Blog Reflection

I have never used a blog as a writing tool for a class prior to this one. I think it was a beneficial experience because it forced me to put into words my thoughts on the different readings throughout the quarter. Even though I know that blogs are public forums, I never really thought of anyone reading my blog outside of our professor and my classmates; therefore I wrote my posts with them as my intended audience. This affected my writing because I tried to make the blogs as clear and easy to read as possible. Also, when critiquing the readings from class, I tried to comment on pieces of the writing that I thought my classmates would also notice.

Being able to view other classmates’ blogs and read their thoughts and compare them to mine was helpful. I feel that the comments from the professor were more helpful because they were directed towards the rhetoric of the writing; where as the comments from fellow students usually focused on the positive things and didn’t offer much criticism.

I think my writing did improve from the beginning posts to the more recent ones. I think my worst post was my first post about a place I know well. When I wrote this post I wasn’t really thinking at all about rhetoric, I just wrote the post how I would have verbalized the description to someone. I understand now that while I captured the overall essence of the place, it would have been a stronger piece if I had created a very descriptive vision for the reader that would put them in my place.

I feel my best blog posts were the posts on Monbiot and Cradle to Cradle. First of all, I think it was easier to write these posts because the expectations and criteria of what to write were much more defined than in earlier posts. Also, after we had discussed rhetoric for a few weeks in class, I understood more what to look for and it helped my posts to better show my understanding of the rhetoric.

I feel that course readings helped my blog posts. Reading the essays and trying to understand the rhetoric is one thing, but when you have to then analyze the readings through writing, it adds an extra challenge that made me read the selections more closely.

I definitely think being required to write a blog post every week over the readings caused me to read more closely, therefore improving my understanding of the readings overall. The blog posts also improved my understanding of the readings because I was able to compare my ideas with what others took from the readings.

Applying ethos, pathos and logos to the readings was easy for me to do. Being a Communication major, we study these rhetorical concepts in depth, therefore applying them to the readings from class was something I felt that I did strongly.

Overall, I am happy with my blog writings from this quarter. Obviously, there is always room for improvement but I can see improvements from the beginning of the quarter to the end.

Extra Credit

On March 9th I attended a lecture in Baker Ballroom given by Professor Lonnie Thompson from The Ohio State University. The lecture was entitled "The Human Footprint on Earth". Professor Thompson has a Ph D in Geological Sciences.

Dr. Thompson studies polar ice caps and has conducted research in multiple different places including Tibet, Antarctica, Alaska and the Himylayas. Dr. Thompson and his team do their research by drilling into the ice core at high altitudes.
Through his research he has encountered the signs of global warming such as polar ice caps melting more and more rapidly and the rise in sea level around the world. He stated that temperatures have risen to the highest ever recorded over the last 12 years and shockingly, the Earth's temperature has been increasing one degree Celsius every year. In addition, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere continues to increase drastically.

Dr. Thompson gave us different options to work on the problem. The first was prevention, which means we MUST decrease carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. Secondly was adaptation. Adaptation means changing the way we already interact with Earth, such as agriculture. He said if we do not act to alleviate these problems we will suffer and continue to suffer.

Overall I thought the presentation was very informative. I am not usually one to be very concerned with global warming but the facts that were presented really caught my attention and I felt that Dr. Thompson was very credible so I trusted the information he presented. I also thought his pictures and diagrams were very critical to the presentation because not only did they add emphasis to his message but I felt that it helped to persuade me. It was a very good presentation and I think it was beneficial to people like me who don't often realize the massive affect that global warming is having and how, even though it may not seem like it, the situation may affect us in our lifetime.

Group Blog

An idea for the group website project could maybe be a blog showing college students how to go green. While visiting the Eco House I learned ways to reduce energy usage in the dorms, but we could find ways to apply it to students who live off campus too. I think the easier you make it seem, the more likely college students will be to participate.




This is a short video that shows a few ways to be more eco friendly in the dorms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bVMTmxJZS4

This is a link to another video about college students going green. It's a little slow but it's a starting point.

