Systems Thinking Research Post

In 1950 ,the Dayak people of Borneo an island in Southeast Asia were suffering from an outbreak of malaria. So they asked for WHO or World Health Organization for help .WHO's solution is to spray copious amount of DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) around the island .The result is that the mosquitoes were killed so did the malaria.

But the side-effect is that DDT also killed some kind of wasps that control the population of thatch-eating insect ,and the roofs of Dayak's people homes got eaten by these thatch-eater. The DDT alloyed in many insects on the island including gecko which is the food of cats ,cause the cats who dine on gecko to die and population of rats came up alot. The rats caused even more problems to Dayak people by eating their grains and spread the plaques. The Dayak people asked for WHO for help again and now the solution is to send cats parachute into Borneo and finally now the cats stabilize the situation.

 System Thinking means to think of a whole ,look at the picture from many views or looking at whole. In my opinion system thinking is important because humans we're social animals that rely on each other  and to decide or do something  we have to think as a whole .Doing business needs system thinking as a main construction to make a decision .To play stock market you need to look at many different things and make sure that you're investing on the right side and will get profit back. 

Plastics Creative Component

Research Question Confirmation

How does non plastic bottle and plastic bottle affect affect people height?

I'll ask the participants which can be both genders men and women. For example 1:What kind of bottle do you use at school ,plastic or something else? 

2:How long have you been using it?

3:How tall are you ?

RN: Energy Resources

Range of Energy resources 

Both Renewable and Non-renewable resources can generate energy. But we can clearly see that renewable resources are more sustainable because there's no depletion of natural capital such as solar power hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass and tidal schemes. Which is opposite for non-renewable resources that cannot be replenish such as fossil fuels . 

  But according to worldwide energy consumption chart in 2004 we can see that most of the people use non-renewable resources much more than renewable resources because it's cheaper and doesn't require much process .

Advantages and disadvantages of energy sources

Fossil Fuels are the energy resources that is formed when dead animals or plants decompose ,the process takes more than thousand years.

• Gas and oil are made from oceanic organisms . 
• Coal is from land plants (mainly from trees growing during the Carboniferous Period).
• Fossil are made from the dead preserved dead organisms

These energy sources contain alot of carbon from under the water which when the energy are used up it will release quite amount of carbon.

Fossil Fuels

• Cheap and plentiful but it contribute climate change and unsustainable.
• There are technologies controlling pollution from the fuels but it's getting more difficult to extract the fuels 
• Oil can be delivered over long distant by pipeline but oil spilling is very dangerous for nature ecosystem and living organisms

Nuclear Power

• Nuclear power plant produces radioactive waste that can last for thousands of years but does not produce carbon dioxide or the cause of climate change  
•  A large amount of energy can be generated in a single power plant but it is extremely dangerous if something unexpected happens to the power plant such as terrorist attack .

Advantages and disadvantages of renewables

• Fossil fuels are cheaper 
• The locations of renewable resources are limited 
• Cannot run out because the resources are renewable 
• Produce fewer emissions 

Hydroelectric power

The turbines can be switched on whenever it’s needed — it’s reliable.

The disadvantages of HEP is that many areas may be flooded (habitats, farmland and displacement of people).

Tidal power

It produces energy by using the ebbing or flooding tide to turn turbines.

Disadvantages of tidal power

It required to generate sufficient energy and the right shape of coastline to channel water through the turbines.

Solar energy

It’s very expensive to turn into high quality energy for manufacturing (compared to using fossil fuels).

Passive solar energy (combine with insulation) is cheaper for heating homes than fossil fuels.

The disadvantage is that it’s limited in northern countries during winter months.

Wind power

Produced by wind turbines.

The disadvantage is that if there’s no wind, no energy is generated.

The location of the turbines is hard, it need to be in areas of consistent high wind.

Biofuel 

Biofuel energy is produced by burning plant material to produce heat.

Disadvantages of biofuel is that it produces emissions and require large amounts of land to grow the biofuel crop.

Wastes

It can be burned to generate energy.

Advantages of wastes

It’s available at all times and it does not deplete natural capital.

Disadvantages of wastes

The burning adds to global warming gases.

Geothermal energy

Can be obtained from heat in the ground.

It does not release any form of pollution.

