LJ1: Creating a Baseline

LJ1: Creating a Baseline

Getting to know me

Hainipii-Greetings!

I'm Sonia Greengrass. Some fun facts about me are that I am the mother to 3 amazing daughters, I've been married for 26 years and I may also be the first Spanish speaking Native American (Ho-chunk Nation) you may meet! 

I hope you all are excited to begin blogging...I know, I'm not...Introduction's are the worst, the first few moments when I meet someone new I just hope I can remember their name, and hope I have some common shared interest. Luckily, for me I'm surrounded by some amazing fellow nurses! 

Speaking of I've been a nurse for many moons and although I may be biased, I think my career has been the BEST! I have been a Pediatric Intensive Care Nurse, Transport Nurse Clinician and even explored mid-level management as a RN Lead. 

I had to switch it up a bit from the ambulance chaser that I was because my mind says one thing and my body screams another. I can no longer code patients in moving vehicles anymore. I have toned it down a notch but I still get to have fun but it's just on a smaller size scale as a CVOR RN. 

What can you expect from me?

I'm hoping to share, what I have been learning, reading and researching on sustainability.  Let's create some dialogue, with honest open communication, and a few laughs in between.  

https://civileats.com/2018/03/13/behind-the-rise-and-fall-of-growing-power/

Will Allen, author of the 2012 book The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities, co-written with Charles Wilson, is an important figure in the American urban farming movement. Allen did try to navigate the corporate world, after years of climbing that ladder, Allen realized that the corporate world wasn't for him. But he was pulled into a direction that he didn't see himself in either, he found himself farming full time.

Will is a brilliant self starter, he seen a needs assessment for the people in his community which inspired him to grow fresh food and sell it to the local community member's. Will took action to make his vision a reality! He truly is a pioneer of urban agriculture. If you haven't read this book, I highly suggest you start!

What is sustainability?

Sustainability can mean lots of things to different people and I know since we began reading about this I've heard there is sustainable cotton, coffee and cutlery. Bright ideas and some of them are making me feel why didn't I think of that! 

The USEPA Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations. 

https://www.epa.gov/sustainability/learn-about-sustainability#what

What is Technology?

Technology is an umbrella term that describes innovation that considers natural resources and fosters economic and social development. The goal of these technologies is to drastically reduce environmental and ecological risks and to create a sustainable product. 

https://www.accenture.com/us-en/services/sustainability-index

Environmental Justice

USEPA Definition Environmental Justice (EJ) is defined as the equal treatment and involvement of all people in environmental decision making.Inspired by the Civil Rights movement, EJ became widespread in the 1980s at the intersection of environmentalism and social justice.Environmental injustice is experienced through heightened exposure to pollution and corresponding health risks, limited access to adequate environmental services, and loss of land and resource rights. EJ and sustainability are interdependent and both necessary to create an equitable environment for all.

https://css.umich.edu/sites/default/files/2022-09/Environmental%20Justice_CSS17-16.pdf

Chris Jordan

I found this great article on artist Chris Jordan and i find he is truly and remarkable artist. His fine detail of intricate pieces to pull together is masterpieces is amazing! Jordan's work is remarkable, extremely symbolic and it screams...Take Action People! Have you ever thought about whether or not the earth will be inhabitable in another 150 years? 

"Photographic artist Chris Jordan never ceases to amaze us with his clever pieces that allow people to “see” concepts that are often difficult to visualize. We submit for your viewing pleasure, his latest work, Gyre. Look familiar? The 8′ x 11′ triptych is based on the famous Japanese painting, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by Hokusai. Instead of paint, the colors are composed of 2.4 million pieces of plastic – the estimated number of pounds of plastic that enter the world’s ocean’s every hour! Gyre is the first image in a mini-series that Jordan is creating about the Pacific Garbage Patch, and is named after the Pacific Gyre, a thousand miles wide ocean current which turns clockwise like a giant slow-motion whirlpool and concentrates tons of the world’s trash".

https://inhabitat.com/eco-art-chris-jordans-gyre/

water as a sustainability topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGWr5jXJfbs

Water is LIFE! Reduce, reuse and recycle should be vital to life just like water is. It's sad, that a video has to stress the importance of littering. 

Water usage

If I had to guess, my water consumption it would be high. Due to the fact that I take hot baths 2-3 times a week. As an estimate, I could roughly guess it to be around 1,000 gallons.

I hope to get more information on my water consumption, as we further investigate this topic!

Moving forward, turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth. Let's help ensure there's enough clean water available for future generations. The Greengrass perspective of this Learning Journal's full length novel is brought to you by a very exhausted momma to a 11 year old who is suffering from bacterial infection in her GI system. While time was spent in the local ER this weekend, here I am by the skin of my teeth finishing this exhausting assignment blog. Be safe!