Emily+R

__Tesla and Elon Musk's 'Gigafactories' __ Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2016/10/30/how-tesla-and-elon-musk-could-save-the-world-with-gigafactories/#2a71ec582de8 Who would have ever thought that factories could ultimately change the world? Well I definitely did not, but after reading this article, my eyes have been opened to another world full of possibilities. Elon Musk is a man who tries to incorporate the issues of climate change and fossil fuels into everything he does. In fact, with his attempt to "beat" climate change, he wants to create a colony on Mars. I think this is extremely crazy, but with the advancements he is making within our society, anything is possible. Tesla, Musk's car company, is in the making of a gigafactory. What is a gigafactory (you may be asking yourself)? Well it is an EXTRA large factory that basically produces batteries for a lower cost as well as power renewable energy sources. All of this is done under one roof which makes this whole process much easier. Musk informs the reader that with the fossil fuels society is using now, the world will inevitably reach a level of danger. The whole point of these gigafactories are to store renewable energy within batteries. Musk holds this vision that he will be able to significantly help underdeveloped countries who do not have access to electricity. With Musk's creations, the countries can forward ahead to this solar and battery based system. Not only does he want Tesla to be doing this, but other companies around the world. Musk's team did research and figured out that if one hundred gigafactories were built, that would be enough sustainable energy to change the world. I really like Musk because he believes that if more companies get involved, the more change will be able to occur. Not only do I agree with him, but I admire his truthful optimism. Obviously, if there is more people involved, Musk's dream of sustainable energy around the world can come true. Of course companies have to get involved, but the government does as well. For instance, there could be a tax on carbon in order to increase the use and want for renewable energy. This relates to what we are doing in class because we talked about solar energy and how these renewable energy sources can really help develop countries who are poor and not on the electrical grid. The Ted video talked more about the benefits of using renewable energy in these underdeveloped countries. This is just like Musk who believes he can make an impact on these countries as well. The Energy Information Administration conducted a survey that said that the average American spends two thousand dollars every year on energy (Hincha-Ownby). If someone were to invest in solar panels, it would be expensive at first, but alleviate all these costs in the long run. Especially with the advancements that Elon Musk is making, who knows how much the Average American will be spending on electricity every year.
 * Week 4: 6/5 - 6/10 **

**Week 3: 5/29 - 6/3 ** __ Fish Factory Farms __  media type="youtube" key="hM6OiDNcY9w" width="446" height="246" align="left" The video posted above talks about and questions the issue of fish factory farming, especially with salmon. People are questioning whether this system is morally just, while keeping it sustainable and affordable. Factory farming itself is not that bad, but the way it is done is what makes it sometimes questionable. For example, wild salmon and farmed salmon have a different color. This is because they are fed different things before they are consumed by a human. The nutritional input between each type of salmon is what really creates the difference between the two types. Obviously, wild salmon consume other fish and crustaceans, while farmed fish get their nutrients by crushed up fish oil and meal put into tablets that are given to the salmon. There are many organizations put into place to make the potential issue of fish factory farming more sustainable. One problem with this topic is that farmers are using vegetable oil instead of fish oil to feed the farmed fish because it is much cheaper. There was a study done in Norway that gave salmon instilled with fish oil and salmon instilled with vegetable oil to mice to see which would result in a more healthy rodent. Norway found prior to this study that two thirds of the salmon's natural oil was being replaced with vegetable oil. Anyway, the results concluded that mice who ate the fish with fish oil had omega 3, omega 6, and a healthy liver, while the mice who ate the other salmon did not obtain a good balance of fatty acids and actually had nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. You may be thinking, well why on earth would I purchase farmed salmon? Well, because it is much cheaper than wild salmon. In fact, wild salmon is three times as expensive. With this being said. farmers are coming together to generate an organized system that will make the farmed fish healthier to consume. This all relates to our class this past week because we discussed the issue of CAFO, the concentrated animal feeding operation. The three most popular animals to be put in factory farms are pigs, cows, and chickens and scientists and researchers are wondering if this process is ethical. Comparing it back to fish factories, there is a chance that the meat being produced is not healthy and clean. The animals are kept in such poor conditions, they are legitimately sitting in their own feces. Not only that, but the issue of antibiotic injection has been on the rise. This directly correlates with the vegetable oil in salmon, because many people are wondering if these two things are really harming our society and the people consuming the food. Fish factory farms and CAFO may be hard to stop completely, but we can still inform the public about the conditions in each place.

**Week 2: 5/22 - 5/27 ** __The World's Trash Crisis __

Link: http://www.latimes.com/world/global-development/la-fg-global-trash-20160422-20160421-snap-htmlstory.html

Wow! It is crazy to think how so many people in the world mindlessly waste food and supplies without thinking of the repercussions. Little do they know that the way they are treating the earth's environment now, will affect them later on in life and the generations to come. I have always been into recycling and being mindful of what I throw out so when I read this article regarding international waste, it caught my attention. Did you know that "in the U.S., about $200 billion a year is spent on solid waste management and lost energy resources from disposing trash?" (Simmons). This is not only a problem in the U.S.; however, it is an issue in China, Brazil, Japan and Germany as they are the leading trash generators in the world. This relates to the class because we discussed how technology is bringing our society down, so I thought this was an issue that can hurt the United States as well. Trash disposal not only creates countless landfills, but also brings people the possibility of catching diarrhea, illness, or infection. As a class, we talked about how infectious water brings diarrhea that can do much harm to human beings. Even though this sounds very dangerous, there are efforts to minimize waste collection. Recycling programs have been put in place, as well as, organizations that charge for every bag someone throws away, in hopes that they will reduce their amount of trash. I feel confident that the people of the United States, and the world, can make a difference and save our environment!



**WALL-E Response ** 1) After watching WALL-E, use your own background knowledge to define SUSTAINABILITY in your own words.

After watching WALL-E, sustainability is maintaining an adequate environment that organisms are able to prosper in with the help of biotic and abiotic factors.

2) What are the next steps for the new settlers? That is, if you were to colonize an area in this condition, what are some of the first major issues & solutions that need to be accomplished for successful & sustainable future?

If I were to colonize an area in this condition, in order for it to have a successful and sustainable future, I would make sure that farms are created so that the new settlers can have a source of food (plants and crops will be grown). Prior to this step, I would host an effort to clean up all the trash and debris that is surrounded on the earth. Once that is done, I will find a water source that the new settlers will be able to use on their farms and for themselves. Not only will there be plants and water, but animals will be raised on the farms, so that the new settlers cam eat different sources of meat. With all of this in place, shelters will be built because the settlers will need an environment where they can rest and cook their food. After this is accomplished, I believe the new settlers will be able to have a successful and sustainable future.