This extra tidbit of research responds to Jessica’s feedback about how I overstate the usefulness of the TSI and need to explore how other instruments measure cloud properties. It is important to consider how other types of instruments measure cloud properties. Cloud radars provide a different perspective of the sky than visual observations from sky […]
Growth in Academia and Writing
My personal and academic growth is hard to measure. I often feel like my accomplishments have been achieved by sacrificing growth in other areas of my life. I feel unbalanced, like I have only worked out my right arm for the past four years and now have to switch to my left. I worry about […]
“Am I making myself crazy?” and other important questions
WE ARE GETTING DOWN TO THE WIRE AND ALL I CAN DO IS WRITE IN CAPS LOCK. false alarm. deep breathes. Alrighty… so I have literally no time and a million things to do still. Here I am going to digest some of Jim’s feedback and write a few clear goals to address the suggestions. […]
Have I created “uncomfortable knowledge”?
I was feeling the need for another source to flesh out my discussion and relate back to my main points. I think I found just the one! The text deals with “uncomfortable knowledge,” which is what I feel like I have created with this automatic classifier. I have simplified and reduced the sky and weather to […]
Snail’s Pace Revisions
I feel like my thesis is finally coming to together as a cohesive document! I cut out the social network methodology because I felt like it wasn’t adding anything to my argument. I cut out a substantial chunk of my top of the hourglass and clarified and streamlined my arguments. I also added reflection/production process […]
A brand new abstract!
Abstract Clouds are an integral component of our atmosphere and are involved in complex interactions that regulate the climate of our Earth. It is necessary to have a comprehensive observational record of both cloud type and cloud cover in order to look at trends, better understand atmospheric processes, and to compare with models. Unfortunately, there […]
Refocusing Recentering Rethinking
It has been four days since I turned in my honors draft and four days since I last looked at my thesis. This is the longest I have gone without it in 2 months. I felt a lot of relief after turning the draft in and I am genuinely excited to get feedback and begin […]
Where to next? and all the Doubt…
I am finishing up the sections that I have put off until the end. This means that they are not as well researched, not fun to write, and very much procrastinated on. Specifically, I have neglected to research data communication. I thought have more articles than I really do. Luckily, this section does not have […]
Thesis Rubric
I find it helpful to refer back to the rubric once and I while, but I spend way too long looking for it everytime! https://moodle.lclark.edu/pluginfile.php/352846/mod_resource/content/1/SituatedRubric-Fall2015.pdf
Instrument Comparison
I have definitely been putting off writing this comparison because it required me to do a bit more research. That being said, I think it was really helpful to help me see the direction that my conclusion if going to take. I want to emphasize how different instruments observe clouds differently and that there is […]
Starting from the beginning…
Okay. So maybe this was obvious, but I met with the head of the writing center and he recommended that I write my introduction. I just wrote up a draft, which I will definitely edit as I go, but it ended up being incredibly illuminating. It gave me a chance to refocus and attempt to […]
An Exercise on Scaling Methodologies
My current methodology is two-fold. I am investigating the network of prominent authors as well as their institutional affiliation. I am also investigating the forces that influence my research like the algorithms and programs. In addition, I am evaluating the validity of the how well these algorithms classify cloud type. I feel like my methodology […]
Extra Classifier Research
Interestingly, though I researched and learned how to use these classifiers, I never actually took the time to investigate how they actually worked or where they came from. I am sort of struggling to decide how much detail to go into. There are a lot of parts of these classifiers and details of pre-processing that I […]
Reflecting on Transformation
The following was written for a collaborative effort between the Environmental Action LLC and the ENVS department. This post is inspired by the work I have been immersed in for the past 48 hours. This work has seemingly nothing to do with hourglasses, situating, the nature/culture hybridity, or any other ENVSy concepts. It’s an epic […]
Updates and Reflections for Week Two
Now that we are a little more than a week into school, it is time to update my schedule and reflect on my work habits. So far I have mostly stuck to my weekly goals and I have found that having daily goals helps a lot as well. While my work time on my thesis […]
Models!
