For my second podcast, i chose to listen to the podcast containing Crystal Sanders pertaining to segregation within schools then and now. This podcast opened up with a simple introduction of the history of schools and segregation. After about 5 or 6 minutes, they began to talk about different acts that have been bypassed over the course of history and first begin with the act of Brown v. board of education which i believe just celebrated its 65th anniversary not too long ago. Before the passing of this act, America was in shambles as there were discriminant and heinous acts being committed against people of color. School systems would often shut down as protests and riots were running rampant worldwide. People of color have been fighting for their equal justice for centuries and when it feels like this was getting closer to an end, it was only the beginning. The fight for equal rights has been one topic that his been talked about for decades and continues to be a problem in today’s society. Even in today’s society where people are constantly being judged and racially profiled, it seems as nothing really changes. While segregation is no longer a thing in today’s world, there are definitely people who have been racially insulted as such being called a racial slur or someone being prejudice to them. Or having to deal with the reality that stuff like white supremacy still exists in today’s world. No matter how much time elapses or people evolve, there will always be an instance that someone feels their racial identity is holding them back from succeeding. Another clear sign that racial disparities are apparent even in today’s world are through colleges and school in general. It seems that most high end colleges consist of upper class asians and white as they are the richest ethnicities and have the best outcome of succeeding in college due tot his. Most black people do not attend college, yet alone graduate high school as they are rarely ever given the same opportunities as their racial counterparts. And if a college is dominantly run by black people, it is either a local college or one with a low graduation rate. While segregation is not apparent in today’s world, it still occurs right underneath everyone’s noses.

The thing that instantly caught my eye as soon as the podcast opened up was the idea from Peter Pomerantsev stated was that while yes Russia is having their fair share with Ukraine right now, in reality it is a battle between NATO and Russia. Another constant theme that seems to be mentioned are these ideas of authoritarianism, white supremacy, liberal and democratic movements across many parts of the country and its an interesting concept to think about because as a fellow American i have no idea how people outside of the United States think of us. I know there is this joke that always goes around that states Americans don’t know any country outside of their own, and while i do know some other countries, this is mostly true. Growing up in American societies and American rules like creating the “American dream” it is really hard to focus on the struggles we are going through as a country because I have grown accustomed to it. I’m used to believing we have always been the best country because of the industrial craftsmanship we possess and that we are far too “advanced” for other countries when in reality, while we maybe be an industrial powerhouse, our mental health systems, crime rates, physical well being of individuals, etc.. are all the huge concerns, yet get little to no attention because we believe America is doing well and will continue to thrive in the future.

In this podcast, Peter made a great comparison of democrats being like Ukranians because they based their decisions and reactions off of empathy. Ukrainians are nice people who do not wish harm upon anyone, and he made it seem like Republicans can be deemed as Russians as they are more aggressive and can take over at any moment if given the chance. Now i do not know if this the best simile but it was an interesting idea that i could not just pass over. Another political idea that was being mentioned was the idea of polarization. Polarization is just when people have opposite opinions on a subject which leads to an increase in tension over time. Polarization dives into the idea of power and submissiveness. Peter then proceeds to talk about how Ukraine has for a long time felt silenced and repressed as a result of the higher kingdom that is Russia. Also talks about the corruptness that surrounds Russia that has allowed it to gain its strong entitlement and basically have full control over smaller locations like Ukraine.

Fertilizing The World

Introduction

Fertilizer is a huge necessity of today’s world. However, with America cutting ties with Russia and all trading exports, America must be more cautious with what we can and cannot grow in our current economy. To keep America running smoothly as a country, this must be a top priority. There are not many plausible solutions outside of being more aware of our resources and that begins with testing our soil and the preservations of our crops. This situation can be prepared to that of the gas prices. As more people began to notice that gas prices were increasing, they started partaking in different actions like driving less, buying more eco-friendly cars, or using public transportation more often. If people take this fertilizer upsurge as seriously as gas prices, this problem could be solved and set up a plethora of solutions for other economic problems.  As small as the problem seems, fertilizer is the center of our economy and must be replenished to keep America running because sooner or not the problem will arise, and we are underprepared.

How This Issue Came About

For anyone that is curious on how this whole problem came about, well the answer in short is Russia invading Ukraine. You may be curious on how that personally affects the United States when it seems we have little to no relevance to Russia and Ukraine, the matter of fact is Russia has a huge effect on our current, thriving economy. With Russia cutting ties to most countries outside of its own, it leaves a massive hole in food markets globally as Russia accounts for roughly 14% of all fertilizer export.¹ After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, most countries, especially western countries have shown little to no respect for Russia. This has led Russia to stop importing very essential needs like oil, steel, and fertilizers to these countries. With the likes of Biden and other Western country leaders, Russia is being isolated from the global trading system after its invasion of Ukraine.² However, not all the blame goes directly to Russia as these fertilizer prices have been increasing since the start of 2020.³ Within the past 30 years there has been two exponential booms in the fertilizer industry. One in 2008 and one recently in 2021.⁴ 

This has been a sneaky concern previously and is one yet again. If nothing is down to preserve fertilizer, it can stay at this relative rate and maybe even increase to a more dangerous standard.

