Biogas Diagram- Nicolina DiMascia

Geog 30 Biogas Diagram nmd5242

My biogas diagram is a system diagram displaying the social system and ecosystem before and after the biogas generator. Sustaining life in India requires women and children to gather firewood and cook in the house. This creates smoke, which is a health risk, and also forces children to do labor instead of schoolwork. Cutting down firewood creates a positive feedback loop. More food allows more people to survive which makes the need for firewood higher. This process was unstable. Introducing the biogas generator allowed for stability in this village. They were able to use manure to power the generator and reduce the smoke in homes for cooking. They also were able to use the slurry to make fertilizer to sell and gain money. This in return allowed farms to be more profitable, reduce the health risks of cooking smoke, and allow the labor to be cut in half for women and children. Now they will continuously have enough waste to power the generator due to the abundant farming because of the fertilizer from the generator’s waste. This provides stability for the village.

Marten’s diagram explains how everything in a social system is connected while everything in the ecosystem is connected. Human activities and ecosystem services allow both systems to become a cycle. By adding the generator in my diagram, the two systems become a cycle connecting the ecosystem to the social system. This is similar in how Marten’s diagram connects the two systems. Before the generator, the social system was greatly affected by the ecosystem which is what makes the two diagrams differ. There are differences because in some places, like India, there isn’t perfect balance between the systems, like Marten’s diagram depicts. I think the relationship between the systems depends upon the specific resources and lifestyles in each particular area being looked at.

2 thoughts on “Biogas Diagram- Nicolina DiMascia

  1. Hi NIcolina. I found your diagram as very easy to read, with the spacing just right to show all the movement of products and ideas. Just like you, in my diagram I focused on how the Biogas chambers could benefit a community after their installation. A major part of my diagram and your’s was the resulting compost, that could be helped towards farming as well as generating money. Having the Biogas chamber as your center-piece really allowed you to show how it connects the social-system and the ecosystem. I you have a chance you can check out my blog below.

    http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/26/module-2-biogas-in-india/

  2. Hi Nicolina, my name is Samantha and i am a freshman at Penn State! I enjoyed your blog because you explained your diagram in a story-like manner which made it interesting and fun to read. We have similar diagrams and focuses. The health of India’s society is extremely important and it was an important matter to deal with. The only differences between our diagrams that i noticed are simply the use of different words. Looks like we both get the idea and importance of the Biogas Fuel!
    The link to my blog is here
    http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/24/module-2-biogas-samantha-daversa/

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