A Guide to Self-Reflection

The United States is By Far the World’s Largest Generator of Plastic Waste: We Need To Act Now

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The average American citizen throws away 4.9 pounds of solid waste every single day.  As a nation, the United States produces This is a horrific statistic that needs to be ended today. It is our responsibility as citizens of our planet, our country, and Penn State to do our part in ending this. There are now 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in our ocean & 46,000 pieces in every square mile of ocean, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes. Trash produced by the average American citizen travels to the world’s rivers and oceans, accumulating on beaches, and harming marine and coastal environments. The debris also interferences with human uses of rivers and coastal habitats which leads to problems for human life. Every day around 8 million pieces of plastic makes their way into our oceans. Penn State is one of the largest universities in the entire nation, generating close to 20,000 tons of solid waste from the University Park campus alone. The education of pollution among this vast community would make a huge difference. The astronomical amount of trash pollution produced by the United States threatens the world’s marine and coastal environments, which will not end without immediate action from local communities.

Issue Brief Questions:

How does the United States contribute to global waste? 

What disasters are our oceans facing due to trash pollution?

What disasters are other countries facing due to trash pollution? 

How are other countries handling waste?

What can we do as a nation to solve this problem?

What can we do as the Penn State community to solve this problem? 

Climate Change Controversies

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Welcome back to my civic issues blog focusing on environments and progress. It is widely accepted that climate change is a real and serious issue caused by pollution and emissions from human industrialization. However, now that the cause is settled, we will be highlighting 3 key controversial solutions to the climate change crisis.

1. The Role of Nuclear Power

Nuclear Energy: Pros 

The United States is moving towards a green energy grid and soon harmful fossil fuels will become a thing of the past. However, it is uncertain how the country will fill the gaps for all the power fossil fuels currently generate. Solar power and wind power are excellent options, but these are dynamic and dependent on the elements. Solar power can generate thousands of megawatts one day and almost none the next. Conventional nuclear is steady rather than responsive and would provide enough stable and reliable energy. 

Nuclear Energy: Cons 

Nuclear power generates 20% of the U.S. electricity supply; it’s the single largest source of non-fossil energy generation in the U.S. and the second-largest globally. However, this is predicted to scale down because nuclear energy is expensive. At the V.C. Summer project in South Carolina, two new reactors were in their fifth year of construction were abandoned after $9 billion dollars had already been invested. 

Nuclear energy is being reinvented, to produce less waste, become smaller, more flexible, portable, better cooling reactors, and so much more. However, these projects are still in the works, and it is uncertain how much it’ll cost in the long run. Currently, the estimated commercial value would be $82 per MWh. To put that into perspective, gas at its peak is $64, wind is $40, and solar is $36. 

2. Migration:

Today 1% of the world is an unlivable hot zone, by 2070, this number will go up to 19%. Billions of people call this land home. Beginning 5 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans fled north toward the United States. In a city called Alta Verapaz, where precipitous mountains covered in coffee plantations became dense, the dry forest gives way to broader gentle valleys the residents have largely stayed. Now, though, under a relentless confluence of drought, flood, bankruptcy, and starvation, almost all people have begun to leave. Almost everyone here experiences some degree of uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. Half the children are chronically hungry, and many are short for their age, with weak bones and bloated bellies. The families face the excruciating decision to stay in their holmes and suffer the effects of climate change or move out. They have chosen to migrate. 

Scientists have learned to project such changes around the world with surprising precision, but recently little has been known about the human consequences of those changes. As their land fails them, hundreds of millions of people from Central America to Sudan to the Mekong Delta will be forced to choose between flight or death. The result will almost certainly be the greatest wave of global migration the world has seen.

Is migration necessary as a result of the climate crisis? The March 2020 publication of the IPCC report on impact, adaption, and vulnerability led to headlines prophesying doom, with tales of climate change to displace millions. In fact, the report argued migration could provide a way for some to deal with climate change, reducing vulnerability for many populations. It also included much more, but the immigration issue could be folded into other news controversies. Similarly, those seeking to migrate because of climate change find themselves working within harsh and rigid legal and cultural systems which are the product of other political and economic problems and fights.

