Revision – Essay 2 Book Review – Albatross: The way we impact their world

Albatross is a powerful bird that flies up to 25,000 miles to find food for their chicks, and whose majesty is endangered due to their increased vulnerability to modern conditions.  Albatrosses nest on small islands throughout the sea and travel thousands of miles to be able to eat and feed their chicks.  This book contains many arguments as to why humans need to become more conservative of the environment and less destructive.  There are facts presented on the albatross rate of survival due to the impact and the effects of humans.  Although fishing restriction and habitat protection have signaled positive gains for marine animals, “Eye of the Albatross” by Carl Safina is an interesting book that will help us understand why an urgent appeal to preserve the ocean while there is still time is needed because birds like the albatross probe the unmistakable environmental impact of the encounters between humans and marine life, albatross are being entrapped in commercial fishing nets, and they are also ingesting plastic trash that washes ashore in vast quantities on their nesting islands.

Throughout their journey albatross have always being in constant danger.  They do not have an abundance of natural enemies, with the exception of humans.  During the 19^th century they were slaughtered for their wings and feathers bringing some of the species nearly to extinction.  Their feathers were used to do pillows.  Presently they are still being threatened by human’s presence; we may not kill them for their feathers, but we are definitely killing them with our actions.  Albatross feed from the trash that can be found around the ocean later feeding it to their chicks.  Another risk cause by humans are fishing nets, albatross are being entrapped in fishing nets or fishing lines from passing ships causing their deaths as well as the chick they have to feed.  All these risks combined with global warming are causing a negative effect on their food chain or ecosystem.  These changes are killing their food supply and them at the same time.  These birds are also losing their habitat and breeding grounds.  As mentioned before, albatrosses feed on everything they see to include discarded human trash that reaches their beaches. One particular breed threatened by humans and described by Carl Safina is the Layson albatross.

The layson albatrosses feeding and nesting grounds are subject to global warming, and its effects on the population of their food supply.  Global warming has increased the temperature of the oceans forcing their food to migrate to colder water.  This phenomenon will have an effect when the albatross hunt since they will be force to travel longer distances and fly further away from their nesting grounds endangering their lives and their young ones.  Albatross are not the only affected ones; there are some other smaller species that are being destroyed by altering the food chain in the ocean.  According to Safina, these effects could be fixed if people could simply reverse global warming.  At the end, not only humans, but other species, and particularly the most vulnerable creatures are the ones paying for what human’s behavior is causing.

Eye of the Albatross describes in great detail the magnificence of the albatross.  Safina studies the albatross as they traveled across the oceans and return to their breeding grounds in the northwest Hawaiian Islands.  He watched how the albatross goes from being a youngster to maturity, to courtship one another, how they mate, and tried to keep a nest and support their chicks by traveling thousands of miles searching for fish to feed themselves and their young ones.  Safina also watched how human trash that washed up on the shores was used as nesting material or eaten and feed to the chicks by the hardworking parents. Eye of the Albatross describes the life of a particular albatross Safina named “Amelia”.  Safina followed and watched Amelia throughout the breeding season.  Not everything he witnessed was nice and pleasant; some of the things he witnessed were harsh and unfortunate, but they provided a good basis for his arguments about pollution.  Safina narrates how an albatross swallowed and tried to regurgitate trash such as a tooth brush to feed its chick, but was not able to regurgitate it.  Many of these birds are getting desperate looking for food that will help their chicks grow strong enough to reach adulthood, but instead they run into trash and eat it.  Albatrosses breeding seasons are several years apart, and if their habitats are continuously being polluted they will stand no chance of survival.  We have to take action and do our part.

Another way humans are affecting albatross’s habitat is with commercial fishing ships.  Several albatrosses of different types are killed annually, particularly per careless fisherman while they are fishing for tuna.  The main threat is longlines.  Safina describes how depending on the type of fish being sought, albatross are baited with thousands of hooks. When longlines are let out behind a moving boat, the birds try to snatch the bait before the line sink causing them to get hooked.  During the 1980 to 1990 decade more albatross used to get caught in the fishing nets as they were searching for food.  These problems still exist, but there are presently more regulations to try to protect species like the albatross.

Eye of the Albatross by Carl Safina successfully promotes more environmental awareness with less environmental impact to increase the survival rate of species such as the layson albatross and albatrosses everywhere.  Carl Safina spent much time amongst the albatrosses which makes him an expert on the subject.  Safina has several books on different species and the impact that humans are making on different habitats. His methods of observation are giving us an inside view and perspective on how our actions are affecting other species’ survival rates.  Every action on our part causes a reaction, and these reactions are causing an unbalance in our ecosystem.  Safina explains how commercial fishing and pollution are affecting the albatross amongst other species.

References

Safina, Carl.  (2002).  Eye of the albatross: Visions of hope and survival.  New York:  Henry Holt.

Spring 2012: Response 1-5: Environment – asduckworth (resubmitted as original was turned in on time, but was MIA & never graded–here it is!!)

Article #1

Bryan Walsh’s article, “Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food” addresses consumers of a wide range of ages ranging from young adults to the elderly people. Walsh examines the horrifying way Americans eat today, the negative impact this type of eating has on a human’s body, and how a small, but growing number of people (such as ranchers and farmers) are adapting the way the country eats by raising their livestock in ways that is healthy for the environment. The article paints a vividly graphic picture that makes a person’s stomach churn, making this an effective technique to convey Walsh’s message. On the one hand, more than 250 tons of manure, which is produced in a week, causes a foul stench on feedlots. In addition, the feed corn takes millions of tons of fertilizer, which in the end produces carbon dioxide from all the active farming. On the other, people like Bill Niman use natural resources, such as grass, to feed his cattle while regulating where the cattle graze to prevent soil erosion. With a low density of cattle on his land, the manure acts as a natural fertilizer rather than a waste. One massive argument regarding healthy eating lies within the major expense incurred to make nutritious food in this way as well as the financial impact it has on consumers’ pocketbooks. This type of change dramatically affects all involved parties for the financial endeavors it creates to eat healthy. I would then like to research the financial impact per geographical area throughout the United States.

Article #2

Alan Weisman & Antonin Kratochvil’s article, “Nothing Wasted, Everything Gained”, addresses adults who have an interest in living sensible lifestyles by making the most from available resources. The authors demonstrate how even the apparently lean area of Gaviota, Colombia can flourish with using basic common sense by utilizing resources in the area to set up a community that is self-sufficient revolving around clean, renewable industries (Weisman, A. & Kratochvil, A., 1998). The article is quite effective in that way the authors demonstrate how the pioneer settlers turned the muddy streams filled with malaria into sterilized drinking water. The Gaviotans made solar “kitties”. These solar “kitties” were used to make the water appropriate for human consumption. They also made heaters that turned tropical breezes into energy water heaters that worked even in the rain. The Gaviotans decided to turn their pharmacy into an herbal apothecary by using the 250 native plant species in the area.

The active involvement of the community members led to regeneration of the rain forest there, which helped to save the diminishing numbers of animals (like hawks, anteaters, and deer) by restoring their habitat. The Gaviotans continue to proceed with expanding their community by making it more self-sufficient by starting more projects, which include a musical instrument factory utilizing wood from the pine forest and a purified water bottling plant. These developments will provide jobs for employment for the residents. The authors address concerns about how challenging this meek environment could be to live in; however, they also show how the inhabitants have made the best out of everything. If I were to research this further, I would want to be able to see what other areas resemble that of Gaviota, and if those places could be turned around in a positive way such as this one.

References

Weisman, A., & Kratochvil, A. (1998). Nothing wasted, everything gained. Mother Jones, 23(2), 56.

