Ramirez

Connor Ramirez
Professor Westgard
POLS 1100
8 May 2015

Service Learning Project

We as humans often take things around us for granted. School, work, and relationships
are some common things that most dont really appreciate, until they are truly gone from our
lives. We are habitual creatures that tend to rely on making ourselves happy, without weighing
the consequences of our actions. This behaviorwhile being beneficial at timeswill
inevitably be our downfall if we dont make concrete changes in our beliefs about the world we
live in.
The more uneducated we become about our environment; the more it becomes taken for
granted. This belief that we will have all the resources we need is only prevalent because we
arent looking at the big picture; its naive and extremely dangerous. As much as many hate to
admit, we arementally-- products of our environment. If we cant teach the new generations to
help take care of our world, there wont be one for our children in the future. This nonsensical
way of thinking is starting to be passed down through generations, and has to be opposed.
We hear all about the Green Initiative, we see it in our stores, on our clothes and just
about every plastic container, ever. Yet we are so desensitized to what it really means, because
we are brought up not properly informed. This is why I chose the Service learning project,
because I grew up taking things like our world for granted. I wanted to see the sizable impact a
single, uneducated, and uninformed individuallike myselfcould make; the reality I found
was nothing short of astounding.

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Before we get into what I did for the service learning, we should delve into some
concrete facts about the current state of our planet earth, and the various ecosystems in which it
is inhabited by. This part of the Project was considered Research learning. Here we will
overview the benefits of the Three Rs(Reduce, reuse, and recycle), Photosynthesis, Pollution,
and Personal Responsibility.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,( Kids Pages) we have all heard it and have seen it on just
about every food container we ever have used. This movement concentrates on the three largest
constituents that affect the constant growing rate of pollution and help to alleviate and put back
our extremely valuable resources; Such as Wood, cloth, and most important of all food, and
water.
Reduce, focuses on the amount of resources we are taking in over a short time span. We
simply put, use an absurd amount of material in our daily lives. Many people dont realize this
because they dont look into fact that we ALL use a specific amount of these things a every day.
Take that and multiply it by 365 days a year, and it all really comes into perspective. We can help
alleviate strain of resources by:

Purchasing items with less packaging.

Turn off lights/other items that use energy when you arent using them.

Carpooling.

Conserve water (Baths vs showers, less shower time, turn off faucet etc)

Reuse, is nice because it makes reduction and recycling much easier. The fundamental idea
behind this is to make use of things that you already have, in turn taking away the need to buy
the same thing over again. Causing less waste, and a much more efficient usage of your time, Its
a win, win! Helpful tips:

Ramirez

Use a cloth/paper grocery -bag (in replacement of plastic).

Silverware and dishes. (Eliminates need for plastic utensils.)

Lunch Boxes!
Last, but certainly not least, Recycle. This is the most impactful step of the three. It

intrinsically does both the reduce, and reuse steps; While keeping harmful pollution out of
our landfills and aiding in the fight against pollution related animal death. To top it all off, its
easy! We can all do our part in recycling. The only hard part is knocking the habit, and think
about where youre putting garbage! Helpful tips:

Buy recyclable products.

Buy previously recycled product containers.

Request a recycling bin.

Mark your garbage, and your recyclables.

By simply following these tips you can make a substantial difference in the environment
without having to put much effort into it. The most important thing to remember is youre not
alone, and your efforts are not in vain! So take the time, in hopes for a brighter future.
Personal Responsibility plays a key role in the conservation of our ecosystem. Far too
often does society become a victim to the bystander effect. We see a problem, yet we rely on
others to do the work to fix it. This creates a select few that are willing to put in the work, but
alas; it is still not enough. If youre in the position to make a change in the world, consider it! It
just might inspire others to do the same.

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I chose TreeUtah, simply because Ive worked all with the amazing coordinators before.
This group genuinely cares about the welfare of our ecosystem whilst bringing together whole
communitys to take part in activities, and form a bond that is extremely special; and
unfortunately all too rare now a days. Ive learned an immense amount of information working
there. This brings me on to the next topic: Photosynthesis.
Many are uneducated on the true purpose of plant life, we can only see the plants purpose
due to aesthetic value. Throughout the years the gorgeous hues spanning the entire range of the
visible spectrum, that are found on flowers only really helped bring visible color into our lives.
What many dont realize is that with all the technological and industrial expansion that is
happening, the only thing that will keep us alive is a simple tree or flower.
Most living organisms release copious amounts of CO2. Humans as you may know
require oxygen to live, and through this form of respiration the human body actually releases
CO2 as a byproduct. The more CO2 we put into the air, the more we are driving our life source
O2 out of the air. This is where our beloved trees and plants come into action. Acting as a filter
these plants take in Light and water, to create O2, while also cleaning up CO2 and turning it into
a constant supply of energy!( National Geographic)
This means that the more plants (of all types) we have, the cleaner our air becomes and
more O2 is supplied. If we continue to use up trees without putting more back into the
environment, we risk the well-being of our children and our animal habitats (many birds, and
other animals require trees for survival). Its a sad fate for such a massive part of each of our
lives.

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Trees have more utility than you can possibly imagine, and we cannot lose one of
natures greatest gifts, willingly. Our planet has been a wonderful host for all of us to reside, but
there must come a point where we give back. We take and take, but nothing is infinite in this
world. This is why we must work hard to replenish and conserve are resources and home.
The experiences that I have had with TreeUtah, were absolutely amazing. Weve been
everywhere from Alta, and Solitude, to Wheeler farm, and the governors groves! Each turnout
was amazing and everyone has a great time meeting new friends and talking with familiar faces.
The best part is getting messy and working hard, so that once your done you can look back and
see the fruits of your labor ready to breathe new life into our world. One surviving tree could
mean 100 more in the coming future, knowing that is what truly makes you understand the
gravity of your service.
We all tend to feel so very small in this massive world, and sometimes we feel trapped in
our everyday lives. This was my mindset going into volunteering but after I was finished I stared
to believe that we are all as big as we want to be and all of our actions good or bad. Affect the
world around us in interesting ways.
I would recommend volunteer work for anyone that might feel as if they need to give
back. It was nothing short of a beautiful experience, and even after all is said and done I will still
continue to go and help, in hopes of ushering in a better and happier tomorrow!

Ramirez

Bibliography:
"Air Pollution Facts, Air Pollution Effects, Air Pollution Solutions, Air Pollution Causes - National
Geographic." National Geographic. Web. 8 May 2015.
"Photosynthesis." - NatureWorks. Web. 8 May 2015.
"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." - Kids Pages. Web. 8 May 2015.
"The Three R's of the Environment." The Three R's of the Environment. Web. 8 May 2015.
"TreeUtah | Planting Trees. Growing Communities." TreeUtah. Web. 8 May 2015.