Entry #11: Atlanta State Farmer's Market 6/19/2011

This market is considered one of the largest of its kind in the world (150 acres). It features a garden center, wholesale and retail activities, and is a major marketing hub and distribution point for fresh produce in the Southeast U.S. The Atlanta Market also has a restaurant, welcome center and USDA Federal-State office. You can find almost any seasonal fruit or vegetable here. Vegetables include tomatoes, corn, okra, avocados, beets, oranges, grapefruit, peppers, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, etc. There are also butchers, nurseries, and other products. Cars drive right up to the shops and produce is offloaded directly into the vehicles. Most shops sell in large quantities. They want to sell a minimum of a basket or bushel.



The City of Forest Park is utilizing a strategy of energizing a public private partnership to improve its economy by using the State Farmers Market as the cornerstone of an overall Livable Center revitalization effort. The goal is to encourage the Department of Agriculture, with a $3 -6 billion component of the Georgia economy, to grow the existing underutilized facilities in Forest Park into a full service agribusiness hub for the Southeast Region of the United States. This would create additional employment and business generators, strengthening retail, entertainment, office, and housing land use developments. Agribusiness interests in the state of Georgia would greatly benefit by having a full service economic, policy and distribution headquarters adjacent to Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport (HAIA). This location would bode well for expanded international import export to South America which would provide a direct monetary benefit to the state agricultural producers. Farmers throughout South Georgia, the constituency of the Department of Agriculture, would have a convenient business class passenger rail and people mover system networked to their state headquarters and to the airport. Implementation of the Livable Center has the potential to evolve into a multi billion mixed use facility that is nationally unique and an economic, engine self-sustaining for the state agriculture industry.



How can you become involved in finding solutions to feed the hungry?

I can educate myself about the condition of the poor, what life is like for one-third of the world’s population, and how socio-economic and political forces impact the quality of life in different parts of the world. I’ve considered joining a mailing list, where I can learn a lot from organizations monthly letter and quarterly Field Report. That would help me become an advocate. Then I can share what I’ve learned with friends and family. Also talk about the issues and solutions with my church and community. Thinking bigger... I would like to start supporting Feed the Hungry projects that I’m passionate about.

In you, opinion, is this activity sustainable? Explain.

Yes because it’s helping people in need without hurting while taking on a green mind set towards the environment.

What do we have to do to feed the one billion people? Or is this the solution? If not, what is?

Resolving world hunger by only increasing food production and not dealing with core causes of hunger such as poverty will not ease the circumstances that created poverty in the first place. Poorer counties need to be taught how to produce their own food so that they can reduce their reliance upon other counties to decrease starvation in their country. Like I stated in my paper, “In a world with so many technological advances being used to make our lives more comfortable by providing such luxuries as internet, cell phones and satellite television, it seems only reasonable that we would use the same technologies to assist us in providing for the needs of the world’s population. Providing food for the masses while stretching our natural resources are necessities if we are to survive.”

Extra, Extra read all about it:
Atlanta State Farmers Market Map:

Entry #10: "The cries of the earth" 6/17/2011

Why are these creatures so inconsiderate!?
Why is there trash in my home!?
Why are my children dieing and being cut down!?
Why are some of my pets endangered and others killed!?
Why do they continuously pour poisonous chemicals into me!?
Why I'm not appreciated!?
Why do I feel disrespected!?
Why is my home being over heated!?
Why is my water being polluted and contaminated!?
Why do those creatures take advantage of me!?
Why are they so selfish!?
Why I'm not being taken care of!?
Why do I awake up with an headache everyday!?
Why do I feel left out!?
Why can't they see my ways!?
Why is my air being polluted everyday!?
Why I'm being miss treated!?
Why do I feel so sick!?
Why is my soil being eroded and poisoned!?
Why is my temperature constantly changing!?
Why can't we both just get along!?
Why can't these creatures just live a green life!?
Why, Why, Why!?

Entry #9: RANDOM THOUGHTS 6/15/2011

The cost of living is so high that people have to choose from paying bills, paying for medication, or food. If people were unable to pay their hospital, either bill the doctor can transfer it to bill collectors or the government would pay for it. Most likely, the government would end up paying for it. Medicaid or Medicare will help pay part but the patient would have a co. payment. Even though some people do not have health care, the doctors cannot refuse their service. The reason why healthcare is so high in this situation is because their losing money. In addition, physicians are committing fraud and sending in false information about patients that they are not treating. That cause is running up millions of dollars. People are losing their jobs and therefore they cannot afford the insurance. They are also losing their benefits. Once the insurance goes up high, they cannot afford it. Health insurance companies are exaggerating their rate and after people are losing jobs its impossible to pay it. Therefore, people do not have the money to spend because of the recession.

