ENVS01_Siegel

Food production was really interesting to learn about this week because I never really realized just how connected food is to the environment. Before this lecture was done, I mostly thought about food in terms of basic things like its taste, price, and how healthy it was, but now I see that the way food is produced can affect water, climate change, pollution, and biodiversity. One thing that really stood out to me was how industrialized agriculture uses around 70% of freshwater worldwide and creates a large amount of greenhouse gas emissions. That surprised me because I did not think farming had such a huge environmental impact. I also thought the discussion about food insecurity was important. It is strange that millions of people do not have enough food while billions of others suffer health problems from overeating. It made me realize that the food problems are not only about production, but also about poverty and access. I connected this topic to my own life because my family trie...

 For this weeks topic on solid and hazardous waste I started to think more about my daily life. Before this I did not think too much about where my garbage went. I knew it was sent to landfills but was not aware of how landfills actually work. from lecture I learned that waste actually builds up in landfills and can stay there for years, even hundreds of years in the case of plastics.One thing that stood out to me was how much waste we produce as individuals. In California, people generate around 6 pounds of waste per day, which is actually a very large amount when you think about it over a year. It made me reflect on my own habits, especially how often I use single-use plastics like water bottles or takeout containers. I never really questioned it before, but now I feel like I should be more aware. Another part that impacted me was learning about hazardous wastes affects on human health. Things like cleaning products, batteries, and electronics can be toxic if not dispo...