Cycles
Carbon Cycle:
Carbon (C) is the basis of life on earth, majority of living organisms on earth are carbon based meaning they need it to survive. Earth only a limited amount of carbon in the world, but it is continuously recycles and reused. Plants are a good example of recyclers of carbon in the world. Plants have this process called ʻphotosynthesisʻ which allows them to take the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and combine it with water. While using the energy from the sun, this allows plants to create sugars and oxygen molecules, and every creature in the world uses the sugars and starches created by plants. Animals eat plants to get all the nutrients, sugars, and starches from the plants, from that point energy is created from the animal (water and carbon dioxide). The energy from the animal returns to the atmosphere and begins the cycle again.
Oxygen Cycle:
Oxygen is constantly being used throughout different systems in earth. Plants are the main creators of oxygen in the world through the process of "photosynthesis". Trees use sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce energy and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. Then other creatures such as animals and humans breathe in the oxygen from the tree and breathe out carbon dioxide, then everything goes back in the cycle.
Carbon (C) is the basis of life on earth, majority of living organisms on earth are carbon based meaning they need it to survive. Earth only a limited amount of carbon in the world, but it is continuously recycles and reused. Plants are a good example of recyclers of carbon in the world. Plants have this process called ʻphotosynthesisʻ which allows them to take the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and combine it with water. While using the energy from the sun, this allows plants to create sugars and oxygen molecules, and every creature in the world uses the sugars and starches created by plants. Animals eat plants to get all the nutrients, sugars, and starches from the plants, from that point energy is created from the animal (water and carbon dioxide). The energy from the animal returns to the atmosphere and begins the cycle again.
Oxygen Cycle:
Oxygen is constantly being used throughout different systems in earth. Plants are the main creators of oxygen in the world through the process of "photosynthesis". Trees use sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce energy and release oxygen back into the atmosphere. Then other creatures such as animals and humans breathe in the oxygen from the tree and breathe out carbon dioxide, then everything goes back in the cycle.
Food diary!
Food Journal: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1JUaevYoXQ73Uh2TvoAH2r8vEcv1w7H48mO_9KhAp3GA/edit#responses
Food Analysis
Our class was given the task to create a food journal to keep track of the food we intake throughout about 3 weeks. After each meal, dessert, and even snack we took a little survey that noted if it was organic, locally sourced, and processed. After this trial everyone in class compared food journals, the different percentages for each sector of the survey. Weʻve come to the conclusion that majority of our foods were processed and not so much locally sources. Reflecting on this trial this made me think more about the food thatʻs available to us. In Hawai'i most of the foods sold in the supermarkets are imported from somewhere else, very little to none of the products are locally sourced. Itʻs kinda interesting that we have the ability to grow and produce our own crops here in Hawai'i, and yet we rely more on getting everything from somewhere else. If more people were aware about this issue I can only imagine the number of people that would start growing their own food.
Our class was given the task to create a food journal to keep track of the food we intake throughout about 3 weeks. After each meal, dessert, and even snack we took a little survey that noted if it was organic, locally sourced, and processed. After this trial everyone in class compared food journals, the different percentages for each sector of the survey. Weʻve come to the conclusion that majority of our foods were processed and not so much locally sources. Reflecting on this trial this made me think more about the food thatʻs available to us. In Hawai'i most of the foods sold in the supermarkets are imported from somewhere else, very little to none of the products are locally sourced. Itʻs kinda interesting that we have the ability to grow and produce our own crops here in Hawai'i, and yet we rely more on getting everything from somewhere else. If more people were aware about this issue I can only imagine the number of people that would start growing their own food.
Food production
The lesson for this quarter was the idea of foos security and sovereignty. Looking back at our food journals and analysis this made us talk more about Hawaii food security, how most of our food comes from other places around the world. If the food products just suddenly stopped coming we would only have a limited amount of supply here. Food prices would increase due to sudden stop of food coming. The only way we can ensure our food sustainability is being able to grow our food here in Hawaii, rather than being dependent on other places to send us goods. Another way we can do this is by being more aware of this idea of food security, not many people grow their own plants. I think if we were all aware about the importance of being able to grow our food, we could be dependent on ourselves.
Outdoor systems: Outdoor aquaponics!
Our class was divided into groups that are responsible for a system, for example a aquaponics system, and a hydroponics system. For this assignment my group was responsible for an outdoors hydroponics system, more specifically a hydroponics tower. Hydroponics system is a way of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid with added nutrients but all without soil. The way it works is theres a tank at the bottom of the tower and that engines the water and plant food and pushes it up to the top so all the water and nutrients flows down the tower into the plants tiny cubicles. Some of the plants weʻre growing is Manoa Cabbage, Ka'ala Cauliflower and green onion.
Update: So far the only thing thatʻs growing in our hydroponic system is the Manoa cabbage, everything else is either dormant or dying. One thing that could be affecting its growth is the amount of sunlight its getting, three sides of our tower gets more sunlight then the other.
Update: So far the only thing thatʻs growing in our hydroponic system is the Manoa cabbage, everything else is either dormant or dying. One thing that could be affecting its growth is the amount of sunlight its getting, three sides of our tower gets more sunlight then the other.