The United States is known, as a wealthy nation, people still have trouble-affording healthcare. Our nation still has the highest cost of health care in the nation. Even though health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, military service families and veterans, children, and the poor, and federal law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay; however, a system of universal health care have not been put into action nation-wide. If drug-manufacturing companies lower, the price of drugs more people would be able to afford health care. Citizens of the United States pay hospitals and doctors much more than any country does when it comes to medicine. The prices of drug manufacturing companies and malpractice are driving up medical spending in the country. The house and the senate are in debate now trying to solve the problem about health insurance. They are working hard to solve the problem about which plan is best for the people of the United States of America because all citizens need to have health coverage.

Entry #8: The Greenhouse Effect 6/13/2011

Life on Earth is possible due in part to the natural greenhouse effect that keeps our planet warm enough to support life. The greenhouse effect is a natural effect that occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere traps heat. Earth’s atmosphere protects animal and plant life from a number of things, such as extreme hot or cold temperatures and harmful UV (ultra violet) rays from the sun. The atmosphere acts as a blanket that insulates us by keeping heat in and keeping the earth from freezing. Without this process, the earth would be nearly as cold as Mars, and life as we know it would not exist. Most greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere; however, human activities are changing the earth’s natural greenhouse effect. How do humans contribute to the green house effect? Human activities are adding tremendous amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere at a far greater rate than are necessary to warm the Earth to an ideal temperature.


In our highly industrialized world, these emissions have increased exponentially. These daily additions have begun significantly increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere thereby enhancing their shielding effect. These gases include carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbon, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and methane. The shielding effect causes the temperatures to be warmer than normal. The effects of these emissions on our atmosphere are having damaging long-term consequences.

For hundreds of years, tremendous amounts of greenhouse gases has been emitted into the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels continuous use of oil and coal from power plants and gasoline for automobile engines results in the release of pollutants into the atmosphere. These fuels are used daily in industry, transportation, and residence. Everyday household items such as hairspray and aerosol cleaners also add to the pollution levels by increasing the amount of chlorofluorocarbons in the air. In addition, air conditioners and refrigerators also release enormous amounts of gas, even when they are not in use. The gases released from industry and homes remain in our atmosphere for long periods. The use of automobiles and other transportation such as ships, trains, and airplanes have also helped to speed up the effects of global warming. Many Americans go around driving big SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and other large cars. These different modes of transportation, regardless of whether they use petroleum or diesel fuel, create pollution that releases harmful gases into the atmosphere. This is considerable and growing evidence that these activities are altering and increasing the natural balance of the greenhouse effect and warming the earth’s atmosphere.

Humanity has come a long way throughout the years and with that, our planet we call Earth has taken a brutal beating. Many people do not believe that we are destroying Earth. Humans are part of the main reason for the excess amounts of pollution been released into the atmosphere. We all are aware that greenhouse gases are being emitted, but many of us do not make an effort to slow down the process by monitoring our contribution to the greenhouse effect. This greenhouse effect crisis is truly the result of The Tragedy of the Commons, just because no one owns the atmosphere; no one has a sufficient reason to take account of the change to the atmosphere caused by his or her release of carbon. In addition, carbon released has the same effect no matter where it happens. The question now becomes how do we reverse or better yet reduce the amount of emissions of greenhouse gases? I think the first step is that people need to realize that this is a major problem, and that we could have an impact on slowing down the greenhouse effect depending on our efforts. By performing simple tasks such as turning off lights, appliances, and electrical equipment when they are not in use, we can significantly reduce greenhouse emissions. Another step can be replacing trees that we cut down to make room for these new developments these are small steps that I feel most people can incorporate into their daily lives; I am doing my part what about you?

