Quote:
"Renewable energy is positioned strategically in China's energy structure and is one of the most important instruments for boosting energy security and tackling climate change."
Question:
When will the rest of the world pick up the idea and start using the same things in terms of energy?
Comment:
I think it's a really great thing that China is starting to really heavily rely on energy and environmentally friendly sources of
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
An Inconvenient Conversation
My mother and I talked for around 20 minutes, and basically what we covered was how a lot of people are in denial of climate change and why that is. The hardest thing about addressing it would therefore be first acknowledging that it exists and that it isn't going to stop or go away if we ignore it. Something will have to be done about it, or it will continue to get worse. It may not even be 'global warming' that seems to be so controversial everywhere, the type of deal where people are imagining a picture of the earth being put in a microwave and left to warm. The climate is changing, be it warm, cool, or both and more.
Certain things that go on make this inevitable. Cutting down forests means less oxygen and greater wind strengths around the world, along with sands being able to move it and turn the land into more desert.
One of the things that was in most people's minds about the earth and how it's being treated is something along the lines of; I'm only one small person, and the world is so huge, how can I even have an impact, be it negative or positive? The same feelings are put towards what people feel they can do about the climate change and how to potentially reverse negative effects of it.
One of the points I brought up was kind of an analogy about how when someone wants to get a pet, all of their friends and family warn them to get a plant first and keep it alive for a year. Then move up to a fish, and from there maybe a cat, then a dog, and slowly work their way up to harder pets to care for. The way it worked for us as humans is, we got the earth, and we skipped all the other steps that prepared us for taking care of such responsibilities. Now that we've begun to realize this, we have to figure out a way to reverse some of the harm we've done, and turn it around to where we start taking better care of the earth instead of just using it for our needs and then moving on.
My mother feels that just in small cases where people have started growing their own gardens at home or with a community it's making a huge difference. Even by people coming to small realizations that something needs to be done, and taking enough charge of their own situations to start a garden, they're starting with that first step of taking a plant and working their way up to greater responsibility.
The second people realize that they don't have to take on the challenge of fixing everything that's going on in the world, things will start to change, and even if it's just recycling one little bottle cap that you happened to find laying on the ground, hey, it's a start.
Certain things that go on make this inevitable. Cutting down forests means less oxygen and greater wind strengths around the world, along with sands being able to move it and turn the land into more desert.
One of the things that was in most people's minds about the earth and how it's being treated is something along the lines of; I'm only one small person, and the world is so huge, how can I even have an impact, be it negative or positive? The same feelings are put towards what people feel they can do about the climate change and how to potentially reverse negative effects of it.
One of the points I brought up was kind of an analogy about how when someone wants to get a pet, all of their friends and family warn them to get a plant first and keep it alive for a year. Then move up to a fish, and from there maybe a cat, then a dog, and slowly work their way up to harder pets to care for. The way it worked for us as humans is, we got the earth, and we skipped all the other steps that prepared us for taking care of such responsibilities. Now that we've begun to realize this, we have to figure out a way to reverse some of the harm we've done, and turn it around to where we start taking better care of the earth instead of just using it for our needs and then moving on.
My mother feels that just in small cases where people have started growing their own gardens at home or with a community it's making a huge difference. Even by people coming to small realizations that something needs to be done, and taking enough charge of their own situations to start a garden, they're starting with that first step of taking a plant and working their way up to greater responsibility.
The second people realize that they don't have to take on the challenge of fixing everything that's going on in the world, things will start to change, and even if it's just recycling one little bottle cap that you happened to find laying on the ground, hey, it's a start.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Living in a day before 1983
Having a day where I was restricted from using any electronics wasn't really that difficult for me. I've been camping before where I'll be gone for 7-12 days or so and there's really no electricity where we're camping, so I can't use a cell phone, or iPod, or what not. The day I did choose to go without electronics was the second day into our One World Week, which was the Saturday the 19th.
We woke up early in the morning, ate breakfast, and set out biking, so there wasn't much to do in the way of electronics anyway. We would take little breaks throughout the day and so on, but it was easy not to take my phone out. That was also the day it was raining really badly I think, so we were pretty much all drenched and just wanting to get to our destination. None of us really fancied sleeping in our wet tents again, but it was better than catching hypothermia in the rain. We slept in our tents again that night, so we all just went to bed early. There was no real time to call anyone on my phone, so I had a relatively easy day in terms of going without electronics.
Of course, on top of all that, when I went to pull out my phone the next day and call my friend to wish her a happy birthday, my phone, I found out, had been waterlogged. Which made it completely useless for the rest of the trip. I couldn't even get the numbers I needed out of the phone, so I had to dance around from number to number until I could find the right one.
So overall it wasn't very hard to go without, just like any other day camping.
We woke up early in the morning, ate breakfast, and set out biking, so there wasn't much to do in the way of electronics anyway. We would take little breaks throughout the day and so on, but it was easy not to take my phone out. That was also the day it was raining really badly I think, so we were pretty much all drenched and just wanting to get to our destination. None of us really fancied sleeping in our wet tents again, but it was better than catching hypothermia in the rain. We slept in our tents again that night, so we all just went to bed early. There was no real time to call anyone on my phone, so I had a relatively easy day in terms of going without electronics.
