Comment on 'ultimate energy breakthrough?'

     Leave it to Massachusetts Institute of Technology to come up with a solution to the one road block the economy has been concerned about for some time: The ability to store and use solar energy on a massive scale at night time. This has eluded scientist since the dawn of solar panels. But now MIT has discovered a catalyst that will effectively and inexpensively store solar energy on a mass scale for use at night without the emission of carbon. Nocera and Mathew Kanan are the ones that came up with the idea of utilizing the solar power of the sun to "split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases; thereby, allowing them to be recombined inside a fuel cell (para. 5). This discovery came about after creating a new catalyst made of cobalt, metal, and phoshpate together with an electrode which is then placed in water. Finally, technology has opened a possible doorway to eliminating our insurmountable addiction to fossil fuels. The sun has been staring us in the face with enough energy to run the planet for a year after just one hour of exposure. Unfortunately, the idea or discovery is not practical due inapplicable electrolyzers. But according to MIT, that step is not far from reality. Hopefully ten million dollars in funding for the next ten years will be sufficient enough to make this dream of renewable large scale energy a way of life to the world.

Comment on 'Social Media Revolution 2'

     First was the industrial revolution. Now, it is the social media via internet. We are so comfortable with the internet and its social networks that we unthinkingly divulge all our personal information about us for all to see. What does this mean for future endeavors such as employment? Your potential employer will know more about you than your own mother via social media. Instead of “be careful what you say:” it is now “be careful what you type.” What really took me back is that YouTube is the 2^nd largest search engine in the world. I had no idea it was that popular. Maybe a good research paper can be done via YouTube. I’m starting to think that this internet stuff is the Frankenstein of our modern age. As we delve into the social media deeper and deeper, we isolate ourselves from true social interaction with actual flesh and blood people. I hate to see what kids are like growing up in a house full of computers and hand-held devices including cell phones. The parents will never get a word of instruction in because the internet will get it to them first.

Comment on 'How to avert a global water crisis'

     Water resources are vital now and will be even more vital in 2030. That is only 20 years from now. The future of our children is in stake if action is not taken to monitor and wisely manage these resources. According to Natasha Gilbert, holding up improved management practices is jeopardizing the future of our water resources. Due to water usage increasing to an astounding 2 trillion cubic meters by 2030, there is no room for procrastination on proper water management. Water usage ties into the global supermarkets that are producing more and more food for a growing population. With more agriculture comes more demand for water. Already 70 to 90% of the annual water is going to food production. In the next 40 years, food demands will double putting a strain on water supply in the rivers. Declining water tables will have a negative affect on the life of rivers. With all this taken into consideration, monitoring is crucial for accurate and timely allocation of needed water for agriculture. In this particular case, technology is the key to proper and affective measuring and monitoring water resources via satellites with remote sensing devices. According to Colin Chartres, director of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka, this technology will be up and running within the next three to five years. 

Comment on 'Researcher questions society's adoption of technology without critical assessment'

     I agree with Professor Isabel Pedersen regarding society’s quickness to accept such domineering technology as opposed to thinking about what we could have done after irrevocable consequences have already been rendered. Of course, advertisement is to blame. People are so hyped up to buy the next best thing in technology due to upcoming holidays that they do not even consider the “dehumanizing and humanizing aspects of new technologies.”

Comment on 'Pre-crime' Comes to the HR Dept.'

     Judgment day is coming a little sooner than expected due to today’s advanced technology. Everybody has a track record of good and bad behavior throughout their lifetimes, but now that we are so open with our lives on an electronic diary, we are all vulnerable to advanced technology. The company known as Social Intelligence produces the negative employee information to potential employers prior to hiring. This goes beyond the usual criminal and credit check. Now social networks are infiltrated for more personal data to predict future behavior of potential employees. Is this fair? The company may prove to be an advantage for employers, but what about the potential employee that separates work ethic with leisure ethic. I think too much information may lead to too much responsibility. There are just too many social networks out there that are for leisure activity and that should not to be taken out of context for work purposes. Employers ought to disregard the liability hassle of knowing too much about a potentially violent employee, but wrongful termination lawsuits just are not worth it to them. Big brother is no longer just the government:  It’s your “would be” boss who just found out that you’re not worth the risk via Social Intelligence.

Comment on 'THE NATURE OF EXISTENCE'

     After viewing the video introductions of Roger Nygard’s exploration for the truth of existence, I find that every culture he questioned defended what they believed. With no doubt in their minds, they proclaimed their belief whether with God or without. Four years and five continents later, Roger Nygard still does not have the answer. One interviewee named Larry Niven said, “of course people get angry when you question their beliefs:   They worked on those beliefs:   They think they got the universe figured out.” So I would say that this is the foundation of many, if not all, of the world’s wars within humanity. Everybody is so concrete on what they believe that they are willing to kill or die for it. That being said, is the environment subject to all of these religious beliefs? Which idea, religion, or philosophy is best for the earth? Resistance to challenging beliefs gives rise to friction between those who do not hold the same beliefs. The only thing we all have in common that we can all agree on is that we exist. Why? In my case, Jesus will remain the answer to truth until my very last breath.

Comment on Lono's Bounty Documentary Trailer / 'Frances Moore Lappe food security talks and film'

     After viewing the documentary trailer to Lono’s Bounty, I find that Hawai’i has definitely been westernized to the extent that the agricultural circle has been broken. Although there is new found awareness being disseminated out there, the majority of people in Hawai’i are still takers and not leavers. The speakers in the film are the same speakers that visited our class. They are very knowledgeable about the affects of the broken circle on Hawai’i as well as active in restoring the circle and educating others to do the same. It is a documentary that opens the eyes to the destructive behavior of just throwing stuff away. We must unit as a team here in Hawai’i and be representative to the rest of the world of how true sustainability can be attained. It was a very illuminating documentary trailer, and it was good to see the pounding of the poi in the natural Kaneohe environment. Moreove, it makes me appreciate the Hawaiian culture and its love for the environment.