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Be the change our planet needs.

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Hello class and professor, my name is Rut Rodriguez Gonzalez. I was born and raised in Cuba but immigrated to the United States at seven, alongside my parents and brother. In my 12 years in this country, I mainly resided in Miami but recently moved to Hialeah. While living in Miami, I graduated from Miami Senior High School in 2020 and enrolled at Miami Dade College in the fall of the same year. I have attended classes at Padron, Wolfson, and Homestead campuses since all courses have been virtual, but my home campus is Padron. I am a psychology major working towards a career in social work. This semester will be my last at Miami Dade College, and I will be transferring to FIU. Now that academics are out of the way let’s get personal. I am 19 years old, turning 20 in three months, I still do not know how to drive, but it’s a goal I want to achieve this year before summer. My favorite food is shrimp pasta made by my mom or by me on some occasions. The most important things to me are family, friends, and mental health. My family and friends are my primary support, they are always there when I need them, and I could not be more blessed to have them in my life. Furthermore, mental health has not always been a priority, but it is essential, especially in college. I am most passionate about finding my path; I want a fulfilling life to feel happy and accomplished. I aspire to find a job that motivates me to wake up in the morning, but I will not let it consume all my time. Instead, I want to travel and enjoy my life with those I love; I hope to make these passions and goals a reality one day.

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After attending the meeting, I realized that I was familiar with most of the tools Professor Duque had provided. In particular, the academic library. Since my first semester in college, I have utilized this tool especially for most of my ENC coursework. The academic library provides different articles, books, and even videos to choose from. It is easy to navigate, and you can find lots of information without jumping from page to page. If the search gets too overwhelming, narrowing down the information is possible. You can either add more keywords or even set the range of years you want your sources to derive from. This way, we can guarantee a coherent and knowledgeable paper, rather than one that is not up to date and contains irrelevant information. Furthermore, it allows us to print articles, send them to our emails, and even provides citations in any format. The topic I have chosen to research is flooding in South Florida. It has become a reoccurring event, and every time it rains, it appears to be getting worse. The flooding and accumulation of water in our roads have made it dangerous to travel through various areas in Dade County, like parts of Brickell, some places in Coral Way, and particularly Hialeah. The flooding situations can put our lives at risk and damage the engines of the cars we drive.

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Through Learning Resources, all disciplines have a specific library liaison who works closely with faculty and department chairs to ensure that our collections, resources, and services support student success.

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SP3: How Does Climate Change Affect Miami?

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SP3: How Does Climate Change Affect Miami?

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1. Matthew Cappucci. “Sea Level Rise Is Combining with Other Factors to Regularly Flood Miami.” The Washington Post, WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post, 2019.

Within my first article, I was informed on how climate change has constantly affected our coastal city of Miami; it is no longer the heat that keeps us worried, and at bey, it is also the floods. Whether they are caused by heavy rainfall or sea-level rise, most neighborhoods in Miami are plagued by inundations in their streets. Furthermore, sea-level rise is also responsible for phenomena like king tides and sunny day coastal flooding, which can last for weeks and even months.

2. Rhode, Rachel. “Sea Level Rise Threatens Miami’s Future. Here’s How the Army Corps Can Help Keep Florida, Florida.” Environmental Defense Fund, 2021.

In my second article, the implications of climate change on Miami are once more addressed. We are informed of the repercussions it is having now and the ones it will cause in later years. As of this moment, some stakeholders and concerned citizens are getting involved. Even the U.S. Army Corps Engineers are determined to find a solution for the climate change complications we are facing here in Miami. Although not enough action has been taken yet, we have received the wake-up call, and more people will join in the efforts to help our city stay afloat.

3. Gallagher, Maggie F., and Jessica Cattelino. “Youth, Climate Change and Visions of the Future in Miami.” Local Environment, vol. 25, no. 4, Apr. 2020, pp. 290–304. EBSCOhost, doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2020.1744116.

This third article contains a study where students of higher education institutions were interviewed to see their awareness of climate change and what actions they would take to stop or reduce its effect on our city. I was taken aback due to its results; most college and university students care little about climate change and its implications. They have taken no action and, quite frankly, do not understand the issues that climate change can cause. They choose to ignore the problem and hope that others solve it for them.

