Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Final Essay



                        Finding a Sustainable Way to Conserve Water

            Finding a sustainable yet affordable way to conserve our water during this drought has been tough, with many failures and driven with lack of hope. Water is key to our way of life and for over a hundred years we single handedly have destroyed our natural resources for water because of mass development where water used to be, over pumping our aquifers, contaminating many of our rivers around the world and lastly, not taking our part in conserving it ourselves. My inquiry question is how can California find a sustainable way to preserve our water source with different solutions? Those solutions involve help from corporation involvement, in communities and in your home. If we are not able to find a sustainable route to conserve our water now, future generations will suffer tremendously and our human existence might be destroy faster than we thought.
            There have been many inventions, actions that are currently being tested, used or dismissed for common household use. Some actions that are currently illegal for citizens to do but it are very beneficial are the catching and reusing rainwater. In California if caught doing this in your home, you will be fined for breaking a law. On average a family of four “in the United States uses 400 gallons of water a day.”(American Rivers)  In fact Southern California is struggling to sustain the amount of clean and useable water to their residents. Not only are we a state struggling to find a sustainable route for water, other cities such as Flint, Michigan is currently in finding clean water to provide for their citizens. The Flint water crisis has contaminated thousands of homes with water “elevated lead levels in 40 percent of homes”(Vox), which has life long health issues and developmental complications for mainly children. Southern California does not receive much rain during fall or winter, but when it does, cities allow precious water to flow down the streets, into drains and lastly into the ocean. If made legal to catch and harvest rainwater, communities can provide clean water to families and stop depleting other lakes, aquifers and surface water. Simple changes like that can improve our drought and hopefully one day we can be completely dependent on ourselves. With that being said, companies and households can take their part in finding a sustainable way to conserve water.
Fortunately more actions can be practiced and easy used by, companies and households today to promote and achieve a sustainable route to conserve water. These simple changes such as using water quantity monitors, using water effective appliances, not watering our plants daily and excessively can help perverse more water. Along with doing simple improvements inside your house, you also can to the outside, such as changing your pipes to an efficient piping system. Efficient piping systems are insulated in and around along with being leak proof which limits your household water waste. With that being said, households can also take part in creating drought friendly yards and gardens. Putting grass in our yards requires gallons of water and kills off our natural plants in that area. Creating a drought friendly yard can bring more life; use incredibly less water and bring more wildlife, depending on where you live. Companies can also take their part in conserving the amount of water they use in their building such as, making sure there are no leaky faucets, changing the toilets to an ultra low volume (ULV) or other low water toilets are simple yet effective way on saving water. These positive changes can help be a fun, affordable, and helpful solution in finding a sustainable solution to our water crisis. I have personally tried to help with the amount of water I use daily. I personally drink a lot of water daily and try not to waste any unless it is needed. I also have changed the way I wash dishes, such as turning off the water when I am not using it, taking faster and shorter showers and lastly turning off the water faucet when brushing my teeth, washing my hands, etc. These simple changes have reminded me that all water is precious and by doing my part during this drought, I can help impact others to join me.
            Simple changes can make a huge impact on the environment, the California drought and in our own homes. Changing the law to allow the catching and harvesting of rainwater allows simple yet an affordable way for communities to connect with their citizens and neighboring communities. By adding simple water quantity monitors and using the least amount of water possible in our daily habits can easily help decrease our drought a little. Communities and individuals in their daily lives should consider finding sustainably ways to help our water shortage and ultimately find a solution to our problem. Being involved just in your home will help, teaching others and expanding ideas with one another can help generations to come.
Finding a sustainable yet affordable way to conserve and find alternative routes to collect fresh water has been difficult. My inquiry question that I hope to answer is how can California find a sustainable way to preserve our water source with different solutions? Different inventions have been brought up, currently being tried, used or discarded because it costs too much money. Prior to researching new alternative inventions or ideas, I knew very little on ways to create or harvest water besides the catching of rainwater. That intrigued me to learn more on this fast growing problem that citizens throughout California and other states have to worry about. Evidently, one invention that has been created and now being put to use is the harvesting of fog. When I first saw their ad to promote this new idea to harvest fog, I was confused, but then realized how efficient this was. With further research I found an article written by the company that created the “Optimal Design of Permeable Fiber Network Structure for Fog Water” (Langmuir). The question that constantly came to mind was whether or not other processes would have to be use to remove salt, filter and whether or not the water can be used for human and/or agriculture purposes? In the short video they stated that the water collected and harvested can be used for agriculture and human use because “fog has naturally desalinated by the sun” (Hashem Al- Ghaili Video). By watching that short film
and reading an article page on the harvesting of fog, it has opened more opportunities to decrease the drought.