Article #3

Tom Philpot’s article, “How Factory Farms are Killing Seals”, reveals how the medicines and antibiotics used on the animals which are raised on feed lots do not really leave the land which they are raised on. The feed lot owners will actually tell people this as well as claiming that the antibiotics that are given to the animals are harmless to humans, wanting them to believe it; however, this is not true. Many of the farm hands that have been working on or near these feed lots have been in contact with some horrid bacteria. This bacteria actually came from the antibiotics which had been given to the animals, then mixed into the ground in which the workers had been working with every day. The problems continue to grow from there as researchers found a type of E.coli that now affects the sea mammals of the Pacific Northwest region. Researchers shared their discoveries with Vancouver, providing them with the title, “Swimming in Sick Seas” (Philpot, T., 2012). That should make people stop and think. If it doesn’t, who knows what will. Sea animals, such as sea otters and seals, swim in these areas. These areas are also places where people get their drinking water. If people were to become ill from drinking this water, they would have a difficult time treating their illness with antibiotics because it is these antibiotics that started the outbreak to begin with. It becomes one vicious cycle without a positive solution for now.

Reference

Philpot, T. (2012). How Factory Farms are Killing Seals. Retrieved from http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpot/2012/02/how-factory-farms-are-killing-seals

Website

If a person is seeking a website that is committed to exploring waste that has been spread from coast to coast, the Trash Trip is the a terrific site for doing this. Trash Trip points out and draws attention to the large quantities of valuable resources that go toward disposing of our trash. There are massive numbers of posts for finding and the deposits and uses of trash everywhere. This website using pictures as well as a blots style of posts to not only tell of the mess humans are making all around, but to also show others exactly how this looks, which is quite an effective technique for conveying the message. Today’s society cannot continue to carelessly dispose of garbage; we must find other ways to reduce our waste and find alternative, productive methods to dispose of the humongous piles of trash which are destroying the world we live in. This site shows how this waste has the opportunity to contaminate the water supply and hurt many forms of life, from the microscopic level to up to humans. This website’s focal point revolves around how damaging trash is on the world around us. There are many ways to help prevent this compilation of trash, such as by recycling. All people need to take an active part in reducing our waste and cleaning up the earth. If knowledge was spread to share the information about the damage mankind was doing to the earth due to trash through newspapers., websites, and articles, perhaps more people would pay attention and take notice to help support the cause to save the earth.

Video: Collapse

Chris Smith’s 2009 film, Collapse, reveals an in-depth interview with author Michael Ruppert. The film’s relevance came at a significant time when the economic crisis hit in late 2008. Michael Ruppert’s response to the crisis was, “I told you so”. Ruppert establishes himself as an advocate for sustainable living as well as an investigative journalist. Smith reveals the claims that he is a conspiracy theorist as he doesn’t want anything hidden. This video provides highlights of Ruppert’s career as well as how he pieced together the links between the oil industries, other energy options, and the crumbling economy. His claim that the road back down around the bell curve for humans is inevitable; it already has been and still can be foreseen. From an environmental perspective, the film appears to be trustworthy as a source of information that it shares. Ruppert points out how the humans drain and depend on oil, and he also draws attention to all of the downfalls with the other sources of alternative energy. It became quite apparent that the knowledge Ruppert has about this subject was not intended to be shared, and he has been targeted by others who want that information to remain unknown. Some well-known people who want this information to be kept secret are former Vice President Cheney and former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. Smith uses his technique or style to create doubt around Ruppert’s validity. In closing the documentary notes that Ruppert’s financial as well as personal life seems grim.

Reference

Smith, C. (Director). (2009). Collapse {Documentary}. United States: Vitagraph Films

Essay 3 Revision – Paper or Plastic: How about neither?

“Paper or Plastic?” It’s a simple question, but one that brings a whole pile of environmental controversy with it. Which is better for the environment? What is more practical? The best solution is to not have to decide between them at all. The movement to use reusable bags that are brought back to the store again and again has caught fire but needs help to really take off. This is not a problem that can be put off. It needs to be addressed and we have the technology to easily eliminate the problem. Although convenience may be sacrificed, all shoppers should use reusable grocery bags because plastic bags use precious resources, poison the environment, and harm wildlife.

Between 500 and 1,500 billion plastic shopping bags are used worldwide every year (Clapp, 2009). That’s 15,000 to 45,000 per second! 100 billion are used in the United States alone (3,000 a second). These massive quantities of bags require 12 million barrels of oil to create just the bags for the United States.  That much oil could provide all the power needed by Fairbanks for 5 years! This is an unacceptable waste of resources. An argument could be made that plastic is recyclable and this is true, but plastic film is one of the least desirable materials to recycle. Less than 5% of bags are recycled, the rest go to landfills and the environment (Clapp, 2009).

Whether in the environment or the landfill, the bags take up to 1,000 years to break down, and when they do breakdown, it isn’t a good degradation. Instead of biodegrading, they go through a process called photodegradation. This means they break down to smaller pieces that are more dangerous for wildlife (Clapp, 2009). These tiny pieces infiltrate everything from the soil to the streams to the rivers to the oceans. When 60-80% of marine debris is plastic-based, there is no place for animals to hide. A whole plastic bag can harm a fish in a dramatic way by trapping or suffocating it. After photodegration, the fish can ingest many small pieces of plastic. These toxic plastics work their way up the food chain, and the concentration of plastic pollution increases as more waste is eaten by bigger fish. Eventually, these plastics will reach humans, and their effects on humans are not completely understood. The material of these bags was chosen for cheapness and strength, not environmental toxicity. These subtle hazards are far more deadly than the obvious ones.

Wildlife being harmed by plastics is not an isolated problem. Up to 86% of all sea turtles are affected by plastic debris due to the anatomy of their esophagus. They have a valve that allows the debris in but doesn’t let it out. Other animals have similarly amazingly high cases of plastic poisoning and damage. Plastic bags look very different underwater and are often mistaken for food sources such as jellyfish. When the turtle or fish goes for a meal it can be suffocated, or it can swallow the plastic. The plastic materials then sits in the stomach of the animal for years, taking up space that is needed for real food and nutrients.

So what are some solutions? Many communities worldwide are beginning steps to outlaw plastic bags; plastic bag manufactures are fighting back with biodegradable bags. Studies have shown though that these bags can take up to 3 years to decompose in the ocean (Müller, 2012). That is an unacceptable length of time. The best solution involves bags that don’t need to be disposed of at all. Reusable bags can be used hundreds of times, and every time a plastic bag would be thrown away, the reusable bag saves that oil, that ocean, that turtle. Even with reusable bags there is a difference in materials that should be used. Cotton bags are not the best choice. Cotton is a very destructive crop to grow and harvest. Hemp is a much better alternative than cotton. Hemp is very basic and easy to grow with little pesticides (Gibson, 2008). A hemp bag has little effect on the environment when it is made and when in use. The best part is after a hemp bag has been worn out, it will readily decompose.

By switching to reusable bags, (preferably hemp) every shopper can make a difference in the health of the environment and its inhabitants. The raw materials that are wasted on bags can be put to better uses and create wealth. The environment will benefit greatly from the stop of plastic debris pollution, and all the creatures of the world will profit. Just by using a reusable bag over and over, every shopper can save the world.

 

References

Clapp, J., & Swanston, L. (2009). Doing away with plastic shopping bags: international patterns of norm emergence and policy implementation. Environmental Politics, 18(3), 315-332. doi:10.1080/09644010902823717

Gibson, K. (2008). The Bag Idea. Journal Of Industrial Hemp, 13(1), 73-77. doi:10.1080/15377880801898741

Müller, C., Townsend, K., & Matschullat, J. (2012). Experimental degradation of polymer shopping bags (standard and degradable plastic, and biodegradable) in the gastrointestinal fluids of sea turtles. Science Of The Total Environment, 416464-467. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.10.069

Spring 2012: Essay 2 Revision (Book Review): Wildlife – Unification from the Saw Blade to the Sea

Independent loggers endured tremendous hardships due to pulp companies who planned to run them out of business. Tlingit Indians witness their traditional hunting grounds disappear. Brave biologists warn others about the destruction of significant fish and wildlife habitat. Even youthful lawyers and activists observe the transformation of their lives relative to the battle for the Alaska rain forest. Although Tongass National Rain Forest seems to have a ceaseless supply of timber, an overabundance of wildlife, and a plethora of sustainable hunting grounds, the timber has its own unique timeframe, including: a mass quantity of loggers, depleted amount of timber, and diminishing amount of wildlife and habitat of hunting ground.

