ENERGY AND PLACE: AN 11TH GRADE PROJECT
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
a. How does energy production impact place?
b. How do your sense of place, your environmental ethic, and your understanding of our energy needs influence your perception of man’s use of Earth’s resources and your own lifestyle decisions?
a. How does energy production impact place?
b. How do your sense of place, your environmental ethic, and your understanding of our energy needs influence your perception of man’s use of Earth’s resources and your own lifestyle decisions?
"Situation Awareness" Sense of Place Essay by Lyle Bryson
Suffocation. Claustrophobia is defined as an anxiety order in which the sufferer has an irrational fear of having no escape or being indefinitely closed in. I won’t close my eyes. Six shallow inches of air occupy the space between my dehydrated skin and the glossy layer of ice holding the snow cave roof above me. I’m breathing heavily. I can’t decide whether the frozen roof is slowly descending towards my burdened pupils, or if my mind has reached a point of deprivation that has sent it into a state of spatial incompetence.
For a brief moment, I swear that droplets of snow are falling onto my face. It’s likely that this too is an illusion. I faintly roll to my right side, then to my left, and then face down. There’s no escape. Once the space has gripped the mind, it begins to grip the body as well. Snores reverberate through the confined space. How is Noah sleeping like that? He’s snoring, for Christ’s sake! I can’t close my eyes. It doesn’t make a difference, either way; my field of perception is black. I try to regulate my sporadic breathing. One…two…three... One…two…three…. Stale oxygen courses through my lungs and veins and I try to dream of open air, of being anywhere else but where I am at this moment…
Oxygen. My eyes jolt open in surprise, the type of surprise reserved for nightmares, only to be greeted by a black canvas of sky dotted with frail stars. Yet, this is not a nightmare, nor a dream. Approximately 300 miles of open atmosphere separate me and absolute nothing, the void of space. Endlessness. I take a deep, gratifying breath. I figure it must be midnight, as I watch the moon sit peacefully around the western crescent of my peripheral. I’ve always admired the moon. Sole watchman, lone ranger of the black abyss, leaving ripples of soft light as it moves across the night sky.
Closest human contact? Six inches, give or take. The figure of Brad Crist, my best friend’s badass dad and sole savior, rests easily next to me. Hours of concentration could not put me to sleep in the meager space of that snow tomb. From outside of my internal darkness he came, uncomfortable within the confines of his own cave of consolidation, to offer me a place next to him out amongst the open sky. Two figures, wrapped in pathetic plastic bags, braving the open air. Others are taking advantage of the mechanical and spatial functions of the warm snow caves, but at this moment I do not envy them.
Calm. I stretch my back, trying to find solace in the night, in the inexplicability of the forest. The Cascade Creek babbles along not far off. I wearily follow the blinking green lights of an airplane with my tired eyes. Somewhere, up there, in-flight service is being provided, the buzz of the airtight cabin rocking passengers to sleep. I guess we’re all trapped in spaces of our own. The cold bites at my cheeks. I close my eyes and try to dream of warm air, of heat pounding down on me as if delivered from the golden gates of heaven above…
For a brief moment, I swear that droplets of snow are falling onto my face. It’s likely that this too is an illusion. I faintly roll to my right side, then to my left, and then face down. There’s no escape. Once the space has gripped the mind, it begins to grip the body as well. Snores reverberate through the confined space. How is Noah sleeping like that? He’s snoring, for Christ’s sake! I can’t close my eyes. It doesn’t make a difference, either way; my field of perception is black. I try to regulate my sporadic breathing. One…two…three... One…two…three…. Stale oxygen courses through my lungs and veins and I try to dream of open air, of being anywhere else but where I am at this moment…
Oxygen. My eyes jolt open in surprise, the type of surprise reserved for nightmares, only to be greeted by a black canvas of sky dotted with frail stars. Yet, this is not a nightmare, nor a dream. Approximately 300 miles of open atmosphere separate me and absolute nothing, the void of space. Endlessness. I take a deep, gratifying breath. I figure it must be midnight, as I watch the moon sit peacefully around the western crescent of my peripheral. I’ve always admired the moon. Sole watchman, lone ranger of the black abyss, leaving ripples of soft light as it moves across the night sky.
