Group 2 Project Evaluation and coarse wrap-up

I wasn't sure if each member had to post separate project evaluations, so i posted the group's evaluation again to make sure that Dr. Becker is aware of all the members who contributed to Group 2.

On November 30th, my group (group two) presented our project “Plant It Forward” at a booth in campus center plaza on-campus. We gave away free plants (beans, corn, tomatoes, chives and native trees that we grew) as well as a gardening starter kits. Inside the kit were seeds, information on how to plant and care for them, as well as composting tips and tricks, pete moss, information on risks of genetically modified plants, community resources and our mission statement and what we wanted to see happen with our project. The idea of “Plant It Forward” is to encourage members of our community to sustain an organic garden and passing on plants from their garden to people they know so they too can promote sustainability through gardening.

We gave away 25 kits and spoke to people who visited our booth about growing their own food and to help promote sustainability by encouraging them to “Plant It Forward” after starting their own gardens. We had students as well as faculty visit our booth who praised our goals as well as showed excitement about our idea and mission. We explained that we have a website (www.plantitforward.wetpaint.com) that discusses our mission and goals to start a discussion and to share their personal experiences with us about how their gardening experience has been since receiving their starter kits. We collected email addresses from all the visitors of our booth so in the future we can contact them to see how our project has impacted them, as well as to encourage them to continue gardening by showing our progress through our group website.

Our group was able to communicate with people on-campus interpersonally during our event to promote a cultural shift to live a more sustainable life. We also felt that by creating our website, that we could contact these people in the future to track their progress. At the same time, we thought we could reach out to a larger population that may stumble upon on our site to see how a group of university students can, and has made a change in our community and to encourage others in their location to do the same. Since we are living in a time where online communication is a cultural aspect and priority for many people, we thought to use it to our advantage by promoting social change on a large scale. I feel that our project was a total success and I am thrilled to have worked with Curtis, ‘Alohi, Patrick, Robbie and Jessica. We utilized leadership skills from our “Beyond You & Me” readings, as well establishing conflict management strategies to ensure group success.

Podcast

The PODCAST

Ecovillage questions and Dr. Becker's teaching.

After listening to the podcast i enjoyed hearing that living in an ecovillage was a nice balance between privacy and community. Being in harmony with nature and gardening has been a positive aspect of living in a sustainable community. Taking part in cooking and sharing the responsibilities of cleaning helps to establish community. Gardening and eating locally develop a bond between community members. I have witnessed this form of social bonding during times like Thanksgiving diner. Everyone comes together and contributes to making a large family meal and it can be a very positive uniting factor.

Even the children get to take part and learn from the other community members. They become friends with the other young people and are able to watch out for each other while hanging out naturally.

Post-graduate sustainability classes may be found in the Northwest United States. Oregon and Washington have made efforts to support the education of sustainability. Another option to further your knowledge of sustainability is by taking part in an actual ecovillage. Some universities allow you to use this experience as part of a masters program. There are many ecovillages that allow people to come visit with out having to buy property.

It can be difficult to keep up with a sustainable lifestyle when having to also maintain work, school, and family. Dr. Becker admitted to having a hard time giving up her car. She thinks the county should have a better public transportation system. Andreava said that she had a problems eating healthy in the winter. One benefit of living in Hawaii is that fresh fruits and vegetables are available year round.

Dr. Becker plans to come back to Hawaii and create a connection with the big island, ecovillage, and Cornell. More development is needed and the people of hawaii have a good opportunity to be sustainable, but the only way it can happen is if the students of UHH and our generation take the initiative.

Questions on teaching seemed limited to the summer class. The answers the students give in our responses to the modules are supposed to reflect our understanding of the readings. That is why we have 3-4 paragraph response to asses the students without testing. Dr. Becker is not sure whether she prefers online or in class teaching. There are positive and negative aspects of having an online class. I would also prefer a high bred or mix of online and in class learning structure.

My questions for Dr. Becker are:

Was it hard to keep up with the over 250 blogs that were posted on the Fall sustainability class's blog-site? Would you have started with the individual blogs from the beginning? Did the class run into problems posting blogs?

Thanks for the opportunity to be part of your class.

PLANTITFORWARD.WETPAINT.COM Plant Give away!!!

On November 30th 2009, The members of Plantitforward had a table on the Campus Center Lanai at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, giving away free plants and sustainability kits. These kits included seeds, pete moss, information on sustainability, instructions of how to grow vegetables, the mission statement of the organization, homemade pots, labels and more. The plants were given as a head start for recipients in started or building their own garden. The event was a success. All of the plants and kits were distributed and a list of over 22 names was collected. These people are the next step in the plantitforward process. Great work GROUP 2!!!!!

Communication, media, and social change

"Communication, Media, and Social Change."

After i looked through the leadership web-sights like the new leaders initiative that awards young people who are making significant differences, I thought about how i can integrate this kind of positive reinforcement into my project. I want my group's web-sight, plantitforward.wetpaint.com, to grow and eventually become a source that is referenced in a sustainability class.

I personally love independent publications like Adbusters and television forums like Democracy Now and Link TV to inform myself. These sources are illuminating without the agendas of advertisers contaminating the information. Movements like "Buy nothing day", OBEY, and cultural jamming are growing in popularity. Also, Media Study Links provides access to the honest results of different research studies about media sources.

Web-sights like greenplanetfilms.org that have lists of hundreds of non-profit films and distributers that can educate and not be subjective on the wide. These films are generally promoting nature, wildlife, and indigenous people. The green list is another positive and progressive way to acknowledge companies and organizations that are trying to make a difference.