Of course, on top of all that, when I went to pull out my phone the next day and call my friend to wish her a happy birthday, my phone, I found out, had been waterlogged. Which made it completely useless for the rest of the trip. I couldn't even get the numbers I needed out of the phone, so I had to dance around from number to number until I could find the right one.
So overall it wasn't very hard to go without, just like any other day camping.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
What San Diego Eats; Very rough draft/research
Many things have groan in size over the years; cars and trucks, buildings, grocery stores, etc. Portion size is one of the things that gets easily overlooked, even though it's managed to grow by two to three times what it should really be.
In order to stop this 'super sizing' that is going on with us and translating into extra pounds on us, we need to realize how our portion size has changed over time.
If I were to ask someone to tell me what a food chart looks like, what would they tell me? If I were you ask you, what would YOU tell me? Would pasta be somewhere in the middle, meat near the top, fruits and vegetables somewhere in there? If I were to ask you how much food is recommended as an average daily meal, what would you say?
Someone who goes into a restaurant, orders their dinner plate, finishes it, and then leaves, has just eaten two to three times more food than they should have.
People eat because there is food there, not listening to their body when it's had enough. If it is placed in front of us, we'll most likely finish it.
One of the things we have a hard time realizing is that a single portion size can contain multiple servings. Even restaurants do this, and it's hard to notice because the plate your food comes on is so large, that it doesn't look like it's THAT much food. On average, cup both of your hands together and look at how much fruit/meat/pasta you could hold in there; that is your average portion size.
On average, coffe over the last 20 years has gone up in calories by almost an astounding 300. and it's size has only doubled. Where it was one an 8 ounce 45 calorie sized coffee, it is now a 16 ounce 330 calorie drink. Even bagels have gone from 3" diameters to 5-6" diameters, which adds another 210 calories to it. The same goes for pizza, burgers, and pretty much everything else.
In order to stop this 'super sizing' that is going on with us and translating into extra pounds on us, we need to realize how our portion size has changed over time.
If I were to ask someone to tell me what a food chart looks like, what would they tell me? If I were you ask you, what would YOU tell me? Would pasta be somewhere in the middle, meat near the top, fruits and vegetables somewhere in there? If I were to ask you how much food is recommended as an average daily meal, what would you say?
Someone who goes into a restaurant, orders their dinner plate, finishes it, and then leaves, has just eaten two to three times more food than they should have.
People eat because there is food there, not listening to their body when it's had enough. If it is placed in front of us, we'll most likely finish it.
One of the things we have a hard time realizing is that a single portion size can contain multiple servings. Even restaurants do this, and it's hard to notice because the plate your food comes on is so large, that it doesn't look like it's THAT much food. On average, cup both of your hands together and look at how much fruit/meat/pasta you could hold in there; that is your average portion size.
On average, coffe over the last 20 years has gone up in calories by almost an astounding 300. and it's size has only doubled. Where it was one an 8 ounce 45 calorie sized coffee, it is now a 16 ounce 330 calorie drink. Even bagels have gone from 3" diameters to 5-6" diameters, which adds another 210 calories to it. The same goes for pizza, burgers, and pretty much everything else.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Blue Gold: World Water Wars, film commentary
As is the case with many documentaries, Blue Gold brings to light many hard to hear but prominent facts about the worlds water sources. It helps explain the cycle of water, or at least, how it's supposed to cycle around. And it delves into why the cycle is being disrupted, and how, and why it needs to be reversed.
One of the parts that struck me about it all is that we're pumping so much more groundwater then is being put back in, so the cycle is stopping, and draining some lakes and rivers until they're pushed to desertification. We've managed to cover most of the ground with cement, which successfully prevents water from soaking into the soil, and we've rerouted water with the use of dams to suit our needs. But is that necessarily a good thing? By doing all of this, our water supply is now dwindling, and some people in further out countries are even dying of dehydration, which is something that's hard to imagine.
Personally I feel that Blue Gold spent a lot of it's time going over the problem, and why it's a problem, and just generally making everything out as bad, and wrong, and why that is, rather then spending a larger portion of its time saying what we COULD do. Sure, at the end there was about five or ten minutes where it talked about how there was some research going on, and a few good things that were starting to happen, but really, the film only served to depress me more about how humans are destroying our planet. I feel like these documentaries need more time talking about the good things, and talking about uplifting things that are being done around the world.
One of the parts that struck me about it all is that we're pumping so much more groundwater then is being put back in, so the cycle is stopping, and draining some lakes and rivers until they're pushed to desertification. We've managed to cover most of the ground with cement, which successfully prevents water from soaking into the soil, and we've rerouted water with the use of dams to suit our needs. But is that necessarily a good thing? By doing all of this, our water supply is now dwindling, and some people in further out countries are even dying of dehydration, which is something that's hard to imagine.
Personally I feel that Blue Gold spent a lot of it's time going over the problem, and why it's a problem, and just generally making everything out as bad, and wrong, and why that is, rather then spending a larger portion of its time saying what we COULD do. Sure, at the end there was about five or ten minutes where it talked about how there was some research going on, and a few good things that were starting to happen, but really, the film only served to depress me more about how humans are destroying our planet. I feel like these documentaries need more time talking about the good things, and talking about uplifting things that are being done around the world.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What San Diego Eats
What is Slow Food and why is it beneficial?
