SPC1017 - Class Presentation Post 2

     Climate change is a hot topic in our social discourse. With many different opinions about what specifically the threat is, in addition to what the long-term solutions are, one thing is certain, we are all being negatively impacted by this. From water to air contamination, to ocean acidification and the melting of glaciers, the ecosystems being defamed are being more noticeable by the year. According to the Climate Communication Program at Yale, it was estimated that about 54% of the general American population believes climate change is real. This is a troubling number even with it being a majority, almost 46% of Americans do not believe in this. This can be because of several factors, some of the main ones being politics and general knowledge on the topic.  

The people who either do not believe or are undecided were the specific audience that Group 2 was aiming to educate and persuade. The group focused on 4 sub-topics in explaining climate change: causes of climate change, environmental and health impact, and possible solutions. I worked on health with two other group members. I found this specific topic to be incredibly interesting and intriguing. My experience in working with the two other members on this topic was positive from start to end. We all did what we had to do and we all did it in time. Working with the general group was additionally positive. There were no real issues that could have harmed group collaboration. The beginning was complicated as we were trying to organize and figure out what the goal is, but after a while, we finally formulated a plan and we executed it perfectly. I was a little troubled through some parts of the presentation, when it came to the long videos and slides filled with texts, I slowly became tired and shifted my attention elsewhere. This is something that hopefully in the next presentation we can fix. Overall, I enjoyed the time I had doing this presentation and working with my teammates. 

Now although climate change was an interesting topic, I found it to be more of a review because I already know a considerable amount about the topic. In high school, I took an environmental science class and I also did a one-semester climate change project for English Composition. Nevertheless, looking back at what the two other groups did, I did learn a lot of new information from both.

Group 1 and their presentation on gender equality was very insightful. They demonstrated the need for justice and protection for those who are being discriminated against due to their gender. I feel that they explained that very well, especially when it came to the gender gap. Women should be getting paid as much as men do for jobs both of them can do, it is a moral thing to do. Although the United States is one of those countries, it has gotten better and women are closer to equal pay than many other nations. Unfortunately, many other countries have decided to not focus on this topic and continue to unfairly discriminate against women by not paying them rightfully. Of course, this is a multifaceted issue. Religion, culture, politics, and other beliefs are some of the things that ultimately decide how each gender will get treated. But the presentation delivered by Group 1 taught me a lot about this topic. I believe that the Kahoot was a nice addition to engage with the class and get an understanding of what everyone learned. I did however become uninterested and bored in moments where they played videos longer than two minutes, additionally, it was hard to read and understand some of the slides that were filled with texts. Though this is something that we can learn from and hopefully put into practice in the future. Overall, it was an interesting presentation and I applaud that group for all the work they had put into it.

Group 3 and their presentation on infrastructure was definitely impactful with me, an American. I am a slightly politically engaging individual, I learned a lot about how government and politics work together, in addition to how complex it is for anything in Washington to get bipartisan support and pass in both at school and watching the news. Before this presentation, I had a basic understanding of what infrastructure was and some of the ways we can advance it, such as advancing public transportation, building a cleaner energy grid, and rebuilding roads and bridges. But I never would have thought that the United States would be doing poorly on infrastructure. Being 13th place in the world, it demonstrates the lack of interest in funding infrastructure more. The country spends billions of more dollars on the military than they do for something as crucial as infrastructure. This is incredibly troubling. I personally do believe that both political parties are interested in dealing with this, the problem though, they do not want to work due to opposing ideas. Nonetheless , I do have hope over the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill currently going through in congress. This bill will help restore and advance this country without the need to increase taxes, as it would be paid for over a certain time period through job creations. Nevertheless, Group 3 and their presentation taught me about the importance of increasing funding for infrastructure, a vital component of our national security.

In essence, the experience I had working with Group 2 on the climate change project was fantastic. Everyone was on time and the presentation went great. I hope that we were able to teach our classmates about the growing issue of climate change and hopefully spark action to advocate for a cleaner world. Learning about gender equality taught me about the path the world must take in order for all genders to receive equal opportunities and treatments. Additionally, on the topic of infrastructure, I could not have been more surprised to see this country’s lack on infrastructure. This is something that requires both political sides of the aisle to work together. I have hope that the trillion dollar bill will pass with bipartisan support.  This has been a very intriguing and educational experience. 

- Kenneth Leyva