What would the world look like if there was no green vegetation in parks, schools, churches, and home?. I guess the environment that lack green vegetation will eventually be a breeding ground for crime and trash. Our environment looks better today because guerrilla gardeners have taken the initiative to plant vegetation on vacant land space. Guerrilla gardening is an environmental friendly group that tries to replace uncultivated land with green plants. most guerrilla gardeners like to carry out their actions at night in secrecy anywhere they can plant seeds. Guerrilla gardening efforts should be encouraged because it has kept the environment safe from diseases and crime.
The earliest record of the term "guerrilla gardening" was being used by Liz Christy and her green guerrilla group in 1973 in Bowey Houston area of New york. They transformed a direct private lot into a garden. The palce is still cared for by volunteers who enjoy the protection of a city park department. Ever since her action of guerilla gardening, the word guereilla has spread around the world developing men and women to be conform to the cultivation of vacant land space.t(Wiki guerrilla gardening p 2).
When i first heard about Guerrilla gardening from my English Mr Wesley I said to myself how can a practice of gardening become a warfare. After listening to my instructor on the topic guerrilla gardening, the idea made perfect sense to me. I decided to conduct a garden warfare in my backyard. I discovered that i had a vacant space in my yard filled with dead leaves, green weeds and some minor trash. My first step was to uproot the green weed from the yard. The experience was hectic, but I did not feel the stress because i was determined to replace the dirt in my yard for a green vegetable yard.
Guerrilla Gardening kept ringing in my head while clearing the grass. After clearing the grass I took my rake and raked out the dirt from my yard. My friend was amazed by what i was doing and she kept asking me what are you doing? I laughed and told her about guerrilla gardening and about my English project. The simple exercise of planting seeds made me realize the importance of guerrilla gardening. Am not only protecting my yard from dirt, but am making good use of my yard space for green vegetation instead of turning my yard into a dungeon of weeds and trash.
Guerrilla gardening have been recognized by many police department as an effective community crime prevention strategy. "In Philadelphia, burglaries and theft in one district dropped by 90 percent after police helped residents to clean up vacant lots and planted gardens" (Healing America's cities p.5-6, as cited in England,2001). When thieves see a plot of land covered with vegetation the tendency of crime taking place there decreases because vegetation creates an open space for relaxation thereby exposing everyone that goes into the plot of land. Thieves would prefer a close place to operate instead of an open space.
Guerrilla gardeners in New york city called the green guerrillas have been active for some years and have been able to impact positive change in their environment. They have provided important services to their neighborhood for years such services are, they grow fresh foods, they connect kids to the earth, they cultivate green spaces and plant tress in parks, they give seniors a place to rest in a shade, and provide people from all works of life the opportunity to garden in the city. Guerrilla gardening has made a positive difference in people's lives throughout the world.
Another strong activist for guerrilla gardening is Richard Reynolds who resides in London. On may 2004, he had a desire to beautify his neighborhood and was not pleased with their actions regarding vacant land space. Richard Reynolds sets up his own blog about guerrilla gardening and over some few years had a lot of followers who are willing to join in the reclamation of land space. Guerrilla gardeners in London has been effective in reclaiming land. In 2000 Guerrilla gardeners in London occupied the parliament square to plant vegetables and flowers. Leaf street was a street in an acre of land in Hulme Manchester England that was once an urban street until turfed over by manchester city council. Local people, facilitated by manchester premaculture group, took direct action in turning the site into a thrieving community garden.
Every morning when i wake up the first thing i do after my prayers is to look outside my backyard to check on my plant. Am so excited about the prospect of owning my own garden.
Guerrilla gardening has created a positive awareness about the environment and how to make use of our vacant land space. Guerrilla gardening should be encouraged because it has prevented crime, diseases, and has created a more beautiful environment for people to live in.
Work Cited
http://www.greenguerrillas.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerilla_gardening.
http://www.guerillagardening.org.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
blogger refuse MLA format
Blogger refused to show my MLA format in my work cited page and this blog cannot underline my work cited page. I don't know what to do about it.
Essay 2
Coal Mining Equals Hazards
Surface mining should be stopped because it has endangered species, cracked buildings, damaged social culture, polluted streams, and has caused lung disease to coal miners. For years the coal industry has made the people of Appalachia to live in an environment filled with polluted streams and uncertainty about the preservation of their homes. Rebbecca Lindsey acknowledges that strip mining has had a devastating effect on the environment and asked "some people's jobs are more important than other people's home or the preservation of the area's natural heritage." (Lindsey 2007).
Surface mining has destroyed beautiful mountains for decades. Surface mines are estimated to be three times as efficient as traditional deep mines,but they cause more environmental hazards than deep coal mining. (Lindsey 2007) points that surface mining is "more economical for coal companies, and essential for mining thin seams of lower-sulfur coal which is more valuable in today's market." It is obvious that the coal companies has put their financial interest first before considering the devastating effect of surface mining. Not surprisingly, the effect on local eco-system is catastrophic.
