I recently heard someone in a class of mine say a documentary that doesn’t change the way you think, didn’t do what it was supposed to do. I considered myself an environmentalist before watching Cowspiracy for the first time. I was informed, I took precautions to limit my carbon footprint, and I used social media to share news about the challenges our planet faces as a result of climate change. Then, with a single quote, I realized I was living a lie.

“You can’t be an environmentalist and eat animal products — period.” After delving deeper into research on the consequences of animal agriculture, I made the decision to make a major change in my life and eliminate animal products from my diet. Now is the chance for me to spread the word to a new audience.

Livestock and other animal byproducts account for nearly 20 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. The next time you eat a hamburger, consider that it takes 660 gallons of water to produce that beef patty. But when there is a drought, they say ‘take shorter showers’ and ‘water your lawn less.’

I am willing to guess that it is a lack of awareness, not willingness. My goal for this project is to create an infographic and short animation that can be displayed on my hand-coded HTML site to share vital information about why and how the animal agriculture industry, as a result of our love for meat and cheese, is killing our planet.

Nearly 20 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions are due to livestock and their byproducts. #GHG #climatechange

— No More Meat (@NoMoreMeat2016) April 6, 2016

A single hamburger requires more than 600 gallons of water to produce. That is the equivalent of two months worth of showers.

— No More Meat (@NoMoreMeat2016) April 6, 2016

The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed at more than an acre per second. Animal agriculture is responsible for 90% of the destruction.

— No More Meat (@NoMoreMeat2016) April 6, 2016

It’s not too late to make a difference. You can cut your carbon footprint in half by moving to a plant-based diet. #GoVegan

— No More Meat (@NoMoreMeat2016) April 6, 2016

It’s not too late to make a difference. You can cut your carbon footprint in half by moving to a plant-based diet. #GoVegan

— No More Meat (@NoMoreMeat2016) April 6, 2016

For my capstone project I will be focusing on the digital divide which is a social and economic issue that is of interest to me due to the nature of my degree. The digital divide is a gap that exists between certain demographics and regions that have access to information and communications technology and those that do not or have restricted access. As technology continues to advance in first world countries the gap only grows, keeping those who do not have access to such technologies lagging behind as those with access race forward.

A few things that are being done right now to improve digital access include increasing internet availability, donations to schools that are helping to improve the digital literacy of children, and the distribution of mobile devices to improve the efficiency of farming and other work in remote areas. With this project I hope to bring attention to these causes and contribute to growing awareness of the issue. To do this I will maintain a Twitter feed with related information, create an infographic that illustrates the information I collect, and create a video mash up of existing media about the topic.

https://twitter.com/HollyStassens/status/717473785759330305

https://twitter.com/HollyStassens/status/717499012551553025

https://twitter.com/HollyStassens/status/717506858282409984

https://twitter.com/HollyStassens/status/717512989960605697

https://twitter.com/HollyStassens/status/717514377314770944

With my Capstone project, I intend to discuss the wage gap in Hollywood between male and female actors/actresses, directors, and crew. Coupled with that, I want to tie in the underrepresentation of women in Hollywood. This will likely lead to a conversation about not only gender, but race, age, religion, and sexual orientation. This particular topic is currently a hot button issue. There have been several articles lately as women in Hollywood are being more vocal about the wage disparity and general treatment in Hollywood. Due to the prevalence, I expect there to be a plethora of information at my disposal.

To illustrate these points,  I intend to use an infographic and an animated video showing statistics and information supporting the wage gap and underrepresentation. In one of my tweets I pose the question, is this a feminist issue or a humanist issue. Using the humanist angle as a tie in, I can discuss the how this disparity extends far beyond gender.

If possible, I would also like to explore the history of the wage disparity in Hollywood – pre-civil rights movement to today.I also hope to discuss some ways in which Hollywood can close the gap, what steps may have already been taken, steps that are planned to be taken, and how the future of equality looks in Hollywood.

Some thoughts on some additional pages, aside from the two media objects mentioned, I’d like to provide backlinks to some useful articles and informational websites relating to this topic as well as possible resources for women in Hollywood.

Working on a research project about the #HollywoodPayGap – gender inequality exists even in tinseltown.

