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LINK TO ARTICLE: coral-reef-microbes-point-assess-ecosystem 

The Toulmin model is a rhetorical analysis method used for identifying part of an argument. Today, I am going to be applying and explaining the Toulmin model by analyzing “Coral Reef Microbes Point to New Way to Assess Ecosystem Health” written by Hayley Dunning. 

The first part of the Toulmin model includes the claim, the claim refers to its central assertion, this can also be called a thesis. Hayley Dunning argues that a new study shows that ocean acidification is changing microbes in coral reefs which could be widely used to assess ecosystems. 

The next part of the Toulmin model is the grounds, this can be described as a foundation/justification to which the claim depends upon. In this article, Dunning supports her idea that changing microbes in coral reefs can be used to assess ecosystems by justifying that “how ecosystems are changing in response to human activity allows predictions of their future, and how to conserve them. 

The next part of the Toulmin model is the warrant, which is the connection between the ground and claim. It must be agreed upon to be successful, and it is sometimes assumed rather than stated explicitly. In this case, the warrant is the assumption that many people do not know that reefs grow near natural carbon dioxide vents on the ocean floor. These vents can later be used to understand the changing of ecosystems such as acidification and increase of oceanic CO2 levels. 

Furthermore, the backing follows the warrant: backing refers to additional support for the warrant. It can take the form of examples or additional specific evidence. Following the paragraph that Dunning mentions CO2 vents on the ocean floor, she continues to explain how scientists measure these changes. She writes, “they used genetic sequencing and mass spectrometry to determine the microbes and metabolites present in each sample… They found that as the amount of CO2 increased, the microbes and metabolites found in the community of reef macro-organisms became more similar to those in the sediment” (Dunning). 

The next part of this model includes the qualifier, this refers to a word or phrase that adds additional complexity to the argument. For example: nearly, certainly, most generally, probably. Despite having trouble finding specific qualifiers in the article, there are many quotes that add complexity to arguments. Jake Williams states, “Intensifying human activity and the climate crisis are increasing stress on ecosystems across the globe. But we lack general and robust ways of monitoring this stress and how ecosystems are responding.” Jake Williams ensures readers that the climate crisis is increasing stress on ecosystems, thus urging readers to think about their effect on the environment. 

Lastly, the rebuttal is an acknowledgement made to invite reflection from an audience. Dunnings writes about scholars differing opinions on the use of microbes and metabolites to measure change in climate. Some disagree that this could be applicable to every single ecosystem while other scholars disagree. Jake Williams states, “ideally, these metrics shouldnt depend on what type of ecosystem you are looking at, but be applicable in every system from coral reefs to rainforests.” 

Fast Fashion’s Issues

It’s no secret that the fashion industry is not sustainable. Trends come and go and large fast fashion brands mass produce clothing with little regard for the environment. Currently, the fashion industry implements a linear model that consists of producing clothing that ultimately ends up in landfills after a few wears. This model of consumption leads to overproduction and overconsumption thus, increasing waste and destroying the environment. 

A New Model?

But there is a different model on the rise for the fashion industry! A circular model for the fashion industry consists of keeping waste and pollution out and the reuse of products and materials for as long as possible. This practice aims to create a closed-looped system to reduce waste and maximize the lifespan of products. This idea sounds great but is it truly possible for a massive industry that produces over 97 million tons of waste to adapt this new model?

Current Implementation

Some sustainable fashion brands have already introduced the idea of circulatory fashion into their production. Reformation places a high emphasis on the fact that their clothing is created from fibers that are designed for durability and longevity. Reformation even urges their customers to resell or recycle their clothes once the consumer is “done” with them to decrease waste.

Further Implementation?