Coal mining has caused cracked buildings to the residents of Appalachia and has caused lung disease to coal miners. As Parson points out, there are highly damaging repercussions for human social cultures, as well as the environment. She describes the case of a retired miner, whose lifetime involvement in deep coal mining has left him crippled by black lung disease, with no chance of retrieving compensation from his employers. Now to add insult to injury, he is faced with the prospect of having to abandon his home because of a strip mine which could come as close as 300 feet (Parsons, 2001) from his door. This act of negligence by the coal company is unacceptable because the coal companies are meant to give back to the community especially the workers who risk their lives for their selfish interest. Despite complains from residents about cracked walls, and dust nothing can be done to stop the shaking because the company is operating within the legal blasting limit(Parsons,2001,1) and will invariably affect the houses of the local residents.
Streams have been polluted with toxic metals due to coal mining. In Erik Reece's lost mountain the Federal Agency For Substance and Disease Registry (ASTSR) came to martin county to test the soil and water for harmful substances. They concluded that there was no harmful substance in the soil or water. Due to the persistent complaints from the residents, the Kentucky university took the sample from the (ASTDR) and tested it for harmful substance. The test revealed a 3,810 times aluminum, high level of cadmium, mercury in the water and soil (Reece 2006 pg131). The Federal Protection Agency should be proactive in safe guarding streams and lakes from toxic pollution. As Erik Reece (2006) points out, the extent of the damage which is being caused to both environment and human populations is enormous. He states that "blasting......has polluted thousands of family wells ....wildlife populations have been summarily dispersed....entire ecosystem have been dismantled." (Reece, 2006,2).
The people of Appalachia have been hit by the negative effects of water pollution. A national academy of science has reported that "60,000 babies born in the united states each year could have been exposedn to enough mercury in the utero to cause poor academic performance latter in life" Reece (2006 pg25). I support president obama reform on industrial waste because it taxes companies that pollute the environment with industrial waste. This strong measures need to be in place so that the coal company will show some restrain towards environmental pollution.
The situation in Appalanchia is, therefore disturbing for several reasons. It cannot be denied that coal has been part of Appalachia social and economic cultures for many decades, but it is only recently that this has taken the form of strip mining and mountain top removal technologies. These changes have benefited coal companies, but not local communities; in fact, the impact on the latter has been almost entirely negative. In addition, as Reece and Parson point out, the destruction to the environment is "irreparable." Attempts to regulate this type of strip mining seem to have been, for the most, unsuccessful, which perhaps unsurprising in view of the fact at least some of those concerned maintain that the environment and social impact is only minimal.
A further cause for concern is the fact that coal mining, in wharever form, is contributing to the gradual exhaustion of non-renewable energy source. Parsons points out that a possible economic transition for the region would be towards tourism, given the considerable natural beauty of the landscape: however, the widespread use of surface mining is also destroying the mountain as an economic alternative. Surface mining should be stopped because it has caused polluted streams, damaged social culture, cracked buildings, and has resulted in lung disease for coal miners. Although Reece titles his work "Lost Mountain" it seems clear that more than mountaintops will be lost, if current mining pratices are allowed to continue in Appalachia.
Work Cited
Online journal article- Lindsey, Rebecca. "Coal controversery in Appalachia." (2007):31-55.
5 march 2009.
Online book-John, R.Poponio. Mountaintop Mining/Valley fills in Appalachia.2005.
Environmental Protection Agency page 3. 5 march 2009.
Book- Reece, Erik. Lost Mountain: A year in the vanishing wilderness.
The New York : Riverhead, 2006.
Surface mining should be stopped because it has endangered species, cracked buildings, damaged social culture, polluted streams, and has caused lung disease to coal miners. For years the coal industry has made the people of Appalachia to live in an environment filled with polluted streams and uncertainty about the preservation of their homes. Rebbecca Lindsey acknowledges that strip mining has had a devastating effect on the environment and asked "some people's jobs are more important than other people's home or the preservation of the area's natural heritage." (Lindsey 2007).
Surface mining has destroyed beautiful mountains for decades. Surface mines are estimated to be three times as efficient as traditional deep mines,but they cause more environmental hazards than deep coal mining. (Lindsey 2007) points that surface mining is "more economical for coal companies, and essential for mining thin seams of lower-sulfur coal which is more valuable in today's market." It is obvious that the coal companies has put their financial interest first before considering the devastating effect of surface mining. Not surprisingly, the effect on local eco-system is catastrophic.
