Nate Lewis Video

At first I thought the video was going to be this geeky guy talking about things I didn’t understand but it was fairly easy to understand and very interesting. I liked how he set up his argument and talked about what we’re doing now and how much energy we’re using. Then he went in to talk about solutions and came to the conclusion that solar was the way to go in terms of renewable energy sources. He said that the sun produces the most TW’s of power out of all the renewable resources. We have 2,000 years of coal left to power the world we live in but we need to get off of it because it isn’t a renewable resource. The sun is always shining, except during the night of course, but we need somewhere to store the power. Al Gore has proposed or is going to propose that we have one big electrical line running across the entire United States.

I felt that it was hard to sit for the whole video, even though we watched it over a couple of days. I liked how he threw all these facts at the audience and at first it seemed like there was no hope but at the end I felt hopeful. From what he was saying, I feel that solar is the way to go. The sun is so powerful and the energy is essentially free, we just need to find a way to store it and make it affordable for everyone in the world.

Artist Statement

"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left."
- Albert Einstein

We chose to create a final product that would educate those on the devastating outcome of Colony Collapse Disorder in Honey Bee hives. We have found through this project many do not know or fully understand the importance of these extraordinary creatures. Bees pollinate approximately one-third of the crops in the U.S. Honey bees, in particular, pollinate around 100 of the flowering food crops such as, cucumbers, nuts, avocados, soybeans, apples, citrus fruits, and berries. In essence, all flowering plants need bees. Without honey bees our crops would not be pollinated therefore there would be no way for flowering crops to reproduce, leaving us without produce. In the last months of 2006 and into 2007, more than 25 percent of the U.S.’s 2.4 million bee colonies were lost to Colony Collapse Disorder, also known as CCD. The cause of this terrible disease is unknown. Some researchers say that CCD was brought on by an AIDS-like virus, the use of pesticides, or overworking land.

Whether or not we are able to do anything for these creatures we feel that making sure that others are aware of this destructive disorder is our way to help. Before we began this project neither of us recognized or knew the importance of these small insects. For some, it’s common knowledge that bees pollinate flowers but do people know what pollination does, why we can’t exist without it? Our main goal for our final product was to make a documentary that would educate others and bring awareness. We had no idea the huge role honey bees have in the world and what they do for us.

5 Annotated Sources

Cox-Foster, Diana L, Sean Conlan, Vince Martinson, Dennis Vanengelsdorp, Abby L Kalkstein, Andrew Drysdale, Jeffrey Hui, Junhui Zhai, Liwang Cui, Stephen K Hutchison, Jan Fredrik Simons, Michael Egholm, Edward C Holmes, Jeffery S Pettis, W Ian Lipkin, Gustavo Palacios, Jay D Evans, Nancy A Moran, Phenix-Lan Quan, Thomas Briese, Mady Hornig, and David M Geiser. "A Metagenomic Survey of Microbes in Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder.." Science 318 (2007): 283 - 287. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Web. 9 Nov. 2009.

I liked this source because it has multiple authors so I know it is reliable. It talked about Colony Collapse Disorder and what is contributing to it.


Chen, Yanping, and Jay D. Evans. "Historical presence of Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus in the United States." American Bee Journal. N.p., 29 Oct. 2007. Web. 9 Nov. 2009. .

This source also talks about Colony Collapse Disorder. It also talks about how CCD might be caused by a virus.


Schacker, Michael. "A Spring without Bees: How Colony Collapse Disorder Has Endangered Our Food Supply." The Lyons Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2009. < http://www.enjoynature.org/marketplace/books/reviews/SpringWithoutBees.pdf>.

This source is talking about CCD as well. It also talks about how it will effect our agricultural system.


Henderson, Colin, Larry Tarver, David Plummer, Robert Seccomb, Scott Debnam, Steve Rice, and Jerry Bromenshenk. "U.S. National Bee Colony Loss Survey." Unknown Unknown (2007): n. pag. www.beesurvey.com. Web. 9 Nov. 2009.