            During the beginning of the little clip, it starts with showing the mesh surface that catches the fog and has words explaining what the mesh is. The mesh is made up of “combined hydrodynamic and surface wettability model to predict the overall fog-collection efficiency of the meshes” (Langmuir), condenses fog into water to allow the process of catching fog to begin. The mesh is put up high in the sky that is connected to pipes that catch the water that was first fog. The water then flows through the pipes that are then stored in big bins for human and agriculture use. What caught my attention was the little music that was put in the background. It made me want to know more kept a happy, light tone to this new invention of harvesting fog. At first, I never knew it was possible to collect and harvest fog, but after this short clip and short but informative article, I found out that this invention has been happening for a few years. The video also stated that this system is “placed on hilltops in areas with persistent fog and heavy winds” (Hashem Al- Ghaili Video). That brings a question to mind whether the Bay Area would be considered a place where they can put these woven meshes near beaches that are constantly covered with fog and wind. I also liked the fact that they demonstrated how the mesh collected water, where it drained to and what the water can be used for, human and agricultural use. With agricultural and animal water usage not limited at all, most of our water is wasted during their process. This will help them stop depleting our water that is used for human consumption and decrease our drought. By being able to process water that is already naturally de salted by the sun, this will save money tremendously and provide clean, fresh, harvested water faster. A couple statistics were also shown in the short clip, one of them says that the mesh woven a certain way to increase “the fog-collecting efficiency by 500%” (Hashem Al- Ghaili Video). That means with the increase of fog- collecting, there would be an increase of water that is produced and distributed for human and agriculture use alone. By watching this short video on the harvesting of fog, it is inspiring and extremely informative to viewers. This could potentially change the way of life and could be a sustainable and inexpensive route to provide water for millions.
With all of this information, I was beginning to become curious on how big this mesh and how much the cylinders could hold. The video stated that one single cylinder that is “4 m (13ft) long by 10 m (33ft) high net alone can collect 250 L (66 gal) a day” (Langmuir). That is enough water for a family to use in their household daily, including drinkable, washing dishes and showering. With that amount of water caught daily, large amounts of families and business could be supplied with fresh water. We would lessen the amount of water pulled from rivers in different states or countries. Also, our aqueducts would stop being overly depleted then they can naturally be filled up again with water by rainfall. Wild life can begin to migrate to their original homes with huge amounts of water, plants and game to eat. The video also shows huge towers that can be built high in the air to increase the amount of fog to be caught and harvested. They call it the “fog- harvesting towers” (Hashem Al- Ghaili Video), which are also built out of mesh and other building supplies that are needed to ensure the towers are sturdy and reliable. The video demonstrates how they build one of the towers, not as high as the ones they want to consider building. They are light, durable and easily assembled with a handful of workers. Once the small tower is built, they are quickly attached to there systems and begin the process of harvesting fog. This invention has opened many doors to help find a reliable, affordable, and sustainable route to preserve our water along with a way to create more water for citizens. At the end of the short video, it states that countries have actually been practicing and using fog harvesting to provide clean water to people. Those countries that are listed are “Yemen, Morocco, Chile, Eritrea, and Ethiopia” (Hashem Al- Ghaili Video). Those counties that are currently practicing and using fog- harvesting water have been able to supply thousands of people with water and they could potentially spread this idea to other countries, such as the United States. If the United States decided to start harvesting fog, we would have more water to use and save in case of another drought. Places that we could put these towers are the Bay Area, Washington, and Oregon, just to name a few. Each individual state could have their own network for providing water to their residents, allowing them to decrease and ultimately stop draining lakes, rivers and other countries water supply. Towards the end of the video an image of a little girl is brought up. She is drinking water that was harvested from fog and that brings out a few emotions, both sad and excitement. You do not understand how much clean water is not assessable for millions of people in different countries because of how fortunate we are to always have access. With that being said, we take advantage of always having access to clean, fresh water while millions have unsafe drinking water. You also have a happy feeling knowing that drinking clean water saves one life and hopefully thousands of other children, teen, and young adults will be changed forever. Another image that I showed while watching the little girl and others drink fog-harvested water. That brought an emotion of hope and excitement to me because she is able to drink clean, fresh water and I hope that this idea can spread to other counties, such as the United States. I also felt hope in a sense that if the United States decided to find different alternative yet sustainable routes to find more ways to create water, we could potentially help man kind in the long run. Looking at it in the big picture, water would be accessible for all across not only the United States, but across the world to those who do not have access to clean water. A huge problem that billions of people face daily would be resolved and the death of thousands that do not have food or water would decrease tremendously. One of our biggest problems in the United States and around the world could be solved easily.
            To conclude, watching this short video has helped show different but also sustainable route countries, including the United States can help fix our drought. Inevitably, the California drought will continue to grow because and we will continue to deplete our natural resources if we do not find different alternatives to produce collect and/or harvest water for human and agriculture use. I include agriculture use because that is where most of our water goes to because there is no limitations or regulations for companies to abide by. Not only can states be involved with this process of harvesting fog, but so can communities and individuals. Some communities and houses are naturally covered in fog, which makes it easy for them to begin the process of harvesting of fog. They can buy or make their own mesh and system that catches fog then runs off into their own cylinders, which they can use for their household. It may sound easier said than done, but I believe that if states and communities come together, we can make this happen. We can become efficient and rely on ourselves to find ways to catch and harvest our water. In the end, some states do not have consistent heavy fog and high winds, which is needed to begin the process of harvesting fog. One question that I thought of is how is it possible to catch fog-harvested water for states such as the Mid-West of the United States to receive fog-harvested water? The solution could potentially transport water from states that are constantly covered in fog and high winds. Another solution could be to harvest rainwater as well. I hope to find an answer to find a way to end our California drought with different sustainable alternatives that are inexpensive. In the future, I hope that each state finds a solution to produce their own water for their population and stop draining our natural resources.

