I enjoyed keeping a blog for this semester, I felt like I learned a lot more about my topic. At points I felt like it was a little chaotic to keep up with the blog, projects, and the journal, but overall I think it was a good way for me to organize my schedule in order to meet deadlines. For creating my blog posts, I would organize what I wanted each post to be a couple days in advance with some helpful links for me to use to write my post. Then, I would do one or two blog posts a day before they were due. My topics I tried to keep as general as I could so that they could be relatable to most people. I do not plan to keep blogging, between the club I am president of, my full time job, and other course work my free time is incredibly limited. I have enjoyed the blog, but it is a lot to keep up with!
Climate Action in Government
As someone who is concerned about the environment, it is important to be aware of the steps your government is taking regarding climate action.
According to the White House website, President Biden has taken some of the following actions:
Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which is, “the most significant investment in U.S. history to tackle the climate crisis” (Whitehouse.gov 2024).
Encouraged companies to move towards green energy
U.S. investments in clean energy such as solar panel and electric vehicle manufacturing
The Inflation Reduction Act has made huge strides towards improving our climate. According to EarthJustice, “as the bill turns two, we can begin to measure its impact in terms of jobs created (334,000 and counting, with an economic value of $265 billion) and investment in reducing harmful pollution ($27 billion to cut emissions and advance clean energy projects)” (EarthJustice).
Works Cited
Hanson, Molly. "Two Years Ago, We Passed the Biggest Climate Spending Bill Ever. Here’s What It Has Achieved." Earthjustice, 20 Aug. 2024, earthjustice.org/article/the-biggest-climate-spending-bill-ever-just-turned-two-heres-what-it-has-achieved.
"National Climate Task Force." The White House, 7 Mar. 2024, www.whitehouse.gov/climate/#:~:text=Secured%20more%20than%20%2450%20billion,wind%2C%20battery%2C%20and%20critical%20material.What are Popular Companies Doing About Climate Change?
As economic consumers, we have the opportunity to make choices about the companies we choose to buy products from. In addition, it’s important for consumers to be aware of practices that those companies use to produce their products.
The popular fast-food chain McDonald’s announced in 2020, and has since revised, its climate initiatives as a company. Their initiatives include environmentally aware steps in sourcing and developing their beef products, in designing their packaging and toys, and have made a commitment to forests and natural ecosystems. They also pledged a commitment to cutting their emissions as low as possible by 2050. Despite these efforts, McDonald’s disclosed in 2021 that their emissions had actually increased by nearly 12 percent. The emissions that fast-food chains create relates to their supply chains such as their beef production.
Fast-food chains like McDonald’s need to invest in environmentally sustainable practices and products in order to reduce their carbon footprints on the planet. As consumers, it’s important for us to be aware of the companies we choose to purchase products from. It’s also important to take note of if these companies are following through on their pledges and initiatives.
Works Cited
McDonald's: Burgers, Fries & More. Quality Ingredients, mcdonalds.com.
"Nytimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, 22 Sept. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/09/22/business/food-companies-emissions-climate-pledges.htmClimate Events in the Quad Cities Community
Climate-Related Events in the Quad Cities:
Do you want to participate in some upcoming events related to climate change?
Below is a list of some climate action event opportunities to mark on your calendar now!
January 2025 QC Environmental Film Series.
- This event includes a series of films shown at the FIGGE Art Museum
- The events mission is “to bring inspirational and educational environmental films to our community, encouraging grassroots activism for environmental justice and for the care of our planet” (riveraction.org)
Sustainable Agriculture Town Hall, via Zoom, Thursday, Nov. 7th.
- This event discusses, “nutrient loss reduction efforts, food procurement reform and the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP), livestock regulation reform, and expanding the local food economy.” (https://act.ilenviro.org/)
Living Lands and Waters Invasive Species Removal
- This event is to help remove the “invasive honeysuckle at the Amowa Forest Preserve in East Moline, IL” (https://www.livinglandsandwaters.org)
Nahant Marsh Bird Hike, Nov. 23rd from 9am-10am.
- You can take a hike through the Nahant Marsh to catch glimpses or hear some of the over 200 species of birds that have been spotted at the Nahant. (https://nahantmarsh)
You can visit any of these websites to learn more about the events, or what other events are coming up!
Ways to be Environmentally Mindful in your Home
Three articles from different organizations describe ways that anyone can take action to reduce their impact on the climate. Consider taking the following actions in your home!