Entry #7: My Family Energy Intake 6/11/2011

In one day I can say that our A/C runs 24/7 besides the time when it cuts off because the house reaches the set temperature. I get up and fix breakfast like 3 times out the week however if I use the strove its gas so not much energy being used up there. However, my brother has an alarm clock in his bedroom that runs 24 hours a day. We all have cell phone charges that we use at night time for about 9 hours a night although I unplug mines every morning that still does not account for all the other chargers that’s are still plug in throughout the day. I used to leave mines plugged in until I found out that they continue to use electricity even after I’ve unplugged them from my phone. We have 7 rooms in this house and 5 out of the 7 have T.V’s that probably runs somewhere around 8 hours total a day from when we wake up until we go to sleep. I don’t turn on the lights as much especially if it’s not night, but my little brother loves to turn on lights which ever room he’s in even through my mom and him stay opening up the blinds during the day. Between all of us even when my older brother and his wife bring their clothes over to be washed the washer and dryer are constantly running throughout the week. As far as the dishes goes we often do the dishes by hand, rarely do we use the dash washer but it comes in handy around the holidays, what would usually take us 35 minutes to do now only take us 20 minutes. Do not get me started on the computers usage! We each have our own laptops however my second oldest brother has a laptop, an Ipad, and a desktop computer, talk about having the latest gadgets. Wow that’s a lot of energy been used! Over time I have learned new ways to scale back on energy usage and I think it’s about time I start sharing some of those tips to help me and my family cut down on our energy contributions.

Entry #6: A Scroll through the Neighborhood 6/10/2011

Although this hasn’t been my first official stroll in my neighborhood, as I walked down Tudor Way, besides all the beautiful houses and landscape, it was nice to actually have time to enjoy the fresh air and take in my surroundings. As I continued walking towards the back there were tons of trees that the wildlife could inhabit because houses have not yet been built in those places. From the street, some people had colorful flowers and others had mini trees and bushes that made up their landscape. It really made me wonder how many trees there were before they were tore down to build our homes although there’s a decent amount left in our backyards. But that’s only because some of our neighbors, including us, have not yet landscaped our backyards. I think my neighborhood is somewhat sustainable because we can only water the grass for a certain amount of time and we pay a homeowner association fee that forces us to keep up our yards and homes. I mean, I understand we have living demands, and I'm sure a lot of people, like myself, have trees in their backyard, but considering how many more trees there used to be for the wildlife, was astonishing. We have lived here going on 6 years now and I have seen major changes in the land and the wildlife in these past years. I think we can help become a sustainable neighborhood by implementing some rules and regulations aside from the homeowner association that make homeowners become more environmental friendly. For example, using biodegradable materials and lawn treatments without harsh chemicals, and maybe even have some solar panels to help balance out how much energy being used in the homes.

Entry #5: "Hunger is a result of Poverty" 6/09/2011

Poverty is just one of the main problems in our society today especially in developing countries. I think that the increase in population is one of the causes of poverty. When the population increases the resources in the country becomes less to feed the excess amount of people. Poverty is a problem that can be fixed if we all work together. It may also even be controlled if society came to the realization that increasing their family and not having the money or space for it is a big contribution, we should be careful about our family plans. Poverty is only getting worst and if we don’t do something about it, our country will continue to get worse over the years.

My transition to my paper:

Poverty is often over looked or missed in correlation to hunger. Hunger is a result of poverty. Producing more food is often sought as the more common and humane idea amongst many individuals to be able to solve world hunger. According to Josette Sheeran (2010) in her article, How to End Hunger, “food consumes up to 70 cents of every dollar earned.” People are starving not due to lack of accessibility of food, but because people simply cannot afford to buy food. While providing solutions to hunger using more efficient food production seems to be a noble endeavor, other problems lie in distribution, natural disasters, land ownership, recessions, inefficient use of land, and politics. Undertaking hunger directly by supplying additional generous contributions of food, or even finding ways to increase production, is only tackling the outer signs of poverty, not the core foundation. That is not to say that research to increasing food production should not be done, just that it should be recognized that the deeper problem of fighting the roots of poverty that causes hunger would allow better use of resources in the long term. Normal Borlaug, the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner, stated that, “Increasing food production, while necessary, is not sufficient alone to achieve food security . . . tens of millions need more food but do not have the purchasing power to buy it” (Sheeran, 2010). Resolving world hunger by only increasing food production and not dealing with core causes of hunger such as poverty will not ease the circumstances that created poverty in the first place. Poorer counties need to be taught how to produce their own food so that they can reduce their reliance upon other counties to decrease starvation in their country.

Entry #4: The World's Largest Aquarium 6/4/2011

"Georgia Aquarium features more animals than any other aquarium in more than eight million gallons of water. Through a path of more than sixty exhibits, the Aquarium tells a global water story, with features modeled after the greatest zoos and aquariums in the world. Each majestic exhibit is designed to inspire, entertain and educate."