Although this model is already being implemented in some fashion brands, I wonder if the fashion industry is truly capable of making this massive shift towards sustainability. Author of Sustainable Fashion Forum gives five key aspects that brands need to achieve in order to follow the circular model. “Design for Longevity and Durability: Garments are designed to be durable, timeless, and high quality, encouraging longer lifespans and reducing the need for frequent replacements. Materials and Production Methods: Emphasis is placed on using sustainable and eco-friendly materials, incorporating recycled or upcycled fabrics, and employing production methods that minimize waste and environmental impact. Extended Use and Reuse: Circular fashion encourages clothing rental, resale markets (such as second-hand stores or online platforms), and clothing swaps to extend the life of garments beyond a single owner’s use. Repair, Remake, and Recycling: Promoting repair services, encouraging consumers to mend or alter garments, and facilitating recycling or upcycling of old clothes into new products are vital elements of circular fashion.Closing the Loop: Creating systems where garments can be fully recycled or biodegrade at the end of their life cycle, minimizing landfill waste and allowing materials to be reused in new clothing or other products.”

Unfortunately, although this model seems highly appealing for those who have respect for the environment, the likelihood of large companies implementing this model is very slim. To become sustainable, brands would have to remodel their entire production system and pour money into better materials. 

“What Is Circular Fashion?” The Sustainable Fashion Forum, The Sustainable Fashion Forum, 10 Dec. 2023, www.thesustainablefashionforum.com/pages/what-is-circular-fashion. 

The first time I ever learned about black boxes was in a computer science class fall semester of my freshman year. At first, they were described to us in terms of the algorithms they were teaching us. We didn’t know enough about the way code worked for them to teach us what specifically the code did, so it’s effects were generalized, and we were told to trust it to take our inputs to get the outputs we wanted. Later, the term was expanded to mean any system that was so complex that it is nearly, or completely, impossible to understand the inner workings of. The outputs of such systems are often trusted, but it is difficult to actually determine their accuracy.

This inability to verify results from black box systems, and the decision making behind them, proves a real-world issue. My first experience looking into the issues of obfuscating processes with black boxes was in a computing ethics class I took, where I researched the use of algorithms to determine a felons risk of reoffending. These algorithmic verdicts were then used by judges as an extra piece of evidence, but due to something called “algorithmic bias” – essentially a persons tendency to trust computers even if there’s no real evidence to prove the computer is correct. This use of an algorithmic black box in the judicial decision making process unavoidably obfuscates the judicial process. This violates the defendants right to due process as there is no longer a traceable path of reasoning between the evidence and the final decision.

I’d spent a lot of time learning about black boxes, but I’d never really considered really considered what a black box would look like in a non-computing context – which I’ll admit is a bit silly considering it is essentially the exact same thing. The reading Opening the “Black Box” of Climate Change Science was my first look into the application of the idea of a black box in a wider context.

Black boxes aren’t necessarily sinister, sometimes processes are simply too complex to be understood, but when decisions involving answers from black boxes are stripped from the context that they have resulted from black boxes, that the outcome is not necessarily understood and is divorced from that context, they can become harmful. Just as they obfuscate judicial decisions, their introduction into any decision making process wherein the participants aren’t privy to the inner workings of said black box thereby makes that process opaque at best, and harmful at worst.

Black boxes in sustainability have tangible effects on sustainability. The black box of the production process means that it is difficult or nearly impossible for the everyday consumer to discern whether or not a product is actually sustainable. This obfuscation is often used at the companies benefit, allowing them to make persuasive claims as to why their product should be purchased without the consumer being able to verify them without, at the very least, researching the product a great deal. This was proved clear to all of us through our ecofriendly product reviews where we were forced to tackle the question “Are these products actually sustainable?”.

These black boxes can effect not only consumer decisions, but also ones with much more weight. Government decisions and regulations are one such, especially as they come to a vote; if the black box cannot be understood by those who are voting on the decisions, for better or for worse the outcomes they are voting for and their impacts undeniably obfuscated. This is not to say that the public should not vote in these matters, but simply a concession that must be made whenever black boxes are involved. Because the truth is if these black boxes are obfuscating the steps of a process, or is being used to purposefully hide them, and we don’t know these steps are happening, we can’t do anything to change them.

