Survey Update

Survey is still up and running. Currently have 36 people that have taken the survey. May try to get an even 40 people to take it just to have nice rounded numbers. Results seem to be quite consistant with Merton's Strain Theory.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WBTKPKW

Survey

My theory is Merton's Strain Theory, which focuses on how the strain between the wealthy and poor influence crime rates. So I am focusing on why crime occurs based on this theory. My survey is up and running. I currently have five people who have taken the survey. My answers are pretty interesting and I can not wait to include them in my paper.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WBTKPKW

Synthesis of “Indigenous Resistance and Racist Schooling on the Borders of Empires: Coast Salish Cultural Survival” by Michael Marker

This article by Michael Marker is discussing how the governments of the United States and Canada have tried to redirect the culture and common practice of the Coast Salish people of British Columbia and Washington State. These two governments have tried to take away what these people stand for and the way they do things by creating laws against them. Trying to make it so that these people would not be able to freely travel across borders to exchange information and  keep their customs alive is one way they were trying to be repressed. The article mentions that the Coast Salish people did not recognize the borders that governments had established, but they simply knew that their territory was from this point to another point. The governments also developed boarding schools so that the children could be away from the unfavorable environment and become more "Americanized". They also tried to strip the culture of their native language, by outlawing the use of it. These changes that they tried to force on these people caused a great number of issues because it was so confusing. Children were picked on in boarding school and detached from their parents at home. They eventually developed ways to resist the governments' repressive strategies, thus reclaiming control of their own destiny.

Sustainability Issues in the Rain Forest

As the population grows humanity needs to have more room to grow and the only place to go is out. The growing population also has a need for more materials. When a population is located right outside of a forest, the population does not restrict its growth to the area that is already open, they simply cut down trees and build more things in the newly cleared area. The trees that are cut also serve a purpose to be used to make various products that aid humans in their day to day activities. Forests are areas where one of a kind animal and plant species live, but their lives are constantly threatened because they are forced to live in close proximity to other species that compete for similar resources, thus killing many of these species.

What did this Chicken Really Come From?

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/1/31/1328029711542/chicken-factory-007.jpg

Chickens are packed tightly into massive sheds and given antibiotics and other rugs to keep them alive. The conditions that they are forced to live in would normally, under any other circumstance kill them.  They gain weight at such a rapid rate that they are often unable to support themselves. The large amounts of fecal matter known to be produced by these mass farms add pollutants to the ground and water. About seven weeks after chickens are born they are taken to a slaughterhouse where they are killed by being upside down and having their necks slit. The USDA conducted a study of broiler chicken carcasses and discovered that more than 99% of them had detectable amounts of E. coli, which is found in fecies and intestinal tracts.
http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/top-10-reasons-not-to-eat-chickens.aspx

Environmental Ethics Article

McShane, Katie. "Environmental Ethics: an Overview." Philosophy Compass 4.3 (2009): 407-420. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-9991.2009.00206.x/pdf>.

Coral Reef Article Synthesis

The Coral Reef Article Synthesis

            Although coral reefs account for about two percent of the world’s marine environment, they provide habitats for one third of all described marine species, many of which can only be found in these areas.  As with numerous other resources on Earth, the coral reef is being depleted due to the growing demands of civilization.  To reduce the amounts of coral reefs is to cause a large proportion of Earth’s biodiversity to be decimated.  Humanity has a tendency to use resources at a rapid rate until there are no resources left, versus using resources at moderate rates.  Pollution is causing coral reefs to lose the algae that provide color, which is known as bleaching.  A main contributor of these bleaching phenomena is when the level of CO2 gets above a certain amount of ppm.  As discussed on the treehugger website a safe amount of CO2 in the air is around 350 ppm. Today the number is higher than that and is steadily rising.  To save the planet humanity needs to try to reduce the amount of CO2 that they produce and try to get this number at a stable 350 ppm and perhaps even lower. Coral reefs are important to the biodiversity of the planet without them resources will be lost forever and many species will become extinct. 