Works Cited
Unknown. "Slow Food Is Good, Clean and Fair : Slow Food USA." Welcome! : Slow Food USA. Spring 2006. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/good_clean_fair/.
Slow food is basically the opposite of fast food. The principles that slow food are based off of are that it's all natural, grown and raised, and prepared naturally. It's based off of having food for everyone, at an available and affordable price for even lower class families, or people who are struggling.
Slow Food is a great thing that's suddenly started taking hold more. Not only is it better for people and their health, but it's better for the environment because it's naturally grown, no toxic waste from anything and so on.
How drastically has portion size changed and why is it such an issue?
Works Cited
Unknown. "Portion Sizes Grow with Waistlines - Health - Diet and Nutrition - Msnbc.com." Breaking News, Weather, Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Travel, Science, Technology, Local, US & World News - Msnbc.com. 6 Dec. 2006. Web. 23 Feb. 2011.
Portion size is one of the big problems that people are facing in terms of their weight gain/loss. This article talks about studies done with groups of students on whether or not they can judge, just by eying it, how much the average 'healthy' food portion is.
The conclusion is basically that it's hard to tell, and coupled with the fact that plates are larger now, and bowls are deeper, it's almost impossible to tell. Along with that, people aren't listening to their bodies as much as they should be, listening to when they're full.
I really agree with everything this article had to say for the most part. Especially about the parts where it brought up ignoring your body because there's still food on that plate to be eaten. And about how plates and bowls are bigger, so it's harder to gauge portion sizes.
Navy Medical Center San Diego. "Portion Distortion-Serving Sizes Are Growing." Navy Medicine. Spring 2003. Web. 23 Feb. 2011..
This article shows a comparison between what portion sizes were like during the 50's and how much they've changed over the course of a little over 50 years. It talks about how restaurants have changed their portion sizes and so on, and then shows a chart which clearly shows portion sizes going up by 2-8X bigger then they used to be.
I think it's really great that they've shown the chart, it really puts it into comparison well.
Works Cited
Unknown. "Slow Food Is Good, Clean and Fair : Slow Food USA." Welcome! : Slow Food USA. Spring 2006. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/slow_food/good_clean_fair/.
Slow food is basically the opposite of fast food. The principles that slow food are based off of are that it's all natural, grown and raised, and prepared naturally. It's based off of having food for everyone, at an available and affordable price for even lower class families, or people who are struggling.
Slow Food is a great thing that's suddenly started taking hold more. Not only is it better for people and their health, but it's better for the environment because it's naturally grown, no toxic waste from anything and so on.
How drastically has portion size changed and why is it such an issue?
Works Cited
Unknown. "Portion Sizes Grow with Waistlines - Health - Diet and Nutrition - Msnbc.com." Breaking News, Weather, Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Travel, Science, Technology, Local, US & World News - Msnbc.com. 6 Dec. 2006. Web. 23 Feb. 2011.
Portion size is one of the big problems that people are facing in terms of their weight gain/loss. This article talks about studies done with groups of students on whether or not they can judge, just by eying it, how much the average 'healthy' food portion is.
The conclusion is basically that it's hard to tell, and coupled with the fact that plates are larger now, and bowls are deeper, it's almost impossible to tell. Along with that, people aren't listening to their bodies as much as they should be, listening to when they're full.
I really agree with everything this article had to say for the most part. Especially about the parts where it brought up ignoring your body because there's still food on that plate to be eaten. And about how plates and bowls are bigger, so it's harder to gauge portion sizes.
Navy Medical Center San Diego. "Portion Distortion-Serving Sizes Are Growing." Navy Medicine. Spring 2003. Web. 23 Feb. 2011.
This article shows a comparison between what portion sizes were like during the 50's and how much they've changed over the course of a little over 50 years. It talks about how restaurants have changed their portion sizes and so on, and then shows a chart which clearly shows portion sizes going up by 2-8X bigger then they used to be.
I think it's really great that they've shown the chart, it really puts it into comparison well.
Diabeasity QQC
"One of my patients, 16-year old Max who weighed close to 300 pounds, told me that he drank a 6 pack of sweetened soda every day."
He's on the football team, and he's at school from early in the morning to late in the evening. How he even has time to drink that many sodas is beyond me. He says later on in the article that he drinks them before classes and then later one at home, and that he didn't buy water because they didn't sell it at school. The fountain water is brownish, and not appealing, so he went with 6 sodas every day instead.
The article is talking about how it's inconvenient for families on the go/who have busy schedules to take the time to prepare a good meal, or something healthy. But really, in the long term side of things, I think that should be a priority. Sure, you may have a busy schedule, and every once in a while you may not be able to prepare a lunch from home or buy something healthy, but think of how unhealthy that is for your body in the long run.
On top of that, buying water in bulk and just taking two or three to school every day might actually save money. It would certainly save on medical and dental costs in the long run.