Kathie Durbin’s vivid recollection of the insightful interviews she held conveys detailed descriptions of the “revealing history of corporate harvesting of America’s largest, and last, great rain forest”( Stephen Haycox, University of Alaska – Anchorage). Durbin incorporates her sources through her bibliography as well as written resources, including: the Ketchikan Daily News, the Anchorage Daily News, the Sitka Sentinel, Ravencall, and Alaska Geographic. These sources depict insightful passages, which enhance readers’ understanding of this “David and Goliath scenario”. Decades pass incurring detriments as well as triumphs as the independent loggers, or “David”, against the two pulp companies, or “Goliath”, in this particular situation.

Despite the somewhat tedious information that Durbin includes to paint this graphic story, her descriptions make lasting impressions, which help to shape the negative imbalance of power and how it corrupts the organizations’ sensitive balance. If the “squeaky wheel” had continued to get oiled, no one would have realized the vast deficiencies that had subtlety arose, causing much dismay to the independent loggers. The roller coaster effect opened eyes, which spread alarm region wide and caused a large number of entities to step up and confront the “villains”. When two executive directors of the pulp mills started catching on to the wrong doings that were occurring, there recognition of the foul play cost each of them there jobs. The vivid documentation proving the pulp mills’ criminal actions mysteriously disappeared when their storage office caught fire. The documentation implicated the sneaky transactions between the two pulp mills and their interactions with each other to cut their prices of lumber in half. This created a tremendous setback for the loggers in their fight to protect their existence in that environment.

Not only did Durbin include graphic descriptions of the detrimental impact these clear cuts caused on the beautiful scenery in Southeast Alaska, but also she included pictures which made a lasting impression. Viewing some of the barren, empty patches in the previously flourishing Tongass National Forest caused dissatisfaction for visitors as well as Natives. Clear cuts made an imbalance in the ecosystem such as: the clear cut patches in particular areas leading to landslides due to the unstable ground which was left behind, when the landslides resulted from the few remaining trees, the erosion destroyed the streams where the many different types of salmon were spawning; thus causing the depletion of salmon numbers as well as the starving bears in those surrounding areas. Despite the Department of Fish and Game’s “protected” was a misnomer, this rule of “protected” areas “was vulnerable to political pressure, however, as Cornelius learned the hard way” (Durbin, 1999, pg 140). Don Cornelius was a game biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He frantically attempted to keep up with the logging of the Native corporation on Prince of Wales as well as the surrounding islands. It was his job to review the check and balance system between landowners requirement of filing with the state prior to the logging, then following up with field checks regarding their logging practices on the ground. From the beginning it was an uphill battle.

The pulp mills hired loggers from out of state. They made promises of job opportunities to Natives in the area, then did not follow through. Natives in Angoon were furious with the destruction of their hunting grounds, since they live off subsistence hunting and fishing. Since there were logging camps on the out skirts of Angoon, poaching occurred quite frequently due to the loggers not caring about rules and regulations they should be following due to the expedited fashion they were conducting their business. Rules made no impact here. The clear cutting destroyed vast acreage of hunting and fishing grounds all through the area surrounding Angoon. The long term impact made it challenging for survival of the Native people there, who depended on the fish and the wild life to live.

The two pulp mills should have complied with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game rules and regulations in order to protect all concerned parties. Their actions were inexcusably detrimental to not only the environment, but also the people. Not caring about anything but money, these pulp mills actually devastated the entire Southeast region causing harm and malice to everything around. Dollar signs meant everything to the pulp mills, yet nothing to the environment. These businesses yielded more distress due to the selfish nature of their actions. With limiting time for growth, trees were being cut faster than they could grow, one piece of land was only good for the pulp mill for that session of logging because it takes one-hundred years for it to be re-logged.

“David,” or the independent loggers fought a battle lasting longer than two decades and obtained a well-deserved victory. In the end Louisiana-Pacific Corporation sold the two saw mills and finally left Alaska for good. Meanwhile “Goliath,” or the pulp mills suffered an on-going series of law suits which put them out of business. This shows that hard work and determination pays off in the end.

After reading this novel and living in Ketchikan, I personally relate to the selfish actions of big organizations and the repercussions arising from acting without thinking of the outcomes of major decisions. Watching independent local loggers struggling to survive due to the overwhelming number of out of state loggers taking their jobs and working for less pay, having worked in a small saw mill, I realized that numbers don’t matter when it comes to quality. It should always be quality versus quantity.

References

Durbin, Kathie. Tongass: Pulp Politics and the Fight for the Alaska Rain Forest. Corvallis: Oregon State UP, 1999. Print.

Research Part 5 Final Draft: A Changing Arctic

A Changing Arctic
The Arctic Sea is an undiscovered beauty with its crystal blue-green waters and sculptures of ice that look as if Picasso himself created the massive bergs. With such natural beauty, it is hard to believe what lies beneath this surreal waterscape are the greatest killer this world has ever seen. Usually the grand flows of sea ice that freeze in the winter keep these black and white mammals at bay longer. Over the years the shift in the weather has provided for them an earlier season to explore the Arctic waters. Although the melting sea ice is allowing for an increase of killer whale presence in the Arctic, the whales are damaging the ecosystem of the Arctic Sea because they are dominating the top of the food chain, they are competing with the Inuit (Inupiat) for their marine food supply, and they are causing marine mammals to become endangered and possibly extinct.

The killer whale or orca is one animal that can be found in almost any of the oceans or seas around the world, from Antarctica to the Arctic (Pitman, Perryman, LeRoi, & Eilers, 2007; Zerbini, 2007). Their presence in the Arctic Sea has increased over the years due to the warming of the Arctic region.  In just the Hudson Bay area alone, from 1990 to 2000 there have been reports of an increase of 79 killer whale sightings (Hidgon & Ferguson, 2009).  The killer whales usually make an appearance in July and begin their move back into warmer waters around the end of August. Since the waters have become warmer they are staying a lot longer, even into December.  Killer whales are not the only factor in reshaping this ecological environment, but they are becoming a very devastating one.  Due to the fact these rather large marine mammals live in such an expansive territory, they do not have a stable food source but eat whatever is available to them. There have been studies done on large whale pods that have suggested that they will stick to one diet, but that particular diet is not the same for each pod (Ferguson, Higdon, & Wetsdal, 2012; Laden, 2012). Most studies have been done on whale pods not living in the Arctic, but with the help of the Inuit (Inupiat) people of the Arctic, researchers have been able to get a little better picture of what these whale pods are devouring.  One might think these giants would have an appetite for fish, but marine mammals are what they prefer. Many of the Inuit that have been interviewed as to the eating habits of the killer whale have stated they have not seen them eat fish but have gone after seals, sea lions, otters, walrus, and other more docile whales, such as the bowhead, beluga, and the narwhal (Morell, 2012). The killer whales have been observed as not being very humane in their killings.  They tend to play with their food, tossing it between them as if the animal were a rag doll (O’Harra, 2012).  They have also been seen taking an unsuspecting polar bear for a meal, too.  These adaptable mammals pick and choose their prey depending on the area they are in and tend to go after the more vulnerable marine mammals.  An example of an unsuspecting marine mammal would be a seal sunning itself on a piece of floating ice.  The whale pod will then works together to create a massive wave knocking the seal from its safe location, giving the whale pod a chance at their prey (Ferguson, Higdon, & Wetsdal, 2012).  The Inuit have seen many killer whale pods slaughter other members of a different whale species family, such as the very rare narwhal and the bowhead whale along with the beluga (Morell, 2012). The Inuit or the Inupiat are known as the “People of the Whales”, and since they are not the only ones who use the whale as a food source this increase of killer whale presence gives them a reason to be concerned (Sakakibara, 2010).

