Alyssa Wright

The fact of just how much ONE person alone can reduce their energy costs to help the planet conserve its natural resources more. The changes I will be making to my apartment within the next couple of months are switching from iridescent light bulbs to LED light bulbs, lowering down my thermostat while I am away, and unplugging my outlets and power strips while I am gone to reduce the amount of my electric bill and pulling the shades down during the day and night to reduce the sun from coming in so the air conditioner will not have to work as hard.

Without balance in sustainability, climate change would become worse. Animals would more than likely become extinct. We would not have a way to access food and water, as these resources would also cease to exist if a balance was not being met within sustainability.

I saw trees along the trail of the Riverdale Park in Sioux Falls. I heard the sound of crickets and the voices of the bicyclists going past me as I was walking the trail. I smelled the smell of the Big Sioux River. While I was at Riverdale Park, I touched the bridge which felt rough and a bit cold. I also touched a concrete slab down on the trail which was also cold.

How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going? Notes from America with Kai Wright. I learned that American people are starting to become scared to live in America. Many thought President Obama was going to alleviate at least some of the racial concerns of the country while in his two terms he served, but according to some, he did not alleviate any racial concerns. These Americans were ready for Trump to take office instead as this podcast was first made in September 2016, before the election started that year to elect Trump. I do agree with Patty when she said that she does not like the word minority as everyone is an American, this was great that she added this opinion of hers into the first podcast. Patty becomes very emotional during this podcast regarding her own experiences throughout her life, including one of her son’s addiction to drugs. Second to speak on the podcast was Lenny. Due to her husband being an immigrant but living in Long Island, he one day got arrested for being accused of a fake driver’s license and later found out about his prior criminal history. Overall, what I learned from this podcast is that racial tensions are still very high today and we need to find a way to alleviate or at least reduce racial tension.

Yes, since I am a spiritual person, I enjoy spending most of my time outdoors when I can! The implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors would be a lack of vitamin D, higher rates of depression, weight gain since you won’t be engaging in physical activity.