Update:
I changed my topic! I am now going to analyze the meaning behind dreams and all about dreams. I will be using Freud's theory on dreams in my essay and will be using psychology as my main social science. I created a survey monkey, and put it on face book this morning so hopefully I get lots of responses!

Indigenous resistance and racist schooling on the borders of  empires: Coast Salish cultural survival

This article was about the indigenous residences who live on the USA and Canadian border. The people have to cross the border often for ceremonies and special events. Both the USA and Canada do not know how to address the issue because the civilizations have been there way longer than they the countries have. Both governments built schools and boarding schools for them to attend. This being said, the indigenous people did not choose to attend the schools, they instead went to their own schools and did their own thing. The governments also tried to make them go to public schools with other citizens but the indigenous people are choosing to do their own thing. As much as I think they should follow what everyone else is doing, in a way I do not believe this. Since they have been on the same land for much longer and they have certain customs that they would like to follow they should be able to do their own thing. This doesn't mean that there should be an open border, because I do not believe in that at all. They should be able to do what they want within the country, and when it comes time to cross they border, they should have to do so the same way everyone does.

The topic of food and sustainability rarely crosses my mind. This being said, the more that the issue is discussed the more I am curious to see where my food comes from and what the effects on the environment are. Clearing of land for agriculture and cattle ranching is a main cause of forest destruction in the United States and on earth. About 260 million acres of forested area in the United States has been cleared to create land for crops and cattle. Not only is destroying the forests an issue but also feeding the animals. It requires 16 pounds of wheat and 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of grain-fed beef. Is it really okay to so much wheat and water just to create one pound of beef? I do not think about where my food is coming from and what the effects of my consuming the product has had on the environment. I do not think about ways I could eat differently that would result in a better environment for us all. It was surprising to see the effects cattle have on the environment including such things as acid rain and producing toxins. The relationship of food and sustainability is not thought about everyday but at the same time can be seen every day. 

I believe this image represents environmental ethics. Environmental ethics is the belief that humans have the responsibility to take care of the natural world. It also assumes that they will become leaders and to become more responsible land users. This image represents environmental ethics in many ways. I like that the earth is split in half and opened up to what is a pure image of the environment; a beautiful blue sky, tree, and green grass. The earth is not opened to a city skyline, or polluted sky, instead it is the purest form of earth. I think this image represents what humans should be seeking to preserve which is the natural beauty of earth.

I found a peer reviewed article the Environmental Health Perspectives. I related the article to the one the class read about fracking in Wisconsin. This article discusses how 68 private drinking wells in Pennsylvania and New York have been found to be contaminated by methane. This occurred about natural gas drilling started to occur around those areas. The researchers were measuring for concentrations of certain isotopes that can be seen in methane and also other hydrocarbons. This was so the researchers could distinguish between the gases created from fracking and gases that were created from organic matter. They found that the wells closer to the drilling sights were more likely to contain methane that was themogenic. This means that the drilling sights are leaking into the soil and are contaminating well sights. If this is occurring in New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin then there should be enough evidence to support the stop of fracking.

Holzman, David C. "References." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National

 Library of Medicine, 01 July 2011. Web. 30 Sept. 2012.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222989/>.

EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination

In Central Wyoming, the EPA found a link between underwater ground pollution and oil drilling that was occurring. The EPA could become of importance in a national debating in discussing whether contamination of the environment from oil fracking is occurring. This national debate could potentially be the standard for how gas pumping is regulated in the United States. Residents have also complained of spoiled water as a result from the fracking. Their water has turned brown when oil drilling was occurring near them. To confirm everything that was being said the EPA drilled two water monitoring wells that where 1,000 feet deep and monitored that amount of carcinogenic chemicals near the wells. The EPA founds chemicals apparent that were known to be used in fracking, which meant the oil and fracking companies are destroying he environment. The EPA also found there to be a lack of disclosure by the companies. Many companies did not report exactly what chemicals had been used to frack. This also meant that EnCana has declined to tell federal officials the breakdown of every compound used in the ground. Fracking companies are polluting the environment and will not disclose which chemicals they are putting in the ground. This means that no one knows what is being put in the earth and soil that nearby residents depend on. Drinking supplies have been damaged and the fracking, if expanded, will continue to pollute more of America.

This article makes me think about what about other countries and the flip side of the argument. Americans do not want oil to be drilled form the U.S. but rather we are willing to pay higher prices for overseas drilling. Would it be most cost effective to drill here and just have that section of land be used for drilling oil if it would be cheaper for Americans? Is the EPA exaggerating and being too worries? Is the stuff reporting really happening because of the fracking or could the chemicals appearing in tests be produced otherwise?

Kahn Reading

I think that Kahn had some really great points in his article. As I read through it I noticed that I was clueless about some of the things he pointed out. Some things include that over 3 billion people live on less than a few dollars a day. I have heard this before but not to the same magnitude as he described. In his article he mentioned zoo school which was a school for high school juniors and seniors that took place on the actual grounds of a school. I thought that was a pretty cool idea but in actuality it wouldn't work. there aren't enough zoos for all students in America and what about other subjects? I do think that Americans need to be more educated on the environment and we should have environmental teachings in the curriculum. Way to many people do not know anything about the environment and in turn the environmental situation continues to worsen.