Erik Buckingham                                                       approximately 150 words

ekb7@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Science Writing

“Whisper of the Wild” Summary and Analysis

By: Erik Buckingham

            In “Whisper of the Wild,” Kim Tingley explores Denali National Park, searching for an area containing non-human made sound. This human-less sound that she searches for is an integral part of a popular new study called soundscape ecology. She states the sounds that we can find in nature without human interference include the “tiny gurgle of an ice cave” and “an escalating rumble of an avalanche.”

Sound catcher David Betchkal states in “Whisper of the Wilderness” that we have to learn how to produce sounds of nature ourselves before we appreciate them, such as the “krrrp krrrrp” sound of wood frogs. This reminded me of when I played the saxophone. My teacher would make us produce the sounds that the instrument made before we actually blew into the instrument. I think that this experience would intertwine with Betchkal’s in a writing piece in that we both are trying to produce sounds that traditionally come from non-humans/objects.

Robert Romano                                                           Approximately 200 words

10/26/16

Intd: Science Writing

Gaza is a country situated between the countries of Israel and Palestine and is greatly suffering from lack of freshwater supply. Gaza does not have a lot of freshwater because the country is forced to dump tons of sewage into the Mediterranean Sea, which then pollutes their aquifer. The aquifer is the country’s main water supply and the raw sewage is contaminating the water with many dangerous microorganisms and parasites. The water crisis is so bad that 26% of disease in Gaza is related to contaminated water. Gaza is reaching out to Israel for help, but Israel is refusing because Israel is afraid that Gaza will try to build tunnels to carry out deadly terrorist attacks.

I found this piece to be very intriguing and I was curious to why Gaza was acting so reliant on Israel. I personally think that Gaza must find new ways to get funding and electricity, instead of relying on a country that they are in conflict with. This piece is a great message to the entire world because it is telling us that if we keep disregarding our planet and destroying its natural resources, every country will eventually have limited resources just like Gaza.

Daniel Biskup                                                    Approx. words

INTD 105

Djb29@geneseo.edu

10/26/16

Glausiusz’s piece describes how Gaza’s sewage treatment crisis is suffering directly from their conflict with Israel. In recent years, Gaza has faced a problem in both their sewage treatment and water treatment creating issues in both agriculture and public health. Due to their lack of resources Gaza has been unable to treat their sewage and has been forced to dump it directly into the sea. Unfortunately, this contaminated sea water has also managed to enter Gaza’s aquifer, which is their main source of drinking water. Thus, the drinking water has become salinated and contaminated, causing disease in many of Gaza’s residence, as well as salinated sewage, which cannot be treated to create fertilizer. Gaza can solve this issue if only Israel trusted enough to allow the resources that Gaza needs across the border. However, these resources can also be used for warfare, which is why Israel refuses to. This piece reminds me of the water crisis as it relates to the entire world an how much of it could be solved if resources and research were able to easily move, instead of being stopped by conflict and competition.

Will Gerber About 150 words

10 MacVittie Circle

Geneseo, New York 14454

(315) 250-9687

wrg1@geneseo.edu

Josie Glausiusz’ “Land Divided, Coast United”

By Will Gerber

In her article “Land Divided, Coast United,” Josie Glausiusz describes Gaza’s need for upgraded water treatment facilities. She illustrates the impact of Israel’s restrictions on what can and can’t be brought into the state. Israel restricts many of the materials needed to build an effective treatment facility out of fear that they could be used to build weapons to harm the country. Despite this, without effective water treatment capabilities, Gaza will end up polluting the same water source that Israelis pull from, endangering their own country.

This article disheartens me. Of course I am bothered by the conflict, but I’m saddened that the only probable resolution is one that directly benefits the oppressor. Rather than aiding Palestine for the welfare of the Palestinian people, Israel will be forced to allow them basic necessities to protect themselves. This reminds me of the pollution of the Grasse river in my hometown, Massena NY.

Robert Romano

10/24/16

Intd: Science Writing

Approximately 200 words

The Clan of One Breasted Women

The family of Terry Tempest Williams was severely crippled by the devastating disease of breast cancer and Williams did not know why breast cancer was killing her family. The government was testing nuclear bombs near her town and the radiation was having devastating effects on the town. Eventually, a lawsuit was filed against the government, but the government pleaded for “sovereign immunity,” which meant that the king can do no wrong. Williams was raised as a Mormon and a big law in her family was to not ask questions or “not to rock the boat.” Finally, after William’s father had confirmed that a flash of light that Williams had saw was a bomb being tested, she knew it was time to speak up. She did this by writing a book, The Refuge, and in March 1988 she crossed the Nevada Test Site line and entered the town of Mercury.

I can relate to the experiences of Williams because I witnessed a couple of my family members pass away from the disastrous effects of smoking cigarettes. I can relate to her because when my family members smoked, cigarettes were not yet known to the public as harmful carcinogens.

