Nature and the Environment

I'm learning more about Queens sees huge surge in demand for emergency meals and food right now, and in particular what I'm wondering about is: why more than half of food pantries still had to turn people away because they ran out of food.

I was researching this question online, and this news item caught my attention because it explains the problems about giving food to elder people. It also talks about Gillibrand and Sen. Chuck Schumer are co-sponsoring legislation to make permanent the Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive that encourages businesses to donate unused food items to food banks. It also states that another piece of legislation Gillibrand is co-sponsoring to help support food pantries and other charities is an extension of tax credits for seniors when they make charitable donations from their retirement savings. Such credits are set to expire at the end of this year.

    This summer my family is going "around the world." I am very excited about this trip because I will be visiting some amazing and beautiful places. I will experience different cultures and societies. I am also a little nervous as well because of these very reasons. When I went to New York City I found the typical "New Yorker" attitude slightly offensive. When I went to Belize I found their laid-back attitude very different from people from Utah. These experiences have been spread out over various vacations in my life. But this summer we are going from Italy to Greece to Moscow to Nepal to Australia to Korea to Japan and finally back home.
    I'm also worried because this trip is going to be during the entire month of July, when most colleges have orientations, meet your roommate, and class registration. It seems like I always miss the most important dates for school because of family vacations.

 This past weekend, I watched the movie called "2012". The motion picture is about the "end of the world". I was not very impressed with the actual movie, but I found myself to be interested in the actual theories behind the predicted "end of the world". So I did some research.

The most commonly held belief on this subject is that the Mayan calendar ends in the year 2012, and some scientists even predict that there will be a galactic star alignment that will cause devastating natural events to occur that will change the world forever. This theory did not appeal to me, because I also read that many other scientists believe that there was a miscalculation with the Mayan calendar and the actual "2012" year is actually 2208. 

  
A recent animal rights issue has arisen in Japan over a rare type of tuna that are considered a luxury food and are used in sushi. These tuna are so elusive that a giant one could fetch over 100,000 thousand dollars from the right buyer. An international ban is currently in the process of being passed that will stop the trade of Bluefin tuna. Many Japanese people are protesting this ban because the tuna create a huge market in Japan(over7 billion a year). Scientists have recently assessed the stocks of Bluefin in the atlantic and found that the number of Bluefins have decreased by up to 80%, and therefore making the tuna elligible for the endangered species list(BBC). It has been proposed that the tuna fishers should stop fishing for the next few years, allowing the numbers of tuna to go back up to what they were years ago. Japan has frequently been at the head of animal rights controversy, and hopefully this negative media attention will prevent these tuna from becoming extinct. 

The Issue: Environment and sustainability.
Topic: Water
My question: Will the world ever run out of water?

I've always wondered if a good amount of people knew what was going on under the sea. Not enough people, that's for sure. Obviously, we all know what the environment is turning into. Littering and polluting.. no wonder global warming is changing for the worst. It scares me that I actually think that after a few more winters, winter won't be the same. This year, summer wasn't as hot as the year before. This year, winter didn't last too long. Just yesterday, it felt like spring, but today it's back to being chilly.

Did you know that with just a text, you can get things accomplished? I never knew that. Whenever I see the advertisement, text to xxxx to save Haiti, to save the community, to save the animals, to save the ocean... I wonder if it really helps. What does it do? It's not like I'm donating money. What is it's point?

    With the recent upswing of earthquakes, history has shown that a "big" one is inevitable for the United States. The earthquakes in Haiti and Chile shows how devastating an earthquake can be. It can be hard to imagine a natural disaster that is so powerful and so life altering. With the seismology activity that has been recently occurring in the US, a large earthquake is bound to happen.

"It's not a matter of if, only of when an event like this strikes the people of the United States," says Marcia McNutt, director of the U.S. Geological Survey. "Shame on us if we don't prepare."

USA TODAY

We have all seen the horrible damage caused by earthquakes in Haiti and Chile in the recent weeks. Hundreds or even thousands of people have been killed and the damage costs are through the roof. Earthquakes cause immense destruction if they are strong enough, not matter where they occur.