3. Geoengineering

Tampering with the chemicals and elements of the earth is extremely dangerous, however, it may be our only choice in the first against climate change. Some scientists argue this is our only option, the planet has run out of time. United States scientists are on the case, too. Most climate change solutions prevent the emissions of CO2 to stop any further damage to the environment.  With geoengineering technology, scientists will be able to directly remove CO2 gas from the air.  

The National Academies last October launched a study into sunlight reflection technologies, including their feasibility, impacts and risks, and governance requirements. The study’s perspective authors held their first meeting in Washington, D.C., at the end of April. Speakers included David Keith, a Harvard University physicist who has developed his own patented technology for using chemistry to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere, and Kelly Wanser of the Marine Cloud Brightening Project, which is studying the efficacy of seeding clouds with sea salt and other materials to reflect more sunlight back into space. The project is preparing for future field trials.

Geoengineers have excited for centuries, but these solutions are extremely risky. Altering the cloud chemistry could lead to poisonous rain for years. Removing CO2 directly from the atmosphere could backfire and remove other gases useful to our planet and leave us defenseless.  American researchers back in the 1960s suggested floating billions of white objects such as golf balls on the oceans to reflect sunlight. In 1977, Cesare Marchetti of the Austria-based International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis discussed ways of catching all of Europe’s CO2 emissions and injecting them into sinking Atlantic Ocean currents. 

While these grand climate crisis solutions sound effective, if they were to backfire, the consequences would be astronomical. Our planet is running out of time, and these solutions could save us. However, if we fold all of our efforts into geoengineering, we take away from the problem of emitting CO2 gas in the first place! Business corporations and entire counties will have no problem continuing to pollute and destroy our planet if a “solution” is found. Are these big geoengineering ideas the answers to our prayers? Or are they an excuse to continue our businesses-as-usual pollution habits? 

Works Cited:

“10 New Climate Change Controversies – Now That the Cause Is Settled.” Road to Paris – ICSU, roadtoparis.info/top-list/10-climate-change-controversies-now-that-cause-settled/.

Fred Pearce • May 29, et al. “Geoengineer the Planet? More Scientists Now Say It Must Be an Option.” Yale E360, e360.yale.edu/features/geoengineer-the-planet-more-scientists-now-say-it-must-be-an-option.

Lustgarten, Abrahm. “The Great Climate Migration Has Begun.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 July 2020, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/23/magazine/climate-migration.html.

Podesta, John. “The Climate Crisis, Migration, and Refugees.” Brookings, Brookings, 4 Sept. 2019, www.brookings.edu/research/the-climate-crisis-migration-and-refugees/.

“We’ve Been Having the Wrong Debate about Nuclear Energy ” Yale Climate Connections.” Yale Climate Connections, 28 July 2020, yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/07/weve-been-having-the-wrong-debate-about-nuclear-energy/.

Personality Tests

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Good Morning RCL and welcome back to my 2021 Spring Blog!

As a reminder, this blog is a guide to self-reflection, using simple everyday pop culture topics to discover one’s individuality. It is designed to help you think about what is important to you, what you value most in life, how you view yourself, and so much more!

I noticed my audience has taken a cool interest in personality quizzes and has already done many on their own! I decided this week to provide you will my personal favorites, how they have helped me, and maybe how they can help you.

A disclaimer, I do not think these quizzes are 1000% accurate and anything said about you in them is true. Whether you agree or disagree with your results, I think they are a great way to learn about yourself! If you get Hufflepuff but you’re really Slytherin, ask yourself why! It’ll give you more insight into your Slytherin traits than ever before.