He's on the football team, and he's at school from early in the morning to late in the evening. How he even has time to drink that many sodas is beyond me. He says later on in the article that he drinks them before classes and then later one at home, and that he didn't buy water because they didn't sell it at school. The fountain water is brownish, and not appealing, so he went with 6 sodas every day instead.
The article is talking about how it's inconvenient for families on the go/who have busy schedules to take the time to prepare a good meal, or something healthy. But really, in the long term side of things, I think that should be a priority. Sure, you may have a busy schedule, and every once in a while you may not be able to prepare a lunch from home or buy something healthy, but think of how unhealthy that is for your body in the long run.
On top of that, buying water in bulk and just taking two or three to school every day might actually save money. It would certainly save on medical and dental costs in the long run.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Personal commentary on The Cove
1. Does the camera ‘take sides’?
I'm not really sure if the camera 'took sides' or not. I feel like there's kind of a scale it goes on, from either being on one side or the other, to being neutral or in the middle. The camera for The Cove, I feel like it's more of a neutral point of view, leaning a slight bit towards being for the dolphins. Since it was filmed as a documentary on the dolphins in Taiji, it is automatically going to have a focus, but I'm not sure if that's the same as taking sides/being biased.
The information it did give us was through showing what the dolphins go through, how the Japanese think of them, how the meat is falsely packaged, and so on.
I'm not really sure if the camera 'took sides' or not. I feel like there's kind of a scale it goes on, from either being on one side or the other, to being neutral or in the middle. The camera for The Cove, I feel like it's more of a neutral point of view, leaning a slight bit towards being for the dolphins. Since it was filmed as a documentary on the dolphins in Taiji, it is automatically going to have a focus, but I'm not sure if that's the same as taking sides/being biased.
The information it did give us was through showing what the dolphins go through, how the Japanese think of them, how the meat is falsely packaged, and so on.
2. Does the film allow the audience to think for itself, and to draw its own conclusions, or does it manipulate audience reaction and emotion?
I think the film is more focused on giving the information in a manner that is persuasive, rather then just presenting the information and letting the viewer decide what they think. There are points where the information given is just presenting the information, because it's hard to present it in a way that's biased. It's just what is. An example would be when they were talking/showing how the Japanese bang poles together to make a wall of sound, which herds the dolphins into the cove, or when they took the sound from the cove of how the dolphins cry out to one another. Another example would be when they just showed the footage of the dolphins being speared to death, being stabbed over and over until they were dead.
I think the film is more focused on giving the information in a manner that is persuasive, rather then just presenting the information and letting the viewer decide what they think. There are points where the information given is just presenting the information, because it's hard to present it in a way that's biased. It's just what is. An example would be when they were talking/showing how the Japanese bang poles together to make a wall of sound, which herds the dolphins into the cove, or when they took the sound from the cove of how the dolphins cry out to one another. Another example would be when they just showed the footage of the dolphins being speared to death, being stabbed over and over until they were dead.
3. Does it support opinion with evidence?
Yes, I believe the entire film supports everything they claim with some sort of evidence. They are saying that the Japanese in Taiji are covering up that they kill the dolphins, and they are covering up how they falsely package the meat, and then to support this, they interview random people on the street asking if they know about the dolphins. And, they bought meat packaged as other things, and did the same tests on all the meat, and found out it was dolphin.
Yes, I believe the entire film supports everything they claim with some sort of evidence. They are saying that the Japanese in Taiji are covering up that they kill the dolphins, and they are covering up how they falsely package the meat, and then to support this, they interview random people on the street asking if they know about the dolphins. And, they bought meat packaged as other things, and did the same tests on all the meat, and found out it was dolphin.
4. Assess one possible interpretation that it reduces particular groups and individuals referred to, or participating in the film, to simplistic polar opposites of good and evil, heroes and villains.
The film does make sides out to be good end evil. The Japanese in Taiji are made out to be the 'evil' ones, especially the men who are killing the dolphins and trapping them there. While the men who were going in there, the activists, were made out to be the heroes, or the 'good' guys.
The film does make sides out to be good end evil. The Japanese in Taiji are made out to be the 'evil' ones, especially the men who are killing the dolphins and trapping them there. While the men who were going in there, the activists, were made out to be the heroes, or the 'good' guys.
5. Through the range of film making techniques presented, are we overtly manipulated into accepting uncritically the film’s version of truth?
Yes, because it's just human nature to feel/care for the animals(in a lot of cases). The information given in The Cove is just what was literally happening in Taiji, and then there are other people/activists, that are backing everything up with their opinions and their knowledge outright, right there, letting everyone know.
Yes, because it's just human nature to feel/care for the animals(in a lot of cases). The information given in The Cove is just what was literally happening in Taiji, and then there are other people/activists, that are backing everything up with their opinions and their knowledge outright, right there, letting everyone know.
6. Does the film educate, does it enlighten us, or does it ‘preach to the converted’?
I feel like it does all of the above to different crowds. In schools when it's shown I think a lot of the time it helps to educate the students on what is going on, and then in Japan, I feel like it enlightened a lot of the people there about what was really going on with the dolphins there, and how they were being slaughtered and the meat packaged wrong.
