Kristakhauk's Blog

Lessons Learned

Looking back on this term’s set of multimedia projects for Gateway II, I have to say I have learned a great deal in the last ten weeks, and many were from my mistakes. I am glad I had the opportunity to learn how to use the Final Cut Pro program. I believe that learning how to use that program was the most important thing I’ve learned so far in my college career.

There are other lessons I have learned however, that contributed to my success with Final Cut. For the audio interview project I learned how to conduct an interview and what kinds of questions to ask, which was actually nerve wracking! I learned the parts of an audio story: actualities are interviews; Ambient is background or setting sound; Nat sound includes sound effects; and voice over is narration. Good audio stories have an attention-grabbing opening, setting, tension, and emotion, have a point; good pace, is relatable and has an appropriate ending. If I could do my project over, I would have kept more quiet while interviewing my subject because I had a hard time cutting my voice out without cutting part of the interviewee’s words as well.

I learned how to take a good picture, how to set up the background, and to avoid clutter. It is important to keep the subject in focus and to have a visual variety, numerous shots to work with. The rule of thirds was one I always kept in mind, because I realized that having the subject in the middle is actually boring. If I could have done my slideshow over again, I would have taken more photos because I think I would have done better if I had more to work with.

With the video project, I learned to write shots you want to capture and to plan well before going out to shoot, and that using a tripod is essential, because no matter how steady you think your hand is, the naked eye will catch any shakiness. If I could do the video project over again, I would have made sure that when I checked the video out, they had a gorilla pod dock in the camera so I didn’t have to tape the camera to the dock. I also would have given myself more time to edit it, because I felt very rushed. All in all, I would consider this term in Gateway II to be extremely successful in that I learned some important lessons that will affect the way I handle projects in the future.

PowerShift West ’09 Slideshow

During our new administration’s first 100 days last February, various student environmental organizations joined to form “Power Shift 09,” which brought 12,000 young people to Washington D.C. to demand bold action and urge our elected officials to pass a strong and comprehensive climate and energy plan that will contribute to rebuilding our country’s economy. As a result, the administration responded by establishing the Senate Climate Bill, which legislators will be voting on this December. Power Shift 09 may have had success in D.C., but their mission will not be completed until they gain the support and vote from legislators next month.

Since their victory in February, Power Shift has planned to launch Regional Power Shift Conferences across the country. Excitingly, University of Oregon hosted one of the twelve national youth conferences called “Power Shift West 09” on November 6-8, where hundreds of students from 13 different states in the West gathered for two days of speakers, workshops, trainings and panels addressing energy and climate solutions. On that Sunday, the PowerShift conference ended with a march where students got to exercise their voice in the community.

Visual Analysis Write-up

The photo above was posted on an institutional source’s website. LightsonOregon.com is a “campaign for affordable and reliable energy.” The article’s title, “Hydroelectric Power: Radical Environmentalists Can’t Make Up Their Minds,” prompted me to read on. The article presents two opposing sides; on one hand, Green Peace explains that moving water creates natural energy that can be harnessed and it is also a renewable energy source. There is a small fringe group in Oregon “Save Our Wild Salmon” petition that is trying to stop this popular renewable resource for they believe it would boost fish numbers. They refused to sign a reasonable compromise because “they could not get the fish in the part of the river they wanted them in.” The picture above is that of the fringe group, who are protesting to have the Snake and Colombia River dams removed. Compared to other photos, the number of protesters in this picture are significantly less and much younger, which makes one wonder if the protesters have been coached. It is obvious that the author of the article and its company writes in favor of Green Peace and shines a negative and ignorant light on these extremist groups.

This touching and persuasive video/commercial is one posted by the Green Peace Organization, and upon watching it for the first time, I was both intrigued and touched by JFK’s words. It opens with frames of America’s achievements followed by pictures from natural disasters. Scenes from a speech JFK once gave, “What further disasters will convince world leaders that the existing technology and renewable energy offers the last remaining hope for a sustainable future.” As JFK continues his speech, clips of windmills and solar panels occupy the frame as well as clips of environmental protests, ending with Neil Armstrong’s famous quote. To me, this commercial was extremely moving and engaging, though I must admit I am not extremely familiar with the late JFK and his beliefs. After reading the comments about this video on YouTube, I was shocked at the responses. Apparently, the speech used in this commercial has been manipulated to fit Green Peace’s message, not initially addressing renewable energy revolution, but instead calling for peace and getting rid of nuclear weapons. This makes me question the Green Peace Organization’s sincerity for manipulating such an influential figure’s words to fit their cause.

Renewable Energy in Oregon!

Timeline:

June 29, 1973- President Nixon establishes the Energy Policy Office. The office is responsible for formulating and coordinating energy policies at the presidential level..

1974- The US experiences its first energy crisis and as interest in renewable energy escalates, the Federal Energy Administration (FEA) is created to collect, assemble, evaluate and analyze energy information; provide energy information and projections to the Federal Government, State Governments and the public.

1978- The Energy Tax Act (ETA) of 1978 was passed by Congress in response to the energy crises of the 1970′s – the Arab Oil Embargo and the taking of U.S. hostages in Iran.

1979- Solar Oregon was created as the Solar Energy Association of Oregon to educate Oregonians about energy conservation, energy  efficiency and sustainable energy sources, particularly solar. This is the Oregon chapter of the American Solar Energy Society.

Apr 9, 1980- The Oregon Renewable Energy Development and Conservation Act of 1980

1992- The Energy Policy Act of 1992 called for increased energy efficiency and renewable energy use and authorized a production tax credit of 1.5 cents/ kilowatt hour for wind-generated electricity.

2004- Energy Action Coalition was founded when young leaders across the country concluded that if only they worked together, we could solve a problem as large as climate change while creating a more equitable future for all.

2006- The city of Eugene, Oregon is named the #1 Greenest City in the United States by National Geographic’s Green Guide for its accomplishments in the areas of renewable energy, livability, and public green space.

June 6, 2007- Oregon House of Representatives passed the Oregon Renewable Energy Act (or Renewable Portfolio Standard) support, requiring Oregon’s largest utilities to obtain 25% of their electricity from clean, homegrown renewable energy sources by 2025.

March 18, 2008- Oregon Department of Energy establish a that will take steps to conserve energy and use energy more efficiently, while also developing renewable resources, will reduce the environmental impacts of our energy use, ultimately achieving long-term sustainability.

Links:

Obama orders federal agencies to set goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut energy use, save water and recycle more to echo a Los Angeles sustainability program launched under the direction of then-Deputy Mayor Nancy Sutley, who now heads the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-green6-2009oct06,0,4208281.story?track=rss

This article believes that the federal government should do what 30 states have done and enact legislation requiring the country to get a significant percentage of its electricity from renewable sources.

http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/49723-doubling-renewable-energy-use

This site provides a means for reviewing and evaluating community design options for a more efficient and sustainable use of energy with the Community Energy Planning Tool.

Community Energy Planning Tool

This site, called Sustainable Eugene, is a site that updates the City of Eugene and its citizens about the efforts of Eugene to be a more sustainable and efficient city. The City’s sustainability efforts cover three broad areas: Social Equity, Environment, Economy.

http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=730&PageID=3713&cached=true&mode=2&userID=2

This site is called Power Shift West, which is one of ten national youth conferences happening this fall focused on social, economic, and environmental solutions, including increasing the use of clean energy. The PowerShift West mission and theme is to “Think global, act local.”

http://west.powershift09.org/campaignhome