10 days Single Use plastics logging

Research Project Ideas

1:Our first idea is Kayak from plastic bottles which around 2 average people can sit on

2:The next idea is a lamp made out of recycled plastic bottles

3:And a chair made out of plastic bottles which is easy to make but useful

Nepal Earthquake

What is the causation of this incident?

Earthquake is movements within the Earth’s crust cause stress to build up at points of weakness, and rocks to deform. The reason of this devastating event is the regular movement of the fault line that runs along Nepal’s southern border, where the Indian subcontinent collided with the Eurasia plate 40 million to 50 million years ago.

When did it happen?

An earthquake with magnitude 6.7 occurred near KATHMANDU, Nepal at 07:09:08.90 UTC on Apr 26, 2015.

Lost

Estimated around 3218 people who have confirmed lost their lives by morning Monday April 27 2015 (the number has risen up to around 3800) and more than 6000 injured  ,most the building, temples and landmarks are destroyed  

Effects

The US is sending a disaster response team and $1m also are India China Japan UK Pakistan UNICEF and many other countries including Thailand are sending help aids medical teams to Nepal .

Idea

We can help donating the money to the people who contact to Nepal organization ,helping them out though its not that much.

Citation

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/27/world/asia/nepal-earthquake-international-aid-agencies.html

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/25/nepal-earthquake-us-disaster-response-aid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Nepal_earthquake

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/earthquake-spells-destruction-in-india-20-feared-dead-houses-damaged/article1-1340918.aspx

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nations-rushing-rescue-aid-to-nepal-earthquake-survivors/

The Tragedy of the commons

The tragedy of the common .Harbin explained that if there is a ground that is for everyone in the village and people want to start  grazing the animals on that commons as much as possible hoping to get more products while the grass ,land of the commons are getting worse and worse in another way if we put fences on the common and limit them we have less cow but can produce more in the future because animals have more foods to eat.

Earth Day Pledge Table

Earth Week Apr 20-26	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Pledge	Take shower less than 10 minutes	Turn on Air Con 25 degree while sleeping	No Single Plastics	Don't use laptop	Not watching TV	Turn off all the switches after leave the house	Shutdown computer after finish using
Actual	I took shower 30 minutes ,cannot.	Yes ,I did	I used one plastic bottle on the day	I had to work on the internet	Yes ,I did	I forgot to turn off Wifi	I did

Earth Day 2015

What is it?

Earth Day is the day designated for fostering appreciation of the earth's environment and awareness of the issues that threaten it.

When is it?

United Nation Environment Program, or UNEP has designated every year on 22 April as Earth Day 

Purpose?

1. To reduce the rate of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is very dense.

2. To eliminate chloro fluorocarbon. Which destroy ozone and cause the heat of the atmosphere.

3. In order to conserve the remaining forest. And a campaign to plant a forest

4. To not buy - sell living organism that have the risk of extinction.

5. To establish the authority to organizations. Around the world to join together to protect the atmosphere water and the others out of the wrongful acts of man.

6. To create a consciousness of the world as well as individuals, communities and nations.

Single-use plastics

Compass 

Well-being 

• Plastics are actually not good for us, it contains alot of dangerous chemical that can harm our body .There are different types of ways that plastic is dangerous for humans. Direct toxicity from plastics comes from lead, cadmium, and mercury. 
• Diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) contained in some plastics, is a toxic carcinogen. Other toxins in plastics are directly linked to cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and childhood developmental issues.
• Other types of toxic plastics are BPA or health-bisphenol-A, along with phthalates (mentioned above). Both of these are of great concern to human health. 
• BPA is used in many things including plastic bottles and food packaging materials. But also there's a positive side of plastic that save humans and make our lives better .
• So many items or things we're using now adays are made of plastics such as plastic bottles ,plastic bags that make our lives more convenient and it gives us happiness and harm our bodies at the same time. But as long as we cannot find the replaceable resources for plastic ,plastic is convenient for us.

Nature 

• A lot of animals mistake plastics for foods and eat them and it cannot be digested and also affected their habitats.
• Plastics are made out of fossil fuels which is non-renewable resources 
• It takes 100 years up to thousand years or longer to decompose plastic which is not good for environments and it also release toxic when decomposing.
• No, basically plastic has no goods to the environments at all only destroying .

