Robert Widdicombe English 10th Mr. Keith Schoen

Investigative Interview Angel Luis Biographical Information Angel Luis has been an environmentalist since he was 18. He was born in Santo Domingo and lived there for most of his life. His parents are also from Santo Domingo. He went to college for 2 years and studied our ecosystem. He has been studying the water of Monte Cristi for a little over a year now. As an environmentalist he studies the environment and educates people about the environment. Angel Luis is a very responsible guy. He goes every year to Monte Cristi to talk about the coral reefs and the ocean. Angel Luis wants to keep on being an environmentalist and educate people about our ecosystem for the rest of his life.

Investigative Interview: Soil Erosion and Chemical Runoff Summary of Findings: In my research of Soil Erosion I discovered that climate change is a huge factor on the impacts of the coral reef. Climate change leads to coral bleaching (Climate Change Leads to Coral Bleaching. Web) if the corals bleach they die. “Climate change is our worst enemy right now”, Angel Luis. I also discovered that there are a lot of things we can do to bring the ocean back to the way it was. We could use alternatives for fertilizer like the leftovers of foods or organic matter, that doesn’t harm our ecosystem, says Christian Basi. Angel Luis suggests that we educate the people around us about nature. “Telling people that work in agriculture what to use and what not to use”

Evaluation of Solution: In my interview, Angel Luis stated that educating people and planting trees were good solutions to solving soil erosion and chemical runoff. Even though my interviewee says educating people is the most important thing to do, my research says using alternatives for fertilizers is more important. Both my interviewee and my research suggest planting trees is good because the soil gets to grab on the plants roots, (C.F Swiet). Soil erosion is the cause of eutrophication which is a big problem today, (Gaulden Robert). I think educating people is more important because if we educate people they can learn to use alternatives for fertilizers. But planting trees

is also important because it keeps the soil in place and stable. Of the solutions offered, planting trees and educating people are better planting trees gives the soil stable, rain water will not be able to drag it away and educating people is important because people need to learn about the importance of nature.

Environmental Impact: Angel Luis is contributing positively to my environmental issue. He is educating people all around the Dominican Republic. He educates farmers about the dangers of chemical fertilizers. He tells farmers what fertilizers they should use and which ones should not be used. Angel Luis teaches many people about the environmental issues in the world and in the Dominican Republic. He is spreading solutions to these problems all around the Dominican Republic.

Transcript

Translation

Robert: What is your name?

Robert: Que es tu nombre?

Angel: Angel Luis.

Angel: Angel Luis.

Robert: Where are you from?

Robert: De donde tú eres?

Angel: Santo Domingo. Robert: Who is your family and where are they from? Angel: Santo Domingo. Robert: What is your education level? Did you go to college?

Angel: Santo Domingo. Robert: Quien es tu familia y de donde son. Angel: Santo Domingo. Robert: Que es tu nivel de educación? Tú fuiste a la Universidad? Angel: University

Angel: Universitario Robert: Que tu hace en Monte Cristi. Robert: What do you do in Monte Cristi? Angel: Desarrolló proyectos comunitarios.

Angel: Development of community projects. Robert: Que es lo que tú hace siendo un ambientalista?

Robert: What do you do as a environmentalist?

Angel: Enviromental conductor.

Angel: Conductor ambiental.

Robert: Tú has vivido en Monte Cristi por todo tu vida?

Robert: Have you lived in Monte Cristi all your life?

Angel: For one year.

Angel: Por un año.

Robert: Por cuanto tiempo tú has ha sido un ambientalista.

Robert: How long have you been an environmentalist?

Angel: Well, since I was 18.

Angel: Bueno, desde los 18 anos.

Robert: In the past 20 years have you seen the ocean clean?

Robert: En los últimos 20 años tú has visto el océano limpio?

Angel: Al principio si, tamos hablando como 15 años. 15, 16 años más o menos.

Angel: In the beginning yes, we are talking about 15 years. 15, 16 years more or less.

Robert: Why do you think the water has become polluted?

Robert: Porque tú crees que la agua se ha contaminada?

Angel: Yo diría porque la, la misma degradación de los arboles a la vez de especies que tan talaron que provoca la erosión produces esa sedimentación cuando llueve la correntia a los corales van a lo rio y van al mar.

