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Simulations are designed for us to have a visual grasp of a scenario happening in the real-time. The two simulations we've experienced, were visually attractive and engaging because of the idea behind it.
First was the Water Footprint simulation in where it calculates the amount of water one uses per day in gallons. I was really fond of the animations and how the questions were put in a creative way. Besides it being eye-catching, it was very informative as well because as you answer it, there are additional information provided. One that stuck in my head was the saying that "If its yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." This made me contemplate on the amount of water that is used every time we push the flush. I am still hesitant to "let it mellow" but hopefully, I would be able to do it so that I can be of help in some way to the current water crisis that is being faced right now by many.
In our class, we took note of everyone's water consumption for one month. Below is the table.
Knowing my classmates, one factor that affects the amount of water consumed by a family is the number of people. Obviously if you have a bigger family, one would expect a higher amount of water used. Since we are only a small family, we only consume a small amount. If per month we garner a total of 15 cu.m, we can estimate that 0.5 cu.m is used every day which is mainly for taking a bath, washing the dishes, watering the plants, cleaning, and laundry. Only a dot in the overall percentage of water that is available here on earth is freshwater and accessible to humans, which makes possible the event of water crises. With this, we are therefore challenged to become aware and conscious of the way we use water. We have to constantly remind ourselves that we are not the only ones here who need water, we should not become selfish. There is enough resources for all of us if only we know how to share and to care for our natural resources in general. We are also reminded to not throw trash in bodies of water because this causes water pollution and harm to the marine animals especially if we were to throw plastic into the ocean which can be mistaken by turtles as food. Water has been the sign of life ever since the beginning. It is where the first organisms started to thrive and that is why Earth is called the blue planet. Without water, we wouldn't be able to experience rain which gives plants the chance to grow, diving, snorkelling, wake boarding and other water sports. It brings us joy to be able to bathe in water because we humans are naturally affiliated with water especially because we were surrounded with fluid for 9 months before we came into this world.
The second and last simulation is the Climate Change simulation in where one assumes presidency over a country. He/she is given 10 turns to pick policies that affect the wealth, power, food and water supply, and carbon emission of the nation. In this simulation, we are challenged to think critically and consider the above factors in every decision we make. We must achieve a goal of lessening the carbon emissions, but in the process I observed that we cannot take into consideration the other factors. One will fall short in one category if he/she focuses on achieving the goal. We got the chance to decide for a very big population and take on a responsibility that is heavy to carry. Getting the chance to experience being a president even for a while, made my respect for international leaders increase. Their work is very tough and it is so easy for us citizens, to judge right away since we do not feel any pressure. These leaders, if true and honest, only want whats best for us and for that we should be thankful for their renewed strength each and every day.
The most important take away for me from these 2 simulations is that change starts from within. I've always believed in that principle and will continue to believe it because I know that this is what everyone needs in order to help save our Home. It is always better to lead by action than by merely encouragement by words. By doing this, we give the others the motivation to do something better. We also have to root the main cause of climate change which is our habits and our way of life as a whole. We have to be able to change little by little our perspectives and gain new knowledge in order to foster more care for the environment.
