My Carbon Foot Print

For our last project in the course "Fuel" we calculated how much carbon we release into the atmosphere. The way we did this was we use a website. In the way I live I release 20.7 carbon into the air. Carbon is produce lots of ways, so I had to find three actions that I can do to reduce my carbon. I was surprise in how much carbon I release, although its not that much I can reduce it. I am proud of the pictures that I put to help see what I am talking about.

KIS. Three Actions. 2014

For our last project in the course "Fuel" we calculated how much carbon we release into the atmosphere. The way we did this was we use a website. In the way I live I release 20.7 carbon into the air. Carbon is produce lots of ways, so I had to find three actions that I can do to reduce my carbon. I was surprise in how much carbon I release, although its not that much I can reduce it. I am proud of the pictures that I put to help see what I am talking about.

Air pollution occurs when the air contains gases, dust, fumes or odors in harmful amounts (“What is Air Pollution?”). More than 350 ppm could be harmful to the health or comfort of humans and animals or could cause damage to plants and materials. Substances that cause air pollution are called pollutants. Pollutants that directly pollute the air and do not need to combine with additional substances to cause harm are called primary pollutants. Primary pollutant examples include carbon monoxide from car exhausts and sulfur dioxide from the combustion of coal. Further pollution can arise if primary pollutants in the atmosphere undergo chemical reactions. The resulting compounds are called secondary pollutants. Photochemical smog is an example of a secondary pollutant.

I contribute to pollution by the way I live. I release 20.7 tons of carbon into the atmosphere each day (“Footprint Calculator”). My carbon output (20.7 tons) equals the greenhouse gas emissions from 3.9 passenger vehicles. Also, my carbon equals the carbon dioxide emissions given off from 43.7 barrels of oil consumed. For me to offset the carbon that I produce, I will have to plant 482 trees (“Clean Energy: Calculator”). I calculated this number by dividing 18.8 metric tons by 0.039 metric tons, because 0.039 metric tons is how much carbon dioxide each tree will remove from the atmosphere. My calculation comes out to be 482 trees.

“Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.” Clean Energy. N.p. Screenshot. 24 Feb. 2014.

Actions that I can take to reduce the carbon I produce are:

• Purchase products that use less packaging or are made out of 100% post-consumer recycled content material. When waste decays or is burned, it produces large amounts of carbon. Producing less waste will reduce the amount of trash and plastic floating around that could otherwise take a long time to dissolve. By taking this action, I will reduce my carbon from 20.7 to 19 tons = 1.7 tons.

“Footprint Calculator”. Global Footprint Network. N.p. Screenshot. 24 Feb 2014.

• Use public transportation one day more each week instead of driving in car. I personally prefer to drive around in a car, but I also know that burning fuel produces carbon dioxide. Therefore, I will make the effort to take public transportation. Taking this action will reduce my carbon output from 20.7 to 20.3 tons, or 0.4 tons.

“Footprint Calculator”. Global Footprint Network. N.p. Screenshot. 24 Feb 2014.

• Try to convince my parents to get solar panels for my house, which will provide renewable energy. In order to produce electricity, industries burn fossil fuels, which releases large amounts of pollution. If this action become a reality, then my carbon will decrease from 20.7 tons to 19 tons = 1.7 tons.

“Footprint Calculator”. Global Footprint Network. N.p. Screenshot. 24 Feb 2014.

Compared my original carbon output, I will have to plant 89 trees less! My actions above will help reduce carbon. I give off 20.7 tons of carbon everyday, but by taking action I will reduce it to 16.9 tons. Instead of having to plant 482 trees, I will have to plant 393 trees. These actions are important for me to achieve because our atmosphere has 400 ppm of carbon right now. We passed our safe zone of carbon (350 ppm). If carbon usage increases, there won't be a future for me or any other generations.




Citations:
“Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator”. Clean Energy. N.p. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
“Footprint Calculator”. Global Footprint Network. N.p. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
“What Is Air Pollution?” Air Quality For Kids. N.p. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

Dream Catcher

For the last unit of "Who AM I" we analyzed dreams. We had to choose a dream that we felt contrable talking about, we had a professional dream analyst tell us how to analyze our dreams. He told us that dreams are messages for the future from our unconscious. I shared my dream with a dream partner to hear what she think my dream meant. When we finish analyzing dreams we made a dream catcher to represent out dream. During this project and unit I learned how to make a dream catcher. I am proud of how I was able to tell a dream to someone else.

KIS. Dream Catcher. 2014

Artist Statement

The middle of my dream catcher sums up the positive elements that I have in my dreams. I use three colors yellow,red and pink for the weaving of my dream catcher. The feathers in the middle and the neutral colors around the ring.

My dream catcher represents my blist in a way, my blist is dancing. The black represents unhappiness and evil, I don't want that to go through the dream catcher thats why its in the outside far away from the center. To balance the evil I also put white next to it which symbolizes purity and peace. Now in the center I have three colors, red to represent my passion, excitement and love for dancing. The pink symbolizes caring and calm dreams that I want. The yellow represents happiness. I have the three colors in the middle in form of feathers for the good dreams to flow through them and the bad dreams to bump into the feathers. The five feathers at the bottom represents my family, my mom, my dad, my brother, my dog and me.

I wasn't the person in it I was just watching but somehow I knew what was going on.  