About Georgia Aquarium

My Virtual tour:
One of the first exhibits as you enter the aquarium is the Georgia Explorer exhibit, geared especially towards children. It contained touch pools filled with horseshoe crabs, sharks, shrimps, sea stars and rays. The exhibits featured sea turtles and wildlife of Gray’s reef. It’s a children friendly environment with a whale slide and a whale theater. The second exhibit, River Scout was set up like I was floating on a rafter on a slow winding in the Chattahoochee River, featured an overhead river where I seen North American fish from the bottom up. It also displayed electric fish, piranha, etc. The third exhibit of the aquarium, Cold Water Quest, featured a diversity of animals (beluga whales, Japanese spider crabs, and African black-footed penguins) that are found in the rivers of Africa, South America, Asia and in Georgia. The fourth exhibit, Ocean Voyager, as I walked through the acrylic tunnel I found myself standing in front of this gigantic acrylic tank. I felt like a sea explorer in the bottom of the sea, mesmerized by hundreds of thousands of fish swimming over my head as the giant whale sharks and mantas circled overhead. This exhibit is designed to feature the life of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and showcases the aquarium's whale sharks, as well as a 100 foot underwater tunnel and the world's second largest viewing window. The final exhibit takes an artistic turn, as the Tropical Diver exhibit features many curious and haunting forms of aquatic life, including a living reef with live coral. It was as though someone took vibrant colors and pastel paints and splashed it upon the creatures of the ocean creating a beautiful natural work of art similar to how an artist mix colors to create a work of art on a blank canvas. Being a former artist, I was in awe of the amazing color and especially like the jellyfish. Their translucent bodies that resemble a floating bubble were astonishing.

Comments: How did you feel after visiting the Georgia Aquarium?

"It makes me want to increase my efforts of protecting the environment."
Anonymous

"Each exhibit blew my socks off!"
Anonymous

"Wow, it was one of the most inspiring exhibits I ever been to."
Anonymous

"I was stun by the amount of sea creatures that are being protected in this lovely enivronment."
Anonymous

"I see dolphins, I see dolphins!"
Quin, nephew 2 years old

"When I saw all the beautiful animals, it made me feel bad about all the animals that are being hurt."
Edyah older sister

"It was an exciting experience it made me take on a better understanding and appreciation of the aquatic creatures. I would charish this moment forever."
Me

History:
Bernard (Bernie) Marcus, the aquarium’s founder, stated that the primary mission of the aquarium was to assist in the conservation of endangered species and environmental preservation of natural habitats for these animals and plants. The aquarium’s status as an attraction was secondary to conservation efforts but a logical secondary goal since educating people is key to ensuring the survival of our aquatic resources. Prior to opening as an attraction, the aquarium worked in conjunction with universities such as Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia in Athens to help save endangered species through education and research programs.

Since its opening in 2005, the aquarium has continued its research efforts in collaboration with other universities and research facilities around the world. They have saved whale sharks from the Yucatan Peninsula; beluga whales in Alaska; penguins from South Africa; manatees in Quintana Roo, Mexico; loggerhead sea turtles off the Georgia coast and spotted eagle rays in Sarasota, Florida.

The acquisition of the male Beluga whales, rescued from an inadequate environment, serves as a prime example of the type of conservation activities that the Aquarium loves to be involved with. The Aquarium has also saved hundreds of tarpons stranded in a tidal pool at Skidaway Island, off the coast of Georgia. Coral used in exhibits at the Aquarium is a manmade collaborative effort between Georgia Tech and the University of the South Pacific. The coral was created by suspending blocks of pumice over a reef near the Tagaqe village in Fiji for eight months so that seaweeds and reef invertebrates could establish colonies. The newest research initiative centers on the Bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon and is a joint partnership with the government and Florida Atlantic University. Since these animals are good indicators of environmental health due to their permanent resident status in the lagoon and they are at the top of the food chain, the health of the dolphins can be monitored and used to identify potential pollution and emerging infectious diseases.

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org

The creatures of the deep blue:
Asian small clawed otter, Harbor seal, Rainbow runner, Sea Urchins, Beluga whale, Japanese Spider Crab, Rockfish, Spanish hogfish, Blacktip reef shark, King anglefish, Roughtail stringray, Spotted Ratfish, Blue tang surgeon fish, Longfin batfish, Sand Tiger shark, Urnate wobbegong, Catfish, Loggerhead sea turtle, Sea Anemones, Weedy Sea Dragons, Giant Pacific Octopus, Penguins, Sea otter, Wolf-eel, Great hammerhead shark, Potato grouper, Sea Stars, and Zebra shark.