Mark Drewniak

After I have changed these lightbulbs, I think I am going to learn more about energy production next.  I want to learn more about how we get the power that we use.  I also want to learn about what is the best way to generate that power.  What form is best for long term growth and reliability.  I have come to find out that most people have no idea how that lightbulb gets the power to produce light.  I do not want to be that person, so I am going to learn more about energy production.  

I have noticed that when it is nicer outside there are more people walking their dogs but if it is not that nice out then there are still people walking around but there are less dogs.  It seems that people try to protect their animals from the bad weather even though they themselves still go for walks.  When I walked around to do this challenge, I took my dog with me which has been fun.  I have enjoyed walking more with my dog and I believe that it has made us closer.  My dog loves to sniff and “mark his territory” on everything, which I’m sure he thinks is legally binding.  Some infrastructure changes that would make my walk more enjoyable would be to add a few more benches, since I walk either on the sidewalks or the road it tires out my dog so if there were some spots where we could sit, and he could rest for a little bit would be great.  Also, I’m sure that other people could enjoy the benches as well.  

After spending a little time learning about this type of energy production, I am interested in learning more about it.  I am fascinated about how this can be used to make power or to heat people’s houses.  I think this would be a great way to generate power.  I think it should be investigated further for developing countries to avoid them from using coal or other fossil fuels.  Maybe this is something that the UN could help developing countries with.  Since countries that have to use fossil fuels that don’t have a large deposit of it can cause problems with both foreign influences (with the price of oil) and local social problems (they might become too dependent on another nation) but if they invest in geothermal then they will always have power without having to deal with the changes in oil prices or foreign influences.  I am going to keep looking into this subject and see if there are any companies that are working in this field that I might be able to invest in.

My vision of a sustainable community looks a lot like a sustainable homestead.  Everyone has a small house with either solar panels on the roof of the house or a water wheel in a nearby stream for power.  Everyone as a large yard with a well and planting boxes to grow their food along with a few animals for meat.  This way the trees and land around them negates the small amount of methane that the animals give off.  Along with a compost bin for the small amount of trash that we create so that it can be used to help grow the next years food.  With just a courthouse and a few other community centers, like bars or restaurants or markets, etc., for people to come together and socialize after all their work was done.  For this to become a reality people would have to want to consume less and be willing to live closer to the planet and give up some of their free time.  Unfortunately, too many people today don’t want to be close to the planet, with the saying, “Why can’t nature be inside?” being almost second nature to most people which is a shame.  That is my utopic vision of a sustainable community.