Economic 

• Yes, "A Lot" of things humans are using now adays are made out of plastics which benefits to many organization related.
• Plastic are Cheap and more affordable , each year more than 600 million plastic bags are used worldwide .
• Single-use plastic producer gain huge amount of profits where they would earn orders from many convenient stores and shopping malls (such as bottles beverages or  plastic bags)  

Society 

• No, the more we use single-use plastic the more trashes will pile up in the world because its non-renewable.
• It will disturb not only humans society but also other animals if plastic bags are still floating around in the air or on the street. 

Are you going to continue using single-used plastics? Why or why not?

I'm going to have to keep using single-used plastics but will try to use it less. Because I find it very hard to just stop using it because if I'm going to 7Eleven and bought alot of foods and milk but but I cannot use plastic bags but have to carry them all would be a really bad idea and take alot of times and for paper bag is not as strong as plastic so it cannot be a solution of plastic bags. 

Mind Factory Farming

Factory farming

up to 20000 chicken warehouse

Normal duck live up to 10 years
But in farm factory duck live up until the farmer sees that it is big enough to be slaughter

Pigs

Impregnated at the age of 7 and go to slaughter house or send to another place if they are males

Cow

Males cow will be sold for meats

564 kilos in 6 months to reach the market weight

In Vitro-meat Pleng Current Event

In Vitro-meat
also known as cultured meat, lab grown meat or test-tube meat

Fetal bovine serum
-The blood fraction remaining after the natural coagulation of blood and later remove any remaining blood cells

First In-Vitro Beef burger
-On August 5, 2013
-The world's first lab grown burger was cooked and eaten at a news conference London
-Took stem cells from cow and grew them

There is no fat in this meat but there is some intense taste that is similar to the real meat

Is this In-Vitro meant answer to sustainable meeting global food demand ?

-Compared to farm beef ,lab beef require alot less in anything

Pros
-Cleaner
-Require less food input ,water and waste
-Healthier
-More ethical in terms of animal welfare
Cons
-Unnatural require enormous capital investment for research and Development

Is it good for us?
-It does not includes saturated fat, no heme iron, no growth hormone, it seems cultured meat have many potential benefits

Review sheet

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14oRTFhXJR2kWCVVNy0D7C4b3humcK9UWkRbt-tv7LrI/pub

RN: Resources - Natural Capital Continues

Intrinsic Value of the environment 

Economic Value - determined from the market price of the goods and services

a resource produces.

Ecological Value - no formal market price. (soil erosion control, nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis)

Aesthetic Value – no market price. (appreciation of a landscape for its visual attraction)

Intrinsic Value – value in their own right, not economic value.

Economic uses

Direct use - values of ecosystems good and service that directly used by humans. 

• Consumptive use - such as harvesting food ,fuel ,hunting animal for foods or cloths.
• Non-Consumptive use - some cultural activities that does not require harvesting .

Indirect use - values are derived from ecosystem services that provide benefits outside the ecosystem itself . 

• Optional values - use of ecosystem goods and services not currently used – either by yourself or future offspring 
• Non-use values include aesthetic and intrinsic values

Recreational value – For natural resources to attract the tourist that can provide an alternative income that is sustainable and does not deplete the source of natural capital.

Sustainability 

Sustainability means using world's resources at a rate that will allows nature to restore itself and 

cause less damage to the environment.

Sustainability applies to harvesting natural capital, to the generation of energy to process the product, and to how the product is packaged and marketed.

Humans will reach the sustainability limit by 

• Over population (more people more resources needed)
• Financial motives (when money is more precious than what it's made of)
• Ignorance (doesn't care about the nature and balance)

Global or Local

Global perspective for managing resources sustainably is desirable because many problems have worldwide impact.

Global perspective also helps us to understand that our actions have an impact on others.

Local perspective, human actions are often culturally specific (traditional farming methods).

It is also the case that individual and small community action can be effective for managing resources sustainable. (recycling schemes)

Pre-Movie Background Research

Movie Title/ Year : Bag it /Initial released September 1, 2011

Producer : Michelle Hill and Suzan Beraza 

Genre : Documentary Film ,Comedy and Drama 

Summary of documentary film :
An average guy makes a resolution to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store. Little does he know that this simple decision will change his life completely. He comes to the conclusion that our consumptive use of plastic has finally caught up to us, and looks at what we can do about it. Today. Right now.