1. Hogwarts House Quiz

https://www.wizardingworld.com/news/discover-your-hogwarts-house-on-wizarding-world

First I will be linking an all-time favorite I have mentioned in the past, the Hogwarts House quiz! Again, you do need to “sign up” to take it (but you can use a fake email and make as many as you’d like, I’ve taken it about 20 times!). Though everyone has their own interpretation of the houses, I especially enjoy this quiz because the answers are not obvious and it doesn’t even feel like you’re taking a personality quiz!  It feels more like a journey.

2. 16 Personalities

https://www.16personalities.com/

A well-known personality test for sure. While some may have critiques, I have found this quiz to be one of the most enjoyable to take and the most fun to compare results to. I’ve done this quiz at almost every sleepover and late-night school events. I consider this one to be pretty in-depth as well.

3. Enneagram Test

https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/test

Although there are updated versions, I have found the “classical” enneagram test to be the best. It is a bit lengthy, but do not be afraid to take your time and look up unfamiliar words. The first time I took this test I got type 2 and I was a bit upset about it. Not because type 2 was bad, but because it painted me in a way I really did not see myself. I called the test inaccurate and totally gave up on it! A couple of years later, I retook it and got type 4- and that is definitely more me. The great thing about this test is it highlights some fears or doubts you may have and reassures them.

4. Open Psychometrics

https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/characters/

This test statistically matches you to every fictional character in their database and presents you with any and every fictional character you are similar to! While I find this test to be the “least accurate” I definitely have had a lot of fun comparing results with my friends at parties. If you’re in a party setting I recommend the 36 questions, but if you’re alone I recommend the 120 question test (you can change settings at the bottom of the page) 120 seems like a lot but I assure you it goes by quickly.

The United States is By Far the World’s Largest Generator of Plastic Waste: We Need To Act Now

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The kairos for action to control climate change is more evident now than ever before. According to National Geographic, the United States is by far the world’s largest generator of plastic waste, producing about 42 million metric tons (46 million U.S. tons) in 2016. This is a horrific statistic that needs to be ended today. It is our responsibility as citizens of our planet, our country, and Penn State to do our part in ending this. There are now 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in our ocean & 46,000 pieces in every square mile of ocean, weighing up to 269,000 tonnes. Every day around 8 million pieces of plastic makes their way into our oceans. RIGHT NOW, in order to protect our planet, is the time for education of pollution and a recycling contest in order to boost recycling encouragement.

Featured above is a picture of the great pacific garbage patch, which as of 202o is now the size of TEXAS. Further education about the harms of global pollution to precede the recycling contest was recommended by a great comment and I couldn’t agree more. By allowing students to understand the urgency of the situation and being presented with updated information will create an even greater long-term awareness. The audience for this project would be the Penn State community. Penn State is also a massive university with the largest alumni network and huge support from family and friends. By educating the entire Penn State community, the awareness for trash waste from the United States would be greater than ever before. 

Filed Under: RCL

Issue Brief Idea: Recycling and Reducing Waste Here at Penn State

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The issue I will be addressing in my brief will be recycling and reducing waste here at Penn State, and other college campuses. As I’m sure you’ve seen, there are plenty of recycling and compost bins next to trash cans on campus. This is phenomenal, however, I am aware that most students walk past the recycling options every day and immediately throw out their garbage. University Park is home to 40,639 Undergraduate students releasing tons of trash every day. With football and THON, pride in our school is a BIG deal here at Penn State. If we were to implement a contest for recycling, I believe it would encourage students. Whether this is a grade-wide contest or a building-wide contest, the competitive nature of Penn State students would result in a huge increase in recycling!

The issue of recycling and reducing waste at Penn state is an inadvertent cause. The unawareness of the lack of recycling done by the students is what has caused this issue. By implementing recycling and compost bins in every trash, one would assume the work here is done. However, not every student is informed on the importance of recycling, and not every student feels encouraged to do so. One could argue that the existence of these recycling bins is encouragement enough, but I would disagree. An incentive, lesson, or in this case competition is the perfect solution. By using a recycling competition students will be encouraged to recycle and the University will dispose of less waste. 