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In CAS1, I decided to utilize “The Story of Bottled Water” by The Story of Stuff Project. Before viewing the video, I knew that I would be diving into the water bottle industry, but I would not be prepared for what I learned afterward. I was an avid consumer of water in a bottle; I always thought it was cleaner than tap water and tasted better, but The Story of Stuff Project gave me the insight I needed to change for the better. As they address that there are not many differences between tap and bottled, they mentioned that it is the same thing, just packed in a fancy-looking bottle. Furthermore, buying and disposing of bottles slowly damages our planet. In its manufacturing, these factories release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. When they are thrown away, they end up in landfills where they are sometimes burned, harming the air or left there to pollute our soil. Therefore, it is better to filter our tap water than waste money on bottled water.

While completing CAS1, I found it astonishing how often we are lied to by large companies. All they care about is the money and not one second about the customer. My experience while watching “The Story of Cosmetics” was eye-opening and somewhat unsettling. As I sat in front of my computer and listened to how many cosmetic products are not well tested and have no proven safety, I felt uncomfortable. It is incredibly terrifying that we use products like shampoo and makeup daily, and they contain carcinogens that can deteriorate our health. Not to mention that some of these cosmetic items are also linked to asthma and infertility. It is impossible not to be angered by these companies that push out products they test themselves because even the FDA has failed to examine their effects. We are full of chemicals like mercury, lead, and flame retardant; if that is not scary, I don’t know what is. I would never have imagined that our cosmetics were so dangerous or untested. One is always too comfortable with companies because we think they have our well-being in mind, especially if it’s a product for our hygiene, but on the contrary, they care very little about those who get sick because of their products. I feel that the FDA should be more involved in the testing process, and as they do with medicine, they should stop the manufacturing of a particular product if it harms the consumer.

CAS 1 changed how I view the whole manufacturing industry. The goal is always to sell with complete disregard of who may be getting harmed. It is incredibly selfish of them to play with people’s lives; they release products that could potentially kill or shorten someone’s life, and they do it purposely. What makes me feel worse is that no one stops them, they keep growing and growing, and people continue to consume these products with no actual knowledge of what they are doing to their bodies. Even our governments have no say in what they produce; they see life-ending chemicals in these items and turn the other way. Why can we not feel safe buying something off the shelf? It has become a battle for survival at this point. After witnessing this atrocity, I trusted none of the items I had in my bathroom, so I decided to look for better health options, such as aluminum-free deodorant and vegan shampoos. There are ways to make ourselves feel safe, but we must look for them because clearly, they will not be placed on the store shelves.

CAS4 was also eye-opening; in the Planet A video “How to make “plastic” out of algae and mushrooms,” I found it interesting that plastic can be replaced for more sustainable lookalikes. Some companies are currently working on new solutions for the ever-growing plastic problem. It is in most items, so there is a significant demand for it; it is one of the largest industries and a very harmful one. Every plastic item created emits fumes into our breathing air that slowly deteriorates our health and our planet. As seen on CAS1, plastic is taken to landfills and burned, but often it remains there for years, harming the earth. Companies like Notpla and Grown.bio have begun to look for an environmentally friendly solution for the plastic we utilize. I think this could be life-changing; a significant portion of our problems with global pollution stems from plastic, so if there is a different way to store products without the need for plastic, more time should be invested into these solutions. While watching the video, it felt like a ray of hope. We are told that climate change and global pollution are at a point where it is not reversible, but if these mushroom and algae “plastics” are put into the market, maybe we stand a chance at helping our planet. This experience taught me that there are alternate solutions to most of our global issues; all we must do is look harder and investigate different methods that could benefit future generations.

Works Cited

Leonard, Annie. "The Story of Bottled Water," The Story of Stuff Project. 2010. https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/

Leonard, Annie. "The Story of Cosmetics," The Story of Stuff Project. 2010. https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-cosmetics/

Wright, Joseph. "How to make "plastic" out of algea and mushrooms." DW Planet A, 2021. https://youtu.be/KVOG-fG5bD4

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In the video "The Story of Bottled Water" with Annie Leonard, the viewer is informed about the water bottle industry and how we are constantly pushed into buying plastic bottles of water. Manufactured demand is the tactic companies use to sell their products. They scare consumers into believing that the free water they obtain in their homes is not as healthy as the water they can buy. These companies' main arguments are the quality, cleanness, and superior taste of their products. Yet, it has been proven many times that their arguments are not as valid as they claim them to be. Then comes advertising, they depict beautiful sceneries to make the buyer believe that the water comes from these locations, but most of the bottled water we consume is filtered tap water. Companies like Nestle swear that their water is environmentally friendly, but it is not. Creating plastic bottles damages our environment, and the improper disposal of these bottles does too. They often end up in landfills and, other times, are burned, both options equally as impactful to the environment. The consumer has been lied to for years, and it is up to us to defeat these lying companies.