Intended message to be delivered : 

Persuade people to stop using plastic bags 

Any actions/ movements after the film? :

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's oceans, waves and beaches.

Eco-cycle in Boulder advocates a zero-waste system, which addresses our resource use from product design to disposal.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere.

The Algalita Marine Research Foundation is dedicated to the protection of the marine environment and its watersheds through research, education and restoration.

Oceana is the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation.

TEDX is a nonprofit organization dedicated to compiling and disseminating scientific evidence on the health and environmental problems caused by low-dose exposure to chemicals that interfere with development and function.

Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawai'i (B.E.A.C.H.) is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization concerned with bringing awareness and solutions to the problem of marine debris on Hawai'i's beaches.

Plastic Bag Free is attempting to get rid of disposable bag use across the UK.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition effort launched in 2004 to protect the health of consumers and workers by securing the corporate, regulatory and legislative reforms necessary to eliminate dangerous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care products.

The Plastic Pollution Coalition aims to end the global dependence on disposable plastic, the primary source of plastic pollution and reduce the overall global plastic footprint for individuals, businesses and organizations.

 Successful stories? :

The film received the Best of Festival Award from the Blue Oceans Film Festival, an Audience Choice Award from the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival, the Best Documentary Audience Award from the Ashland Independent Film Festival, the Audience Choice Award from Mountainfilm in Telluride, and second place Audience Award at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival

MMR Vaccine (Jinny)

Vaccination
-Exposure of very small, safe amount of viruses or bacteria that have been weakened or killed
-Our immune system learns to regonize and fight the disease later in the future

4types of vaccine available today
-Live virus vaccines -use weakened from of viruses e.g. vaccine
-Killed (inactive) vaccines -made from protein or small pieces from bacteria
-Toxoid
-Biosynthetic

MMR Vaccines
-MMR stand s for Measles, Mumps, Rubella
-Measle is an

MMR Vaccines
-CDC (Centres for Disease Control and prevention) recommend that children receive 2 doses
- First at 12-15 months
-Second (4-6 years)
93%effective

Cases and Outbreaks
-Highest number of cases of measles in US was during 2014
-644 cases from 27 states reported to CDC's National Center for
-US is currently experiencing a large, multistate linked to an amusment park in California
-Three other outvreaks are occuring in Illionois, Nevada and Washington

Causes
-Majority of the people who got measles were unvaccined
-Travelers with measles contribute to the spread of the disease

Anti-vaccination movement
-There are organizations that do not support vaccinations
-SInce 1990s, they believe that vaccination can cause Autism due to mercury-based preservatives called Thimerosal in vaccines
-They threaten the effectiveness of public program

Truth
-There is a scientific consensus which states that vaccines are safe
-Only one out of third flu shot  contain thimerosal
-Research has shown that there is no link between autism and thimerosal
-Allergic reaction is very rare

Solution
-The government and other organiztions can actively spread awareness of the truth and importance of vaccination
-Health care should be provided so that vaccination becomes a necessity

Oil Spill is the release of a liquid called Petrolium Hydrocarbon (Jihyun Current Event)

Reasons for Oild Spill
- People making careless mistakes
-Equipment failure
-Natural disaster such as hurricane or tornado

Effect on marine animals
-Seabirds are strongly affected by oild spills
-They are covered in oil which leads to heavy oil weights down the bird feathers
-Oil is poisonous and can die

Killer Whales
-Strongly affected group of animal
-Oils spill led to endangering of killer whales
-Effects in two ways
-Plugs up the blowholes of killer whales
-The foods the whales such as fishes are covered with oil can affect the whales too

Effect on plants
-Oil forms a very thick layer on the surface of the water, which prevents light and gaseous exchange
-Plantts will not be able to do photosynthesis
-Marine animals will find that supply of oxygen will slowly dimish

How are oil spills cleaned?
-Use dispersants to break down the oil
-A liquid or gas used to disperse small particles in a medium
-Add biological agents to the spills
-Let the oil break down naturally

Rayong Oil Spill (2013)

-Occured in July 27th, 2013 in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Koh Samet and Map Ta Phut
-Pipeline owned by PTTGC plc , Thai state company oil busted

Effect
-Affected areas of tourism
-Rayong and nearby resort island of Koh Samet were impacted by the spillage
-Marine aniamls were harmed

RN: Resources - Natural Capital

The Earth contains many resources which support the natural systems.