On the other hand, if the same person is to see the film over and over, it's just preaching to the converted. But I feel that way about any documentaries and so on, that's just what's going to happen.
I feel like it does all of the above to different crowds. In schools when it's shown I think a lot of the time it helps to educate the students on what is going on, and then in Japan, I feel like it enlightened a lot of the people there about what was really going on with the dolphins there, and how they were being slaughtered and the meat packaged wrong.
On the other hand, if the same person is to see the film over and over, it's just preaching to the converted. But I feel that way about any documentaries and so on, that's just what's going to happen.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Plant Structure and Function; Reading Vocabulary
Brynn, Ben, Nolberto, Perla
Rhizome - Horizontal stems that grow just below or along the soil surface
Tendril – Tendrils help plants climb by growing outward and wrapping around sturdy objects
Tissue – A group of cells with a common structure, function, or both
Tissue System – is made up of one or more tissues organized into a functional unit within a plant
Dermal Tissue System – Forms outer protective systems like human skin, but for plants, it’s a defence
Epidermis – Cells that make up the Dermal Tissue System
Cuticle – covers the Epidermis of leaves, giving them a waxy coating for protection
Vascular Tissue System – Made of Xylem and Phloem and provides support and long distance transport
Ground Tissue System – Most of the bulk in young plants, it fills up the space between the Epidermis and Vascular Tissue System
Pith – Ground tissue internal to the vascular Tissue
Cortex – Ground tissue external to the Vascular Tissue
Vascular Cylinder – In the center of the root, the Vascular Tissue forms this system with Xylem cells radiating from the center
Endodermis – Innermost layer of the Cortex, a cylinder one cell thick, it’s a selective barrier which chooses what can pass between the Cortex and the Vascular Tissue
Stomata – The Epidermis is interrupted by these pores, which allow CO2 exchange with the leaf and air
Guard Cells – Each Stoma is flanked by two of these, which regulate the size of the Stoma
Mesophyll – The ground tissue system of a leaf is sandwiched between the upper and lower Epidermis. Mainly made of photosynthetic parenchyma cells
Vein – A vascular bundle composed of Xylem and Phloem and surrounded by a sheath of Parenchyma cells
Organ - An organ consists of several types of tissues that together carry out particular functions
Root System - A plants root system anchors it in the soil, absorbs and transports minerals and water, and stores food
Root Hairs - Root hair enormously increases the root surface are for absorption of water and minerals
Shoot System - The shoot system of a plant is made up of stem, leaves, and adaptations for reproduction, flower, in angiosperms
Stem - The part of the plant that is generally above the ground and that support the leaves and flowers
Nodes - The points at which leaves are attached
Internodes - The portion of the stem between nodes.
Leaves - The main photosynthetic organs in most plants, although green stems also perform photosynthesis
Terminal Bud - Develops leaves and compact series of nodes and internodes
Axillary Buds - On in each of the angles forms by a leaf and the stem are usually dominant.
Apical Dominance - Is an evolutionary adaptation that increases the plants exposure to light
Rhizome - Horizontal stems that grow just below or along the soil surface
Tendril – Tendrils help plants climb by growing outward and wrapping around sturdy objects
Tissue – A group of cells with a common structure, function, or both
Tissue System – is made up of one or more tissues organized into a functional unit within a plant
Dermal Tissue System – Forms outer protective systems like human skin, but for plants, it’s a defence
Epidermis – Cells that make up the Dermal Tissue System
Cuticle – covers the Epidermis of leaves, giving them a waxy coating for protection
Vascular Tissue System – Made of Xylem and Phloem and provides support and long distance transport
Ground Tissue System – Most of the bulk in young plants, it fills up the space between the Epidermis and Vascular Tissue System
Pith – Ground tissue internal to the vascular Tissue
Cortex – Ground tissue external to the Vascular Tissue
Vascular Cylinder – In the center of the root, the Vascular Tissue forms this system with Xylem cells radiating from the center
Endodermis – Innermost layer of the Cortex, a cylinder one cell thick, it’s a selective barrier which chooses what can pass between the Cortex and the Vascular Tissue
Stomata – The Epidermis is interrupted by these pores, which allow CO2 exchange with the leaf and air
Guard Cells – Each Stoma is flanked by two of these, which regulate the size of the Stoma
Mesophyll – The ground tissue system of a leaf is sandwiched between the upper and lower Epidermis. Mainly made of photosynthetic parenchyma cells
Vein – A vascular bundle composed of Xylem and Phloem and surrounded by a sheath of Parenchyma cells
Organ - An organ consists of several types of tissues that together carry out particular functions
Root System - A plants root system anchors it in the soil, absorbs and transports minerals and water, and stores food
Root Hairs - Root hair enormously increases the root surface are for absorption of water and minerals
Shoot System - The shoot system of a plant is made up of stem, leaves, and adaptations for reproduction, flower, in angiosperms
Stem - The part of the plant that is generally above the ground and that support the leaves and flowers
Nodes - The points at which leaves are attached
Internodes - The portion of the stem between nodes.
Leaves - The main photosynthetic organs in most plants, although green stems also perform photosynthesis
Terminal Bud - Develops leaves and compact series of nodes and internodes
Axillary Buds - On in each of the angles forms by a leaf and the stem are usually dominant.