Energy Conservation
Turning off or unplugging the technology in your home is a super easy way to reduce your individual carbon footprint. Other ways you can reduce your energy consumption in your home is to invest in good insulation so your furnace requires less energy to warm your home. In addition, if you can invest in solar panels this not only helps the planet but will over-time save you money.
Water Conservation
One of the biggest concerns related to the issue of climate change is the growing reduction in access to clean water. Many people in the United States do not believe water quality affects their lives, but the amount of cities and rural areas that have access to clean water is declining. It’s important for individuals to be mindful of how much water they use, in addition to ensuring that your water appliances are not leaking. Over time, water leaks are an enormous waste.
Diet
Reducing your meat intake is an easy way to do your part to help the planet. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, “Meat production is one of the most environmentally destructive industries on the planet, responsible for massive amounts of water use, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction”. To some, eating a plant-based diet sounds impossible. If a change in diet is not an option for you, you can make an effort to reduce food waste.
Compost and Recycling
Composting food as opposed to throwing it away can create natural fertilizers and reduce the waste going into landfills (good-energy 2024). In addition to composing, taking the time to rinse your plastic and glass or break down your cardboard to recycle is another amazing way to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill.
"12 Ways to Live More Sustainably." Center for Biological Diversity, www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/live_more_sustainably.html#energy.
Energy, Good. "The Ultimate 20 Step Guide to Eco-friendly Living." Good Energy, 6 Aug. 2024, www.goodenergy.co.uk/blog/the-ultimate-20-step-guide-to-eco-friendly-living/.
"How You Can Help At Home." Prairie Rivers Network, 10 Sept. 2021, prairierivers.org/get-involved/how-you-can-help-at-home/.
Inquiry Project
(Adobe Stock Image)
The Opportunities of Hybrid Learning
What is hybrid learning?Hybrid learning traditionally requires students to attend both online and in-person as opposed to some students attending in-person and some attending online. According to the article “Hybrid and Blended Learning”, Ian O’Byrne and Kristine Pytash defines hybrid learning as, “a pedagogical approach that combines face-to-face (F2F) instruction with computer-mediated instruction (Ferdig, Cavanaugh, & Freidhoff, 2012)” (O’Bryne & Pytash, pp. 137, 2015). The article goes on to describe that there are many different ways of implementing hybrid learning for students. In the article “Hybrid Course Design” Jennifer Shea, Ernita Joaquin, and Meg Gorzycki define three key features of hybrid learning which includes, “online learning activities are used to complement in-person activities”, “time in the classroom is reduced, but not eliminated”, and “online and in-person instructional elements of the course are designed to interact and benefit from the strengths of each (Learning Technology Center, 2014)” (Shea, Joaquin & Gorzycki, pp.539, 2015). When these three features of hybrid learning are incorporated into the learning model, it creates an experience where students continue to be engaged and have the opportunity to build connections with peers and instructors that are necessary to succeed in those courses. Some research suggests that hybrid learning spaces can create stronger learning outcomes for students. The article “Educational digitalisation and transformation” by Miquel Prats and Elena Sintes describes, “...the introduction of digital technologies can be a powerful tool for improving education, as well as for enhancing students’ motivation, involvement and interest” (Prats & Sintes, pp. 24, 2023).
COVID-19 Impact on Hybrid Learning
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced online and hybrid learning into classrooms across the world. In the article “How teachers experienced the COVID-19 transition” by David Marshall, David Shannon and Savanna Love, they suggest, “since early March 2020, the COVID-19 viral pandemic has affected all facets of American life, including school operations...Most school districts shifted to online instruction, some opted for a kind of hybrid model...” (Marshall, Shannon, & Love, pp. 46, 2020). Educators had to switch to teaching in a different format with little to no training. Due to the last-minute changes, teachers at the K-12 level and higher education level had to adjust the expectations of students which in turn reduced the quality of learning. In the article ”College in the Time of Coronavirus” by Andrew Kelly and Rooney Columbus, they describe, “roughly two-thirds of faculty surveyed shared that they altered course assignments or examinations, and just under half said they lowered expectations for student work, dropped assignments and test altogether, or granted pass/fail options instead of letter grades. A strong majority of faculty and administrators believes these online courses were worse in quality than prior in-person offerings…”(Kelly & Columbus, pp. 3, 2020). The changes of expectations of students resulted in many students putting little to no effort into their education. What can be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in regards to hybrid and online learning, is that in order to incentivize students to learn, there must be structure that creates goals for those students to meet.
