My first experience blogging was a new and fun way to keep track of all the work we did this quarter. I have never gone through a class by being able to utilize blogging as our required assignments and it was helpful to say the least. Blogging in our class allowed me to check up on work that I had not done yet by looking at other classmates blogs to see what was due that week if I happened to miss class (February 15-17) . Looking back at all my blogs, the earlier posts that I started in the class were similar to the ones that we ended with in the class given that my research paper was interrelated with the first book we read in class, “Lost Mountain” –Erik Reece. Other than this similarity, there were also some distinct differences within my blog posts throughout the quarter as well. While I wrote my blogs throughout the quarter, I didn’t really allow the fact that anyone could read my work to affect what I wrote because I had knew that I needed to be critiqued on my writing since that was why I took this class. People were able to criticize my work by posting comments on what I had to say as well as what I had to say about others’ works. I read and wrote these comments and they were very helpful to my learning and also hopefully helpful to others. Writing about the course readings, films, and presentations via blogging helped me understand more about the course material because I was able to see how each topic related to the overall theme of the course.
Among the similarities of the from the earlier blog posts to the later blog posts, I feel like there were differences as well. As a class we started talking about water contamination and problems with coal extraction. From the beginning of the blog assignments to the end, I set my own objective to finish what the class had started and that was to elaborate more on the topic of destruction of our ecosystems. However, the blog posts did differ by means of the topic of the environmental issues. I remember the first week or two of class we talked about how the world is losing its supply of drinkable water sources due to companies such as nestle and coca-cola. Moving on from the water supply issue we jumped right into “Lost Mountain” which talked about deforestation and mountain top coal removal in the Appalachians. Reading this book resulted in the interest of my research paper. After “Lost Mountain” our class shifted from environmental issues to food production issues in the book we read and movie we watched, “Food Inc”. This book essentially talked about the malpractice of the industrial food production companies. Among the malpractices that industrial food companies perform, the book also talks about how our food is produced. These companies introduce harmful chemicals and steroids to make our meat and food production into a faster cycle in order to make an extra buck. The alternative of supporting these companies is to start your own garden and buy groceries from local farmers markets. The differences in the topics that we posted on our blogs vary in terms of different important issues related to the realities of today. I also think that the cause of the change was to show the class that there a many environmental and non-environmental issues that pose as a problem in today’s society and we were to think of one and write about it in our research papers.
In terms of my strongest blog post, I think it had to be one of my “Lost Mountain” posts, specifically my blog posted on Wednesday January 13, 2010. I think this is my strongest blog because out of all of the rest that I did this quarter it stands out the most in my mind. This blog talked about the second part of the book “Lost Mountain” and I was able to connect it to the movie “Flow” that I watched for extra credit. This part of “Lost Mountain” talked about water flow in the Appalachian region and how mountain top removal has contaminated the drinking water. The movie “Flow” practically highlighted the same topic but instead of with coal mining, it covered how bottled water companies such as nestle are stealing water from streams, not allowing free water flow downstream from where they get their water. I think it was my strongest blog post because I was interested in the topic because I felt for the people that had no water and I was most interested in that topic from watching the movie “Flow”.
In terms of my weakest blog post, I think it had to be one of my “Food Inc.” blogs. I think that this was one of my worst blogs partially because I didn’t like reading about where and how the food I eat is handled. Because of my lack of interest in where my food was coming from, I think I didn’t really think as much into the subject as I should have for the purpose of the class. Even to this day I try to get that movie and what we read out of my head because I want to have a free conscious of eating like a normal person without thinking about whether the food I eat has salmonella or other diseases.
While I was writing my blogs, I tried not to allow the fact that my writing was public to affect what I wrote in my blog posts although I did allow it to affect what type of audience I was writing for. I knew that there were going to be people outside of our class cluster reading our posts so I tried to make my writing as clear and readable as possible. By readable, I mean the terminology that I used in the blogs so that a person that didn’t know of the topic I was discussing could read it and understand what I was talking about. When talking about something that the average person didn’t know much about I tried to explain and define what I was talking about by description or definition.
As far as the reflection of comments posted by me and others, I think that they were all useful for our learning. When I commented on other students blog posts, I tried to include additional facts about the matter as well as whether or not I agreed with their view of the topic. When I read other students comments on my blog posts, I tried to see where they were coming from with what they had to say about my posts. These comments contribute to all of our learning by having more than one input on what others think about our point of view. This allows the person posting the blogs to either feel stronger about their position on a topic or it might persuade them into thinking a different way about it.
Overall it was a satisfying quarter filled with interesting blogging topics. Now I have learned how to start my own blog and what it takes to sustain it. I have learned so much from taking this class about use of the internet, topics of environmental issues, food production issues, and even how to make a movie. This class was an innovated way of learning by utilizing what today’s technology has to offer, blogging. Thanks Dr. R!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Food Inc Pages 91-122 and 169-177
This part of the book talks about the ethanol scam in the industrial food industry. Congress has rolled back the ethanol laws due to the numerous lobbying farmers. The production of ethanol leads to higher food prices, air pollution, water consumption, water pollution,as well as it adds to the greenhouse gas emissions that are produced. The ethanol scam is basically when there is a low stock of corn and it leads to high ethanol production. The demand for ethanol will increase significantly in result to the low supply in which people will still be willing to pay top dollar for it. This would potentially shock the market. Big corn rules over one fourth of all acreage under cultivation in the U.S. For the years to come, our use of corn for fuel will not change, leaving the poorest of nations to be hungry.
Chemicals that can be found in our foods are 10 times more toxic to children than in adults. Given that an estimated half of our produce in the grocery store contains measurable amounts of these pesticides, I think it is safe to say that eating organic foods are far more safe for children. Organophosphate pesticides are linked to many disorders and diseases including hyperactivity, behavior disorders, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and motor dysfunction. These can be found in nearly 95% of Americans that are tested. The industrial food companies have a list of up to 400 chemicals that can be regularly used in conventional farming. Some are even used multiple times in one day.
Industrial food production also causes massive greenhouse gas emissions. There have been accounts of roughly one third of all causes of global warming to be from the process of production of our food. These emissions can be created by industrial farming processes such as fertilizer production, and by the emissions of trucks, ships, and planes during their transportation.
There are some initiatives that a person can take to step in the right direction. They can buy from organic and sustainable farmers. When doing this the person should take the following into consideration:
1.Is this food organic?
2.Is this product made from an animal?
3.Has this food been processed?
4.How far has the food traveled to get to my plate?
5.Is this food excessively packaged?
If you took these questions into consideration, you could greatly reduce carbon emissions. Another step a person could take is to start their own garden. This uses the natural process of photosynthesis and doesn't use pesticides and chemicals. The final step one could take is to spread the word for change. This could potentially cause a chain reaction and could potentially change the way we eat forever.
I think that this section of the book was interesting because it talked a lot about the things that people do not think about when they think of their food. Topics such as how much greenhouse gases are emitted when producing our food as well as the global warming and how it is connected with our food production process. Now I am better aware of what the industrial food industry has done to our environment. The end of this section makes me want to start my own garden of vegetables so i can save some money if i did it right and do it for a good cause.
Chemicals that can be found in our foods are 10 times more toxic to children than in adults. Given that an estimated half of our produce in the grocery store contains measurable amounts of these pesticides, I think it is safe to say that eating organic foods are far more safe for children. Organophosphate pesticides are linked to many disorders and diseases including hyperactivity, behavior disorders, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and motor dysfunction. These can be found in nearly 95% of Americans that are tested. The industrial food companies have a list of up to 400 chemicals that can be regularly used in conventional farming. Some are even used multiple times in one day.
Industrial food production also causes massive greenhouse gas emissions. There have been accounts of roughly one third of all causes of global warming to be from the process of production of our food. These emissions can be created by industrial farming processes such as fertilizer production, and by the emissions of trucks, ships, and planes during their transportation.
There are some initiatives that a person can take to step in the right direction. They can buy from organic and sustainable farmers. When doing this the person should take the following into consideration:
1.Is this food organic?
2.Is this product made from an animal?
3.Has this food been processed?
4.How far has the food traveled to get to my plate?
5.Is this food excessively packaged?
If you took these questions into consideration, you could greatly reduce carbon emissions. Another step a person could take is to start their own garden. This uses the natural process of photosynthesis and doesn't use pesticides and chemicals. The final step one could take is to spread the word for change. This could potentially cause a chain reaction and could potentially change the way we eat forever.
I think that this section of the book was interesting because it talked a lot about the things that people do not think about when they think of their food. Topics such as how much greenhouse gases are emitted when producing our food as well as the global warming and how it is connected with our food production process. Now I am better aware of what the industrial food industry has done to our environment. The end of this section makes me want to start my own garden of vegetables so i can save some money if i did it right and do it for a good cause.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Preserving the Appalachian Culture
The biodiversity of the Appalachian region is very important to the ecosystem as well as to the people who inhabit the region, but the area is being threatened because of numerous human initiated causes. In order to preserve this area we must put an end to the method of clear-cut logging because the habitats in this area depend on its interconnected system. We must put an end to the method of mountain-top removal coal mining because of the result of useless flattened land, water contamination, etc. We must find an alternative to make dams more economically friendly in order to preserve the aquatic life in the rivers and streams in this area. We must change all of these human influences on nature and shift our attention to a more sustainable way of action in order to preserve and cherish the ecosystem.
From rainforest's and waterfalls to desserts and sand, from oceans and waves to mountains and mountaintops, from grasslands and prairies to the icebergs in Antarctica humans have put their foot onto just about every place imaginable on Earth. Planet Earth is thought of by some people to be what they call a “Gaia”. A Gaia is essentially a prospective view of the world as a living organism. In the Gaia view, it is believed that the Earth is relative to how the human body works. Like the human body, Earth has many vital “organs” that help make it possible for the Earth to function and remain habitable. These “organs” that I am talking about can be geographic features such as oceans, lakes, mountains, plains, volcanoes, rainforest's, etc. The veins in the human body are thought of to be like the rivers and streams that flow throughout various places on Earth giving life to these ecosystems. The idea is that these various geographical features make up an ecosystem that sustains itself and allows it to function properly on its own. Without these vital “organs” the world would not be habitable, just as the human body and its incapability of living, breathing, or operating without its functioning parts. Throughout the life of a human body, the body is exposed to many viruses and diseases that try to kill the body. The viruses and diseases can be correlated to the many disasters and human influences that our Earth’s ecosystems encounter. Although this is only a hypothesis that has yet to be proven a fact or by any means fictitious, what I have found in my research is that it could go one way or the other.
