Response #15: Below the Deep Blue

Alastair Fothergill’s BBC nature documentary called The Blue Planet explores the diversity of the world’s oceans.  These aquatic creatures are two goals in mind: eat and mate.  They accomplish these goals by using the earth’s natural terrain and the current to locate large amounts of plankton and other food.  This is just one example of how these creatures have adapted to survive in their unpredictable habitat.  Other types of fish use floating kelp as a refuge, when the kelp is not around, they have become extremely resourceful in the way they use human trash as a substitute shelter.  Of course this trash has many negative effects, but some animals have adapted to survive when possible.

The Blue Planet series is intriguing for young and old.  The sea is a vast, mysterious place in which little is known about.  At the time the footage was filmed, 2001, the quality would have been excellent.  However, at current it does not compete with other nature documentaries.  Overall I enjoyed the topics of the episodes I watched, but it was clear the narrator/producer did not make an effort to jazz up the topics and images presented.  For the purpose of this class, I would be interested to know more about how garbage and other human pollutants affect the aquatic ecosystem.  The world’s bodies of water are diverse and vast, but they are far from invincible.

Reading Response #15: A New Model for Civilization

Clearly the population of the earth will continue to significantly increase. How are we to survive, as civilization spreads out into inhospitable lands? And how can the earth even support such a massive strain on its resources? Weisman and Kratochvil take a glimpse into a scientific experiment that could provide many answers, in their article “Nothing Wasted, Everything Gained.”

It began in 1971, a challenge to transform a barren savanna into a habitable place. What occurred would have unlikely been foreseen. Now sitting in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by guerrilla armies, is the thriving village of Gaviotas. Here scientists, without the interference of politicians, have managed to create a sustainable industry, while emitting absolutely no emissions.

By planting trees that would thrive in the region, the Gaviotan people have brought back diverse wildlife and plant species. Trees also function as the source for their sustainable industry. Tapping trees in rotation every eight years, similar to maple-syrup production. Gaviotas is doing so well, that it is actually building more factories to support new sustainable operations.

A simple life, like the one lived in this village may only appeal to few. However, technologies and ideas, that have developed as a result of this experiment, can be extracted and applied in small ways elsewhere. In fact they already have been. After being introduced, the tools used in the village have spread throughout the region. Given proper resources these technologies could be exported to impoverished nations to help boost their quality of life. The model for production, set in this village should be a lesson to all manufacturers in ways to minimize the polluting methods currently practiced.

Reference

Weisman, A., & Kratochvil, A. (1998). Nothing wasted, everything gained. Mother Jones, 23(2), 56. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Porter’s Response #15: Saving Our Planet

Interesting and saving out planet? Saving our planet from what? That is the question I asked myself when I looked at the website titled Earth911. The main point of the website Earth911 is to inform everyone how to save the planet from trash in land fills and to recycle, reduce and reuse items.

The website is focusing on reaching out to everyone in the world in order for them to make and difference on the Earth and its environment. The website Earth911 is very effective because it has different solutions on how each person can could contribute to recycling, preserving energy,  and reduce greenhouse gases. The website contains different links to educate what is going on in the world and how to help better ones’ self and the Earth. The website even goes as far as mentioning children that are assisting in the process of saving the planet Earth. The website also gives people a chance in the United States to actually focus on problems occurring in their local area by typing in the city, state, or zip code.

A pro of the website Earth911 is educating the uneducated about ways to help save the planet. A few examples of ways to help save our planet is through alternative energy and recycling. Another pro for the website Earth911 is showing the world that kids are involved in saving our planet. It also has links to show full articles. I did not find any cons on the website because I feel that people need to be informed about how to saving our planet and any way to educate humans is a great way.

Reading Response #14: A Visually Stunning Portrait of the Earth

Be prepared to be whisked away on a journey through some of the most visually stunning footage ever captured. In the documentary series Planet Earth, the BBC has produced yet another phenomenal series exploring the wonders of this planet. Although the documentaries cover a diverse set of ecosystems, I chose to view two episodes that covered areas not often discussed, caves and deserts.

