.

The goal of this plan is to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion as well as improve public transit for the entire city. The cost burden to go through the center of the city, or the time/gas burden to go around it, may encourage Londoners to use the bus or the Tube.

The article is below:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/12/red_ken_green_tax/

A blogger on boston.com said that New York has considered a similar plan, and that Boston should consider it (based on the high demand for parking), but they should probably wait for New York to implement it first.

The boston.com blog post is here (you may need to sign in):

http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/this_land/2011/03/paying_the_right_price_for_par.html?p1=Features_link5