From looking at various sources, the summary of the arguments made were that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about ecosystems in terms of its sustainability is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment and its species, so we must help sustain it. But how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, kind of like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas? Is there anything we can do in order to save our ecosystems such as the human body has a natural reaction to fight diseases and viruses?
The Appalachian region has one of America’s most diverse forests. Broadcasted on PBS, the televisions series, Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People, author Chris Bolgiano states that “One acre of cove forests in the Smokey Mountains has more species of trees than in all of Europe. … (The cove forests have) hundreds of species of trees” –Chris Bolgiano (Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People). Since this area is so diverse in plant life, we owe it to ourselves to stop clear-cut logging in this region. Clear-cut logging is the practice of obtaining lumber by cutting down trees in large block segments. With the vast variety of trees and the amount of use that tree’s have to offer, it only makes sense to preserve and learn from them. Trees have many uses all the way from cosmetics to more practical uses such as for medicine. There is still so much research that could be done on trees alone that we must give ourselves a chance to find appropriate uses for them instead of tearing it all down. Who knows? Maybe they are the source for the cure of some cancers that has yet to be found. Among these reasons as to why the forests in the Appalachian region are important, clear-cut logging along with other forms of logging creates a disturbance to the environment in and around the area being cut. (Kiminski) The disturbance is bad for the environment because it doesn’t allow the smaller mammals to cater to their daily activities. Throughout the area of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America, there are 255 bird species, 78 mammal species, 58 reptile species, and 76 amphibian species; not to mention Kartesz and Meacham’s list of over 6,300 plant species in 10 states of the Appalachian region. (Pickering) Clear-cut logging of the Appalachian forests could drastically lower these numbers due to the annihilation of their habitats. There is a law that states that a company can only log 25 acres in a given area, but companies found that they could find a way around that law. They would log 25 acres and then leave a cushion of trees, then log another 25 acres. (Maywhoor)
Although the clear-cutting method is extensive, there are other practical solutions given that our society needs to cut down trees for the numerous uses that we cut them down for. Though we will forever continue to cut down trees for general use, lumbering companies must use better sustainable forest management in order to preserve the life within the forests. The only way an ecosystem and its inhabitants are ensured to survive is to make sure it stays connected to other ecosystems that surround it. This would decrease the possibilities of inbreeding, causing fewer fatal diseases caused from genetic disorders to occur. These interconnected ecosystems also provide numerous natural benefits as well including the cleansing of air and water, the reusing of nutrients, the renewal of soil, and the sustainability of its climate. (Pickering)
Not only is logging a hazardous disease caused by the human race, but the process of mountaintop removal has potentially just as much damage to the environment. Today, over half of the electricity used in homes is generated from burning coal. It is understandable that the demand for energy used these days’ makes it hard for one to weigh out the pros and cons of obtaining coal, which is why it makes sense to use coal as our main source of energy. (American Power) Because in today’s world it would be barbaric to live without flat screen televisions, top of the line computer systems, high-speed wireless Internet, high frequency stereo systems, blue-ray players, etc., mountaintop removal is one of the fastest and easiest ways to acquire the supply of our demand. Mountaintop removal is a type of mining that coal companies use to extract coal by means of blowing up the tops of mountains to get to the coal. There are many disastrous effects of extracting coal this way. Mountaintop removal buries head water streams, causes erosion and flooding, degrades water quality downstream, kills aquatic life, shakes walls and cracks of the foundation of homes, and wipes out huge portions of diverse ecosystems. (Reece,1-86) Understanding that our country is in need of this resource, we must at least move back to conventional ways of extracting coal, such as deep underground mining in order for us to stop the destruction of the neighboring ecosystems. This way we can maintain the jobs that are made from coal mining and also preserve our mountaintops.
The final virus instituted by humans to the environment that I would like to talk about is the placement of dams in our waterways. From past experience, researchers have found that due to dam building in the Appalachian Mountains, extinction among the regions aquatic groups are over 10 times more probable than extinction of terrestrial groups. (Pickering) The placement of dams results to a number of issues concerning the ecosystem. First, it doesn’t allow for free water flow downstream. This in turn doesn’t allow fish to migrate up down the dam. Another damage that this poses is that the dam blocks the flow of sediments in the water that helps hold up soil. Without these sediments in the soil, it could lead to mudslides and erosion of the embankment downstream. Another issue that the dam poses to the ecosystem is its reservoirs. Reservoirs build up water killing all the plants and habitats that were once land. On top of these two problems, the dam makes it hard for animals to find a way up or down the area that is dammed.
Although dams cause many environmental problems, it is understood that they are needed for many reasons. Dams can provide an alternative source of renewable energy, also known as hydroelectric power. Dams are also a means of flood control. When the raining season comes, the dam can control the amount of water flow downstream resulting in the control of flood situations. Among these proactive results to the placement of dams, they also provide year-round navigation, improved water quality and water supply, recreation, and economic growth. (TVA Website) Although dams are needed, we must change the system so it works with the environment, not the other way around. The reliance that aquatic species have on the steady flow of streams is numerous. Their reliance on the streams to migrate in order to spawn is crucial to their survival and without a system that can allow them to do so, one of our main sources of protein may be in danger.
Overall, the Appalachian Mountains have an enormous amount of life within its ecosystems. From the moths that are taking over the area to the trees that help with our nitrogen cycle; from the natural resources that can be found in this area to the dams that are built for multiple purposes, the Appalachian Mountains needs these functions to work together to sustain itself. All in all these factors are interconnected, making an “organ-like” effect that makes the world habitable. Just as I have said before, the body cannot live without its organs, just as the Earth cannot function without its “organs” (ecosystems).
Bibliographies:
1. Reece, Erik. Lost Mountain A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness Radical Strip Mining and the Devastation of Appalachia. New York: Riverhead Trade, 2007. Print.
2. Kiminski, Jeffrey A., Michelle L. Davis, Patrick D. Keyser, and Marcella Kelly. "Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest." Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest. 157.2 (2007): 385-97. EBSCO. Web. 28 Feb. 2010..
3. Tennessee Valley Authority home page. Tennessee Valley Authority. Web. 12 Feb. 2010..
4. Pickering, John, Roland Kays, Albert Meier, Susan Andrew, and Kay Yatskievych. "The Appalachians." Discover Life. P. R. Gil, R. A. Mittermeier, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Pilgrim, G. Fonseca, W. R. Konstant and T. Brooks, 6 Mar. 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2010.
5. "Issues and Policy." America's Power - Home. American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, 2007. Web. 08 Feb. 2010.
6. Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People. By Jamie Ross. Dir. Ross Spears. Prod. Paul Wagner. Appalachiafilm.org/ APPALACHIA: A History of Mountains and People. National Science Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission. Web. 7 Feb. 2010..
7. Maywhoor, David. "Buckeye Forest Council." Buckeye Forest Council. Ohio University, Athens. 25 Jan. 2010. Lecture.
From rainforest's and waterfalls to desserts and sand, from oceans and waves to mountains and mountaintops, from grasslands and prairies to the icebergs in Antarctica humans have put their foot onto just about every place imaginable on Earth. Planet Earth is thought of by some people to be what they call a “Gaia”. A Gaia is essentially a prospective view of the world as a living organism. In the Gaia view, it is believed that the Earth is relative to how the human body works. Like the human body, Earth has many vital “organs” that help make it possible for the Earth to function and remain habitable. These “organs” that I am talking about can be geographic features such as oceans, lakes, mountains, plains, volcanoes, rainforest's, etc. The veins in the human body are thought of to be like the rivers and streams that flow throughout various places on Earth giving life to these ecosystems. The idea is that these various geographical features make up an ecosystem that sustains itself and allows it to function properly on its own. Without these vital “organs” the world would not be habitable, just as the human body and its incapability of living, breathing, or operating without its functioning parts. Throughout the life of a human body, the body is exposed to many viruses and diseases that try to kill the body. The viruses and diseases can be correlated to the many disasters and human influences that our Earth’s ecosystems encounter. Although this is only a hypothesis that has yet to be proven a fact or by any means fictitious, what I have found in my research is that it could go one way or the other.
From looking at various sources, the summary of the arguments made were that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about ecosystems in terms of its sustainability is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment and its species, so we must help sustain it. But how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, kind of like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas? Is there anything we can do in order to save our ecosystems such as the human body has a natural reaction to fight diseases and viruses?