Apical Dominance - Is an evolutionary adaptation that increases the plants exposure to light
Food-conducting Cells- Also known as sieve-tube members. Sieve-tube members remain alive at maturity, but they lose most organelles, including the nucleus & ribosomes.
Sieve Plates- The end walls between sieve-tube members. They have pores that allow fluid to flow from cell to cell along the sieve tube.
Companion Cell- Each sieve-tube member has at least one of these, connected by numerous plasmodesmata. One companion cell may serve multiple sieve-tube members by producing & transporting proteins to all of them.
Xylem Tissue- Contains water-conducting cells that convey water & dissolved minerals upward from the roots.
Phloem Tissue- Contains sieve-tube members that transport sugars from leaves or storage tissues to other parts of the plant.
Sclerenchyma Cells- Phloem & xylem contain these cells. They provide support.
Parenchyma Cells- Phloem & xylem contain these cells. They store various materials.
Vascular Tissue System- Along with the dermal & ground tissue systems, the vascular tissue system makes up each plant organ, such as a leaf or a root.
Monday, January 31, 2011
What San Diego Eats: Research
Research on portion size growing from what it used to be. How the average American is over weight because they 'don't eat right' or 'don't pay attention' to what they're eating and so on.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/8289028/Why-are-you-eating-that.html
This article is basically saying that the reason people are obese or over weight is that there are so many other things to focus on; phone, television, other people, ipods, late for work/school, etc. And that if people were to sit down to a meal with no other distractions, just in silence, then they would eat less, and they wouldn't be gaining more weight.
Dr. Brian Wansink is a food psycologist at Cornell University, and he's devoted just over 25 years of his time into researching how people eat and why they're overweight.
I think there are some situations he hasn't accounted for, like if someone has an illness that contributes to them being over or under weight and so on, but for the most part he's pretty on topic and covering everything there is.
http://dailytrojan.com/2011/01/19/starbucks-adds-to-portion-problem/
This is an article about Starbucks, and it talks about how they're releasing a new 'trente' size that is 31 ounces of coffee. It will be limited to only iced drinks and teas, but it's still 916 mL which is bigger than the stomach is.
The article is very much in the middle ground, not swaying either way really, not towards this being a good thing, or a bad thing. It's just informative.
It was really interesting to know that the average drink size in the past has been 8 ounces, but now, the average drink is at least 20 ounces.
I wonder if the rest of the world is going to go through a sort of 'supersized' food stage, where things just start getting bigger and bigger. I wonder if they'll accept the change, or if they'll try to stay with a smaller portion size.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/8289028/Why-are-you-eating-that.html
This article is basically saying that the reason people are obese or over weight is that there are so many other things to focus on; phone, television, other people, ipods, late for work/school, etc. And that if people were to sit down to a meal with no other distractions, just in silence, then they would eat less, and they wouldn't be gaining more weight.
Dr. Brian Wansink is a food psycologist at Cornell University, and he's devoted just over 25 years of his time into researching how people eat and why they're overweight.
I think there are some situations he hasn't accounted for, like if someone has an illness that contributes to them being over or under weight and so on, but for the most part he's pretty on topic and covering everything there is.
http://dailytrojan.com/2011/01/19/starbucks-adds-to-portion-problem/
This is an article about Starbucks, and it talks about how they're releasing a new 'trente' size that is 31 ounces of coffee. It will be limited to only iced drinks and teas, but it's still 916 mL which is bigger than the stomach is.
The article is very much in the middle ground, not swaying either way really, not towards this being a good thing, or a bad thing. It's just informative.
It was really interesting to know that the average drink size in the past has been 8 ounces, but now, the average drink is at least 20 ounces.
I wonder if the rest of the world is going to go through a sort of 'supersized' food stage, where things just start getting bigger and bigger. I wonder if they'll accept the change, or if they'll try to stay with a smaller portion size.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Garden; Narrowed down seed choices
Organic Gourd, Bottle (1/4 lb) [$24.99]Gourd - Bottle - Lagenaria siceraria
I think it would be really neat to grow gourds in the garden. We could harvest them and use them for projects in Environmental Science or Engineering. Make musical instruments out of them, paint them, use them as bowls, you name it. Gourds are pretty versatile and fun to work with.
Purpose:
Type: Vegetable
Companion plants: Radishes, catnip
Pollinators: Bees and beetles
Tender Annual This gourd variety produces large, bottle-shaped, attractive green and tan gourds 12"-14" high and 5" wide. They're great for crafts, rattles, bowls, and birdhouses. This is a long-season species.
Soil & Water: Gourds prefer rich, fertile soil with plenty of added organic matter. Water moderately early in development and heavier after fruit forms.
Planting & Growing: Start seed indoors 3 weeks before the last frost. Sow directly outdoors only in warm climates after the last frost. The vines are best grown up a strong support such as a fence or sturdy trellis. Use row covers over young plants to protect them from pests and to provide additional warmth.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest when gourd turns pale, gently cutting the stem. Carefully rinse in a 9:1 bleach solution and hang in a warm, dry location until the seeds rattle, usually 3-4 weeks.
