I feel that the entire Vanishing Wetlands multimedia presentation is very well laid out, pleasing to the eyes and gets the message out very clearly. I felt that the convergence on most of the stories worked well, and the print stories were picked out well and written well. Personally, the graphics added a lot to the entire presentation. It put things in an easy to understand way, and they were done very well as far as graphics go.
I think that we can use all of the different aspects that they use in recycling. Graphics will be great to display how it works in a quick and easy to understand format. Videos will bring things to real life, and pictures always seem to speak a thousand words, and a photo gallery could be great for a presentation on effects of not recycling. But of course, you need the backbone, the article to sum everything up and make sense out of all of the multimedia presentations.
As far as the mitigation story, I feel that just shows how money and reputation can overcome anything. If they did not have the last name Levin, would things have went their way? But on the other hand, they were the ones with the money, and they are able to do with it as they please. I still think they could have made more of an effort to cater to the environment, such as building them closer instead of building them further apart because they liked “distance” between the condos.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was not the most interesting writer in my opinion, but he did have his moments where he would catch my attention, but he also seemed to wander around at times.
He was a great observer, a naturalist. He always seemed to see things that others did not see, or did not take the time to see. He took amusement in the mouse in his home that was native, not introduced, and how an otter managed to grow to four feet long without a human getting a glimpse of the otter.
He also seemed to have a true, sincere respect and for nature. In Walden:, or Life in the Woods, he shows talks about the “ignorant or reckless” sportsman who leaves the innocent partridges to a fall a pray or decay. He almost takes respect to ownership when he talks about the hens and chickens being his. In Walking, he actually speaks for Nature, and says man is just an inhabitant or a part and parcel of Nature.
I feel that he believes in nature and that it should be respected. He actually says, “I believe in the forest, and in the meadow, and in the night in which the corn grows.” He even goes further into his belief about nature by saying that the most alive is the wildest and that “all good things are wild and free”.
He comes off as a tree-hugger to me, so I definitely think that there is a place for him in today’s environmental movement, just maybe not one that is mainstream. I feel that he would like everything to go untouched and to be 100% in its natural setting and ways, which today is nearly impossible in certain aspects.
He was a great observer, a naturalist. He always seemed to see things that others did not see, or did not take the time to see. He took amusement in the mouse in his home that was native, not introduced, and how an otter managed to grow to four feet long without a human getting a glimpse of the otter.
He also seemed to have a true, sincere respect and for nature. In Walden:, or Life in the Woods, he shows talks about the “ignorant or reckless” sportsman who leaves the innocent partridges to a fall a pray or decay. He almost takes respect to ownership when he talks about the hens and chickens being his. In Walking, he actually speaks for Nature, and says man is just an inhabitant or a part and parcel of Nature.
I feel that he believes in nature and that it should be respected. He actually says, “I believe in the forest, and in the meadow, and in the night in which the corn grows.” He even goes further into his belief about nature by saying that the most alive is the wildest and that “all good things are wild and free”.
He comes off as a tree-hugger to me, so I definitely think that there is a place for him in today’s environmental movement, just maybe not one that is mainstream. I feel that he would like everything to go untouched and to be 100% in its natural setting and ways, which today is nearly impossible in certain aspects.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Emerald Coastkeeper
Emerald Coastkeeper may be the best-kept secret in the Pensacola area.
Sure, you have never heard of it, what they have done or what the group is attempting to accomplish, but you have most likely felt the effects of their achievements.
The Emerald Coastkeeper is the local chapter of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a national group that is dedicated to connecting local Waterkeeper groups, such as the Emerald Coastkeeper, to provide a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide.
Emerald Coastkeeper is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1999 and serves to protect the fourth largest estuarine system in Florida. With their headquarters in Pensacola, the Emerald Coastkeeper protects from the Perdido Bay to the St. Andrews Bay, as well as many local rivers.
One recent victory for the group went relatively unnoticed.
When CSX Transportation decided to build new railroad tracks through Bayou Texar in Pensacola, the company decided to not remove its creosote, a carcinogenic that is also linked to stomach pains and burning of the mouth and eyes when someone eats food or drinks water that is contaminated with the substance, pilings from the old tracks in an attempt to save money.
Emerald Coastkeeper stepped in and took the company to court and forced CSX to remove the creosote pilings from the water.
Providing a voice for the local waterways comes crucial, and Coastkeeper and marine biologist Taylor Kirschenfeld feels this area needs it now more than ever.