While the hope for the recycling competition is to educate students on the harms of pollution as well as encourage them to recycle, “inducements” is the making policy used to craft my solution. The prize for winning the recycling contest is the biggest incentive for students to learn to recycle, even though they will learn in the process. By offering a large and glorious prize, students will be encouraged to recycle more than ever before. This contest could be annual to increase awareness of recycling, or it could be a one-time event. I suggest a recycling contest once every 4 years. In this case, most students would only be able to experience one contest. Once the competition gains recognition, students would look forward to participating in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before they even arrive at Penn State.

Filed Under: RCL

Civic Issues Blog: To What Extent Are Humans Responsible for Global Warming?

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Global warming is often taken lightly and is not seen as a serious issue. There are many misconceptions around global warming, including that our planet goes through natural fluctuations in atmospheric temperature. Although this is true, the rate at which our planet has changed since the industrial revolution is greater than it has changed over thousands of years. There are many politicians and leaders of our government who do not believe global warming is a man-made issue. Changes in the Earth’s atmosphere, forests, and oceans indicate that human industrialization is responsible for global warming, therefore, it is our responsibility to fix it.

In order to understand the impact humans have on our environment, it is important to fully define the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect refers to a process in which gases in the atmosphere allow solar radiation to penetrate to the earth’s surface, while also reabsorbing radiation as it attempts to exit the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat into the atmosphere, which in turn heats up the planet, creating the greenhouse effect. Without this effect, life on Earth would not exist, there would be no heat in the atmosphere and all living things would freeze. However, too many greenhouse gases have the opposite effect, and the rapid warming of the atmosphere is dangerous. Human industrialization, transport, deforestation, intensive agriculture, and urbanization emit excessive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, amplifying the greenhouse effect, and warming our planet. The most prominent and dangerous of all greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide.

The most abundant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, causing it to be the greatest threat to our planet. Carbon dioxide is responsible for approximately half of the heat retained by the atmosphere and is especially important because it is the atmospheric gas that is increasing at the fastest rate. The Second Industrial Revolution caused urbanization to spread rapidly, building overpopulated cities in order to house people working in the hastily growing factories. This lifestyle of burning extreme amounts of fossil fuels pumped a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, the gas which is responsible for half of the heat trapped in our atmosphere, has been increasing at an alarming rate for over a century.

Carbon dioxide is a fundamental cause of global warming. Over the last century, scientists have seen a larger increase in carbon dioxide than any other greenhouse gas. During the past 650,000 years, atmospheric CO2 (carbon dioxide) concentrations did not exceed about 300 ppm, even during interglacial periods. They have now reached 390 ppm. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere remained relatively untouched for thousands of years. During those years the Earth underwent a series of fluctuations including the interglacial periods. However, there has never been as much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as there is today.  This large and sudden increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide shows that human industrialization caused a sudden increase in planet temperature.

The burning of fossil fuels is not the only cause of excessive emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Deforestation is an entirely different form of human industrialization, which may be an even larger threat to the environment. The accelerating destruction of the rainforests is now being recognized as one of the main causes of climate change. Carbon emissions from deforestation far outstrip damage caused by planes and automobiles and factories. As greenhouse gas emissions increase, it is important to persevere our forests in order to balance the gasses. Trees from the rainforest absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and emit oxygen, which not only benefits humans but also reduces global warming. However, the destruction of rainforests has the opposite effect, the fewer forests the less carbon dioxide is converted to oxygen in the air, and the greater the temperature of the Earth increases.

One of the largest causes of the increase in planet temperature is the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. The rainforests around our equator are crucial elements to keeping our planet in order. The rainforests of the Amazon, the Congo Basin, and Indonesia are thought of as the lungs of the planet. Rainforests are not only filled with trees that absorb carbon dioxide but are also home to a diverse ecosystem of various plants and animals. In fact, rainforests along the equator such as the Amazon account for about 50% of all species found on the planet. The loss of these precious rainforests is a loss of the lungs of the planet. The plants and species living and breathing together release the proper gases in our atmosphere. Without them, our planet is in serious danger.