This is a good source because it has a lot of information on CCD. It also has a many tables and graphs.


vanEngelsdorp, Dennis, Jerry Hayes, Jr., Robyn M. Underwood, and Jeffery Pettis. "A Survey of Honey Bee Colony Losses in the U.S., Fall 2007 to Spring 2008." Plos One. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Nov. 2009. .

I picked this source because it has a lot of statistics and information on CCD.

Final Draft

Biodiversity, the Cure

“We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.” Quoted by Edward Osborne Wilson, also known as E.O. Wilson. E.O. Wilson is an American biologist, naturalist, author, and researcher. Most of his research includes the topic of biodiversity. Wilson has won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction twice and is well known for his advocacy for environmentalism (King County).

Today we are literally shaped by what foods we eat. Some go the organic route while others are unaware of what they are putting into their bodies. For the longest time our food system has been structured so that we mass-produce everything, the corporations run everything, and all of the farms are only raising/growing one thing. Biodiversity, through polycultures and seasonal rotation, is essential not only in helping our growing food crisis, but it is the key component to solving our environmental problems.

If you were to take an aerial shot of most of the Midwest you would see patchwork of corn. Farmers own different sections of that patchwork but they are all growing the same thing. Corn. But what happens when something comes in and completely wipes out your entire field. What happens then? That is just one reason why monocultures are not the way of the future. Polycultures on a farm can support more than one species and potentially use less fossil fuels because each component on the farm is contributing positively to the other components on the farm. For example, if a farmer has cows, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all on his or her farm, they all can benefit from each other. Meaning the cow can provide organic matter for the soil and the entire farm can act as a habitat for pollinators and other animals.

Now if a farmer would raise cows in a block, vegetables in row, herbs in another row, and flowers in the last row, it wouldn’t be subject to complete wipe out. If a pest came in and decided to wipe out that farm, potentially only one row would be effected and the farmer would not be devastated and left with nothing. On monoculture farms, farmers turn to pesticides in order to keep their farm alive. The results of monoculture farms lead to higher fertilizer requirements and increased soil runoff (Tree Hugger). About 99 percent of potential crop pests are controlled by many other organisms, including birds, organisms, and fungi. These natural pesticides are in some ways better than industrial and artificial pesticides because they can become resistant to chemical controls (United Nations Development Programme).

In any ecosystem you would never find just one specie living in a habitat. A habitat is made up of many living creatures that all support each other in some way to live. Whether it may be herbivores and carnivores in the same habitat. By having cows, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all on the same farm, there is less need for fertilizer because the cows would be contributing nutrient rich organic matter to the soil. If cows are kept in the same place on a farm throughout the entire year, they will use up all the nutrients in the soil. By taking advantage of seasonal rotation, those cows would be moved to a different place on the farm every season to ensure that the organic matter is spread out on the entire farm.

Polyculture farms are essentially habitats for many living organism. If a farmer is growing flowers along with his or her vegetables and cattle, he or she is creating an environment for bees and other insects that play a vital role in pollinating crops and keeping harmful pests out. More than one-third of our crops depend on pollinators. Many flowering plants rely on the pollinators, including bees, butterflies, bats, and birds to keep the pollination process alive (United Nations Development Programme). You will never find monocultures in any ecosystem because there is no stability without diversity.

Our food system even monocultures our meat production. You see pigs, chickens, and cattle in tiny pens with no breathing room what so ever. This happens because corporations want to make more money on each cattle or pig or chicken that they have so they pack them all in one space. Through biodiversity this can change. By having many things being raised on a farm, a new habitat can form.



Works Cited:
"Natural Connections > EDWARD WILSON BIO." King County, Washington. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. .

McGee, Tim, and Western Massachusetts. "Crop Biodiversity A Cure for Ocean Dead Zones? : TreeHugger." TreeHugger. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. .

"The Importance of Biodiversity." UNDP | United Nations Development Programme. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. .