 Veron, J.E.N, O Hoegh-Guldberg, T.M. Lenton, J.M. Lough, D.O. Obura, P. Pearce-Kelly, C.R.C. Sheppard, M. Spalding, M.G. Stafford-Smith, and A.D Rogers. "The Coral Reef Crisis: the Critical Importance of <350 Ppm CO2."Marine Pollution Bulletin 58.10 (2009): 1428-1436. Web. 27 Sept. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X09003816>.

Analyzes of EPA Article

Analyzes of EPA Article

            People have been consuming contaminated water near Pavillion, WY for years.  According to the EPA this damage is contributed to the oil and natural gas wells that are present in that area.  These wells are located all over the eastern Appalachians states and many locations can potentially have similar problems. This damage is inexcusable.

The changes in water qualities have been reported for years, resulting in the public’s complaints going almost completely ignored.  Some of the companies did counter these complaints by providing the residents with replacement drinking water, which did not fix the problem but only provided temporary relief.  The welling companies have tried to deny the EPA’s findings, still trying to defend the theory of the wells being safe and well kept.  The EPA dug farther with a series of tests and checks finally determining that the wells were in deed damaged and admitting pollutants into the population’s groundwater.  The EPA then directed the residents not to drink the water and to ventilate their houses after they took baths.  In more recent studies it was concluded that the companies responsible for the wells still had not repaired the damage.  Not repairing the damage is resulting in these residents not being able to live in their houses as they are entitled.

Damages to welling equipment can be potentially dangerous for the residents of these areas.  The unnatural intake of different chemicals can have profound effects on the body after being consumed for several years.  Oil and natural gas companies need to start having regular checks on these wells that they build and repairing whatever damage that is detected.  This should not even be a factor in today’s world of advanced technology that can easily preform any tests that are beneficial to detect these issues.  The actions of these companies are inexcusable, they should be held accountable and forced to start cleaning up the mess they created.

Class Discussion

The in class discussion on September 25, 2012 was very interesting. The discussion was about how where one receives education affects the individual's life. Where people go to school can greatly impact their quality of education and how people view them. Some schools are known as party schools while other schools are known to have graduates that are the best of the best. But everybody is not trying to go to these schools. The class also talked about Richard Kahn, who wrote an article about how education is being used to shape the environmental movement. Kahn explained how people have been able to increase their knowledge about environmental issues and how they strive to improve their ways. In addition, he introduced the idea of ecoliteracy where people can relate their culture to the environmental issues. All in all it was a nice class discussion.

Extra Credit

Image from: http://gunterseniorenglish.wikispaces.com/

Humanity has the world in their hands. It is their responsibility to keep the earth healthy and functioning the way it should. Technology should provide a resource for humanity to live in a more eco-friendly way that helps lessen each individuals carbon footprint. Basically humanity needs to stand up for the place that has become their home before it is too late for anything to be done.

Themes of Turtle Island

In Gary Snyder's poem 'Front Line (pg 18), he explains the clearing of land and how it effects the area. After the land has been cleared it is shown by some Realtor and is not always guaranteed to be sold, even after all of the destruction. It rained for ten days, which delayed logging and the trees were relieved to have their lives temporarily prolonged. Raping and pillaging the land is horrible, but where does it stop?
Control Burn (pg 19), compares how the Indians use to burn the forests to help things grow, while the wild fires of today are catastrophic. Fire was a way to open up certain seeds and allow things to grow better and rejuvenate than the plants would be able to normally. Due to the litter of logging and the overgrowth of underbrush, the plants spark horrific fires that quickly destroy everything in there path. Nature needs o be respected because if people had enough respect to not remove large numbers of trees, then maybe fires would cause less damage.
I Went Into the Maverick Bar (pg 9) Gary describes his visit to a bar: how he was dressed, the people around him, and how they interacted. He describes a couple dancing and how they remind him of his past. He loses himself in the moment and forgets about the stupidity of America, almost falling in love with it again. As he rides home, he soon remembers the task at hand and the real work that must be done to open America's eyes to the dangers of mistreating the environment.

