Attachment Theory Summary
Rising Voices: Adolescent Storytelling
Project Overview
During this project we took moments in our lives, found a moral behind them and made them into stories. We spent one and a half weeks writing our stories and refining them to make the best possible story. Then we spent half a week creating a visual representation of our project. At the end of the two weeks we put on an exhibition for our parents to come and listen or read our stories.
Project Reflection
My creativity was the twenty-first-century skill I grew most in during this project. I’ve always been a writer. I had good stories, but I always struggled to write it out. This project gave me the chance to work on writing sensory details. I always struggled the most with this skill when writing. My improvement can be seen when I explain the moment the candle shattered, “Christine was handing the candle to another girl when it slipped and broke; shattering the rare moment of peace and friendship that hung over our group.” This is the part of my story I’m most proud of. This is because Even though I rewrote it over and over again, I didn’t need to ask for help on how to bring the reader into the moment with me. Throughout the story, I tried to keep using sensory details to help the reader live through the moment and continued to improve in this skill. Creativity helped me come up with the best wording to create moments like these.
If I could go back I would change the way I phrased the scene when I smelled the candle, and I would try to add either dialogue or humor to the story. When I smelled the candle, I was struggling to write the moment and add in sensory details. So I turned to a friend for help. They helped me come up with words to try and write it out better, but it still didn’t feel right. However, I couldn’t think of anything else and neither could my friend, so I decided to give it up and leave it how it was. Another issue was, I feel I should have added dialogue or humor. I was struggling to add humor and make the story lighter, but I couldn’t see a way to do that. I do think if I had been able to spend more time going over the story, I might have been able to add humor. I feel the same way about dialogue. Looking back over the story, I think I should’ve added dialogue to when I met my best friend. “In second grade there was a new girl and I said hi, then we became best friends almost immediately.” I could’ve rewritten this to add in what was actually said, but at the time I didn’t think about it. So if I were to redo this project, I would add humor, dialogue, and reword the scene when I smelled the candle.
The part of the story I’m most proud of is the sensory element when the candle fell to the ground and shattered. The part when I wrote, “Christine was handing the candle to another girl when it slipped and broke; shattering the rare moment of peace and friendship that hung over our group,” is the part where I feel my sensory elements, were the strongest. As a kid, I had a runaway imagination. I would be told the blandest story with the least amount of detail possible and be thrown right into the story. It was like I was living the moment as they were telling it, no matter how little detail was added. Due to this, I struggled to have others thrown into my story as I was theirs. This project gave me the opportunity to work on this. So I did and this part was a moment that got me multiple compliments and I was told that one person actually felt like they were living the experience. Which was a huge goal in mind for me. Therefore, this part of the story though small, made me extremely proud.
If I could go back I would change the way I phrased the scene when I smelled the candle, and I would try to add either dialogue or humor to the story. When I smelled the candle, I was struggling to write the moment and add in sensory details. So I turned to a friend for help. They helped me come up with words to try and write it out better, but it still didn’t feel right. However, I couldn’t think of anything else and neither could my friend, so I decided to give it up and leave it how it was. Another issue was, I feel I should have added dialogue or humor. I was struggling to add humor and make the story lighter, but I couldn’t see a way to do that. I do think if I had been able to spend more time going over the story, I might have been able to add humor. I feel the same way about dialogue. Looking back over the story, I think I should’ve added dialogue to when I met my best friend. “In second grade there was a new girl and I said hi, then we became best friends almost immediately.” I could’ve rewritten this to add in what was actually said, but at the time I didn’t think about it. So if I were to redo this project, I would add humor, dialogue, and reword the scene when I smelled the candle.
The part of the story I’m most proud of is the sensory element when the candle fell to the ground and shattered. The part when I wrote, “Christine was handing the candle to another girl when it slipped and broke; shattering the rare moment of peace and friendship that hung over our group,” is the part where I feel my sensory elements, were the strongest. As a kid, I had a runaway imagination. I would be told the blandest story with the least amount of detail possible and be thrown right into the story. It was like I was living the moment as they were telling it, no matter how little detail was added. Due to this, I struggled to have others thrown into my story as I was theirs. This project gave me the opportunity to work on this. So I did and this part was a moment that got me multiple compliments and I was told that one person actually felt like they were living the experience. Which was a huge goal in mind for me. Therefore, this part of the story though small, made me extremely proud.