All Utahns in the Salt Lake City area know that the Wasatch Fault is a very dangerous place to be if an earthquake actually happened. An earthquake happening in Utah is the "elephant in the room". It is something that we all know is something that could very well happen, but we don't really want to think about the damage it could cause to us.

I found an article about the predicted damage that would be caused if an earthquake did occur here.

"Do we have to worry about only large earthquakes causing damage? No. A moderate-sized earthquake that occurs under an urbanized area can cause major damage.

Something I have become interested in learning more about is landscape pictures. I started to become interested in Michael Kenna because I really like landscape and the thing that interested me was the fact that the landscape pictures are taken in places all over the world. So far I have learned that Michael takes all of his photos in black and white, he also likes to think of his topics and locations before he actually does it.

This information is from Michael Kenna's official site. The source of this information is provided in the several interviews that he had been interviewed in that are poster up on his website. The information that I've been reading is from is his website that give you several interviews he is in.

 

Something I have become interested in learning more about is nature. I started to become interested in Ansel Adams because it struck me how he was able to make nature stand out beautifully, even in black and white. So far I have learned that Ansel Adams primarily focuses on taking photos in black and white.

 

Something I have become interested in learning more about is capturing a picture that shows the roots of that picture. I started to become interested in Ansel Adams because his pictures, the pictures that include color, show the roots of a picture and it captures something simple to something that shows so much. He takes pictures that mean something to you; it can take your breath away. From the photographs I have seen he was very interested in nature and landscapes, as I am too. Ansel Adams was a photographer who took photographs of nature and the wilderness.

This information is from the Sierra Club that contains information about him. The source of this information is to promote Ansel Adams work. The information that I've been reading is from the Sierra Club, an organization, which promotes everyone to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet.

Something I have become interested in learning more about is landscapes and photographs involving the elements. I started to become interested in Ansel Adam's because his photographs are incredibly striking.  So far I have learned that Ansel Adams was a well known environmentalist. This is obviously shown through his work. As a child he always enjoyed nature.  Ansel Adams is hyperactive and suffers from dyslexia.   This is very interesting because although he was impaired by disabilites that strained his patience and focus he shows an incredible amount of control in his photographs. Some believe that these two psychological defects actually led to his photographic genius.  Although as a child Ansel Adams was naturally shy and solitary, when he was twelve he taught himself how to play the piano.  This gave him discipline and allowed to him to harness his focus and patience.

Something I have become interested in learning more about is how to make the pictures I capture stand out in a more conspicuous way, I want to be able to make my pictures stand out with out trying. I started to become interested in Ansel Adams because he's able to capture beautiful landscape pictures of nature and make them look fantastic while only using black and white film, I find it extremely inspirational, if he is able to do this using black and white, what's stopping someone else from doing the same thing while using colored film? So far I have learned that when he was 12 years old, he taught himself how to read music as well as play the piano.Adams also didn't get along with the kids in the various schools his parents sent him to, usually being home-schooled by a family member, Adams was a child who found nature extremely interesting as well as captivating. For a good part of his life, Ansel Adams believed that his passion for the piano would be his ultimate and main path when it came to his career.

Something I have become interested in learning more about is landscapes. I started to become interested in Ansel Adams because his landscape picture were incredible and I loved the way he used the dark to enhance the pictures quality. So far I have learned that lighting makes a big difference to the picture. 

Something I have become interested in learning more about is using reflections and shadows to make an image look more dramatic and interesting. I started to become interested in Eugene Atget because he uses reflections and shadows in a way that I had never seen before. So far I have learned his work is taken in just normal calm streets or locations yet he makes it seem completely different, as if the whole thing is changed.

This information is from http://www.atgetphotography.com/Photographers/Eugene-Atget.html The source of this information is a website that describes Atget's work and his philosophies for others to understand and maybe even follow. The information that I've been reading is from a person who deeply appreciated Atget's work.

Something I have become interested in learning more about is learning about famous photographers that share the kind of photographs I would like to pursue. I started to become interested in Charles Cramer's color photography because his pictures are exactly the type of intriguing, excellently taken photographs that I would like to produce at some point in my life. So far I have learned that Cramer originally printed black and white pictures and found himself later interested in the printing of colored pictures, which makes up the majority of his work at this time.