At the higher education level, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced serious challenges to campuses as students are not returning to in-person learning in as high of numbers as they were previously. According to the article “Being in Two Places at the Same Time” Khristin Fabian, Sally Smith, and Ella Taylor-Smith describe that students that did return to in-person learning were disappointed in the “campus-based (learning and social) experiences” in addition to “online and hybrid learning undermining previously-argued business cases for significant investment in campus buildings” (Fabian, Smith & Smith, pp. 693, 2024). What Fabian, Smith and Smith go on to address in their article is that despite these challenges for institutions, student preferences that were illuminated from the pandemic make it clear that there are advantages to hybrid learning. Fabian, Smith and Smith state, “A systematic review found that hybrid learning promoted student autonomy and increased student satisfaction and grades, although results differed across the studies depending on factors such as the participants involved and factors relating to delivery (Monk et al., 2020)” (Fabian, Smith & Smith, pp. 694, 2024).
The good and the bad of hybrid learning
Hybrid learning comes with many advantages and disadvantages which are often based on technology and how the hybrid learning model is implemented. According to Shae, Joaquin and Gorzycki, “Studies have shown that student satisfaction and achievement of learning outcomes correlate with high levels of three types of presence–social, cognitive, and teaching” (Shae, Joaquin & Gorzycki, pp. 540, 2015). The social presence is related to the connection between students, the course, and their instructor. The cognitive presence is related to the interaction between students, the course and their instructor. The teaching presence is based on three components, “course design and organization, facilitation, and instruction (Akyol & Garrison, 2008; Mayadas et al., 2003; Shae, Swan, Li & Pickett, 2005)” (Shae, Joaquin & Gorzycki, pp. 540, 2015). The article goes on to describe that a part of teaching presence is establishing “structure” that creates opportunities for students to interact with each other and their professor. Some of the major issues that contribute to a negative hybrid learning experience that are related to teaching presence include, “technical problems, poor teaching organization and planning, and inaccessibility” (Shae, Joaquin & Gorzycki, pp. 542). In order for these issues to be avoided, the teaching presence would demand more from instructors than a traditional environment would, which is not always fair or reasonable to those instructors. Teaching in a hybrid environment must be something that an instructor is interested in doing as opposed to being required. Despite the challenges involved in implementing a hybrid learning model, the majority of research contends that it creates more accessibility and inclusion for education. In Fabian, Smith and Smith’s study their results suggested, “A synchronous hybrid learning environment (particularly when aided with video recordings) is perceived to democratise access and promote an inclusive learning environment, as reported by both students and lecturers. Perhaps the campus is less important as a focus for learning, and hybrid can offer the best of both face-to-face and online worlds” (Fabian, Smith & Smith, pp. 702, 2024). Fabian, Smith and Smith are not suggesting that college campuses are not important, rather that learning is more important than the physical space, and that when learning can collaborate with technology and space, the results detail a better outcome for students.
Works Cited
Fabian, Khristin, et al. "Being in Two Places at the Same Time: a Future for Hybrid Learning Based on Student Preferences." SpringerLink, 8 June 2024, doi.org/10.1007/s11528-024-00974-x. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Kelly, Andrew P., and Rooney Columbus. College in the Time of Coronavirus: CHALLENGES FACING AMERICAN HIGHER EDUCATION. American Enterprise Institute, 2020. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep25358. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.
Marshall, David T., et al. “How Teachers Experienced the COVID-19 Transition to Remote Instruction.” The Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 102, no. 3, 2020, pp. 46–50. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26977191. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
O’BYRNE, W. IAN, and KRISTINE E. PYTASH. “Hybrid and Blended Learning: Modifying Pedagogy Across Path, Pace, Time, and Place.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, vol. 59, no. 2, 2015, pp. 137–40. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44011233. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Prats, Miquel Àngel, and Elena Sintes. “Educational Digitalisation and Transformation.” Hybrid School: How to Drive the Digital Transformation of Schools, edited by Bonalletra Alcompas, Fundació Jaume Bofill, 2023, pp. 22–43. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep62623.4. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.
Shea, Jennifer, et al. “Hybrid Course Design: Promoting Student Engagement and Success.” Journal of Public Affairs Education, vol. 21, no. 4, 2015, pp. 539–56. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24615544. Accessed 16 Oct. 2024.
