Utah Air Pollution PowerPoint
Service Hours
Burrito Project SLC
The first organization that I volunteered for was the Burrito Project SLC. It is located in Downtown, Salt Lake. Burrito Project SLC is one of thirty Burrito Projects in North America. The man who started the projects name is Jorge Fierro who was homeless in Mexico. He moved to the Utah, knowing very little English. The thing that Jorge noticed was that the people here were always friendly and would provide him with a meal. He opened a restaurant in downtown called Frida Bistro. The bistro became successful and Jorge wanted to “pay it forward” so in 2012 he opened a non-profit charity, The Burrito Project SLC.
On Tuesday, April 18 at 5 P.M. I went to Frida Bistro where I would be making burrito’s. Instead of buying completely new food, Frida Bistro uses the left-over beans, rice, and tortillas to make burritos to hand out to the homeless scattered throughout Downtown, SLC. I liked how they did this, instead of allowing the restaurants food to be wasted instead they use their leftovers to be used for good instead of being wasted. One of the things that we learned during Environmental Science was that a lot of food in the United States goes to waste. This wasted food not only impacts our atmosphere, but it could also be used to help the hungry.
So, for the first hour I learned to correctly make burritos and started to make them. We packed at least five to ten thermal containers filled with around 20 burritos per bag. For the next two hours, I actually went out to give out burritos to the homeless, instead of them coming to me. We separated into groups of around 3 to 4 per group, and were told to go to certain areas that the homeless like to hang around. I was sent to the area around the Salt Lake Library. We were given three bags to give the burritos to the homeless. Before we went out to serve the homeless, the man in charge told us “These people may be homeless, but that doesn’t define them. They are people just like you and I. They are down on their feet, but we can help them. Be friendly and try to brighten their day.”
At first I was very excited to be able to give to the less fortunate. I thought that I could brighten some people’s days, but that wasn’t really what took place. Most of the homeless didn’t thank me, some were out of their minds, and we were hardly thanked. At times, I was hesitant to finish handing out the food because I was apprehensive. I don’t want to sound rude but a lot of the homeless people I encountered were very scary people. However, I did run into a few who were very thankful. One person told me that we need to look out for each other because the government doesn’t really care. He thanked us for trying to help out and said that what we were doing really helped him. He told us that these meals really are what keeps him going. It made me happy, it might have been a hard thing to do, but I do not have it nearly as hard as the people out there. It made me count my blessings, we all have times where we complain about our lives, but at that moment I was really humbled.
While I highly doubt that learning to wrap, a burrito would look good on a resume as a learned skill, I was able to learn something much more valuable. To be more compassionate and help those in need. I have always liked to help out others, but I never was really deeply humbled before. I just helped to help, there was really no deep passion or fire. I didn’t put much effort, I just simply liked to help. Maybe I did this so that I could feel good about myself, but now I like to help because I now realize that while I have difficulties mine are much easier to solve than those on the streets. I now want to help to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. I believe that it is the responsibility of those who are secure to help those who are not. We are so disconnected with one another, but we are all in this journey together. We are all humans, and we are all so similar to one another. It is our job to help those in need.
Because of my service-learning, I am not only humbled, but I also feel like I was able to make a little bit of a difference. I know the situation in Utah is difficult with the number of pan-handlers out there, but there are truly those in need out there. I really enjoyed this service, because I truly saw the impact of my service. I saw the faces of those in need instead of just talking about them. I will defiantly be volunteering more often with the Burrito Project SLC.
While I didn’t necessarily give my time to a certain organization I did try to help out nature just a little bit. For my last hour I decided to help clean up an area that is near and dear to my heart, the Causey Reservoir. You see my family around thirty years ago bought property in that area, and from scratch built a cabin up there. All of my summers growing up we would always go up there to help maintain, and build on to the cabin, as well as play and relax. About fifteen years ago a fire threatened my families cabin as well as a few other cabins. My grandparents rushed up there to help put out the fire, and luckily our cabin came out of the fire unscathed. Unfortunately the land was damaged pretty badly. There was a giant patch of trees that were all destroyed, as well as a bunch of flowers, and shrubs. The area was more desert than forest and people are unsure if it was naturally caused or if it was a man-made fire, but the beautiful landscape was damaged. My grandfather took great pride not only in the cabin but the area as well. He spent a lot of his free time there making the place look beautiful. Unfortunately he passed away last year. The past couple times i visited my cabin I noticed that more and more trash was being left around the Causey Reservoir. Causey Reservoir is a very popular fishing area in Northern Utah, and a lot of fisherman leave behind a lot of trash there.