Second Draft

Biodiversity, the Cure

“We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.” Quoted by Edward Osborne Wilson, also known as E.O. Wilson. E.O. Wilson is an American biologist, naturalist, author, and researcher. Most of his research includes the topic of biodiversity. Wilson has won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction twice and is well known for his advocacy for environmentalism (King County).

Today we are literally shaped by what foods we eat. Some go the organic route while others are unaware of what they are putting into their bodies. For the longest time our food system has been structured so that we mass-produce everything, the corporations run everything, and all of the farms are only raising/growing one thing. Biodiversity, through polycultures and seasonal rotation, is essential not only in helping our growing food crisis, but it is the key component to solving our environmental problems.

If you were to take an aerial shot of most of the Midwest you would see patchwork of corn. Farmers own different sections of that patchwork but they are all growing the same thing. Corn. But what happens when something comes in and completely wipes out your entire field. What happens then? That is just one reason why monocultures are not the way of the future. Polycultures on a farm can support more than one species and potentially use less fossil fuels because each component on the farm is contributing positively to the other components on the farm. For example, if a farmer has cows, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all on his or her farm, they all can benefit from each other. Meaning the cow can provide organic matter for the soil and the entire farm can act as a habitat for pollinators and other animals.

Now if a farmer would raise cows in a block, vegetables in row, herbs in another row, and flowers in the last row, it wouldn’t be subject to complete wipe out. If a pest came in and decided to wipe out that farm, potentially only one row would be effected and the farmer would not be devastated and left with nothing. On monoculture farms, farmers turn to pesticides in order to keep their farm alive. The results of monoculture farms lead to higher fertilizer requirements and increased soil runoff (Tree Hugger). About 99 percent of potential crop pests are controlled by many other organisms, including birds, organisms, and fungi. These natural pesticides are in some ways better than industrial and artificial pesticides because they can become resistant to chemical controls (United Nations Development Programme).

In any ecosystem you would never find just one specie living in a habitat. A habitat is made up of many living creatures that all support each other in some way to live. Whether it may be herbivores and carnivores in the same habitat. By having cows, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all on the same farm, there is less need for fertilizer because the cows would be contributing nutrient rich organic matter to the soil. If cows are kept in the same place on a farm throughout the entire year, they will use up all the nutrients in the soil. By taking advantage of seasonal rotation, those cows would be moved to a different place on the farm every season to ensure that the organic matter is spread out on the entire farm.

Polyculture farms are essentially habitats for many living organism. If a farmer is growing flowers along with his or her vegetables and cattle, he or she is creating an environment for bees and other insects that play a vital role in pollinating crops and keeping harmful pests out. More than one-third of our crops depend on pollinators. Many flowering plants rely on the pollinators, including bees, butterflies, bats, and birds to keep the pollination process alive (United Nations Development Programme). You will never find monocultures in any ecosystem because there is no stability without diversity.

Our food system even monocultures our meat production. You see pigs, chickens, and cattle in tiny pens with no breathing room what so ever. This happens because corporations want to make more money on each cattle or pig or chicken that they have so they pack them all in one space. Through biodiversity this can change. By having many things being raised on a farm, a new habitat can form.



Works Cited:
"Natural Connections > EDWARD WILSON BIO." King County, Washington. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. .

McGee, Tim, and Western Massachusetts. "Crop Biodiversity A Cure for Ocean Dead Zones? : TreeHugger." TreeHugger. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. .

"The Importance of Biodiversity." UNDP | United Nations Development Programme. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2009. .

Essential Questions and Annotated Bibliographies

Who: Bees

What: Bee extinction

When: Now

Where: Everywhere

Why: Bees are important to the entire world. They are vital in plant pollination.

How is it displayed: Stop motion and photography with narration of research.

What we need: Recorder, Gas $.

Next steps: Email contacts, schedule visits, check out recorder from Margaret, take photos of bees and record their sounds.