Not only are forests a critical factor in protecting our planet, but oceans also play a key role in global warming. Extra amounts of carbon dioxide are constantly emitted into the air, but not all of it remains in our atmosphere. Oceans have absorbed 40 percent of the carbon dioxide humans produce. That is approximately 550 billion short tons of carbon dioxide. Earth’s atmosphere and oceans share energy, chemicals, and even gases. As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rose due to industrialization, Earth’s oceans absorb the excess gas. This becomes catastrophic, as large amounts of carbon dioxide do not belong in our oceans.

Large amounts of carbon dioxide led to the warming of the ocean, which not only melts our ice caps and increases natural disasters but also causes the death of aquatic species. Carbon dioxide also lowers the pH level of the oceans, making them more acidic. When carbon dioxide reacts with seawater, it produces the chemical compound carbonic acid. When there is too much carbonic acid in the water, it makes the water acidic.  The pH of the oceans is crucial to life on earth. The acidity of the oceans increases death rates of coral, shellfish, plankton, and every small aquatic creature. Although this may seem insignificant, these creatures are at the beginning of every food chain. As time goes on, the effect of the acidity of the oceans will reach even the highest members of the food chain, humans.

Although the planet may appear to fluctuate on its own, statistics clearly reveal humans are the cause of global warming through our emissions of greenhouse gases. These increases in greenhouse gases are a clear result of human activities, reflecting the growing emissions produced by increasing industrialization, transport, deforestation, intensive agriculture, urbanization, and growing population. Before human urbanization, the increase in planet temperature was never a concern. Without the human increase of greenhouse gases, excessive amounts of heat would not be retained in our atmosphere and global warming would not exist.

Due to large emissions of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide, the destruction of precious rainforests, and the gas pollution in our oceans, it is clear that human industrialization is responsible for the rapid increase of atmospheric temperature. From this discovery, it is critical that the United States and other countries join together to end climate change.

 

Works Cited

Howden, Daniel. “Deforestation: The Hidden Cause of Global Warming.'” The Independent, 14 May 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

 

Kerr, Richard A. “The Carbon Cycle and Climate Warming.” Environmental Issues: Essential Primary Sources, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

 

Lanser, Amanda. Adapting to Climate Change. Essential Library, 2015. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

 

Rhodes, Frank H. T. Earth: A Tenant’s Manual. Cornell University Press, 2012.

 

mErCurY iS In rETrogRadE?  

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This week we will be focusing on a popular controversial topic everybody is familiar with, Zodiac Signs!  

(((Since we have new blog groups this semester, here is a brief disclaimer about how I view Zodiac Signs. ))

At some point in your life, somebody has asked you “Hey, what’s your sign?” You either get annoyed or excited by this question. Everybody has their own opinion on if Zodiac Signs are “real” “fake” or simply not worth anyone’s time. Whether you support your sign completely and know every planet on your chart, or have no interest in nonsense about the stars, everybody has something to learn from their Zodiac Sign. 

Humans are complex beings, we often attempt to understand ourselves and each other and fail miserably. No matter how you feel about Zodiac Signs, they provide a seemingly “foolproof” list of qualities based on the date, time, and place you were born. Nobody is confined to a chart or sign, but the descriptions they provide can help you evaluate yourself. When you read the list of characteristics or synopsis of what each planet in your chart means, reflect on it. What resonates with you?

 

Every planet, moon, and celestial body is located in the sky when you were born. Each planet dictates a certain part of your being (how you communicate, how you love, how you fight). 

Ever heard of “ Mercury is in Retrograde?!” That comes from Mercury being the planet of communication. 

 

You can find your star or “natal” charts online using the link below (it is LENGTHY, but it is the best and worth the skim)

https://astro.cafeastrology.com/natal.php 

Or you can download the app “Co-Star” on your phone, for a briefer description.  

