Composting Info-graphic

Ryan Southard

What:

This info-graphic is intellectually stimulating because it provides useful information about the reason’s behind composting. It doesn’t just tell you that you can do something, but it tells you what to do, and why you should do it. It is also creative because the visual design is well thought out and is visually appealing.

Gut:

This graphic invokes a surprising amount of hope for me. I constantly hear about environmental issues, but I don’t really ever hear about what we can do to prevent them, so it’s nice seeing something which both informs people of these issues while also giving a viable solution to them.

So What:

I hadn’t really ever thought about the effect that methane might be having. When people talk about greenhouse gases, most people will think of carbon dioxide. However, it’s probably important to remember that other gasses have negative effects and can come from other sources beyond the classic ‘pollution source’ such as cars and factories.

Now What:

I know that I’ve never really given thought to how much my food waste might be affecting our world, so it could be nice to include similar information in our info-graphic for students, as I would assume many of them haven’t considered this as well.

UGArden – Blog Post #2

In this picture . . .

I see the tools of a trade, an surprising number of shovels, rakes, and hoes. Protected from the elements, but always ready to be used. The wear and tear from years of loving use, evident from the dirt-stained metal, the worn out wood, and the carefree manner with which they hang.

I notice tools for which I don’t even know the name. Devices used for jobs so far removed from the world which I know that I couldn’t even begin to guess what their intended purpose is. Instruments of destruction designed to obliterate any resistance to their task.

I think of the way in which these tools have helped their masters. Reducing their workload and easing their strain, these tools have saved thousands of hours of back breaking work.

I feel content knowing that these tools produce good food. That at the end of a season, the reward is something worth laboring over. Biting into some watermelon on a hot summer day, or drinking warm tea during a late night study session. It all begins with these tools.

This picture is about what it takes to grow crops. It represents the effort, knowledge, and time it takes to nurture something which

Reflective Writing Assignment 1 – Self Portrait

Describe your previous experience with science:
- Most of the science classes which I’ve taken have been physics based. I haven’t done anything relating to biology since my freshman year of high school, so it is nice to experience something different from what I’m used to.

What would you most like to get out of taking this course?
- I’m really excited to talk about to social implications of how humans impact our environment. I think one of the most interesting anomalies in nature is our ability to shape the world around that, and I think I would enjoy discussing our responsibilities surrounding that.

As a student, what further information would you ask to find out about antibiotics in the soil or composting?
- I would like to know what I can do to try to prevent this from spreading and becoming a bigger problem than it has to be.

Thinking about your fellow students, what issues do you think would appeal most to them about these issues?
- I think prevention might also appeal to them in the same way that it does to me.

What are some examples of things you might learn relative to civic engagement by helping with this service learning
- It will be interesting to see which parts of Athens suffer from antibiotic resistant bacteria, if other cities suffer in similar areas, and the various ways this can be reduced.