The killer whales are now coming into the Arctic much earlier and staying much later than they have in the past. The local native people now have to compete with these pack hunting killers for one of their native ancestral food sources, the whale. Orcas or killer whales have been called wolves of the sea because of their pack like hunting skills (O’Harra, 2012). As a researcher for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Freshwater Institute, Steven Ferguson has made a very scary observation.  Because of the climate change, the killer whales could be the cause of an irreversible change that is being seen in the Arctic ecosystem.  Steven Ferguson also states that, “This change of what animals live in the Arctic is likely going to happen with the warming but we didn’t anticipate that killer whales might be removing certain susceptible prey and maybe temperate species will move up to take their place” (Puxley, 2012). This is a very real outcome that could start to take place. The native whales of the Arctic are not the only marine mammals the killer whales are affecting.   The killer whales are causing the Inuit to become worried about the seals and walrus populations as well (Mead, Gittelsohn, Kratzmann, Roache, & Sharma, 2010). With the killer whales trespassing into the Inuit way of life, these giants cannot be met with open arms who are trying to take over the Inuit hunting grounds.  The Inuit live in an area of the world where they have to rely on the animals of the sea for nutrition.  They live in a tundra area where wild plants just don’t want to grow.  “In our society, it is always the whale that brings us together,” said Mae Ahgeak, whaling captain’s wife, in her personal interview with Sakakibara in Barrow, Alaska, June 18, 2005. Whales are a very important part of the Inuit subsistence. As Sakakibara stated in her article, “Cetaceousness and Climate Change Among the Inupiat of Arctic Alaska,” “The cultural survival and social ethics are all based on intimate relationships with the whale, and the whale symbolically and physically lies in the heart of human subsistence” (Sakakibara, 2010). This leaves the only option for the Inuit culture to survive is to hunt the hunters who are depleting their way of life (Lougheed, 2010).  With the invasion of the killer whales, a shift in the Inuit cultural pattern is again taking place.  This time it is not because of the introduction of other peoples and ideas but from an animal that cannot be controlled (Mead, Gittelsohn, Kratzmann, Roache, & Sharma, 2010). A way in which the Inuit people have survived for thousands of years may become harder and harder to pass on to the next generation. Some might suggest that with the introduction of Euroamerican ideals, the significance of the ancestral ways is not as important.  But it should not be due to the ancestral food sources being over hunted by the killer whale (Lougheed, 2009). Concerns of the Inuit way of hunting are also being called in to question with the increase of the killer whale presence.  Some feel it may not be safe for both the Inuit and the killer whale to be hunting the same areas and hunting the same animals, sometimes at the same time (Ferguson, Higdon, & Wetsdal, 2012). It is not just the Inuit that the killer whale is having a great impact on but all life up in the Arctic north.  It seems that all marine mammals that depend on the ice for protection, are trying to find other places to hide, not just from the Inuit but from the killer whales, too. The bigger problem however, is how to keep the killer whales from over killing. Since these marine wolves do not have any natural predators, it is hard keep their numbers under control. This is where the Inuit really come in to help keep the balance. In Canada and Alaska, aboriginal whaling is still legal, and because these great giants can become overwhelming killers, the Inuit are doing their part in the circle of life (Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, 2007). Some may argue that that is exactly what the killer whale is doing also, just doing their part of the circle of life.  It has been suggested that when the food source of an animal runs low, that species will be affected and their numbers will start to drop.  In this way giving their prey a chance to reproduce, and get their populations back up to allow the circle to continue as it always has. But what about the animals who are being hunted to their extinction?

Before the longer seasonal appearances of the orca in the Arctic region, researchers tried to get an accurate count of marine populations but were not very successful. They were unable to get an assessment of the climate change that has affected their population numbers.  The killer whales’ extended appearance in the Arctic has been a great shock to this very fragile ecosystem. With the melting sea ice, many changes have occurred. One change can be seen with the migration of the beluga whales.  The beluga whales prefer to spend their winters in an area where there is a light and moveable sea ice flow.  Researchers are now finding where some of these whales have now moved into areas that have deep ice coverage to try to escape becoming the prey of the killer whale (Laidre, Stirling, Lowry, Wiig, Heide-Jorgensen, & Ferguson, 2008). This global change is something everyone needs to be more aware of. The narwhal whale is another one of the animals that are being affected by the killer whale. The area of the Arctic where the narwhal can be found most frequently is around the shores of Greenland.  This area, too, has seen an increase in killer whale activity over the years (Heide-Jorgensen, Laidre, Burt, Borchers, Marques, Hansen, & Fossette, 2010; Kwok & Untersteiner, 2011). The narwhal whales rely on the densely packed sea ice flow during the winter months. They have adapted to this type of habitat and with the melting of the sea ice it is disappearing fast (Laidre, Stirling, Lowry, Wiig, Heide-Jorgensen, & Ferguson, 2008).  If future generations are to have the experience of seeing one of these unique creatures, more needs to be done to insure the sea ice does not completely disappear (Campbell, Yurik, & Snow, 1988). The narwhals are not the only animals at risk of their populations decreasing. The bowhead whales, which are the most important source for the Inuit subsistence, have had eye witnesses to their killings by killer whales.  In 1999, there were a greater number of killer whales in the Arctic since sea ice flows were minimal. A group of Inuit reported discovering at least eight dead whales, one in which was a recent kill which they could still use (Ferguson, Higdon, & Chemelnitsky, 2010).  Many other mammals are affected, too, such as the sea otter, stellar sea lions, along with the ringed and bearded seals (Ferguson, Higdon, and Wetsdal, 2012; Kuker & Barrett-Lennard, 2010; Durban, Ellifrit, Dahlheim, Waite, Matkin, Barrett-Lennard, & Wade, 2009). During the spring and summer months, the Arctic waters come alive with marine mammals. The Arctic areas are their breeding grounds and where in the next year their young will be born.  When this very delicate balance is interrupted, “with earlier spring break-up of sea ice and reduced snow cover for birth lairs” this has a direct result in reducing the amount of offspring born each year (Higdon & Ferguson, 2010). What happens if these animals are over hunted by other animals, how will they procreate and continue generation after generation? With native Inuit hunting these same animals as part of their subsistence and cultural practices, their culture like the many marine mammals do not stand a chance at being around for much longer.

Researchers are discovering everyday new information regarding the impact of the killer whales on the Arctic.  With these new findings, they may be able to find ways to decrease the killer whales effects on this fragile ecosystem, while helping to preserve the culture of the native people and help to bring back the dwindling marine mammal populations that they have affected. With the help of conservationists, along with the people of the world, maybe one day it might be possible for each creature on earth to find that middle ground and coexist.

References

Campbell, R., Yurick, D., & Snow, N. (1988). Predation on Narwhals, Monodon monoceros , by killer whales, Orcinus orca , in the Eastern Canada. Canadian field-naturalist. Ottawa ON [CAN. FIELD-NAT.]. Vol. 102, no. 4, pp. 689-696.

Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. (2007). Archives. Status of Knowledge on Killer Whales (Orcinus) in the Canadian Arctic. Retrieved from http://www.biblio.uqar.qc.ca/archives/30137701.pdf

Durban, J. J., Ellifrit, D. D., Dahlheim, M. M., Waite, J. J., Matkin, C. C., Barrett-Lennard, L. L., & … Wade, P. P. (2010). Photographic mark-recapture analysis of clustered mammal-eating killer whales around the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska. Marine Biology, 157(7), 1591-1604. doi:10.1007/s00227-010-1432-6

Ferguson, S., Higdon, J., and Wetsdal, K. (2012). Prey items and predation behavior of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in Nunavut, Canada based on Inuit hunter interviews. Aquatic Biosystems, 8:3 doi:10.1186/2046-9063-8-3

Heide-Jorgensen, M, Laidre, K., Burt, M., Borchers, D., Marques, T., Hansen, R., & Fossette, S. (2010). Abundance of narwhals on the hunting grounds in Greenland.  Journal of Mammalogy, 91(5), 1135-1151. Doi: 10.1644/09-MAMM-A-198.1.

Hidgon, J., & Ferguson, S. (2009). Loss of Arctic Sea Ice Causing Punctuated Change in Sightings of Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) Over the Past Century. Ecological Applications, 19(5), 1365-1375.

Kuker, K., & Barrett-Lennard, L. (2010). A re-evaluation of the role of killer whales Orcinus orca in a population decline of sea otters Enhydra lutris in the Aleutian Islands and a review of alternative hypotheses. Mammal Review, 40(2), 103-124. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2009.00156.x

Laidre, K., Stirling, I., Lowry, L., Wiig, O., Heide-Jorgensen, M., & Ferguson, S. (2008). Quantifying the Sensitive of Arctic Marine Mammals to Climate-Induced Habitat Change. Ecological Application, 18(2) Supplement, S97-S125.