Essential Questions:

1. What would the consequences be if bee extinction were to happen?
2. What would be affected if bee extinction occurred?
3. What crops are dependent on bees?
4. What is CCD?
5. How many active colonies are there in the U.S?
6. How many active colonies are there in the world?

"Insects: Bee". San Diego Zoo. 22 Oct. 2009 .

I found this article on the San Diego Zoo’s website. They have a whole section just on bees. I thought this would be very helpful when researching for my senior project about bee extinction because they give so much information on bees and really go into detail about them. They talk about everything from the different kinds of bees to how important they are. I feel that the San Diego Zoo is a great resource when conducting my research on bees. Lyric and I plan on visiting the San Diego Zoo to take photos and record the bees that are kept there.

"Genomic Study Yields Plausible Cause Of Colony Collapse Disorder". Science Daily. 25 Oct. 2009 .

This article was found on sciencedaily.com which is an online science source. Although this article was written in 2007 it still provides viable information. It talks all about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). It talks about how from 2007-2008 more than a third of the commercial honey bees in the U.S. were killed off. A entomology and neuroscience professor is quoted also.

Rough Draft Paper

Sophie Barnhorst
10/15/09

Biodiversity, the Cure

“We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.” Quoted by Edward Osborne Wilson, also known as E.O. Wilson. E.O. Wilson is an American biologist, naturalist, author, and researcher. Most of his research includes the topic of biodiversity. Wilson has won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction twice and is well known for his advocacy for environmentalism.

Today we are literally shaped by what foods we eat. Some go the organic route while others are unaware of what they are putting into their bodies. For the longest time our food system has been structured so that we mass-produce everything, the corporations run everything, and all of the farms are only raising/growing one thing. Biodiversity, through polycultures and seasonal rotation, is essential not only in helping our growing food crisis, but it is the key component to solving our environmental problems.

If you were to take an aerial shot of most of the Midwest you would see patchwork of corn. Farmers own different sections of that patchwork but they are all growing the same thing. Corn. But what happens when something comes in and completely wipes out your entire field. What happened then? That is just one reason why monocultures are not the way of the future. Polycultures on a farm can support more than one species and potentially use less fossil fuels because each component on the farm is contributing positively. Now if a farmer would raise cows in one row, vegetables in another row, herbs in another row, and flowers in the last row, it wouldn’t be subject to complete wipe out. If a pest came in and decided to wipe out that farm, potentially only one row would be effected and the farmer would not be devastated and left with nothing. In that case farmers turn to pesticides in order to keep their farm alive.

In any ecosystem you would never find just one species living in a habitat. A habitat is made up of many living creatures that all support each other in some way to live. Whether it may be herbivores and carnivores in the same habitat. By having cows, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all on the same farm, there is less need for fertilizer because the cows would be contributing nutrient rich organic matter to the soil. If cows are kept in the same place on a farm throughout the entire year, they will use up all the nutrients in the soil. By taking advantage of seasonal rotation, those cows would be moved every season to ensure that the organic matter is spread out on the whole farm.

Polyculture farms are essentially habitats for many living organism. If a farmer is growing flowers along with his or her vegetables and cattle, he or she is creating an environment for bees and other insects that play a vital role in keeping harmful pests out of crops. You will never find monocultures in any ecosystem because there is no stability without diversity.

Our food system even monocultures our meat production. You see pigs, chickens, and cattle in tiny pins with no breathing room what so ever. This happens because corporations want to make more money on each cattle or pig or chicken that they have so they pack them all in one space. Through biodiversity this can change. By having many things being raised on a farm, a new habitat can form.

3 Annotated Bibliographies

Burros, Marian. "Betting the Farm On a New-Age Vision". The New York Times. 11 Oct. 2009 .

This New York Times article is from 2000 but I still think the author has valid points that can still connect to today. In the beginning of the article Burros focuses on a man named David Cole who is a venture capitalist, philanthropist and organic farmer. We find out that he raises chickens, cattle, 60-70 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers; 8-10 different berries and pear, apple, and cherry trees. Even in 2000 Mr. Cole was an advocate for organic farming and thought it was an “economic savior”.



