This week I continued posting on iSeeChange: The Almanac and also noted the weather. The week started off sunny and pretty warm but as the week went by it got really cold. Its starting to feel like November as we are experiencing average November weather. The temperatures for the week were relatively in 50s but on most days it was windy making it feel cooler. As expected the days seem darker and gloomier. Winter is definitely around the corner.
This week I did some more research on nuclear power. I might work on a pamphlet on some topics we could discuss and some information we could use. However, I might not use the pamphlet as that might create a bias in the discussion/debate. Regardless, it is good to have the information organized.
Some of the information that I learned are:
In a debate concerning NP hosted by The Economist Magazine , almost 2/3 of the people said no to expanding on NP.
Apparently the technology is read for the market. However, I believe that NP needs more research on waste disposal. If we can figure out how to eradicate the waste efficiently, then it may bring NP to the forefront of the energy production industry.
It poses a huge target for terrorism. I found this very frightening as another three mile island incident can scar the image of NP in the U.S.
Uranium is also limited in supply. In addition, majority of known uranium around the world lies under land controlled by tribes or indigenous peoples who don’t support it being mined from the earth.
On Friday, Patrick and I visited Central Park for a few hours primarily to explore the invertebrate wildlife. It didn’t seem to be going well at first but once we lifted a piece a bark off a tree and found spider eggs, we knew there was still more to find. It then seemed like a better idea to go where there were less people setting up for the NYC Marathon. After circumnavigating part of the lake by Strawberry Fields, we decided to start digging in order to find bugs. We carried a few paper cups to catch them. The first thing we found was a sow bug, as Patrick had later found out, which looks like a pill bug. This first find seemed alone so we then moved to a different area and found that whenever we pushed aside enough leaves, we would spot a handful of bugs; either centipedes, worms, a lady bug more sow bugs etc. Patrick luckily agreed to take the creepy crawlers home, since my mom was not too happy to have those in the house.
The group is planning to either go to Central Park or Prospect Park in order to find and photograph invertebrates to research. Timing is crucial since it is getting colder and more bugs are hiding away for the winter. This prompted the question of where bugs go in the winter. The answer I found on Google indicated that some migrate like birds while some hide out either in an immature form (pupae, larvae, etc.) or in an active form.
Malka Niknamfard
Professor Adams
Chapter 7 of Surrounded by Science discusses the concept of the accessibility of informal science opportunities to various different cultures and languages. Although it is commonly know that English is the primary language spoken in the United States, it is often easy to overlook the idea that America is known as the great “Melting Pot’ due to its diversity of different races, religions, ethnicities, and cultures. The variety of different cultures is particularly seen in New York, as it is virtually impossible to walk down the streets of Manhattan without noticing the eclectic diversity that New York City harbors.
It is rather upsetting to think that hundreds of thousands of ‘non-dominant’ Americans are unable to enjoy and benefit from the various informal science opportunities that America provides- whether it be museums, national parks, or exhibits. As the daughter of two people who emigrated from Iran as a result of the Iranian Revolution, I witness first hand how both culture and language barriers have prevented my parents from not only assimilating more into American society, but have also hindered their ability to participate and engage in common informal activities.
Another group of ‘non-dominant’ Americans who exhibit interest in informal science projects but are unfortunately unable to experience them are those who lack the monetary means necessary to attend museums and other informal science opportunities. This reminded me of an article that I read that stated that high school students who had the means to afford SAT tutors were rewarded with coveted college seats merely because they were able to afford help in advancing their education, while students who were just as smart did not score as high because they were unable to afford students.
It is crucial to ensure that informal science opportunities are accessible to all people, regardless of there age, race, ethnicity, preferable language, and financial standing. To increase informal science accessibility in order to accommodate all types of people (including those who fall into ‘non-dominant’ groups) more informal science projects should be free of charge. In addition, museums and other visual scientific exhibits should convey their information using multilingual systems so that no language barriers would prevent people from enjoying and learning about science in a stress-free, interesting, and hands on learning environment.
