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A white world, a white shoe, and a butterfly is an exploration of the butterfly effect and humanity on Earth Day in 2023.
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A white world, a white shoe, and a butterfly is an exploration of the butterfly effect and humanity on Earth Day in 2023. Taking the time to look beyond the notion of recycling daily and planting a tree in participation on Earth Day. The fact is, there is so much more to it. I became so fascinated with learning about the complexity of my own actions in my little corner of the world and realizing the ripple effect that little ol me has on the world. Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? I’m not referring to the movie, though it is one way to look at it. Simply put, the butterfly effect is the idea that small, seemingly trivial events (actions) may ultimately result in something with much larger consequences. We can not really predict the full measure of the consequences, but there is tangible evidence of the consequences. The term "butterfly effect" was formulated in the 1960s by Edward Lorenz, a meteorology professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was studying weather patterns. His report stated 1 "The 'innumerable' interconnections of nature, Lorenz noted, mean a butterfly's flap could cause a tornado — or, for all we know, could prevent one. Similarly, should we make even a tiny alteration to nature, 'we shall never know what would have happened if we had not disturbed it,' since subsequent changes are too complex and entangled to restore a previous state." What does this mean? Considering how one small change can quickly result in a lot of unintended consequences, there's naturally cause for concern. Alessandro Filazzola, from the University of Alberta, explains in his research, we looked at one of those indirect effects and saw how future climate will slowly cause mismatch in spatial location of a butterfly and its host plant. As a caterpillar, this butterfly only feeds on this type of plant species so any mismatch in range will cause a decline in the butterfly." Why should anyone care or take the time to figure out their carbon footprint (also known as your ecological footprint)? The reason is simple… it’s having a huge impact on the climate which impacts plants, animals, insects, water, and humanity. Did you know that the average person creates 2 tons of carbon footprint every single month? The reality is most individuals cannot live on Earth without generating a carbon footprint, but I believe knowing how much of our daily lifestyle is damaging the planet is the first step in understanding how just one thing we do has a ripple effect, even if we don’t see it. After learning a bit more about Earth Day and contemplating earth in 2023, my desire for a clean planet grew immensely. References: 1Boston Globe Peter Dizikes - The meaning of the butterfly Why pop culture loves the 'butterfly effect,' and gets it totally wrong What is a carbon footprint (also known as your ecological footprint)? Calculate your carbon footprint carbon footprint calculator. materials
Paper mache, plaster of paris Recycled Materials: pickleballs, shoe, paper, cookie tin, and an aluminum can |