Angel: I would say because the, the same detraction of the trees, at the same time with the species that provoke erosion and produce sedimentation when it rains the runoff go to the river and then to the ocean.

Robert: Do you think the fertilizer causes soil erosion? Angel: Correcto porque la fertilización se usa para ser crecer la planta lo que vamos a comer. Pero así mismo su defecto es reproductivo en el mar. Los algas crecen de manera rápida y la cantidad de peces no dar abasto para comer esa alga. Al mismo tiempo que también la sobre pesca no ayuda a poder combatir con el respecto a la fertilización. Robert: Do you know the chemicals in fertilizers that actually damage our ecosystem? Angel: Bueno de conocerlo así por nombre no lo tengo pero se de algunos abono apetecida como el 203020 e no recuerdo otro nombre pero si conozco algunos pero no recuerdo el nombre.

Robert: Tú crees que los fertilizantes causan la erosión de tierra? Angel: Correct because the fertilizers are used to grow the plants that we will ear. But at the same time its defects are reproduced in the ocean. The alga grows way to fast and the amount of fish is not enough to eat all that algae. At the same time overfishing doesn’t help with the problem of fertilizers. Robert: Tú sabes las químicas en los fertilizantes que dañan nuestro ecosistema. Angel: Well, of knowing them by name I don’t have them but I know some fertilizers like 203020 um I don’t remember any other names but I do know some but I don’t remember their names.

Robert: What are some of the biggest things that affect the ocean?

Robert: Que son unas cosas grandes que afectan el océano?

Angel: Bueno es un conjunto de cosas no es una sola cosa que esta afectando el océano. Es un conjunto de cosa entre ellos están el cambio climático es muy importante este punto porque el cambio climático no depende de nosotros. Hay cosas que si depende de nosotros que no tira fertilizante depende de nosotros y podemos legislar o me tonar para eso no continua o sea de una manera vamos a decir orgánico los fertilizante orgánico que no afectan el ecosistema de océano pero también está la sobre pesca, pero también está la sedimentación, pero también está el asunto de los polos está subiendo el nivel del mar y eso también está afectando a todo el ecosistema.

Angel: Well it is a combination of things not just one thing that is affecting the ocean. It’s a combination of things within that there is climate change, it is really important this point because climate change does not depend on us. There are things that do depend on us and we can control those things so they won’t continue or we can say use organic fertilizers, The organic fertilizers does not affect our ecosystem of the ocean, but there is also overfishing, but there is also sedimentation, but there is also the problem with the poles they are rising the sea level and that is also affecting all of our ecosystem.

Robert: Why do you think farmers use these fertilizers? Angel: Bueno, tienen que usar lo fertilizante porque la tierra no tiene la cantidad de nutrientes que necesita entonces se la ponen para que puede llegar un producto de calidad a tu casa. Por ejemplo con una mata de guineo si no se le hecha fertilizante y tú lo tiene en un sitio de cuaba ya la tierra muy cansada la ha sembrado mucha veces y no le han dado descanso entonces crece una planta mediocre que no vale la pena ni siquiera sembrarla la corte entonces lo fertilizante lo usa para eso, para darle un poco de crecimiento a la tierra.

Robert: Porque tú crees que los granjeros usan estos fertilizantes? Angel: Well, they have to use the fertilizers because the soil does not have the amount of nutrients that it need so they put them so that a product with good quality can come to their home. For example with a banana tree if you don’t put on fertilizer and you have it in a place where the soil is not good and the soil is tired and you have planted there before, a mediocre plant that is not worth planting grows, so you cut it.