The was a little girl who one day woke up and didn't see her mom, only her dad, but her dad had some other lady with him kissing him. She didn't know what was going on all she knew was that she wanted her mom back instead of the other lady. the little girl asked her dad

“where is mom?!”

the lady reply

“She is not here!”

Then she asked again wanting to know

“where is mom??!!”

this time her dad reply

“I dont know”

But he did know he just didn't wanted to tell his daughter.

Later on in the day she was playing in her room and the lady walks in and yells

“your daughter is making a mess she should pick it up right now!!!!!”

The little girls was getting annoyed by the lady because every time she was doing something the lady would just scream and tell her dad to not let her do that anymore or to do what the lady wants. The dad would always do what the lady said.

The next day the little girl got a hold on her mom and was talking to her. While the little girls and her mom make plans to see each other the lady hear. Once the little girl was done talking on the phone she was going to see her mom. when she was out the door of her room she saw her dad and the lady in the living room staring at her. The little girl told her dad where she was going to go and if he can give her a ride over there, but the lady said to the dad

“you shouldn't let her see her mom”

And the dad agreed.

The little girl was so mad and sad that she started shaking, she slammed the door and screamed “I hate you!!!!” in her room.

Then at night a man that was friends with the mom and the little girl tried to sneak in the house to get her. He had a gun ready because he knew the dad wasn't going to give her up. When the friend opened the door he saw the dad with a gun pointing at him. After that the police came somehow out of no where. The police found stolen diamonds and when they were going to get the little girl she escaped through the window. Then two men went chasing after her.

I shared my dream above with my mom after I finish telling my dream, she told me what she thinks my dream means.“The little girl feels trap without freedom to express herself physically and verbally. She sees the adults as people who control her and don't understand her”.. I honestly didn't analyze my dream that way, it was amazing how someone can give you a different perspective on something that I keep personal. At the beginning I resisted sharing my dreams with others but now I like hearing people's perspective. If I could go back to my dream, then I would change the way the little girl ran away for no reason, and if I lived this dream in real life, the I would investigate on why my mom left.

Is Life Real?

For our third project on the course "Who Am I" we had the option of doing a slideshow/imovie or an essay. About A good guiding question that we crested. I choose the slide show. The slide show was easy because you just had to copy and paste your answers into it, then add a picture that goes with it. My guiding question was Is Life Real? So once I finished my slide show I had to record my voice that went along with it somehow, so I decided to do a comic with it. I am proud of my movie because I had struggles with it but I think it came out good. 

Wind Turbines

For our second project for the course "Fuel" we looked at renewable resources. After looking at different renewable resources we had to choose which renewable resources we wanted to investigate more on. the options were solar panels or wind turbines. I choose wind turbines to investigate. After we got information we had to make a video with audio to present what is a wind turbine. One thing I learned was how wind turbines work. One thing I am proud of is the information I got.

My memory thats defines me

For my second project for my "WHO AM I" class I had to choose a memory that defines me. What we have to do with the memory is, to take people back to my memory. So for this project I am a time machine taking my classmates to a memory that I have and make the feel like they are there. In order to do this I have to use at least 3 seances of the 5 seances. My memory I choose was when I did my first folkloric dance. The seances that I will use is taste, sound, and sight. One thing I learned is how to make someone feel what I felt that day. I am proud of the prop I used to help my audience feel like they are their.

KIS. First Performance. 2014

It was a cold day in winter, it was noon and I was running back and forth from my room to the bathroom.

“Karla!” my mom yelled.

“Yes!” I responded.

“Hurry up” my mom...

“Im going”. I said.

Today was the first folkloric performance that I was going to have. Since I was new in this dance group. The teacher informed me that all the dancers had to put their hair up in a bun so that the audience can see our faces. Also we needed to have makeup on, my mom put natural makeup tones on me. After my mom finished my makeup we grabbed my dancing shoes and my costume. Once we got everything we left the house, got in the car and drove to the church that was couple of blocks away from my house. Once I got there I saw my two friends all dressed and ready to go on stage. The way we found this dance group was from my friends mom. I was going to a classical ballet class before I could go to the class at that time anymore.So my mom looked for other classes for me to attend, and that how I got in the mexican ballet group I said hi to everyone quickly and then I went go change. My costume was in two parts a white blouse and a red shirt, I also had to put on black little high heels that have nails at the bottom. At the beginning I was excited to put on something I never put on before but then after I had it on it felt weird because I was used to tights, a leotard and ballet shoes.  There was a certain order for the different groups to go on stage, I was the third on on that list so I was able to hang out with my friends for a couple of minute before we went on stage. Each dances lasted has 2-3 songs and when the two groups before me got off my heart was beating so it was like when you finish running a race,  I was so nervous I didn't want to go on stage. My friend saw me and said

“Come On!, don't be nervous you will be ok”.

While her saying that she was pulling me towards the stage. Everyone got in position to start, they lifted the curtains and the music started playing. I try to focus on my dancing so I wouldn't mess up the choreography but it was hard. When we finish the first song  a took a deep breath and waited for the next song to go on. When we finish I was so relieve that I wanted to change to my comfy clothes. After the whole show finish everyone went to go get something to eat. There wasn't any food left, the was only bread and hot chocolate. The good thing that I notice is that since I perform for them I get like a special treatment. I got two pieces of bread and two hot chocolates, one for me and one for my mom. After we ate our bread we just enjoy the rest of the event.