In the past my family has gone to the Utah State Prison to purchase tree seedlings to plant and regrow the trees that died in the area. And that was what I was planning on doing, but unfortunately the prison was forced to close the nursery because of budget cuts. So I decided to support a local and family owned nursery right next to the prison called Arbor Day Nursery. I might as well support a local business, and they are doing good by selling trees, flowers, etc. The next step was to find trees that would survive the area and were native to the land. I went online to research and find which trees would be suitable. The trees I decided to go with we're Box Elders, and Aspens because they are favorable in places that are cool and moist, and they can thrive in soil poor to good. They are hardy, sturdy, and adaptable to the environment and don’t require a lot of water.
I then went up to my cabin to plant the trees. It took a little bit of time, but luckily I have done this before as well my cabin just barely got new tools. It was tough work, but it felt good to put those trees up. The world needs more trees, and trees give many benefits. It helps the immediate environment by allowing shelter and a habit to animals, it helps the soil, it also helps to retain water in the area. It also helps the environment in general by helping get rid of the carbon dioxide in the air and give us oxygen back. Deforestation is a real concern in our day and age, and while the amount of trees I planted may have been small it still helps. I plan to make this an annual thing, my goal is for one day to be able to replant all the trees that were burnt down. It would make the area immaculate as well as help our planet.
Even though it took around an hour to get the trees planted and situated properly I felt like I should do more to help out the actual reservoir there as well. So what I did was I went to the area that fishers are known to be found and I went around with a plastic bag to pick up all the trash in the area. It was surprising to me and made me angry to see the amount of trash left behind. It is not hard to pick up after yourself. Plastic does not belong in nature, and it can have a very negative impact on the ecosystem in the area. It can kill the fish, it can harm the plants, and in general makes nature look bad. I am not sure how much trash I picked up, but it was a fair amount.
Because of my service-learning, I am more aware of our environment. I want to make a more positive impact and take care of the Causey Reservoir. It is near and dear to my family and I. I want to be able for future generations to be able to see and appreciate the beauty of nature. I want to be able to devote more of my time to clean up and regrow that area. I want to leave a lasting impact.
.
The first organization that I volunteered for was the Burrito Project SLC. It is located in Downtown, Salt Lake. Burrito Project SLC is one of thirty Burrito Projects in North America. The man who started the projects name is Jorge Fierro who was homeless in Mexico. He moved to the Utah, knowing very little English. The thing that Jorge noticed was that the people here were always friendly and would provide him with a meal. He opened a restaurant in downtown called Frida Bistro. The bistro became successful and Jorge wanted to “pay it forward” so in 2012 he opened a non-profit charity, The Burrito Project SLC.
On Tuesday, April 18 at 5 P.M. I went to Frida Bistro where I would be making burrito’s. Instead of buying completely new food, Frida Bistro uses the left-over beans, rice, and tortillas to make burritos to hand out to the homeless scattered throughout Downtown, SLC. I liked how they did this, instead of allowing the restaurants food to be wasted instead they use their leftovers to be used for good instead of being wasted. One of the things that we learned during Environmental Science was that a lot of food in the United States goes to waste. This wasted food not only impacts our atmosphere, but it could also be used to help the hungry.
So, for the first hour I learned to correctly make burritos and started to make them. We packed at least five to ten thermal containers filled with around 20 burritos per bag. For the next two hours, I actually went out to give out burritos to the homeless, instead of them coming to me. We separated into groups of around 3 to 4 per group, and were told to go to certain areas that the homeless like to hang around. I was sent to the area around the Salt Lake Library. We were given three bags to give the burritos to the homeless. Before we went out to serve the homeless, the man in charge told us “These people may be homeless, but that doesn’t define them. They are people just like you and I. They are down on their feet, but we can help them. Be friendly and try to brighten their day.”
At first I was very excited to be able to give to the less fortunate. I thought that I could brighten some people’s days, but that wasn’t really what took place. Most of the homeless didn’t thank me, some were out of their minds, and we were hardly thanked. At times, I was hesitant to finish handing out the food because I was apprehensive. I don’t want to sound rude but a lot of the homeless people I encountered were very scary people. However, I did run into a few who were very thankful. One person told me that we need to look out for each other because the government doesn’t really care. He thanked us for trying to help out and said that what we were doing really helped him. He told us that these meals really are what keeps him going. It made me happy, it might have been a hard thing to do, but I do not have it nearly as hard as the people out there. It made me count my blessings, we all have times where we complain about our lives, but at that moment I was really humbled.