Kirschenfeld gave the local water quality a C grade, and knows there is still work to be done.
“I still think there is a lot of room for improvement,” Kirschenfeld said.
“We don’t have a sophisticated population,” Kirschenfeld said, “they don’t look at the environment; they look at their job and money.”
The water quality of the area is an ongoing issue for the Emerald Coastkeeper, and they have fought for improvements in storm-water runoff and improvements in the sewer and septic systems.
A major obstacle that the group is ready to face upcoming is offshore drilling. The Coastkeeper is strictly opposed to offshore drilling.
The Coastkeeper argues that the benefit of offshore drilling, a slight relief of prices at the gas pump, is not worth the risk of ruining Florida’s tourism-dependent economy and pristine beaches.
The Emerald Coastkeeper is in its tenth year and continues to push forward for the better of the local waterways, donating all profits to current and future missions.
With around 1,000 members, the group is strong, but continues to grow through the help and awareness of the community.
“We keep up with the environment by the eyes and ears of the community,” Kirschenfeld said.
Kirschenfeld recognizes the awareness level is growing in the area, but still wishes that university students would get more vocal, as well as the general public.
“I am jealous of counties that are progressive towards the environment,” Kirschenfeld said.
But when it boils down, he understands that everyone is in the fight for the same thing, the environment.
“It’s here for our enjoyment,” Kirschenfeld said, “and we make sure it doesn’t get used by any one entity.”
Sure, you have never heard of it, what they have done or what the group is attempting to accomplish, but you have most likely felt the effects of their achievements.
The Emerald Coastkeeper is the local chapter of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a national group that is dedicated to connecting local Waterkeeper groups, such as the Emerald Coastkeeper, to provide a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide.
Emerald Coastkeeper is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1999 and serves to protect the fourth largest estuarine system in Florida. With their headquarters in Pensacola, the Emerald Coastkeeper protects from the Perdido Bay to the St. Andrews Bay, as well as many local rivers.
One recent victory for the group went relatively unnoticed.
When CSX Transportation decided to build new railroad tracks through Bayou Texar in Pensacola, the company decided to not remove its creosote, a carcinogenic that is also linked to stomach pains and burning of the mouth and eyes when someone eats food or drinks water that is contaminated with the substance, pilings from the old tracks in an attempt to save money.
Emerald Coastkeeper stepped in and took the company to court and forced CSX to remove the creosote pilings from the water.
Providing a voice for the local waterways comes crucial, and Coastkeeper and marine biologist Taylor Kirschenfeld feels this area needs it now more than ever.
Kirschenfeld gave the local water quality a C grade, and knows there is still work to be done.
“I still think there is a lot of room for improvement,” Kirschenfeld said.
“We don’t have a sophisticated population,” Kirschenfeld said, “they don’t look at the environment; they look at their job and money.”
The water quality of the area is an ongoing issue for the Emerald Coastkeeper, and they have fought for improvements in storm-water runoff and improvements in the sewer and septic systems.
A major obstacle that the group is ready to face upcoming is offshore drilling. The Coastkeeper is strictly opposed to offshore drilling.
The Coastkeeper argues that the benefit of offshore drilling, a slight relief of prices at the gas pump, is not worth the risk of ruining Florida’s tourism-dependent economy and pristine beaches.
The Emerald Coastkeeper is in its tenth year and continues to push forward for the better of the local waterways, donating all profits to current and future missions.
With around 1,000 members, the group is strong, but continues to grow through the help and awareness of the community.
“We keep up with the environment by the eyes and ears of the community,” Kirschenfeld said.
Kirschenfeld recognizes the awareness level is growing in the area, but still wishes that university students would get more vocal, as well as the general public.
“I am jealous of counties that are progressive towards the environment,” Kirschenfeld said.
But when it boils down, he understands that everyone is in the fight for the same thing, the environment.
“It’s here for our enjoyment,” Kirschenfeld said, “and we make sure it doesn’t get used by any one entity.”
Monday, January 26, 2009
Waterkeeper Alliance/Emerald Coastkeeper
The Waterkeeper Alliance, http://www.waterkeeper.org/, is a group that looks over local groups that are involved in providing a voice for waterways and their communities worldwide. They support Waterkeeper organizations to protect communities, ecosystems and water quality, as well as promoting watershed protection worldwide.
