Blog #12 Blogging

As what I wrote on reflective essay, writing blog in every week was one of hard jobs to me; because I had to finish by every Tuesday. Especially when I had to write unusual topic, I could not know where I should start from like find awesome blog. Also, express my feeling through blog was difficult to me because I am not comfortable with it. However, after I finished few blogs, it was really helpful to my writing skill because I could write anything what I think and feel beside thinking of grammars. It gave more chance to express my feeling or thought in my blog. Sometimes, 250 words were hard to write, but when I had interesting topic, it was nothing. Also, from the comments, it was really good that I could share others’ opinion and new information. (sometime if I don’t have any comments under my blog, I felt so sad) When I looked other classmates’ blog, I tried to see everyone’ blog and leave comments different blog each week.

Honestly, after class, I don’t think I keep on blogging. If I would, the subject would change to common or fun things that I liked more. It was nice experience to have own blog, but I will keep on my track in different ways.

Blog #10 Consumerism and Christmas

I went to Best Buy the day after Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday even I didn’t have anything particularly buy there. I was surprised not because of their price, but the people. Where were all those people coming from? I waited fifteen minutes to get into the store! That day, I surely understood consumerism that drives our culture crazily.

Christmas season, I always feel terrible about one thing. That is Christmas trees which is not a gift, but it is really awful to me and as what Prof. X said, the selfish, clueless, and ‘straight to the trash’. Please don’t think I am out of mine of non-emotional person. Every time when I see all the cut downed trees from Christmas tree sale, I feel really sad about it and wonder where all the tree come from; maybe every Christmas season, we cut down one mountain because of our selfish. I don’t understand why Christmas tree becomes symbol of Christmas; from the religion presentation, I learned other religions take care of nature and try not to cut the trees, but not for Christian?

Wrapping paper is also one of problems of this season. All the gifts are wrapped nicely with wrapping paper and ribbons. However, after open the gifts, all those things become trash; even if I save some papers or ribbons for next time, I’ve never used it. Also, shopping bags become garbage after the season. I think these are also huge waste of trees and money because of our insanity.

There are many products at the market and I can easily find awful and useless one from it. It is also easy to show other people how awful or how useless they are, but I think that doesn’t solve any problems. Recycling and reuse are really helpful after the seasons. Also, we have to stop cut down the trees to decorate our house for short time. I don’t know when we start to give each others gift without celebrating real meaning of Christmas day. On Christmas day, if you want to share your love to families or friends, write and send card to them; not E-Mail, and do you want to save more? Then, make your own card with old rapping papers and ribbons

All the pictures are from www.yahoo.com

Blog #9 Awesome Blog

When I saw this blog assignment, I didn’t know what to do because I couldn’t realize how many people have concerned of our environment and try to change around us. I thought there are only few people who really care about our environment because as I said my past blog, I felt changing attitude toward our planet is really hard; save everything, stop shopping and etc.

When I found this ‘Green Blog, Enviro space; the ultimate green community’ first time, I was surprised lots of people have same concern about our nature and environments. The awesomeness of this blog is many bloggers can write what they are interested about instead of control and write by one person. Also, there is calendar that shows environmental events around the world. For example, December 1st to 12th, there is United Nations’ conference about climate change in Poland. It seems like many bloggers are worried about climate change; there are many posts about it.

From the post, I have interested about one, “Eco Friendly Tips for College and University Students” by Daniel Harrison, one of the blogger. He said one of the green ideas for the student is save money which I agree. He gives some easy and common tips that he used during his college years which are make own meals in bulk, don’t buy text book, don’t have a car, and switch stuff off and use energy saving light bulbs. I especially agree with making meal in bulk because I waste my money to buy foods that always throw out after three days.

From this blog, I can see many people who are really doing something to keep our green nature. Because this blog realizes me there are many people who try to keep our planet, this is my reason that I choose it as awesome blog.

Blog #8 Religion and Environment

I learned a lot from each of the presentation. When I saw the topic, religion and environment, I couldn’t understand its concept and where I should start with because I didn’t see any relationship between religion and environment. Moreover, I don’t believe God so it was more difficult to see religion and environment together, so I kept researched on how Hinduism affected their society; I thought environment represents society.

The concept of trees in Islam was very impressed to me. I was nervous when I heard that ‘if you plant a tree or feed an animal, you will receive rewards in paradise’, because I was about to kill my plants in my home and I even did so many times before. Also, I wondered why Islamic people pigs are cursed or dirty animal while they care other animals.


Daoism’s Ying Yang harmony of nature reminded me Korea’s flag. As you can see, the blue and red are balanced each other and represent origin of the universe. Each side has also meaning; according to Daoism, those are sky, fire, water and earth. Therefore, I found more interested on Daoism.

