Makeup Blog Post

I was thinking about our discussion last class when we talked about the "blind trust" that government agencies like the EPA and the FDA create and how many times these agencies are made to push lobbyist ideas. I was reading an article about hydraulic fracturing over the weekend that showed that the EPA had finally created the first set of rules that will require companies to trap the gas emissions at the well head. The EPA has now acknowledged that Fracking has extensive ability to pollute the air and will require companies to contain the pollution. Water has been proven to be effected by gas emissions however, the EPA has yet to create regulations requiring companies to protect water reserves. As I got further into the article, the EPA said it was not going to impose the regulations on the more than 3,000 pumps until 2015. The EPA swore that they were not persuaded by lobbyist but that it was unfair to implement the regulation this year because it is in the height of investment and start-up and it would hinder the potential business.
The article hit right on our conversation of how these agencies push policies that are generally aimed at supporting economic gain and political agendas.

Service Learning Project Idea: Food Awareness and Farmers Market

I had an idea to spread food awareness in Lake Tahoe through schools and community events eventually working to organize and run a farmers market. The community awareness would mainly focus on the dangers of processed and GMO foods and how we have access to local growers in the Grass valley and Carson Valley regions. SNC would be a great platform for seminars and classes that could teach people of all ages about food sustainability and healthy diets. Once I was able to gain community support for organic farm grown foods, I would work with SNC to start a Farmer's Market on the quad, during the summer months. My vision is to start in July and end in October. Farmers from the Carson valley and Grass Valley regions would be allowed to sell their harvest for profits in exchange for a small fee that would be assessed at that time and would go to continuing awareness and maintaining the Farmer's Market. This would also be a great place for people to sell local arts, and crafts, play music and bring the community together for a sustainable cause.

Research

I was unable to attend the presentation last class, but I have started researching and I have a few key sources. I have decided to narrow my topic down to hydraulic fracturing and the effect it has on groundwater. I was inspired by "Tapped" and since fracking has to do with potential pollution of drinking water I thought I could research how the EPA plans to regulate these hydraulic fracturing sites, what effect it will have on groundwater, and the possible ways to stop the expansion of onshore drilling and hydraulic fracturing.

Tapped

In 2007 the bottled water business was estimated to be an $11.5 billion business. Major corporations like Pepsi and Nestle have targeted small rural towns and are taking there water then selling it back at 1,900 times the cost of tap water. Nestle is the largest food processing company in the world, the scary thing is that they are now selling our water because it is more profitable then other beverage choices. Water is not only a vital resource, but a scarce resource and since the only goal is profit these large companies will inevitably deplete the remaining fresh water sources.

Another scary fact about bottled water is the health effects plastic bottles have, and the risks of being exposed to plastic bottle plants. Plastic is made in a similar way to producing oil and contains PET which is in the Benzine family and is known to cause cancer. There are several cases of death and illness from bottled water and the production of plastic bottles.

People need to become educated about bottled water. Many people think they are making the right decision by buying bottled water because it is healthier than soft drinks but the effects are still detrimental. The people supplying high priced tap water to us are the ones that also sell the soft drinks, all they see are dollar signs because it costs virtually nothing to get it and they make 1,900 times the return.40% of bottled water is tap water, and unlike municipal tap water the FDA is not required to test the water for quality. Municipal drinking water is checked by the EPA who is required to test it daily up to 300 times a month.

This documentary really made me think about cutting down on plastic containers when ever possible. Fortunately, I was raised in Lake Tahoe and I have always been able to drink pristine tap water, but that is not the case in many parts of the US and the world. Finding an alternative to bottle water such as filters and higher monitoring of the tap water we already have access to are imperative to taking a stand against Pepsi and Nestle. I really enjoyed this film and I believe more people need to see it.