Richard D. Besel (2011) Opening the “Black Box” of Climate Change Science: Actor-Network Theory and Rhetorical Practice in Scientific Controversies, Southern Communication Journal, 76:2, 120-136, DOI: 10.1080/10417941003642403

In one of my other classes, Environmental Geoscience, we had a unit on renewable energy sources. As my research paper is about solar panels, I was naturally intrigued to see if the lecture would present new ideas about solar power I could utilize in my research paper. One slide about solar power showed this image that shows the amount of land that would have to be covered by solar panels in order to meet our global energy needs, which is 18 TWh’s per hour. TW stands for Tera-Watt hours, which is equivalent to one trillion watt hours.  A watt-hour is a unit representing the total energy supplied if a power of one watt is maintained for one hour.

The map shows the daily global solar irradiance in Watts/square meter.  I found this very interesting. Aside from being as entirely impractical as these placements are – not taking into account geographic features or existing structures – it also shows that global sustainable energy production is less out of reach than it may seem. Impractical as the image may be, the many things it doesn’t take into account actually provide a greater argument for the achievability of global sustainable energy. For one, the solar irradiance displayed on the map is what hits the earth straight on, whereas solar panels are tilted in order to better absorb sunlight. Secondly, it also only took into account 8% efficient panels, whereas todays are anywhere from 15-25% effective, meaning that the land usage would be at least 50% less if using todays panels.

Furthermore, the image doesn’t take into account existing renewable energy sources currently in place. Currently, renewable energy production accounts for 30% of our global energy production, with about 15% from hydro power, 5% from solar, 7% from wind, and about 3% from other renewable sources. Another 9% is produced by nuclear power which, while not a renewable source, is a very low carbon emitting source of energy. These already implemented renewable and low-carbon sources further cut down the land required another almost 40%.

The land estimation required to fully power the world is estimated to be about half a million square kilometers. With the reductions above factored in, the actual land required to bring global energy production to 100% sustainability is about 150,000 square kilometers which, while a very large amount of land, is not unreasonable or infeasible.

Another factor to take into consideration is location. Loster’s estimation takes into account only area, not the geographic features underneath, nor the people and ecosystems that call those places their home. It seems impossible that we could possibly spare that much land to install solar panels as such a scale, let alone that we have so much land available. However, we do have this land available. It just isn’t thousands of uninterrupted square kilometers in the middle of the desert, its all around us. Our rooftops and parking lots are prime real estate for solar installations without requiring the unnecessary development of untouched land. With parking lots covering approximately 5% of urban land in the United States, equivalent to about 13,778 square miles. Now, not every square inch of every parking lot is ideal for solar generation, but even estimating that a quarter of this land would be viable for solar production would produce a significant of energy. This alone would make a very significant impact on sustainable energy production; combined with the estimated 8 billion square meters of suitable rooftops in the United States this represents a staggering amount of land with solar potential. Expanded to the global scale, this very well could represent more than enough land to generate solar power to make non-renewable sources obsolete.

Johnson, Scott K. “A Solar Panel on Every Roof in the US? Here Are the Numbers.” Ars Technica, 16 Feb. 2018, arstechnica.com/science/2018/02/a-solar-panel-on-every-roof-in-the-us-here-are-the-numbers/.

Schrenker, Nadine. In Situ Microscopy Study on the Mechanical Integrity of Flexible Silver Nanowire Electrodes. 1 Jan. 2021

“The Overlooked Solar Power Potential of U.S. Parking Lots.” Time, 8 Dec. 2022, time.com/6239651/solar-parking-lots-france-us/.

van de Ven, Dirk-Jan, et al. “The Potential Land Requirements and Related Land Use Change Emissions of Solar Energy.” Scientific Reports, vol. 11, no. 1, 3 Feb. 2021, p. 2907, www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82042-5, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82042-5.

While looking into topics for my ecofriendly product review, I noticed a trend. While sustainable advances allow us to use otherwise unsustainable technologies more sustainably, the ideal the public often associates with them is that because they are more sustainable, they can be used more. Electric cars encourage people to drive more because they have less of an impact than regular gas powered cars. LEDs are so much more efficient than their predecessors that their environmental impact seems almost nonexistent, leading to people using them more frequently and longer than they would have other kinds of lights.  I won’t lie, I also definitely have used this mindset before; it’s very easy to fall into. This is further exacerbated by the fact that a lot of comparisons of sustainable products encourages the line of thinking that more efficient products can be used more and for the same cost as their predecessors; for example, the statistic that electric vehicles are 2.6 times more efficient at traveling a mile than gas vehicles can make a consumer come to the conclusion that they can travel 2.6 times more miles in their electric vehicle than their gas vehicle for the same environmental impact.

