THERE ARE 4 PEER RESPONSES NEEDED. EACH SET HAS ITS OWN INSTRUCTIONS Guided Response: Respond to at least two classmates over the course of the week, comparing your successes or challenges to theirs a

THERE ARE 4 PEER RESPONSES NEEDED. EACH SET HAS ITS OWN INSTRUCTIONS

Guided Response: Respond to at least two classmates over the course of the week, comparing your successes or challenges to theirs and offering additional suggestions for ways they might lower their footprints (particularly in terms of reducing the amount of waste that they generate) and live more sustainably in the future.

Michelle Post:

Footprint Table

Week 1

Week 5

Difference

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

Hectares:

7.8

4.9

2.9

# Earths:

4.6

2.9

1.7

Top 3 Consumption Categories:

Food

Food

same

Mobility

Mobility

same

Services

Services

same

CARBON FOOTPRINT

Carbon Emissions (lbs):

48,362

38,082

10,280

WATER FOOTPRINT

Gallons per day:

1,797

937

860

Top 3 Contributors:

Shower

Shower

same

Kitchen sink

Kitchen sink

same

Toilet

Bathroom sink

different

I would definitely say that my ecological reduction footprint project was a success. There's a huge difference from week 1 to now. I am actually surprised that taking the small steps that I took helped with my footprint this much. I feel like eating less meat and dairy, using less water for showers, and eliminating bottled water are what made the biggest impact.I also carpool more and have replaced lights in my home to more energy efficient ones. I think this has made an impact too but not as big. In the future, I will continue to implement these things in my daily life and teach my family to do the same. I would also like to continue to replace appliances and maybe invest in some solar panels for my home. I will always recycle and try to reuse items when it is possible. I like the idea of saying that my ecological footprint is smaller than the average person. In this experience, I have learned that it is actually really easy to contribute to saving our Earth and reducing our footprint. I honestly had no idea what it meant before this class. I do think that efforts to live more sustainably matter because it is obvious that when we do we are helping our planet. In doing this project, I have reduced all 3 of my footprints significantly. And, it wasn’t anything terribly hard to do. It consisted of a few lifestyle adjustments that anyone can do and get used to. Easy. Save our planet. We need it to survive. Hopefully, we can pass on what we’ve learned to the future generations and they can continue to live sustainably.

KAYLEE POST:

Footprint Table

Week 1Week 5DifferenceECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTHectares: 4.42.3-2.1# Earths:2.61.3-1.3Top 3 Consumption Categories:Food-1.4Food-0.8-0.6Services-0.8Services-0.5-0.3Goods-1.5Goods-0.3- 1.2CARBON FOOTPRINTCarbon Emissions (lbs):25,25318,467 WATER FOOTPRINTGallons per day:

Personal-1,740

Household of 5- 8,701

Personal-1,157

Household of 5-5,785

Personal-583

Household-2916

Top 3 Contributors:Diet-871Diet-645-226Shopping-583Shopping-291-292Pet Food-120Pet Food-133 13

I was able to decrease drastically by changing a few simple things, such as recycling our plastics, glass, aluminum, paper, and cardboard. Also, we have reduced our showers and bath times, so we aren't wasting as much water. I was able to upgrade our thermostat to a programmable one. Also, we have replaced all our lights with LEDs and only use them when needed. I bought more room darkening curtains for the living room and our bedroom where most of the sunlight comes in at, to help keep the house cooler. We've also cut back on our meat during the week, started eating more vegetables from our farmer's market that's here weekly. I do grocery shopping twice a month instead of almost weekly. My pet food has increased a little bit because I started buying bigger bags to last longer. I've been looking into making my dog's food, and I still need to consult with our veterinarian to discuss these changes.

I am impressed by how small these impacts have on the planet, and how much they can change drastically. Since we've been recycling, I wasn't sure how much of a difference we were making, but now that I can compare the results, it has been impressive.

I hope everyone else has had a dramatic change.

MY POST:

Following the week one results on the ecological print, I replaced incandescent bulbs with energy star lights, started using sundry to dry clothes, and rolled a car maintenance process. I have also started timing my showering time, but still to work on carpooling with friends. I now use about 800 gallons of water every day at a personal level and 3, 500 for households. The carbon footprints are now 150,120 Ibs, 1200 gallons of gas and I have turned to planting more trees and flowers.