Laden, G. (2012). What the Inuit Taught Scientists about Killer Whales. Surprising Science. [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.Smithsonian.org.

Lougheed, T. (2010). THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF ARCTIC TRADITIONAL FOOD. Environmental Health Perspectives, 118(9), A386-A393.

Mead, E. E., Gittelsohn, J. J., Kratzmann, M. M., Roache, C. C., & Sharma, S. S. (2010). Impact of the changing food environment on dietary practices of an Inuit population in Arctic Canada. Journal Of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, 2318-26. doi:10.1111/j.1365-277X.2010.01102.x

Morell, V. (2012). Killer Whale Menu Finally Revealed. Science Now. Retrieved from

http://www.news.sciencemag.org

O’Harra, D. (2012). Killer Whales are the Sea Wolves of Arctic. Alaska Dispatch. Retrieved from http://www.alaskadispatch.com

Pitman, R.L., Perryman, W.L., LeRoi, D., & Eilers, E. (2007). A Dwarf Form of Killer Whale in Antarctica. Journal of Mammalogy, 88(1), 43-48.

Puxley, C. (2012).Disappearing Sea Ice Enticing More Killer Whales to Arctic.
[Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www. Winnipegfreepress.com

Sakakibara, C. (2010). Kiavallakkikput Agviq (Into the Whaling Cycle): Cetaceousness and Climate Change Among the Inupiat of Arctic Alaska. Annals Of The Association Of American Geographers, 100(4), 1003-1012. doi:10.1080/00045608.2010.500561

Zerbini, A. N., Waite, J. M., Durban, J. W., LeDuc, R., Dahlheim, M. E., & Wade, P. R. (2007). Estimating abundance of killer whales in the nearshore waters of the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands using line-transect sampling. Marine Biology, 150(5), 1033-1045. doi:10.1007/s00227-006-0347-8

 

Essay #1 Cause/Effect (Revision) – “Genetically Modified Seeds: The Killing of the Honey Bee’s”

Genetically Modified Seeds: The Killing of the Honey Bee’s

From the flowers to the trees, bees of all kinds are very important for the continuation of not just plant life, but all life here on Earth. Without the help from these pollinating insects, the produce section of the local grocery stores might look a lot different. Although the general public has not been aware of a noticeable decline in the growth of commercial crops here in the United States, the use of genetically modified seeds (GMO) has caused the decline of the honey bee population because it has introduced bacteria and viruses into their diet, it has contaminated their food source, and is responsible for the death of the next generation of bees.

With the introduction of genetically modified seeds (GMO), consumers are being reassured that the produce they are eating is safer than ever before. With the help of these GMO’s, growing these crops does not require near the amount of pesticides as before. The question is, what effects are these GMO’s having on the insects that are meant to help in pollination, and the essential growth of these crops? When these seeds were engineered, a strain of bacteria and virus that is used as a pesticide was genetically introduced into the seeds DNA. One of the gene segments that have been introduced is a bacterium called bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which is intended to deter butterfly larva from devouring the plant. The resulting bio-toxin that is now found in every cell of the plant, instead of just sprayed on topically where the larva is, is a protein called Cry1Ab (Gitlin, 2009). This bio-toxin is not a new substance that has been introduced to the bees. Beekeepers have been using it as a way to keep moths out of the hives. Over the last few years beekeepers have noticed an increase of Cry1Ab in the hives, and they have not been spraying the hives as often (Donovan, 2009). How is this happening?

The bee’s main food sources are being contaminated. Bees not only pollinate the crops but take that pollen back to the hive to become food, not only for the adult bees but for the larva as well. Bees are a very fragile insect with an immune system that cannot handle a lot of new threats at one time. They are able to fight off diseases up to a certain point. Even the smallest amount of Bt from the GMO’s could potentially have a very adverse affect on the bees. Having to consume pollen that is genetically altered with strains of a bacteria and virus’ is weakening their already delicate little bodies. With no other food sources and without the ability to know not to eat the poisoned crops, the future for the bees does not look very good. They are killing themselves off with the help of ingested bacteria strains that should never be found in their food. What about the next generation of bees?

At the rate the bees are disappearing there may not be a next generation. According to research that was done in Mexico, the affects of Cry1Ab on the bees is very interesting. It affects their judgment and their senses, just like alcohol affects humans. When observed the bees will continue to take the substance in that contains this bio-toxin and will fail to obtain enough pollen to take back to the hive (Donovan, 2009). If every bee in the hive is sitting at a GMO plant and worried only of themselves, in a moment of pure bio-toxin bliss, then there is really no way their hive will survive. The hive is a very well planned out organism. The reason there are so many bees to one hive is so they can take care of and look out for the others. The increase of Cry1Ab in their diets is not only affecting their immune systems but their livelihood as well. The way bees were created is fascinating. Over a very short period of time, a single bee is able to do a variety of different jobs in and out of the hive. With the introduction of this mind altering poison, the bees may not have future.  This could devastate the growing crops, GMO or organic. It has been found that the Bt gene is not directly hazardous to the insects it has not be engineered to destroy, but the toxins it produces could put these insects such as honey bees at risk when it is ingested over a long period of time (Donovan, 2009).

Look into the role of people. How should they get involved? What will happen if they don’t? These are questions that should not be taken lightly. With hundreds of bees disappearing every day, it is imperative that an action be taken to figure out whether or not GMO’s are the major contributing factor to the epidemic of colony collapse disorder, the disappearing of the honey bees. Also, realizing that there are many factors in the bee’s disappearance can help create an awareness that will bring change. Actively searching for answers and ways to organically increase crop productions that will not harm the helpful insects is a must.

Genetically modified seeds may sound like the next best thing for a better crop production, but all the side effects need to be weighed out. The only hope the bees have for a future is to look to a new source of how crops are grown. Maybe organic is the better way to go, not only for the bees but for the people as well. Who knows what Bt and Cry1Ab are doing to the human race?

References

Genersch, E. (2010). Honey bee pathology: current threats to honey bees and beekeeping. Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology, 87(1), 87-97. doi:10.1007/s00253-010-2573-8

Kaplan, J. (2008). A Complex Buzz. Agricultural Research, 56(5), 8-11.

Donovan, P. (2009). Genetically Modified Crops Implicated in Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.naturalnews.com/025287.html

Gitlin, B. (2009). Is Bee Colony Collapse Disorder linked to GMOs? Retrieved from http://gmo-journal.com/index.php/2009/09/24/is-bee-colony-collapse-disorder-linked-to-gmos/

Response #11-15

Response #11-15

Article #1

The very name of the article, How Factory Farms Are Killing Seals, is thought provoking. How can farms be harming sea creatures? Author Tom Philpott reveals an ugly side to farming that the industry wants covered up. This piece is written for anyone who doesn’t want the sea life of our planet to suffer for our need for cheap food. The focus of the article if the fact those bacterial strains that are easily killed by antibiotics get passed around in factory farms. The livestock are then treated with antibiotics but the bacteria are not all killed, it just moves from one animal to another, gaining immunity to the antibiotics. Eventually a super bug is created that makes its way into the ocean by way of animals feces in the watershed. Now a super strong, highly contagious bacterium is in the ocean food chain and spreads into animals. The animals’ immune systems where never designed to handle human enhanced germs and they suffer greatly. The truly scary part is these diseased animals are found in areas humans swim too. So now the problem has come full circle, and humans have to clean up their own mess. The writing itself is short and to the point, this makes the information effective and easily understood and obsorbed by the reader. The environment is already taking a hit for human messiness. Not only did farmers let the super bugs get into the natural environment, they failed to think of the results of craming millions of animals together and trying to kill every germ. There are no real arguments; the path of these bacteria can be traced from farm to seal. What I want to know is what can be done to stop this cycle before the super germs get into humans and we have no way to stop them. This need to be researched as it is a huge problem that we are creating diseases we can’t treat.