Drafts, Final, and Podcast
Draft 1 - https://docs.google.com/document/d/12wmht0iypU1KwARJuBeWCS7jANlUwfAiwrzbGbkULKo/edit
Draft 2 - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wNJfKH7_j3AKldaDkUD3484-P8ovj3dTYv05HCjRXGw/edit
Final - https://docs.google.com/document/d/18d0fJJn-2GzktxRzB3-8MyH0HlSxSZGzPUi-lEOm9yA/edit
Podcast - https://soundcloud.com/dempsie-alyssa/a-shattered-candle-and-broken-friendships?si=4d95af87a1ee47bb82c38bc3874a0035&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Draft 2 - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wNJfKH7_j3AKldaDkUD3484-P8ovj3dTYv05HCjRXGw/edit
Final - https://docs.google.com/document/d/18d0fJJn-2GzktxRzB3-8MyH0HlSxSZGzPUi-lEOm9yA/edit
Podcast - https://soundcloud.com/dempsie-alyssa/a-shattered-candle-and-broken-friendships?si=4d95af87a1ee47bb82c38bc3874a0035&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
Visual Element
Model United Nations Project
In this project, we were assigned a country to represent, researched our countries and their view on the crisis, then held a mini conference to come up with a solution for the crisis based on our countries views. I was assigned Russia. The crisis we held a conference about was the Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis. We ended up not coming to a solution, this is because we had two resolutions by the end, when it came to the end the class was split mostly down the middle and neither side was willing to compromise. Each side had at least one country with veto power, both sides decided to use this power and veto each others solutions.
Policy Paper
Alyssa Dempsie
Sara Price
Policy Statement
8 February 2023
Although the international community remains divides on how to help Afghanistan, Russia is providing humanitarian aid and attempting to ease the economic sanctions damaging the country.
Despite the economic sanctions put on both countries, The Russian Federation and Afghanistan are trading. Russia is providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Each year since the Taliban's take over, Russia has provided Afghanistan with “one million tons of gasoline, one million tons of diesel fuel, five-hundred-thousand tons of liquefied petroleum gas, and two million tons of wheat,” (Scollon). The amount of grain provided is not set in stone, and changes based on the country's needs, (Scollon). Russia seeks to remove sanctions and create economic stability in Afghanistan. Economic stability would allow the country to feed its people and provide the support needed. While it is unclear what Russia is getting in return, it has been said that, “it appears that agricultural goods and the prospect of future access to Afghanistan's natural-resource wealth could be on the table,” (Scollon). The way Russia sees it, while the oppression of women is bad, the deaths of millions due to starvation and other countries refusing to help is worse.
The solution Russia has come up with includes: working with the Taliban despite their oppression, to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, hoping to keep deaths at a minimum. This aid will be, food, clothes, water, and necessities. “Russia is now more willing to engage diplomatically with the Taliban but has not recognized the Taliban government out of concern that drug trafficking and terrorism will flow north into Russia’s sphere of interest in Central Asia,”(Worden). Russia has decided they will not recognize the Taliban as an official government until they create a more inclusive government, guarantee human rights and gain control of the terrorist groups living within their borders, (Hansler). Russia hopes to create economic stability in Afghanistan as well as gaining a trading partner and removing sanctions. Russia hopes to lessen the amount of people in critical condition. Currently, “more than half the country needs life-saving support. Millions are a step away from famine,”(News). The full solution is for Russia to work with the Taliban, providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, not recognize the Taliban as an official government until they meet demands, create economic stability, and get sanctions removed.
Russia has made it clear, they will help Afghanistan even though they oppress their women and girls. They are unsure what they will get in return but it sounds like there will be future access to Afghanistan’s untapped resources, (Scollon). For Russia, Afghanistan’s people need humanitarian aid and they need it now.
Works Cited
Hansler, Jennifer. “US, Russia, China and Pakistan Meet to Discuss Afghanistan as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens | CNN Politics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Nov. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/11/11/politics/extended-troika-afghanistan- talks/index.html Accessed 3 Feb. 2023
Worden, Scott. “Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Helps the Taliban and Makes Afghans Worse Off.” United States Institute of Peace, 16 Mar. 2022, www.usip.org/publications/2022/03/russias-invasion-ukraine-helps-taliban-and-makes-afghans-worse Accessed 3 Feb. 2023
Scollon, Michael. “Taliban-Russia Deal a Drop in the Bucket That Could Fuel Future Trade.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 5 Oct. 2022, www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-russia-taliban-fuel-deal/32066483.html Accessed 3 Feb. 2023.