Since Michael Moore showed the world that making films to inform people could be profitable, it has become an excepted form of free market artistry. In this digital age, the most influential forms of media for the average American are film and television. Documentaries can have a lot of impact on a person who normally does not read or keep themselves informed on controversial issues concerning the world.

Now that only five major companies own the world's media industry, the consumers must be aware of the agenda of the entertainment and information that they consume. It is nearly impossible for the average person to be able to find out all the dirty little details that most of these corporations are hiding. These corporate conglomerates have teams of lawyers making sure that they have control over their information and public relations groups that focus on mixing the message the public receives. That is where watchdog organizations become important. The public owes a debt of gratitude to the people around the world working hard to make sure that the "gatekeepers" and social elite do not get away with deceiving the public with obvious misinformation.

Finally, one of the most controversial issues "showing face" lately in the public eye is genetically modified organisms or food (GMO). By altering the genetics and specifically engineering food the farmers/scientists produce higher volume of food that becomes less susceptible towards disease and pests. Although that may sound like a good idea, we are unsure of what the long term effects of this unnatural technique may be. Another major concern is that these mutated creations are unlabeled and untested. We as consumers must demand more independent scientific testing and address the concerns that GMO products have aroused but most importantly, eat organically to show the GMO companies that the American citizen are aware of their practices and do not support it.

Sustainability & Education

"Sustainability and Education"

"The challenge of sustainability may be viewed as a major threat/opportunity to existing cultural systems." Stephen Sterling

Education is a major part of our existing cultural system. The success of future generations is defined by what is taught to the children by parents, schools, and the media.

Schools like Kua O Ka La and the presentation, Huaka'i Aina Ho'oilina is the first step in a much needed paradigm shift. We need more focus to provide what the public needs to know about sustainability from food to civil defense. WE should take a play from the playbook of members in the community who already have businesses that support and exercise the fundamentals of sustainability. They will have to be the leaders who teach the other community members that sustainability can be profitable and rewarding in the long term. Learning centers like Dragon's Eye can provide educational experiences with hands on cooperative and sustainable farming and economic awareness.

The Big Island is a place with a unique opportunity. With one of the most diverse environments and people, there is a real possibility that this island could set the precedent and high standards of sustainability. Being so isolated from the rest of the world, Hawaii has already been sustainable and independent at one point in history and could be again. Through acknowledging traditional cultures in the islands and educating the next generations of leader, sustainability is obtainable. This is great because sustainability is inevitable for the future of human survival.

Sustainability and diversity

Sustainability & Diversity

Part of a movement that is grassroots is the new fight for human rights and true democracy. There are over 130,000 organization who work for social justice. In every country and culture in the world has made attempts to maintain the earth and its inhabitants. Ideologies have been ruining the world and we have the chance to make a change.

Spiritual crises that leads to the economic and ecological meltdown. What happened to the respect for our resources. Green economy has to be the next step in sustainability. If we can create jobs and profit through alternative energy we will have a fighting chance. "Fight poverty and pollution at the same time." Justice in government needs to be addressed. Thats why we have to be the change we are looking for. We are all born for a reason, it is time for the sensitive people to rise up and save the planet from the current macho-centric war mongering leadership. The youth has to be able to use the technology we know as tools to progress and make changes. This new America is the most diverse and courageous. We need to have gender equity in the movement including native people including Hawaiians. Americans should start using the wisdom of all of our immigrants. We have to give people a 2nd chance like we do recycling. This is the time to come together and make changes in politics. Will our work be a curse or be a blessing on the planet.

We used to a nation of farmers. We have forgotten how to grow our own food. This 12,000 year old evolution is in decline. We must teach each other how to farm organically and not use nitrogen based fertilizers. Nerve gas was the bases to make most industrialized insecticides. This new "deadly" products led to more produce but they didn't know how to do it naturally with out changing the markets, now even our food variety has become generic and limited because of the capitalizing of the food market. Now with genetic engineering the problem has gotten worse.

Social and Environmental Justice in Hawaii

Social & Environmental Justice in Hawaii

Hawaii is a great example of what can happen when a culture is taken over and exploited for financial gain. Native Hawaiians are facing poverty, education and a health catastrophe. The country was overthrown, and still is one of the most militarized places on earth. What is the cost benefit of long-term destruction of the culture? Their language banned and the treaty failed. This proves that Hawaii was essentially kidnapped. An apology bill is not enough they need the land back. More nuclear weapons are found in Hawaii more than anywhere on the earth. Even the military admitted that they have ruined many parts of each of the islands.

The Hawaiian independence movement did not end with just Bill Clinton’s apology. The Akaka bill has been introduced but the native people are not ready to be able to take on their own governing. Modern money will not allow the people to become sustainable like it was in the past. It is time to reclaim the Hawaiian’s nation by not taking part in western, competitive, and capitalistic impacts. Hawaiians can do this by not buying products from Wal-mart or eating at McDonalds. To truly fight the hated American lifestyle, then they must be wiling to convert their habits and allow their hard work to dictate the markets.

The most powerful occupation of a culture is in the minds of the children. This is a devastating thing that can happen to a culture’s future generations. Once they have lost their language and general social cultural norms, which have been dictated by US profit driven media, than the revolution will never be able to challenge the powers that be to get their way of life back. The only way to live a healthy sustainable life, one that is not constantly teetering on the verge of collapse, is to be independent from the uncertainties of greed.