In the video “The Story of Cosmetics” with Annie Leonard, we are informed about the cosmetics we utilize daily. We often trust that these products are made to help us, when really, they may be responsible for various diseases and disabilities, like cancer, asthma, and infertility. These chemicals can be found on the labels of said products, but because we trust the product, we pay no mind to the fine print under “ingredients.” Most of those chemicals have not been proven safe for use, and as a result, we are filled with lead, mercury, and even flame retardants. Leonard mentions that we are being robbed of the option to seek safer products because the government and big companies control what is placed on the shelves. These companies admit to using harmful chemicals but emphasize that they only use small doses, so we will not be affected. Even the FDA, an organization most trust to be honest about what we consume, fails to check the ingredients in our cosmetics. Our government is not interested in our well-being, and therefore we must result to other measures and demand change. We must seek products and companies that prove that they care for the consumer's health.

Consumption is what makes us global citizens. Global citizens are individuals who improve their societies in various ways. For instance, a vital contribution to our societies is maintaining a stable economy and the only way to do this is by buying. Therefore, if we want to be global citizens, we must spend money on the products provided to us. If we are not involved in developing our economies, then we are only a burden to our society, or so we are told. The truth is we are helping a system whose only purpose is to make money on the backs of the buyer. We pay for poison and dishonesty, and big companies only get wealthier on our misfortune. I am a global citizen as I put my money into products like bottled water and cosmetics, but if I had known better, I would not. We must get the truth and understand what we are putting into our bodies before buying it. Our governments need to prioritize the people’s health before anything else; after all, their job is to protect us.

The Story of Stuff videos opened my eyes to the reality we are exposed to every day. We are lied to, and we allow it because we know no better. Now, I have been given the tools to make my own decisions. I have drunk bottled water for most of my life because I believed the claims that tap water is filthy and that it tastes terrible. In addition, I trusted companies that told me that I could have healthier skin with their chemical-filled products. From now on, I will do my research and not let a corporation dictate what is good for me. I will stop buying bottled water, and instead, I will invest in a filter to guarantee the purity of the water I am drinking. Also, I will look for more planet and human-friendly shower and cosmetic products. These videos have inspired these changes because I realized how blindsided I was to what goes into my body; I always trusted companies with my health, not knowing that they only care about the money they can take for me and others.

Works Cited

Leonard, Annie. "The Story of Bottled Water," The Story of Stuff Project. 2010. https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/

Leonard, Annie. "The Story of Cosmetics," The Story of Stuff Project. 2010. https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-cosmetics/

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About this film

The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day), employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand-how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows virtually free from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry's attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call for viewers to make a personal commitment to avoid bottled water and support public investment in clean, available tap water for all.

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Movie Resources

Credits

The Story of Bottled Water was co-created and released by The Story of Stuff Project and a coalition of partners, including Corporate Accountability International, Food & Water Watch, Polaris Institute, Pacific Institute and Environmental Working Group. The movie was produced by Free Range Studios.

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The Story of Bottled Water - Story of Stuff

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About this film The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day), employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand-how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows virtually free from the tap.

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Maria Gallucci: The carbonless fuel that could change how we ship goods

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Every day, tens of thousands of cargo ships, filled to the brim with goods, release heavy pollution into the air as they make their way across the ocean. In this eye-opening talk, reporter Maria Gallucci introduces a planet-friendly alternative that could fuel these globe-trotting vessels: green ammonia.

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The carbonless fuel that can change how we ship goods.

Maria Gallucci addresses the issues that ship exportation is causing to our airways, something that was unheard of some years ago. Gallucci proposes a solution to air pollution and a replacement for the diesel fuel that most cargo ships run on. Instead of using these air-polluting fuels, we could utilize green ammonia since it does not contain carbon molecules, therefore, won't create carbon dioxide. This seems like an irrational solution since it is known to be toxic and explosive; with the right technology, it can be the change we need. On the other hand, it contains nitrogen and hydrogen, both parts of elements like water and oxygen. We could utilize electrolysis, solar panels, and windmills to make this green fuel. As for the structure of the ships, not much has to change. An internal combustion engine can be slightly modified, or fuel cells that create electricity through chemical reactions can be implemented into the ship so that the green ammonia fuel can set the boat in motion.

Works Cited

Gallucci, Maria. "The carbonless fuel that can change how we ship goods." TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, 2021. https://www.ted.com/talks/maria_gallucci_the_carbonless_fuel_that_could_change_how_we_ship_goods

The tragedy of air pollution -- and the urgent demand for clear air.

