The ENVS 220 class, Environmental Analysis, focuses on the methods and reasons behind conducting environmental analysis as well as the implications and concerns of contemporary environmental issues.
What is Environmental Analysis? According to Jim Proctor, The term "Environmental Analysis" refers to an "open, systematic reflection on environmental issues," (Proctor, 2018). Even more, it often involves the bringing together of interdisciplinary studies to view issues of the environment through both quantitative and qualitative analysis. In doing environmental studies, it is often necessary to not only focus on the statistical data observed by scientists and the like, but the social, cultural, economic, and even spiritual dimensions of humanity’s perception of the environment. By analyzing these dimensions in conjunction with relevant quantitative data, environmental analysis provides a full scope of environmental issues at hand and is not solely dependent on fact and numbers, rather heavily affected by the way those facts and numbers are perceived. In many cases, it relies on taking previously collected quantitative data and presenting it in a way that is more understandable and applied to larger trends or schemes. According to Proctor, it must be “transparent,” “explore questions, not hurriedly arrive at answers” and must follow “some structured rationale,” (Proctor, 2018). Sources: Proctor, Jim. "What Is Environmental Analysis?: Take Climate Change, For Instance." Words. October 12, 2018. Accessed October 16, 2018. https://jimproctor.us/words/2018/10/13/what-is-environmental-analysis-take-climate-change-for-instance/. Concentration Proposal
In this post, I introduce my concentration for my environmental studies major: Perspectives On Land Use in the Anglophone. After summarizing the topic, I include possible classes I may take to become more educated on the topic as well as four questions meant to direct my concentration. LINKS TO RELEVANT RESOURCES AND SOURCES: Post Archive ArcGIS (Permission necessary) What is Environmental Analysis?: Take Climate Change, For Instance by Jim Proctor The Anthropocene Situated Project: Renewable Energy Use in Burundi and IcelandAs part of the ENVS 220 course, my lab group and I created a situated project to demonstrate our understanding of the principles of environmental analysis. For our project, we chose to look at renewable energy use in Burundi and Iceland. Our framing question when approaching this project is "How can renewable energy technologies affect socio-economic shortcomings in high and low income countries?" For our focus question, we chose "How have renewable energy technologies in Burundi and Iceland affected socio-economic shortcomings?"
In doing this project, we created ArcGIS maps, analyzed data, created a Zotero annotated bibliography, created concept maps, and planned for field research, all with the end result of a poster displaying the significance and justification of our project. ConclusionIn total, the work I am doing in Environmental Analysis aims to gain a better understanding of how to conduct environmental research and deduction as well as to inform me on the state of current environmental issues. Through the labs conducted in this class, I present a study of land use and cover change in and around the Lewis & Clark College area. Additionally, I detail my prospective concentration and cover prevalent contemporary environmental issues such as the adoption of the word "Anthropocene" and the recent report of the IPCC on climate change. As a final product, my lab group and I created a situated project looking at renewable energy use in Burundi and Iceland, demonstrating the intricacies of Environmental Analysis.