While I highly doubt that learning to wrap, a burrito would look good on a resume as a learned skill, I was able to learn something much more valuable. To be more compassionate and help those in need. I have always liked to help out others, but I never was really deeply humbled before. I just helped to help, there was really no deep passion or fire. I didn’t put much effort, I just simply liked to help. Maybe I did this so that I could feel good about myself, but now I like to help because I now realize that while I have difficulties mine are much easier to solve than those on the streets. I now want to help to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. I believe that it is the responsibility of those who are secure to help those who are not. We are so disconnected with one another, but we are all in this journey together. We are all humans, and we are all so similar to one another. It is our job to help those in need.
Because of my service-learning, I am not only humbled, but I also feel like I was able to make a little bit of a difference. I know the situation in Utah is difficult with the number of pan-handlers out there, but there are truly those in need out there. I really enjoyed this service, because I truly saw the impact of my service. I saw the faces of those in need instead of just talking about them. I will defiantly be volunteering more often with the Burrito Project SLC.
While I didn’t necessarily give my time to a certain organization I did try to help out nature just a little bit. For my last hour I decided to help clean up an area that is near and dear to my heart, the Causey Reservoir. You see my family around thirty years ago bought property in that area, and from scratch built a cabin up there. All of my summers growing up we would always go up there to help maintain, and build on to the cabin, as well as play and relax. About fifteen years ago a fire threatened my families cabin as well as a few other cabins. My grandparents rushed up there to help put out the fire, and luckily our cabin came out of the fire unscathed. Unfortunately the land was damaged pretty badly. There was a giant patch of trees that were all destroyed, as well as a bunch of flowers, and shrubs. The area was more desert than forest and people are unsure if it was naturally caused or if it was a man-made fire, but the beautiful landscape was damaged. My grandfather took great pride not only in the cabin but the area as well. He spent a lot of his free time there making the place look beautiful. Unfortunately he passed away last year. The past couple times i visited my cabin I noticed that more and more trash was being left around the Causey Reservoir. Causey Reservoir is a very popular fishing area in Northern Utah, and a lot of fisherman leave behind a lot of trash there.
In the past my family has gone to the Utah State Prison to purchase tree seedlings to plant and regrow the trees that died in the area. And that was what I was planning on doing, but unfortunately the prison was forced to close the nursery because of budget cuts. So I decided to support a local and family owned nursery right next to the prison called Arbor Day Nursery. I might as well support a local business, and they are doing good by selling trees, flowers, etc. The next step was to find trees that would survive the area and were native to the land. I went online to research and find which trees would be suitable. The trees I decided to go with we're Box Elders, and Aspens because they are favorable in places that are cool and moist, and they can thrive in soil poor to good. They are hardy, sturdy, and adaptable to the environment and don’t require a lot of water.
I then went up to my cabin to plant the trees. It took a little bit of time, but luckily I have done this before as well my cabin just barely got new tools. It was tough work, but it felt good to put those trees up. The world needs more trees, and trees give many benefits. It helps the immediate environment by allowing shelter and a habit to animals, it helps the soil, it also helps to retain water in the area. It also helps the environment in general by helping get rid of the carbon dioxide in the air and give us oxygen back. Deforestation is a real concern in our day and age, and while the amount of trees I planted may have been small it still helps. I plan to make this an annual thing, my goal is for one day to be able to replant all the trees that were burnt down. It would make the area immaculate as well as help our planet.
Even though it took around an hour to get the trees planted and situated properly I felt like I should do more to help out the actual reservoir there as well. So what I did was I went to the area that fishers are known to be found and I went around with a plastic bag to pick up all the trash in the area. It was surprising to me and made me angry to see the amount of trash left behind. It is not hard to pick up after yourself. Plastic does not belong in nature, and it can have a very negative impact on the ecosystem in the area. It can kill the fish, it can harm the plants, and in general makes nature look bad. I am not sure how much trash I picked up, but it was a fair amount.
Because of my service-learning, I am more aware of our environment. I want to make a more positive impact and take care of the Causey Reservoir. It is near and dear to my family and I. I want to be able for future generations to be able to see and appreciate the beauty of nature. I want to be able to devote more of my time to clean up and regrow that area. I want to leave a lasting impact.
.