This gourd was cultivated before 10,000 b.c. to use as drinking vessels!
Soil Temperature: 75-90F
Planting Depth: 1"
Germination: 4-12 Days
Height At Maturity: Vining
Days To Maturity: 120 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 2'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 493
Organic Watermelon, All Sweet [$2.49]Watermelon - All Sweet - Citrullus lanatus
I love watermelon, and I’ve always wanted to grow it in a garden. I had started a garden about a year ago, and the seeds grew to the point where they were just about to start giving off little watermelons, but then the heat just wiped them out up here in Alpine. Starting to grow them down in Point Loma might prove to come to a different outcome.
Purpose: I haven’t noticed any watermelon or melons planted in the garden so far, and as far as I know, it’s always nice to have a good watermelon on a hot day, so watermelon could be a nice addition.
Type: Vegetable
Companion plants: Corn/Pumpkin
Pollinator: Bumble bees
Tender Annual All Sweet has a yellow-green rind, with dark-green broken stripes. It's flesh is reddish in color with few, small seeds. It grows 17"-19" long and up to 7" in diameter and averages 25-28 lb. This melon stands long in the field without becoming overripe.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or sow seeds directly after frost. Set out 3-4 transplants per hill, selecting the strongest two when vines are 1'-2' long. Watermelons are large vining plants that can take over an extensive garden space. They can be trellised, but use slings to support the developing fruit.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest melons when the tendril closest to the stem turns dry and brown and the stem becomes brittle. Eat fresh, freeze flesh in a honey-based syrup, or pickle the rind.
Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 3-9 Days
Height At Maturity: 18"-24"
Days To Maturity: 80-97
Days Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per Pack: 25 Seeds
Monday, January 17, 2011
Garden; Initial seed research
Organic Pepper, Sweet Chocolate (1 oz) [$29.99]
Pepper - Sweet Chocolate - Capsicum annuum
Tender Annual This rare, early bell pepper ripens from glossy green to dark-brown chocolate. Its mild taste and unusual color are a great addition to salads or stir fries. The fruit has blunt ends, thick flesh, and is medium in size.
Soil & Water: Peppers require deeply-worked, well-drained soil with plenty of added organic matter and a pH of 6.0-6.8. Water deeply, but don't over water.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost. Direct seeding is not recommended. Stake to keep fruit off the ground and mulch for disease and weed control.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest the first fruits early to encourage continued production through the season. Cut (don't pull) the fruit from the stems. These peppers may be harvested from the green stage through the color changes. This variety is good frozen whole.
Did You Know? Sweet peppers are loaded with vitamins C and A. Red peppers contain twice the vitamin C and eleven times the beta carotene of green peppers.
Soil Temperature: 75-85F
Planting Depth: 1/4"
Germination: 6-15 Days
Height At Maturity: 24"-28"
Days To Maturity: 58-86 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 12"
Approx Seeds per oz: 4,688
Organic Watermelon, Early Moonbeam [$2.49]
Watermelon - Early Moonbeam - Citrullus lanatus
Tender annual Heirloom. Yellow-fleshed with a thin rind from 5-8 pounds. One of the best melons for northern climates. Flavor your summer with this sweet, early, and productive watermelon.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Seed directly in rows 4'-6' apart. Grow in hills with 3-4 plants/hill.
Harvesting & Storage: Ripe when the second tendril closest to the fruit withers and turns brown and melon sounds hollow when tapped.
Did You Know? Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"- 1"
Germination: 3-8 Days
Height At Maturity: 18""-24"
Days To Maturity: 80 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per Pack: 25 Seeds
Organic Watermelon, All Sweet [$2.49]
Watermelon - All Sweet - Citrullus lanatus
Tender Annual All Sweet has a yellow-green rind, with dark-green broken stripes. It's flesh is reddish in color with few, small seeds. It grows 17"-19" long and up to 7" in diameter and averages 25-28 lb. This melon stands long in the field without becoming overripe.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or sow seeds directly after frost. Set out 3-4 transplants per hill, selecting the strongest two when vines are 1'-2' long. Watermelons are large vining plants that can take over an extensive garden space. They can be trellised, but use slings to support the developing fruit.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest melons when the tendril closest to the stem turns dry and brown and the stem becomes brittle. Eat fresh, freeze flesh in a honey-based syrup, or pickle the rind.
Did You Know? Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 3-9 Days
Height At Maturity: 18"-24"
Days To Maturity: 80-97 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per Pack: 25 Seeds
Organic Watermelon, Crimson Sweet (1/4 lb) [$12.99]
Watermelon - Crimson Sweet - Citrullus lanatus
Tender Annual Heirloom. Crimson Sweet has a tough, medium-thick, light-green rind with small, dark-green stripes. Its shape is blocky at 12" by 10" and weighing up to 25 pounds. Its bright, deep-red flesh is high in sugar content and has few, small seeds. It was an All-American Selections winner in 1964.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or sow seeds directly after frost. Set out 3-4 transplants per hill, selecting the strongest two when vines are 1'-2' long. Watermelons are large vining plants that can take over an extensive garden space. They can be trellised, but use slings to support the developing fruit.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest melons when the tendril closest to the stem turns dry and brown and the stem becomes brittle. Eat fresh, freeze flesh in a honey-based syrup, or pickle the rind.
