Module 2: Biogas Diagram – Dylan Hellings

The 5 minute video about biogas in India focused a lot on how their society has been negatively impacted before biogas. My diagram focuses primarily on how biogas has benefited their society and their surrounding environment, as they form a symbiotic relationship – one affecting the other. Before biogas, collecting wood can lead to deforestation in the ecosystem, this is a big disturbance of the system which affects the stability of both systems. All of the causes and effects act on each other, both from the different systems, ecosystem and social system, and within their systems themselves. The primary points being benefits to health, productivity, nature and social growth. With the development of biogas, the society is able to grow, with society growing they can treat the environment better which results in better health and resources for the society. It is very relevant that “A impacts B.”

Marten’s diagram similarly shows the benefits to the social system and ecosystem, although displayed in a different way. In my diagram I focused more on the specific outcomes of using biogas while Marten is taking a look at the bigger picture. My diagram implies a lot of what it is in Marten’s diagram. My diagram shows specifically how there is an interconnectedness between the social system and the ecosystem while Marten takes a more broad approach in saying “Ecosystem Services: Energy, Material, Information”. I don’t know if I would agree that either diagram teaches more, but that they take a different approach – a more specific sense versus a broad overlooking approach.

Biogas-dsh5258

2 thoughts on “Module 2: Biogas Diagram – Dylan Hellings

  1. Hey Dylan,

    I think it’s interesting we both used the term symbiotic to describe this interaction between these systems, because it really is! Despite man’s attempts to stand atop nature through technology, it’s obvious we never quite have been able to escape nature’s inevitable impact on our lives. I think we share a lot of the same ideas when it comes to the diagram. I like how you included “Healthy animals” in your diagram stemming from crop growth, it’s something wasn’t explicitly stated in the video but something you inferred from the context. Very good work!

    Fellow classmate,
    Ryan Gebhardt.

    If you’d like to take a look at my post you can visit it here:
    http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/27/ryan-gebhardt-module-2/

  2. Hi Dylan!
    My name is Alex and I’m a student at the Worthington campus. Your diagram interested me because you did it differently than me (which we’d hope for anyway). I made categories based on biogas vs. wood burning, where you kind of incorporated everything into one. Which is awesome! I like that you have a middle column that links the ecosystem and social system. Very good thinking! I also spoke about how wood causes deforestation and threatens the stability of the system. You pointed out social growth which I spoke of in terms of children. I wrote that kids being late for school and not having time for studies will create less intelligent citizens and severely affect their social growth as a person. I like your diagram, it’s thoughtful and informative. I like the specificity.
    If you’d like to check out my blog, here’s the link:
    https://wp.me/p3RCAy-b5O

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