Connection Reflection
Process Reflection
I decided to choose Utah’s air pollution because every year it effects not only me, but my friends and family as well. I love being outdoors and especially during the winter, but due to air quality being very poor because of the pollution I am unable to go out. Whenever I do go out however I am met with a metallic taste in my mouth and feel so gross and unable to breath. The feeling is horrible. No one gave me information growing up about our pollution and it wasn’t until a couple years back when I found out that pollution was causing the air quality. I have always been curious as to what has caused our air to be as polluted as it is, I also have wanted to find potential solutions. I hate the current state of our air, and I am sure that almost everyone else in the valley does as well. Through my research I wanted to find out the causes to the air and try to find solutions as well.
Through my research I found that there are two main causes for our air pollution. The first is stationary points, these are places the emit pollution that stay in place. This is typically fossil fuel plants that burn fossil fuels such as coal to generate electricity. Stationary plants can also be homes that use the electricity. However, through my research it was a huge surprise to find out that the main cause of our being so polluted is from mobile sources. Mobile sources are anything that can move by itself. Mainly it is in the form of motor vehicles, to find that vehicles contribute over 50% of all pollution in Utah was insane to me. Before my research I always assumed that the main contributor would be those plants burning all the fuel. I never expected that vehicles gave off so much pollution, it also was an eye opener. It showed that it is easy to blame other but not look at yourself. To know that I am a contributor to our air quality is disappointing. Also, my research allowed me to understand that one of the main concerns with our air pollution is not from the gaseous pollutants (which are still bad), but rather the particulate matter that causes so many health problems for Utahn’s. Thankfully addressing the problem will also help us solve it. Investing into newer cars or even electric cars can help reduce our pollution significantly. Carpooling and taking public transit help as well. If you do want to go our wearing air pollution masks can help you minimize your risk for health complications. We first need to look at our own habits if we wish to change our air, we aren’t the only cause of it being so bad. However, if we start than our air will slowly get better. We also need to look at cleaner alternatives for heating and electricity such as nuclear, geothermal, and solar.
While none of the service we did in the class related to my issue. I was able to plant trees by Causey Reservoir. Trees can help take pollutants such as carbon dioxide out of the air. Tree deforestation is a serious problem that could seriously affect the amount of pollution around the Earth. IF we are able to plant more trees some pollutants would be decreased. Also our section on air pollution was able to help me get a solid base understanding for the issue.
Through my research I found that there are two main causes for our air pollution. The first is stationary points, these are places the emit pollution that stay in place. This is typically fossil fuel plants that burn fossil fuels such as coal to generate electricity. Stationary plants can also be homes that use the electricity. However, through my research it was a huge surprise to find out that the main cause of our being so polluted is from mobile sources. Mobile sources are anything that can move by itself. Mainly it is in the form of motor vehicles, to find that vehicles contribute over 50% of all pollution in Utah was insane to me. Before my research I always assumed that the main contributor would be those plants burning all the fuel. I never expected that vehicles gave off so much pollution, it also was an eye opener. It showed that it is easy to blame other but not look at yourself. To know that I am a contributor to our air quality is disappointing. Also, my research allowed me to understand that one of the main concerns with our air pollution is not from the gaseous pollutants (which are still bad), but rather the particulate matter that causes so many health problems for Utahn’s. Thankfully addressing the problem will also help us solve it. Investing into newer cars or even electric cars can help reduce our pollution significantly. Carpooling and taking public transit help as well. If you do want to go our wearing air pollution masks can help you minimize your risk for health complications. We first need to look at our own habits if we wish to change our air, we aren’t the only cause of it being so bad. However, if we start than our air will slowly get better. We also need to look at cleaner alternatives for heating and electricity such as nuclear, geothermal, and solar.
While none of the service we did in the class related to my issue. I was able to plant trees by Causey Reservoir. Trees can help take pollutants such as carbon dioxide out of the air. Tree deforestation is a serious problem that could seriously affect the amount of pollution around the Earth. IF we are able to plant more trees some pollutants would be decreased. Also our section on air pollution was able to help me get a solid base understanding for the issue.
Scientific Reflection
Observation: Throughout my life I noticed that during the winter months my breathing was impaired. I was unable to breathe as deeply, and it felt gross to breathe outdoors. My eyes would itch and I would feel sick. This would only happen in the winter months, never in the summer. I always would observe the sky being gray and would be hazy. Later in life I came to find out that this was due to pollution in our air.
Question: What is causing our air to be so polluted?
Hypothesis: Electricity plants are the main cause of our pollution
Analyze the Data and Draw a Conclusion.