Here is a news link about the Waterkeeper Alliance - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-md.poultry24jan24,0,7526704.story
Emerald Coastkeeper, http://emeraldcoastkeeper.org/, is the local group here in our area that is involved with the Waterkeeper Alliance. They are dedicated to protecting the waterways of this area, and do so through education, outreach programs and leading by example, and at times through legal remedies.
Here is a news link about the Emerald Coastkeeper - http://www.pnj.com/article/20090106/NEWS01/901060314/1006/NEWS01
With the local problems with water pollution, a possible story angle could be how do they respond to and act against the local plants and companies that pollute into the local waterways.
Some key questions that could be asked at the news conference are:
1. Where does the majority of the problems come from in regards to pollution in the waterways in our area?
2. In what ways are the Emerald Coastkeepers actively fighting the pollution problems in our area?
3. What are the negative effects of pollution in our area that the group is aware of?
The way to connect with the readers would be to make it hit as close to home as possible. Make them feel like they are part of the story, and that the Emerald Coastkeepers are trying to prevent things that are happening in their neighborhood.
Here is a news link about the Waterkeeper Alliance - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/bal-md.poultry24jan24,0,7526704.story
Emerald Coastkeeper, http://emeraldcoastkeeper.org/, is the local group here in our area that is involved with the Waterkeeper Alliance. They are dedicated to protecting the waterways of this area, and do so through education, outreach programs and leading by example, and at times through legal remedies.
Here is a news link about the Emerald Coastkeeper - http://www.pnj.com/article/20090106/NEWS01/901060314/1006/NEWS01
With the local problems with water pollution, a possible story angle could be how do they respond to and act against the local plants and companies that pollute into the local waterways.
Some key questions that could be asked at the news conference are:
1. Where does the majority of the problems come from in regards to pollution in the waterways in our area?
2. In what ways are the Emerald Coastkeepers actively fighting the pollution problems in our area?
3. What are the negative effects of pollution in our area that the group is aware of?
The way to connect with the readers would be to make it hit as close to home as possible. Make them feel like they are part of the story, and that the Emerald Coastkeepers are trying to prevent things that are happening in their neighborhood.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Reading 1
White, de Crevecouer and Bartram all had unique and differing views on nature and ways of portraying their views. I do not think any of the writers are “better”, but I feel that each of them are unique in their own way.
To me, the most interesting of the three to read was Bartram. Bartram had a true and natural enthusiasm for nature and he revealed that in the way he wrote. I felt he was the least knowledgeable of the three, but it did not stop him at all. He really enjoyed his encounters with nature and even put himself in danger with the alligators.
White was a definite scientist. He documented many his encounters with nature and he looked at nature as an experiment. He didn’t seem all that concerned with taking nature out of its environment or altering nature, but he always seemed to have a reason to do it.
De Crevecouer depended on nature, obviously as a farmer, but it almost seemed as if he felt bad at times for using nature to his benefit, like when he ate the egg. De Crevecouer was protective of nature, but realized that sometimes nature needed to be impeded with, such as when he killed the animals to protect his farm.
I feel that Bartram reflects today’s environmental consciousness more than White and de Crevecouer. Bartram enjoyed nature and his passion for it can be seen today in many naturists. But I do feel that White and de Crevecouer both had some characteristics that do reflect today’s environmental consciousness, such as White and his documentation and de Crevecourer and his protection.
To me, the most interesting of the three to read was Bartram. Bartram had a true and natural enthusiasm for nature and he revealed that in the way he wrote. I felt he was the least knowledgeable of the three, but it did not stop him at all. He really enjoyed his encounters with nature and even put himself in danger with the alligators.
White was a definite scientist. He documented many his encounters with nature and he looked at nature as an experiment. He didn’t seem all that concerned with taking nature out of its environment or altering nature, but he always seemed to have a reason to do it.
De Crevecouer depended on nature, obviously as a farmer, but it almost seemed as if he felt bad at times for using nature to his benefit, like when he ate the egg. De Crevecouer was protective of nature, but realized that sometimes nature needed to be impeded with, such as when he killed the animals to protect his farm.
I feel that Bartram reflects today’s environmental consciousness more than White and de Crevecouer. Bartram enjoyed nature and his passion for it can be seen today in many naturists. But I do feel that White and de Crevecouer both had some characteristics that do reflect today’s environmental consciousness, such as White and his documentation and de Crevecourer and his protection.
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