In the episode Caves, film crews went to great extent to capture some of the most rare and exquisite scenery that at times looks unreal. By investigating various types of cave systems, the viewer is exposed to the wide diversity of life that exists beyond sight. Every year new cave systems are explored and discoveries made. As there are still many miles to be discovered, it serves us to respect these habitats. Not only for what we can learn from them, but also for how they interact with the world that exists outside their walls.

When most people think of deserts they may imagine lifeless, wind blown sand dunes. The fact is, deserts cover one third of the earth’s surface and consist of a variety of thriving habitats. In the episode Deserts, the documentary shows how life exists in every desert, from the harshest to the sporadically bountiful.

After viewing this series, it is apparent that no expense or effort was spared in the creating of Planet Earth. The documentaries are some of the most beautiful footage ever shot. To see this film and not feel moved would be impossible. I highly recommend everyone see this series. In a day and age when many people have lost their connection to nature, this film serves as a reminder of the treasures we still have.

Porter’s Response # 14: The Importance of a River

Who would think reuniting a river would be so important to humans and their nature. In the article Reuniting A River by Russ Rymer, it discusses why reuniting a river is so important to fishermen, Indians and farmers. This article is written for those that are into the fishing industry.

Klamath River is not just an ordinary river but it is a river that needed to be “loose” again for the flow and life of salmon fish. Salmon fish used a certain part of the river for breeding. Dams were placed in areas of the Klamath River between Oregon and California which stopped the salmon fish from going upstream. Not only were the salmon fish kept from going upstream but they were also susceptible to infection and disease. At one point the salmon fish were said to be close to an endangered specie.

There were people that had to fight to get the Klamath River flowing like it needed to be flowing again. The main people that fought for the continuous flow of Klamath River were the fishermen, Indian tribes and farmers. This article is definitely effect for those who enjoy fishing as a sport and those that eat fish as a living. People need to be aware of the things that are occurring around that food systems. Fish are a great source protein and for many fish is a great source for Omega -3-6 and 9.

Porter’s Response #13: Plastic in Fish and Sea

Do we consume plastic when we eat fish? Of course any typical person would answer “no” to this crazy question. Then they’ll probably continuing on by saying if we put plastic in our throats we would suffocate an die. However, according  to the article Captain Charles Moore written by Nell Greenberg, people that eat fish are consuming plastic particles as well.

Nell Greenberg’s article touches on plastic particles coming from all over the ocean and flowing with the current. Captain Moore explains in his interview with Greenberg that the plastic particles that are flowing throughout the ocean actually causes pollution. First of all, the plastic is originated from different materials that has chemicals in them. Is this a problem? Of course plastic particles in the ocean is a huge problem because the people that consume fish are eating the plastic particles are also consuming the chemicals that were used to make the plastic particles.

Additionally, some of the chemicals that we are consuming from the food system in the ocean causes health problems in humans. Some women suffer with reproductive issues and others with cervical cancer. This type of effect is not good. While reading this article I became well informed on what goes on out in the ocean and how some of our health issues originate  from chemicals we consume. It is a great thing that Nell Greenberg interviewed someone who knew well enough about the ocean and its problems.

Reading Response #15:Urban Utopia

The Guerrilla Gardening website is a very entertaining site sending a very good message. One of the main reasons that I do not want to live in a city is because of the endless amounts of concrete. The idea of planting things in any tiny patch of dirt available in an urban setting could make cityscapes around the world much more inviting. I also enjoyed the idea of warfare being fought against the concrete masses with flowers. It is a good movement with a sense of humor about itself. If I lived in an urban setting I would not hesitate to become a guerrilla gardener myself.

The only problem I had with the website is how chaotic it seemed. I had to spend a bit of time with it to figure out how to navigate through it successfully. There are lots of great pictures however, and they really added to the website in a good way. It is organized in such a way that is very inviting and fun. Overall it gave the feel of a global communal effort to bring some color to the gray. It also provided plenty of information to begin the process yourself. It is a movement with a plan that can easily be carried out by the masses. Who knows, maybe a few more flowers here and there will make the world a little bit happier place.

