A note on Illiteracy

Through Portland State University, I took a capstone class on social justice. I chose to volunteer at the Scappoose Public Library story time program and learn more about the effects of access to books and literacy. Unfortunately, I learned that a surprising amount of our population is illiterate. I wanted to share my final project paper here: 

Print-Poor Environments and Public Libraries

“The past two decades of research powerfully connect access to print with higher reading scores and, conversely, lack of access with lower scores” (Trelease, 107).

Think back to when you were a child. Did your parents read you bedtime stories? Were there bookshelves full of interesting titles around the home? Did you ever see an adult in your life reading for relaxation? The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease discusses the role of print reading material in the home and school. In his research, he discovered that low income children are hit by a double print gap – in the home and in the school. Schools are supposed to make up for home deficits, but a study by Nell Duke, featured in the text by Trelease, discovered that urban students have out of date school libraries, less time in class to read, and restricted access to the library.

Reading is important. No one will argue that. Why is it then that 14 percent of the American population cannot read? In fact, 21 percent of the adult population cannot read above a fifth grade level. Even more, 19 percent of high school graduates are illiterate. The most startling statistic from this study? 63 percent of prison inmates cannot read. There is clearly something wrong here. All data I have mentioned was retrieved from the US Department of Education and National Institute of Literacy study conducted on April 28, 2013. That is less than one year ago.

Reading and proper literacy has been made a privilege in our society. In the study by Nell Duke mentioned early, he found that in the twenty urban first-grade classrooms he visited, teachers read from a less complex text, and the books-per-pupil ratio was half of what it was in the “advanced” classrooms. By treating low-income students differently than others, the public school system is creating two classes of people that graduate. The fact that over half of the prison population cannot read at an age appropriate and comprehensive level is as much the fault of the schools than anything or anyone else. What can be done to combat this inequality in our education system?

For my capstone project, I volunteered with the Scappoose Public Library, located in Scappoose, Oregon. The public library is one way to combat the social injustice of access to books. Anyone who lives in the library district can be a library card holder and check out all the books they want. The library is a public institution that creates the availability of books for everyone, no matter their age or reading level. Trelease wrote that the mere presence of books in the home is enough to encourage reading (110). If the schools are lacking in providing reading time, than it falls back to a job in the home. Even with busy working parents, a trip to the library every couple of weeks can be enough to have a stack of books to occupy children’s imaginations.

My community based learning at the library focused on the Wednesday morning story time program for children ages 0-5. This is an excellent service provided by most public libraries that creates a community of reading among young children and parents. It is a way to attract families with children to the library and begin using it at a young age. Each week had a theme, such as cows or numbers, and we read a few books and did a craft. The fight for ending illiteracy begins with access to books. Public libraries provide free and easy access for all people.

Throughout this course I was connected with other people fighting for various social justice causes. I learned through our readings that it takes people like me to stand up and make a change. Public libraries are often the first on the chopping block when communities prioritize funding needs. It takes just a handful of people to spread the importance of libraries and their programs and the connection to increasing literacy to keep these services open and available. I know that I plan to be a lifetime advocate for public libraries.

“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world" (Loeb 71).

References:

Loeb, Paul Rogat 

    2004 The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear. Basic     Books, New York.

Trelease, Jim 

    2013 The Read-Aloud Handbook. Seventh Edition. Penguin Books, New York.

Illiteracy Rates. Statistics Brain. Accessed March 15, 2014 at http://www.statisticbrain.com/number-of-american-adults-who-cant-read/.

If you would like to see what other people in the class have done, check out the class blog at: http://engagedspiritualitypdx.blogspot.com/

A Day in Perspective

A few months ago I stumbled across this website:  http://hereistoday.com/
I wanted to share it with you, as it a good site to visit when you are having a bad day. You click through and it puts your day into perspective through the use of graphics. 

It even places your day in the perspective of the creation of the universe. 

Thinking about your life as a small dot in history can be depressing. Or, it can be amazing. I choose to think of my small life as amazing. God has gifted me the chance to spend time on the earth he created. Although my time here is short, it is not insignificant. And neither is yours. 