What to Tell the Naysayers
While Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton were destroying homes and taking lives of people in North Carolina, Florida and other states, many homes began talking about the natural disasters. While having a conversation with my own family about Hurricane Helene, I mentioned how these events, their strength, and their frequency could be related to Climate Change. My step-father quickly interrupted me and told me I ruined the conversation with that bullsh*t that the government has been feeding us for years.
So what do you do in this situation? Do you start spitting out facts about climate change? Or maybe ask him to elaborate on what he means about the government feeding us climate change for years? The answer is that it depends on who you are talking to and what their background is along with where their information is coming from.
Talk about it
In an article from nature.org the author talks about how important it is to “start talking” about the subject even if it can be awkward. The article describes, “Even though more than 7 in 10 Americans believe climate change is happening, 6 in 10 are worried about it, two-thirds of Americans rarely, if ever, talk about climate change with the people they care about” (“Can We Talk Climate?” 2019). The article also cites four common reasons for people not talking about climate change. These include, not knowing enough, avoiding “scary things”, not believing a conversation would make a difference, and avoiding an argument (“Can We Talk Climate?” 2019). Although all are valid reasons, it’s important to normalize conversations about climate change in order to take steps as a society towards making a difference.
In the home
In a BBC article, Merlyn Thomas & Marco Silvia explain “How to talk to a denier” (Thomas & Silvia 2022). The article is about a young adult, Lance Lawson, whose father, Brian Anderson, does not believe in climate change. Lance understood the importance of having conversations about climate change and began with his father. He describes that it was important for him to approach his father and others from, “where they’re at” (Thomas & Silvia 2022). What this means is that depending on that person’s religious views, political views, or general ideologies you have to find ways to speak to them based on their viewpoint. The article also discusses how it’s important to “remain humble” and avoid talking down to others.
In a podcast interview at Boston University students interview Arunima Krishna, an assistant professor of mass communication. Krishna cites three things that are important to understand about someone’s perspective before engaging in a conversation about climate change. Krishna describes, “First, how strong are their attitudes about climate change? Second, how motivated are they about climate change as a topic? And third, what kinds and to what extent have they accepted misinformation about climate change” (“Question of the Week Podcast” 2022). The article goes on to say that when someone has a strong attitude and motivation towards climate change not existing in combination with misinformation they believe support their stance, that their voice tends to be loud. Krishna explains that although these “disinformation-amplifying folks” are loud, there are larger groups of people that either believe that climate change exists and that humans can reduce its impacts, or believe that it exists but do not believe there is anything they can do about it. In order to have productive discussions with climate deniers, Krishna explains that it’s important to, “arm yourself with some ideas and some arguments, doing your own research about the kinds of pieces of misinformation that are out there, as well as ways that you can argue against them, is something important” (“Question of the Week Podcast” 2022. Overall, in order to talk to a climate-denier the best thing someone can do is first understand what that individual’s perspective is and then to prepare yourself with facts that may be helpful to dispel some of their beliefs without being rude or disrespectful.
So, if you find yourself having a conversation in this upcoming holiday season to someone that denies climate change, consider some of these tips to have a productive conversation. Here is an article with 6 arguments based on common beliefs of climate deniers that are helpful if the conversation arises.
Climate change: How to talk to a denier. (2022, July 23). BBC Breaking News, World News, US News, Sports, Business, Innovation, Climate, Culture, Travel, Video & Audio. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-61844299
Colarossi, J. (2022, September 26). How do I talk to a climate change denier? Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2022/how-do-i-talk-to-a-climate-change-denier/
EARTHDAY.ORG. (2023, November 21). 6 arguments to refute your climate-denying relatives this holiday. Earth Day. https://www.earthday.org/6-arguments-to-refute-your-climate-denying-relatives/
Nature. (n.d.). Can we talk climate? The Nature Conservancy. https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/tackle-climate-change/climate-change-stories/can-we-talk-climate/
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Hello! My name is Audrey Lamb, I am a WIU-Quad Cities student. I am majoring in Professional Writing English and minoring in Legal Studies. ...
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(From River Action website) Climate-Related Events in the Quad Cities: Do you want to participate in some upcoming events related to cl... -
(Image from Lumen Learning https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-geophysical/chapter/heat-transfer-in-the-atmosphere/) What is it? Climate...
