Being a Pessimist in the Anthropocene.

                Over the last week, the idea of being an optimist or pessimist about the Anthropocene was a big debate that continued in my mind for many days after being introduced. After reading “The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature?”  We discussed in class what three choices would most likely happen to the world: business-as-usual, mitigation, or geo-engineering options. 

The End is Inevitable

When thinking about the Anthropocene, it is impossible to consider without mentioning humans—the Anthropos of the Anthropocene if you will. Our short time on Earth has had a huge, albeit largely negative impact on the environment that could possibly have unforeseen repercussions for the next millennia.

3/11 Citizens/Government

So I was leaping along— leap... leap... leap...when during my duties as a librarian I auspiciously (or do I mean suspiciously? Probably a combination of both) stumbled across this book: Citizens, Experts, and the Environment: The Politics of Local Knowledge.

Individual/Humanity

I originally started writing this blog post before we did the final reading for this week in which I railed against of the problems that I had as a social scientist with the articles we had been reading about the anthropocene. While many of them were addressed, we didn’t come to any clear conclusions.

Should We Be A FrackNation?

In my last blog post, “To Frack or Not to Frack, That is the Question” I said that I know my views were a little one-sided about fracking and the consequences of it.  So naturally, the thing I did next was to watch a documentary in response to “Gasland.”  This one was called “FrackNation” (also available on Netflix, and Amazon Prime Instant Video) and it explores the other side of fracking story. 

3/11 - Some of the politics of nuclear power, Japan

In trying to understand the situation in Japan I have started reading Natural Disaster and Nuclear Crisis in Japan edited by Jeff Kingston. It is a compilation of essays published in 2012 in a quick response to the disaster at Fukushima. On March 3, 2011 a 9.0 Mw earthquake hit Japan off of the northeast coast near the Iwate prefecture.

Stop! Collaborate and Listen

For my blog project, I wanted to focus my blog on the interactions between large corporations, or governments and the local populations and implications these interactions held in regards to the environment.

To Frack or Not to Frack, That is the Question

My name is Victoria Shaw, I’m a senior at Kansas State University.  I have bounced around from major to major never really finding my way.  It wasn’t until I just stumbled into a Physical Science major that I realized what I wanted to do.  After taking World Regional Geography, did I realize that I could mash my love for traveling with my wanting to do more for the world. 

Forest Man

I am 23 years old, and for as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to change the world.  Whether it be being a zoologist, or marine biologist, traveling to the distance oceans to save the dolphins; or going to the Amazon to save the trees; I have always dreamed of bigger things.

Should we be concerned about the environment?

For my first post on this blog, I wanted to talk a little bit about why we as humans should be concerned with how much our actions affect nature and the surrounding environment in which we live. While most people are generally concerned about the effects our actions are having on the planet, few choose to really participate in creating changes that could benefit not only their local environment, but the environment as a whole.

Fracking: what and why

What is fracking? Why is it such a hot topic in the media today? Is it a good thing? Do the risks outweigh the rewards? My name is Seth Trammell. I'm a freshman student at Kansas State University, and I am majoring in chemistry. I currently hope to work in the energy business after I graduate, hopefully in the oil and natural gas industry.

What /is/ nuclear power?

To start off my series of posts I got a general sense of how nuclear power functions by browsing around on the internet. I actually found a nice and concise explanation and illustration here. Essentially uranium atoms are split to produce heat, the heat creates steam that turns a turbine to create electricity. The steam is then condensed and can go back through the process again. To get a very general sense of other types of power I found a relatively comprehensive (and probably skewed) website here that is in favor of nuclear energy.

Forest Man- We can create change

The documentary, Forest Man, highlights the work of one man Jadav Payeng, a Mishing  tribe environmental activist and forestry worker from Jorhat, India. Payeng started planting trees on the barren land of Majuli Island when he was 17, in 1979. Since then his forest has grown to over 550 hectares, and serves as a home to various animals including rhinos, deers, and even tigers.

What change is needed in the world that only I can make? No idea

While watching the video towards the beginning the narrator notes how the river island could be completely submerged within the next 15-20 years. My first reaction was, so what? Why should I care?