The population around the world continues to grow; there is also a higher demand for food, water and other necessities of life. The growth of the California drought has continued to climb without a sense of relief any time soon. As individuals we can do our part into trying to lessen the amount of wasted water but as a whole, we can come up with a plan, which is exactly what Innovative Sustainable Drought Management Strategy Incorporating Forensic Techniques and Policy Framework written by Ashok K. Katyal1 and Ioana G. Petrisor has come up with. With all the solutions that are brought to our attention, individual communities can use a different solution that is beneficial for them. In Southern California, my hometown, Monrovia has been starting to conserve water by replaying their message constantly through ads or through the police department enforcing the laws to citizens that they need to do their part conserving water in their households. Whether it is turning off the water when showering, brushing their teeth, washing dishes to not water their grass or plants everyday. We have let our grass die because it is taking way too much water and around the area, people have changed their yards that are able to survive with the drought. My inquiry question that I hope to answer is how can California find a sustainable way to preserve our water sources with different solutions such as corporation involvement, communities, and in our own homes. The goal and hope is to find a different solution for different cities and states that will allow them to conserve their water. Finding a sustainable but also reliable way can help save millions of gallons of water.
            To begin with, this article is about creating by Ashok K. Katyal1 and Ioana G. Petrisor  “Sustainable Drought Management Strategy”. The goal is to “create public awareness about the causes and impacts and the vulnerability and mitigation strategies (such as water conservation and use restrictions—voluntary or mandatory)” (127). With individuals that have no prior knowledge of management strategy during a drought, this can simply notify what will be taking place in their city. Programs that are free to the community should be set up that “lead and coordinate development of a national drought management plan (DMP), ensure ample drought preparedness, and ensure early warnings are issued to the public before the onset and when drought ends” (126). These programs that are provided to communities can be online or taken at the community center, either way individuals are aware of signs and know what to look for incase of a drought. Starting a nation wide program that can educate and work with drought-affected communities can help find a way to conserve the water that we have now and try to find a sustainable route to create more water. During the drought:
“DTF ensures proper coordination among its committees/groups responsible for monitoring, risk as-assessment and relief response operations, mitigation, and DTF communicates with the political leaders on the status and performance of the mitigation operations. It is important that the roles and responsibilities of government representatives in DTF are clearly defined, and coordinated (Wilhite, 1991b; Fontane and Frevert, 1995)” (126). 
These committees are created throughout your city with designated jobs that each individual is willing to take charge or and work professionally with one another Uncertainties can consist of natural disasters, such as tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes, which cannot be stopped but we can do everything in our power to ensure that we have water, which is an essential for mankind. With that being said, I can explain how this management system works and strategies to be considered along with other communities beginning with the DTF. The DTF draws “its members from government agencies, academia, environmental and civic bodies/NGOs [that are] appointed by the leader of the nation/state with responsibilities for a few topics…” (5). The individuals that are appointed for a government position should be someone with experience with communities that have been or currently in a drought stricken area.  From the DTF, it leads to the DTM, who come up with strategies that “identify sections of the population and sectors of economy at risk and to develop mitigate strategies that enhance resilience and reduce their vulnerability” (5). With the government being in control of the DTF there will be reliable and responsible people. Government officials are more likely to be listened too and understand how too runs a government drought management plans.
            In addition to the how the DTF would run, there are a few strategies of the DTM that should be taken into consideration are: “…develop region-specific water conservation and water user strategies to improve efficiencies; Establish criteria/triggers to declare drought, to authorize various mitigation initiatives, and to develop an early warning” (5) just to state a few. These strategies can help manage the diverse population when they are make huge decisions. The “DTF should identify groups/stakeholders likely to be affected by drought, and they should be duly consulted—however, DTF committees should decide the level of participation so that it is economical and does not unduly slow the process” (5). These committees are created to help ensure everyone has equal work along with ensuring that they are making the right decision at the time. Those committee members are members that are currently living in an area-experiencing drought and understand what it is like to have to cut back but now they are willing to make choices that affects a whole community. The next committee is a monitoring committee. They:
“Should regularly share its assessment of the current status and future predictions of various drought indicators (such as the status of surface and groundwater, reservoir storage, snowpack, temperature, soil moisture, crop/livestock, and domestic water needs) with stakeholders through easily accessible media (such as television, radio, newspaper, extension bulletins)”(6).
This committee is in charge of making education predictions that could be the possible future outcomes of the drought or other natural disasters. Lastly, it is the Risk Assessment committee (RAC) which is “responsible for recommending mitigation strategies to the DTF that are cost effective, efficient, and water conserving, as well as technically feasible, socially and culturally equitable, and amenable” (6). RAC ensure that everyone is not going over their designated budget and making sure they are practicing drought mitigation. Drought mitigation is the practice of the population making a few adjustments and adaptations to allow civilization to flourish during difficult times. These few committees each control a certain part of the drought management system and they all are huge, but important contributions.
            In this drought management plan, there was no information or tips that big corporate industries could change their pattern for the future. This article called, Water Reuse and Sustainability Attract Industries, where big breweries such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, Miller- Coors, and Cape Code Beer have changed the way they process their beer and currently using recycled materials and water. An EPA report in 2012 stated “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. Many industries and commercial and institutional establishments have sought these certifications and have used reclaimed water to enhance their green profile” (Water reuse and Sustainability Attract Industries, 1). These few breweries along with snack food companies, mining industries and power plants, just to name a few have been conserving and reusing water to promote a better environment and saving money. Incorporations are changing the way they work because of the entire backlash they receive when their process of creating their products and with the public knowing their changes, they revenue can increase tremendously. In Escondido, California, they treat “all of their brewing wastewater with an aerobic digestion and then uses the purified water for cleaning” (Water reuse and Sustainability Attract Industries, 2).
            Cape Cod Beer located in Hyannis, M.A, which practices and utilizes the reusing of water and donating the leftover grain to farmers to feed or use as composition. By them reusing water, they save thousands of gallons and save money in the long run. The Lauganitas Brewing Co. founded and invented the Cambrian Innovation also known as the EcoVolt that was put on the market in 2013. This bioelectrically enhanced treatment for wastewater that Lauganitas Company has been using ever since it was invented. In the making of beer, most people do not know how much water and wheat is used and wasted. With the companies taking responsibility, they can reuse water to clean out their operation systems, give away wheat to farmers so it does not go to waste and lastly they can keep their water usage to a minimum. Their practice in ways to conserve water, they can also help promote water conservation on their labels, website and when their product is being sold in public areas.  
            In conclusion, these committees may seem small and not important, but in fact they can be extremely important and can work together to make this drought management plan work. Each committee has it’s own job, which is extremely important and balance each other. I see it more of a checks in balance but communities can take part in helping their hometown out. The DTF being controlled by government officials makes it easier for they’re to be order throughout the whole system. Community committees that are ensuring that there are specific protocols that fit for them can run the other two committees. Each community may have different issues that need to be followed while others don’t. It all depends on their ecosystem and current drought status as well. These committees are made to highlight the struggles and issues that are currently happening as well as future ones that may happen. With this drought management plan, it can help make sure that we are not going to have another drought as well as trying to figure out a plan that starts to fix our drought. Along with a drought management plan, conserving water in huge companies such as brewing companies, they can help conserve water and also promote their change to millions. Together, they can change the way companies use, recycle and give away products for different usage can save billions of gallons of water and continue to help promote the conservation of water. By keeping my inquiry question in mind, a nation wide program can help regulate the drought management plans, as a community everyone can take part and work together to find the best plan that works for them, and lastly, an individual can do their part in saving water any way possible.