Article #2

While the title Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management is not the catchiest phrase ever, this article confronts a growing problem that will affect all members of society. Author David Mortensen highlights a growing problem that could destroy our food supply which would bring all of society crashing to a halt. Currently the common way to control weeds in a field of crops is to make those crops resistant to the herbicide that kills all the weeds. If the crop is genetically engineered to not die while a poison kills everything else growing in the field everything works out right? Wrong! The problem is that weeds are growing immune to the herbicide as well. Stronger and stronger chemicals are created to keep up with the weeds evolution. These chemicals pose a greater danger to the surrounding environment by seeping through the ground and casing pollution and other effects that are not completely understood. The article is pretty effective but uses too much wordy language. Simpler language would make the article more accessible to everybody. Again there is not much that can be argued the weeds are getting stronger and farmers have no permanent solutions. A deeper look at the effects of these stronger chemicals in the wild and a look at possible solutions would be greatly beneficial to the case Mortensen is making. If farmers keep going in the direction they are going now the weeds will outgrow the herbicides and humans will not be able to control them.

Article #3

At first I didn’t know what to make of the title of this article; German blue chip firms throw weight behind North African solar project. What does that even mean? Turns out some big companies in Europe are getting to getter to build giant solar plants in Africa and transmit all that power across the sea to Europe. It is a simple sounding plan but one with huge implications for all parties. Author Kate Connolly explores the many pluses and minuses to such a complex plan. The goal is to help all parties and get clean power to Europe. If this plan works it could be replicated around the world and its progress should be watched by all people who want clean energy. The article is effective in that it covers all sides and considers many views. It makes sure the African nations will profit from this new plan as well as the large European companies fronting the bill. The argument were made and countered that the long transmission of power may not be feasible. New technologies allow power to be sent longer distances for cheap and with little loss. The environment will benefit greatly because if the plan works, Europe will suddenly create no pollution to provide power to the many countries and peoples of the continent. I would like more information on how the power will get from one side of the Mediterranean to the other. There are many technical hurdles that must be met that the article does not fully cover.

Video

The movie Collapse hits the viewer like a slap in the face. Director Chris Smith holds back no punches in this movie built around a riveting interview of a prominent investigative journalist, Michael Ruppert. This film is aimed at all Americans who need to wake up and come to terms with the impending collapse of our civilization. Ruppert says that he is trying to reach out and educate people until he reaches “the hundredth monkey.” This saying is referring to a study conducted of monkeys where once a hundred monkeys learned a skill or new way of doing things the rest of the monkeys followed suit. Ruppert’s main point is to reveal the deep rooted problems America faces and to convince the viewer it is time to at and prepare for what is come; the end of the world as we know it. The movie is very effective in portraying the dark implications of what he is saying. The simple basement or bunker the interview takes place in sets a dark forbidding mood right from the beginning. Throughout Ruppert’s testimony videos and news clips show the evidence backing up what he is saying. The filmmakers also put in long blackouts that allowed the words to sink in to the viewer and emphasized important points. Environmentally this film didn’t talk about pollution or global warming specifically; it mainly was about how the environmental restraints, such as a limited amount of oil, are what will end the global economy. There are many counter arguments that are not addressed specifically. Ruppert at one point says he doesn’t do debates because he is right and the facts are with him. This also brings up the argument that this man is a crazy conspiracy theorist. The next thing to research would be to check if his predictions have come true in the past and where he gets his information. A fact check conducted independently by the viewer would add great weight to the words of this man. This movie does bring up a lot of questions and Mr. Ruppert seems to have all the answers, which is hard to believe.

Website

Trash Trip is a website dedicated to exploring waste that has been spread from coast to coast. There are many posts revealing the many deposits and uses of the trash everywhere. It also serves to highlight the massive quantities of valuable resources that go toward handling our trash. The website is very effective, using a blot style of postings and pictures to not just tell of the mess humans have made but also show it. The amount of pollution humans have put into the natural environment is unacceptable and all humans should be concerned. Our society cannot continue this way, we need to reduce our waste and find new ways to deal with the massive piles of trash that are destroying the world we live in. A counter argument is that this trash is not that big compared to the vastness of nature. This may be true if you just consider a bucket of waste just as a piece of trash. What this site points out is the potential for that waste to get in the water supply and contaminate and harm many forms of life. The website has found its focus and fills the role to show that damage our trash has on the world around us. I see no cons to its existence; all of humanity should see that we need to reduce our waste and clean up our planet. I only wish that more websites could show the damage humans have caused and that more people would pay attention.

Responses #11-15

 Video: Collapse

In this 2009 film, director Chris Smith documents an extensive interview with author Michael Ruppert. It’s relevance is particularly poignant given the timing of the film. After the economic crisis in late 2008, Michael Ruppert says “I told you so”. Ruppert identifies himself as an investigative journalist and advocate for sustainable living, Smith makes sure the audience is aware of claims that he is a conspiracy theorist. The interview highlights Ruppert’s career and his success in connecting the dots between oil industries, other energy options, and the crumbled economy. He claims that the way back down the bell curve for the human population is inevitable, and that it has been and can further be foreseen. From an environmental perspective, the film feels like a trustworthy source of the information it provides, Ruppert explains the human population’s complete drain and dependence on oil, and dissects the problems with all other known sources of alternative energy. The subject is clear to note that he has been targeted by people who did not want the news he carries to be known, and that these people include but are not limited to former vice president Cheney and former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. Smith, using only style or maybe technique, seems to ask the audience to question Ruppert’s validity. The documentary closes noting that Ruppert’s personal and financial life are dim. If one were to dig into the subject of this piece, it might be interesting to look at who Ruppert’s followers have been, and who his predecessors might be.

Smith, C. (Director). (2009). Collapse [Documentary]. United States: Vitagraph Films

Website: EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency maintains a comprehensive website, and the options within are detailed and informative. While browsing around, one might, within a few clicks find themselves learning about the most responsible ways to dispose of prescription medications. It’s also an option to click on the state where you live, and gain detailed information about where their drinking water comes from and any concerns that might be prudent. Close to Earth Day? Find out about the history and customs surrounding Earth Day easily on this site. One may be concerned about rates of asthma, from a family perspective or from the perspective of someone involved with public health. Learn about indoor air cleanliness or focus on child friendly information. News and announcements about laws, policies, or recent disasters are also available. Or perhaps it’s necessary to calculate total household emissions or to calculate global footprint. If something in one’s community needs to be reported to authorities, if there is frustration about a possible violation of EPA regulations, options to report these can be found on this website. The other side of that coin is that all of the information provided on the site is coming from the government really, so for the environmentalist who has trouble trusting authorities, this website would be problematic. For anyone wanting to stay updated on legislations regarding environmental policy, this site is easy to navigate and extremely helpful. One would imagine this site is regularly visited by environmental activists or legislative lobbyists. The site seems necessary as the government’s environmental voice.

US Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved April 28, 2012, from http://www.epa.gov

 Article 1: How Factory Farms Are Killing Seals

Mother Jones exposes long range effects of heavy antibiotic use on livestock in this 2012 article. Upon autopsy of more than fifteen hundred seals in the Pacific Northwest over ten years, researchers discovered that more than thirty percent of them were killed by or were carrying infectious disease. Seals were even found to be carrying disease resistant to drug treatment, including E-coli. What the article suggests is that there is evidence leading to the conclusion that these large marine animals are falling victim to strains of infectious disease that absolutely originate with livestock inland. The idea is that through stream systems or rivers, disease is carried from the waste of animals heavily treated with antibiotics for frequent virus and infection, to the ocean where it is affecting the health of marine life. Confinement lots are well known to be hotbeds for infectious disease, and there are also theories that suggest a connection between the meat we eat and antibiotic resistance in humans. Those interested in this article would be anyone concerned about that, this article supports evidence that you can’t pump animals destined for consumption full of medicine and expect the effects to be confined to that particular lot. What is so concerning about the evidence presented in this article is the implication that there are no borders when it comes to these diseases. Pathogens and bacteria can jump species and location easily, making it all the more scary that humans a regularly in the same places that seals are in beach areas. The author makes a point of noting this fact as being pretty gross. There are long reaching effects, and this article creates a curiosity for more information about them.

