Samantha Cline's Blog – February 2014 Archive (11)

For this assignment, I decided to trade my roommate a cup of coffee from Starbucks in exchange for an IOU for her to drive me to my car which is parked very far from my apartment. It was a system of bartering that I feel like can be used on a much wider scale in the future for simple everyday purchases.

I believe on of the biggest changes for currency in the future will be the establishment of an international currency, as well as, a move towards completely virtual currency. I believe that having an international or virtual currency would change the world because this would open up trade between many different nations.

For World Water Day 2020, I would run a contest that every university and college could participate in their respective states. Whichever college/university in each state that lowers their percentage of water consumption the most would receive local news interviews and a small prize. The winners of each state would then be compared. The overall national winner would then receive a large prize such a concern by a popular musician or a research grant.

There are more than 60 Water For People Committees throughout North America support Water For People's mission through community outreach, advocacy, and fundraising. These volunteer groups are subgroups of their parent organizations, including American Water Works Association Sections and Water Environment Federation Member Associations. I would further their water security efforts by increasing involvement and recognition in my local area through posting flyers and creating a social media…

LifeStraw is a really awesome tool for people who do not have access to fresh drinking water. LifeStraw is a water filter designed to be used by one person to filter water so that they may safely drink it. It filters a maximum of 1000 litres of water, enough for one person for one year. It removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of parasites.

It is Halloween 2020. The haunted houses and pop-up monster have been powered through solar and wind systems. The solar and wind power will create sufficient energy to scare plenty of children.

I like to read a book before bed every night and I use a lamp on my nightstand for light. My invention would allow me to read at night with sustainable energy. Living in a college town, many people bike to and from class. This invention would create energy by harnessing the energy created by pedaling your bike. It would charge a battery cell that could then be inserted into various objects such as lamps. A days worth of pedaling to class could then fuel my lamp to read at night.

Jane Chen’s company, Embrace, manufactures a sleeping bag-like device called the “Thermpod,” which warms low-birth weight babies in hospitals and clinics that have unreliable electricity and heat lamps that don’t always work. This creative invention provides an inexpensive green source of warmth for countries that have unreliable power sources.

In March 2020, I hope to be in my own apartment or home eating a meal with my husband. I will have purchase our food from the local supermarket's organic section or from a local farmers market. My husband and I will have worked together to cook the meal. I am good at preparing vegetables and other sides whereas, my husband will be in charge of the protein component of the meal. It would be a grilled fish taco on a gluten-free corn tortilla and fresh vegetables. It will be delicious.

I have personally increased food security for someone in my life by cooking a well-balanced dinner for my roommates when they would have ordered fast food otherwise. Also, the sorority that I am a member of often donates to local canned food drives. I donate non-perishable items such as canned vegetables and healthy soups whenever I can. I strive not only to donate to those in need but to also donate healthy food.

One of the biggest challenges in my local area is that there is a large population of elderly citizens that do not have the assistance or the resources to obtain substantial and health food. In response to this problem, my community has a very large Meals-on-Wheels program that works to deliver daily meals to those in need.