This is called the direct rebound effect. For example, if a new form of light promised 50% electricity efficiency, but only caused a 20% drop in electricity use, there would be a 60% rebound effect, accounting for the “missing” 30% electricity savings that the new product promised. This “missing” 30% is due to factors such as people leaving lights on longer, or people installing more lights, because they see improvements in efficiency as a way to use the lights more, instead of a way to use the lights the same way as they did, but for less environmental cost.

Many of the sustainability numbers given, like this product is x% more sustainable than y product, assume usage of the two products will be exactly the same. However, when people start seeing sustainable products as a way to do more of something for the same impact, instead of as a way to do something for less impact, the environmental benefit is lessened. While this process rarely, if ever, cancels out the benefits of more sustainable products, it means that their sustainability is never as impactful as advertised. There are five different rebound effect types.

1. Super conservation, wherein the savings are larger than expected, and therefore the rebound effect is negative.
2. Zero rebound, wherein the actual savings are equal to the savings that were expected, and the rebound effect is zero.
3. Partial rebound, where the actual savings are less than expected. The rebound effect is somewhere between zero and one. This is the most common rebound effect.
4. Full rebound, wherein the actual resource savings are equal to the increased usage. The rebound effect is one.
5. Backfire, wherein the resource savings are negative because usage increased beyond the potential amount of savings. The rebound effect is greater than one.

The first instance of this effect was discovered in 1865 when an English economist William Jevons observed that technological improvements that led to an increased efficiency of coal led to an increased consumption of coal in many industries. He came to the conclusion that technological progress could not be relied upon to reduce fuel consumption; reduced fuel consumption therefore must come through some other means. The fifth rebound effect type, backfire, is also called Jevon’s paradox.

I think this effect is very interesting. Usually, discussions of sustainability focus on the benefits alone of technological innovation. The idea that all innovations lead us to a sustainable future is unquestioned and so no conversation happens about how sustainable products must still be used responsibly in order to actually be eco-friendly.

“Rebound Effect (Conservation).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebound_effect_(conservation).

As we face growing environmental challenges, it is more important than ever to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. This shift isn’t just a large-scale policy change; it’s deeply personal and starts at home. Every choice we make—from the food we consume to the products we buy and the energy we use—has an impact that extends far beyond the environment around us. In this blog, we’ll explore practical and effective ways to integrate sustainability into our daily lives, aiming to create a ripple effect that not only benefits us but also the planet. Let’s learn about each small step to promote sustainable development.
Sustainable diet: Choosing local and plant-based foods can significantly reduce the environmental impact of your diet. Agriculture, especially meat production, is a major driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss. By choosing plant-based meals, people can help reduce these effects. Additionally, focusing on reducing food waste is crucial; the United Nations Environment Program proposes five plans for planning meals and shopping to minimize this waste.
Energy efficiency: Using energy-efficient appliances and lighting can reduce energy consumption and reduce your carbon footprint. Simple actions like using the dishwasher (which saves water compared to hand-washing) and switching to LED light bulbs can make a big difference. Investing in renewable energy, such as solar panels, can also help reduce dependence on fossil fuels​. Here are some ways to live green.
Shop sustainably: When purchasing products, prioritize quality over quantity to ensure items last longer and reduce waste. Consider buying second-hand or choosing products made from recycled or sustainable materials. Shopping locally also minimizes transport emissions and supports the local economy​.
Saving water: a long-standing topic. Simple changes people can make in their lives, such as taking shorter showers, using water-saving fixtures, and fixing leaks, can significantly reduce water use. Additionally, using filtered tap water instead of bottled water can reduce plastic waste.
Reducing Household Waste: Embrace the 5 Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot (compost). Try to avoid single-use plastics and opt for reusable or biodegradable alternatives. Composting organic waste not only reduces landfill contributions but also enriches soil ​.
Sustainable technology: Choose products and services that promote sustainability, such as cloud computing and sustainable search engines. Properly recycle lithium batteries. Recycle electronics and consider purchasing refurbished equipment to extend the life of your tech products.
Home and Garden: People can avoid environmentally harmful chemicals by using natural cleaning products like baking soda and vinegar. If you have a garden, consider drought-resistant plants like cacti and succulents to reduce water use. At the same time, people should reduce the use of chemical pesticides and use more natural pest control methods.