Finding a sustainable, yet affordable way to conserve water in households may seem to be extremely difficult and time-consuming, but it is not. Just like in life, we find things that we enjoy and willing to put time and effort towards; this could become a way to involve your family and become aware the growing drought in California. My inquiry question that I hope to answer is how can California find a sustainable way to preserve our water sources with different solutions such as corporation involvement, communities, and in our own homes. I know that with this interview, it will be a huge step in the right direction with the hope of fulfilling my inquiry question. Prior to this interview, I conducted my own research and knew different alternatives that could be helpful for families and individuals that could conserve water in their homes. With the help of my close friend, Jenson Talmo, I was able to find out more information on finding a sustainable way to conserve water at his home in Sierra Madre, California. A brief back story of Jenson, Him and his wife have been practicing conserving water for the past four years and continue to spread their knowledge and passion with friends, families and strangers around their community and surrounding cities. This became a passion to Jenson from the help of his mother and close friend Leigh Adams. Jenson and his mother both landscape houses using drought friendly plants and constantly remind individuals and clients that they need to be careful with how much water they use on their plants, convince individuals to take out grass because it takes up so much water and lastly give tips and advice on common ways to conserve water in households. In the end, he wants to spread his knowledge and love for conserving water with hopes of making the world a cleaner place.
             In the home of Jenson Talmo, him and his wife live in a back house of one of the homes in Sierra Madre. He takes care of the owner's back yard along with many clients in surrounding cities. The first question that I asked Jenson was how long has he been practicing conserving water in his household. His response was "I have been actively conserving water for about the past 4 years [not counting the years that he wasn't aware of him conservation practice]." His practice has helped keep the amount of wasted water to a bare minimum. His practices include saving "water in the sink that can be used for watering plants outside. We use a bucket in the shower to collect water until it gets warm. We then use that water to flush the toilet, which we try to only flush when needed." Jenson demonstrated this process by putting a large bucket under the showerhead and once it was warm enough, he grabbed the bucket, poured the water in the toilet instead of flushing and turned off the shower. Both him and his wife try to take the fastest shower possible, including turning off the water when you wash your hair and body. He also told me that on average, "just one flush is two gallons of water" now multiple it by everyone in this country, which amounts to an incredibly large number of water used just for toilets alone. I now understand why they only flush the toilet when needed and it is an easy step to practice in households. I would definitely consider doing this in my future house because it is an easy way to conserve water but also it saves money on your monthly water bill. After the demonstration, he led me outside to show me their system outside to conserve water, which leads to my next question. I asked him what does he do to conserve water outside of his household and I was truly amazed by such small space he had, he was able to control where water flowed, where he collected it, how he re-used it and even used water to feed his chickens. Jenson started by
"Simply using any containers I could find to collect rain runoff; buckets, trash barrels, tubs, watering cans, etc. I also use the roof gutters and rather than going out to the street, I direct the rainwater throughout the yard using trenches, rocks, and thick layers of mulch. The mulch and rocks help to absorb and slow the rain runoff and allow the water to soak into the ground better. Under the mulch is a diverse habitat of beneficial microbes, insects, and fungi that help the surrounding vegetation and retain moisture."
He showed me how he aligned his garden in a way that allows his garden to collect as much water from rain as possible. The gutters collect water that runs off from the roof, flowing down the roof gutters and down to the plants. The trail for water is like a river; it is filled with rocks and mulch that helps water soak into the ground easier. This can be simply made by anyone willing to take time and some effort to complete this process, which in the long run will help limit the amount of water you waste and use the water that mother nature provides.
 I then proceeded to ask him what was his first invention to conserve water. His first invention that he made was the "simplest laundry-to-landscape system" which in fact was easier than he thought it would be. He simply ran a "thick flexible tube from the washing machine out into the yard." The tube ran to "a row of bamboo [on the side of the house] that cools and provides privacy to one side of the house" which was easily hidden from plain sight by covering it with dirt and other plants. His invention was quite incredible and he was able to use the water from the washer. It usually is lead out through this tube and to a drain that eventually leads to the ocean. He never believed that his first invention that was so simple yet efficient would lead him to his current ways to conserve water. Lastly, I mentioned the research article that I analyzed for essay 3, which is a drought management plan that could potentially be used to in the future. The government would control a drought management plan but communities would make their own plan that is suitable for their environment. I asked his opinion on a drought management plan in Sierra Madre and his answer was simple but straight to the point. He begins with stating that as a community we should "actively educate everyone of what a drought is, and ways to easily do in our homes that in the long run will save a lot [as long as everyone is involved]". He and I both agreed that everyone should be involved because without everyone's cooperation, there will be a huge hole in this drought management plan. By actively educating communities on what a drought is, what to look for and how to take your part in stopping the drought in any ways possible, it makes people conscious of situations and know what to do when a problem is in front of them. He continues to explain that there should be a change in water allowance for cities to follow and he extremely emphasizes individuals grow their own garden. I was curious on why he would want communities to grow their own gardens and he explained to me that government hides the fact that agriculture and animals have no restriction of water while almost everything else has a restriction. They are one of the biggest reasons we are suffering in our drought because they do not have any restrictions or regulations on the amount of water that they use. By growing our own garden, we can control the amount of water we use, stop buying food from them, which also creates a decrease in the amount of agriculture, and animals that they produce and decrease a huge amount of water being wasted. With our short, yet a huge eye opener to conserving water in Jenson's view, I believe that I may have found the answer I have been looking all semester long.
 As I was driving home after my interview with Jenson, I could not help but think how we got in this position of being in the worst drought our country has faced. As human beings, we tend to find ways to blame others for our problems, find loopholes but never looking at the future and what may become of this so- called easy way out. We have put ourselves in this massive problem and continue to push it aside believing with the power of our government and billions of dollars spent, we would be out of this problem. This problem will not be solved unless we do something about it. Instead of looking in the present, seeing these billionaires with bright green grass lawns and hiding the fact that most of our water are used for agriculture, we need to stop letting them control our thoughts and make a change. Jenson was able to open my eyes to how easy it is to create a way to reuse water, catch water and use limit the amount of water being used. Cities water allowance should be changed and become more strict with the amount of water a household uses. Homes should change their front yards and backyards to drought friendly yards which include taking out grass, planting drought-friendly plants, create a system that allows rainwater to flow down to your plants and lastly let the ground soak up as much water as possible by using rocks and mulch. I do feel like after this interview, including all of the other research I have done finally, my question of finding a sustainable way to conserve water has been answered. It does not matter how much money you have, you need to be willing to fully participate in changing your life style around. Once you commit, you can spread your knowledge to friends, neighbors and your community to start their process of change. In the end, this will benefit us as humans and hopefully, one day we can stop destroying our Earth and Mother Nature.