Closest human contact? Six inches, give or take. The figure of Brad Crist, my best friend’s badass dad and sole savior, rests easily next to me. Hours of concentration could not put me to sleep in the meager space of that snow tomb. From outside of my internal darkness he came, uncomfortable within the confines of his own cave of consolidation, to offer me a place next to him out amongst the open sky. Two figures, wrapped in pathetic plastic bags, braving the open air. Others are taking advantage of the mechanical and spatial functions of the warm snow caves, but at this moment I do not envy them.
Calm. I stretch my back, trying to find solace in the night, in the inexplicability of the forest. The Cascade Creek babbles along not far off. I wearily follow the blinking green lights of an airplane with my tired eyes. Somewhere, up there, in-flight service is being provided, the buzz of the airtight cabin rocking passengers to sleep. I guess we’re all trapped in spaces of our own. The cold bites at my cheeks. I close my eyes and try to dream of warm air, of heat pounding down on me as if delivered from the golden gates of heaven above…
* * *
Drowning. Each year, thousands of middle class, football watching, “light beer connoisseur” families make the pilgrimage to Lake Powell, the land of average enchantment, clinging tightly to the borders of Utah and Arizona. For many years, my family has made this same voyage, trading gas and money for sun and salvation. This year will forever stand out in my mind, however. Why? Pearling. Pearling is the name of the game, and I’m losing. Speeding the boat up rapidly then slowing it down, the intended phenomenon is to make the tube (and riders) experience the feeling of sinking below the surface of the 80-degree water before returning to the surface, unscathed. Well, sinking is what we did, and in an odd chain of events, I’ve ended up trapped below the friendly husk of the floating facade.
To this day, I can vividly picture the blues of the water and oranges of the tube passing above me. Bubbles of air escape from my young lungs trying to reach the friendly surface. I wasn’t even close to drowning, but I sure as hell thought I was. Air streams into my lungs as my head pops back above the water of Lake Powell. I make a faint effort to grab onto the cool rungs of the ladder trailing reluctantly behind the idling speedboat. My uncle shines a devilish grin out at me under his bushy mustache, laughing in such a way that shakes the sporty sunglasses perched daringly on his round cheeks. I respect this man, but in a weakened state I can’t help but feel a raging anger towards him.
Relax. I lay on the rear of the boat, holding my hands to my rising and falling ribs to assure myself that I really am alive. The water separates from my body in invisible clouds, intending to rejoin the sky, rejoin the higher system. Soaking in the beating sun of the afternoon, I watch birds circle lazily on the turbulence overhead. Greasy water and hot air expand around me for miles and miles on end. Closest town? Blanding, UT, population 3,581. The appeal of this place is lost on me. I close my eyes and feel the boat rock on the man-made waves. I’m on vacation, which me wonder why I have such a deep desire for nothing more than to be at home laying in my sheets, away from it all…
To this day, I can vividly picture the blues of the water and oranges of the tube passing above me. Bubbles of air escape from my young lungs trying to reach the friendly surface. I wasn’t even close to drowning, but I sure as hell thought I was. Air streams into my lungs as my head pops back above the water of Lake Powell. I make a faint effort to grab onto the cool rungs of the ladder trailing reluctantly behind the idling speedboat. My uncle shines a devilish grin out at me under his bushy mustache, laughing in such a way that shakes the sporty sunglasses perched daringly on his round cheeks. I respect this man, but in a weakened state I can’t help but feel a raging anger towards him.
Relax. I lay on the rear of the boat, holding my hands to my rising and falling ribs to assure myself that I really am alive. The water separates from my body in invisible clouds, intending to rejoin the sky, rejoin the higher system. Soaking in the beating sun of the afternoon, I watch birds circle lazily on the turbulence overhead. Greasy water and hot air expand around me for miles and miles on end. Closest town? Blanding, UT, population 3,581. The appeal of this place is lost on me. I close my eyes and feel the boat rock on the man-made waves. I’m on vacation, which me wonder why I have such a deep desire for nothing more than to be at home laying in my sheets, away from it all…
* * *
Solace. I’m sitting at the hard wood desk in my room. I run my fingers across the wood, tracing faults in the grain, tracing images in my mind in hopes that they will appear on paper. Currently: typing an assignment for school, where I’m supposed to talk about a place that means a lot to me or something like that. Wishing: for some sleep and for my headache to go away. I glance out of the window. The sun is setting in the most spectacular way, resting its golden mane on the arc above the tree line.