Coal mining has caused cracked buildings to the residents of Appalachia and has caused lung disease to coal miners. As Parson points out, there are highly damaging repercussions for human social cultures, as well as the environment. She describes the case of a retired miner, whose lifetime involvement in deep coal mining has left him crippled by black lung disease, with no chance of retrieving compensation from his employers. Now to add insult to injury, he is faced with the prospect of having to abandon his home because of a strip mine which could come as close as 300 feet (Parsons, 2001) from his door. This act of negligence by the coal company is unacceptable because the coal companies are meant to give back to the community especially the workers who risk their lives for their selfish interest. Despite complains from residents about cracked walls, and dust nothing can be done to stop the shaking because the company is operating within the legal blasting limit(Parsons,2001,1) and will invariably affect the houses of the local residents.
Streams have been polluted with toxic metals due to coal mining. In Erik Reece's lost mountain the Federal Agency For Substance and Disease Registry (ASTSR) came to martin county to test the soil and water for harmful substances. They concluded that there was no harmful substance in the soil or water. Due to the persistent complaints from the residents, the Kentucky university took the sample from the (ASTDR) and tested it for harmful substance. The test revealed a 3,810 times aluminum, high level of cadmium, mercury in the water and soil (Reece 2006 pg131). The Federal Protection Agency should be proactive in safe guarding streams and lakes from toxic pollution. As Erik Reece (2006) points out, the extent of the damage which is being caused to both environment and human populations is enormous. He states that "blasting......has polluted thousands of family wells ....wildlife populations have been summarily dispersed....entire ecosystem have been dismantled." (Reece, 2006,2).
The people of Appalachia have been hit by the negative effects of water pollution. A national academy of science has reported that "60,000 babies born in the united states each year could have been exposedn to enough mercury in the utero to cause poor academic performance latter in life" Reece (2006 pg25). I support president obama reform on industrial waste because it taxes companies that pollute the environment with industrial waste. This strong measures need to be in place so that the coal company will show some restrain towards environmental pollution.
The situation in Appalanchia is, therefore disturbing for several reasons. It cannot be denied that coal has been part of Appalachia social and economic cultures for many decades, but it is only recently that this has taken the form of strip mining and mountain top removal technologies. These changes have benefited coal companies, but not local communities; in fact, the impact on the latter has been almost entirely negative. In addition, as Reece and Parson point out, the destruction to the environment is "irreparable." Attempts to regulate this type of strip mining seem to have been, for the most, unsuccessful, which perhaps unsurprising in view of the fact at least some of those concerned maintain that the environment and social impact is only minimal.
A further cause for concern is the fact that coal mining, in wharever form, is contributing to the gradual exhaustion of non-renewable energy source. Parsons points out that a possible economic transition for the region would be towards tourism, given the considerable natural beauty of the landscape: however, the widespread use of surface mining is also destroying the mountain as an economic alternative. Surface mining should be stopped because it has caused polluted streams, damaged social culture, cracked buildings, and has resulted in lung disease for coal miners. Although Reece titles his work "Lost Mountain" it seems clear that more than mountaintops will be lost, if current mining pratices are allowed to continue in Appalachia.
Work Cited
Online journal article- Lindsey, Rebecca. "Coal controversery in Appalachia." (2007):31-55.
5 march 2009
Online book-John, R.Poponio. Mountaintop Mining/Valley fills in Appalachia.2005.
Environmental Protection Agency page 3. 5 march 2009
Book- Reece, Erik. Lost Mountain: A year in the vanishing wilderness.
The New York : Riverhead, 2006.
Essay 2 preceis
John R. Pomponio in "Mountain Mining/Valley fills in Appalachia" (Environmental Protection Agency october 2007)
He states the statistic data of environmental pollution,endangered species, and aims to find ways in which the government can safeguard the environment from toxic waste.
They support their aim by providing data about the effects of coal mining . The data points out that 6.8% of forest are likely to be affected by recent and future mountain top removal. The authors aim is to provide give accurate data about the effects of coal mining and how it can be prevented or reduced to a minimum.
The targeted audience are the general public who look for data or statistic on the environment.
He states the statistic data of environmental pollution,endangered species, and aims to find ways in which the government can safeguard the environment from toxic waste.
They support their aim by providing data about the effects of coal mining . The data points out that 6.8% of forest are likely to be affected by recent and future mountain top removal. The authors aim is to provide give accurate data about the effects of coal mining and how it can be prevented or reduced to a minimum.
The targeted audience are the general public who look for data or statistic on the environment.
Essay 2 preceis
Rebecca Lindsey in "Coal Controversy In Appalachia" (Earth Observatory 2007)
She states that Surface mining has been devastating to West Virginia and that people have complained about floods from the collapsed valley fills and Sludge impound.
She developed her thesis by giving statistic data about the amount of streams that have been buried by coal mining. She also pointed out, that at least 724 miles of streams were completely buried by valley fill between 1985-2001.