Philpott, T. (2012, February 24). How Factory Farms Are Killing Seals. Mother Jones, n/a. Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/02/how-factory-farms-are-killing-seals

 Article 2: Sperm Whales Bear Testimony to Ocean Pollution

Studies are being reported that produce evidence suggesting that ocean life all over the world are in significant danger because of completely human created pollutants. DDT and PCBs are the most commonly found persistent organic pollutants, or POPs. Crews crossing the world’s oceans sampled sperm whales by carefully obtaining small pieces of their flesh without endangering them. Sperm whales hold a place in the ocean’s food chain make which makes their tissue a good indicator of the ocean’s health and the health of the ocean’s inhabitants, overall. Researchers also found elevated levels of mercury in sperm whales in specific areas of the globe. The implication of some of this research is that chemicals that are known to harm living things are limited very little in their ability to maneuver around the globe and from continent to continent, effecting animals on land and in the sea, large and small. This article is effective but too brief. There isn’t enough meat in the writing to pull out objections or arguments. It would be interesting to have something more extensive to read on the issue.

Ferber, D. (2005). Sperm Whales Bear Testimony to Ocean Pollution. Science Now, 2-3.

 Article 3: Fast Food.

One of the most frightening elements of peak oil as we know it is the degree to which we are all dependent on oil. Oil doesn’t just fuel things but is also the base of many plastics, so in terms of a vehicle there is much more oil involved than just what goes into the engine including the paint, interiors fabrics and plastic moldings. This article reports that in England, someone has created the greenest car ever. The car is actually a race-car, and at the time of the article had hit 135mph, but was projected to be able to reach 160mph with some work. Not only does the vehicle run on left over cooking oil from fish and chips, but the brake pads were created not from iron but from cashew shells. Inside the car, the steering wheel was produced by a hardened vegetable resin. Since this article is three years old, there should be information on what came after this! Have there been more of these? Whether there have or haven’t been more completely green race-cars, it would be prudent to know what the energy input is in producing the vehicle, and how much oil was necessary.

Rdsenwald, M. (2009). FAST FOOD. Popular Science, 275(2), 28.

 

Spring 2012 Response #11-15 Environment Duckworth

Spring 2012
Response 11-15
Environment

Article 1

Kathy Freston’s article, “Vegetarian is the New Prius”, was an eye-opener for young adults to the elderly. She shed light on how people can be more protective of the environment by switching to driving cars such as the Toyota Prius, which would help cut vehicle emissions in half, and thus reduce the greenhouse emissions which negatively impact global warming. She then explains how livestock (such as chickens, pigs, and cows) stand out as one of the top three sources of significant problems in the environment. Raising livestock for food causes a number of problems for the environment, which includes water pollution, air pollution, and global warming just to name a few. With the sizable amount of meat that people consume every day, the need to raise large amounts of livestock in order to be slaughtered has dramatically increased as well. When examining the negative impact of the raising livestock to meet what people want in their diets, it turns out that becoming a vegetarian would be significantly more beneficial regarding helping the environment. This article was quite effective because the author provided compelling information that was quite convincing.

Some counterarguments become obvious. People have problems with change, so asking them to give up their daily meals, such as steaks, pork chops, or chicken, may create some significant frustrations. Asking them to turn to cheese, beans, and vegetables as their primary source of daily nutrients may create a great deal of turmoil for people who count on their meat, not to mention the expense of making this lifestyle change. Eating healthy comes with a cost as well. If people truly want to protect their surrounding environment as well as the world in a more global way, they should take the time to research the information to make decisions they can live with and help to support improving the world in which we live.

References

Freston, K. (2011, November 17). Vegetarian is the New Prius. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/vegetarian-is-the-new-pri_b_39014.html

Article 2

The authors of this article (Mortensen, D.A., et a., 2012l) aimed this information from “Navigating a Critical Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management” at the large number of adults; especially those whose lives and jobs revolve around agriculture. The main purpose lies within the authors’ ability to convey how the need for effective weed management is significant for maintenance of agricultural productivity. Weeds appear to be unavoidable barriers that farmers as well as many other people must learn to work around and overcome. When weeds interfere with crop production, they can cause billions of dollars of crop losses every year. The use of herbicides creates the problem of herbicide-resistant weeds.
This article is somewhat effective; however, people who are not as knowledgeable about the scientific terminology used in this site may find the information more challenging to follow. The information needs to be presented in a more simplistic way to enable the readers to follow it more easily. Potential solutions include: the use of integrated weed management in order to decrease the use of herbicides in the short-term as well as the use of new herbicide-resistant crops to increase the use of herbicides and intensify the selection pressure (Mortensen, D.A., et al., 2012). The use of these alternative solutions may have a negative impact on the environment also. While the use of integrated weed management through new herbicide-resistant crops, which results in no-till crop production and thus yields some conservation benefits as well as soil quality, the dependency of the ongoing use of herbicide-resistant weeds challenges its sustainability. The authors present both the pros and cons for the proposals to sustainable weed management.

References

Mortensen, D. A., Egan, J. F., Maxwell, B. D., Ryan, M. R., & Smith, R. G. (2012). Navigating a Critical
Juncture for Sustainable Weed Management. BioScience, 62(1).

Article 3

Naomi Klein cleverly links climate with capitalism in her article entitled, Capitalism vs. the Climate. The article is aimed at people covering a broad age range from young adults to elderly people. The debate continues between whether or not to shred the free-market ideology that has taken over the global economy for more than thirty years or was it truly about the climate change. The posed question is still in limbo—is the climate change really a plan to steal American freedom?
It is quite surprising to discover how Americans’ perceptions change so readily at times merely because they are not made aware of the falsehoods or truths of these perceptions, such as regarding the burning of fossil fuels causing the climate to change. Almost 75% of pollsters believed this to be true just 4 years ago; however, less than half of the pollsters believe that to be true now. Klein reports on the climate agenda and what that means in terms of the specific six areas: public infrastructure (reviving and reviewing the public sphere); economic planning (in other words, remembering how to plan); corporate regulation (or reigning in corporations); international trade (or re-localizing production); consumption (or ending the cult of shopping); and taxation (or taxing the rich and filthy) (Klein, 2011).
The climate movement must make a significant comeback in order to claim its necessary place where it should belong, which is at or at least near the top. Climate change does not mean an end to free trade; however, it does require an end to the reckless free trade that seems to oversee entities, such as the World Trade Organization. Other careless choices which negatively impact the environment would need to be adjusted. Rationing the use of more energy-intensive transports involving a long-haul and only doing this in cases where particular goods cannot be produced nearby and where local production is more carbon-intensive. Further considerations should be examined to see how to prevent the climate change.

References

Klein, N. (2007). Capitalism vs. Climate. The Nation.

Video

Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis’ video entitled King Corn entails the move of two college buddies from Boston to Green, Iowa, and their mission to grow and farm a single acre of corn. Not only do they encounter the difficulties American society faces as the need for more corn increases, but also the two buddies witness the role different government entities play with the push to significantly increase the amount of corn grown. Larger industrial farms seem to have buried the picture of the family farm.
The government played a significant part in important decisions regarding what crops were grown as well as how they were grown. The government’s decisions resulted from its distorted considerations based on the economy rather than from the true places they should have come from, which were the social, economic, and environmental ramifications.
The video was effective, especially regarding the way the director followed the journey these two young men took together, unaware of the all-encompassing part the government actually played in the decision-making processes for farmers as well as for the farming industries. One key implication for the environment is the negative impact the need for the increase of corn production would have on the condition of the soil. Counterarguments include how the move towards the large industrial farms affects the family farm concept as well as the negative impact the increased crop production of corn impacts the condition of the soil on that farm. Pursuit of ways to prevent negative consequences increased corn production has would be an area to examine in more detail.

References

Woolf, Aaron. (Director). (2007). King Corn [Motion Picture].