Biosphere (living parts)

• Forest 
• Grassland 
• Desert 
• Tundra
• and other biomes
• Upper layer of the atmosphere 

Humans have an anthropocentric (human-centred) view toward these resources and uses.

If properly managed, renewable and replenishable resources are forms of wealth that can produce natural income

The income from natural capital may be in the form of goods or services Goods: Marketable commodities. Ecological services: Flood and erosion protection, climate stabilisation, maintenance of soil fertility.

Natural capital or resources are divided into 3 parts: renewable, non-renewable, and replenishable. 

• Renewable is living species and ecosystems which can be replaced by natural productivity. 
• Replenishable is non-living resources which are continuously restored by natural processes (e.g. rivers and streams, the ozone layer.
• Non-renewable – Natural resources which cannot be replenished within a timescale.(fossil fuel or coal)

Dynamic nature and concept of a resource

• The value of resources has been changed over time as long as human keep develop new technologies.
• Resources become more valuable as new technologies need them.

Recent trends & Overhunting/captivity

Elephants Hunting 

Elephant is the animal that once was on Thailand flag which means that it represents Thai people ,but its also one of the wild animal that has been hunted for a long time.

When did it start?

Its believed that people have been hunting elephants for thousand of years already

Where?

Most common places that people will hunt elephants and trade out are in South Africa(Kenya Algeria etc.) and Asia (India Thailand China Japan Korea etc.)

Why?

People hunt elephants because they want to steal their ivory and sell out to become accessory to human and take away elephants baby to train and become circus elephant. 

How?

Now adays humans technology is really advance such as gun. We have a a specific gun to beat down an elephant just in less that 2 minutes. 

Pictures (visual support)

How is it connecting/resulting in overhunting/captivity/cruelty?

According to the question How? We human use guns to take them down so easily and the demand of baby elephants and ivory keep increasing every year mostly in  Asia just to use them to become accessory and part of the holy rite. For this reason inspire local people to hunt them down and sell out because its an easy way to get money .

Create a COMPASS analysis on this current trend. N.E.S.W

• Nature - Elephant eats about 150 kilograms per day which 60% elephant dung has become food for other animals. And because it doesn't digest elephants become a transporter for plants seed to spread in distance. Elephants like to dig out small trees make a small seedling comes out and grow replace the big tree. 
• Economy - Elephants hunting creates so many jobs for people such as hunting trading or carving but it also destroy the beauty of the wild animal for other career such as guide or people who's taking care of these animals. 
• Society - People won't be able to experience how does it feel to ride an elephant. Some people doesn't feel right that elephant the symbol of Thai walking around the street being force but they still do nothing about it. 
• Well-being - It's good to have a good and new style looking accessories that comes from ivory and to have pianos key to play.

Do you have any personal connections/experience towards this current trend?

Yes, I have seen people keeping elephants and train them to let the tourist ride in Ayutthaya. And I have seen a person walking with an elephant selling banana or sugarcane to people and feed them to the elephant. 

Are there any local organizations/awareness campaign/etc supporting a more balanced option for this current trend?

http://www.elephant-soraida.com/main/th/

How can we reach a more balanced and sustainable solution?

We offer people a better jobs and educate them how important the elephants are. Or find the replacement for things that are made by ivory such as piano keys we use plastic instead and accessory  there are so many other jewelry that's  prettier than ivory why don't we use them like emerald.

Discussion Questions for class 

1. In my opinion we can't actually stop this cruelty on elephants because the more we protect them the more rare they become and it will increase the demand and their price up ,so is there any other way we can actually do anything about this ?
2. If we sees elephants walking aside the street what can we do other than support them by buying a food to feed itself?

• People catch baby wild elephant and sell out. Mostly this will happens around the border between Thailand-Burma because baby elephants are easy to catch and transport also the demand of baby elephants are more than adult elephants. Most of the buyers are elephant training group that will train these elephants to be Circus Elephant Show.

• Hunting elephants to take their ivory. There has been ivory trading in Thailand for a thousand years ,most of the ivory will be brought to carve as decoration or part of the rite.

• Hunting elephants to take their organs such as ivory tails and genital of males elephants which these are just a byproduct of hunting for ivory or baby elephants