From the presentation, I learned religions are related their environment and I could understand how all religions care their environment. Our environment is important for everybody even if they are believed in different religion because they think environment and living things are God’s creation that they have to keep it clean.

Blog #7 Museum of Natural History

On November 6, 2008, I went trip to Museum of Natural History in Manhattan with my entire classmate. I went this museum few times before so I felt comfortable than others. The first trip was about 10 years ago with my uncle. I went to New York City to visit my uncle and he took our family to the museum. We walked about all floors of museum and watched film about planet of Earth. Even though I couldn’t understand English at that time, everything seems pretty interesting to me.

In this trip I expected more information and knowledge about how human being evolved because I could understand more English than before and I believe that it is very interesting subject. That is the reasons why I focus on human origin section. I watched the foot print of human in millions years ago and I compared with mine. The old human being had really big foot and I questioned myself, “Are we still evolving?”. I also thought I can be the future displayed foot print next millions years later.

Next section that I had fun was hall of biodiversity. I saw all different species about land, ocean, and rain forest. It showed all Earth living species like bacteria and beetles, fungi and fish, microorganisms and mammals. All of these species are displayed at hall of biodiversity section and there are more than 1500 species. While I was watching all these species, I felt little bit sad because they were stuffed animals.

During this trip, I learned a lot, especially about human origin and biodiversity. It was wonderful trip that I had recently. Only one thing that I remorse about this trip was I couldn’t able to watch climate change film in 3rd floor. If I have other chance to go to Museum of Natural History, I definitely watch this film.

Blog #6 E-Waste in China

After I watched the video during the class, I was shocked that U.S.A dumps e waste to other low income countries. I thought China is huge and rapidly develop nation which has power to keep their country. Thus, I decide to research more about e waste in china.

Developed countries are recently exporting e waste to China or India to reuse or recycle. According to Greenpeace, U.S ended landfill or incinerators 4.6 million tons of e waste in 2000. However, it banned from states and they start to export to Asia; China government tried to ban importing e waste, but it still happens.

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/toxics/hi-tech-highly-toxic/e-waste-goes
We can also watch e waste in China from the youtube;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMOAWW6I0k

From the New York Times article, I can easily know environmental racism, “…because recycling in the United States is expensive, hazardous and encumbered with environmental and safety regulations, many companies that collect e-waste simply ship it to underdeveloped nations”.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/27/opinion/27royte.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=e%20waste%20in%20china&st=cse&oref=slogin

Because of heavy metals like lead, cadmium and mercury from e waste, blood lead levels of children in Guiyu, China is extremely high.

Environmental Health Perspectives; Jul2007, Vol. 115 Issue 7, p1113-1117, 5p, 3 charts, 1 map, 5 color

I will keep my research on e waste in city Guiyu in China with more specific facts and negative affects.

Blog #5 Consumerism and Waste

This is statement from Chris Jordan’s site, ‘Intolerable Beauty’, “… but I have heard it said that in risking self-awareness, at least we know that we are awake”. His pictures, mountain of dumped trash are really said to me we have to be awake what we are doing to ourselves.

What I watched video from the class and pictures from his site were really made me feel awkward of our society that we are living in. It also reminded me the short cartoon that we watched the other day, the story of stuff because it was helpful to understand to me what society is really offering to consumers behind all the fancy and nice commercials. Our government and corporations always want to us to buy something, consumerism begins. Nobody tells us stop buying because we are ruin our planet or things that we are throwing are making huge garbage mountain.

All of these things make me sad. To be honest myself, what can I do to save myself or others from it? I can easily say ‘yeah, yeah, small change makes huge differences and I can change myself first and booom~ everything’s going to be okay’, but I am not sure about it because I am really well planned consumer of society; I really like to go shop for new things. For the last thing, I want to ask you, are you sure this is going to stop if we change ourselves little bit from we used to be?

Blog #4 The Story of Stuff (Question # 2)

I was born in South Korea and I grew up there until I was fifteen. I am still watching Korean TV shows and dramas and its cultures are still more close to my life; in fact, I don’t usually watch other U.S channels. There are some differences in the prevalence of advertisement, re-use waste system and leisure time.

First, in Korea, they don’t usually advertise actual goods that they want to sell. The advertisers use some famous actor or actress to perform like short and nice drama or movie cut to present their goods. That way consumer can get ideas if she or he can be one of the actor or actress in their life. Moreover, Korea is small countries; smaller than New York State, many young Koreans do care others’; they always follow the stylish celebrities. Therefore, advertisements’ famous celebrities bring more impact in Korea.