Local Sustainability-REVISED!

Just outside of Ohio University’s campus there is a small brick home that is “100 years old, give or take ten years”(Young). From the outside it looks like a typical house but there is more to this home than meets the eye. The Ohio Eco House is the brain child of a few creative students and community members. It started out as a university owned house that was used to house visiting professors. Then with support from the university’s Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee and $60,000 in grants, the Eco House was born. The first student residents moved into the house in 2005.

This old home has become a new age “green house”. Incorporating power saving appliances, solar panels and home grown foods, this home is a step ahead. The residents truly enjoy their eco-friendly lifestyle and encourage visitors to try to incorporate something they learn there into their own lives.

The mission of the Eco House is “to demonstrate affordable green technology and sustainable living in order to inform, engage, and inspire both residents and visitors. The Ohio Eco House is not just a place-it is a dynamic educational experience which promotes critical thinking and tangible actions towards sustainability.”

The residents are chosen by application and are required to do an independent study about energy conservation while residing in the Eco House. They also participate in weekly meetings to discuss the progress of the program. Financial support comes from the residents. Office of Sustainability coordinator Sonia Marcus said, “Bills for the Eco House utilities, repairs, equipment, etc. are paid from the rent money students pay to live there. No other funding is provided.”

One of the most outstanding things you may notice about the Eco House is the large solar panels outside the house. These solar panels provide 70% of the electricity the house uses. The solar power panels provide the power it would take to light 40 60-watt light bulbs for one hour. The solar panels are extremely durable and can withstand weather conditions such as snow and hail. “The solar panels are expected to last 40-50 years" (Young). The residents rotate them twice a year, to ensure maximum power generation.

Another unusual thing about the Eco House is how it is heated. In the basement of the Eco House you will find a biomass furnace which runs on wood pellets, corn kernels and other biomass material. A full load for the furnace can keep the house heated for two weeks. This furnace is especially eco friendly because it is considered carbon neutral since the carbon emitted equals that which the corn or trees use naturally.

One thing that I learned while visiting the Eco House was an unusual way to reduce utility bills. Residents of the Eco House shrink wrap the windows. “The material comes in a big sheet and we just cut it down for how much we need. It reduces draft from older windows and also helps keep in your air conditioning” (Young).

Outside, next to the house, is a garden where the students grow some of their own food. They grow “seasonal crops such as potatoes, corn, kale and tomatoes" (Young). When the residents need more than they can grow on their own, they prefer to buy locally from the Athens’ Farmers Market which supports local farms.

Near the garden there are also bins built for heap composting. The residents throw food scraps from fruits, vegetables, egg shells, etc. into the compost heap and let them decompose over a few months. This composting process helps save nearly 90% of the food waste from the house from going into a landfill. Another way the residents compost might surprise you. There is a system of multiple plastic bins stacked together which makes a home for worms which produce compost faster than the heap composting.

When it comes down to it the Eco House is, above all things, a home. Luckily for the rest of us the residents of the Eco House are so passionate about this project and what it has done for their lifestyle that they are very willing to open their home to the public. Every quarter the Eco House hosts open houses and pot luck dinners in an effort to get other students and community members involved. The Eco House is a truly unique place and experiencing it might give you something to bring back to your life that will help you “go green!”



Appendix of interview questions:
-How old is the house and what was it used for prior to becoming the Eco House?
-When did the first students move in?
-What is the mission statement of the Eco House?
-How are the students chosen to live in the Eco House?
-What is the life span on the solar panels? Do you have any problems with them in adverse weather?
-What kind of crops can you grow in the garden?

*I took notes during my tour, so some of the information came from that and not the direct interview*

Sources:

Office of Sustianability . Ohio Eco House. 2009. . .

Ohio University . Everyday Is "Earth Day" at Ohio's EcoHouse. 2009. . .

Rose, Graylyn. Eco-House's Fourth Year Residents Shift Focus to Educating Others. 30 Oct. 2008. . .

Young, Danny. Personal interview. 21 Feb. 2009.