The Appalachian region has one of America’s most diverse forests. Broadcasted on PBS, the televisions series, Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People, author Chris Bolgiano states that “One acre of cove forests in the Smokey Mountains has more species of trees than in all of Europe. … (The cove forests have) hundreds of species of trees” –Chris Bolgiano (Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People). Since this area is so diverse in plant life, we owe it to ourselves to stop clear-cut logging in this region. Clear-cut logging is the practice of obtaining lumber by cutting down trees in large block segments. With the vast variety of trees and the amount of use that tree’s have to offer, it only makes sense to preserve and learn from them. Trees have many uses all the way from cosmetics to more practical uses such as for medicine. There is still so much research that could be done on trees alone that we must give ourselves a chance to find appropriate uses for them instead of tearing it all down. Who knows? Maybe they are the source for the cure of some cancers that has yet to be found. Among these reasons as to why the forests in the Appalachian region are important, clear-cut logging along with other forms of logging creates a disturbance to the environment in and around the area being cut. (Kiminski) The disturbance is bad for the environment because it doesn’t allow the smaller mammals to cater to their daily activities. Throughout the area of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America, there are 255 bird species, 78 mammal species, 58 reptile species, and 76 amphibian species; not to mention Kartesz and Meacham’s list of over 6,300 plant species in 10 states of the Appalachian region. (Pickering) Clear-cut logging of the Appalachian forests could drastically lower these numbers due to the annihilation of their habitats. There is a law that states that a company can only log 25 acres in a given area, but companies found that they could find a way around that law. They would log 25 acres and then leave a cushion of trees, then log another 25 acres. (Maywhoor)
Although the clear-cutting method is extensive, there are other practical solutions given that our society needs to cut down trees for the numerous uses that we cut them down for. Though we will forever continue to cut down trees for general use, lumbering companies must use better sustainable forest management in order to preserve the life within the forests. The only way an ecosystem and its inhabitants are ensured to survive is to make sure it stays connected to other ecosystems that surround it. This would decrease the possibilities of inbreeding, causing fewer fatal diseases caused from genetic disorders to occur. These interconnected ecosystems also provide numerous natural benefits as well including the cleansing of air and water, the reusing of nutrients, the renewal of soil, and the sustainability of its climate. (Pickering)
Not only is logging a hazardous disease caused by the human race, but the process of mountaintop removal has potentially just as much damage to the environment. Today, over half of the electricity used in homes is generated from burning coal. It is understandable that the demand for energy used these days’ makes it hard for one to weigh out the pros and cons of obtaining coal, which is why it makes sense to use coal as our main source of energy. (American Power) Because in today’s world it would be barbaric to live without flat screen televisions, top of the line computer systems, high-speed wireless Internet, high frequency stereo systems, blue-ray players, etc., mountaintop removal is one of the fastest and easiest ways to acquire the supply of our demand. Mountaintop removal is a type of mining that coal companies use to extract coal by means of blowing up the tops of mountains to get to the coal. There are many disastrous effects of extracting coal this way. Mountaintop removal buries head water streams, causes erosion and flooding, degrades water quality downstream, kills aquatic life, shakes walls and cracks of the foundation of homes, and wipes out huge portions of diverse ecosystems. (Reece,1-86) Understanding that our country is in need of this resource, we must at least move back to conventional ways of extracting coal, such as deep underground mining in order for us to stop the destruction of the neighboring ecosystems. This way we can maintain the jobs that are made from coal mining and also preserve our mountaintops.
The final virus instituted by humans to the environment that I would like to talk about is the placement of dams in our waterways. From past experience, researchers have found that due to dam building in the Appalachian Mountains, extinction among the regions aquatic groups are over 10 times more probable than extinction of terrestrial groups. (Pickering) The placement of dams results to a number of issues concerning the ecosystem. First, it doesn’t allow for free water flow downstream. This in turn doesn’t allow fish to migrate up down the dam. Another damage that this poses is that the dam blocks the flow of sediments in the water that helps hold up soil. Without these sediments in the soil, it could lead to mudslides and erosion of the embankment downstream. Another issue that the dam poses to the ecosystem is its reservoirs. Reservoirs build up water killing all the plants and habitats that were once land. On top of these two problems, the dam makes it hard for animals to find a way up or down the area that is dammed.
Although dams cause many environmental problems, it is understood that they are needed for many reasons. Dams can provide an alternative source of renewable energy, also known as hydroelectric power. Dams are also a means of flood control. When the raining season comes, the dam can control the amount of water flow downstream resulting in the control of flood situations. Among these proactive results to the placement of dams, they also provide year-round navigation, improved water quality and water supply, recreation, and economic growth. (TVA Website) Although dams are needed, we must change the system so it works with the environment, not the other way around. The reliance that aquatic species have on the steady flow of streams is numerous. Their reliance on the streams to migrate in order to spawn is crucial to their survival and without a system that can allow them to do so, one of our main sources of protein may be in danger.
Overall, the Appalachian Mountains have an enormous amount of life within its ecosystems. From the moths that are taking over the area to the trees that help with our nitrogen cycle; from the natural resources that can be found in this area to the dams that are built for multiple purposes, the Appalachian Mountains needs these functions to work together to sustain itself. All in all these factors are interconnected, making an “organ-like” effect that makes the world habitable. Just as I have said before, the body cannot live without its organs, just as the Earth cannot function without its “organs” (ecosystems).
Bibliographies:
1. Reece, Erik. Lost Mountain A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness Radical Strip Mining and the Devastation of Appalachia. New York: Riverhead Trade, 2007. Print.
2. Kiminski, Jeffrey A., Michelle L. Davis, Patrick D. Keyser, and Marcella Kelly. "Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest." Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest. 157.2 (2007): 385-97. EBSCO. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
3. Tennessee Valley Authority home page. Tennessee Valley Authority. Web. 12 Feb. 2010.
4. Pickering, John, Roland Kays, Albert Meier, Susan Andrew, and Kay Yatskievych. "The Appalachians." Discover Life. P. R. Gil, R. A. Mittermeier, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Pilgrim, G. Fonseca, W. R. Konstant and T. Brooks, 6 Mar. 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2010.
5. "Issues and Policy." America's Power - Home. American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, 2007. Web. 08 Feb. 2010.
6. Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People. By Jamie Ross. Dir. Ross Spears. Prod. Paul Wagner. Appalachiafilm.org/ APPALACHIA: A History of Mountains and People. National Science Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.
7. Maywhoor, David. "Buckeye Forest Council." Buckeye Forest Council. Ohio University, Athens. 25 Jan. 2010. Lecture.
Research Argument Outline
Thesis:
The biodiversity of the Appalachian region is very important to the ecosystem as well as to the people who inhabit the region, but the area is being threatened because of numerous human initiated causes. In order to preserve this area we must put an end to the method of clear-cut logging because the habitats in this area depend on its interconnected system. We must put an end to the method of mountain-top removal coal mining because of the result of useless flattened land, water contamination, etc. We must find an alternative to make dams more economically friendly in order to preserve the aquatic life in the rivers and streams in this area. We must change all of these human influences on nature and shift our attention to a more sustainable way of action in order to preserve and cherish the ecosystem.
Introduction:
From rainforests and waterfalls to desserts and sand, from oceans and waves to mountains and mountaintops, from grasslands and prairies to the icebergs in Antarctica humans have put their foot onto just about every place imaginable on Earth. Planet Earth is thought of by some people to be what they call a “Gaia”. A Gaia is essentially a prospective view of the world as a living organism. In the Gaia view, it is believed that the Earth is relative to how the human body works. Like the human body, Earth has many vital “organs” that help make it possible for the Earth to function and remain habitable. These “organs” that I am talking about can be geographic features such as oceans, lakes, mountains, plains, volcanoes, rainforests, etc. The veins in the human body are thought of to be like the rivers and streams that flow throughout various places on Earth giving life to these ecosystems. The idea is that these various geographical features make up an ecosystem that sustains itself and allows it to function properly on its own. Without these vital “organs” the world would not be habitable, just as the human body and its incapability of living, breathing, or operating without its functioning parts. Throughout the life of a human body, the body is exposed to many viruses and diseases that try to kill the body. The viruses and diseases can be correlated to the many disasters and human influences that our Earth’s ecosystems encounter. Although this is only a hypothesis that has yet to be proven a fact or by any means fictitious, what I have found in my research is that it could go one way or the other.
From looking at various sources, the summary of the arguments made were that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about ecosystems in terms of its sustainability is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment and its species, so we must help sustain it. But how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, kind of like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas?
Body:
1. Logging
a. Clear-cut logging is the practice of obtaining lumber by cutting down trees blocks at a time
b. Effects of clear-cutting are numerous.
c. Alternatives to clear cutting
d. The reliance of the interconnected trees that species have with the ecosystem is enormous.
2. Mountain-top Removal
a. Mountaintop removal is a type of mining that coal mining companies use to extract coal by means of blowing up the tops of mountains to get to the coal.
b. There are many effects that mountaintop removal has on the environment including the fact that it buries head water streams, causes erosion and flooding, degrades water quality downstream, kills aquatic life, shakes walls and cracks of foundation of homes, and wipes out huge portions of diverse ecosystems.
c. Deep underground mining is the best alternative to Mountain-top removal.
d. The reliance of coal as our main source of energy makes it hard for us to stop this malpractice but we must change the way we remove coal to a more eco-friendly manner.
3. Dams
a. Dams are a barrier often placed on a waterway with a primary purpose to control water for electricity as well as other purposes.
b. The effects of the placement of dams extend beyond the water. Such as destroying of habitats due from the reservoir, altered migration of animals and fish, and the flow of sediments downstream to hold the soil in place.
c. Though there isn’t much of an alternative to building dams, there a ways for people to correct some of the negative effects on dam placement.
d. Although dams are needed, we must change the system so it works with the environment, not the other way around. The reliance that aquatic species have on the steady flow of streams is numerous.
e.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Appalachian Mountains have an enormous amount of life within its ecosystems. From the moths that are taking over the area to the trees that help with our nitrogen cycle; from the natural resources that can be found in this area to the dams that are built for multiple purposes, the Appalachian Mountains needs these functions to work together to sustain itself. All in all these factors are interconnected, making an “organ-like” effect that makes the world habitable. Just as I have said before, the body cannot live without its organs, just as the Earth cannot function without its “organs” (ecosystems).
Bibliographies:
1. Reece, Erik. Lost Mountain A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness Radical Strip Mining and the Devastation ofAppalachia. New York: Riverhead Trade, 2007. Print.
2. Kiminski, Jeffrey A., Michelle L. Davis, Patrick D. Keyser, and Marcella Kelly. "Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest." Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest. 157.2 (2007): 385-97. EBSCO. Web. 28 Feb. 2010..
3. Tennessee Valley Authority home page. Tennessee Valley Authority. Web. 12 Feb. 2010..
4. Pickering, John, Roland Kays, Albert Meier, Susan Andrew, and Kay Yatskievych. "The Appalachians." Discover Life. P. R. Gil, R. A. Mittermeier, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Pilgrim, G. Fonseca, W. R. Konstant and T. Brooks, 6 Mar. 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2010.
5. "Issues and Policy." America's Power - Home. American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, 2007. Web. 08 Feb. 2010.
6. Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People. By Jamie Ross. Dir. Ross Spears. Prod. Paul Wagner. Appalachiafilm.org/ APPALACHIA: A History of Mountains and People. National Science Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission. Web. 7 Feb. 2010..
The biodiversity of the Appalachian region is very important to the ecosystem as well as to the people who inhabit the region, but the area is being threatened because of numerous human initiated causes. In order to preserve this area we must put an end to the method of clear-cut logging because the habitats in this area depend on its interconnected system. We must put an end to the method of mountain-top removal coal mining because of the result of useless flattened land, water contamination, etc. We must find an alternative to make dams more economically friendly in order to preserve the aquatic life in the rivers and streams in this area. We must change all of these human influences on nature and shift our attention to a more sustainable way of action in order to preserve and cherish the ecosystem.
