Final Project Overview

An overview of the landscape from the northeast

An overview of the landscape from the southeast.

Free/reused items in italics.

Native species of plants:

Prior to buildup and expansion, the downtown Chicago area was primarily Oak Woodland (“An Atlas” 13). Three old growth large oaks run along the west quadrant of the yard.

Three oaks in the west quadrant of the landscape.

Black Maple trees are likely native to the area (“An Atlas” 26), five line the back fence area. And although some biologists argue that Sugar Maple trees are invasive to the Chicagoland area (“An Atlas” 28), one is growing in the southwest corner of the lot.

Five maples in the back of the landscape.

White trillium are common in oak forest areas and bloom in early spring (“An Atlas” 30). Some can be found on the south end of the path near the pond, seeds are available from Gurney’s Seed and Nursery for $4.95 (“Great White”). “The grass pink (Calopogon tuberosus) decorates summer bogs with its flowers” (“An Atlas” 40) Some are growing near the pond. It would be best to transplant these from existing bogs in the area, as they are hard to find for sale.

Invites native animal biodiversity:

The Western Chorus Frog is indigenous to the region (“An Atlas” 34). One lives in the pond.

The red-headed woodpecker is common to woodland areas near Chicago (“An Atlas” 31), and a couple can be seen on the Maple trees to the back of the property.

Squirrels are also common in the Chicagoland area, (“An Atlas” 31) several live amongst the oaks.

It seems a Cattle Egret has wandered over from Lake Renwick in Will County (“An Atlas” 42) to try and pluck fish from the lake. A school of longear sunfish (“An Atlas” 45) in the pond are in danger!

People-friendly areas:

A complete patio set constructed of wood salvaged from tear downs of old local barns (Reiman 11) is placed on the pathway.

Two chairs made with salvaged wood and aluminum pipe are in the center of the walkway. They surround a Tuscany style fire pit.

A cedar pergola made with sustainably harvested wood from responsibly managed local woodlots is attached to the house near the northwest corner of the garden. The pergola was purchased from ticknthistle.com (“Earth Friendly”).

At the back of the property a Twin Oaks Green Living Hemp Fabric Hammock is hung between two trees. It is “hand-crafted using ivory hemp twill cloth and hand-woven hemp rope” and costs $229 (Twin Oaks).

A hot tub pumped and heated by solar generated electricity completes the people friendly backyard landscape for $1,957 (“Delux Kit”).

“Green” product décor features:

The pathway is lined with solar powered pathway lighting, available at Lowes for $38.42 a dozen (“Shop”).

The cedar pergola, salvaged wood chairs, salvaged patio set, hemp hammock, and permeable pathway all contribute to the low environmental footprint of the yard. Each represents a feature that can be installed or created using sustainable or otherwise recycled materials.

Storm water management and water conservation:

The pathway is constructed using permeable pavers that allow rainwater to drain between stones. The pavers are placed over a bed of gravel, filtering water before it percolates into the soil (Ogden). Paving stones are collected from local farmers who dig them up when tilling the soil, and are more than glad to get rid of them. Rain barrels collect storm water from building gutters. That rainwater can be used to water plants and grass during dry periods.

An environmentally friendly pond feature filters excess rainwater and provides a natural habitat for animals displaced by suburban sprawl.

Total Price:

Pathway lighting: $115.26 (3 @ $38.42)

Great white trillium: $4.95

Cedar Pergoda: $500

Hammock: $229

Hot Tub: $1,957

Total: $2,806.21 and lots of environmentally friendly labor!

Works Cited

“An Atlas of Biodiversity.” Chicago Wilderness. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.
. Reiman Media Group, Inc. “Small Spaces.” Budget Backyard Makeovers Jan. 2010:
4-23. Print.

“DELUX Kit.” SOLAR HOT TUB.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.
.

“Earth Friendly Pergola.” Tick-n-Thistle Furniture and Fine Art. N.p., n.d. Web.
10 May 2010. .

“Great White Trillium.” Shade Plants from Gurney’s Seed and Nursery. Gurney’s
Seed and Nursery, n.d. Web. 10 May 2010. .

Ogden Publications, Inc. “Green Patios, Walkways & Driveways of Porous Pavement
and Pervious Concrete.” Mother Earth News. Ogden Publications, Inc, May
2009. Web. 10 May 2010. .

“Shop Portfolio 12-Pack Solar Landscape Light.” Lowes.com. Lowes, n.d. Web. 10
May 2010.

” The State of Our Chicago Wilderness: A Report Card on the Ecological Health of
the Region.” Chicago Wilderness. ChicagoWilderness.org. Web. 14 Apr. 2010.
.

“Twin Oaks Green Living Hemp Fabric Hammock.” hammocks.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10
May 2010. .

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Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution: “Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.” (Office, 1)

And so, the procedures which might be used to pass current controversial legislation were set an agreed upon by the respective legislative bodies at the beginning of the annual session. “Deem and pass” is not a trick, “reconciliation” shouldn’t be controversial, they are standing rules agreed upon by the representatives. If a citizen believes those rules to be unsavory, the author would suggest encouraging your representative to change those rules.

