24 Hour Consumption

This a list of the things used and done in my 24 hour period.

 A) Food and Drinks:

• Coffee ( water, coffee beans, creamer ).
• Cereal ( wheat, oats, milk ).
• Bread ( wheat, oil, water ).
• Soda ( water, syrup, and other chemical I don't know the names to that are more than likely bad for me ).
• Vegetables ( plants ).
• Spices ( plants ).
• Meat ( livestock ).
• Cheeses ( dairy ).
• Flour.
• Oil.
• Water.

B) Housing and Buildings:

• Wood ( trees ).
• Cement ( water, granite ).
• Stucco.
• Metal Braces.
• Nails.
• Shingles.
• PVC ( Plastic ).
• Copper.
• Insulation.
• Dry Wall / Sheet Rock.
• Screws.
• Paint ( exterior, interior ).
• Wiring.
• Outlets / Switches.
• AC, AC Ducts, and Vents.
• Carpet.
• Tile.
• Marble.
• Caulking.
• Electricity.
• Water.
• Gas ( Petroleum ).
• Amenities ( bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedroom ).

C) Transportation:

• Metal.
• Plastic.
• Rubber ( trees ).
• Leather ( animals ).
• Carpet.
• Nuts and Bolts.
• Screws.
• Hoses ( rubber, trees ).
• Clamps.
• Gaskets.
• Gas ( petroleum ).
• Water.
• Black Top / Asphalt.
• Steel.
• Cement ( water, granite ).
• Rivets.
• Iron.
• Paint.
• Rebar.

D) Clothing:

• Cotton.
• Polyester.
• Suede.
• Denim.
• Canvas.

E) School Supply:

• Pens ( ink, plastic, metal ).
• Pencils ( lead, plastic, metal ).
• Paper ( trees ).
• Erasers ( rubber ).
• Back Pack ( fabric ).
• Markers ( ink ).
• School Books ( paper, trees ).
• Binders / Notebooks ( plastic, cardboard, metal, paper ).

F) Personal Care Products:

• Toothpaste.
• Toothbrush.
• Floss ( silk-cotton trees ).
• Deodorant.
• Gel.
• Shampoo.
• Conditioner.
• Body Wash ( Liquid ).
• Hand Soap ( Liquid ).
• Cologne.
• Razors ( Disposable, Metal ).
• Q Tips ( Cotton, Plastic ).

G) Leisure Activities:

• Laptop ( Electricity ).
• Smart Phone ( Electricity ).
• Video Games ( Electricity ).
• TV ( Electricity ).
• DVD Player ( Electricity ).
• Driving Around ( Gas, Petroleum ).
• Sporting Goods ( Turners Outdoorsman, Bass Pro Shop )

   The topic I have chosen to write about is water quite simply because it's an area I have been studying for two years. It is made up of two elements, 2 parts ( + ) charged Hydrogen and 1 part ( - ) charged Oxygen (H2O). Water is used in many different way, from drinking to powering a hydro-electric plant. It also takes up about 75% of our planet, and as humans about 60% of our body weight. Water is brought to our homes and businesses by passing through a series of mazes, from the ground, surface, watersheds, rivers, and streams, aquaducts lakes and reservoirs, into treatment plant, then distribution plants ultimately our homes and buildings. So long as there is life on this plant there will always be a need for water, it is a vital part of everything that lives existance. Water has been around since time began and will never have a replacement as life sustaining resource.

   During the past two years I have learned that we ( humans ) need water to survive. It surprises me to learn how so many of our canyons were carved out by water from so many years of erosion. Water conservation is very important in every sence, as the less it rains the less the ground water aquifers are recharged, and as the population numbers increase our underground water sources are getting dangerously low.

Obsevation

In my 20 minute observation, I saw different types of plant, birds, trees, and insects. Among the birds I saw were Crows, Hawk, and Sparrows. Insects I saw were Bees, and Ants. Many of the trees I saw were lemon trees, orange trees, and Palms Trees, which included Windmill Palms, Washingtonia Fan Palms, Queen Palms, Mediterranean Fan Palms, Canary Palms, Island Date Palms, and Phoenix Roebelenii Palms. Each species of palm tree different from the next in size and shape, have one thing in common, all the palm trees mentioned coexist on the same property. An example of Interspecific Competition, where one or more of a given species in this limited area interact to gain access to the same resources soil, water, and sun light to grow. Though these trees give off moisture into the atmosphere by way of evepotranspiration, they are not biodegradable when taken to a land fill, therefore contributing nothing in the way of nutrients to the soil. However, these trees do provide our environment with oxrgen they also provide a dwelling and a nesting place for other birds such as owls, and other species of birds previously mentioned as well as giving the landscape well as giving the landscape a diverse and scenic landscape.



Introduction

My name is Jaime del Pilar. I am 39 yrs of age and have lived in the Redlands area for the past 22 years. However, I was born in Harbor City, CA. For the past two years I have been in college majoring in Water Technology and am interested in the biological side of one of life's most important resources. My primary career goal is to work in a water treatment and distribution plant as an operator, valve turner, pump mechanic, etc. I am married and have 4 children. My wife and kids have a snake, a dog, 2 turtles, a guinea pig, 5 fish, and sometimes a mouse. My interests are taking long drives anywhere, seeing and going to new place, listening to music, hanging around with my family, playing video games with my kids, and fixing things, to name a few. My hobbies include doing things that interest my wife and kids and a couple of other outdoor recreations.


I am interested in Environmental Science because as the world around us changes, we as humans have to keep finding new ways to accommodate our way of living. I feel that this life style has put a heavy burden on our environment. With our lives becoming more and more technologically advanced as the years come and go, so does the demand and the consumption of our natural resources. In fact, www.footprintnetwork.org/calculator calculates your ecological footprint based on your lifestyle. Based on the information I entered in the calculator, if everyone lived like me, we would need 6.4 planet Earths, 28.6 global acres of the Earth's productive area, and 32.1 tons of carbon dioxide to provide enough resources to sustain our lifestyle. Sadly, my ecological footprint breaks down as such: services 31%, food 32%, mobility 22%, goods 9%, and shelter 6. Clearly I need to make some changes. If we keep consuming these resources at an accelerated rate in the coming years due to population growth, and continue polluting our natural resources such as air and water, the next generation will only hear and read of the things that once were. I hope that the current biology I am taking and the future biology classes I plan on taking will give me a better understanding on how my family and I can somehow contribute to the conservation of this place we call home so that future generations can enjoy the same privileges we've been given. Finally, as a certified water treatment operator, I am curious about how we (humans) can find other water sources rather than depleting our underground aquifers which can have a negative effect on our planet’s surface, not to mention that once an aquifer has been drained it can be extremely difficult or impossible to recharge.