Citations:
(2013). Retrieved March 01, 2016, from https://www.facebook.com/ScienceNaturePage/videos/782538405211753/
Optimal Design of Permeable Fiber Network Structures for Fog Harvesting. (n.d.). Retrieved March 01, 2016, from http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/la402409f (Pg13269-13277)
Katyal, Ashok K., and Ioana G. Petrisor. "Innovative Sustainable Drought Management Strategy Incorporating Forensic Techniques And Policy Framework." Environmental Forensics 13.2 (2012): 122-139. Environment Complete. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
Eartheasy. (n.d.).  http://eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm
What is the Flint water crisis? (2016). Retrieved from http://www.vox.com/cards/flint-michigan-water-crisis/what-is-the-flint-water-crisis




Friday, May 20, 2016

Relfection #5

This semester essay has been challenging but also very eye opening. I have learned so much how to find a sustainable way to conserve water but also ways a community can partake in it. I enjoyed this essay a lot but there were also some challenges that came with it, such as essay 3. I misunderstood your email and I take full responsibility and currently changing everything I need to for my final essay. I am confident in this essay because of all that I learned this semester. I know that I am far from a good writer and struggle with it, I will continue to work and improve my work.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Last Practice Write 5/17

In conclusion, this semester long paper has been a huge eye opener on finding a sustainable way to conserve water. With every step you take, you as an individual as well as a community need to be willing to work together to begin to partake in a solution. Educating a community on what a drought  is along with what they should look for, what are their options are help yourself and others to use the least amount of water. In order for change to happen, we need to be willing to put our differences aside and come together to help change our future.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Reflection #4


This essay was not as hard as I expected it to be. I enjoyed my first interview and had a lot of fun watching his demonstration on Jenson’s daily life. It has inspired me to become more aware of the water that I use and waste. Back at home; my family has started the steps in building a drought friendly yard.  I do plan on using and following the instructions that you provided to me for essay 2. I hope that I succeeded and was able to enhance my essay even more.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Practice Write 5/5

The beginning of Oryx and Crake, I was extremely confused on how Snowman (Jimmy) ended up at the beach, who the Crackers were, who was Crake and Oryx. Oryx was a little girl that was forced to leave her home and was used in child pornography, Crake and Jimmy looking at her through a film. One of the questions I asked in the beginning of this book is who are the Children of the Crake, which I was able to figure out at the end of the book. They are the people that survived during the mass epidemic because they were in the building. Jimmy changed his name to Snowman and took them from their place they called home to the beach where they will be living. We also find out that Jimmy's mom was killed and he witnessed it on a film. The ending is a cliff hanger and it makes you wonder what the other two books have to deal with.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Practice Write 5/2

I enjoyed the individual conference that we did last Thursday. I was relieved to hear about my grade and how I am doing in this class. I have taken into consideration of the tips that you gave me to strengthen my essay and used an online website that allowed me to understand and fix mistakes that I made. I also read it out loud once but I know before I submit the final product of essay 4, I will read it out loud a few times. Thank you for the clarification for essay 5 because I was unsure how we were supposed to combine all of our essays into one. At this time, I do not have any further questions. 

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Oryx and Crake Reading #3

- Crake and Jimmy were at AnooYoo
- Crake and Jimmy toured the Rejoovensense Compound
- Crake introduced BlyssPluss pill that was a "one-time-does-it-all birth-control pill for male and female alike, thus automatically lowering the population level." (294)
- The purpose of the pill is to sterilize people without them knowing that so they can have sex with anyone they please without worrying about getting pregnant.
- This pill would be a global pill
- It would also protect them from sexually transmitted diseases
- Crake raided Extinctathon and managed to bring them under false documentation
- Jimmy saw the Crackers for the first time, they were naked in a room
- Jimmy and Oryx were back together again because she showed him how the monitors worked, told him that she was helping Crake give out the pills and was also working as an undercover sex worker
- Oryx was also the teacher of the Crackers
- It was only then that Jimmy realized that Crake was in love with Oryx
- While Jimmy longed to touch and be with Oryx, he took his mind off of her with other random women that he had no connection with
- He constantly shot himself up with "Crake's quicktime vaccine" (312)
- Finally, Oryx caught Jimmy and that was the first time they had sex
- Jimmy worried that Crake would be angry but Oryx assured him that he didn't know that anything was happening, instead, it was her duty to make Jimmy happy
- Oryx told Jimmy that if anything were to happen to either her or Crake that he needed to take the Crackers and keep them safe
- Jimmy was watching the monitor while Crake and Oryx were away when something terrible happened
- A worldwide plague had broke out and it was because of those pills
- Oryx contacted Jimmy and was Oryx saying it was the pills she was giving out and selling before the line broke and he wasn't able to contact her 
- Jimmy was monitoring the screen when he saw Crake and Oryx and he told him that he needed to let them in
- Jimmy was hesitant at first because he knew he wasn't allowed too so he brought a spray gun with him
- Oryx was leaning on Crake, he was covered in blood, you couldn't see her face
- As he opened the door, Crake said "I'm counting on you" (329) and slit her throat and Jimmy shot him
- A few days past, Jimmy decides it is time to make them leave and go to the water.
- He calls himself Snowman and teaches them things about what to be aware of etc.
- He leaves the beach to go searching and when he comes back, they tell him that a group of people asked and said they looking for him
- He goes to look at them and he is out- numbered and leaves them be

Quotes:
"Crake's quicktime vaccine" (312)
- little did Jimmy know that the vaccine was actual an anti-agent to the pill that Crake was distributing.
- Is there any vaccine left behind?

"one-time-does-it-all birth-control pill for male and female alike, thus automatically lowering the population level." (294)
- How did no one actually look into this experiment before distributing this pill?
-What else was in the pill?

"I'm counting on you" (329) 
- the last words from Crake to Jimmy, a man that was his best friend for years.
- how did Crake know he could rely on Jimmy
- how did he know that the pill would react that way?

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Essay 4 Quotes 4/26

I have finished my essay and now it is time to edit it completely.

1. The first question that I asked Jenson was how long has he been practicing conserving water in his household. His response was “I have been actively conserving water for about the past 4 years [not counting the years that he wasn’t aware of him conservation practice].” His practice has helped keep the amount of wasted water to a bare minimum. 

2. He also told me that on average, “just one flush is two gallons of water” now multiple it by everyone in this country, which amounts to an incredibly large number of water used just for toilets alone. I now understand why they only flush the toilet when needed and it is an easy step to practice in households. I would definitely consider doing this in my future house because it is an easy way to conserve water but also it saves money on your monthly water bill. 

3.
Jenson started by
“Simply using any containers I could find to collect rain runoff; buckets, trash barrels, tubs, watering cans, etc. I also use the roof gutters and rather than going out to the street, I direct the rain water throughout the yard using trenches, rocks, and thick layers of mulch. The mulch and rocks help to absorb and slow the rain runoff and allows the water to soak into the ground better. Under the mulch is diverse habitat of beneficial microbes, insects, and fungi that help the surrounding vegetation and retain moisture.”
  He was able to demonstrate this invention which at first confused me but after the watching how it was done I was in amazed on how he was able to build this with very little room. 

Practice Write 4/26

Almost all of my writing is done for school with the exception of writing emails to people at work. I do a work study at the Veteran Services Center on campus and work 25 hours a week. I do not enjoy writing much and would not do it on my free time because I am usually consumed with work, training and school. I personally did not like the blogging we did this semester and would not consider being a blogger for other topics. When it comes to reading, I usually am reading for classes which leaves little to no time for me to read on my free time. I do enjoy reading a lot and am finding a way to incorporate more in my jam packed weekly schedule.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

In class notes 4/21

What to look for when I am revising my essay:

1. Process: What do you look at first? Second?
-What don't you look at?
-How is the digital feedback different?

2. Rhetorical: Was my intended messaged well recieved?

3. Practical: Was my feedback helpful?
-Do you have a sense of Common Error Analysis?
-What will you do? Plan for Essay 5.

