Sunday, November 4, 2007

All good things come to an end.


After about a month of blogging about global warming awareness and its effectiveness, I have learned SO much about the issues and the things we can do to reduce its effects. In the beginning of this project, I was so naïve and had no idea what I was getting myself into. The only thing that I knew was that I wanted to have a blog that was interesting, accurate and informative while being entertaining at the same time. And of course, I wanted to tie in my love for fashion and clothes with my desire to learn more about global warming. But now, about one month later, I realize that I have done more than just create a successful blog about global warming awareness, I have become a better writer, as well.
Throughout this process, I have challenged myself to think differently and write in a way that was humorous like my personality yet factual and informative because this blog was also for a grade. And through this process, I have seen my writing progress with each post and argument that I presented. In the beginning, my first few posts were very conversational and probably not as informative as my fellow classmates' first blogs but it was me and my style of writing. But as you look at the rest of my posts, I realized I was able to maintain that lighthearted, humorous tone while becoming more informative with each post. But when talking to others about my blog, many said that was one of the things they liked about my blog. They enjoyed reading a blog that would have factual information but still be humorous at the same time. In my opinion, I believe that was one of my ultimate goals for this blog: taking a somewhat boring subject to college students and presenting it in a humorous and interesting way!
On a different note, when I look at my blog and this process I think about how my thoughts about internet research and new ideas have changed. At the start of this process, I wasn’t exactly sure how to use all the research that I found about my topic. But as the blogging continued, I quickly learned how to use the internet to my advantage. One of the cool aspects about this project was that ability to use research in a whole new way. In research papers and essays you can only use certain types of research to prove or exemplify your point. But with an online blog, I was able to post videos, online blogs and pictures that were the epitome of my subject. I believe that it was this new feature of internet research that made my fellow classmates and me enjoy looking and finding new information about our topics.
Another major impact this project had on me as a writer was the effect it had on my thought process and my understanding about my topic. As I mentioned earlier, my main goal in the beginning was honestly to write about the awareness of global warming with a fashion twist. But as this month went on, I learned more than just how fashion can promote awareness about this serious issue and how my opinion about my topic changed as well. Originally I would have not considered myself a true tree hugger because I knew a few things about global warming and I recycled too but that was about it. I also believed that global warming was a problem but NOT that bad of a problem. After researching this topic and learning more than I ever thought about the effective ways to promote awareness, I have learned how to think green! Now when I see or hear anything about the environment, I stop and listen because I realize how much our impact on the environment can have an effect on our future lives, especially mine! My attitude about what I can do has also changed because now I see that I have to make difference. Global warming is not just a current problem but a problem that will affect my life and my children’s life.
Lastly, this blog unit has allowed me to grow as thinker by reading and commenting on my fellow classmates' blogs. Throughout the project, not only did I learn a lot about my topic but I learned so much about other pressing public issues that are affecting our generation. In fact, during this process I quickly learned that some of the other blogs from my class were related to mine in some way. For example, one of my classmates focused her blog on the aerial shooting of wolves and in one of her posts, she explained how global warming had been affecting the wolves’ population and habitat. After reading blogs like that and others, I realized that global warming affected more than just people but everything…animals included! Another thing that I liked about reading other students' blogs was getting the chance to see how other people felt about various issues. Each blog had its own individual voice that was portrayed through the way the posts were written, how the blog looked, and the information used within the entire blog.
In the end, I have actually enjoyed this project more than I thought I would because it allowed the students in my class to express themselves in THEIR own way. Even though this project was a bit odd in the beginning, I finally see why it was a great idea in the end. So as I conclude my last post for a while, I hope I have touched at least one person to think about his or her impact on global warming and how it can be fixed. But until next time: GO GREEN!

Friday, November 2, 2007

SO what can be done to save the world?

Throughout this entire process, I have learned so much about the various ways of promoting effective awareness about global warming. Whether it’s from TV commercials, Internet blogs or catchy t-shirts, awareness about the serious issue of global warming has increased significantly and its effectiveness has influenced many.
However, there is no single way to stop global warming; all we can do is help reduce the effects global warming will have on our planet and on us. But we can do this by changing how we live our everyday lives and the impact we have on the Earth. The best way to possibly reduce global warming is by change…by you!
As citizens of Earth, if we learn how to use the energy sources that we have effectively while becoming involved with other environmentally friendly activities,we can make a major impact on global warming. One of best ways to reduce our effects on global warming is to cut back on the unnecessary energy we use. For example, when you are not in a room in your house or dorm, remember to turn the light(s) off. Leaving the lights on in a room when no one is present is a use of unnecessary energy. Another simple way to help save the environment is by remembering the three R’s or Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Many people forget that by simply reducing how much we use, reusing the things we use and then recycling the things we use, we can make a positive impact on our globle.
However, if you feel like you can do more than just recycle and save energy, you can team up with environmental organizations to take action! Getting involved with your local community or even with a nationwide event can be a huge impact to the reduction of global warming. But if you don’t have time to volunteer or get involved, you can always make a donation to major environmental organizations. And if you want to be like me and make a fashion statement while promoting awareness, you can buy t-shirts and clothing that not only support the fight against global warming but make you look stylish too!
All these ways will help reduce the effects of global warming and will help spread awareness about our environmental crisis. But remember the only way we can effectively reduce the effects of global warming is by making a difference and making the CHANGE!