May 5, 2009
Ben Connelly and Trent Vanhaitsma
Project Sad- Students Against Driving
1. How can OWU encourage students and faculty members to use vehicles less? a. One of the biggest problems facing the environment is the emissions from motor vehicles. To combat the effects of automobile pollution some have taken measures towards increased efficiency in transportation. This comes in many forms including public transportation and carpooling. OWU is in a position where it can implement similar tools for reducing vehicular emissions. Our project intends to demonstrate that a substantial amount of pollution comes from students and faculty driving around campus. b. By providing alternative transportation, in the form of bicycles, as well as encouraging environmentally friendly driving habits OWU can reduce its omissions. The school size hinders its ability to provide public transportation, buses, but allows for several alternatives, bicycle usage. If OWU can make bicycles available on campus when weather permits students would be less likely to use their cars. Likewise establishing carpool programs for students/faculty that travel greater distances to campus would help our cause. 2. How much students/faculty drive around or to campus? How often do they drive, distance per week? How many bicycles would be used? Would rickshaws be more effective, and who would operate them? What sort of public transportation is available in Delaware? 3. A survey will be conducted through face book, email, and dorm storming. Are there any plans for public transportation in Delaware or OWU? After a semester trial of implementing some system a revaluation needs to be taken by same individuals as before. 4. Number of people who uses bikes and also relate the time the bikes amount. Distance traveled per week before new alternatives versus after.
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Posted by benconn87
May 5, 2009
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Posted by tfkent
May 5, 2009
Red-
While I did not particularly like this book very much, it was still interesting nonetheless. One interesting perspective that opened my eyes in this book, was the perspective of the local people that lived in and around areas that were being turned into nature preserves in the Wild Act chapter. Before I read this, I did not recognize or even realize that people had been displaced by the inception of these natural parks and monuments. It was also interesting to see how the government responded to the outcry of the people that lived in these areas. It was also interesting to find out that many times, these national parks and nature preserves actually did not do a very good job at preserving the populations of many organisms.
How to be Idle-
I thought this book was pretty interesting for the most part. It was definitely different from a lot of the other books that we read like Nature, where there was just a bunch of facts and figures. Instead, it was interesting, as it proposes a different type of lifestyle than is commonly accepted. It kind of reminded me a little bit of Thoreau, and I thought that was interesting, because while they may try and convey some of the same points, they do it completely differently. It reminded me of Thoreau, because Thoreau is always critical of people that he says “choose” this style of living that focuses on work and it leaves no time for leisure activities. I agree that societal pressures force many of us today to work endless hours to maintain a style of living that we feel is suitable. It was interesting that Hodgkinson proposes an alternative mode of living the way he does.
Lawn People-
This book first caught my attention when I decided to sort through it one day, to find a quote about lawns for one of my geography papers. While this may not sound like a great idea, I quickly found that this book had a lot to offer in terms of insight on lawns and the culture that it has created in America. It was interesting how he believed that lawns were derived from an appeal to nature, and it has quickly turned into something so artificial and un-natural. And he really is right that in American society today, many people are judged on how well their lawns are maintained, from both a social and economic perspective.
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