Introduction:
From rainforests and waterfalls to desserts and sand, from oceans and waves to mountains and mountaintops, from grasslands and prairies to the icebergs in Antarctica humans have put their foot onto just about every place imaginable on Earth. Planet Earth is thought of by some people to be what they call a “Gaia”. A Gaia is essentially a prospective view of the world as a living organism. In the Gaia view, it is believed that the Earth is relative to how the human body works. Like the human body, Earth has many vital “organs” that help make it possible for the Earth to function and remain habitable. These “organs” that I am talking about can be geographic features such as oceans, lakes, mountains, plains, volcanoes, rainforests, etc. The veins in the human body are thought of to be like the rivers and streams that flow throughout various places on Earth giving life to these ecosystems. The idea is that these various geographical features make up an ecosystem that sustains itself and allows it to function properly on its own. Without these vital “organs” the world would not be habitable, just as the human body and its incapability of living, breathing, or operating without its functioning parts. Throughout the life of a human body, the body is exposed to many viruses and diseases that try to kill the body. The viruses and diseases can be correlated to the many disasters and human influences that our Earth’s ecosystems encounter. Although this is only a hypothesis that has yet to be proven a fact or by any means fictitious, what I have found in my research is that it could go one way or the other.
From looking at various sources, the summary of the arguments made were that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about ecosystems in terms of its sustainability is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment and its species, so we must help sustain it. But how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, kind of like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas?
Body:
1. Logging
a. Clear-cut logging is the practice of obtaining lumber by cutting down trees blocks at a time
b. Effects of clear-cutting are numerous.
c. Alternatives to clear cutting
d. The reliance of the interconnected trees that species have with the ecosystem is enormous.
2. Mountain-top Removal
a. Mountaintop removal is a type of mining that coal mining companies use to extract coal by means of blowing up the tops of mountains to get to the coal.
b. There are many effects that mountaintop removal has on the environment including the fact that it buries head water streams, causes erosion and flooding, degrades water quality downstream, kills aquatic life, shakes walls and cracks of foundation of homes, and wipes out huge portions of diverse ecosystems.
c. Deep underground mining is the best alternative to Mountain-top removal.
d. The reliance of coal as our main source of energy makes it hard for us to stop this malpractice but we must change the way we remove coal to a more eco-friendly manner.
3. Dams
a. Dams are a barrier often placed on a waterway with a primary purpose to control water for electricity as well as other purposes.
b. The effects of the placement of dams extend beyond the water. Such as destroying of habitats due from the reservoir, altered migration of animals and fish, and the flow of sediments downstream to hold the soil in place.
c. Though there isn’t much of an alternative to building dams, there a ways for people to correct some of the negative effects on dam placement.
d. Although dams are needed, we must change the system so it works with the environment, not the other way around. The reliance that aquatic species have on the steady flow of streams is numerous.
e.
Conclusion:
Overall, the Appalachian Mountains have an enormous amount of life within its ecosystems. From the moths that are taking over the area to the trees that help with our nitrogen cycle; from the natural resources that can be found in this area to the dams that are built for multiple purposes, the Appalachian Mountains needs these functions to work together to sustain itself. All in all these factors are interconnected, making an “organ-like” effect that makes the world habitable. Just as I have said before, the body cannot live without its organs, just as the Earth cannot function without its “organs” (ecosystems).
Bibliographies:
1. Reece, Erik. Lost Mountain A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness Radical Strip Mining and the Devastation ofAppalachia. New York: Riverhead Trade, 2007. Print.
2. Kiminski, Jeffrey A., Michelle L. Davis, Patrick D. Keyser, and Marcella Kelly. "Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest." Disturbance Effects on Small Mammal Species in a Managed Appalachian Forest. 157.2 (2007): 385-97. EBSCO. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.
3. Tennessee Valley Authority home page. Tennessee Valley Authority. Web. 12 Feb. 2010.
4. Pickering, John, Roland Kays, Albert Meier, Susan Andrew, and Kay Yatskievych. "The Appalachians." Discover Life. P. R. Gil, R. A. Mittermeier, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Pilgrim, G. Fonseca, W. R. Konstant and T. Brooks, 6 Mar. 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2010.
5. "Issues and Policy." America's Power - Home. American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, 2007. Web. 08 Feb. 2010.
6. Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People. By Jamie Ross. Dir. Ross Spears. Prod. Paul Wagner. Appalachiafilm.org/ APPALACHIA: A History of Mountains and People. National Science Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Food Inc. Pages 3-27 and 41-64
The book "Fast Food Nation" came to be when author Eric Schlosser was doing an article for the Atlantic Monthly in the mid 1990's. The article was supposed to be on the immigrants that were invasive at the time and finding work in the field's of California's agriculture, when it hit him that the reality of how our food is made wasn't what he had thought it was. It is well known that in order for people to stay healthy, they needed to focus more on vegetables, fruits, and nuts as their source of daily intake. In order to beat the influences that fast food has on our society today, we must educate the young about what foods are healthy in our school systems. Schools need to start serving healthier foods. It is said that if we don't change our eating habits, obesity could be the next leading cause of death next to smoking. Food Inc. states that we are what we consume and we are what that consumes. Cattle are given low doses of growth hormones and antibiotics into their feed in order to stay disease free. We put these antibiotics into the feed because of the increase of many diseases that has occurred in food history. Diseases such as mad cow, which is found in cattles nervous system, has been found 3 times since December of 2003. Other diseases such as ecoli is found in cattle and other foods when cattle is fed corn or soybeans instead of hay. Since factory farmers strive to increase the annual output of product, they are able to do this by feeding them these hormones and antibiotics. Because the industrial food industry is interconnection with the people who make laws and regulations on food, the regulation policies tend to be on the low end of the spectrum.
People must demand where their food comes from and organically grown foods are a better choice when it comes to how your food is grown. There are three different classifications when you see "organic" in the stores. The first classification is the labeling, "100% organic" which is self explanatory. The second classification is "organic" which means 95% or more of the ingredients from start to store shelves use organic products. Finally, "made with organic" entails that 70% or more of the product uses organics up to the point its put on store shelves. There are many ways that food production practices are abused. These practices include battery cages, fast growth of birds, forced feeding for foie gras, gestation crates and veal crates, long distance transportation, and electric stunning of birds.
This section of the book introduces the reader to the realities of the food production industry. It gives the reader solid facts about how our food is more of an assembly line than growing food. It seems that the companies producing our food is more worried about how much money they gross rather than the quality of the food that is fed to our country. The way can control the people in the government on the inside is kind of scary because all they do is throw the people with higher authorities some money and they will eventually get what they want, lower quality standards.
People must demand where their food comes from and organically grown foods are a better choice when it comes to how your food is grown. There are three different classifications when you see "organic" in the stores. The first classification is the labeling, "100% organic" which is self explanatory. The second classification is "organic" which means 95% or more of the ingredients from start to store shelves use organic products. Finally, "made with organic" entails that 70% or more of the product uses organics up to the point its put on store shelves. There are many ways that food production practices are abused. These practices include battery cages, fast growth of birds, forced feeding for foie gras, gestation crates and veal crates, long distance transportation, and electric stunning of birds.
This section of the book introduces the reader to the realities of the food production industry. It gives the reader solid facts about how our food is more of an assembly line than growing food. It seems that the companies producing our food is more worried about how much money they gross rather than the quality of the food that is fed to our country. The way can control the people in the government on the inside is kind of scary because all they do is throw the people with higher authorities some money and they will eventually get what they want, lower quality standards.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Position Statement on Research Argument
The biodiversity of the Appalachian region is very important to the ecosystem as well as to the people who inhabit the region, but the area is being threatened because of numerous human initiated causes. In order to preserve this area we must put an end to the method of clear-cut logging because the habitats in this area depend on its interconnected system. We must put an end to the method of mountain-top removal coal mining because of the result of useless flattened land, water contamination, etc. We must find an alternative to make dams more economically friendly in order to preserve the aquatic life in the rivers and streams in this area. We must change all of these human influences on nature and shift our attention to a more sustainable way of action in order to preserve and cherish the ecosystem.
Food Inc. Pages 183-218
In the first part of the section I read, Joel Salatin argues that the only effective way to deal with the problem of how our food is grown, is to opt out of the system. A couple question that he addresses give the readers a reason why this can be possible. Without the industrial food production industry, it is possible to feed the entire world. Up until recent centuries, the human population has been able to do this up until the revolution of the fast food industry. Another question he addressed was if locally grown foods were safe to eat. Indeed, he found that they are if not just as safe, then they are more safe given that they do not use chemicals to feed or process the food. He presents the idea of opting out of contributing to the industry just as an alternative, like he relates to the home-schooling option presented up through high school. He states that opting out consists of four basic ideas and things to do. The first one is to rediscover our kitchens. Since fast food and pre-packaged foods have come around, families have lost touch with their kitchens and the skills needed to cook.The second idea is to buy locally. Buying from farmers markets and locally owned grocery stores can support your community as well as straying from buying chemically and genetically altered foods. Another idea is to eat seasonally. Eating seasonally can take away from long transported foods that contain preservatives that keep them ready to eat. Lastly, it is good to plant a garden. Planting a garden allows consumers to know what exactly is done to the food and it ensures natural freshness rather than using chemicals.
One can stay away from buying foods that have been genetically or chemically altered by asking a series of different question that allows the buyer to know what, where, and how the food came to be. These questions should be asked to your farmer or local grocery. Was the animal raised on a pasture? Was it fed grass? How was the animal finished? Was it given antibiotics? Were steroids, hormones, or growth promoters used? How much time does it spend outdoors daily? How was it raised? Where did they live? These questions let you know lots about if the animals were treated correctly and if chemicals were used to make the process faster.