News, Bbc, director. Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis Causes Parents to Sell Children - BBC News. YouTube, YouTube, 24 Nov. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPFrNCb0tOE Accessed 3 Feb. 2023.
Sara Price
Policy Statement
8 February 2023
Although the international community remains divides on how to help Afghanistan, Russia is providing humanitarian aid and attempting to ease the economic sanctions damaging the country.
Despite the economic sanctions put on both countries, The Russian Federation and Afghanistan are trading. Russia is providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Each year since the Taliban's take over, Russia has provided Afghanistan with “one million tons of gasoline, one million tons of diesel fuel, five-hundred-thousand tons of liquefied petroleum gas, and two million tons of wheat,” (Scollon). The amount of grain provided is not set in stone, and changes based on the country's needs, (Scollon). Russia seeks to remove sanctions and create economic stability in Afghanistan. Economic stability would allow the country to feed its people and provide the support needed. While it is unclear what Russia is getting in return, it has been said that, “it appears that agricultural goods and the prospect of future access to Afghanistan's natural-resource wealth could be on the table,” (Scollon). The way Russia sees it, while the oppression of women is bad, the deaths of millions due to starvation and other countries refusing to help is worse.
The solution Russia has come up with includes: working with the Taliban despite their oppression, to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, hoping to keep deaths at a minimum. This aid will be, food, clothes, water, and necessities. “Russia is now more willing to engage diplomatically with the Taliban but has not recognized the Taliban government out of concern that drug trafficking and terrorism will flow north into Russia’s sphere of interest in Central Asia,”(Worden). Russia has decided they will not recognize the Taliban as an official government until they create a more inclusive government, guarantee human rights and gain control of the terrorist groups living within their borders, (Hansler). Russia hopes to create economic stability in Afghanistan as well as gaining a trading partner and removing sanctions. Russia hopes to lessen the amount of people in critical condition. Currently, “more than half the country needs life-saving support. Millions are a step away from famine,”(News). The full solution is for Russia to work with the Taliban, providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, not recognize the Taliban as an official government until they meet demands, create economic stability, and get sanctions removed.
Russia has made it clear, they will help Afghanistan even though they oppress their women and girls. They are unsure what they will get in return but it sounds like there will be future access to Afghanistan’s untapped resources, (Scollon). For Russia, Afghanistan’s people need humanitarian aid and they need it now.
Works Cited
Hansler, Jennifer. “US, Russia, China and Pakistan Meet to Discuss Afghanistan as Humanitarian Crisis Deepens | CNN Politics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Nov. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/11/11/politics/extended-troika-afghanistan- talks/index.html Accessed 3 Feb. 2023
Worden, Scott. “Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Helps the Taliban and Makes Afghans Worse Off.” United States Institute of Peace, 16 Mar. 2022, www.usip.org/publications/2022/03/russias-invasion-ukraine-helps-taliban-and-makes-afghans-worse Accessed 3 Feb. 2023
Scollon, Michael. “Taliban-Russia Deal a Drop in the Bucket That Could Fuel Future Trade.” RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 5 Oct. 2022, www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-russia-taliban-fuel-deal/32066483.html Accessed 3 Feb. 2023.
News, Bbc, director. Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis Causes Parents to Sell Children - BBC News. YouTube, YouTube, 24 Nov. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPFrNCb0tOE Accessed 3 Feb. 2023.
Resolution I Helped Create
The General Assembly
Afghanistan
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russian Federation, Iran, Brazil, France
UNFREEZING ASSETS AND COURSE OF ACTION FOR AFGHANISTAN
The General Assembly,
Asserting that the most important thing is to immediately unfreeze Afghanistan’s assets,
Recognizing that there may be issues with other countries/delegates trusting Afghanistan to function on its own,
Emphasizing that once Afghanistan is granted sovereignty and assets it will be able to accomplish the aims and hopes of the United Nations more effectively,
Aware that the United Nations is gravely concerned about the state of womens’ rights in Afghanistan,
Having considered that bringing refugees back into Afghanistan will be beneficial to the economy,
4. Urges other countries to trust Afghanistan to accomplish the aims laid out in this resolution, and to take action if they are not met.