In this TedTalk, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah speaks about her daughter and what caused her death. She mentions that her daughter had life-threatening asthma, detected at the age of six and passed away at nine because of it. Although it was clear that she passed from an asthma attack, it was unknown what caused it until her autopsy results came back. Rosemond's daughter, Ella Roberta, was the first person who died due to air pollution. She was exposed to the pollution caused by petrol and diesel vehicles every day; she inhaled these toxins, leading to her death. Around the world, many are dying due to air pollution; one in five deaths are caused by fossil fuel emissions that derive from combustion engines, coal power plants, and even ammonia. 8.7 million people have faced the extreme outcome of air pollution; among those millions of people, children are at higher risk. Since their lungs have only begun to develop, the pollution further limits the strength of their brains and lungs. According to Rosamund, there are ways to change our global problem; we need to replace fossil fuel vehicles with ones that run on clean and electrified mechanisms. If air pollution is not addressed, climate change will never end, as it is linked to global warming, acid rain, and our ozone layer. This problem must be addressed for the world's children to live happy and healthy life.

Works Cited

Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, Rosamund. "The tragedy of air pollution -- and the urgent demand for clear air." TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, 2021. 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 TedTalks on the global threat of air pollution, action must be taken to stop this problem. It affects our planet's health and ours too, it affects the future generations, and if no action is taken, surely there will be no future. The first video with the guest speaker Maria Gallucci was innovative as it provides a solution to the growing problem of fossil fuel emissions caused by cargo ships. The idea she proposed of utilizing green ammonia to create a new type of fuel gives us hope that one day we may achieve cleaner air. A single ammonia-powered ship can lead to a revolutionary way of traveling. This option can reduce the impact of transportation of goods on our planet. Furthermore, if this green fuel is proved efficient, it can be implemented in other products like cars, trucks, and even factories; the possibilities could be endless if we only wanted them to be. While listening to Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's story, I learned that we are oblivious to the things that happen around us. We live our lives in a bubble of toxins, and we still wonder why some suffer from shortness of breath. The problem is all around us, and we cannot let it extend further. As someone who lives in the city, the air I breathe is polluted; with the immense number of cars that drive by my area every day, it is impossible for it not to be. Not to mention the fossil fuels emitted by airplanes that fly overhead. It seems impossible to escape the terror of air pollution; we all must act and ask these big corporations to develop safer ways to power our vehicles. These videos inspired me to be more conscious of my environment and demand cleaner air; we deserve to breathe safely as human beings. Air pollution is not a problem of a single person, it is everyone's problem, and it will take everyone's effort to stop it.

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The tragedy of air pollution -- and an urgent demand for clean air

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“Breathing clean air is every child’s human right,” says grassroots campaigner Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, sharing the heartbreaking story of her seven-year-old daughter, Ella Roberta, whose asthma was triggered to a fatal point by air pollution. Now, Adoo-Kissi-Debrah is on a mission to raise awareness about the harmful effects of unsafe air on our health and the planet. In this moving talk, she details why governments have an urgent responsibility to take action on air pollution -- and ensure that all children have a chance to live full and healthy lives.

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CAS2: What Did I Learn from the Solution Articles? 

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CAS2: What Did I Learn from the Solution Articles? 

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Article 1

Food waste and the fashion industry have had a massive impact on our environment. Most of the time, the food we throw out is burdened, and those fumes are expelled into our breathing air, while clothes end up in landfills, where they remain for years damaging our soil. “Food waste is going to take over the fashion industry” proposes a solution for both these earth-damaging issues. According to Isaac Nicholson, who is known for his pursuit of sustainable fashion, the food waste we pay no mind to can be used to create fabrics. For instance, banana by-products, pineapple leaves, and crushed sugar canes can be used to create natural fibers. Isaac Nicholson invested in Circular Systems, which focuses on innovating new ways of using unwanted fabrics and food waste into usable material. Within this company, they utilize different sustainable methods to create environment-friendly fabrics, like the food waste mentioned earlier, known as Agraloop, and other methods like Texloop and Orbital. Texloop, as its name indicates, is a way of utilizing the thrown-out pieces of textile and repurposing them into new fibers. In contrast, “Orbital” combines both fabrics and food waste to create new fibers. These methods can be the step towards a healthier world; there is no reason why they should not take over the fashion industry.