Robert: Can we use alternatives for fertilizer that don’t harm our ecosystem? Angel: Claro que si hay mucho fertilizante que pueden ser natural para que no hagan daño al medio ambiente entre ello están el resto de comida, poder clasificar la basura para poder utilizar lo desechos de la comida. Las cacharas de los frutas del plátano etc. Que regularmente eso lo recogen y se lo dan a la granja de cerdo. Pero si tu pone eso y hace una compactada y lo deja tapado por un tiempo y hay muchísima información en el internet de como se hace. Eso sirve de fertilizante, sirve de abono para esta actividad. Robert: What are some things that prevent soil erosion and chemical runoffs? Angel: Bueno, lo primero es crear consensua de que la persona que tiene un pedazo de tierra en su mano sepa que no puede estallando si no sembrar crear una verdadera cupa vegetal que mantenga la tierra en un sitio que aunque llueva tan taros que no se lleva la corintia a la tierra y la otra e me dijese la. Robert: Chemical runoff Angel: Ok eso también se puede controlar con una educación, diciéndole a la persona que trabaja en la agricultura que no se puede usar y que productos que son organicos, cuales que no son organicos etc.

Robert: Podemos usar alternativas para fertilizante que no dañan nuestro ecosistema? Angel: Of course there are a lot of fertilizers that can be natural so that is won’t damage the ecosystem within these there are the leftovers of food, classifying the trash so we can utilize the remains of the food. The outside of fruits like the plantain etc. That regularly they pick them up and they give it to pig farms. But if you all that and you make a compost and you let it covered for some time and there is a lot more information on how to do that. This can be used as fertilizers. Robert: Que son cosas que provienen la erosión de tierra y la es corriente química?

Angel: Well the first thing is to educate people that the person who has a piece of land in their hands should know to not have the land with no trees instead they have to plant trees to keep the soil in one place that even if it pours rain that the rain water will not drag it away and what else did you say. Robert: Es corriente química. Angel: Ok that too can be controlled by education, telling the people that work in agriculture

no se puede usar y que productos que son orgánicos etc. Y el daño y el impacto que están creando fuera de su de tolmo que en el fondo ello no saben pero está impactando ello también cuando no le llega peces de buen tamaño que quieren comer su pescado pero no le llega de buen tamaño o no aparece porque la pesca esta mala es que están cada vez más lejos. Entonces eso también lo afecta a ellos. Pero hay que ponerse en conocimiento. A tu orden. Ya?

what not to use and the products that are organic etc. And the damage and impact that they are creating, that deep down inside they don’t know but are impacting, also when they don’t get fish that are a good size that they want to eat there fish but they don’t get a good size or they just can’t find fish because it is hard to fish, it is not that it is hard to fish the problem is that the fish are going farther away. So that also affects them. But we have to educate. At your order. Is that it?

Robert: 1 more. What can we do to bring the ocean back to the way it was?

Robert: Uno más. Que podemos hacer para que el océano vuelva hacer como era?

Angel: Mira, para que el océano sea como era ante, en la parte humana podemos hacer muchas cosas. Pero el cambio climático es lo mayor enemigo ahora mismo porque el cambio climático es lo que está manteniendo la temperatura del océano alta y entonces eso produce que lo corales se enferme y que se mueran. La barrera de arrecife de coral pierde el coral. Pero alternativa como ser humano es apoyar la educación ambiental que la gente sepa que aunque tu esta haya en Jarabacoa en una loma si tu tira un papelito en el rio, ese papelito va a llegar a Monte Cristi adonde desemboca el rio Yaqué del Norte y eso es importante que todo el mundo lo sepa porque creando conciencia ahí es la que la persona puede tomar la decisión si lo hago o no lo hago y eso es lo importante. Crear una concensia trabajar lo que es educacion ambiental y premover acciones ambientalmente con respect a la persona que trabaja en

Angel: Look, for the ocean to get back to the way it was, in the human part we can do many things. But climate change is our worst enemy right now because climate change is what maintains the ocean temperatures high and makes the corals sick and die. The barrier reef of corals loses it corals. But as human beings it is to educate people about nature that people should know that even if they are in Jarabacoa in a mountain if you throw a little piece of paper it will end up in Monte Cristi where the Yaque Del Norte leads to and that is important that everyone in the world should knowbecause educating people is when the can make the decision whether to do it or no to do it and

eso lo importante crear una concencia, trabajar lo que es educacion ambiental y premover acciones ambientalmente con respect a la persona que trabaja en agricultura y la persona que desarolla proyectos tambien en las montanos, proyectos sean amigable al medio ambiente que eso es muy importante tambien.

that is what is important educate, work on educating people about nature and promote actions that are good, with people that work in agriculture and the people that develop projects should be good to the environment that is also really important to.