Once you find your birth chart, you’ll notice it is not only your sun sign but a bunch of signs. Here is a brief description of what the “Big 6” of your planets mean…

 

Sun Sign:

Your sun sign shows your character, personal identity, and ego. It represents your will to live and our creative life force. Who you are at your core. Just as the planets revolve around the Sun in our solar system, we derive our life purpose from the Sun in our natal charts. The Sun is the part of us that censors the rest of ourselves reasons things out, and makes final decisions. The Sun also gives clues to our overall vitality. The Sun directs us and can be considered “the boss” of our chart.

((EX: My sun is in Aries, I am fundamentally assertive and fiercely independent))

Have you ever met someone with your same sun sign and found that person to be nothing like you? You probably have different moon signs.

Moon Sign: 

The moon in the chart represents our inner selves, the way we think, and our emotions. The voice you use to talk to yourself inside your head, that’s your moon sign. Your moon sign reveals your unconscious, what goes on inside your head. It can give insight into the way you handle your emotions and fears; it can also give insight into the way you love and feel. 

((EX: My moon is in Gemini, my mind is very restless and I am constantly in an identity crisis :))

Ascendant Sign:

Your Ascendant or “rising” sign is how other people perceive you- your “outer shell.” It is the impression we have on other people and the way we physically look. Ask your friends about their first impressions of you, I bet they are closer to your ascendant sign than your sun sign. It can be the mask or costume we wear to greet the world. It is the prime example of “never judge a book by its cover”. It can also be your personal style and how you choose to present yourself. 

((EX: My ascendant is in Scorpio, I often come off as intense and passionate ))

Mercury 

While the moon reflects our emotions, Mercury reflects logic and rationality. Mercury uses its clever intellect and relentless curiosity to analyze, sort, and classify, helping us synthesize and articulate complex ideas. Basically, Mercury is how you communicate with others and how you process information.

Venus 

The planet venus reflects our interest in art and culture, while its romantic sensibilities reveal our idealized perception of love. Venus is how you love, if you’ve ever heard of a “love language” this is similar but more intense and personal. 

Mars

Mars symbolizes action, determination, desire, impulse, and aggression. This is where your impulses come from and how you deal with conflict. Conflict is not limited to heated arguments, how you handle small conflict in your everyday life is dictated by your Mars sign. 

Civic Issues Blog: President Biden’s Fight Against Climate Change 

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President Biden’s Fight Against Climate Change 

Within the first few weeks of his Presidency, Biden signed numerous amount of executive orders in order to combat climate change.  President Biden’s climate change plan has been announced to cost 1.7 trillion dollars over the course of 10 years. Though some would argue these are necessary steps which need to be taken in order to save our planet, others would say the plans will hurt American workers and ruin the economy. Here is a breakdown of the major executive actions Biden has taken, and how they will affect the nation. 

Pressuring Countries to Take Action

President Biden brought the United States back into the international Paris climate agreement, through which countries worldwide agreed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming. Even more importantly, Biden is leading by example and reestablishing the nation’s leadership role with the international climate community  The United States is an influential country, once other countries will see we are taking action against climate change, other countries will do so as well. Especially with the economy being an issue. Creating new environmental regulations and laws costs the market a lot. However, this gradual loss is necessary, and will later pay off in the new jobs and services produced while working to save our planet. 

Replacing Government Fleet With Electric Vehicles 

 As of 2019, the U.S. government had 645,000 vehicles that were driven 4.5 billion miles and consumed 375 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel, according to the General Services Administration (GSA). About 35% of those vehicles were operated by the U.S. Postal Service, according to GSA.

President Biden announced, “The federal government also owns an enormous fleet of vehicles, which we’re going to replace with clean electric vehicles made right here in America, by American workers.” This is a huge advancement that could not only eliminate fossil fuels but set an example for companies in the United States and around the world. 