Nutrition is key. The nutrition guidelines to live by are to eat less, move more, eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and to avoid too much junk food. If someone were to follow these guidelines, it would not ensure a healthy body. It also depends on the persons genetic makeup and habits such as smoking and drinking. A sign of obesity in the United States can be correlated to the amount of calories that are made available to society. The more production of foods are in the United States, the more of a supply there is. The more of a supply allows the consumer to buy more and consume more, making the intake of calories higher. Organics do have some benefits that are better than non-organics. Organic peaches and pears contain more vitamin C and E, whereas organic berries contain more antioxidants. Dairy products can be avoided all together given that the person eats a supplementary amount of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Fish is a good source of fatty omega 3 proteins and is needed in the body. The amount of sugar and sodas that are consumed can also correlate with the obesity in America.
This section of the book was very interesting and filled with facts and different comparisons with things other than food. The section was interesting to me because I liked reading about nutrition of the body and how to stay healthy. The book does a pretty good job of this so I don't mind reading about it. The part where it talked about rebelling against the Industrial food industry was kind of ridiculous at first but then he actually made it seem feasible to do.
One can stay away from buying foods that have been genetically or chemically altered by asking a series of different question that allows the buyer to know what, where, and how the food came to be. These questions should be asked to your farmer or local grocery. Was the animal raised on a pasture? Was it fed grass? How was the animal finished? Was it given antibiotics? Were steroids, hormones, or growth promoters used? How much time does it spend outdoors daily? How was it raised? Where did they live? These questions let you know lots about if the animals were treated correctly and if chemicals were used to make the process faster.
Nutrition is key. The nutrition guidelines to live by are to eat less, move more, eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and to avoid too much junk food. If someone were to follow these guidelines, it would not ensure a healthy body. It also depends on the persons genetic makeup and habits such as smoking and drinking. A sign of obesity in the United States can be correlated to the amount of calories that are made available to society. The more production of foods are in the United States, the more of a supply there is. The more of a supply allows the consumer to buy more and consume more, making the intake of calories higher. Organics do have some benefits that are better than non-organics. Organic peaches and pears contain more vitamin C and E, whereas organic berries contain more antioxidants. Dairy products can be avoided all together given that the person eats a supplementary amount of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Fish is a good source of fatty omega 3 proteins and is needed in the body. The amount of sugar and sodas that are consumed can also correlate with the obesity in America.
This section of the book was very interesting and filled with facts and different comparisons with things other than food. The section was interesting to me because I liked reading about nutrition of the body and how to stay healthy. The book does a pretty good job of this so I don't mind reading about it. The part where it talked about rebelling against the Industrial food industry was kind of ridiculous at first but then he actually made it seem feasible to do.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Darwin: The Secret Life of a Reluctant Revolutionist By: Dr. David Quamer
Dr. Quamer's presentation about Darwin and his theories was awesome to say the least. In this lecture at Blackburn he addressed many questions but the focal question of this lecture was, Was Darwin Wrong? He started by saying that it has been 200 years since his birth and 150 years since his mose popular work, "The Origin of Species". He then stated that our of all the theories out there about how we as humans came to be, the only one that made the most sense was the theory of evolution, which Darwin with the help of Alfred Russell Wallace came up with. From there, he expained that the theory's purpose was not to attempt to expain life on Earth but the theory was supposed to explain life after the beginning of human existence. There were three main points that he had pointed out about Darwin's theory. The points were inheritance, variation, and reproduction. Inheritance suggests that offspring look like their parents. Variation suggests that offspring varies from their parents. Finally reproduction, where this lead to the idea of natural selection. He then expained that life on Earth is crowded and there are too many individuals for mates, food, etc. Because of this it leads to natural selection of the best offspring while the others die off.
Due to two of Darwin's characteristic traits that he had, he delayed the release of his theory. These two traits were caution and honesty. Caution because he waited 21 years before releasing the "Origin of Species". Honesty because he was devoted to science and rationality rather than other views such as religion. Alfred Russell Wallace co-discovered the theory because Darwin waited so long to release his idea. On July 1, 1858, Darwin and his colleague read the idea outloud in a Society meeting that they belonged to. People didn't think much of it and disregarded the idea as a big idea. Then Darwin began to write notes in his little book where he talked about a cat on an island and a cat in the city. Here he was getting to the point that if a cat breeded on an island secluded from mainland cats, it would eventually adapt and have distinct differences from mainland cats once brought back to the mainland.
Dr. Quamaer also talked about many other things about Darwin. Including his personal life with his wife and arguments against himself on his own theory. He also weighed out religious belief and decided that he didn't beleive it. Darwin ended up dying at age 73 of heart disease where his death was one where he suffered pain and nausea. People wanted to know if Darwin was afraid of death and his answer would be that he wasn't.
This lecture was very good and it about convinced me to buy the book, "Origin of Species" just to read more about the subject. And I probably would have bought it if I had an extra couple bucks in my pocket at the time. FYI, the sugar cookies and punch that they served after the lecture were REALLY good!
Due to two of Darwin's characteristic traits that he had, he delayed the release of his theory. These two traits were caution and honesty. Caution because he waited 21 years before releasing the "Origin of Species". Honesty because he was devoted to science and rationality rather than other views such as religion. Alfred Russell Wallace co-discovered the theory because Darwin waited so long to release his idea. On July 1, 1858, Darwin and his colleague read the idea outloud in a Society meeting that they belonged to. People didn't think much of it and disregarded the idea as a big idea. Then Darwin began to write notes in his little book where he talked about a cat on an island and a cat in the city. Here he was getting to the point that if a cat breeded on an island secluded from mainland cats, it would eventually adapt and have distinct differences from mainland cats once brought back to the mainland.
Dr. Quamaer also talked about many other things about Darwin. Including his personal life with his wife and arguments against himself on his own theory. He also weighed out religious belief and decided that he didn't beleive it. Darwin ended up dying at age 73 of heart disease where his death was one where he suffered pain and nausea. People wanted to know if Darwin was afraid of death and his answer would be that he wasn't.
This lecture was very good and it about convinced me to buy the book, "Origin of Species" just to read more about the subject. And I probably would have bought it if I had an extra couple bucks in my pocket at the time. FYI, the sugar cookies and punch that they served after the lecture were REALLY good!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Research Exploration Essay w/Bibliographies
From rainforests and waterfalls to desserts and sand, from oceans and waves to mountains and mountaintops, from grasslands and prairies to the icebergs in Antarctica humans have put their foot onto just about every place imaginable on Earth. Planet Earth is thought of by some people to be what they call a “Gaia”. A Gaia is essentially a prospective view of the world as a living organism. In the Gaia view, it is believed that the Earth is relative to how the human body works. Like the human body, Earth has many vital “organs” that help make it possible for the Earth to function and remain habitable. These “organs” that I am talking about can be geographic features such as oceans, lakes, mountains, plains, volcanoes, rainforests, etc. The veins in the human body are thought of to be like the rivers and streams that flow throughout various places on Earth. The idea is that these various geographical features make up an ecosystem that sustains itself and allows it to function properly on its own. With out these vital “organs” the world would not be habitable, just as the human body and its incapability of living, breathing, or operating without its functioning parts. Although this is only a hypothesis that has yet to be proven a fact or by any means fictitious, what I have found in my research is that it could go one way or the other.
The diversity of our ecosystems is valuable for more reasons than one. First of all, many species depend on one another; whether it’s within the nitrogen cycle where soil, bacteria, and plants work together to produce many products that help out tremendously; or bees that provide the service of flower pollination; the dependency of species as food sources; or nature and its dependency on itself in order to regenerate ecosystems. Along with the dependence on one another, our diverse ecosystems offer many natural services including but not limited to its own natural water purifier. Everyday biologists and scientists learn more about what our ecosystems have to offer as well as the importance to preserve it. Though the biodiversity of our ecosystems are not often thought about in our everyday lives, it actually has plenty to do with our everyday lives. If someone were to put an economic value on the situation at hand, one would find that the biodiversity of our ecosystems are more important than to the naked eye.
From looking at various sources, the summary of the arguments made were that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about ecosystems in terms of its sustainability is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment and its species, so we must help sustain it. But how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, kind of like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas?
The Appalachian Mountains consists of three major sections; the northern, central, and southern section. The northern section starts in Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada going south down the eastern coast of Northern America to its southern point ending in Alabama. The Appalachian Mountains has over 500 protected areas including the Great Smokey Mountains National Park (Pickering). According to statistics in 2002, the Appalachian Mountains are homes to an estimated 22 million people and are expected to grow within the next decade (Pickering). Covering most of the eastern coast of our country it is important to understand the many uses that this mountain range has to offer.
The Appalachian region has one of America’s most diverse forests. Broadcasted on PBS, the televisions series, Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People, author Chris Bolgiano states that “One acre of cove forests in the Smokey Mountains has more species of trees than in all of Europe. … (The cove forests have) hundreds of species of trees” –Chris Bolgiano (Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People). Throughout the area of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America, there are 255 bird species, 78 mammal species, 58 reptile species, and 76 amphibian species; not to mention Kartesz and Meacham’s list of over 6,300 plant species in 10 states of the Appalachian region. Of these plant species, 27% are exotic species, meaning that they were non-native species; 76 are native species, and 6 species that are listed as extinct (Pickering).
Although this is one of the most diverse regions in North America, there are many pressures from human activity that refrain this area from becoming more diverse than it could. Relocation into these areas, building of dams, pollution, logging, coal mining, natural gas extraction, and recreational uses such as hunting are all direct pressures that affect this mountains biodiversity (Pickering). Many organizations are involved in making it known to the general public that these areas have a significant purpose. The Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Institute, also known as SABI for short, is one of these organizations aimed to educate the uneducated about this topic. Along with direct pressures, there are also indirect pressures as well. These pressures include uncontrolled fires, threats of invasive species such as the kudzu vines that can be found in Kentucky and in many other states south of Ohio (Pickering).