Embracing sustainability in daily life is not just a choice but a necessity for preserving our planet for future generations. By implementing changes like opting for sustainable diets, using energy-efficient appliances, and prioritizing waste reduction, we can significantly lower our environmental impact. It’s about making conscious decisions that respect our natural resources and promote a healthier lifestyle. Remember, the journey toward sustainability is continuous, and every small step counts. Start today, by making simple switches in your own life, and inspire others around you. The more we collectively move towards sustainable practices, the greater impact we will have in securing a vibrant and viable Earth. Together, let’s make sustainability not just an option, but a default way of life.

In this class we explored a lot of sustainability and eco-friendliness related topics and I would like to take this opportunity to show my work. My main topic of inquiry is hemp plastics. we all know that plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental problems, and plastic products have doubled in recent decades. In order to do a good research, I used different methods, firstly I listed the questions I wanted to figure out, secondly I started to use Google and Google scholar as my main search engine, and I read a lot of professional articles, collected relevant data, and also looked at relevant practical application examples. I also read a lot of professional articles to collect relevant data, and read relevant examples of practical applications.

Hemp plastic is a clean alternative to the highly polluting regular plastics, they are not made from fossil fuels, they do not produce carbon dioxide when decomposed, and most of them are biodegradable. Most of them are biodegradable, so hemp plastic can help solve the climate crisis. hemp plastic can also be used in many aspects of life. In packaging, hemp plastic has the advantage of being recycled many times over, and in the automotive industry it has the advantages of being lightweight and strong. In packaging, hemp plastic has the advantage of being recycled many times over, and in the automotive industry it has the advantages of being lightweight and strong, thus contributing to fuel efficiency, and interior door panels, dashboards, and rear parcel shelves are also made of hemp-plastic-based materials by many car manufacturers. plastic-based materials. In construction, it is stable, sound and heat insulating, will not burn or mold, and is safe from rodents and pests.

Renewable resource, biodegradability, carbon footprint, reduced dependency on fossil fuels, recycling, versatility are some of the links between hemp plastic and sustainability. SUSTAINABILITY connection, so we can know that hemp plastic has more significant environmental benefits than traditional plastics and can be used as a product of sustainable development, but but hemp can’t replace plastic completely. Firstly there are economic challenges that need to be overcome and there is a lack of necessary production facilities dedicated to hemp plastic and suitable recycling facilities. Secondly educating consumers about the benefits of hemp plastic is a must and trying to change their buying behavior to make it more sustainable. This also means that it may take many years from now before there is sufficient production capacity to circulate pure hemp plastics globally.

The book “Becoming a Writing Researcher” by Blakeslee and Fleischer provides us with the opportunity to acquire a fresh approach to writing. Despite the fact that this style is different from the most common MLA or APA prepared papers, it nonetheless assists us in writing in a manner that is profoundly logical. Write the findings of the study in the following order: introduction, outline, proposal, methods, results, and discussions. This will allow us to organize the findings appropriately. In the end, this assists us in correctly identifying the problem and the argument that we are arguing about. There is also the possibility of organizing the results of our investigation, which will finally assist us in analyzing what they imply and how we feel about them. It is not because the material is not available on the internet that we are unable to locate it at times; rather, it is because our search tactics are not very successful. For example, if you are looking for a publication that is more scholarly, you should search for it on Google Scholar. If you are looking for a specific piece of information, you should go to the homepage that is connected to data. Additionally, this style of writing is perfect for presenting presentations because it is so concise.

