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Hello everyone my name is Marcos, I'm glad to be taking PSC1515 with you guys. I am currently pursuing a business degree in finance, and I am hoping this class will give me some insight. I was born in Cuba but I came to Miami when I was 3 years old. My goals for the future are to attain my degree and help my dad run his business. My greatest strengths are my tenacity and how hard I work. I would consider myself successful when I am able to retire my parents.

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Khreis, Haneen. (2020, April 10). Traffic, air pollution, and health. Advances in Transportation and Health. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128191361000036

The first article I chose discusses how traffic negatively impacts not only our ecosystem, but also our health. Traffic- related air pollution (TRAP) continues to grow as demand for travel in many regions continues to grow. TRAP also includes a list of detrimental health conditions such as cognitive decline, neurodegenerative diseases, and several metabolic conditions.

Rossi, Riccardo., Ceccato, Riccardo., & Gastaldi, Massimiliano. (2020, October 29). Effect of road traffic on air pollution. experimental evidence from covid-19 lockdown. MDPI. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/8984

The second article shows the effect caused by traffic in urban areas. This is done by measuring the concentration of NO, NO2, NOx and PM10, during the COVID-19 lockdown; in which there were severe limitations placed on transportation. These experiments showed that traffic heavily impacts NO, NO2, NOx concentrations.

Harrison, Roy. M., Vu, Tuan. Van, Jafar, Hanan., & Shi, Zongbo. (2021, February 6). More mileage in reducing urban air pollution from Road Traffic. Environment International. Retrieved February 16, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020322844

The last article I chose analyzes data from cities worldwide to estimate how much road traffic contributes to nitrogen dioxide in heavily urbanized cities. The results confirm that road traffic is a dominant source of nitrogen dioxide in our ecosystem. As a reference they discuss the amount of nitrogen dioxide in cities with strict traffic emissions which are significantly lower.

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After watching the video “The Story of Bottled water” by Annie Leonard; Leonard discusses the issue concerning how the water bottle industry misleads consumers to believe tap water is unhealthy for human consumption. When in reality tap water is if often safer, and most times cheaper. Big bottled water companies often create campaigns and advertisements persuading consumers to buy their bottled water by saying their water is healthier and has a better taste. This is proven false by surveys that have people taste both bottled watered and tap water then picking the better tasting one.

After watching “The Story of Electronics” I realized most of our technology is "built for the dump,".  Companies use this designed for the garbage as a crucial method to keep you interested in purchasing their newest things. Designed for the dump is another way of stating that products are designed to be thrown away fast so that you may buy the next one; this includes items that are soon useless or readily destroyed. Companies employ this method to keep you up to date on their latest items. Although intended for the dump is good to corporations or anyone benefits it is nevertheless hazardous to our environment. Companies get away with this by persuading consumers that their new product is better, while this may be true the difference often times is not drastic.

As a global citizen I believe consumption affects everyone no matter the country because, we are all consumers. I believe it is our role to learn how to become better consumers. Not only is most of the pollution on earth is caused by global consumption, but there seems to be no sign in stopping. We have a responsibility to take care of our planet. We must stop purchasing cheap products and being to purchase products that will last longer. We must take care, reuse and recycle our products.

After watching both “The Story of Bottled Water” and “The Story of Electronics” I realized how many products I purchase as a consumer that are not necessary. I am going to begin to purchase my products based on if it is a necessity, and how long it will last me. I am also going to begin learning different methods to reduce harm caused to the environment such as riding a bicycle. I believe it is our role to take care of our planet especially because we only have one.

The Story of Electronics. (n.d.). Story of Stuff. Retrieved January 18, 2022, from https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-electronics/.

Leonard , A. (n.d.). The story of Bottled Water. Story of Stuff. Retrieved January 20, 2022, from https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/

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Article 1

Learning when to be hands-off.

In the article “Learning when to be hands-off” by Jodi Hausen, Hausen introduces the problem of lack of police training by discussing multiple scenarios where police where ill prepared to accommodate for a citizen’s disability. This often causes harm to the citizens, whether physical or mental. Officers must be taught how to properly communicate themselves, and how to properly read a person’s body language. This is because some people with disabilities are unable to comprehend the situation they are in, even if they are in danger. In the state of Colorado, law enforcement agencies will begin to mandate training for officers when handling someone with a disability. In Boulder a trained officer deescalated a potentially violent situation, proving that the training works.

Work Cited

Hausen, J., By, & -. (2021, October 1). Learning when to be hands-off. Boulder Weekly. Retrieved from https://www.boulderweekly.com/news/learning-when-to-be-hands-off/

Article 2

Red Flag Laws Are Saving Lives. They Could Save More.

In the article “Red Flag Laws Are Saving Lives. They Could Save More.” Vasilogambros discusses how specific behavior from a person with possession of a firearm can be depicted as “red flags” and help prevent tragedies. The red flag law allows law enforcement officials or family members to petition courts to confiscate firearms from individuals deemed unfit. Red flag laws have been increasing in popularity as well, they were adopted by nineteen states. Although the red flag laws are beginning to pick up steam, due to the widespread ignorance from police and citizens growth has been slow. Some states have begun funding education and training to promote red flag laws.