— Varity Schwartz (@VaritySchwartz) April 5, 2016

Can we have a conversation about the #HollywoodPayGap if we don't also talk about female under representation? #WhereMyLadiesAt

— Varity Schwartz (@VaritySchwartz) April 5, 2016

Does wanting equal pay make you a #feminist or a #humanist? #HollywoodPayGap

— Varity Schwartz (@VaritySchwartz) April 5, 2016

Are actors more talented than actresses, thus deserving higher pay for better work? How would one measure that? #HollywoodPayGap

— Varity Schwartz (@VaritySchwartz) April 5, 2016

We've all heard about the #HollywoodPayGap in regards to actresses and directors but what about the crew? #EqualPayForEqualWork

— Varity Schwartz (@VaritySchwartz) April 5, 2016

The subject that I will be discussing for my capstone project will be about the female traveler and trying to empower then to go travel solo. A few of my ideas that I wanted to bring up was the misconception of traveling solo, possibly things to bring, and how the solo female traveling market has multiplied. I will be doing the infographic and animation to portray the information I found.

The animation will be helpful to put tips for solo travelers. I was planning on making a video that helps female travelers know what to bring and be mental prepared. In a sense it will be a motivational video to encourage more women to travel solo and set out of their comfort zone. Possibly putting in a few quotes from females that have traveled before. We are already seeing it within the market. The amount of women-only travel companies has increased 230% in the past six years. The infographic will be more of the statistics. It will show the average age, the difference between men and women who travel alone, the benefits.

These two media object relate to one another by complementing each other’s facts. The animation will be motivational and positive fact, while the infographic will have more of the background information such as spending amounts, comparison between men and women. For example 80% of solo travelers are female. Having all of this information available on a website will be handy since while your traveling it can be accessible from a phone to view the information anywhere in the world that there is service.

The average age of a female traveling solo is 45. Only 1% are 18-24 of age. #femaletraveler #solotraveler #adventurousfemale #gotravelsolo

— Savage (@savage333beast) April 5, 2016

Traveling solo gives you more freedom to do what you want without any obligations to others. #travelsolo #femaletraveler #adventurousfemales

— Savage (@savage333beast) April 5, 2016

The number of women-only travel companies has increased 230% in the past six years. #femaletraveler #gotravelsolo #adventurousfemales

— Savage (@savage333beast) April 5, 2016

80% of all travel decisions are made by women! #gotravelsolo #adventuresolo #femaletraveler #solotraveler

— Savage (@savage333beast) April 5, 2016

Solo female travelers, few tips you should take with you. 1) Be Confident 2)Dress accordingly 3)Trust your gut #solotraveler #femaletraveler

— Savage (@savage333beast) April 5, 2016

For my Capstone Project I’m going to focus on the social topic of literacy in America. Given the statistics analyzed by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, National Institute for Literacy, the U.S. Census Bureau, and many others, there is a direct correlation between illiteracy and crime, dependence on welfare, increased healthcare cost, and poverty. As many as one in four Americans grow up without learning how to read. More shockingly, the U.S. government uses statistics on the literacy rates of 3rd graders to predict prison populations for building future prison facilities. The gap between literate and illiterate Americans is increasing so widely that as of 2011, America is the only free-market Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development country where the current generation is less educated than the previous one. My website will be an informative site that uses statistics and links to other informative sites about the issues of illiteracy, and how readers can be proactive in making a change. Centers for Adult Literacy are available to everyone and should be utilized, volunteer opportunities to either raise money or tutor others abound! Increasing literacy literally changes lives.
Using Adobe Premiere, I’ll incorporate some videos talking about literacy in America and the impact it has on both the individual and society. I’ll also incorporate some graphics in the shape of open books that can shift into houses made in Adobe Photoshop that may be used to help showcase statistics and results. Though reading books is not necessarily the only functional way of reading with digital media abounding, it is the most recognizable symbol of reading.

