Lindsey White

It is overwhelming to learn about the amount of carbon emissions we produce and the number of planets we would need to continue these actions. Yet it is hopeful to see that there are actions being taken to help this growing concern.

I can make my home more efficient by using alternative forms of energy including solar panels or geothermal energy.

By learning about the various ways alternative energy can impact the world as a whole, I was inspired to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues.  Wind power is just one example of a large influencial source.

Within my community and many others similar to it, there is a limited representation of women in positions with authority.  According to the Pew Research Center, "Americans widely believe that men have a better shot at leadership positions in business and politics." I would consider that the vast majority of individuals believe that women desserve rights, however, when this is viewed in terms of female leadership these opinions are not represented.  I belive that throughout history positions of higher authority are taken by males, and this is the association we view with the position.  It is difficult to break away from the grain and develop a society with different cultural positions.  The research center continues when stating, "Women are generally more inclined than men to see higher expectations, voter hesitation and lack of institutional support as major obstacles to female political leadership. Fully 47% of women believe women who run for office are held to higher standards and have to do more to prove themselves."  This quote works to demonstrate the social factors that hold women back from taking positions of power. Overall, there is a large amount of variables that create the way our society functions, it is important to break these molds in order to see progress.

I am currently impacting deforestation through my eating habits.  I commonly eat meat, dairy and eggs. To decrease my negative effects of the environment I will consider more healthier examples, soy milk or almond milk.  The healthier alternatives are able to conserve the environment while providing similar nutrients.

I believe that when resourced such as this one is utilized on a local level, the popularity of the action will begin to spread. Once this occurs the price of installation will drop (supply and demand) and there will be no deterrence in utilizing geothermal energy.  Overall, though it has an expensive installation, the geothermal resource is increasingly beneficial in limiting the amount of cooling or heating someone supplies their home with.  Once the public begins to recognize the drastic benefits of this process, it will begin to spread and develop into a larger industry.

I have heard of biomess before, however I did not recognize how versatile and efficient the process was.  The use of biomass to create sustainable energy allows us to limit carbon emissions while continuing to develop electricity.  According to Drawdown, biomass has reduced 7.5 gigatons of CO2.  This structure has provided significant saving and continual energy.  It is also widely available for regions with the technology to convert waste products int renewable energy.