Work Cited

Vasilogambros, M (2021). Red flag laws are saving lives. they could save more. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/10/05/red-flag-laws-are-saving-lives-they-could-save-more?utm_source=Solutions%2BStory%2BTracker

Reflection

After reading Solution Journalism articles, I feel that because of their format I was able to retain more information. They can add more sources and quote from other articles because of the amount of information they depict. They keep their articles short but to the point. This is great for students because most are often pressed for time and can’t afford to lose information. These articles taught me relevant social issues going on in the United States regarding mental health. I learned how lives can be saved if proper procedures are put in place for officers, and citizens. The first article taught me that police officers must attend special training in order to notice and approach a citizen with disabilities. In the second article I learned how to notice red flags and odd behaviors in people that can possibly hurt not only themselves but others. I believe it is a responsibility for everyone to educate themselves on mental health issues because, the lack of importance placed on mental health can lead to violent emotional outburst. Overall the information on the Solution Journalism website was advantageous because, it condensed the article without losing any important information.

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The Carbonless Fuel That Could Change How We Ship Goods

In this Ted Talk, “The Carbonless Fuel That Could Change How We Ship Goods” Maria Gallucci explains that relying on fossil fuels as a fuel source causes heavy pollution in the air. Everyday tens of thousands of cargo ships spread pollution across ocean.  “If shipping were a country, it’d be the sixth largest emitter of CO2.” Yearly the number of cargo ships traveling the world increases as the economy increases, this means even more C02 will continue to pollute the air. Gallucci offers ammonia as a replacement for harmful fossil fuels.  Ammonia is a pungent gas that does not contain any carbon molecules, this means it will not create any carbon dioxide when used as a fuel source.

Work Cited

Gallucci, M. (n.d.). The carbonless fuel that could change how we ship goods. Maria Gallucci: The carbonless fuel that could change how we ship goods https://www.ted.com/talks/maria_gallucci_the_carbonless_fuel_that_could_change_how_we_ship_goods

The Tragedy of Air Pollution—and an urgent demand for clean air

In this Ted Talk, “The Tragedy of Air Pollution—and an urgent demand for clean air” Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah talks about her own experience with air pollution. Rosamund talks about her daughter Ella, who had one of the worst asthma cases ever and passed as a cause of air pollution.  In this presentation I learned that air pollution can kill a seemingly healthy child. She argues that human air contamination is largely contributed by burning of fossil fuels. It is affecting all of our lives, especially children who’s lungs still have not fully developed. Rosmund blames the government for not enforcing and maintaining a lower usage of fossil fuels in the country.

Work Cited

Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, R. (n.d.). The tragedy of air pollution -- and an urgent demand for Clean Air. Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah: The tragedy of air pollution -- and an urgent demand for clean air https://www.ted.com/talks/rosamund_adoo_kissi_debrah_the_tragedy_of_air_pollution_and_an_urgent_demand_for_clean_air

Reflection

After watching both Ted Talks by Maria Gallucci and Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, I realized the immense impact humans have on the planet. The exponential amount of carbon dioxide released from cars, ships, planes, etc, is not only causing our air to become polluted and nearly unbreathable; but it is also heating up the planet. If a replacement for fossil fuels as a primary fuel source is not implied soon enough, air pollution will continue to take lives. While alternatives for fossil fuels like Ammonia, (which is a pungent gas lacking any carbon molecules) have been put forth, not enough countries have adopted it. I believe awareness is the first and most important step in bringing change.

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After viewing "How to Make Traffic Better, Not Worse" on the YouTube channel "DW Planet A," I learnt how traffic delays may create chronic stress illnesses in people. Furthermore, the constantly expanding vehicle industry degrades air quality, resulting in respiratory difficulties. India is ranked first in the world for the city with the worst traffic. The movie highlights India as a country with a rapidly expanding GDP for autos. This has a detrimental impact on society since gas-emitting automobiles emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, warming our planet. Planet A presents some ways for clearing the streets and minimizing traffic congestion. They begin by recommending taking public transportation, walking, or even cycling. A case in point when traffic was reduced occurred in Church. Bangalore street after the city prohibited vehicles for six months. This resulted in better-designed streets for walking and actually encouraged people to use public transportation to get to their destinations. Furthermore, the air quality increased, as did the air quality. Because I reside in Miami, a place with a lot of traffic, this film is about my own experiences in my community. The city suffers from excess air and sound pollution as a result of traffic congestion. My proposal for enhancing traffic measures would be to improve access to transport in low income areas, as well as keeping a hygiene regulation on public transport.

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After attending the training session with Professor Isabel Duque, I understood how to use the Miami Dade library to find sources for my work. She went into detail and demonstrated different key ideas for our project, additionally she showed us sources for each topic.  Prof. Duque also talked about how to verify if a source is good material for your project. Some research tools that impressed me were the MDC library, Kanopy, and EBSCO E-Book. The research tool that was already know to me and that I frequently use was google scholar. Although I use google scholar, I found the explanation on how to narrow down your searches to find the perfect source really helpful. This is because I would often spend hours sifting through sources to find. The topic that I am researching is how transportation/traffic is affecting our city. How constant traffic pollutes our water and air; and different steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint. I want to learn how to improve our city transit, not just for those who own vehicles but for every citizen on the road. By improving our city transportation there would be less need for vehicles, thereby decreasing gas emissions. I chose this topic because I believe there is a solution to decrease our carbon footprint.