Practice Write 4/21

At this point in the semester it is non stop with school, work study, training, and trying to take time for myself. In this class, I am feeling a little overwhelmed with essay number 4, but I know once I get some free time, I will be able to write my essay. With my other classes, I will be done with midterms tonight and then more homework and studying. It will be nonstop with school for these next 3.5 weeks left. Although I am exhausted and ready for summer, I will be taking nine units, so I will be up here for half of my summer. The goals that I set for myself this semester is just to pass my classes with the highest grade I can receive, know that I have tried my hardest and next semester I need to work harder. 

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Oryx and Crake Reading pt 2

  
In the second segment that we were reading, it starts off with Crake and Jimmy keeping in touch through email because Jimmy was attending Martha Graham. The boys had a little competition [what it seemed like] because Jimmy had a little more an advantage with the girls and his school was more important than Crake. Once the holidays came by, Jimmy decided to visit Crake. Through the security into Watson-Crick, two CorpSeCorps men pulled Jimmy aside and asked him, “You seen your runaway mother lately?” “No” (197) replied Jimmy, who was being truthful. Once Jimmy cleared security, Crake and him reunited. “Compared with Martha Graham [Jimmy’s school], Watson-Crick was a palace”(199) when it came to everything. Jimmy and Crake toured the school the next day, talking about projects, new inventions and what was going on in their lives. The first thing they saw was the “Décor Botanicals… developing Smart Wallpaper that would change colour on the walls of your room to compliment your mood” (201). They then went to NeoAgriculturals and they were creating chickens. Instead of the whole chicken, they were just chicken parts, with high growth rate built in so that you did not need to add growth hormones. Because the animals were made to not feel anything, “animal- welfare freaks won’t be able to say a word, because this thing feels no pain’ (203) [which is what is kind of happening in today’s world]. The last place that they looked at was the BioDefences where they created a dog pound, which were guard dogs that were made for dog security.  The next day the guys talked about if they had any girlfriends, if the money ran out at Helth Wyzer, and lastly they saw a video with Jimmy’s mother and Uncle Pete in it. Although both in shock, they knew that they could not tell a single soul and figured out that his father was murdered. On their last night together, they played a game that they used to when they were younger called “Extinctathon” (214), which was a web interaction with all sorts of defunct animals and plants. Once they were on the web, Crake pulled a picture of Oryx which made Jimmy have a feelings arise such as “his own guilt, his own shame, his own desire” (215).  At last, it was time for Jimmy to leave and Crake and him started to talk about dreams. Jimmy constantly remembered his dreams. Crake on the other hand never remembered his dreams; instead Snowman remembers them. It made sense to Jimmy why Crake screamed so much at night. He would be so immersed in the moment that he would lose it. In chapter nine, Snowman is wondering if different people are still alive, if so where are they? Snowman wonders to the Compounds when there is the deserted town where life once was. His main goal is to find food, during that time he cuts his foot on glass and that piece is wedged in his foot. Suddenly a twister hits, lights go out, and he feels that Oryx is now with him. Back to Jimmy and he is finally graduated and starting his life. He has become addicted to sex. After he moves to the junior apartment in the Anoo Yoo Compound, which were an small room, kitchen and bathroom. Once he was promoted, he went off and bought things for his house. Crake had found out that Uncle Pete died suddenly, believing it was sabotage. The CorpSeCorps never stopped tracking Jimmy. Once day they interviewed him and he saw his mother being shot to death. Anger filled his body and they could tell by the monitors. Snowman finds a radio after the twister was gone and someone answered it on the other side. The voice kept repeating “kkkkk” (273) “I’m here! I’m here!” the voice shouted.

Quotes:
 "I never remember my dreams," said Crake.
- Why doesn't he remember his dreams? Are they even dreams?

"So Crake never remembered his dreams. It's Snowman that remembers them instead. Worse than remembers: he's immersed in them, he'd wading through them, he's stuck in them. Every moment he's lived in the past few months was dreamed first by Crake. No wonder Crake screamed so much." (218)
- Will this be answered on why he never remembers them? Is this a game stimulation, is this even happening? Is his memory constantly erased so he doesn't remember them?


Questions:
1. Why does Crake have a picture of Oryx in his video game?
2. Was the voices that he heard from the radio real or was it his imagination?
3. Why did the CorpSeCorps wait so long to show Jimmy the video of his mom being shot?

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Reflection Blog Unit 3


In this unit, I thought that writing a research paper would be easier, but it was not. I found such huge research papers that it was hard to narrow it down with writing and I followed your advice and only wrote about one. In the beginning of this essay, I was confused on what we were actually trying to focus on and write about. After constantly re reading and finding key points I was able to focus more on my main topic of this semester long paper. In the end, this was not my favorite unit because of the week long spring break and I felt rushed with this essay.

Practice Write 4/19

Over the weekend I went home for a family funeral so I was able to interview my friend for about 10 minutes because that was all the time I had available. I have never conducted an interview before and I believe that I did a decent job for my first time. The conversation flowed easy and natural; there were no off topic because the interview was so quick. As of right now, that is all I have done because I am stressed out with school and my family back down in Southern California. I know I need to begin my essay but I need to re read the guidelines in order for me to start. I also am hoping that I can use one of the topics that we learned in the reading how to embed quotes in block narratives. Other than that, I feel a little confident about writing the essay and I hope that is the case.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Practice Write 4/12

The process that I have been going through that is leading up to the interview has not been easy. I have never conducted an interview before and I am still currently trying to figure out questions that I want to ask. All of the school officials that I have emailed have not contacted me back, which leaves me to ask all my questions to a friend who currently practices saving water in any way possible. I know that interviewing him, I will be in a more comfortable environment and do not need to stress out about messing up because he is family. I just need to make sure that I ask the correct questions but I do not know how much I need to ask. Although this is my first interview, I feel more confident than I thought I would.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Fieldworking for 4/19

In this reading, we learn how to "cite your published and unpublished written data sources accurately for your reader" (1). Citing correctly ensures that you are punished for plagiarizing or making up false information.  As writers, we need to "create texts that embrace our informants' diverse voices and also include our own" (1). By writing with diverse voices, your readers can see the interchanging of your two conversation. There are three different but efficient techniques that you can use while writing your essay to make sure that both of your voices are heard during the conversation. Those three techniques are "1. Burrowing techniques from fiction; 2. Quoting within a transcript; and 3. Summarizing dialogue" (1,2). The main point of this reading is to teach and give use techniques when writing your essay to ensure that all voices will be heard and there is a smooth but distinct transition between each voice.