Conclusions

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it's not"

-Dr. Seuss

The Lorax gives a dreary but motivational parallel to our contemporary environmental situation. Big businesses taking over land and polluting resources. While there may not be a Lorax who pops out of trees to try and protect his surroundings, we are all Lorax's. We can all speak up and protest against corporate destruction of resources.

One thing I have learned in my year of sustainability classes has been that man is a resilient creature. While a small action may be just a small action, it is better than no action. However, it is important not to forget about the bigger picture. No matter how much you use reusable bags and turn your thermostat down, climate change will not be stopped in it's tracks until corporations get the message that they are destroying the only planet they have to live on, and the people are not okay with it. The real issue lies with them, not our small emissions. We must stand up and make our voices heard, speak for the earth, like the Lorax spoke for the trees. The best part? We're not alone. There are tons of groups leading the way. The planet is changing, there is no going back, but it is not to late to change the path humanity is headed down.

We are nature, a realization that should stop us in our tracks. It is time for

humanity to reorganize ourselves.

-Hawken 171 - 177

Made to Break

"At present it's much cheaper to buy a new microwave, DVD players, or vacuum cleaner than to get a malfunctioning one fixed. That's crazy." -MacKay, 225

Once upon a time, people wore clothes until they tore, patched them up, and wore them again. Once upon a time, my mom darned socks instead of throwing them away and buying a new package. Once upon a time when something broke you brought it in to to a repair shop, waited a few days, then picked it up and it was good as new. There has been a shift within the past few decades away from this repair mentality to a toss it and buy a new one mindset.

Electronics are almost made to break, with their 90 day warranties and hard to reach customer service. Last September I bought an HP DeskJet Printer for $25; it came with a black and color ink. My ink ran out at the beginning of this term and upon going to buy new ink I noticed it was cheaper to buy a new printer that comes with free ink, then to buy replacement ink. There is something wrong with this picture.

MacKay writes that the fact it is cheaper to replace and object than to get it fixed is due to our tax system, which taxes the repair man (225). This is true but it is also a case of externalizing the costs. Taken at sticker price, it is cheaper to buy a new printer or pair of shoes. In reality this is not the case. The environmental costs and already externalized from the shelf price (carbon emitted to make your shoes). But what about the environmental costs of disposing your old electronic?

It is an honest statement to say that you have no idea what happens to your old consumer good when your done. Chances are it is laid to rest in a landfill, or 'recycled,' which usually implies outsourcing to Third World countries, harmfully polluting citizens there.

My point of this ramble is that it is worth it to pay more and have a toaster or vacuum and pair of shoes fixed than to buy into the made to break market.

Here is an Annie Leonard video, part of her Story of Stuff web series:

Cool to be 'Cool'

"In Britain, for every degree that you turn the thermostat down, the heat loss decreases by about 10 %." -MacKay, 143

My last post was about how only doing a little goes a little ways, so it may seem hypocritical that this week is about as small as action as turning the thermostat down one degree. I was not trying to disown little actions, only stating that they get in the way of actually making progress. It is easy to say "oh, I unplug my charger and toaster now" and carry on solo commuting to work in your hummer. Little actions are good, just keep in mind that that is all they are: little, and much more needs to be done. That out of the way, let's talk about thermostats. MacKay writes that turning the thermostat down from 20*C to 15* C (68* F to 59* F) nearly halves heat loss (p, 141). This may seem like a large jump. I think that 59* F is a bit major, but it is not too painful to set the thermostat at 62* F or 65* F.

If wearing long sleeves and sweatshirts inside is not for you, MacKay offers a few other small suggestions for lowing heat consumption. Adding "loft insulation and cavity-wall insulation reduces heat loss in a typical old house by about 25%" (p, 142). Double-pane windows can also help to insulate a house. If you have done these small changes and are ready for a bigger investment, the most efficient way to heat a home is with a heat pump.