Gerrit Lohmann describes the role of models well in the context of Earth System Science, he says that they “provide the perspective beyond the local information from observations/reconstructions and show that spatial and temporal patterns are fundamental to understanding Earth systems and processes”(Lohmann 28). Climate change can be an especially polarizing topic, with much disagreement centered around the use of […]
Intro to Scientific Networks
As resources for scientists have increased, single author papers have decreased substantially. With the practice of “big science” in tandem with increased funding, working in teams is often necessary. Better communication methods and ease of mobility have helped collaboration intra-institution as well as internationally. Wolfgang Glänzel and András Schubert are critical of representing scientific networks through […]
The World Meteorological Organization
So I finally checked out a source that I have had for a while but haven’t gotten a chance to read. It is the 60 year report from the World Meteorological Organization. It outlines the history of their organization, their goals, and what kinds of projects they are working one. I pulled out some interesting […]
On my ever expanding reading list
I am trying to focus science studies specifically on meteorology, although I should look for some climate ones too. Here is my reading list for the weekend! Majdik, Zoltan P., Carrie Anne Platt, and Mark Meister. 2011. “Calculating the Weather: Deductive Reasoning and Disciplinary Telos in Cleveland Abbe’s Rhetorical Transformation of Meteorology.” Quarterly Journal of […]
The history of cloud research
I am gathering information on the history of meteorology and the conception of cloud research. The following are the books I am using to help inform this background. When I find an interesting case, I plan on finding primary documents so I m not simply using someone else’s synthesis. I know one of these cases […]
Long term thesis goals!
Here we go! I recently realized how little time I have and how I really need to start writing. I have written up a quick list of weekly writing and research goals. Hopefully I can stick to them and write and research concurrently. The goals follow sections in my outline although they are in in […]
Thesis Goals for 01/15/16
I am trying something new by publishing my thesis goals. I think it will help keep me motivated and organized by publicly announcing my short-term goals. By Friday I will: re-upload my outline update my site with new information from my outline skim cloud history book and write a post research Thomas Kuhn and the […]
Entangling Weather and Climate with Hulme
I recently encountered an article which helped me think about my research in a more environmental studies way. In Hulme’s Cosmopolitan Climates Hybridity, Foresight and Meaning, he talks about how local/global and nature/culture are evident in the discipline of meteorology and climatology. One really cool thing about this article is the section of the entanglement of […]
Questions are key?
I met with Jessica about my thesis this morning and am processing the conversation with this post. We mainly talked about how to situate and frame more clearly. I think all the pieces of my thesis are there and will largely remain the same, but it comes down to asking and wording the right questions […]
Rethinking questions
I am processing my thesis outline feedback and I think one of the most important things I can do is rewrite my framing and focus questions because these questions should convey the hourglass shape and lead into a clear situated context. How did atmospheric science develop and how has its technology and observations shaped our […]
Helpful tidbits from Jankovic
I am working my way through Reading the Skies: A Cultural History of English Weather, 1650-1820 by Vladimir Jankovic and finding it very rewarding. Even though I am only through the introduction and first chapter, I wanted to mark down some passages that I think are interesting for framing my research. I think the history […]
Talking History with Andy
I went in to talk to Andy Bernstein because I am looking at historical documents for the background of this thesis and needed some guidance. I found one of his papers really illuminating. It was about a couple, the Nonakas, who planned to spent the winter on Mt Fuji and take meteorological data. It was […]
Continuing thoughts on background and situating
In fitting with my broad framework of how scientific instruments have shaped human understanding of the natural world, I would like to explore various contexts where technology had played a significant role in advancing human understanding. I think it would be interesting to discover historic perspectives of the natural world, especially in relation to the […]
History of Cloud Classification
“We must, however, warn the young student of meteorology … against limiting his conceptions of the Modifications to the particular forms here represented; A correct comprehension of the subject is only to be obtained by a habitual observation of nature.” (Howard viii) Luke Howard (1772-1864) was a meteorologist who applied the linnaean classification to clouds […]
Zotpress
New Inspiration for Interdisciplinary connections!
If you have been following my thesis thoughts and struggles, you will know that I have been in no mans land for a long time now. It is pretty awesome what a 10 minute conversation with someone with a new perspective will do! I have focused so much on this little mirror and camera device […]
Satellites… of love?