   Erik Buckingham                                                    approximately  200 words

SUNY Genseoo

INTD 105: Science Writing

ekb7@geneseo.edu

“Thoughts on ‘Land Divided, Coast United'”

By: Erik Buckingham

In “Land Divided, Coast United”, Josie Glausiusz describes the harsh conditions of those living in Gaza, an area facing a water and sewage crisis. She explains how Israel and Hama have been clash repeatedly over the water utility in Gaza.  Both Hama and Israel share the Gaza strip and the 90,000 cubic meters of raw or partially treated sewage, which is eventually emptied out into the Mediterranean Sea, affecting beaches that children play on (Glausiusz, 2).

Both countries are struggling to resolve these issues because of a blockade by Israeli forces, which prevents not only war materials but also water sanitation materials from being transported to Hama. Fortunately, an organization called Eco Peace has brought together environmental activists from Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian territories to work together to bring clean water to the Gaza strip.

I think that Eco Peace is an example as to how everyday people from differing countries can come together to rise above a government that is stubborn and uncompromising. This company is focusing on the people affecting by dirty water, who are being affecting by worms and protozoa, instead of focusing on the grudge that the Israeli government has with Hama.

Jason Gerbsch                                                             Approximately 200 words

jg33@geneseo.edu

INTD 105: Science Writing

The main topic of the article concerns the crisis Palestine is encountering involving water and sewage.  Waste treatment in Gaza City was designed to treat up to 40,000 cubic meters of sewage per day.  However, the actual amount produced exceeds that, measuring about 150,000 cubic meters of sewage.  The only solution has been to dump the excess into the Mediterranean Sea.  In doing so, the largest supply of water is threatened, not only for Palestine, but for Israel as well.  Palestine has the potential means of solving this problem, but the materials required to do so have been withheld by Israel after a tunnel was discovered built by Hamas to infiltrate the country.

After reading the article, I understand Israel’s fears of giving Palestine materials that could serve a dual purpose of war and peace construction, but I feel that Israel should set aside this rather staunch stance in favor of one that could benefit millions of people.  By providing the necessary materials and the extra electricity required, Israel could improve the lives of millions of Palestinians, safeguard the future of both Palestine’s and Israel’s main water supply, and possibly improve Palestinian-Israeli relations through such a humanitarian action.

Paul Weissfellner

Dr. Fenn

INTF 105-19: Science Writing

October 26, 2016

Land Divided, Coast United

In her article “Land Divided, Coast United,” Josie Glausiusz gives the reader a brief introduction to Gaza’s water and sewage crisis. She focuses on the struggles faced by the individuals responsible for maintaining the water and sewage treatment systems while also providing background about how the situation reached where it is today and factors that prevent it from improving. A blockade by Israeli forces prevents many materials, including those needed to repair and improve infrastructure and to treat sewage, from entering the Gaza strip because they could also be used by terrorists to launch attacks against Israel. One thing that really spoke to me was her repeated calls for cooperation between Israel and Gaza to fix these issues. Israel, historically, has been a global leader in purifying water and making it usable. For 5 months, I lived in a small community in the middle of the desert, about 50 km from the Gaza border, and saw the results of Israeli irrigation and water purification techniques: grass, trees, and acres of olive orchards, all irrigated by brackish water drawn from beneath the ground. Israeli-Gazan cooperation with regards to water would be a powerful thing, able to provide access to cleaner water and a higher standard of living to hundreds of thousands of people.

Logan Steffens                                                                                                165 words

Lts6@geneseo.edu

10-26-16

INTD:105-19

Throughout “Land Divided, Coast United” written by Josie Glausiusz she addresses the issue of pollution throughout the middle east specifically the part close to the Mediterranean Sea. There has been a lot of conflict in this region between the Hamas and Israeli forces leading to 50 days in which they bombarded each other leading to more than 2,000 deaths in Gaza and Israel. Because of the conflict so much sewage has been dumped into the Mediterranean Sea that it could fill 36 Olympic sized swimming pools every day. This sewage has even affected the fresh water supply in this region. In Gaza “about 72 percent of the population is serviced by a poorly maintained sewage system” which has led to widespread waterborne infections, so much so that 26 percent of all illnesses in Gaza are water associated illnesses. This problem is similar to how the Unites States tested nuclear bombs in the past in Nevada affecting families in Utah written about by Terry Tempest Williams.

Racheal Devine                                                 about 150 words

INTD: Science Writing

rmd20@geneseo.edu

Land Divided, Once United

In “Land Divided, Coast United” by Josie Glausiusz from Hakai Magazine, she explains the issue of waste and clean water in Gaza and the issues between Gaza and Israel. She makes the point that there is over 36 olympic swimming pools dumped of sewage dumped into the Mediterranean Sea every day. This makes an increase in organic matter in the sea and could be very harmful to marine life. But the main point of this essay was that if Israel and Gaza shared their knowledge instead of preventing one place to function and make sewage plants and water plants then they would both make a lot of progress. I don’t relate to this very much but I do know it is happening in the world and even near us. This also makes me think why Israel won’t help Gaza with starting up the plant, if they have people monitor where the materials go then there would be no threat they were doing anything else with them.