Afghanistan
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russian Federation, Iran, Brazil, France
UNFREEZING ASSETS AND COURSE OF ACTION FOR AFGHANISTAN
The General Assembly,
Asserting that the most important thing is to immediately unfreeze Afghanistan’s assets,
Recognizing that there may be issues with other countries/delegates trusting Afghanistan to function on its own,
Emphasizing that once Afghanistan is granted sovereignty and assets it will be able to accomplish the aims and hopes of the United Nations more effectively,
Aware that the United Nations is gravely concerned about the state of womens’ rights in Afghanistan,
Having considered that bringing refugees back into Afghanistan will be beneficial to the economy,
- Proclaims that Afghanistan’s assets should be unfrozen without delay by their holders,
- Emphasizes that Afghanistan will not budge on its opinions about the unfreezing of assets
- Affirms that once Afghanistan’s assets are unfrozen, it will commit to accomplish the following: Put effort into furthering womens’ rights
- Address any concerns with physical and mental health pointed out by the United Nations
- Further Afghanistan as a country
- Grant humanitarian visas to all refugees who require them
- Educate women in their homes
- Offer books in care packages along with other basic necessities provided by the United Nations
4. Urges other countries to trust Afghanistan to accomplish the aims laid out in this resolution, and to take action if they are not met.
Reflection
Alyssa Dempsie
Sara Price
MUN Reflection
30 March 2023
The most interesting part of this project was the final conference. I was engaged during the majority of the conference. I asked other countries questions in order to figure out if we could incorporate them into the resolution or not. After questioning France about their views, I found out they were most interested in providing mental health support to the people of Afghanistan. I told Afghanistan about this and they agreed, that if France backed Afghanistan then, Afghanistan would agree to provide mental health support. I believe the reason I was so engaged in this project was being able to negotiate.
My biggest growth during this project was my public speaking. Despite my anxiety about talking in front of people, this was my favorite part of this project. I was engaged the entire time and talked more than I thought I would. Almost every time I had something to say I raised my placard and said my piece. Most of the time I don’t even try to say what I want, however this time I did try and said nearly everything I wanted to say. When the U.S. claimed that the Taliban was a terrorist group, I raised my placard. I was called on and continued to correct the U.S. The Taliban is not a terrorist group, they have a few people who have been or still are involved in terrorist groups. However, the Taliban is working on weeding out those people and taking control of the terrorists within their borders. Two months ago, I would have argued back in my head but I would not have raised my placard and made an attempt to speak.
I felt as prepared as possible for the conference this showed up when I made my speech in front of the class. I rarely had to look at my speech when presenting it, which allowed me to look more professional. After spending multiple hours writing and rewriting my speech, I rehearsed it many times. Whether alone, with my parents, or with my classmates, I practiced and preformed my speech many times.
Sara Price
MUN Reflection
30 March 2023
The most interesting part of this project was the final conference. I was engaged during the majority of the conference. I asked other countries questions in order to figure out if we could incorporate them into the resolution or not. After questioning France about their views, I found out they were most interested in providing mental health support to the people of Afghanistan. I told Afghanistan about this and they agreed, that if France backed Afghanistan then, Afghanistan would agree to provide mental health support. I believe the reason I was so engaged in this project was being able to negotiate.
My biggest growth during this project was my public speaking. Despite my anxiety about talking in front of people, this was my favorite part of this project. I was engaged the entire time and talked more than I thought I would. Almost every time I had something to say I raised my placard and said my piece. Most of the time I don’t even try to say what I want, however this time I did try and said nearly everything I wanted to say. When the U.S. claimed that the Taliban was a terrorist group, I raised my placard. I was called on and continued to correct the U.S. The Taliban is not a terrorist group, they have a few people who have been or still are involved in terrorist groups. However, the Taliban is working on weeding out those people and taking control of the terrorists within their borders. Two months ago, I would have argued back in my head but I would not have raised my placard and made an attempt to speak.
I felt as prepared as possible for the conference this showed up when I made my speech in front of the class. I rarely had to look at my speech when presenting it, which allowed me to look more professional. After spending multiple hours writing and rewriting my speech, I rehearsed it many times. Whether alone, with my parents, or with my classmates, I practiced and preformed my speech many times.
Energy Project Museum
Overview
To start off this unit we went to a hydroelectric dam, and step-down transformer. The next day we went to the Farmington school of energy, to see a different perspective and how other people thought. We spent the next few weeks we spent time understanding the process of energy generation, transformation, how efficient different forms are, and the math behind energy efficiency. Next we went out into the community and did different things, that applied what we had learned. My group taught fifth and fourth graders why things are magnetic. Then we created projects based on topics we chose and showcased them at All School Exhibition.