Throughout my previous presentations, I regularly provided ideas, arguments, and outcomes that were unclear to me because I lacked both direction and focus. In the event that I desired to utilize Ikea as an illustration to demonstrate the concept of sustainability, for instance, it would be pretty simple for me to change the focus of my project from sustainability to the history of the company. Because this was the most significant mistake I made in my “eco-friendly product review #1” project, it is not surprising that my mark was lower than it should have been. On the other side, when I gave the presentation for the final project, I was quite clear in the reasoning that I was using. I brought attention to a number of problems that needed to be investigated, and I went through a number of different approaches in order to discover answers to each of those problems. Your viewers will have an easier and more apparent time understanding your point of view.

The State Climate Office of Ohio was the location of the “Summit on Sustainability” session, which took place on October 14, 2022. Over the course of the Summit on Sustainability, which is the signature environmental conference hosted by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), industry leaders get together to discuss and share their perspectives on the topic of sustainability.

Todd Brady, in his role as Chief Sustainability Officer at Intel, is responsible for overseeing the company’s global sustainability activities in the areas of energy, water, climate change, green construction, and the circular economy. In addition to working hard to accomplish the ambitious sustainability goals that Intel has set for the year 2030, Todd’s team is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all of Intel’s global operations by the year 2040. Todd’s public affairs team is responsible for community connections, corporate volunteerism, local government affairs, local media, and sustainability at the company’s primary production and headquarters locations across the globe. These responsibilities include sustainability. It is one of those places that Ohio is.

The fact that the Sustainability Summit addresses issues such as climate change, energy, water, green buildings, and the circular economy demonstrates that a sustainable environment is comprised of a wide variety of various components. Because it addresses the interconnected aspects of sustainable development and ensures that initiatives are not carried out in isolation but rather in collaboration with one another, this holistic approach is absolutely necessary. In order to guarantee the availability of resources over an extended period of time, for example, economic development must take into consideration the concept of environmental conservation. Increasing the resilience of a community, a country, or even a global system can be accomplished through the implementation of a complete sustainable development strategy. Social stability and equity are also beneficial to the health of the environment and the economy.

Summit on Sustainability

The first time I remember the concept of sustainability was in junior high school, when there was an English article about avoiding the use of plastics as much as possible, because traditional plastics are not biodegradable. At that time, my school focused on teaching to the test, and they didn’t care if students really understood what “sustainability” was, they only cared about whether students could memorize a whole English article and write down a word without spelling it wrong. We don’t think on our own, we don’t work on our own projects, and we have to follow what the textbook tells us. I have also tried to ask what “sustainability” is. But the answer I got was always “you don’t need to know what it is now, you just need to know how to spell sustainable”.

The second time I learned the word “sustainable” was when I was already in college. However, my lack of critical thinking, independent thinking, and even self-study over the years has made me not stand out among many Native American students, but I am still happy to have had the opportunity to continue my studies. In my opinion, simply put, sustainability is about making our planet function in a healthy way for a longer period of time, so there are many aspects involved. Examples include plastic pollution, species extinction, and extreme changes in climate. As Julia B. Corbett explains in “The Formation of Environmental Beliefs,” our environmental beliefs are shaped by a complex combination of personal and social influences. These beliefs determine how we perceive and interact with the natural world and influence our actions toward it. She argues that the way a person relates to the environment when they are still a child largely determines their attitude towards the environment later in life, but that this attitude evolves over time through personal experiences and social influences. Therefore a proper guidance is very important.

I think I have a strong sense of environmental protection, but I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching over the past few months while working on the project, and I don’t think I’ve done a very good job in this aspect of sustainable development. In other words, I don’t know how to do it. For example, when I buy furniture I don’t research what the item is made of. Another example is that exhaust fumes from gasoline vehicles are bad for the environment, but when I drive my own car I don’t care if it emits more exhaust fumes. It’s kind of sad I think, but I’m sure from now on I’ll grow to be conscious of whether something is environmentally sustainable or not.