Now to quote the U.S. Senate website, www.senate.gov : “Typically, a simple majority is required for a measure to pass. In the case of a tie, the vice president (president of the Senate) casts the tie breaking vote. An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn is typically required to invoke cloture.” (Yea, 1)

What is cloture, you ask? “…in 1917, senators adopted a rule (Rule 22), at the urging of President Woodrow Wilson, that allowed the Senate to end a debate with a two-thirds majority vote, a device known as “cloture.” (Filibuster, 1) Nowadays, as indicated above, three-fifths is all that is required, or 60 votes. The 60 vote procedure is typically followed to quickly end arguing and filibuster in the Senate chambers.

Hopefully that clarifies some information you’ve been hearing lately. As more people get fed up with government and participate less, the situation will only get worse. Make sure to stay informed and stay involved, it’s the only way to fix the situation.

Works Cited

“Filibuster and Cloture .” U.S. Senate. United States Senate, n.d. Web. 18 Mar.
2010. <http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/
Filibuster_Cloture.htm>.

Office of the Secretary of the Senate, and Johnny H. Killian. “Constitution of the United States .” United States Senate. The Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm>.

“Yea or Nay? Voting in the Senate.” U.S. Senate. United States Senate, n.d. Web.
18 Mar. 2010. <http://www.senate.gov/>.

Daniel Ketsdever of the International Debate Education Association has this to say about farm subsidies: “Subsidies are expensive and represent a burden on the American citizen as taxpayer and consumer. The USA spends $44 billion on farm support payments every year, all of which comes out of the pockets of hard-pressed American families. Subsidies cause poverty, both domestically and internationally by maintaining the prices of goods at an artificial level that does not reflect the cost of production.” (Ketsdever, 1)

More bad news comes from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. They explain that “diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and Americans are increasingly overweight and sedentary. Type 2 diabetes is more common in older people, especially in people who are overweight. According to recent estimates, the prevalence of diabetes in the United States is predicted to be 8.9 percent of the population by 2025.” (National, 1)

Unfortunately, the current farm subsidy arrangement makes unhealthy food cheaper. “The most reliable predictor of obesity in America today is a person’s wealth.” A researcher from University of Washington recently found that a dollar could purchase up to 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips, but only 250 calories of carrots. “As a rule, processed foods are more ‘energy dense’ than fresh foods: they contain less water and fiber but more added fat and sugar, which makes them both less filling and more fattening. These particular calories also happen to be the least healthful ones in the marketplace.” (Pollan, 1)

The sad result of our public policy is that we are paying good tax dollars to poison ourselves as a society. Every American’s hard-earned tax dollars are going to subsidize farm crops that in turn make us less healthy and more prone to disease. Perhaps worst of all, the money doesn’t help American farmers in need. “Farm subsidies are intended to alleviate farmer poverty, but the majority of subsidies go to commercial farms, which report an average income of $200,000 and a net worth of nearly $2 million.” (Riedl, 1)

The Great Depression led to the institution of the first farm subsidies, which were intended only as a short term solution to reduce agricultural shortfalls. At the time, a considerably larger proportion of American citizens lived on millions of small farms nationwide.“Today, farmers account for just 1 percent of the population.” (Riedl, 1) As more people began to move to the cities, big business took over.

We need to modify the current system to promote better health and reduce the burden on American taxpayers. Clearly, the goal would not be to make food products more expensive. It’s also imperative that we do not make hardworking farmers poor. There is no need to reduce food production so much as to promote worldwide starvation.

The difficulty with the current solution is that is pays farmers to produce food by the bushel. The subsidies focus on bulk crops like corn and soy, which can be processed to produce complex sugars and fats. Unfortunately, the program does not support the planting of healthier fruits and vegetables. The end result is the situation described above, where the far majority of cheap food in the center of the supermarket is unhealthy processed creations of corn and soy.

Instead of eliminating subsidies and increasing the price of food on the whole, the country needs to develop a plan that encourages sustainable crops, that vary by season, and are healthy to eat. It should be designed to discourage the reprocessing of bulk food products, and encourage the delivery of fresh foods to local markets. Surely the $44 billion currently spent on subsidies could be used more wisely.

The most powerful thing you can do is vote with your wallet. When you shop for food, take a moment to consider the source of the food. Shopping on the outside aisles of the supermarket, where fresh healthier foods are found, will help support farmers who produce healthy food. Especially during a time of economic uncertainty, every dollar you spend has an impact on how your market decides to stock products and where it decides to buy them. Even Walmart has begun to add naturally grown milk products and organic foods.

Finally, take a moment to spread the word. You can use social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook to tell your friends about farm subsidies. You can write a quick note to your representatives in Congress. You can call your local newspaper or just tell a friend. The tide of the economy and our nation’s health will be turned by millions like you who will make a small change.

Works Cited

Ketsdever, Nathan. “Context.” US Farm Subsidies, Abolish. International Debate Education Association, 31 Mar. 2007. Web. 7 Mar. 2010. .

Pollan, Michael. “To Ensure Quality Food, Current Agricultural Subsidies Need to Be Eliminated.” Opposing Viewpoints: Agricultural Subsidies. Ed. Noël Meri. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “The Nature of Diabetes: An Overview.” Contemporary Issues Companion: Diabetes. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .

“Preface to ‘What Are Some Alternatives to Agricultural Subsidies?’.” Opposing Viewpoints: Agricultural Subsidies. Ed. Noël Meri. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .

Riedl, Brian M. “U.S. Farmers Do Not Need Agricultural Subsidies to Survive.” Opposing Viewpoints: Agricultural Subsidies. Ed. Noël Meri. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. College of DuPage (all subscribed dbs). 11 Mar. 2010 .