Questions:
1. I have never done an essay that involves annotating a interview and making sure your voice is also heard. Will we be able to look at examples in class?

Fieldworking 4/12

During an interview, you should keep in mind that when you are interviewing, you are listening to their side of the story instead of yours. You want to push your thoughts behind and listen to what they have to say. When asking questions, you want your questions to have a lot of meaning behind them which can lead to an in depth conversation. Two types of questions are "closed questions and open questions"(pg.3). Closed questions are often "yield single phrases as answers and can shut down further talk" (pg. 3). You do not want to have to many closed questions because that will stop a conversation continuously which makes the interview choppy and unprofessional. Open questions help "elicit your informant's perspective and allow more conversational exchange" (pg. 3). There will not be single answers so it allows your conversation to flow and you can engage in a lively conversation. There is also a way to make sure you are recording and transcribing your interview to ensure you do not leave out any valuable information that you can use in your essay. You may use an inexpensive recorder which will fit your needs perfectly, as long as you can hear your interviewee clearly. By being prepared before hand, your interview will flow more smooth and it makes you more professional. You should go over questions a few times, be willing to change your questions in case the conversation changes and be ready to take notes that are key during the interview. You should also plan on taking notes while you are conducting an interview just in case your recorder stops working or just to remind yourself of key points that you do not want to leave out. In box 22, they go over key points in the reading to make sure that you fully understand what you need to do to get the most out of your interview. The main point of this reading is to make sure you know what types of questions that you want to ask, how to record your conversation and to be confident during your interview.

Questions:
1. I am still going over what types of questions that I want to ask during the interview, is there any pointers you could give?

Thursday, April 7, 2016

practice write 4/7

In my words, to annotate something is to go throughout the article you are reading and throughly understand what they mean. You look throughout the article, highlighting, leaving side notes, and really understand what you are reading. A bibliography is when you read and article and write a summary about it. You aren't as in depth with it as you would be when you are annotating, you are skimming it. 
Together they mean that you can write a bibliography more in depth after you annotate it fully. For example, what we did with our reasearch papers and we constantly researched different articles and our goals were to find the authors main arguments, how their argument connects to ours, finding strong and useful quotes, restate your thesis, and lastly citations.  

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Practice Write 4/5

As of right now, I have written 4 pages but only on one research article. I re read your email multiple times and you recommended me sticking to just one research article. I wasn't sure if I should add another one and figure out how they relate to one another and my thesis statement. I was looking for a "Cowspiracy" article on the school library site but they do not have any. I am still concerned that I am not writing what you want us too, but it is also not clear on what you want us to write about. If you coulr clearify in class that will be so helpful. As of right now, I need to re write part of my essay and add more information from a different source.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

They Say/ I say Chapter 3 Class discussion

- Choosing quotes: connect to thesis to author's argument.]
- Frame, transition, explain                                                 ]  All these are together, relate to each other
- Choose good sources                                                        ]

- Thesis "working" <--> quotes (be flexible)

-They Say/ I say [Support each other/ give credibility]

- Introduce author, don't be redundant

Annotation Blog 3/28 and 4/5



Annotation: Essay 3 Research Articles

Argument and working thesis:
With all the solutions that are brought to our attention, individual communities can use a different solution that is beneficial for them. In Southern California, my hometown, Monrovia has been starting to conserve water in any ways possible. The city relays their message constantly through ads or through the police department that citizens need to do their part conserving water in their households. Whether it is turning off the water when showering, brushing their teeth, washing dishes to not water their grass or plants everyday. We have let our grass die because it is taking way too much water and around the area, people have changed their yards that are able to survive with the drought.
           
Source 1: Sustainable Drought Management Strategy
Annotation:
The article is about “Sustainable Drought Management Strategy”. The goal is to “Create public awareness about the causes and impacts and the vulnerability and mitigation strategies (such as water conservation and use restrictions—voluntary or mandatory)” (127). Programs should be set up that “Lead and coordinate development of a national drought management plan (DMP), ensure ample drought preparedness, and ensure early warnings are issued to the public before the onset and when drought ends” (126). Starting a nation wide program that can educate and work with drought affected communities can help find a way to conserve the water that we have now and try to find a sustainable route to create more water. During the drought, DTF ensures proper coordination among its committees/groups responsible for monitoring, risk as-assessment and relief response operations, mitigation, and DTF communicates with the political leaders on the status and performance of the mitigation operations. It is important that the roles and responsibilities of government representatives in DTF are clearly defined, and coordinated (Wilhite, 1991b; Fontane and Frevert, 1995)” (126).


Citation: Katyal, Ashok K., and Ioana G. Petrisor. "Innovative Sustainable Drought Management Strategy Incorporating Forensic Techniques And Policy Framework." Environmental Forensics 13.2 (2012): 122-139. Environment Complete. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.




Source 2: INTEGRATING WFA AND HYDROLOGICAL MODELLING FOR ASSESSING SUSTAINABILITY OF THE AGRICULTURE IN A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM
Annotation:
In this article that I found in the SFSU online library articles is how the country can come up with an efficient system to help conserve water. Each group contributes to running this countrywide system or even working in the community. To begin with, you need a “drought management plan development” (5) which is the plan before you start doing anything. “A multidisciplinary drought task force (DTF) drawing its members from government agencies, academia, environmental and civic bodies/NGOs is appointed by the leader of the nation/state with responsibilities” (5). Those responsibilities vary from different positions, all doing their part in ensuring that the tasks are covered completely and efficient. There is also the “Risk assessment committee (RAC)” which is responsible for recommending mitigation strategies to the DTF that are cost effective, efficient, and water conserving, as well as technically feasible, socially and culturally equitable, and amenable” (6). There are also key points that the committee members that appointed should follow.
Citation: de VITO, Rossella, et al. "Integrating Wfa And Hydrological Modelling For Assessing Sustainability Of The Agriculture In A Complex Environmental System." Agriculture & Forestry / Poljoprivreda I Sumarstvo 61.4 (2015): 293-300. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Mar. 2016