                                                                         Inspired by a Person

   The photographer I am looking at is Alfred Stieglitz. He was born in New Jersey in 1864. In 1890 he was discovered in New York. He was accepted into the Camera Club, and unlike the other members in the group he did not use mainstream techniques. He emphasized his own view and focused on capturing natural elements such as water, snow and steam. He tried to compose these elements together to create one whole pleasing view. Later, in 1917 he began to use watercolors on his finished photograph prints. His theme became Modern Life, which soon turned into Urban Atmosphere.

 Something I have become interested in learning more about is photographing landscapes and using light to create contrast in my photos. I started to become interested in Michael Kenna because he took amazing photographs of landscapes. Michael Kenna was born in Britian in 1953.  He takes contemporary landscape pictures in black and white.  Sometimes he takes pictures at night with extremely long exposures.  He has also worked for large companies, such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz. One of his photos, Snow Covered Pier, caught my attention.

 Something I have become interested in learning more about is Plant Photography. I started to become interested in Karl Blossfeldt because I can relate to his work, and he focuses on one object as well, just like me. So far I have learned he is a plant photographer and he mostly takes pictures of plants with mainly a white background. All of the plants are very unique and not boring as many that you would see in everyday life. Karl Blossfeld was a teacher, photographer as well as a sculptor and artist.
An interesting piece of work I found by Karl Blossfeldt:

 

Something I have become interested in learning more about is Ansel Adams photography . I started to become interested in Ansel Adams because his photos of landscapes, they are really beautiful. So far I have learned that, as a child, he wasn't good in school and his father took him out at age 12. He however then worked on the piano and photography. He was devoted to Yosemite National Park, which is where some of his best pictures are from.

Something I have become interested in learning more about is landscapes. I started to become interested in Michael Kenna because I like his pictures a lot. Michael Kenna takes black and white pictures and his New York City album interests me since I also live and New York City and I have started to take a lot of pictures of buildings. So far I have learned that Michael Kenna travels all over the world to take photographs. I find this very interesting because every place is a little different then another, especially with landscapes. Here is a photograph taken by Michael Kenna found on his website http://www.michaelkenna.net :

 I find this picture very interesting because it related to my theme. I like how all his pictures are black and white and in my opinion, the photo looks better in black and white. The lights and shadows in the river give the photo a better effect.

    Word struck many pacific islands after yesterdays massive earthquake in Chile. A tsunami warming went directly into effect. The news spread fast and could have saved thousands of lives. It was a matter that had to be dealt with if the tidal waves created by this quake would have made it  to the islands. The nations along the pacific rim showed they have learned from quakes in the past and most were ready to take the hit. Luckily, the waves produced by this earthquake were much smaller than anticipated.
    The scientists who issued the warning don't have much of an appology to those who fled in panic. They believe it showed the world is ready for the next time something like this will happen. The more prepared we are and the quicker we can move towards safety is a key. There have been many tidal surges in the past which developed much quicker than this one and left many dead and businesses were gone. It was a good thing there was so much time to prepare for this.

  Intrusive, obnoxious, over-stepping what do these words describe either a very annoying person or a house guest. Recently I learned what this really means when I had to stay with one of my friends over a long weekend when my parents were out of town. While I did try to make myself as agreeable as possible and help out as much as I can still it must be a little annoying to have someone there when you are trying to relax. I mean you cant do all your normal "Im alone" traits such as singing in the shower, generally being unpleasant and blasting your music into oblivion. Certain things you can do only when you are alone in your house. I learned about this when some of my family friends stayed with us for about a month while they were traveling around the U.S i never thought they were going to leave. They were nice people but there is just something about someone staying with you that makes you act a little differently and you cant just let loose. On the internet i found some basic rules for being an appreciate house guest.

In the past year, China has surpassed other countries as the world's leader in the production of wind turbines.  China has passed the previous leaders in clean technology including Denmark, Germany, Spain, and the United States.