Due to population growth, people have had to expand their living accommodations by making cities bigger, ultimately leading to the invasion into the regions natural areas. Hiding away in these natural areas is privately owned lands that are the only areas big enough to become the heart of the new wilderness areas. Next to these big areas are smaller areas that provide as a perfect spot for breeding of species and recolonization. Without these areas that are laid out for breeding and recolonization, it would make the plant and animal population isolated and they would ultimately suffer repercussions. The only way an ecosystem and its inhabitants are ensured to survive is to make sure it stays connected to other ecosystems that surround it. These interconnected ecosystems provide numerous natural benefits including the cleansing of air and water, the reusing of nutrients, the renewal of soil, and the sustainability of its climate. (Pickering)
As of right now, America’s dependence on coal is very demanding. Today, over half of the electricity used in homes is generated from burning coal. The reason for this is that there is no other source of energy out there that is as abundant and affordable to the common person. Coal is so abundant in America, that in we actually have more coal here than the Middle East has oil. The demand for energy used these days’ makes it hard for one to weigh out the pros and cons of obtaining coal, which is why it makes sense to use coal as our main source of energy. (American Power)
Though environmentalists beg to differ, coal companies have made tremendous steps at attempting to make coal cleaner. Coal companies have spent well over $50 billion in commitment to making coal burning give off fewer emissions. Since the $50 billion investment, coal burning gives off 70% less emissions per unit of energy generated. (AmericanPower)
Another problem that people pose to the diversity of the natural environment, especially the aquatic biodiversity, is dams and water quality issues. From past experience, researchers have found that due to dam building in the Appalachian Mountains, extinction among the regions aquatic groups are over 10 times more probable than extinction of terrestrial groups. According to the Veves et al. list in 1997, there were a total of 74 aquatic species have gone extinct and 17 of those species became extinct due to damming in Alabama. To add to that list, there are over 50 mussel species that was added to the endangered species list. In 1999, Etnier found that 40% of fish put in danger were due to pollution and siltation while 32% of fish were put in danger by dams and other human impacts on the flow of rivers and streams. (Pickering)
Possibly the greatest threat to the biodiversity of the Appalachian region is the attack of the invasive species. Flora species in this area such as the American elm, dogwood, butternut, hemlocks, and beech are all trying to overcome this attack. Among these invasive species is the gypsy moth, which was introduced to control a pest problem. The gypsy moth is now taking over 300 species of moths that are native to this area. (Pickering)
Bibliographies:
1. Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People. By Jamie Ross. Dir. Ross Spears. Prod. Paul Wagner. Appalachiafilm.org/ APPALACHIA: A History of Mountains and People. National Science Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission. Web. 7 Feb. 2010..
2. Pickering, John, Roland Kays, Albert Meier, Susan Andrew, and Kay Yatskievych. "The Appalachians." Discover Life. P. R. Gil, R. A. Mittermeier, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Pilgrim, G. Fonseca, W. R. Konstant and T. Brooks, 6 Mar. 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2010.
3. Whitty, Julia, and Michael McCarthy. "Animal Extinction- The Greatest Threat to Mankind." Animal Extinction- The Greatest Threat to Mankind (2007). The Independent. 30 Apr. 2007. Web. 7 Feb. 2010..
4. "Issues and Policy." America's Power - Home. American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, 2007. Web. 08 Feb. 2010.
The diversity of our ecosystems is valuable for more reasons than one. First of all, many species depend on one another; whether it’s within the nitrogen cycle where soil, bacteria, and plants work together to produce many products that help out tremendously; or bees that provide the service of flower pollination; the dependency of species as food sources; or nature and its dependency on itself in order to regenerate ecosystems. Along with the dependence on one another, our diverse ecosystems offer many natural services including but not limited to its own natural water purifier. Everyday biologists and scientists learn more about what our ecosystems have to offer as well as the importance to preserve it. Though the biodiversity of our ecosystems are not often thought about in our everyday lives, it actually has plenty to do with our everyday lives. If someone were to put an economic value on the situation at hand, one would find that the biodiversity of our ecosystems are more important than to the naked eye.
From looking at various sources, the summary of the arguments made were that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about ecosystems in terms of its sustainability is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment and its species, so we must help sustain it. But how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, kind of like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas?
The Appalachian Mountains consists of three major sections; the northern, central, and southern section. The northern section starts in Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada going south down the eastern coast of Northern America to its southern point ending in Alabama. The Appalachian Mountains has over 500 protected areas including the Great Smokey Mountains National Park (Pickering). According to statistics in 2002, the Appalachian Mountains are homes to an estimated 22 million people and are expected to grow within the next decade (Pickering). Covering most of the eastern coast of our country it is important to understand the many uses that this mountain range has to offer.
The Appalachian region has one of America’s most diverse forests. Broadcasted on PBS, the televisions series, Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People, author Chris Bolgiano states that “One acre of cove forests in the Smokey Mountains has more species of trees than in all of Europe. … (The cove forests have) hundreds of species of trees” –Chris Bolgiano (Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People). Throughout the area of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern North America, there are 255 bird species, 78 mammal species, 58 reptile species, and 76 amphibian species; not to mention Kartesz and Meacham’s list of over 6,300 plant species in 10 states of the Appalachian region. Of these plant species, 27% are exotic species, meaning that they were non-native species; 76 are native species, and 6 species that are listed as extinct (Pickering).
Although this is one of the most diverse regions in North America, there are many pressures from human activity that refrain this area from becoming more diverse than it could. Relocation into these areas, building of dams, pollution, logging, coal mining, natural gas extraction, and recreational uses such as hunting are all direct pressures that affect this mountains biodiversity (Pickering). Many organizations are involved in making it known to the general public that these areas have a significant purpose. The Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Institute, also known as SABI for short, is one of these organizations aimed to educate the uneducated about this topic. Along with direct pressures, there are also indirect pressures as well. These pressures include uncontrolled fires, threats of invasive species such as the kudzu vines that can be found in Kentucky and in many other states south of Ohio (Pickering).
Due to population growth, people have had to expand their living accommodations by making cities bigger, ultimately leading to the invasion into the regions natural areas. Hiding away in these natural areas is privately owned lands that are the only areas big enough to become the heart of the new wilderness areas. Next to these big areas are smaller areas that provide as a perfect spot for breeding of species and recolonization. Without these areas that are laid out for breeding and recolonization, it would make the plant and animal population isolated and they would ultimately suffer repercussions. The only way an ecosystem and its inhabitants are ensured to survive is to make sure it stays connected to other ecosystems that surround it. These interconnected ecosystems provide numerous natural benefits including the cleansing of air and water, the reusing of nutrients, the renewal of soil, and the sustainability of its climate. (Pickering)
As of right now, America’s dependence on coal is very demanding. Today, over half of the electricity used in homes is generated from burning coal. The reason for this is that there is no other source of energy out there that is as abundant and affordable to the common person. Coal is so abundant in America, that in we actually have more coal here than the Middle East has oil. The demand for energy used these days’ makes it hard for one to weigh out the pros and cons of obtaining coal, which is why it makes sense to use coal as our main source of energy. (American Power)
Though environmentalists beg to differ, coal companies have made tremendous steps at attempting to make coal cleaner. Coal companies have spent well over $50 billion in commitment to making coal burning give off fewer emissions. Since the $50 billion investment, coal burning gives off 70% less emissions per unit of energy generated. (AmericanPower)
Another problem that people pose to the diversity of the natural environment, especially the aquatic biodiversity, is dams and water quality issues. From past experience, researchers have found that due to dam building in the Appalachian Mountains, extinction among the regions aquatic groups are over 10 times more probable than extinction of terrestrial groups. According to the Veves et al. list in 1997, there were a total of 74 aquatic species have gone extinct and 17 of those species became extinct due to damming in Alabama. To add to that list, there are over 50 mussel species that was added to the endangered species list. In 1999, Etnier found that 40% of fish put in danger were due to pollution and siltation while 32% of fish were put in danger by dams and other human impacts on the flow of rivers and streams. (Pickering)
Possibly the greatest threat to the biodiversity of the Appalachian region is the attack of the invasive species. Flora species in this area such as the American elm, dogwood, butternut, hemlocks, and beech are all trying to overcome this attack. Among these invasive species is the gypsy moth, which was introduced to control a pest problem. The gypsy moth is now taking over 300 species of moths that are native to this area. (Pickering)
Bibliographies:
1. Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People. By Jamie Ross. Dir. Ross Spears. Prod. Paul Wagner. Appalachiafilm.org/ APPALACHIA: A History of Mountains and People. National Science Foundation, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The National Endowment for the Humanities, The Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.
2. Pickering, John, Roland Kays, Albert Meier, Susan Andrew, and Kay Yatskievych. "The Appalachians." Discover Life. P. R. Gil, R. A. Mittermeier, C. G. Mittermeier, J. Pilgrim, G. Fonseca, W. R. Konstant and T. Brooks, 6 Mar. 2006. Web. 07 Feb. 2010.
3. Whitty, Julia, and Michael McCarthy. "Animal Extinction- The Greatest Threat to Mankind." Animal Extinction- The Greatest Threat to Mankind (2007). The Independent. 30 Apr. 2007. Web. 7 Feb. 2010.
4. "Issues and Policy." America's Power - Home. American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, 2007. Web. 08 Feb. 2010.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Paraphrasing Blog
The amount of medicines given to animals on factory farms are estimated to be above 70 percent, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. In order to keep the animals healthy, the farmers must routinely feed pigs, chickens, and cattle their antibiotics. Because these drugs help these animals grow at a faster rate, the use of antibiotics help keep our supply well kept.(Michael Pollan, 2007)
From “Our Decrepit Food Factories” by Michael Pollan
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16wwln-lede-t.html?_r=2&oref=slogin
From “Our Decrepit Food Factories” by Michael Pollan
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/magazine/16wwln-lede-t.html?_r=2&oref=slogin
Research Prospectus: Introduction and Bibliographies
From rainforests and waterfalls to desserts and sand, from oceans and waves to mountains and mountaintops, from grasslands and prairies to the icebergs in Antarctica humans have put their foot onto just about every place imaginable on Earth. Planet Earth is thought of by some people to be what they call a “Gaia”. A Gaia is essentially a prospective view of the world as a living organism. In the Gaia view, it is believed that the Earth is relative to how the human body works. Like the human body, Earth has many vital “organs” that help make it possible for the Earth to function and remain habitable. These “organs” that I am talking about can be oceans, lakes, mountains, plains, volcanoes, rainforests, etc. The veins in the human body are thought of to be like the rivers and streams that flow throughout various places on Earth. The idea is that these various landforms and flows of water make up an ecosystem that sustains itself and allows it to function properly on its own. With out these vital “organs” the world would not be habitable just as the human body and its incapability of living, breathing, or operating without its functioning parts.