As I watch the sun fall slowly, I realize how trapped I feel here. Each tree feels menacing, reaching into the sky and blocking my eyes from the sights beyond like bars in a cell. 10 miles of visibility on a clear Bayfield day, but the night will soon take that away. I start to feel alone. My dad won’t be home for another hour or so. Mom and sister are gone on a school camping trip. Closest neighbor? One hundred yards. The nearest town? Fifteen minutes. Everything is distant. Friends distant. Entertainment distant. Enrichment distant. Thoughts distant. Soul distant.
Angst. I mean no disrespect to my surroundings or my lifestyle when I make this or any previous claims. My parents picked this exact plot of land in this exact plot of rural southwestern Colorado for a very good reason. Clean air, no noise, spectacular views. To them, and to many, this is the way life is (or should be). Some would pay big money to escape the city for even a fraction of a second here. And yet, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt as trapped as when I sit in my room and look out amongst the rigid trees, unwilling to share their secrets like the figures of the city do. Forms to take up space. Alignment for the Divine framework. I guess I’ve just never been one to be held down. Closed in. Trapped.
As I watch the sun fall slowly, I realize how trapped I feel here. Each tree feels menacing, reaching into the sky and blocking my eyes from the sights beyond like bars in a cell. 10 miles of visibility on a clear Bayfield day, but the night will soon take that away. I start to feel alone. My dad won’t be home for another hour or so. Mom and sister are gone on a school camping trip. Closest neighbor? One hundred yards. The nearest town? Fifteen minutes. Everything is distant. Friends distant. Entertainment distant. Enrichment distant. Thoughts distant. Soul distant.
Angst. I mean no disrespect to my surroundings or my lifestyle when I make this or any previous claims. My parents picked this exact plot of land in this exact plot of rural southwestern Colorado for a very good reason. Clean air, no noise, spectacular views. To them, and to many, this is the way life is (or should be). Some would pay big money to escape the city for even a fraction of a second here. And yet, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt as trapped as when I sit in my room and look out amongst the rigid trees, unwilling to share their secrets like the figures of the city do. Forms to take up space. Alignment for the Divine framework. I guess I’ve just never been one to be held down. Closed in. Trapped.
* * *
Conclusion. If this is going to be an accurate and thorough reflection of my past 17 years on this earth, I must admit that I’ve always lived as if I am a victim to my surroundings, lived as a victim to my situation. But now, I realize the error in my ways. There will not always be a Brad Christ to relieve me from my spatial anxiety. There will not always be the power of a life vest to pull me to the surface. I must take control of my own destiny, and approach every day with a fresh mind and open heart.
In all my times of seeming entrapment, I would like to think that I’ve made a handful of revelations: 1) I recognize that God has given me modest luxury and good health that many cannot afford; for this, I am grateful. 2) I recognize that a Divine Will has granted me endless opportunities that will only find their end in my own insecurity; for this, I am grateful. 3) I have been given a vision of what I want my life to be and the will to fulfill it; for this, I am grateful.
Despite the situations that I have lived and survived, the memories I have kept and lost, I believe in good faith that my fear of being confined has been the foundation for the initial phases of my “search”. I’ve realized what life is, and I’m beginning to ponder what I want to do with mine. This is why I remain restless, tossing and turning in the dead of the night. These thoughts are the fuel for my insatiable hunger, my deepest desires. They are what drives me to make the most out of my time every day, because I’m more than familiar with a timeline that cannot be escaped, despite mine or my species’ greatest efforts.
In all my times of seeming entrapment, I would like to think that I’ve made a handful of revelations: 1) I recognize that God has given me modest luxury and good health that many cannot afford; for this, I am grateful. 2) I recognize that a Divine Will has granted me endless opportunities that will only find their end in my own insecurity; for this, I am grateful. 3) I have been given a vision of what I want my life to be and the will to fulfill it; for this, I am grateful.
Despite the situations that I have lived and survived, the memories I have kept and lost, I believe in good faith that my fear of being confined has been the foundation for the initial phases of my “search”. I’ve realized what life is, and I’m beginning to ponder what I want to do with mine. This is why I remain restless, tossing and turning in the dead of the night. These thoughts are the fuel for my insatiable hunger, my deepest desires. They are what drives me to make the most out of my time every day, because I’m more than familiar with a timeline that cannot be escaped, despite mine or my species’ greatest efforts.