Source 3: Development of a novel, robust, sustainable and low cost self-powered water pump for use in free flowing liquid streams
Annotation:
The design of the water pump depends on “local conditions such as geophysical features, available technology, traditions, culture, and available human and economic resources” (1). The cost also depends on those values but also how big you are trying to design it. This pump is known as the Filardo Pump and they provide us with a drawing that shows what it will look like, what is used and how it is assembled. There are “three flow depths” (4) that are used and they are: “H_0.300m,H_0.325mandH_0.370m” (4) each were tested to see which one would be more efficient for a certain area. They continually tested their prototype to find the most efficient way to use the water pump, different ideas, different sources that were used and various circumstances to see if it was reliable or not.
Citation: Muriel, D.F., et al. "Development Of A Novel, Robust, Sustainable And Low Cost Self-Powered Water Pump For Use In Free-Flowing Liquid Streams." Renewable Energy: An International Journal 91.(2016): 466-476. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

Source 4: A fractional-factorial probabilistic-possibilistic optimization framework for planning water resources management systems with multi-level parametric interactions
Annotation:
“A multi-level factorial-vertex fuzzy-stochastic programming (MFFP) approach is developed for optimization of water resources systems under probabilistic and possibilistic uncertainties” (1). The TSP will begin by being separated into “first- stage and second- stage variables” (2). The first –stage is designated for random parameters and sorting with different scenarios and each with an already given probability. In the overall study system, “a limited amount of water is released from an un- regulated reservoir to three competing users in a dry season, including municipality, industry, and agriculture. The objective of this problem is to maximize the total net benefit through identifying optimized water allocation schemes” (4). Maximum and minimum amounts of water are provided that will test when there is a drought or when there are high amounts of water available in a certain region. With all the tests that are done, they concluded that “useful solutions were ob- tained for the optimal allocation of water resources under fuzziness and randomness” (9).
Citation: Wang, S., G.H. Huang, and Y. Zhou. "A Fractional-Factorial Probabilistic-Possibilistic Optimization Framework For Planning Water Resources Management Systems With Multi-Level Parametric Interactions." Journal Of Environmental Management 172.(2016): 97-106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.

Annotation 5: Desalination and sustainability - An appraisal and current perspective
Annotation:
Desalination is an alternative way that people are able to access fresh water from salt water. “Desalination technologies require large quantities of high grade thermal energy and/or prime quality electricity for freshwater separation which results in release of waste heat, greenhouse gas emissions and concentrates (brine) into the environment” (2). Although this is an alternative process of producing fresh water, it comes with many negative affects to the environment. Desalination can be classified by “thermal (phase change) and membrane (non-phase change) processes” (2). Thermal phase is the process of an “evaporator and condenser to vaporize freshwater from the feed water (seawater or brackish water)…” (2) which begins the process of desalination. The process of desalination has many stages and there are different systems that are used as well. Water can be put into different systems to see which one is more efficient than the other. “Sustainability of desalination technologies can be assessed by four components which comprise environmental, economic, social and technological areas” (5).  
Citation: Gude, Veera Gnaneswar. "Desalination And Sustainability – An Appraisal And Current Perspective." Water Research 89.(2016): 87-106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Mar. 2016.

Practice Write 3/29

During spring break, my best friend and I went to the beach for a couple of hours. She attends school in Arizona at GCU and I am up here. Every chance we get, we always meet at our hometown in Monrovia, to have a girls night and double date nights weekly. As we were sitting at the beach, the weather was a perfect 75 degrees, the sun was out, little clouds in the sky and a handful of people on the beach. We found a spot, changed into our bikinis and relaxed. I watched the ocean waves crashing on the shore and we could feel a slight mist from the water. I closed my eyes for about 10- 15 minutes only to wake up to a harsh, strong, cold wind hitting us along with others at the beach. We laughed about it and we knew that we did not want to leave because this was the only day we could have our girls day. As the day progressed, the waves were hitting the shore harder and more constant than an hour before and the wind continued to pick up. Two groups of teens decided to sit on both sides of where we were laying and they were extremely rude and loud. By then we had been at the beach for about three hours and decided that it was time to leave. We packed up our stuff and we left at a perfect time because more people were on the beach and the wind continued to pick up. Those few hours that we were able to lay on the beach was worth it and I can't wait until summer.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

They Say/ I Say Spring Break Reading

In Chapter Three of They Say/ I Say, many writers that use quotations from other sources do not always quote correctly. The main problem that writers face is that they "assume that quotations speak for themselves" (43). They also offer two keys to follow which are "(1) by choosing quotations wisely, with an eye to how well they support a particular part of your text, and (2) by surrounding every major quotation with a frame explaining whose words they are, what the quotations means, and how the quotation relates to your own text" (43). Quotations should be chosen on how they will strengthen your writing instead of of demonstrating the author work. "Finding relevant quotations is only part of your job" (44) you also need to be able to connect your writing with the correct quotations and making your argument clear to your readers. There are also templates that you can follow when you are writing your quotations. They are clear and easy to follow but also effective. In chapter 2, there are also templates when it comes to disagreements with other thoughts. Other templates that are provided is when you are agreeing with ones argument. Both of these templates are easy to follow and can be used in your own arguments. In chapter five, I was always taught that you want to avoid using the word "I" as much as possible, but I now know that using I or first person is more common than I thought. It is okay to use I when you are annotating a passage or video to let the readers know your reactions. The templates that were provided for us are examples of using the word "I". In chapter six, there is "templates or introducing objections informally" (84). The main purpose of this reading is to show the power of quotations but also how to cite, use, and credit them correctly. 

Questions:
1. When you are arguing your point, how do you write it so readers do not want argue against it?

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Practice Write 3/17

If we were told to write a research paper over spring break, questions that might come to mind are how many sources are we allowed to use? Would it have to be off of our top three picks from online sources or could we combine sources from the internet plus ones resources that we found in the library? Another question that came to mind when researching, how broad can our search be? I am writing on finding a sustainable way to conserve our water in my hometown Monrovia or our neighboring town of Sierra Madre. Would I research what options that are currently being used or what we could potentially use in the future? Collecting and harvesting rain water is a huge problem because we aren't able to due to a law that was put into place. Should I base my research off of that topic?


Notes:
- Essay 3 is its own essay.
- Can summarize from essay 1 and 2 for essay 3.
- I don't have counter arguments for my topic. (They Say/ I Say) Why isn't my topic not being stressed as much as it should because of this growing problem.
- Inquiry question and thesis will probably change.
- Primary source (interview we are conducting) and secondary (research essay 3)
- 4-5 sources are minimum. (scholarly sources only)