In this paper I will dig into various questions that I raised when I was thinking about this global issue. Questions such as, what is biodiversity and what does it have to do with me? Why is it important to conserve biodiversity within ecosystems? What does the biodiversity of ecosystems have to offer? What will happen if the biodiversity of ecosystems are destroyed beyond where it can be recovered? Who is helping us keep our ecosystems stay as diverse as possible? Who is out to destroy biodiversity? Finally, How can we change our livelihoods in order to preserve these diverse ecosystems?
The diversity of our ecosystems is valuable for more reasons than one. First of all, many species depend on one another; whether it’s within the nitrogen cycle where soil, bacteria, and plants work together to produce many products that help out tremendously; or bees that provide the service of flower pollination; the dependency of species as food sources; or nature and its dependency on itself in order to regenerate ecosystems. Along with the dependence on one another, our diverse ecosystems offer many natural services including but not limited to its own natural water purifier. Everyday biologists and scientists learn more about what our ecosystems have to offer as well as the importance to preserve it. Though the biodiversity of our ecosystems are not often thought about in our everyday lives, it actually has plenty to do with our everyday lives. If someone were to put an economic value on the situation at hand, one would find that the biodiversity of our ecosystems are more important than to the naked eye.
Most people would say that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about the ecosystems is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment so we must help sustain it, but how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas?
Bibliography:
1. Shah, Anup. "Why is Biodiverity Important? Who Cares?" GlobalIssues.org. Anup Shah, 18 Nov. 2009. Web. 25 Jan. 2010..
2. Ridder, Ben. "Questioning the Ecosystem Services Argument for." Biodiversity and Conservation 7.4 (1998): 781-90. Springer link. Springer Netherlands, 23 Jan. 2008. Web. 1 Feb. 2010.
In this paper I will dig into various questions that I raised when I was thinking about this global issue. Questions such as, what is biodiversity and what does it have to do with me? Why is it important to conserve biodiversity within ecosystems? What does the biodiversity of ecosystems have to offer? What will happen if the biodiversity of ecosystems are destroyed beyond where it can be recovered? Who is helping us keep our ecosystems stay as diverse as possible? Who is out to destroy biodiversity? Finally, How can we change our livelihoods in order to preserve these diverse ecosystems?
The diversity of our ecosystems is valuable for more reasons than one. First of all, many species depend on one another; whether it’s within the nitrogen cycle where soil, bacteria, and plants work together to produce many products that help out tremendously; or bees that provide the service of flower pollination; the dependency of species as food sources; or nature and its dependency on itself in order to regenerate ecosystems. Along with the dependence on one another, our diverse ecosystems offer many natural services including but not limited to its own natural water purifier. Everyday biologists and scientists learn more about what our ecosystems have to offer as well as the importance to preserve it. Though the biodiversity of our ecosystems are not often thought about in our everyday lives, it actually has plenty to do with our everyday lives. If someone were to put an economic value on the situation at hand, one would find that the biodiversity of our ecosystems are more important than to the naked eye.
Most people would say that there are many reasons why biodiversity needs to be sustained, in order for our world to keep revolving. The argument made most about the ecosystems is that species depend on the environment and likewise for the environment so we must help sustain it, but how accurate exactly is that statement? Can the ability of natural services be kept sustained even without some species, like how some of our bodies can live without an appendix, kidney, lung, or half a pancreas?
Bibliography:
1. Shah, Anup. "Why is Biodiverity Important? Who Cares?" GlobalIssues.org. Anup Shah, 18 Nov. 2009. Web. 25 Jan. 2010.
2. Ridder, Ben. "Questioning the Ecosystem Services Argument for." Biodiversity and Conservation 7.4 (1998): 781-90. Springer link. Springer Netherlands, 23 Jan. 2008. Web. 1 Feb. 2010.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Buckey Forest Council Presentation
David Maywhoor's presentation on Monday was very interesting. It covered some topics that we have covered in class as well as the book, "Lost Mountain" which we have read this quarter. He also covered some of our research paper topics and related to his field of work. The organization that he works for fights to protect the wooded areas in and around the state of Ohio. In his presentation he showed us different pictures of forests that have been burned or logged in order for people to collect wood for building or just for land for any particular interest. One fact that really stood out to me was that he said that years ago if a squirrel wanted to, it could travel all the way from Virginia to Indiana without touching the ground jumping from tree to tree. The law states that a company can only log 25 acres in a given area, but companies found that they could find a way around that law. They would log 25 acres and then leave a cushion of trees, then log another 25 acres. There was no way to prove that they were breaking the law because technically they weren't. So basically, the companies got what they wanted, the wood. He also talked about controlled burns of the forest. These burns however, would sometimes get out of control and they would have to run a bulldozer to doze over a line of trees to stop the fire from spreading. All this deforestation has a lot to do with my research prospectus. Deforestation leads to destruction of biodiversity in an ecosystem which causes an indirect effect on other species.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Research Topic: Biodiversity
The research topic that I have chosen is on Biodiversity. Biodiversity is essentially the variation of every living organism that is on Earth. I am not entirely sure about what I want to get into about biodiversity but as for right now I just want to get some simple facts down about why biodiversity is important. Biodiversity is very important because of many reasons. Every living organism in an ecosystem matters, no how small it may be. A related topic to this matter could be the food cycle. Say for instance the entire plant species of grass and corn went extinct. Though this is an extreme example and is highly unlikely, consequences can affect many herbivores that graze on these plants making them one day die off then the predators who feed on these animals must find an alternative food source, possibly causing a chain reaction. In the humans situation, most of our food today is fed or made of corn and grass. Chickens and cows that are herbivores would have nothing to eat and would get skinnier, resulting in less meat per animal. With less meat per animal means that we would need more supply of those animals just to keep up with the demand of these meats. Biodiversity is not only important to the food chain, but it is a great place for discovering new medicines. There are thousands of species of plants that have not been heavily studied which may contain some element of a cure for cancers and other illnesses. With the human population and its high demand to expand their territory, they are cutting down many trees and wiping out entire ecosystems for their wood, coal, and land, leaving these areas as a useless wasteland. Other areas of interest for this topic can cover the diversity of the ecosystem used as a natural water purifier and when preserved could possibly save the human race from this essential need for the human body. The whole biodiversity system itself is very well interconnected on a system. Insects such as bees help pollinate plants by extracting their pollen from the plants and moving them from pant to plant. The wildlife species that graze on nature will produce stool which will decompose and make good fertilizers. The fertilizers will then become food for the plants resulting in an all natural circular process. So taking away parts of nature is like taking away organs of the human body. Every part of the ecosystem plays its own fair part in nature as well as does the organs in the human body and taking that away the ecosystem would ultimately fail.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Flow: For the love of water
This movie was very shocking. Water is essential to sustain life on this Earth and for someone to be able to take control of who is able to obtain it is very wrong in my eyes. The movie compares the flow of water to the human body. They say that both the Earth and the human body is made up of 70% water and the streams and rivers on Earth is like the flowing of blood through our veins. This was a very interesting comment that the movie added because they compared the Earth as not just trees, water, rocks, etc. as single objects in nature but as one unit that works together for a final product. This is the same as the human body. Every organ has its own purpose to serve the body. This goes the same for the world and nature that surrounds it. The movie also states at some point that man takes what they want from nature and leaves it once they are done with it. This is like if you don't take care of your own body than the body often becomes sick. This goes the same way with the world and its land. Although the world might not get sick, the water that is disrupted may cause flooding in some areas, or droughts in others, or maybe even cause the water to become more polluted. For example, Nestle and Coke take water straight from streams and rivers not allowing water to flow downriver for residents who live downstream to acquire water. In other areas of the world, the water is way too polluted due to people dumping their trash and sewage into the rivers causing the water to be contaminated. In these areas with no running water, they rely on these rivers for batheing as well as drinking water. There have been many deaths in these areas due to people drinking this contaminated water. Then the World Bank decides to establish prepaid running water dispensors around the towns only to find out that the residents can't afford to get the water. So what the residents do is they go back to the rivers and streams where the water is contaminated. What else can they do if the water is unaffordable. Finally, a man was able to produce a machine that uses UV light to sanatize the water. He made this operation so that he could make just enough money to pay the local workers who worked there and to keep the water works running. Being that most residents in these areas make less than a dollar a day, they can still afford this water being that it cost two dollars per year per person to get the water. Along with this there are other ways of collecting clean water such as funneling techniques and storing this rain water in water towers so it can be used accordingly.
This movie was very interesting because water bottling companies are taking water from the streams and rivers for free and selling it to nearly 10 times the amount it costs to produce the water. Besides that, people say that water is a free gift that the gods give to the people. If this is true then how can people regulate the flow of where water goes and how much it costs? Should we have to pay for the air we breathe and the sunlight we use from the sun also?
This movie was very interesting because water bottling companies are taking water from the streams and rivers for free and selling it to nearly 10 times the amount it costs to produce the water. Besides that, people say that water is a free gift that the gods give to the people. If this is true then how can people regulate the flow of where water goes and how much it costs? Should we have to pay for the air we breathe and the sunlight we use from the sun also?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Lost Mountain P.165-243
Wendell Berry’s work, “Two Minds”, distinguish between the rational and sympathetic minds that people have and Reece relates it to coal mining. When Mr. Berry is talking about a rational mind, he is talking about the objective, analytical, and empirical, ways of thinking. To me this means that he is saying this is the way the coal mining companies think. In the third part of the book, Reece talks about how coal companies believe that since the locals pollute the areas with trash anyways, that they should be able to mine the mountains and just add to the pollution. He thinks that since the area is already polluted, why not add just a little more pollution and be able to get this black gold from the mountains. The sympathetic way of thinking is more organic, the intuitive, and thinking about the wild. To me this is related to the coal miners and the people who live in these counties. The way the coal miners think is that the coal companies strip the land of all of its resources and leave it a wasteland when they are done, which is true to some extent given the interviews and the primary sources that Reece uses in the book. He also talks about how if the coal companies never came the forests could grow various foods such as herbs and mushrooms, and be used for hunting.