"One in Ten in 2010 Coalition". San Diego Food Not Lawns. 11 Oct. 2009 .

This site has a goal of having one in ten households grow or purchase food within 100 miles of San Diego in 2010. The organization’s mission is to “promote local food production and long term food shed sustainability in San Diego through advocacy, education, and organizing”. What I liked about this site was that it wasn’t only advocating for local food sheds but also water rationing and reuse.



Ciampa, Linda. "The Organic Debate: Healthier or not?". CNN. 11 Oct. 2009 .

This CNN article was written by a Medical Correspondent who found that Alex Avery, the director of research at The Hudson Institute Center for Global Food Issues stated that organic foods haven’t necessarily been shown to be healthier. Avery’s company is funded by pesticides such as Monsanto and Ag-Chem. I liked how this article kind of gave the reader two sides of the story.

Article and Socratic Seminar

"Farmer in Chief" by Michael Pollan was quite the lengthy article, but it was all necessary. The article is written directly to the President-Elect. Pollan sets up the article by telling the audience how we got to where we are today, in terms of where our food is made, how it is made, and who it is made by. He also tells the reader specifically how we can change our habits. What I liked most about this article was the solutions he provides. A lot of articles I have read tend to only state the problem at hand and don't provide a solution. On the other hand, Pollan goes into detail and depth with the solutions he presents. After everyone had read the 15 page article, we all had a Socratic Seminar discussing the article and our thoughts about it. It started out with an essential question but, like always, veered off topic and got to how our school should have mandatory P.E. I didn't want to monopolize, but I did share my thoughts on the article and what Pollan was saying. I think the majority of the class liked the articlw, was interested in the topic and really understood where Pollan was coming from and what he was saying; because it was right on. Mr. Pollan was very repetitive when talking about biodiversity on farms and how vital it is to the environment as a whole. Because of the repetition the topic of biodiversity really stuck with me. I had no idea what it was and how important it is. An example of biodiversity on a farm is polycultures instead of monocultures. Meaning growing/raising many things and partake in seasonal rotation of the beds on the farm.

Link to article: Farmer in Chief

Guest Speaker: Trevitt Schultz

Trevitt Schultz came into our class to talk about what he does on Tuesday, the 29th. He talked a lot about bio fuels and his veggie bus. I guessed that the bus gets 7 miles to the gallon and I was right! The bus doesn't take gasoline though. It takes vegetable oil, like the kind you can find in the back of restaurants. Mr. Schultz also runs two companies in San Fransisco and is a great friend of John's.

Veggie bus website: http://veggiebus.com/

Best Practices

I am in the Garden Layout group with Alexis, Kaory and Ruthie.

Our best practices include:
-Figuring out what plants go where; organize the beds by height
-Make sure the plants are near best companions
-Create a logbook:
-Record date of planting/time; first harvest
-What bed/plant

Our experiment will be:
-Plant Comparisons: Organic vs. Industrial/Pesticides and the difference of the plants
-Which one will flourish?
-Take pictures once a week
-We will plant the seeds in two separate pots


The materials:
-Two pots
-Camera
-One non-organic seed
-One organic seed


Hypothesis: If we plant _____ seeds, one with the pesticides and one organic, the non-organic on will thrive, though not the healthiest choice.

Stop Motion Plant Project-What We're Growing

My partner Lyric and I are going to plant bush beans. We are going to put our plant in a round pot. Hopefully our bush bean plant will be successful!

Nutrition: Green beans have low calorie content and are packed with vitamins and nutrients including, vitamin C, vitamin A manganese, vitamin K, potassium, dietary fiber, and iron. They are filled with magnesium, phosphorus, omega-3 fatty acids, copper, protein, and calcium.

Origin: In 1654 green beans were introduced to Japan when a Zen Priest brought them over from China.

Fun fact: China is the world leader in the production of green beans.

3 Annotated Bibliographies

"Improving Nutrition through Home Gardening". Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department. September 16 2009 .