(please refer to Satellite of Love by Lou Reed while reading this post) I am currently changing direction from my research this summer. It makes more sense for me to be looking at satellite cloud observations instead of just small scale ground based observations because I want to tie this research back to something more applicable. I […]
The Woes of Studying Global Phenomena
I am currently grappling with situating a global phenomenon like clouds and atmosphere. This brought me to the difficulties in actually collecting these kinds of measurements. There are all sorts of gaps both spatially and temporally which complicates taking averages and looking at trends. Studying the Science of Global Atmospheric Research There are many problematic […]
Where I came from- On Clouds and Climate
I have written up some broad background on my cloud research during the summer. I am hoping to use some of the knowledge I gained. I would also like to connect cloud processes to human activities. During the summer, we used images taken from an automated ground based camera. Continuing my research, I will use […]
Proposal #3- Waste and Consumer Habits
Waste Not: Consumer Habits and Waste Management in Ho Chi Minh City Questions How do consumer habits in Vietnam affect waste patterns and management? What are consumer waste habits in Vietnam? What is the waste management system in Vietnam? Background Like many other developing countries, Vietnam faces environmental degradation due to its rapid economic growth. […]
Proposal #2- Water and Development
Braving the Rain: Managing Development and Flooding in Ho Chi Minh City Questions How do new urban developments in Ho Chi Minh City affect surface water management? How is surface water managed in Vietnam? Background Like many other developing countries, Vietnam faces environmental degradation due to its rapid urbanization and lax environmental regulations. One major […]
Proposal #1- Migration and Land Use/Cover Change
Moving to the city: Patterns of Migration and Land Use/Cover Change How do patterns of migration in Vietnam affect land /use cover? What are the patterns of migration in Vietnam? What motivates people to migrate to Ho Chi Minh City? How have land use/cover patterns changed in the Saigon River Watershed? Background As Eric F. […]
Carbon Tax Case Studies (Ireland and Chile)
Below I have discussed and compared Ireland’s and Chile’s carbon tax plans. This is part of a larger research project that looks at whether Portland should implement a carbon tax. Convery, F. J., L. Dunne and D. Joyce (2013), “Ireland’s Carbon Tax and the Fiscal Crisis: Issues in Fiscal Adjustment, Environmental Effectiveness, Competitiveness, Leakage and […]
Willapa Bay Bathymetry and Tidal Fluxes
Map and Text by Laurel Garrett and Jhana Valentine The map above shows the bathymetry of Willapa Bay in Washington State. The area has been under scrutiny lately as the massive chemical eradication of Spartina alterniflora, an invasive cordgrass, is winding up. Many oysters farmers working in Willapa Bay claim the bay is the […]
Willapa Bay Benthic Habitat Survey
Map and Text By Laurel Garrett and Jhana Valentine This benthic habitat survey (1995) has been completed by the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce, NOAA Coastal Services Center, Oregon State University, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Transportation, Marine Resources Consultations Inc., University of Washington, and the United States Geological Survey. The […]
Concentration Review and Next Steps
Since the Fall of 2013 when I wrote my concentration, I have had the good fortune to travel to both the places I mention in my summary case studies, the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. The ability to experience the conditions that I describe and studied for writing my concentration […]
A 3-minute TEDtalk
My concentration is on river management in monsoon regions. This concentration developed partially because I decided to go abroad to Vietnam and because also because I was interested in how we interact with water and how these interactions change water systems. So I went to Vietnam. Along with other research on waste management and environmental […]
When it Rains it Pours: Observing Drainage Problems in Newly Developed Zones
On November 3, 2014 we went on a driving tour of housing developments in Ho Chi Minh City. In outlying districts we looked at new neighborhoods marketed toward expats and high-income families. We also saw what happens when housing projects are discontinued and neglected because of funding issues. Here is a map of where we […]
Working Out Park Culture and Democracy in Hoan Kiem
Early morning is the only time you can go to Hoan Kiem Lake and not see tourists. At 6am the park is packed with Vietnamese exercising and socializing. Parks are hubs of activity for children, teens, and adults alike. However, if you want to exercise, before work and before the day gets hot is the […]
Farming, Fertilizers, and Feed: Observations from the Mekong Delta
Observation Post 2- Mekong Delta This past weekend, we all went to the Mekong Delta where we observed many facets of rural life and what life on the delta was like. Since this was the first time we had gotten out of the city, I was very curious about farming practices. However, I didn’t know […]
Sussing out Sales Tactics of Vietnamese Market Vendors
I studied the different tactics of vendors in Chợ Tân Định market and Chợ Thị Nghè market. I want to see if the tactics were different depending on what goods the vendor was selling. I thought that vendors that were selling non-necessary goods would push their goods harder since often their sales may reflect impulse buys instead […]
Crossing the Street in Ho Chi Minh City
A common problem between these two articles was urban transport in rapidly growing cities. Traffic, specifically motorbike traffic, is very prevalent in Ho Chi Minh City and I am a little bit concerned for my safety. I will probably find myself avoiding crossing streets at busy intersections and I expect to be completely confused by […]