“It has been well documented by psychiatrist Peter C. Whybrow that Americans are four times more affluent than during the ‘60’s, we have shown no measurable gains in happiness. In fact the opposite is true: We are more depressed, more medicated, more frazzled than at any other time in our short history. The more we are anesthetized by material wealth, the farther we stray from our biophilic selves. We move from house to garage to car to work to mall to gym to house again with little regard to our ancestral homeland.”(Page 241) I think that this quote is pretty accurate when it comes to people trying to keep up with their everyday lives and them potentially losing sight of what their true values are. Everyone these days are too busy trying to make more money than the next guy, they don’t take the time to realize what put us here and what keeps us alive. Personally, I do not blame them. I hate to say it but in order for our lives to go round, we must make money. That is a value that people hate to admit but if you didn’t make money then you would not be able to eat. Everything is tied together. In order for us to make money, we must work, in order to work we must have a way to get there, in order for us to get to work we need money for gas. Everything is circular allowing no time to stray too far from the tree, but in this case it is our house behind a white picket fence.
“It has been well documented by psychiatrist Peter C. Whybrow that Americans are four times more affluent than during the ‘60’s, we have shown no measurable gains in happiness. In fact the opposite is true: We are more depressed, more medicated, more frazzled than at any other time in our short history. The more we are anesthetized by material wealth, the farther we stray from our biophilic selves. We move from house to garage to car to work to mall to gym to house again with little regard to our ancestral homeland.”(Page 241) I think that this quote is pretty accurate when it comes to people trying to keep up with their everyday lives and them potentially losing sight of what their true values are. Everyone these days are too busy trying to make more money than the next guy, they don’t take the time to realize what put us here and what keeps us alive. Personally, I do not blame them. I hate to say it but in order for our lives to go round, we must make money. That is a value that people hate to admit but if you didn’t make money then you would not be able to eat. Everything is tied together. In order for us to make money, we must work, in order to work we must have a way to get there, in order for us to get to work we need money for gas. Everything is circular allowing no time to stray too far from the tree, but in this case it is our house behind a white picket fence.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The second part of the book, Lost Mountain, was very interesting to say the least. It talked about the different areas in Kentucky near the Appalachian Mountains that have coal mining has affected their drinking water. In the book Erik Reece said that 47% of Kentucky's rivers and streams are too polluted from mining for the water to be drank, fished, or swam. The reason for this is that when coal is being mined, the rocks that fall into the valleys, rivers, and streams cause many different kinds of sediments and minerals to get into the water. This makes all parents in these areas scared to death for their children to drink the water. The results that tend to happen from drinking the water vary greatly from nausea, diarrea, vomiting, and shortness of breath to long term effects of bone damage and cancers of the digestive track, liver, kidney, an spleen failure.
Along with the hazardous drinking water, the people in this region have to watch out for the flash floods that occur also because of the coal mining. These flash floods has taken lives, destroyed ecosystems, destroyed homes, and destroyed towns. In some cases there were up to one foot of mud that made its way into the homes of the people who live there. These floods of what is described as a massive black milkshake that contains many hazardous chemicals including mercury, arsenic, cadium, and lead, all of which can kill you.
I think that the many results of coal mining can only lead to bad consequences. As we have discussed in class about how bad drinking bottled water is for people and the amount of energy it takes to make bottled water, I have decided that these people do not really have a choice other than to drink bottled water. Because of how bad the water condition is in these areas, their only choice if they want to drink water and not die is to drink water that is bottled.
Along with the hazardous drinking water, the people in this region have to watch out for the flash floods that occur also because of the coal mining. These flash floods has taken lives, destroyed ecosystems, destroyed homes, and destroyed towns. In some cases there were up to one foot of mud that made its way into the homes of the people who live there. These floods of what is described as a massive black milkshake that contains many hazardous chemicals including mercury, arsenic, cadium, and lead, all of which can kill you.
I think that the many results of coal mining can only lead to bad consequences. As we have discussed in class about how bad drinking bottled water is for people and the amount of energy it takes to make bottled water, I have decided that these people do not really have a choice other than to drink bottled water. Because of how bad the water condition is in these areas, their only choice if they want to drink water and not die is to drink water that is bottled.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Lost Mountain, Pg. 1-86
The Appalachian Mountains are home to many different species of birds, animals, and trees. Strip mining consists of blowing away the mountain summits destroying the homes of many animals as well as people on the depths below. In the book, Eric Reece talks about a 5,000 page document explaining why strip mining is bad for the environment. In it states that it bad because it buries head water streams, causes erosion and flooding, degrades water quality downstream, kills aquatic life, shakes walls and cracks of foundation of homes, and wipes out huge portions of diverse ecosystems. Since there are not very many laws against how the strip mining companies are allowed to collect the coal below people’s land, they decide to do it the cheapest and easiest way they know how, and that is to blast it out of the mountains and collect it after. Along with the animals and the people that live in the depths below are the streams and wells that flow for the people who live there. These streams and wells allow for safe drinking water. Due to the water is being contaminated by the coal mining companies, people have died from cancer and other illnesses by drinking this nasty water.
The opposing argument for mining the coal are that it allows for a lower unemployment rate in the areas, it allows for flat land to establish housing and businesses, and it will draw investors into the state for new business ventures. Though some houses and businesses were built on these newly flat lands, most of the areas remain vacant because of the poor nutrition in the soil and water.
After reading the first portion of the book, I think that coal mining does much harm to not only the environment and wildlife, but also to the people who live in those areas where coal is being extracted. Yeah it does all these things in that area, but I want to raise this question… If not there, then where? I think that if it’s not going to be in Kentucky, then it’s just going to happen somewhere else. Like the previous websites said, coal is our most cost efficient and abundant form of energy. So we must get it somewhere…
The opposing argument for mining the coal are that it allows for a lower unemployment rate in the areas, it allows for flat land to establish housing and businesses, and it will draw investors into the state for new business ventures. Though some houses and businesses were built on these newly flat lands, most of the areas remain vacant because of the poor nutrition in the soil and water.
After reading the first portion of the book, I think that coal mining does much harm to not only the environment and wildlife, but also to the people who live in those areas where coal is being extracted. Yeah it does all these things in that area, but I want to raise this question… If not there, then where? I think that if it’s not going to be in Kentucky, then it’s just going to happen somewhere else. Like the previous websites said, coal is our most cost efficient and abundant form of energy. So we must get it somewhere…
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Coal Burning Websites
My first impression of the first website, this is Real, was that the bird that flew across the screen really caught my eye. Then when the bird fell over and died, I knew that it had to do with the burning of coal. The website was implying that coal burning kills the wildlife. The animations for the introduction of this website really caught my eyes because it was entertaining to see all that happening and made me want to look more into the site.
The first impression that I had of the other website, Americas Power, was that this was the more serious website of the two and that it was setup in a more professional standpoint than that of the other website. It did not have any animations to make it cheesy and it was well organized with many statistics and recent news tabs. Initially I would say that the America’s Power website has better sources and appeal given the seriousness of the topic. By just taking a glance at the websites, one could distinctly tell which website was on which side of the coal energy topic.
The debate that the, this is real, website has is that there is no such thing as clean coal. It is said that the leading cause of global warming is due to coal burning. On the other hand, the Americas Power, website debates that Americas most abundant and affordable fuel source is coal and that they are working on making the burning of coal more eco friendly.
The audiences differ between the two websites. This is reality website, they try to aim their audience toward environmental activists whereas the other website, Americas Power, aims their audience toward the general consumer who are more interested in cheap energy instead of environmental protection.
The people that support the first website are all environmental and wildlife friendly groups. These groups include the League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, and the Sierra Club, just to name the major groups. The other website, Americas Power, is represented by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity and a bunch of other coal burning company’s. Both the websites have credible sources but it just depends on which side the person is standing. The first website has more environmental facts whereas the other website has more facts about using coal as energy in the U.S.
The emotional appeals that the first website shows are the appeals of environmental friendly supporters where as the other website appeals to a broad consumer base with incentives for cheap energy. These appeals are effective to both parties because it gives hard evidence to support the thinking of each party.
The visual expression in both the sites give effective rhetorical strategies because there are useful facts and statistics to support each position and with good facts a person can persuade people that know less about the topic than they do.
I find that the first website is more persuasive to my appeal because coal isn’t a clean source of energy but at the same time I do think that it is inexpensive and readily available to the public to use so I think as of this point in time I will continue to use coal energy.
The first impression that I had of the other website, Americas Power, was that this was the more serious website of the two and that it was setup in a more professional standpoint than that of the other website. It did not have any animations to make it cheesy and it was well organized with many statistics and recent news tabs. Initially I would say that the America’s Power website has better sources and appeal given the seriousness of the topic. By just taking a glance at the websites, one could distinctly tell which website was on which side of the coal energy topic.
The debate that the, this is real, website has is that there is no such thing as clean coal. It is said that the leading cause of global warming is due to coal burning. On the other hand, the Americas Power, website debates that Americas most abundant and affordable fuel source is coal and that they are working on making the burning of coal more eco friendly.
The audiences differ between the two websites. This is reality website, they try to aim their audience toward environmental activists whereas the other website, Americas Power, aims their audience toward the general consumer who are more interested in cheap energy instead of environmental protection.
The people that support the first website are all environmental and wildlife friendly groups. These groups include the League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, and the Sierra Club, just to name the major groups. The other website, Americas Power, is represented by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity and a bunch of other coal burning company’s. Both the websites have credible sources but it just depends on which side the person is standing. The first website has more environmental facts whereas the other website has more facts about using coal as energy in the U.S.
The emotional appeals that the first website shows are the appeals of environmental friendly supporters where as the other website appeals to a broad consumer base with incentives for cheap energy. These appeals are effective to both parties because it gives hard evidence to support the thinking of each party.
The visual expression in both the sites give effective rhetorical strategies because there are useful facts and statistics to support each position and with good facts a person can persuade people that know less about the topic than they do.
I find that the first website is more persuasive to my appeal because coal isn’t a clean source of energy but at the same time I do think that it is inexpensive and readily available to the public to use so I think as of this point in time I will continue to use coal energy.
Monday, January 4, 2010
About me and my interests
Hey my name is Yu Sum Chan but you can call me Sam. I am a junior here at Ohio University and my major is international studies. I have a cat named marley and he's pretty chill. I have two older brothers who are twins and also an older sister. Before i turned my focus to school, i liked to play basketball and go snowboarding during the winter. I like anything dealing with me being outdoors as well as anything where i get some excercise. My favorite color is green and my favorite food is chicken...
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