Website

Rainforest Action Network reveals a broad array of knowledge regarding the environment. Each issue or post from this network contains information about the organization itself as well as pertinent information about forests and energy. The updates provide many pictures to capture the readers’ attention, which especially appeal to people of all ages, young and old, especially those who are interested in being proactive with engaging in activities to save the rainforest environment.
The website is quite effective with the way it captures the views attention through the variety of pictures as well as descriptions of positive ways people can proactively engage in activities to support this worthy network. The network shares its avid environmental supporters, such as Bank of America, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Goldman Sachs, who provide ongoing commitment for this worthwhile cause. The supporters are trying to help others to understand that we can establish a sustainable world within our lifetimes if people will join in and actively support this cause. It also provides information about how our precious rainforests are dwindling, and the best way to prevent the extinction of these forests is through the use of defensive strategic campaigns. The members of the network strive to achieve a green market economy which will improve energy efficiency. The implementation of the green market economy will help to decrease poisonous pollutants like mercury, create new jobs to assist with carrying out the movement for becoming more energy efficient, and hopefully help to solve the energy crisis. The website’s pictures convey the message that a picture is worth a thousand words.

References

Rainforest Action Network | Environmentalism with teeth. (n.d.). Rainforest Action Network. Retrieved
April 20, 2012, from http://ran.org/

Response #11-15

ARTICLE #1

How Factory Farms Are Killing Seals by Tom Philpott is written for the general public.  The article is intended to inform people of how the use of antibiotics on factory farms does cause adverse effects outside of the factory farm borders.  First, the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms helps create antibiotic-resistant pathogens.  When a pathogen transforms into an antibiotic-resistant form it becomes more dangerous since antibiotics, or at least certain antibiotics, will no longer work for a treatment option against the pathogen.  The article explains that although meat companies claim that the use of antibiotics on factory farms does not pose any harm to people or the environment.  The article discusses the fact that the antibiotic practices do in fact cause harm.  In a study the article addresses, it was found that there have been marina mammals that have died due to similar diseases as land mammals.  In some cases the diseases that have been discovered in marine mammals have been genetically identical to diseases that have been found in land mammals.  According to the article, it is probable that the pathogens made their way to the sea through manure runoff.  The manure runoff leaches into streams which eventually makes it out to the ocean.

The counterargument addressed is one that the author believes meat companies may use; antibiotic-resistant pathogens are contained within the confines of the factory farms.  It is already known that antibiotic resistant pathogens result from the overuse of antibiotics, so that would be a difficult counterargument for meat companies to make, leaving the meat companies with little left to argue.  The information given in the article squashes the possible counterargument because some marine mammals have been found to have genetically identical pathogens to some found in land animals.

The article identifies a counterargument at the beginning and then proceeds from there to explain how the counterargument can be disproved.  Further pursuit of this issue could be to research whether or not specific factory farms have been identified in polluting waters with the antibiotic-resistant strands present at those particular factory farms.  If any factory farms have been identified research could continue into whether or not any actions have been taken by those factory farms to prevent any future occurrences.

ARTICLE #2

Sperm Whales Bear Testimony to Ocean Pollution by Dan Ferber is a brief article with a target audience composed of people interested in scientific findings and perhaps also for people interested in the environment.  The main point of the article is to inform readers that pollutants are present within the oceans, which may have been believed to be clean and free of pollution.  The article provides information about research done on sperm whales in which a small portion of skin and blubber were collected and analyzed.  The study referred to includes samples from 424 whales, which is a significant enough number of specimen samples to start forming evaluations of the problems that exist in the ocean.  The article refers to the fact that the study provides evidence that the ocean is contains pollution.

No counterargument is present in this article.  The intent of this article seems to be an introduction to the idea that ocean waters are becoming polluted.  The article does do well introducing the issue but nothing else since it does not contain enough information or further information on the subject to truly convince people a problem exists and it needs to be addressed.  The implication for the environment is not addressed beyond the fact that evidence suggests the presence of pollutants in ocean waters.

I believe that further research about “CYP1A1, an enzyme that detoxifies pollutants,” would be beneficial if one wanted to pursue this issue.  A better understanding of CYP1A1 could provide a greater insight of the connection of CYP1A1 and pollutants in the ocean waters.  Finding other sources that provide more information about pollution in ocean waters would also be helpful.

ARTICLE #3

“German blue chip firms throw weight behind north African solar project”, written by Kate Connolly, was written with a wide ranging audience in mind.  The main point of the article is found at the end, that sustainable energy needs to be implemented but it needs to happen close to home.  The article opens with the thrilling idea of sustainable energy being a priority for big business, and the fact that it plans are being made to harvest the energy the sun provides, and make it available for Europe.  Yay, that is great!  But, wait, there is more.  The initial costs of this project are high, the energy would run many many miles, and there can be many other problematic factors that may crop up over time as well.  Then to top that off, control of energy still would not be widespread but concentrated still.  The upside is that sustainable energy is possible, but it would be best to find use sources closer to where the energy is actually going to be consumed.  The good thing is that some big business is recognizing the fact that sustainable energy is a necessity for the future.

The environmental implications of the plan to build solar power plants in Africa and transport the energy to Europe should be positive, and despite all the other issues the long distance and social stability of the areas the energy comes from or is transported through may present.

The article does recognize the counterargument of the use of cheaper fossil fuels since the solar power project would be quite costly and therefore not worth pursuing in the long run, especially since there are other problems on top of the cost.  The answer to the cost issue is in the conclusion that sources for sustainable energy should be much closer to where the consumption of the energy will take place.

In pursuing this issue one could research what possible sustainable energy could be harnessed closer to the regions the solar power is meant to supply energy to in Europe.

WEBSITE

The Local Burger website is the website for a restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas.  Although the website may be intended for the residences of the area mentioned, I believe that the audience base could be much broader.  The main point of the website is to advertise the business and express to potential customers that the food at Local Burger is good for them and the environment.  The website provides information about where the food used in the restaurant comes from.  Links are provided so that people can learn more about the ranches and farms that are suppliers for Local Burger and even visit the websites of the 4 out of 5 suppliers that have their own website.

This site is very effective at providing advertisement through its information about the food used in the restaurant, merchandise available, and a link for the restaurant menu.  The information provided about the food and how restaurant waste is handled both demonstrate how the restaurant provides healthy food and promotes a healthy environment.  The effects on the environment are positive.  The restaurant supports organic farming and local farmers, recycles, and composts.

Through the dedication Local Burger has for the health of its customers and for the environment this website is a great example of how other restaurants can be both more environmentally friendly and provide delicious, healthy food for their patrons.  This website offers a fantastic alternative to the foods served at nearly every other fast food restaurant.  The only con I can think of would be the cost of the food, but if the demand for healthier and environmentally friendly food, and food sources, would rise then eventually the cost could level out.

Now I am really wishing we had a Local Burger, yum.

VIDEO

The main point of the video Blind Spot is to inform an audience that there looms an energy crisis in the future and that it will have major and far-reaching impacts on the societies, on the world, as a whole.  As with many videos that are made, I believe that the intended audience is meant to be as many people as it can possibly reach.  In the Blind Spot there are some very well made points that would be good for the general public to hear.  The points I am referring to, in particular, are those that give recognition to the fact that often many times important information and issues are simply ignored, cause too much discomfort for people to want to think about, or that people may believe that other “intelligent” people will take care of any looming problems.  These ways of not dealing with what the future may actually hold, are how the “blind spot” in the realm of energy exists.  I think this video does a very good job at making and audience aware of the path the world is on when it comes to using fossil fuels for energy.  The video also does an excellent job at tying in impact people have on the energy consumption of fossil fuels and how there is a correlation between societies as a whole, the numbers of people and it’s government, and how fossil fuels are used.  The implications to the environment are the depletion of energy sources.  Although the video focuses mainly on fossil fuel consumption, other resources are mentioned as well, along with the resultant pollution.

The counterargument that there is enough fossil fuel, or that there are other energy resources out there is dealt with in the video by providing the information about how heavily people of the world rely on fossil fuels.  The video discusses the alternative of biodiesel fuel, which even I thought to be a great alternative and wondered why it isn’t more widely used.  The video goes into the fact that it takes more energy to make this sort of fuel than it outputs, making it a negative in energy it can provide.  Wow.  Not a good solution after all.

If one were to pursue this issue of fossil fuel consumption, the next step would be to research what kind of alternatives to fossil fuels are available, and whether or not they are viable for use as massively extensive as fossil fuels are.