The indigenous knowledge texts are not posted in in the readings. Each person should choose and read one while making sure that both articles are read in your group.
Chapter 7 of surrounded by science covers the topic of culture, diversity, and equity of informal science learning. Some non-dominating groups or cultures feel out of place when visiting certain types of informal science establishments, such as art exhibits and historical museums. Sometimes, the issue stems from a more financial aspect. To promote “equity” in these settings, some museums have initiated a reduced-cost admission for those who may not be able to afford the high museum prices or adding more languages to the signs and labels of an exhibition, as stated in the chapter.
While I have never took a step back and realized that this may be a problem for some people who do not have the opportunities that the more fortunate do have, after reading some points from the chapter, it does appear to be an important issue that should be taken into great consideration. The case study that was conducted by changing the text in Museum exhibit from English to Vietnamese was proven to be successful when more Vietnamese people started to visit.
It is great to make sure that opportunities are open to people of all cultural and financial backgrounds and that science can be explored by every single person who is genuinely interested.
Chapter 4 of the NPS report discusses the balance between natural resource management of Jamaica Bay and the demands of an urban population. The text leads one to infer that there is some kind of Jamaica Bay “way of life” and that some individuals have shaped their identity around the use of the Bay’s resources. Indeed, local communities exist that have made wide use of the Bay and are now working as protectors of the Bay against pollution and habitat decay. Some individuals have even based their livelihood on Jamaica Bay’s waters and shores. The chapter continues with several anecdotes to illustrate how the Jamaica Bay has been absolutely vital to the welfare and livelihoods of several individuals from the mid-1800s to the present day.
The report concedes that because of environmental regulations and demographic change, there are few people making their livelihood directly from the Bay. In fact, a 1996 New York Times article found just 5 commercial fishermen. A particular individual, Larry Seeman Jr., anticipates that soon the way of life on the water will be lost. His knowledge of the ecology in the Jamaica Bay makes him quiet the citizen scientist, and his love for fishing, he feels, has improved his way of life above those of his friends who go to work hating their jobs. He hopes that he could establish a relationship with the Park to allow him to fish without persecution, and perhaps even to establish a permit system for commercial fishermen.
The trend seems to flow more toward recreational use of the Bay, such as kayaking, paddle boarding, and wind-surfing. In addition, several organizations have moved to protect the Bay against pollution and harm created by industrial or commercial interests. The chapter concludes by suggesting that the ‘people of the Bay’ are not a vanishing culture, but a different one.
As a frequent visitor to NYC’s parks, I have never considered the Jamaica Bay. Instead, I have spent much too much time in Prospect Park and Fort Greene Park, and occasionally Central Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and Corona Park. I also frequent the city’s waterfronts, especially the Bath Beach boardwalk, the Promenade, and Brighton Beach. It amazes me that so much effort has been put into researching the various ways that NYC residents interact with Jamaica Bay, taking into account how little publicity it gets in comparison to the other parks and waterfronts. Perhaps increased interest in the Bay will help further the mission of various organizations to prevent danger to the environment and increase the benefit that residents get from the Bay.
I began posting onto the Almanac this week. The website is really interesting and also sends notifcations to others in the area, regarding your post and also about similar posts. This way we are able to see what other people are also saying about the change in weather and the weather patterns that they observe in their own neighborhood.
Regarding the weather, one major change that is extremely noticeable is the sudden drop in temperature. The air is much more crisp and the there is a cold breeze that reminds us that autumn has finally arrived. For many days it was warm and the weather was very unusual and unlikely for fall weather. But this week, the change in the colors of the leaves and the chapped lips, reminds us that it is now autumn and as we approach the end of October winter is very close-by. Furthermore, this weather change was very drastic and very unpredictable. Usually once October arrives the temperatures are in the high 40s to low 50s for most of the month. However, we have been experiencing really warm weather, very similar to that of spring, in New York City and Brooklyn, which is very unusual for this time of year. For this reason, this week of October came as shock as we were not prepared for the cold weather and sudden drop in temperature.