Methane Pollution Limits 

Methane is the second-largest driver of human-made climate change after carbon dioxide and the rollbacks, if they remain in place, will allow additional emissions equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of roughly 100 coal-fired power plants.  

The Biden administration is also calling on the EPA to review a highly consequential rollback of methane emission regulations for the oil and gas industry, instituted by the Trump administration in August. 

Climate experts say.“We really need to deal with all of the sources of methane and that is not just the new construction in the fossil fuel industry,” Drew Shindell, an earth science professor at Duke University, said. “We need to really aggressively push to reduce methane emissions from all sectors.”

The Keystone Pipeline

The Keystone XL pipeline extension, proposed by energy infrastructure company TC Energy in 2008, was designed to transport the planet’s dirtiest fossil fuel to market fast. This is an expansion of the company’s existing Keystone Pipeline System, which has been operating since 2010. The pipeline can transport 830,000 barrels of oil from Canada to Texas.

Not only does the pipeline create a fast and easy route for fossil fuels to be transported, it is also extremely dangerous. Tar sands oil is thicker, more acidic, and more corrosive than lighter conventional crude, and increases the likelihood that a pipeline carrying it will leak.  Since it first went into operation in 2010, TC Energy’s original Keystone Pipeline System has leaked more than a dozen times; one incident in North Dakota sent a 60-foot, 21,000-gallon geyser of tar sands oil spewing into the air. 

President Biden revoked the permit on the Keystone XL pipeline and is actively working to eliminate it before it causes further damage. 

 

But Isn’t This Expensive?

Biden aims to push as much as $1.7 trillion over 10 years into a plan to boost renewable power. Although Biden wants to create new American jobs with his climate plan, that may not be possible.  

Electric Vehicles 

Replacing the remaining vehicles with EVs could cost up to $20 billion, according to a Reuters estimate. Biden has publicly stated numerous times that he supports union automotive jobs. However, the new order for a full fleet of electric vehicles could hurt American manufacturers.

Tesla is considered the dominant U.S. manufacturer of electric vehicles. However, the company’s lack of union workers and the higher cost of its vehicles (even the less expensive Model 3) could be a barrier. Ford and GM might not have a vast supply of electric vehicles at the moment, but they do have union shops and both automakers are investing heavily to expand their EV offerings.

Keystone XL and Oil 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the number of oil and gas extraction jobs at roughly 160,000 at the end of 2020, and coal mining jobs slipped below 50,000 total by year-end. However, compared to the 400,000 workers Amazon (a company transitioning to a green economy) hired in 2020, these numbers look small.

Still, the transition away from fossil fuels will deeply hurt rural areas that are dependent on mining and drilling for their economy. These include the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico, the Marcellus in Pennsylvania and Ohio, the Bakken in North Dakota, and in parts of California, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma. The U.S. oil industry is expected to contract by 20% in the next decade and by 95% between 2031–2050, according to the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Overall green energy

The goal is expensive, but not as much as it used to be. As seen on the graph below, new solar and onshore wind became less expensive than coal generation. The Biden-Harris climate plan to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector by 2035. These regulations will take time to be put in place, but this ambitious plan is what our planet needs. It is only the beginning

 

Sources: 

Bill Ritter Jr. Director. “Biden Plans to Fight Climate Change in a Way No U.S. President Has Done Before.” The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2021, theconversation.com/biden-plans-to-fight-climate-change-in-a-way-no-u-s-president-has-done-before-152419.

Erprose. “Biden’s Climate Change Plan and the Battle for America’s Most Threatened Workers.” CNBC, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/01/31/bidens-climate-change-plan-and-americas-most-threatened-workers.html.

January 20, 2021 Melissa Denchak. “What Is the Keystone XL Pipeline?” NRDC, 20 Jan. 2021, www.nrdc.org/stories/what-keystone-pipeline#whatis.