This article talks about how home gardens have lots of potential for success. It also talks about how home gardens can benefit families with low income. It gives a brief overview of what foods are the most nutrient rich. It states that roots and tubers are very rich in energy and legumes can be a good source of fat, iron, protein, and vitamins. Green leafy vegetables provide vitamin A, E, and C. Overall fruits and vegetables are highly important in striving for a healthy lifestyle.




"Garden Market Research". National Gardening Association. September 16 2009 .

Within this article, a survey was taken and showed that food gardening in the United States is increasing and becoming more popular. Around seven million or more families plan to start their own gardens in 2009 than in 2008, which is a 19% increase! In the article, they state that more United States citizens are realizing the benefits of growing their own food. It comes with better quality and taste. The survey showed that tomatoes are the most popular vegetable and cucumbers at second most popular vegetable to grow at home.




"Southern California Food Shed". Madison St. Produce. September 16 2009 .

This webpage is a list of some of the food sheds in Southern California and what products each food shed have. One of them is Temecula Berry Co. in Temecula, California, which has honey, blueberries, and more. There is Bates Nut farm in Valley Center, California and they have a variety of nuts and dried fruit. And the Baiamonte Floral & Gourd Farm in Escondido, California where they have avocados, orange trees and other citrus trees.

Senior Project Entry: Waste

I was blown away when the presentation was given about waste on Friday. I had no idea that there are over 8 billion tons of waste accumulated per year in the United States. Just in the United States alone! Regarding food, Americans throw away on average 1.3 pounds of food a day, which is around 474.5 pounds a year. This is a major issue because all this waste takes up space, can harm animals and humans, and makes our water unclean.

I believe that there are many ways in which we can change our lifestyles to be more sustainable. Starting with picking up your trash and other people's trash as well, including dog droppings. Bringing your own reusable grocery bags to the store when you shop can help to reduce the production of plastic bags. Taking home leftovers can help you reduce your, on average, 1.3 pounds of wasted food per day.

Initial Plant Research

Initial Plant Research

My plants: mint and green beans

A little bit about our Climate Zone here in San Diego from Sunset Magazine Online: “ZONE 24. Marine-dominated Southern California Coast 
Growing season: all year, but periodic freezes have dramatic effects (record lows are 33 degrees to 20 degrees F/1 degree to -7 degrees C). Climate here is oceanic (but warmer than oceanic Zone 17), with cool summers, mild winters. Subtropical plants thrive.”

Mint (Mentha): This herb is a native to the Mediterranean and grows like weeds because of their underground stems. They can be grown in pots or planter boxes. Mint will grow almost anywhere but will do the best with lots of full to partial sun, moist, medium-rich soil, and of course water. Mint might disappear in the winter, so replant about every 3 years.

-Grown from seeds

Green beans (snap bean): Being a vegetable, green beans are “frost-sensitive heat lovers”.

-Grown from seeds

-Soil temp. 65-70 degrees F, fresh and fertile soil

To grow-

Step 1: Moisten soil a lot before planting and don’t water again till seedlings have emerged from the soil.

Step 2: Once you see growth, keep the soil very moist and make sure to fertilize the soil after the plants start to grow and again when pods start to form.

These may grow as “self-supporting bushes (bush beans) or as climbing vines (pole beans).” Vines seem to be more productive. For pole beans,

set three or four 8-ft. poles in the ground and tie together at top; or set single poles 3-4 ft. apart and sow six or eight beans around each, thinning to three or four strongest seedlings; or insert poles 1-2 ft. apart in rows and sow seeds as you would bush beans; or sow along sunny wall, fence, or trellis and train vines on web of light string supported by wire or heavy twine. Pods are ready in 50 to 70 days, depending on variety. Pick every 3 to 5 days; if pods mature, plants will stop bearing.

*All research from: Sunset Magazine Online and Green Beans N’ More

http://www.greenbeansnmore.com/how-to-grow-green-beans.html http://www.sunset.com/garden/