Liz Valdes Blog #2

Blog Post #2 (Climate Change, Gender Inequality, & Infrastructure)

        For this blog post I’m going to be discussing the different topics that were presented. Starting off with Group 3 which opened the floor to the subject of Climate change. I’m not going to lie this is a very scary thing to talk about for my generation. I feel like we were given unfortunate circumstances that we must try and resolve for our own survival. For instance, global warming which is the elevated temperature in our planet’s atmosphere caused by increased levels of greenhouse gasses, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants that are trapped in our ozone layer. A major cause for these contaminants includes the burning of fossil fuels (which is not a reusable energy source), for electricity, gasoline for transportation, and agriculture.

     

       Although, we are trying our best to convert to more eco-friendly options. I’m afraid the clock is not on our side for this time sensitive fight (saving our planet and species). The year 2020 was reported to be number two in warmness (Dahlman, 2021). Since 2005, approximately 10 new warmest records have been documented (Dahlman, 2021). This data should be eye-opening anyway. As constant consumers of these harmful substances… I like to ask myself what we can do better or change in our routines to improve our chances of remnant.

        For example, instead of burning fossil fuels for electricity, people can convert to buying solar panels (renewable energy) for their homes. This is in fact an investment people can do, but in the long haul you will be saving money on your electricity bill. Another example is switching to an electric vehicle. I know this is a tough choice for most. We are not accustomed to the idea of not having to pump gas. Typically, charging an electric car is less costly than pumping gas today; especially with the inflation going on right now. Eating less meat and or consuming the food you buy can also help decrease global warming. Annually about 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are associated with agriculture and food production (Hersher and Aubrey, 2019). Lastly, the most important point will be educating others. Keeping the conversation alive; not letting others be ignorant of the situation.

        Moving on to the second issue at hand which is gender inequality. This topic hits very close to home because of my obvious gender. I’ve always been very passionate to understand why there is such a discrepancy between both sexes. To begin with why it is that we are paid less than men for the same work. I find this offensive to say the least; why do I acquire the same educational level as my male counterpart and make less than him? What does my ethnicity and race have to do with my level of competence in the workplace? I am a Hispanic woman. This means I’ll make just $0.54 of a $1.00 compared to my white male co-worker. This statistic may even be inaccurate because this pay is also affected by my birthplace and or country.

        Something else I would like to bring up is the stereotypes between both genders. Why is it that both males and females are placed in labels or gender role boxes?  Why are women seen as “emotional”, “dependent”, or simply told “to act like a lady”, while males are characterized as “providers” and taught never to show their emotions; to be “tough”. This idea of toxic masculinity that exists is just detrimental to anyone’s mental health. Anyone should be able to openly express their sentiments. Why is it that today some men feel threatened by the idea of their partner making more money than them? These are all questions I like to ask myself. All in all, serious reformation must be made! These clichés are harmful and very old.

  

        Hearing about the possible change in legislation to women's bodies is especially frustrating! A very popular topic of choice is abolishing safe abortions. I think it's so sad that during the 21st century instead of progressing we are slowly returning to older times. I think it is a woman's choice and only a woman's choice when it comes to making such a hard decision. I think everyone knows what is best for their individualized situation. No one should have a right especially not a man (which most politicians) trying to abolish safe abortions are... to tell a woman what she is able to do with her body. I love how most people say, "you can always put the child up for adoption or foster care", but the sad reality is most of those children never get adopted and are placed in a system that needs reformation itself. I stand with MY BODY, MY CHOICE!  And God forbid you tell a man to get a vasectomy.

        The final presentation Group one talked about was infrastructure. Infrastructure is everything that surrounds us.  From your home to the school you attend, to the place you go with your friends to hang out, to the very road that takes you places, it is the architecture that was planned and executed so one can move around and enjoy. Which just makes it even more despairing to hear about the tragedies that happen due to others greediness. The most recent ones I’ve heard about have been the surf-side incident as well as the FIU bridge. When I heard about these events, I can truly say I was shocked. We live in America, a first-world country, where most likely say the “best” event. We have so many advancements with our technologies and still these occurrences happen. The FIU bridge for instance, where engineers had confirmed cracks in the infrastructure and still the city allowed people to use it as a mode of transportation. Speechless. The surf-side building collapsed, where engineers warned of “structural damage” that required immediate repairs (Schwartz & Mann, 2021). Yet again, people were allowed to live in these buildings. The only conclusion I can come up with is pure selfishness, money-hungry city officials and landlords, and uncaring people.

    I have a personal experience related to poor infrastructure problems. As some of you may know, I was born in Havana, Cuba. A country under the rule of a dictatorship, where a lot of people are living in unsafe conditions because they lack the basic money needed to simply live. When I was 4 years old, I was rushed to the emergency department of the hospital in a police car due to the roof of my house falling on me. I know you must be wondering what the probability of such an event occurring is; I guess I’m just that unlucky. I later spent a month and a half recovering from the injuries. To this day, I still have a very small scar on my left eyebrow and a couple on my scalp to prove it. In brief, I think change is needed in the topics discussed and others we didn’t have the possibilities of talking about. I hope y'all stay safe and healthy! See you in the next blog.