Can you believe that one in four Americans are illiterate? We have to fix this! #literacy #statistics #ReadingIsImportant

— Kalene Kaplan (@KaplanAmerica1) April 5, 2016

There’s a direct correlation between illiteracy and poverty in America. Push people to read, and out of poverty #povertyinamerica #literacy

— Kalene Kaplan (@KaplanAmerica1) April 5, 2016

The U.S. government predicts its prison facilities based on the literacy rate of 3rd graders. #library #literacyinamerica #read #juveniles

— Kalene Kaplan (@KaplanAmerica1) April 5, 2016

America is the only free-market OECD country where the current generation is less educated than the previous one. #OECD #literacy #education

— Kalene Kaplan (@KaplanAmerica1) April 5, 2016

90% of high school dropouts are on welfare. Help people help themselves! #CouncilForAdvancementofAdultLiteracy #reading #LiteracyPledge

— Kalene Kaplan (@KaplanAmerica1) April 5, 2016

Food waste is a big issue in America, but it’s not only because people aren’t finishing their meals at restaurants. A large portion of food thrown out is food that people feel unsafe eating— because the date on the box was yesterday’s. Unfortunately, these dates do not always reflect safety, can mean a number of different things and sometimes are even just made up by the manufacturing companies. These arbitrary dates are the only reason perfectly good food is being thrown out and often the label simply means that after the date, the food doesn’t taste as fresh.  So, for this project, I will be taking a closer look at the different types of expiration dates and what they mean, how much food waste is caused by them, and what we can do about it. With the labels’ text varying greatly (best if used by, expires on, etc.) and each one meaning something different, it is difficult for consumers to know what exactly the label means.

The two different media objects I will create are going to be an infographic that visually shows current data on food waste and an animated video (created with After Effects) that explains the current labeling system. The two will work together to show the user that food with a date from yesterday does not always mean that it belongs in the trash. That knowledge alone can cut down the amount of food waste drastically, so I will focus on making this message clear, informative and impactful.

Ever throw out food because of the label? @99piorg explains that the date doesn’t mean spoiled. #foodwaste#expiredhttps://t.co/Wgfs43mz4d

— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016

Every day grocery stores have employees toss out perfectly edible food with yesterday’s date #eattrash #foodwaste #expired

— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016

40% of food produced in America never gets eaten #eattrash #foodwaste

— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016

41 states require #datelabels on at least some foods. But there is no consistency in how they are labeled. #foodwaste#eattrash

— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 5, 2016

#FoodSafety experts cannot pinpoint a single instance of food poisoning caused by eating a food past its date label. #foodwaste #eattrash

— Alyssa Karnes (@ankarnes93) April 6, 2016

For my Capstone Project I want to explore the animal industry’s impact on both the health of an individual and the Earth. I will briefly summarize the wide scope of the animal industry on my site but in order to keep a coherent focus I will concentrate on meat and dairy and the impact these products have on both the health of the globe and the individual. While I will primarily be focusing on the negative aspects of the industry, there are a few benefits to it as well that I would be biased to ignore—though as I will make clear, the great majority of the industry’s impact on global well-being is undesirable and greatly outweighs the few benefits the industry provides. I will create an infographic using vectored images as well as a remixed video using clips from other CC videos.

Animals used in agriculture take up a lot of space and occupy land that used to be rainforest or that could have been used to grow crops for human consumption. This results in decreased biodiversity as well as hunger across the globe. Carbon and methane from these ruminants become trapped in the atmosphere and the air we breathe. Their waste contaminates water through improper disposal.

However this is not all. While there is a relationship between high rates of meat consumption and obesity, heart disease, stroke, and a variety of other medical conditions, not to mention its propensity to transmit diseases, milk consumption has been linked to obesity, osteoporosis, and cancer due to both natural and artificial hormones within it.

The animal industry has suffered large profit gains in recent years at the expense of small farmers, and it is slated to grow even larger as the world population increases. We must remember that our resources are not infinite, and there is a limit to how large anything can grow before it will collapse upon itself.

Eating meat corresponds to higher rates of obesity, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and early death.#vegan #meatismurder

— Dolli (@brie_cady) April 5, 2016

Who wants to breathe in cow farts? Livestock accounts for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions including carbon/methane#vegan #cleanair

— Brie Cady (@brie_cady) April 5, 2016

Are you drinking poop? CAFOs contaminate clean water with waste when millions die every year without it#vegan #cleanwater

— Brie Cady (@brie_cady) April 5, 2016

Got milk? Then you’ve got pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, blood, pus, feces, and bacteria/viruses. Yum.#vegan #notmilk

— Brie Cady (@brie_cady) April 5, 2016

Eating meat corresponds to higher rates of obesity, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and early death.#vegan #meatismurder

— Brie Cady (@brie_cady) April 5, 2016