Reading Response #14:See the World From the Couch

The BBC television series “Planet Earth” is an incredible video documentation of the immense wonder and variety present in our natural surroundings. From the highest to the lowest places on the planet the BBC has recorded hours of footage of the planet’s natural beauty. As would be expected, this results in a beautiful piece of cinematic work. Every minute of footage was amazing in its own way. I watched the Mountain and Deep Ocean episodes specifically and was in awe from start to finish.

Not only was it a wonderful visual experience, this series also provided groundbreaking opportunities for study of certain illusive species. One animal in particular that was filmed was the Snow Leopard found in the Himalayas. Until this series there has been extremely limited footage taken if any, and very few people had actually seen one in the wild. This series captured a decent amount of footage that reveals a small view into the life of a snow leopard. Hopefully the footage in this series can help wildlife scientists around the world gather more information about particularly illusive species and hopefully start to understand behaviors of animals in more detail.

This is also a beneficial addition to television because it provides the global public with more knowledge of our natural surroundings. The vast amount of footage taken and the incredible dedication of the producers and crew has culminated into an enlightening video journey around the world. This is some of the most awe-inspiring video to make it into the television sets of the world. From their couches, people around the world are now able to see places and animals that had only been viewed by experts and scientists with special authority to visit these locations. Perhaps opening peoples minds to the incredible amounts of wonder in our world will inspire more of our youth to become scientists.

Reading Response #13:Would You Like Some Mercury With That?

Discovering that there might be something in one’s food that could potentially lead to extensive damage to their nervous system is not something that most would easily overlook, yet this seems to be the case with the American public. I am sure that “Eating Mercury” by Alexandra Gross is not the first article that has come out in the past 5 years warning Americans about potentially harmful mercury levels in the food we eat. It could be that articles like this one aren’t widely distributed and therefore the public is ignorant of these potential problems. I for one have never noticed a magazine called The Environmental Magazine on any of the shelves that I have looked at. Articles like this one don’t seem to find themselves gracing the pages of publications like Time or US News. Articles like this are hidden because the people with the power to hide such things are the people that could loose profits if such findings were widely distributed.

Aside from an alarm bell of an understated problem, this article also is a good example of why it is immensely important that we continue to look for better ways of doing old things. Part of what has made our species so prolific is our ability to continually build on old ideas to make them better and more efficient as time goes on. This article shows that it is time for that to happen again when it comes to the processing involved with high fructose corn syrup. We need to put emphasis on education in this country so that future generations are able to build on the foundations laid for them instead of being forced to continue indefinitely with less than adequate technologies. With wider knowledge about problems of this nature, perhaps more people will strive to find answers and continue to produce innovative methods for carrying our species into the future.

Reading Response #12:Green Speed

At first glance an eco-friendly biodegradable race car may seem like a poor application for useful and innovative technologies. However, Mike Rosenwald’s article “Fast Food” demonstrates that green ideas and technology can reach into every aspect of life, even over indulgence. Racing is a passion that has been around since the dawn of motorized vehicles, and will continue to stay as a very important part of cultures around the world. As a big of a part of global wide cultures, it is a prime example of using our available resources for nothing more than entertainment. This is why this green formula one car has the potential for such a profound impact on the way the world looks at new technologies. From personal experience, I can say that I would never buy a Prius because it is simply a boring car to drive. The passion and feel of a car designed to conquer the road just does not exist in a green form until now. Showing the world that a car that can eventually reach 160mph and still be eco-friendly will demonstrate that those of us that cherish loud mufflers and open roads won’t be forgotten as the push for eco-friendly technologies becomes greater and greater.

This car also shows that eventually all of our over indulgences and excessive need for useless things, like traveling at 160mph, will still exist. In my experience there is a fear that green modes of thought and practices will send humanity back to the days when fire was a cutting edge technology. The fact that something with such a specific use, like a formula one car, can be made in such a way, means that luxury items will not be eradicated by new technologies.