The scientific method allowed me to whip my slate clean of any bias, and any preconceived ideas to our pollution. It was a blank piece of paper that I started out with wondering why our air is so bad. That led me to find out that it was due to pollution that gets stuck in our air during the winter months. Once I found that out it made me want to know what types of pollutants are in our air and the effects that they cause, not only on humans but our environment as well. This led me to finding credible, non-biased data on the internet. The main reason for our air being so bad in the winter is that our mountains are shaped liked a bowl. This bowl is cool which makes warm air rise and form a lid on the valley. Cold air is trapped under the lid along with all the pollution that builds up because it is trapped. I found out that vehicles are the main source of our pollution. Particulate matter is the worst for humans because it is very tiny and gets down deep into our lungs which can cause lung and heart disease. Gaseous pollutants also affect not only us but the environment as well. It can create things such as acidic rain that can damage soil, plants, and create toxic algae that can kill of water life. My questions also led me to find solutions. I could find short term solutions such as air pollution masks that filter out the particulate matter. I also found long term solutions such as switching over to renewable clean energy, and swapping our cars out for ones that cause less pollution or none. While we are not solely responsible for our pollution we are a big contributor and we can curb down on the amount we each produce.
Question: What is causing our air to be so polluted?
Hypothesis: Electricity plants are the main cause of our pollution
Analyze the Data and Draw a Conclusion.
The scientific method allowed me to whip my slate clean of any bias, and any preconceived ideas to our pollution. It was a blank piece of paper that I started out with wondering why our air is so bad. That led me to find out that it was due to pollution that gets stuck in our air during the winter months. Once I found that out it made me want to know what types of pollutants are in our air and the effects that they cause, not only on humans but our environment as well. This led me to finding credible, non-biased data on the internet. The main reason for our air being so bad in the winter is that our mountains are shaped liked a bowl. This bowl is cool which makes warm air rise and form a lid on the valley. Cold air is trapped under the lid along with all the pollution that builds up because it is trapped. I found out that vehicles are the main source of our pollution. Particulate matter is the worst for humans because it is very tiny and gets down deep into our lungs which can cause lung and heart disease. Gaseous pollutants also affect not only us but the environment as well. It can create things such as acidic rain that can damage soil, plants, and create toxic algae that can kill of water life. My questions also led me to find solutions. I could find short term solutions such as air pollution masks that filter out the particulate matter. I also found long term solutions such as switching over to renewable clean energy, and swapping our cars out for ones that cause less pollution or none. While we are not solely responsible for our pollution we are a big contributor and we can curb down on the amount we each produce.
Outcome Reflection
- Students think critically and creatively.
- Students develop the knowledge and skills to work with others in a professional and constructive manner.
- Students develop the knowledge and skills to community engaged learners and scholars.
The great part about this class is how not only did we learn about problems and solutions we could experience them first hand. For example, we learned about world hunger, then we would go to places such as the food bank and help sort and package left over food to send to those in need. I wish more classes had service, it helps retain the information better along with being able to make a difference instead of learning about it, and potentially not doing anything. This class made me more aware of problems that we face not only in the world but also in the state of Utah. It helped me learn how to give back, and provided me with the skills that would help me do so.
Integration Reflection
What this class provided me with is a better understanding of the problem, and allowed me to make a difference. All the issues that we talked about in class I have had a brief understanding of, but this expanded my knowledge greatly. Every class we would have a connection reflection where we would make charts and see how each issue related to one another in regards to sustainable food systems. These helped us address the problems and see how they stand in the way of sustainable food systems. It provided the whole picture instead of only giving us a tiny fraction of it. Trying to connect things in a certain issue was like trying to solve a puzzle. At first you weren’t sure how they fit together, if at all. But after turning it a couple of times you could finally see how they fit together. It was nice to understand a certain topic but also understand how certain things are connected without it being explicitly told to you. When we talked about solutions for each issue we actually went out and made an impact. Whether that be pulling weeds or sorting food we would do some sort of service that was related to the issue of that week. It was refreshing to see our actual knowledge being put to use instead of learning about a certain thing for a test, then dumping our brains of that knowledge right after a test. Doing service not only showed be certain skills, and places where I can make a continuous contribution to our society, but it also helped to imprint the things that we learned about in class into my mind. It made me happy learning out in the field. The class ultimately will help me volunteer more because of the skills, knowledge, and outlets that need help. Overall I am very happy I took this class, and I do very well believe that this knowledge will benefit me throughout my life.