There is different system of re-use and waste management in Korea; they have to pay for garbage bags. In the U.S, we can use any plastic bags to dump any garbage; however, they can not use any plastic bags in Korea. They have standard garbage bag with different size and price. Also, they have to do recycle even they are living in apartment. Therefore, many Koreans try to reduce their garbage; they usually don’t use plastic bags in the supermarket and use machine to dry food waste.

There are many things to do during the leisure time in Korea. First of all, there are many places to spend leisure time. For example, there are many safety small parks each county that open till late night. Also, there are many saunas to relax with cheap price.

As you can see, there are some differences between U.S and Korea in the prevalence of advertisement, re-use waste system and leisure time.

This is the picture of one of the park in capital city Seoul.

Blog #3 My Plan

During the class, I picked animal extinction is worst issue of global warming. There are many negative factors which happened because of global warming such as heat waves, climate changes, severe whether etc. However, I think animal extinction is final factor because it shows failure of our ecosystem that we live based on.

There are many species are dying because of global warming. The analysis says at least 70 species of mountain dwellers frogs that had nowhere to go to escape the creeping heat, have gone extinct because of climate change. It also reports that between 100 and 200 other cold-dependent animal species, such as penguins and polar bears are also in deep trouble because their ice lands are melting and shorten time of winter.

There is only way to stop extinction of animals, stop global warming. In large view, we have to reduce gasoline-burning cars, coals and etc, but we can’t just stop using those because life goes on. Here is my small plan for global warming. First, air dry the clothes instead use dry machines. Ban hair spray because it contains HCFCs, hydrochlorofluorocarbons that damages ozone. Do recycle and use recycled materials. Those are small things that I can do to stop extinction of animals. Global warming is not just happened in one day and we can’t solve in second, but I think small change brings big differences.


Work Cited
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/41721/the_problem_of_global_warmingthe_extinction.html?cat=58
http://www.climateark.org/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=64050

Blog #2 My Journey

I will continue my passion to become veterinarian. After I transfer to Stony Brook University in Long Island, I will continue my major in biology and I also have to veterinary medical school. To become a veterinarian, there are few more educational steps that I have to done because it is really hard as much as regular doctor.

I always want to become a veterinarian because I believe that I have passion for animals. I think animals are not resources that human use for our purpose or benefit therefore, I am totally against animal abuse on scientific resource or poaching exterminated animals in developing country. Many scientists use animals for their research such as new chemical or new medicines and many illegal hunters poach wild animals to sell in poor countries.

I want to change the world better place with my education like Al Gore. I think to educate other people that we have to protect animals is also important way to make better place. This is what Mr. Al Gore is doing his presentation around world makes to realize people about global warming. If I become a veterinarian, I want to help wild animals. I want to work at national park or wild life sanctuary to help their health and make there safety place. I think to make better world means to keep our nature in their ways. We have to protect animals and their place, forests or jungles. We should stop cut the trees and start to plant trees!

Blog #2 My Journey

My passion is to protect wild animals. I want to know more about wild animals and I want to help them because a lot of species of animals are in danger. Thus, I want to be a veterinarian to help and save them. After I graduate LaGuardia Community College, I will continue my passion at Stony Brook University major in biology to go to veterinary medical school.

When I took the English class with science cluster, I had done research paper based on animal abuse. Some scientists use animals to test new medicines, chemicals and products. I strongly disagree what they are done to animals because I believe we don’t have any power to take animals’ life and they also have right to live. It sets my compelling passion toward animals’ right.

I believe that my education will make the world better place. Recent research on wild animals in this world, many of them are in danger because of humans’ greedy. Because we want to develop more and use more natural resources, many animals lose their place to live. I want to be well educated person who knows how to rescue and help animals from danger.

The knowledge is power. The well-education person can strongly persuade others because people think he or she has more credits based on their education level. I think we have to set our knowledge based on strong and right belief with conscience. Also, we don’t have to be afraid to fail because sometimes well-education people never accept their mistake.

Blog #1 Go Green

What I already do to care for the environment? When I see that question, I can’t think even one answer for it. What I have done for the earth? To be honest, I’m not that good person for environment. I always use double plastic bags when I shop, I never save water or other materials, I never done the recycling, and I hate to use recycling papers; it looks ugly to me. Yes, you can say I am horrible and terrible person of our environment but I am just as normal as some others who just think environmental pollution is not that big deal because we can not see directly now. I think what I did today for environment. What a shame, I done nothing. Maybe I can say, “Oh, I took care of my small plants in my home. I gave them water in the morning”. Environmental pollution comes from people’s unconcerned act like me. I have done nothing good for the environment because I don’t realize how serious it is. Now, it is time to face our environment. Many parts of nature had been destroyed for people’s benefit; however, it is not late to stop. Go Green, instead of Anti-environment pollution. I believe when we concern more positive thing, it will change faster. I can change myself from small thing. Save water and recycling!