Did You Know? Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 3-9 Days
Height At Maturity: 18"-24"
Days To Maturity: 88 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 1,563
Organic Gourd, Bottle (1/4 lb) [$24.99]Gourd - Bottle - Lagenaria siceraria
Tender Annual This gourd variety produces large, bottle-shaped, attractive green and tan gourds 12"-14" high and 5" wide. They're great for crafts, rattles, bowls, and birdhouses. This is a long-season species.
Soil & Water: Gourds prefer rich, fertile soil with plenty of added organic matter. Water moderately early in development and heavier after fruit forms.
Planting & Growing: Start seed indoors 3 weeks before the last frost. Sow directly outdoors only in warm climates after the last frost. The vines are best grown up a strong support such as a fence or sturdy trellis. Use row covers over young plants to protect them from pests and to provide additional warmth.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest when gourd turns pale, gently cutting the stem. Carefully rinse in a 9:1 bleach solution and hang in a warm, dry location until the seeds rattle, usually 3-4 weeks.
Did You Know? This gourd was cultivated before 10,000 b.c. to use as drinking vessels!
Soil Temperature: 75-90F
Planting Depth: 1"
Germination: 4-12 Days
Height At Maturity: Vining
Days To Maturity: 120 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 2'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 493
Organic Melon, Honeydew Green Flesh (1/4 lb) [$11.99]Melon - Honeydew Green - Cucumis melo
Tender Annual Smooth, hard creamy white rind without netting or sutures. Averaging 8"-7" in diameter, and weighing 6 lb. Ripens to light gold, thick lime-green flesh, high sugar. Good for storage and shipping, small cavity. Good variety for the Pacific Coast.
Soil & Water: Melons like moderately rich, well-drained soils with plenty of phosphorous and potassium and a pH of 6.0-6.8. For flavorful fruits, melons need moderate water as seedlings, low water before transplanting, moderate water during growth, and low, even water during fruit development.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or seed directly after the last frost. Melons need plentiful heat to develop; use plastic mulch and row covers in cooler climates.
Harvesting & Storage: Melons are ripe when the rind changes color to yellow and gentle pressure separates the stem from the vine. Melons can store in the refrigerator for about a week, if you can keep from eating them that long!
Did You Know? The first flowers to appear on the vines are male, and drop naturally. The female flowers, which open later, have a swelling at the base that forms the fruit. After bees pollinate these female flowers, the fruit develops.
Soil Temperature: 65-80F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 7-12 Days
Height At Maturity: 12"-18"
Days To Maturity: 105-115 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 3'-5'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 2,609
Organic Melon, Hearts of Gold (1/4 lb) [$11.99]
Melon - Hearts of Gold - Cucumis melo
Tender Annual Heirloom. Hearts of Gold has an aromatic, sweet, deep-orange flesh. The fruit is thick and firm with a small cavity. It is heavily netted with medium ribbing. The fruit grows nearly round to 6_" in diameter weighing up to 4_" lb. The plant is vigorous, extremely productive, and blight resistant.
Soil & Water: Melons like moderately rich, well-drained soils with plenty of phosphorous and potassium and a pH of 6.0-6.8. For flavorful fruits, melons need moderate water as seedlings, low water before transplanting, moderate water during growth, and low, even water during fruit development.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or seed directly after the last frost. Melons need plentiful heat to develop; use plastic mulch and row covers in cooler climates.
Harvesting & Storage: Melons are ripe when the rind changes color to yellow and gentle pressure separates the stem from the vine. Melons can store in the refrigerator for about a week, if you can keep from eating them that long!
Did You Know? The first flowers to appear on the vines are male, and drop naturally. The later flowers are female and form the fruit.
Soil Temperature: 65-80F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 7-12 Days
Height At Maturity: 12"-18"
Days To Maturity: 70-97 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 3'-5'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 2,718
Sunday, January 9, 2011
6 Degrees of Separation Ideas
1. Make-up products (i.e nail polish, mascara, eye liner, lip gloss)
- I use mascara every day, and on occasion nail polish, so it would be nice to know how they're made and what goes into them, just so I know what I'm putting on my body. Especially since it's so close to my eyes, it's good to know how it's come to be.
2. Xbox 360
- I own one, use it quite often as well. Knowing where it was put together, how all the parts were made, what was all involved and everything with that would be very interesting.
3. Laptop
- Everyone probably has this on their list, haha, but I would like to research macs more, get to know about where and how they're made. They say they're American based, but they probably don't make it all in America, so further researching into that would also be interesting.
- I use mascara every day, and on occasion nail polish, so it would be nice to know how they're made and what goes into them, just so I know what I'm putting on my body. Especially since it's so close to my eyes, it's good to know how it's come to be.
2. Xbox 360
- I own one, use it quite often as well. Knowing where it was put together, how all the parts were made, what was all involved and everything with that would be very interesting.
3. Laptop
- Everyone probably has this on their list, haha, but I would like to research macs more, get to know about where and how they're made. They say they're American based, but they probably don't make it all in America, so further researching into that would also be interesting.
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