Her purpose was to give an insight about the repercussion of Mountain Top Removal and her targeted audience are people who are interested about the effects of Strip Mining.
She states that Surface mining has been devastating to West Virginia and that people have complained about floods from the collapsed valley fills and Sludge impound.
She developed her thesis by giving statistic data about the amount of streams that have been buried by coal mining. She also pointed out, that at least 724 miles of streams were completely buried by valley fill between 1985-2001.
Her purpose was to give an insight about the repercussion of Mountain Top Removal and her targeted audience are people who are interested about the effects of Strip Mining.
Essay 2 thesis
Strip mining should be stopped because it has endangered species, cracked buildings, damaged social culture, polluted streams, and has caused lung disease to coal miners.
Monday, February 23, 2009
update of bennie
I just looked up my window and discovered that my bennies are growing beautifully. They have stated producing stems and I just told them how much I care about them.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Update of Bennie
Bennie is looking moist and good. Am getting curious about Bennie cant wait to see it germinate.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Germination (Bennie is his name.)
I kept looking at the beans for some inspiration as to what name to call it, but the only name that suits its form is Bennie. B.E.N.N.I.E(3 times) and Bennie was his name oh!
chapter 1 summary
Appalachia was home to MR. Erik Reece and he always spent some of his summer in the forest hiking, writing, and sketching. One day while biking he noticed that flat lands and ponds have been filled with coal slurry. He explained that Mountain Top Removal has been a burden to the people of Appalachian for years and the top of the mountain has been blasted with ammonium nitrate and diesel fuel. The sulfur dioxide that escapes coal burning is responsible for acid rain, respiratory infection, asthma, and lung disease. At the same time forest world wide have been shrunk from 5 billion hectares at the beginning of the of the twentieth century to 2.9 billion hectares because of deforestation. Erik also said that 12 percent of the worlds birds are endangered and 24 percent of its mammals are fish. In may 2003 a draft statement was released by the programmatic environmental impact that mountain top is bad for these reasons, it buries water streams, causes erosion and flooding, degrades water quality, kills a lot of aquatic life, shakes foundation and wipes away huge portions of diverse ecosystem. Both Clinton and the Bush administration have found it difficult to stop coal mining, but environmentalist have used the Clean Water Act to protest coal mining. MR. Reece believes that carbon tax should be given back to the coal fields in forms of subsidies for jobs in reforestation. The jobs would lead to carbon sequestration and green jobs. Central Appalachia is poor because so much has been taken from it and so little has been returned. The mountain of Appalachia are responsible for the illumination and air conditioning of billions of houses, and neither the people nor the land has been properly compensated. Erik Reece witness the decimation of a single mountain, exposing how issues of corporate executives, and government negligence have affect the people. He concluded by saying that Mountain Top removal have done more harm than good to the people of Appalachia.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Rhetorical pecis
Erik Reece in "Lost Mountain"(Harper's, 2005. 465.70). He states that mountain top removal destroys natural vegetation and causes social problem for the people of apppalanchia. Erik Reec developed his thesis by giving accurate account of the causes of mountain top removal because he witness it. He gave statistic records of oil spill and social ills of MTR.
He purpose wasto give an insight of the causes of MTR and suggests that alternative energy is the solution to get a clean and safe environment. His target audience were people that wants a clean environment and environmentalist.
He purpose wasto give an insight of the causes of MTR and suggests that alternative energy is the solution to get a clean and safe environment. His target audience were people that wants a clean environment and environmentalist.
Rhetorical pecis
Jeff Goodell in "Big Coal" (Dean Wanner,2004.0506)
He states that coal is dangerous and we should start looking at different ways in which we can safe guard the environment. He suggested a plan like Carbon Trading and Carbon sequestration.
He supports his arguments by saying that Carbon trading and carbon sequestration will pump cardioxide into the air and let the market reduce car emissions. He says that china has just signed a bill like that will enable them improve the amount of cardioxide in the environment. He also rejected the ideal that green technology is the only solution to coal minning.
Goodell purpose was to create a level field between environmentalist and coal indusry so that they can find ways on how to tackle the environmental issues of MTR.
His intended audience were enviromental moderates and the supporters of coal minning.
R
He states that coal is dangerous and we should start looking at different ways in which we can safe guard the environment. He suggested a plan like Carbon Trading and Carbon sequestration.
He supports his arguments by saying that Carbon trading and carbon sequestration will pump cardioxide into the air and let the market reduce car emissions. He says that china has just signed a bill like that will enable them improve the amount of cardioxide in the environment. He also rejected the ideal that green technology is the only solution to coal minning.
Goodell purpose was to create a level field between environmentalist and coal indusry so that they can find ways on how to tackle the environmental issues of MTR.
His intended audience were enviromental moderates and the supporters of coal minning.
R
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