In addition, the days are much shorter and the nights are also very chilly as well. Sunset is as early as 6 nowadays, also expected as a result of the rotation of the earth around the sun. I think that the weather will remain like this for most of November and we can expect a very cold winter.
The selected chapters from Jamaica Bay Ethnographic Overview and Assessment by William Kornblum and Kristen Van Hooreweghe highlights Jamaica Bay’s centrality to many religious and cultural rituals. Before delving into the cultural and religious connection, an overview of the demographic, economic, and educational history of the area is made. I learned that immigration is a big factor in the area, as the 2008 census notes that 40 percent of the residents in the watershed area were immigrants. It was also brought to my attention the high levels of educational attainment that exist in the area. However, I was most highly intrigued and fascinated to learn about the various religious rituals that are performed along Jamaica Bay.
The Hindu population in the area plays a dominating role in this phenomenon. As water is viewed as a primordial spiritual symbol, “ayana of nara” (124), as is noted in chapter 5, water is used as a vessel in many Hindu religious practices. For instance, it is essential in cremation ceremonies as this is a way of returning the deceased being to the elements of earth from which he/she was created. Hinduism also places a major focus on attaining purity, thus the water in the bay is used to cleanse individuals both spiritually and physically. The conflict between culture and science arises in Hindu people’s regular prayer services and religious rituals known as pujas, where the offerings are then placed in the water. The offerings consist of rice, cloth, flowers, fruits, and statues, amongst others. These offerings end up washing up on the shore, as they then pose a threat to the ecological and environmental health of the area. Thus, NPS officials have launched initiatives to educate the Hindu public about the do’s and don’ts of leaving offerings behind on the beach. NPS officials visit local temples to inform community members of the park’s rules and regulations. This represents a major conflict to the Hindu devotees as they interpret their scripture as necessitating the leaving of these offerings in the natural flowing bodies of water. However, religious leaders in the community are taking in active role to amend this issue as they are working together with NPS to stop the pollution in the area. In fact, religious rules have been amended, allowing for individuals to dip the offerings in the water seven times and then bury it in the ground or give it to charity. This represents a major progress in the movement to reconcile the growing conflict between culture and science in the area.
The reading that dealt with the connection of Jewish rituals to the water in the Jamaica Bay area related to me most as I have been involved with many of the religious rituals mentioned. For instance, the practice of Taschlikh is something that I do with my family in the time period between Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. The ceremony requires us to sprinkle pieces of bread into a body of water containing fish, while reciting a blessing. This is a way of absolving ourselves of the sins committed in the prior year. Having this religious ritual in mind as I did the reading, I was able to relate to the Hindu culture, despite its great disparities to my own. I understood the conflict that the Hindus faced as they were told to forgo a fundamental aspect of their highly valued pujas. I wondered what I would do if I were told one year that Jews were now not to throw bread crumbs in the water, but rather symbolically throw them in. Would I feel like my religious observance was complete in that ritual? If I were told of a new discovered harm that this posed on the fresh ecosystem of the water source, would I forgo my indigenous knowledge ebbing me to release the breadcrumbs, or rather amend it to meet the newly changed circumstance? All this thought into the conflict between culture and land management policy got me into researching whether Taschlikh truly did harm or pollute the environment in any way. I came to find that white bread was in actuality harmful to the fish and ducks that typically inhabit the Sheepshead Bay area where I perform the ritual. That really got me thinking. When next September rolled around, would I allow this newfound challenge to my indigenous knowledge alter this religious ritual. And to what extent? Essentially, through this reflection, I was able to fully grapple with the notion of scientific conflict to indigenous knowledge and well-established cultural rituals.