Decisive measures and discussions on the importance of taking care of the resources we have has helped towards the changes in my footprint. I showed the film by Bea Jonson and Disposability Consciousness to the family and we drew a table on things we can do then. We adjusted the shower to signal a duration for taking a bath, placed visible signs of switch me off if not use and save water, or save energy so that even visitors will be conscious to save the resources. We prepaid the car service personnel and scheduled for car checks for the entire family and wanted him to always do his work in time. The last thing we have done is to create nursery beds for various fruits and trees.

Week 5 as compared to week 1

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

Hectares:

from

# Earths:

3.3 earths to 2.9 earths

Top 3 Consumption Categories:

Goods Same

Mobility

food

CARBON FOOTPRINT

Carbon Emissions (lbs.):

From 165,703 to lbs. 150,120 Ibs

WATER FOOTPRINT

Gallons per day:

From 1057 gallons/day to 800 gallons per day

Top 3 Contributors:

Household SAME

shower

bathtub

Looking at the situation, the biggest difference comes in. I still have to keep working on how to reduce water usage especially in kitchen usage and washing of clothes. I also need to develop a better parameter for reuse and recycle, because there are still kitchen wastes we dump yet we can make good use of it. I have learned that it is possible to make the environment the best place ever and that makes life cheap and comfortable. You are so sure that you are not doing injustice to Mother earth. Individual efforts to sustainable environment are essential because we are the source of pollution and overuse. Therefore, the solution is with us.

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts throughout the week by noting how their perspective is the same or different than yours. Each of your responses should be at least 100 words long. Both your initial post and your responses should refer both to your own experience and to content from readings, media, or websites.

CARMEN POST:

Membership in Dominant and Subordinated Groups

This assignment provided a focus on dominant and subordinate, allowing me to have not only a better understanding of both but also be classified according to the U.S Culture. I noticed that I have been in a dominant and subordinate group simultaneously as I obtain this new role as Program Manager. As a Program Manager there are some areas where I am dominant because I have a role of leadership and somewhat power to make decisions, but as a Latina and being a minority, I have experienced subordination in my community. For example, in the Group affiliation category, there were few Y on the dominate side based on work. I had Y on abilities: cognitive because I am knowledgeable in my field. I also placed a Y under the age, because I feel I am age-appropriate and my experience helps with understanding my job better. In the ethnicity I placed a Y as well because to some extent, being bilingual and being able to translate, is a gift to the agency. On the other hand, I placed X on the other categories but also had some Y as well. This was so interesting to see that you can be dominant in some areas and subordinate in others.

Privilege

In today's society, privilege is seen negatively because it is normally used by individuals that feel that have power and misuse it. Being a Latina has not been easy because I am considered a minority, if we go back to week 1 according to Kahn (2015) when we learn about ethnocentrism some individuals just judge others based on what they want to see and/or believe. In my field of work, I try to be mindful not to feel as I had privilege because I am in a higher position than others. I tend to keep in mind that I was a caseworker for several years and I understand some of the struggles that one goes through. I always tell my staff that I am not one to sit behind my desk and delegate, I am constantly told by my supervisors that I need to delegate more. I guess, my experience with other supervisors has shaped me to not make the same mistakes.

As I grew up, I was aware of privilege because I experienced it myself. My mother is a dark-skinned Puerto Rican and when we are walking together we are looked at differently. However, the most difficult thing I experienced when we would shop at high-end stores and we are not assisted as others in the same store. I recall this happened a lot while I was growing up and my mother would tell me about oppression, discrimination, segregation among other cultural dilemmas. As I continue to learn more about the privilege I knew what it felt to be looked at differently or as someone with is less than others. I decided that I do not want to make others feel as I feel and want to make a difference. This has given some inspiration to me wanting to become someone to make a difference positively. I find it interesting that we have choices and surprising that although we have choices some decided to feel overpowered and discriminate and/or oppressed others. Overall, privilege has shaped my life within my current job as a Program Manager, educating my daughters to be mindful of others and not treat others differently because they are unique.

Reference

Kahn, A. (2015).The ecology of diversity.San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education.

Geiger, K. A., & Jordan, C. (2014). The role of societal privilege in the definitions and practices ofinclusion.Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 33(3), 261-274. doi:10.1108/EDI-12-2013-0115.