Wayland, Michael. “Biden Plans to Replace Government Fleet with Electric Vehicles.” CNBC, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2021, www.cnbc.com/2021/01/25/biden-plans-to-replace-government-fleet-with-electric-vehicles.htm

 

Hogwarts Houses

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Hello RCL Classmates! This blog is a guide to self-reflection, using simple everyday pop culture topics to discover one’s individuality. It is designed to help you think about what is important to you, what you value most in life, how you view yourself, and so much more! 

Today we will be covering a topic I CANNOT believe I never did last semester… Hogwarts Houses!

If you are not a fan of Harry Potter- that’s ok! You can still find your Hogwarts house by taking the quiz of WizardingWorld (Pottermore) found here https://my.wizardingworld.com/login        (((((Yes, sadly you do have to “sign up,” but I’ve created so many fake accounts with fake emails just to take the quiz again it is effortless))))))

The beautiful thing about the Hogwarts Houses is although they are thought to have specific traits, they don’t. The true meaning of the Hogwarts houses can mean whatever you’d like. Literature is all about finding your own interpretations and digging deeper into the text. 

As someone who has read the Harry Potter series twice and has seen the movies at least 60 million times, I interpret your Hogwarts House as what you VALUE most, not what you possess. Your morals, in your heart, what is the most important trait to have? For me, it’s bravery, which is what makes me a Gryffindor. Am I still scared of roller coasters? Sometimes… but I have my moments.

Here are, in my opinion, a decent description of the Hogwarts Houses I put together. Keep in mind, the Houses can be interpreted however you would like, despite stereotypes from the movies.

 

Gryffindor: Natural leaders, passionate, loyal, trustworthy, competitive, courageous, confident, adaptive, just & fair, adventurous

Gryffindors don’t care about the rules, they care about justice. If a Gryffindor sees something is wrong or unfair, they will act on it. Gryffindors value bravery the most, and they can be ruthless. Gryffindors are adaptive, they are not afraid to switch sides of an argument, war, or battle if they no longer feel they are fighting for what’s right. Gryffindors value bravery. 

Slytherin: Family over everything, extremely protective, ambitious, success-oriented, determined, bold, resourceful, strong opinions

Slytherins may be ruthless but they care about the rules, their own rules. Not to follow what society dictates, but their own personal compass. They will impose parameters or limitations on themselves just to have a framework to operate with. An internal code. Slytherins are especially loyal to their family (which is not always blood, anyone can be family). Slytherins will put their family before anything, even justice. Slytherins value ambition, and determination. 

Ravenclaw: Artistic and technical, curious, big dreamers, hard workers, creative, inclusive, clever, logical 

Ravenclaws hate rules because they get in the way of their brilliant mind’s creativity. Ravenclaws don’t even have rules for themselves. Something that makes Ravenclaws some of the most dangerous people is that nothing holds them back, there are no limits. Whatever a Ravenclaw wants to do, they’ll just do. No limits. Ravenclaws value cleverness and creativity.

Hufflepuff: selflessness, kind, equality, friendship over everything, “mom” of the friend group, loyal, trustworthy, caring, open-minded

Hufflepuffs are the most misunderstood house of all. Hufflepuffs values equality, an equal playing field for everyone, but people mistake this trait as a weakness when it is strength. Hufflepuffs are willing to fight anyone mistreating somebody else. They’ll defend themselves and the people they love until they drop dead. Hufflepuffs are selfless! They will always put others first. The biggest difference between Hufflepuffs and the other houses is that they don’t accept casualties, the loss of human life is never acceptable, no matter that the goal. Hufflepuffs value equality and friendship. 

Blog Topic Announcements

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Passion Blog: Self-Reflection through Pop-Culture

I decided to keep my topic! Comment any TV Shows, movies, books, or series you’d like me to include! (I don’t know much about LOTR 🙁 )

Civic Issues Blog: Pollution, Ecosystems, and Climate Change

I’m very passionate about our environment and our responsibility as humans to take care of our home. I research global warming a lot in my free time, I believe it is important because if we destroy the home we have we won’t be able to deal with all the other political issues.

 

Filed Under: RCL

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