The Global Effect

There are many problems with the increase of fertilizer. The main concerns are the cost of food is going to increase, or the amount of food being sold is going to decrease. The invasion of Russia has caused the prices of grain to increase by nearly 20% and fertilizer by 14% and further inflates food costs.⁵ This is only the beginning because if crops like grains are increasing in cost, it is only a matter of time until various fruits, vegetables, etc. also increase. Also increasing drastically are the average cost of compounds, especially the ones that are associated with fertilizer. Fertilizer consists of many different elements like for example, ammonia, nitrogen, nitrates, phosphates, and sulphates, etc. However, within the last year, the prices for these materials have increased by an astounding 30%.⁶ A 30% increase is a drastic change, especially within a year as it causes people to change their lifestyle and adapt to new ways of living.

Paragraphs obviously aren’t finished but you can kind of gather what direction everything is heading in. Any feedback would be beneficial, thank you. Also don’t worry I will be making a better title soon.

For my issue brief, I wanted my issue based around something environmentally related but is also fresh and almost unheard. This led me to my topic of the increase in fertilization cost, what it means for the economy globally, and how a potential world war caused this disparity.

My first paragraph will be my introduction to the topic as probably not many people are familiar with the problem. I will then label some statistics of fertilization prices over the years as well as throw in a little infographic. My second paragraph will be based around why this is happening globally. What really led to the increase in fertilization prices across varying countries. Third paragraph will be about much the economy will be affected. Which countries will fail and which will thrive. Fourth paragraph will be about alternatives to this issue and if they are even plausible. Now the remainder of the work is unknown yet, however, the ending will be if the problem is solvable, and the potential outcome of the world due to this crisis. I will tie everything together and conduct a final conclusion.

Since this is a relatively new topic so more information will be presented as life goes on so I will have more ideas as life goes on.

Here is my intro paragraph:

You are probably curious on what a paper about fertilizer may have to do with public policies and issues? And that is where the issue begins. Everybody in the world is currently caught up with the known, Covid, gas prices, and a potential World War III. However, nobody seems to talk about the increase in fertilizer prices as America receives most of their fertilizer from Ukraine and Russia.[1] This is seen as a huge economic problem because if fertilizer prices increase, it can lead to one of two outcomes; Either higher prices among fresh fruits and vegetables or less mass produce as fertilizer would cost more to buy and apply to crops. Fertilizer consists of many different elements like for example, ammonia, nitrogen, nitrates, phosphates, and sulphates, etc. However, within the last year, the prices for these materials have increased by an astounding 30%.² A 30% increase is a drastic change, especially within a year as it causes people to change their lifestyle and adapt to new ways of living. A rather relevant example would be Covid-19 as it spurted an outrage with people around the world, and people were poorly handing the situation, so to avidly avoid the same situation, when must all as humans be prepared for these consequences

Source:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/22/fertilizer-prices-are-at-record-highs-heres-what-that-means.html

From the dawn of time, humans were implanted with this belief that there will always be someone by your side holding your handlebars as you pedaled through life. As you age you begin to realize that beliefs can turn to myths very quickly. As you get older you begin to realize that the world is cruel and horrid and that sometimes you must enter the world knowing how to ride a bike with no form of help. I grew up in this accursed world of loneliness. I grew up in the world of pedaling through dark alleyways, shady figures lurking around every corner and a life of distorted meaning. However, all of this darkness and hatred has led me to an area full of light. I once believed I was stuck in a bottomless pit with no escape, until one day someone stuck out their hand to me and said, “your safe now.” Growing up without parents has taught me no one could ever measure how talented you could possibly be or how successful you might become. The only person who could determine this, is yourself. It is when people start to depend on others that to begin to fail in the world. It starts when they fall prey to the idea that everyone in their life is there to help them grow, that they will never reach their true potential. It seems as to acquire success, a guideline must be followed. Lose everything in order to gain everything.  A mother who was supposed to love me with all her heart and a father to show me the ways around being a man in this world were lacking in my life. So I became my own parent and feel as though I’m in the best spot possible. I learned how to see b0th sides of the playing field. Both male and female and that has allowed me to gather certain insight on certain situations. For instance, when learning to grow up with failing grades, I would tell myself, “You’re doing this for yourself and no one else.” often because that is truly who was there for me. When you fall, there is always at least one person to help pick you up. Yourself. Your own self-esteem and self-conscious are the only self-assured things that will never leave you.  I believe people are not shaped or defined by traumatic events, I believe people have to live through failure in order to succeed, I believe that nobody determines your future except the person living it.

For the “This I Believe” podcast, two ideas are writing about the hardships of life as you grow older or to focus on the positives over the negatives.

For my passion blog, I have a few keen ideas that I want to heavily pursue. Some are the basis of serial killers like their thinking or the reasoning behind their actions. The other three ideas are based around the same basis but one is based on the critique of certain poetry, another critiquing movies and t.v. shows I have watched and another critiquing hot takes and unpopular opinions.

Civic Issue blog will be based around rights like gender rights and equal pay rights. Another idea could be based around the education system and how it incorrectly functions.