Remember the definition of claustrophobia? Yeah, I do too.
* * *
“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:11-12
TAKE ACTION PROJECT DOCUMENTATION/REFLECTION: THE ASPEN COLLECTIVE
Our project was the creation and maintenance of a group/program titled the Aspen Collective that utilizes social media and graphic campaigns to bring awareness of environmental organizations that have wholesome missions concerning the environment, economy, and personal growth. Our mission is to create a movement that encourages people of Durango (and hopefully one day the world) to appreciate and take responsibility for the environment, as well as spread environmental awareness through social media and popular culture. Eventually, we hope to make people of Durango and the surrounding community more aware of environmental protection methods and change the way they think about their environment in general by taking active part in a social movement.
Our Take Action Project connected to the aspect of the essential question that examined our connection to the Earth and how we gain information about/understand the resources that we use every day. As I wrote in the organization description for the Aspen Collective, “If we connect to others and form a network, we can truly shape our experiences and set a foundation for generations to come. This is the basis for our project, and we hope to bring these values into all of our endeavors.” One of my biggest takeaways from the Energy and Place project has been focused on how we receive and give information when it comes to discussing energy use and consumption. Most of the time, people are unaware of their environmental impact (whether it’s due to location, lack of access to popular media, or simply ignorance of certain sources) and because of this many go through the motions unaware of what impact they’re having.
Personally, I am very excited about this project. Whenever I see organizations that are trying to spread awareness about causes, it makes me feel inspired to go out and do something in my own life. Hopefully the Aspen Collective will have the same impact locally and globally, and the content featured will give people ideas to go out and have an impact in their own community. Later this summer I would like to go around to surrounding towns and spread some sort of physical communication (whether it's stickers or flyers) to bring more direct attention to our sites and hopefully bring more exposure to the sites featured within. I hope that by combining artistic elements with causes pushing for change in our world, we can make a movement that will last for a while and will be able to instigate positive change.
Our Take Action Project connected to the aspect of the essential question that examined our connection to the Earth and how we gain information about/understand the resources that we use every day. As I wrote in the organization description for the Aspen Collective, “If we connect to others and form a network, we can truly shape our experiences and set a foundation for generations to come. This is the basis for our project, and we hope to bring these values into all of our endeavors.” One of my biggest takeaways from the Energy and Place project has been focused on how we receive and give information when it comes to discussing energy use and consumption. Most of the time, people are unaware of their environmental impact (whether it’s due to location, lack of access to popular media, or simply ignorance of certain sources) and because of this many go through the motions unaware of what impact they’re having.
Personally, I am very excited about this project. Whenever I see organizations that are trying to spread awareness about causes, it makes me feel inspired to go out and do something in my own life. Hopefully the Aspen Collective will have the same impact locally and globally, and the content featured will give people ideas to go out and have an impact in their own community. Later this summer I would like to go around to surrounding towns and spread some sort of physical communication (whether it's stickers or flyers) to bring more direct attention to our sites and hopefully bring more exposure to the sites featured within. I hope that by combining artistic elements with causes pushing for change in our world, we can make a movement that will last for a while and will be able to instigate positive change.
A screenshot of the homepage for the Aspen Collective (www.theaspencollective.weebly.com)
A screenshot of the first post on the Aspen Collective Instagram (@theaspencollective)
A screenshot displaying our contact with the Pachamama Alliance asking for permission to feature them on our website/social page.
ENERGY AND PLACE PROJECT REFLECTION
The Energy and Place project required students in 11th grade at Animas High School to reflect and engage with their place in the world of energy and location. This was done through creative writing, community engagement, and self-reflection in regards to where we live and what resources we use (and don't use). We looked at a large assortment of local and global energy projects, and how they are having direct affects on the communities and ecosystems of these areas. This research led to a final "sense of place essay," which allowed students to metaphorically claim a place on this earth as their own, and explain their attachment in fiction/non-fiction prose. In addition to a sense of place essay, students work individually and in groups to create a "Take Action Project". The Take Action Project gave students the opportunity to reach out to the community through community service, information, and artistic projects that bring environmental awareness to the greater population of Durango and beyond. This, in all, was the Energy and Place Project.