Friday's Class- September 7, 2012

"Bedrock"pg 64 is about the true beauty of nature. Gary is hoping to learn something about true peace and the actual value of nature. Gary wants to learn how to be tender and love in the best way possible.
 "The Dazzle" pg 65 explains the wonder that is the reproductive cycle for flowers. Gary seems to be amazed by how flowers reproduce with the use of pollen and using insects to transport the pollen. The setting of this poem is Spring and he is explaining all of the pollen that covers everything in March. How this amazing process takes place and how the plants grow even without human interference.
"Ethnobotany" pg 51 compares the natural way that trees fall and the way that humans go around cutting trees down for their own personal gain. Gary also talks about how somethings in nature are poison while others are not, without prior knowledge the difference would never be known. Knowledge is usually passed from one person to another. To save the environment people need to pass on knowledge.
The believe of bio-regionalism was an inspiration for many articles and probably many of Gary's poems. Gary used his poems to open people's eyes to the world around them and that harm that humanity is causing.

Gary Snyder, Turtle Island ;"Affluence" (pg 50), "Without" (pg 6), "Coyote Valley Springs" (pg 15), "It pleases" (pg 44)

Gary Snyder focuses on nature in his poems. Nature is a beautiful thing that is some time corrupted by humans who do not know how to appreciate the wonders that are around them. In his poems, Snyder touches on many current issues, such as deforestation, fossil fuel usage, wild fires, the power of nature, and how we are all connected to nature. These poems personify nature and the other species that share the one-of-a-kind Earth, to the point that one may feel an actual connection with the world around her. 
Fossil fuel usage is greatly increasing the number of CO2 that would naturally be released into the air in a given time frame. This is depleting the Ozone layer and adding to global warming. Plants, especially trees, help with the CO2 in the air, but trees are being cut at a rate that is much higher than the rate that trees are being replaced. The Earth is being robbed of valuable elements, leading to a reduction in the number of species that can now be found and a decline in the quality of living for many others.

Bioregional Quiz and McKibben

The bioregional quiz is a collection of questions about nature, that may or may not be considered common knowledge. McKibblen provides information on how to improve the world as a whole. The vast increase in growth has caused drastic changes in the environment, making the earth a completely different place than the Earth known a couple of decades ago. Meteorologists believe that the meteorological tropics have expanded at least two degrees both north and south. The world is already seeing the far limits of resources as seen with the dwindling numbers in fish being caught. Humans should also become concerned with growing their own food instead of relying on food that is grown in "oil". Solar panels for energy is a safe alternative to nuclear power because when solar panels are destroyed, toxins are not released into the air and cause more harm than good. Humans need to figure out more efficient ways to get the things that are necessary for survival, before the entire species finds that the destruction has gone too far to make a change.

Endangered Species

Endangering Other Species

Since the dawn of their civilization, humans have been striving to be the best and dominate whatever situation they may encounter.  The need to dominate has carried over in every aspect of their lives as a civilization, this includes the environment.  Through the over planting of crops, the over use of natural resources, and the need for more space for population growth, humans have greatly impacted the other species that coincide with them on Earth.  Many animals have suffered great losses in numbers due to the actions of humans.  Humans have hunted other species for their own gain, raped and pillaged many of the lands that other species had called “home” for centuries, and added pollutants to the air and water supplies. 

