Project Raptor: Week 2

Part 1

I found a better webhosting site that was user friendly. Since I did not have any information at hand, I decided that I would first work on organizing the website as well as work on making it more presentable.

Part 2

Group conference day. The group had a brief meeting with Brenna on where we were on our project. We each presented our concerns and decided on the best ways to tackle them. Later I confirmed with the group on the idea of naming the website Project Raptor. We also decided on meeting up to shoot a video presentation on Project Raptor. The meeting was set to be on Wednesday the following week at the Wildlife Care Clinic.

Part 3

Taking the opportunity of the long weekend, I decided to spend time working on the website. Since I had more information at hand, it was much easier to start building it. I decided that the best way to present the website was to use other NGO websites as examples as to what should the website contain. I worked mostly on the layout so that it would be simple for visitors to navigate as well as it being representative to the cause we were working on.

Project Raptor: Week 1

Part 1

As we were missing two group members, the three of us couldn't make any final decision on a topic we could work on. However, we did consider one topic from the three that we had for the day. We then decided that we would leave the option open and make a majority decision on it. This is because, we wanted a topic that we could work closely with.

Part 2

We made a final decision on our topic, which we later named Project Raptor. Tasia wrote the final proposal on the topic, which we lated emailed out. During that group discussion, we browsed the library website for any research articles on the issue. We also looked on youtube to find any videos relating to the issue. Before, wrapping up the day's discussion, our group delegated tasks to each person and decided that everyone should have their part ready by Monday.

Part 3

I had quite a difficult time searching for good free webhostings. Since, this was my first time making a website, it required a lot of trial and error that came hand in hand with frustrations from non-user friendly webhosting sites. I settled on freewebhosting.com since I have heard about it from a friend before.

Group Work Experience

I think about that group work I did one semester. Our assignment was to introduce a new product into a foreign country. Despite us facing cultural differences that was led to some ups and downs, I have to say that it was one of the best teams I have been in. Every single assignment we did, we tackled. Everytime...bam...bam...bam! And down went another assignment. We were motivated. We were ambitious.

You, me and the orangutans

I laugh to myself trying to describe the orangutans hair color. Brown or reddish. And I remember a book I once read speaking of the natives description to the early British settlers who came to the island of Borneo - red haired like the orangutans. But coming back to the orangutans of Sabah, I can't help but think about their similarity to us humans.

32 teeth. I open my mouth to count mine, and decide that I have about the same numbers minus of course those wisdom teeth whose wisdom I can very much do without. I'm sure that like us, these teeth help with their speech to communicate among themselves.

'What else?', I think. 'Our hands!'.The same hands with 10 fingers. The thumbs opposable. Of course our feet unlike theirs aren't engineered for climbing and swinging from trees to trees and that their hands can extend to as long as seven feet and are one and one half longer than their legs. I can't help but think of this as an advantage for them and us left with a disadvantage. And if you're thinking about their nails, orangutans nails are pretty much like yours and mine. No claws, but beware of scratching.

One more thing. Don't be fooled at how cute these small tail free creatures are. Between you and me, even if they aren't as strong as gorillas, they're seven times stronger than a human. So consider yourself warned.

"Manifesto" and "The Making of a Marginal Farm" by Wendell Berry

Respect. The main thing I gather from Berry's writing. From what I have deduced of his writing I believe his intention is to create awareness on how our disrespect towards the land by developing it into modern living has caused almost irreversible damages. Those that are reversible, requires not only a long period of time to restore but also expensive to carry out. Not only that, but despite restoration the land would forever be scarred by the selfishness of human's wants of a "better living".

From his writing I gathered that modernization is not necessarily a good thing. This I think is because when we develop an area, we fail to consider it's implications. Everything done today always leads to monetary profits that blinds us from the threat is poses. We are only aware of these threats once a problem is well underway.

Group Discussion - Steingraber Issue

People often say that ignorance is bliss. However, ignorance could be hazardous for health as in the findings of Steingraber's research. Although not much research has been done to understand the effect of dioxin in a human body, the much that is known is enough to have public be aware and concerned about the danger of ingesting it. From our group discussion, we suggest some simple actions that should be implemented.

Create Awareness - Hospitals

Public health care plays an important role in creating awareness regarding health issues. Therefore, hospitals is an important location to where the public could obtain informations on such matters. Brochures creating awareness to dioxin should be made available easily as well as lectures that could help answer questions concerning the chemical. Also, doctors play a crucial role informing mothers of the potential contamination of dioxin in breast milk if they choose to breast feed their babies.

Create Awareness - Media

Media plays an important role in reaching out information. The danger of dioxin could be relayed to the public through this medium via TV commercials, websites, advertisements as well as the newspapers.

Create Awareness - Universities

Colleges are very influential and could reach out to a big number of people to create awareness. Posters or awareness campaigns would be a very good method to bring to attention the dangers of dioxin.

Actions

In coming up with actions, our group has recommends that better food consumption should be at the top of the list. The public should be aware of aware of where their food comes from, such as how the livestocks are kept and the food that they consume. Most importantly, further studies should be conducted to studying the effect of dioxin particularly TCDD. Alternatives, need to be found soon in order the prevent further problems that what is already faced today.

"Having Faith" by Sandra Steingraber

The purpose of this writing is to create awareness to the missing link of the food chain, the missing top of the flattened out food pyramid. Steingraber, pointed out the neglect to the pinnacle of then food pyramid, which are breastfed babies. She points this out by laying out a map, on how the ingestion of harmful poisons multiplies in affect as it moves towards the top of the pyramid. Therefore, as babies are considered to be at the top, they are facing a lot of health issues than would only lead to further health concern not only on individuals but also towards the government.

I would consider Steingraber to be an activist as I feel that she is making an effort to create an awareness to the issue. Also, as she tries her best to practice what she preaches, it shows her commitment in making a change to the situation and her belief that these changes would make a difference.