Justice Monologue
Alyssa Dempsie
10th Grade Humanities
Energy Justice Monologue
Monday May 1 2023
Sacred Land and Job Loss
Think of a place you feel happiest, safest, most at home. What does this place smell like, feel like? What do you do in this place? What memories do you have of this place? Live in these memories, these emotions, the feeling of this place. Live in this place. Now imagine your only choice is to give this place up to someone you know is going to destroy it. They are going to leave it desecrated, a broken shell of the utopia it once was. This person is not going to fix it, they are going to leave it so destroyed it will take forever to restore it.
What is happening in Chaco Canyon is much like this situation you just imagined and it’s happening all over the world. The Greater Chaco Area is land around the Chaco National Park with a predominantly indigenous population. “The Navajo revere this remote area around a tabletop mesa in northwestern New Mexico as the place where the mythical figure Changing Woman gave birth to two warrior sons who made the universe safe.” (Romero). People are being forced to sell their chunks of land for money because they can’t afford not to sell. This land is highly important to their culture, it is the place where their saviors were born. Now, all they can do is watch as it gets destroyed by those more powerful and fortunate than them, possibly never to be restored again. Sacred lands such as Chaco Canyon deserve to be protected. A fund should be started to help those who can't afford to keep their land but want to. What about those who want to sell?
Those who wish to sell their land should have two options. The surrounding people should have a meeting with the person who wants to sell and come to a consensus on whether that person is allowed to sell to oil drilling companies. If the answer is no, and the person still wants to sell. They need to ensure that the next land owner will keep this land safe. If people are selling less to oil drilling companies there will be a loss of jobs.
While this poses as a problem, there is a solution. Just as was done with the tobacco farmers in 2005 we can ease the transition for anyone who would be losing their jobs. A researcher in the documentary From the Ashes brought up a compelling point, "Back a decade ago there was a war on tobacco. So instead of saying overnight we’re just gonna leave the tobacco farmers high and dry, congress came up with a way to help communities and the farmers make a transition. That’s exactly what we can be doing with the coal mining communities and the coal miners," (Bonfliglio 1:11:26 - 1:11:44). Starting in 2005, a program called Tobacco Transitional Payment Program “[provided] annual, transitional payments for ten years to eligible tobacco quota holders and producers,” (FSA). The trick is getting enough people to give up on oil and gas.
I believe the most just way to balance our energy demand and protection of sacred lands is through multi-perspectivity and transitional programs. Lands like the Greater Chaco area do not deserve to become an empty shell of the hallowed land it has been. Let’s stop the damage before it gets worse. While protecting these lands we should make sure to help transition oil and gas workers.
Works Cited
(FSA), Farm Service Agency. “Tobacco Transitional Payment Program.” FSA Web Site, 2013, www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp
area=home&subject=toba&topic=landing.
Bonfiglio, Michael, director. From the Ashes. National Geographic / From the Ahses, 2017,
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/movies-and-specials/from-the-ashes. Accessed Apr. 2023.
Romero, Simon. “It’s Gas vs. Heritage in Navajo Country.” The New York Times, 14 Oct. 2003,
www.nytimes.com/2003/10/14/business/it-s-gas-vs-heritage-in-navajo-country.html.
10th Grade Humanities
Energy Justice Monologue
Monday May 1 2023
Sacred Land and Job Loss
Think of a place you feel happiest, safest, most at home. What does this place smell like, feel like? What do you do in this place? What memories do you have of this place? Live in these memories, these emotions, the feeling of this place. Live in this place. Now imagine your only choice is to give this place up to someone you know is going to destroy it. They are going to leave it desecrated, a broken shell of the utopia it once was. This person is not going to fix it, they are going to leave it so destroyed it will take forever to restore it.
What is happening in Chaco Canyon is much like this situation you just imagined and it’s happening all over the world. The Greater Chaco Area is land around the Chaco National Park with a predominantly indigenous population. “The Navajo revere this remote area around a tabletop mesa in northwestern New Mexico as the place where the mythical figure Changing Woman gave birth to two warrior sons who made the universe safe.” (Romero). People are being forced to sell their chunks of land for money because they can’t afford not to sell. This land is highly important to their culture, it is the place where their saviors were born. Now, all they can do is watch as it gets destroyed by those more powerful and fortunate than them, possibly never to be restored again. Sacred lands such as Chaco Canyon deserve to be protected. A fund should be started to help those who can't afford to keep their land but want to. What about those who want to sell?