Works Cited

Anzilotti, Eillie. “Food waste is going to take over the fashion industry.” Fast Company. 2018. https://www.fastcompany.com/40584274/food-waste-is-going-to-take-over-the-fashion-industry?utm_source=Solutions+Story+Tracker

Article 2

In the article “The Garden Kitchen Series,” we are told about Heidi Barr’s experience with fast fashion and her idea to reduce it. As a costume designer, she often saw her work being admired for a short period and then forgotten and thrown away. As she became tired of this, she came up with a solution. She decided to be more environmentally friendly and created her business, The Kitchen Garden Series. She made reusable substitutes for plastic grocery bags, paper napkins, and paper coffee filters. In Barr’s journey to find new sustainable materials, she came across an obstacle; she was unable to find a provider of linen, but once she did, new problems emerged as she learned about the creation of textiles. So, she did the next best thing, she began to grow flax and processed it into linen on her own; this way, she would reduce the environmental impact that other processing companies create when making the textile. From her experience, she learned that other organizations are trying to inspire people to buy locally and ethically grown fabrics. Growing these types of plants locally can help reduce waterway pollution and reduce the need to export clothes from other locations where ethics is not a priority, and neither is the health of our planet.

Works Cited

Duchene, Courtney. “The Garden Kitchen Series.” The Philadelphia Citizen. 2020. https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/kitchen-garden-series-philadelphia/

Reflection

Solution journalism gives the audience hope rather than scare them. When one thinks of climate change in articles, one is only met with fear, such as there is no reversing it or that there are no ways around it. Still, by reading articles that provide solutions to the problems we fear, one can be at ease and take action rather than panic. While reading these articles, it became clear that there are various ways to remain trendy while being environmentally responsible. I have always been aware of the impact that the clothes we buy have on the environment, and I know where they are made and who makes them; therefore, I have always tried to purchase small amounts of clothes per year and buy second-hand. These articles have opened my eyes to new possibilities that I would have never thought existed, like using banana peels and pineapple leaves to create fabrics or repurposing the materials that are often thrown away after a garment is designed. Furthermore, I had no clue that we could buy from local fabric companies rather than malls. I will be looking into these resources and telling others about them. It is incredible how there is still a chance to improve the health of our planet. My thoughts are that sustainable fashion is a great idea, and more people should know about it. The consumer must be educated on where their products come from and their impact on the environment, and maybe then they will become more conscious of what they put on their bodies. Methods like Agraloop, Taxloop, and Orbital should become the norm when creating clothing. No more factories that damage our health, water, and soil; it is time to change to sustainable fashion so that our planet stands a chance at survival. More companies need to join the cause and reduce the damage that the fashion industry has already done.

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CAS4: How Can Plants Help Get Rid of Plastic?

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CAS4: How Can Plants Help Get Rid of Plastic?

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Plastic is a part of our everyday lives; we find it wrapped in the food we eat and even on the appliances we use to cook said foods but regardless of its various uses, it poses a threat to our environment. From the toxins it emits in its creation and disposal to its harm to our wildlife, plastic is a menace to society. In the Planet A video, "How to make "plastic" out of algae and mushrooms," we are given various eco-friendly replacements to the plastic we are using now. Pierre Paslier is the co-founder of Notpla, a company working on making plastic lookalikes out of seaweed. Due to the rapid growth of algae, supply will not be a problem, but most importantly, this plastic is biodegradable. Even if it is disposed of inappropriately, it would not be harmful to our planet. Notpla has gone as far as to tackle takeout boxes, which are among the top ten items polluting the sea. They coat the container with seaweed, making the box compostable within twenty-nine days. Sadly, this innovative system is still under trial, so we probably won't be seeing it any time soon. On the other hand, other naturally grown plants can be used to replace plastic base items. For instance, mushrooms roots, also known as mycelium, can be used for polystyrene. To create this biodegradable polystyrene, you must place organic waste like straw into a mold to mix with mushroom spores. Within a week, the mycelium will grow and look like foam which will be dried so that the spores stop growing. This innovative solution is being developed by Grown.bio, a company based in the Netherlands. These organic replacements can be a solution to the everyday growing pollution problem; if we were to get rid of plastic, a considerable part of the problem could be solved. It is honestly effortless to switch to more sustainable packaging; if more time and funds were placed in these companies, these biodegradable packaging items could be made and put into the market quickly. After watching this video, I found it surprising how the solution to our problems is at the palm of our hands, but we choose to ignore it. Although these items may take longer to produce, like in the case of the mushroom polystyrene, if we can help the planet, maybe, I think we should invest our time into perfecting these processes. Eventually, they could be made at faster rates.

Work cited
Wright, Joseph. "How to make "plastic" out of algea and mushrooms." DW Planet A, 2021. https://youtu.be/KVOG-fG5bD4