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Post SummariesLABS
Land use/ Cover Change Lab I In this lab, we began our research into land use and cover change in and around the Lewis & Clark College and Collins view area. Teams of three students were sent out into plot locations in Collins View, River View Natural Area (RVNA), and Lewis & Clark College. Once a centroid was established at each plot location, a kestrel drop was tied to the North side of a tree to collect humidity and temperature data over a twenty-four hour period. Following these twenty-four hours, the kestrel drops were collected and the data was examined. Land use/ Cover Change Lab II In the second lab, groups returned to their plot locations and began by measuring the tallest object in the area. After establishing the land cover classification code using the MUC field guide, each lab team used a GPS to measure 21.2 meters in each of the cardinal directions. Canopy and ground cover data was then collected by observing the presence/non-presence of photosynthesizing organisms every two paces within the 21.2 meter parameters. Land use/ Cover Change Lab III The third lab of our research in land use and cover change consisted of aggregating the pre-collected data and comparing the observed sites. We used Google Sheets to form an excel sheet to display the differences and similarities in humidity, temperature, tallest object, ground cover, and canopy cover of each of the sites and of Collins View, RVNA, and Lewis & Clark College collectively. Following, we looked at the possible implications of the data in the larger scope of differences between microclimates very close to one another. Land use/ Cover Change Lab IV The purpose of this lab was to create a map of the area we studied with our data integrated into it. We used ArcGIS and uploaded layered satellite images of the observed areas from 1939, 1961, 1982, and 2018. Continuing, we uploaded the data we aggregated in the previous lab to visualize it spatially and temporally through the ArcGIS mapping system. In our report, we discuss the possible implications of our research both spatially and temporally. Land use/ Cover Change Lab V Our fifth lab consisted of creating a story map on ArcGIS to better display the data and observations we collected. By using a story map, our group is better able to display the spatial and temporal changes in land cover and usage as the map portrays our collected data alongside our analysis and satellite images of the surrounding area. For this lab, we used the quantitative data collected by lab groups in conjunction with qualitative data provided during a panel of experts in the area. The Capitalocene: Global Descriptive Statistics This lab was the first of our series of labs surrounding the Capitalocene. In this lab, we compared various countries and regions income group with their Environmental Performance Index and tree loss. The purpose of this lab was to examine whether there is a kuznets curve (as the Capitalocene would suggest) in the relationship between income and Environmental Performance. Capitalocene: Choropleth Maps Lab For this lab, we created choropleth maps to look at EPI, income group, literacy rate, and renewable energy consumption. The purpose of this lab was to further examine the implications of the Capitalocene visually on ArcGIS. Capitalocene Lab: Income Group and Environmental Concern In this lab, we used the World Values Survey to examine and compare how Uruguay, Rwanda, and NIgeria value economic growth and environmental protection. Toxin Distribution in the Portland Area Lab In this lab, we looked at how air toxins are distributed throughout Portland. My lab group chose to look at Diesel particulate matter and its effect on Asian residents. We decided on this because the Portland Air Toxins Solution summary details that Asian Portland residents are more heavily exposed to diesel particulate matter than other socioeconomic groups. We also looked at the distribution of income with regard to exposure to diesel particulate matter. Situated Project Lab I In this lab, we looked for sources for our situated project. We created a Zotero annotated bibliography to organize them. The sources we looked for surrounded ideas of renewable energies as well as situated research into renewable energy use in Burundi and Iceland. Progress Update 1 In this update, I discuss how we decided on our situated project as well as some of the implications of the project. I also discuss the Concept maps my lab group and I created for our poster project. Progress Update 2 In this Update, I discuss our plans for our entire situated research project. As a final product, we created a poster including maps, data, images, and information surround renewable energy technology in Burundi and Iceland. I also briefly touch upon the greater implications of our project, as well as possible future research. Reflection Posts The Word "Anthropocene" In this post, I discuss what the word "Anthropocene" means and its relation to the geologic time-scale. The Capitalocene In this post, I identify what the word "Capitalocene" means as well as its implications and relationship to the "Anthropocene." IPCC Reflection This post discusses the recently released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) illustrating the possible future effects of climate change. Should the Use of Single-use Straws Be Banned? In this post, I discuss the new trend of banning straws and limiting straw use in individuals' lives and in corporate production. Because this trend was kickstarted by a nine year old boy's unproven statistics, it is a trend that should be approached with skepticism. Woolsey Fire Reflection In this post, I discuss the impacts of the recent fires in Los Angeles. The post includes information on loss of life, area damage, implications of climate change, and national response. Indri Lemur Conservation In this post, I talk about Indri Lemurs, a species of primates native to Madagascar. This post discusses how the species is currently endangered and goes into conservation efforts that have been developed in response to this endangerment. |