I did not have to do a lot of explicit reflecting to come up with the ideas contained in my final sense of place essay. This is because the content felt like it flowed naturally to my mind. The stories and recollections in my story are all good/bad pieces of my past, and this made it intriguing to recall them and recount old times in a more dramatic/grand sort of way. Since I did not target a specific place in my ramblings and wonderings throughout my sense of place essay, I had fun weaving in and out of stories in order to tie together my ideology of "spiritual wandering". This assignment allowed me to get some weight off of my shoulders that I've been carrying for a long time, and express it in writing, which I am thankful for. Although I am still growing and trying to define my sense of place, this essay helped me get closer to that goal, and I am thankful for this.
I am proud of our group's Take Action Project. The Aspen Collective aims to inform the community about current social and environmental causes through creative outlets as well as placing importance on the communication and information contained within social causes. This collective allowed me to bring my skill set to a creative and fun project, and I hope that we can carry this project into the summer. I feel proud of the logo I designed for the Aspen Collective, as well as my work that I did on the website for this group. These days I feel that a large basis of modern communication revolves around technology, and I was glad that I could find partners who felt the same way and wanted me to work on a web-based project. If you would like to look at any of this work, you can find the Aspen Collective's website here, and you can find the Aspen Collective's Instagram here.
My personal responses to the essential questions for this project have steadily evolved over the course of this semester. In the beginning, I would like to say that I was relatively environmentally aware, but I did not know how much my own actions impacted the world around me. Especially as a (fairly) new driver, I was able to see exactly how much power and "behind the scenes" production it takes to get me from point A to point B, and because of this I feel that I am now much more conscious of how I get home and wherever I drive. Through our studies of other sense of place essays, I was also able to see how energy production impacts place in very key ways. One of these ways was inspecting how fracking impacts the economy and culture of small "isolated" towns that use this as their main source of income/job creation. Learning about these concepts then tied into how I view our use of earth's resource, and helped me visualize how the community around me is impacted by the collection of natural resources. Together, these concepts have begun to solidify my view of Gaia and her resources, and have informed me while I begin the initial stages of my life long search for "my place"...
I did not have to do a lot of explicit reflecting to come up with the ideas contained in my final sense of place essay. This is because the content felt like it flowed naturally to my mind. The stories and recollections in my story are all good/bad pieces of my past, and this made it intriguing to recall them and recount old times in a more dramatic/grand sort of way. Since I did not target a specific place in my ramblings and wonderings throughout my sense of place essay, I had fun weaving in and out of stories in order to tie together my ideology of "spiritual wandering". This assignment allowed me to get some weight off of my shoulders that I've been carrying for a long time, and express it in writing, which I am thankful for. Although I am still growing and trying to define my sense of place, this essay helped me get closer to that goal, and I am thankful for this.
I am proud of our group's Take Action Project. The Aspen Collective aims to inform the community about current social and environmental causes through creative outlets as well as placing importance on the communication and information contained within social causes. This collective allowed me to bring my skill set to a creative and fun project, and I hope that we can carry this project into the summer. I feel proud of the logo I designed for the Aspen Collective, as well as my work that I did on the website for this group. These days I feel that a large basis of modern communication revolves around technology, and I was glad that I could find partners who felt the same way and wanted me to work on a web-based project. If you would like to look at any of this work, you can find the Aspen Collective's website here, and you can find the Aspen Collective's Instagram here.
My personal responses to the essential questions for this project have steadily evolved over the course of this semester. In the beginning, I would like to say that I was relatively environmentally aware, but I did not know how much my own actions impacted the world around me. Especially as a (fairly) new driver, I was able to see exactly how much power and "behind the scenes" production it takes to get me from point A to point B, and because of this I feel that I am now much more conscious of how I get home and wherever I drive. Through our studies of other sense of place essays, I was also able to see how energy production impacts place in very key ways. One of these ways was inspecting how fracking impacts the economy and culture of small "isolated" towns that use this as their main source of income/job creation. Learning about these concepts then tied into how I view our use of earth's resource, and helped me visualize how the community around me is impacted by the collection of natural resources. Together, these concepts have begun to solidify my view of Gaia and her resources, and have informed me while I begin the initial stages of my life long search for "my place"...
CHEMISTRY: ENERGY AND PLACE PROJECT
To read about the environmental work we did in our 11th Grade Chemistry classes, click here.