DENISE POST:

Privilege

This assignment was an eye-opener for me. Before this assignment, I would have never thought of myself as being privileged. I was able to understand the difference between the privilege I have and that of white people. I did not think that there was a difference between the two or that a difference existed before this assignment. I can understand that as human beings we all have struggles; we all have had to fight for a position some time or another in our lives. However, there is a difference when it comes to white people and people of color. When I was teaching in the classroom, I had a parent that did not believe she was privileged because she was white, she stated that she had to work hard for everything she has, I agreed and understood. However, I explained to her that it had nothing to do with how hard you worked for what you have, it is just the fact that she was white that she was treated differently than I was, being a black Hispanic woman.

I can, however, understand the privileges I have had in life that others could only wish they had. Being able to be in school is a privilege that some may not think they have. I did not think before this assignment that being in school was a privilege, but when I think about it, I could understand that there are people in other countries that can only wish they could but cannot because they don’t have the means to do so. I consider myself to be in both a dominant/subordinate position at work because of my position as a manager I am the leader in my place of work. However, I see myself as a subordinate because there are others higher than me that carry more weight than I do, and tell me what to do and how to do my job, I consider them as part of the “true” dominant group. Khan (2015) stated, “When an individual is part of the dominant group, he or she has access to services, benefits, entitlements, goods, and positions of power that those in a subordinate position do not” (Ch. Summary para. 1). I can be here today because of my position at work. I was able to receive certain discounts because of my position and the company I work for.

As I was growing up, I was unaware that I had any type of privilege. However, now I know that I have had privileges all my life that I have taken for granted. My mom always told me; “eat all of your food and do not through any of it away because there are people less fortunate than you that do not have what you have.” When my mom told me these things, I could not understand back then what I understand now, and now I tell my kids the same thing. As a kid, I didn’t question anything, as I got older, I told myself that I did not have much but now I see that I had more than most.

As I learn more about privilege and examine my life, I find a lot of things interesting but the one thing I find the most interesting is that I grew up telling myself that I did not have much when in fact some people and families have less than me. I am privileged to have the great set of kids that I have, they have not once in all of their existence given me a hard time. Don’t get me wrong they are not perfect they have their occasional disagreements but when I look at how some children treat their parent or the heartache, they are putting their parents through, I thank God for the three he has given me. I think of my position at work as a manager, the first in my family to be obtaining her Master's Degree, and I could go on and on about how many privileges I have been able to find in my life that I had overlooked.

I can now say that privilege has shaped my life in a way I was unaware of. Privilege has helped me get ahead in life, and accomplish things I did not know where possible, as my education. Because of my education, I am now able to find better employment, and chose a better position and not settle for the next best thing. Because of my knowledge, I am now able to continue to teach others and broaden someone else’s horizon, so in the change, they can rise and become better at what they do and who they can become.

Reference

Kahn, A. (2015). The ecology of diversity: Examining individuals, societies, and cultures.

Bridgepoint Education.

MY POST:

Privilege

Privilege has shaped my life in many ways. Being a black woman, I have watched my white counterparts get better treatment in various aspects of life from work to schools to the hospitals. This made me work even harder because I knew that nothing was going to come out of me out of favor. I put extra effort into my education so that I could get more chances of getting a good job. My white counterparts did not have to work as hard because they were assumed to be more qualified than I am.

As I was growing up, I was aware that I was not very privileged mainly because of my race and my gender. I was aware that other people including whites and males were more privileged than I was. Being Black in America is hard. Being a Black Woman is even harder. School authorities, police, and other bodies all favored the white and had positive relations with the. When it comes to Blacks, the same cannot be said.

As I learn more about privilege, there some things that I find surprising. That even in this era, there are still policies and legislations that still favor white people and discriminate against blacks (Wallis, 2016). I cannot be ignorant of the fact that white privilege still exists and continues to affect me daily.

Privilege has shaped my life opportunities, life chances, and experiences. Everything I have, I have worked extra hard for it. Nothing was handed down to me. Being a Black Woman, I have had to go the extra mile to protect myself from black violence as well as gender-based violence. I am very careful with who I interact with because I like to protect my peace of mind.

REFERENCES

Wallis, J. (2016). America's original sin: Racism, white privilege, and the bridge to a new America. Brazos Press.