Posing with my houses heat pump

"Whereas the bar-fire's efficiency is 100%, the heat pump's is 400%." -MacKay, 147

First off, if anyone knows what a bar-fire is please let me know. Google only comes up with stories of fires in bars. Next, the matter of heat pumps. MacKay describes an air-source heat pump that warms up the outside air to cool down the air inside the building (air-conditioning), as well as working the other way around to heat the building. He also describes ground-source heat pump that cools down the ground using plumbing to heat your house. Heat pumps are still a form of electricity, but are the best 'future-proof' option for heating. Too expensive? Check that your house is properly insulated and crank the thermostat down. Sweats are in.

Energy Straight Talk

"Don't be distracted by the myth that 'every little helps.' If everyone does a little, we'll only achieve a little." -MacKay, 114

This book seems like it will most definitely live up to it's title. David MacKay is full of honesty. How many people would be able to shove the above comment in the world's face? 'Every little bit helps' is the mantra of the environmental movement, but he makes a truly valid point. Sure, everyone can unplug their cell phone chargers but that saves takes a small chunk of energy usage. Humans are the most adaptive species on earth, that is why we survived and beat out the archaic sapiens we roamed the earth with. So sure we have survived massive climate shifts before (the Pliocene to the Pleistocene) but this man-aided global warming is a different beast. Describing the doubling of CO2 emissions as having the same effect as raising the temperature 2% MacKay writes,

"Such temperatures have not been seen on earth for at least 100,000 years, and it's conceivable that the ecosystem would be so significantly altered that the earth would stop supplying some of the goods...taken for granted." -MacKay, 10

So what do we do? With a rising population about to top seven billion and a developing South, how do we shift the focus to better use of fossil fuels and alternative energy? We cannot keep taking little steps, but make large leaps. Do not just unplug your charger but your television, microwave, coffee maker, hairdryer. Sell your car and ride the bus. I have recently done this (not sold my car, but riding the bus into school), and it may not be the most fun, but I am saving tons of money. Country wise, the ethical thought needs to be 'the polluter must pay.' It simply makes the most sense. As MacKay puts it however, not just the contemporary polluter, but look at each countries historical footprint and gage from there (14). Big changes need to be made with supply and demand. MacKay offers some ideas on pg 115,

1. Reduce our population! He includes a controversial quote, "While the footprint of each individual cannot be reduced to zero, the absence of an individual does do so."

2. Changing our lifestyle. Examples: live where you work, ride your bike, use cloth shopping bags, consume only what you need, slow down.

Main point: Think big, act big. Go beyond just unplugging your chargers and buying organic label food.

Clock of the Long Now

An additional post for week 6: 10,000 Year Clock of the Long Now.

When I read about this in Blessed Unrest, I was intrigued. I finally had time to visit the Clock of Long Now's website, and have decided it is the coolest thing ever! Hawken writes that the clock is an attempt to remind humans of the idea of the future. We are living not just for today but every action we take will affect those farther down the road, just like we are affected by historical events behind us.

The Long Now website states that civilization is revving itself into a pathologically short life-span and some sort of balancing corrective to the short-sightedness is needed to encourage the long term view measured in centuries. This could not be more true. We are driven by fast moving technology and a world of constant new commodities. Even our democracy is short sighted. The election process starts at least a year in advance and when one party replaces another they simply spend their time undoing everything. It is a cycle of stagnant near-sightedness.

Hawken asks, will there be anyone around to hear the clock chime in 12,006? He argues that if you do not believe so then you should not have children, because by having children you are are betting on the Clock of Long Now. If you do place the bet that someone will be around to celebrate when the Clock chimes, how could you possibly not do everything in your power to ensure the generations that precede you will inherit a safe, clean world?

I would like to have hope in the clock of long now, and I think it is a clever tool for thinking about the future. Even if I never have children, I am a proud Aunt to ten adorable children and sure hope their descendants are around when the clock chimes. This is enough for me to try to live as simply as I can, and you should too. Bet on the future.

*Excerpts taken from Paul Hawken, "Immunity," Blessed Unrest (Penguin Books: New York, 2007), 154.