Those who wish to sell their land should have two options. The surrounding people should have a meeting with the person who wants to sell and come to a consensus on whether that person is allowed to sell to oil drilling companies. If the answer is no, and the person still wants to sell. They need to ensure that the next land owner will keep this land safe. If people are selling less to oil drilling companies there will be a loss of jobs.
While this poses as a problem, there is a solution. Just as was done with the tobacco farmers in 2005 we can ease the transition for anyone who would be losing their jobs. A researcher in the documentary From the Ashes brought up a compelling point, "Back a decade ago there was a war on tobacco. So instead of saying overnight we’re just gonna leave the tobacco farmers high and dry, congress came up with a way to help communities and the farmers make a transition. That’s exactly what we can be doing with the coal mining communities and the coal miners," (Bonfliglio 1:11:26 - 1:11:44). Starting in 2005, a program called Tobacco Transitional Payment Program “[provided] annual, transitional payments for ten years to eligible tobacco quota holders and producers,” (FSA). The trick is getting enough people to give up on oil and gas.
I believe the most just way to balance our energy demand and protection of sacred lands is through multi-perspectivity and transitional programs. Lands like the Greater Chaco area do not deserve to become an empty shell of the hallowed land it has been. Let’s stop the damage before it gets worse. While protecting these lands we should make sure to help transition oil and gas workers.
Works Cited
(FSA), Farm Service Agency. “Tobacco Transitional Payment Program.” FSA Web Site, 2013, www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp
area=home&subject=toba&topic=landing.
Bonfiglio, Michael, director. From the Ashes. National Geographic / From the Ahses, 2017,
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/movies-and-specials/from-the-ashes. Accessed Apr. 2023.
Romero, Simon. “It’s Gas vs. Heritage in Navajo Country.” The New York Times, 14 Oct. 2003,
www.nytimes.com/2003/10/14/business/it-s-gas-vs-heritage-in-navajo-country.html.
Reflection
Alyssa Dempsie
Sara
Energy Project Reflection
Tuesday May 16 2023
My biggest takeaway from the content we learned in humanities for our energy unit is that energy problems are more complicated than they seem. During the debate about the Hesperus Solar project I learned that even though they would make a tunnel for the migrating elk, the elk won’t use it because it means their land has been messed with; and once their land has been messed with, they won’t return for many years. I also learned that the solar project would be put on our land, but we wouldn’t be able to use the energy it produces. I found out that solar panels can cause drought. Finally, I discovered that if we switch to renewable energy, without a plan, we will leave millions of people in the oil and gas industry without jobs and money. Through this unit, I became aware of how complicated energy problems are.
The biggest intellectual challenge during this project was realizing that renewable energies are not all good, and they have some bad as well. With the Hesperus Solar project, I learned that the solar panels along with causing draught and blocking elk migration, will not have the proper battery storage. They will also devalue the property they are going to be placed by. I also learned during the Energy Museum, that hydroelectric dams block the annual flow of nutrients, which creates water quality concerns for humans and animals. Before starting this project I thought the only problem with renewable energy was that they would cost a lot, but that is not true. Now I understand there are more problems with renewable energy and I hope I will not be as challenged by similar topics in the future.
Sara
Energy Project Reflection
Tuesday May 16 2023
My biggest takeaway from the content we learned in humanities for our energy unit is that energy problems are more complicated than they seem. During the debate about the Hesperus Solar project I learned that even though they would make a tunnel for the migrating elk, the elk won’t use it because it means their land has been messed with; and once their land has been messed with, they won’t return for many years. I also learned that the solar project would be put on our land, but we wouldn’t be able to use the energy it produces. I found out that solar panels can cause drought. Finally, I discovered that if we switch to renewable energy, without a plan, we will leave millions of people in the oil and gas industry without jobs and money. Through this unit, I became aware of how complicated energy problems are.
The biggest intellectual challenge during this project was realizing that renewable energies are not all good, and they have some bad as well. With the Hesperus Solar project, I learned that the solar panels along with causing draught and blocking elk migration, will not have the proper battery storage. They will also devalue the property they are going to be placed by. I also learned during the Energy Museum, that hydroelectric dams block the annual flow of nutrients, which creates water quality concerns for humans and animals. Before starting this project I thought the only problem with renewable energy was that they would cost a lot, but that is not true. Now I understand there are more problems with renewable energy and I hope I will not be as challenged by similar topics in the future.