Across the globe animals are hunted for one specific thing while the rest of the carcass is left to rot, such as elephants and rhinoceros for their tusks and exotic cats for their furs.  Urban development also leads to a drastic reduction in species because animals are forced into smaller areas where they run out of resources or are eliminated by predators that have easier access to them.  Global warming has caused the glaciers to melt at a faster rate than the rate that would naturally, thus making it harder for animals in those regions to gather food and adjust to the changes in their environments.  According to Endangered Species, Endangered Act by Michael J Bean, in 1966 Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act, which was more or less a list of which species were in danger of becoming extinct, followed three years later by the prohibition of importing endanger animals.  Soon after, the public realized the severity of this global issue, which led to President Nixon signing a bill on December 28, 1973, that enforced stronger rules and regulations as it pertained to endangered species.  While the earlier act helped animals such as the California condor and the Florida panther the later act expanded to help plants as well as invertebrates.  Wild life conservation groups are now active to help ensure that these species are protected.

            Don’t all species deserve a fair chance to carry out their niche?  How high and mighty do humans consider themselves to be, that they get to play God and destroy the lives of other species?  Truth be told, these species have natural predators, but that is a part of the circle of life, eliminating mass numbers of fully healthy species are not.  Diversity is what makes different places unique, without it the world would be bland.  Something has to be done to help protect the other species of the planet from the same fate of the Woolly Mammoth and the Saber Tooth Tiger, or the animals that humans cherish today may not make it into the future to be cherished by future generations.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00139159909604609

Island Civilization

               Island Civilization: A Vision for Human Occupancy of Earth by Roderick Frazier Nash is a trip into the past and what could happen in the future through Nash’s eyes.  The concept of the “millennium” came into existence around 1582, when Christian officials determined the date of Christ’s birth.  People tend to set goals that benefit them as an individual rather than what benefits the environment.  The idea of wilderness is considered anything wild, beastly, or domesticated.  For centuries people have been separating themselves from nature through the use of buildings, fences, and other barriers. Humans have also taken the best of resources Earth has to offer with little to no regard of the less advanced species that need the resources also.  Humans have polluted the water, air, and land causing many plants and animals to become extinct.  Evolution is no longer shaped on natural selection but is determined by what humans have done to the Earth. How they have forced species that would not naturally interact to come together in an area that is completely out of their element.  Towards the end of the second millennium (around the nineteenth and twentieth centuries) American’s opened their eyes to the self-destructive, counterproductive behavior that was shaping the future of the planet for the worst and that the protection of the wilderness was not for the human race.  In correspondence with theories of conservation and preservation, American’s passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972 and the Endangered Species Act in 1973.  Due to the continuous breaking down and disturb the natural pattern of nature in the Third Millennium leads many biologists to believe in Sixth Great Extinction Theory.  Questions of where human civilization will lead the planet in the future also make their way into the conscience of society.  Nash suggests four outlooks for the future based on the current conditions in which mankind aided.  The wasteland scenario, the first world, depicts a world where the planet is out of resources and is littered with trash and toxins. Only a small number of species can survive in this environment and humans have left it behind in search of a new place to call home. The second world is the garden scenario, where everything in nature is controlled by human and has now turned into a positive versus a negative. The world becomes centered around humans, they have control over everything on the planet and have cut down on much of the diversity of species around them.  The third, called the future primitive, where small groups of humans decide to return to a simpler time, before technology and resume the hunting and gathering ways of their ancestors.  The downside to this future is that the extraordinary things that humans achieved are lost.  The fourth scenario, Island Civilization, Nash describes as a vision a dream fulfilled.  Through the use of technology humans are able to only impact a small percentage of the planet and let the rest of the planet do exactly what it pleases without interference.  The human population would have to be greatly reduced and freedoms would have to be restricted.  Humans would not be bound to just the ground for living arrangements, but they would indeed be able to move up into the air and farther distance themselves from other species.

            Nash made many good points and had many details to support the main theme of his argument.  His attention to the historical details was amazing and facts were all important no matter how insignificant they seemed at the time. This selection is able to open one’s eyes to different perspectives. Something must be done to lessen human impact on the environment because the way that things are going now the first scenario seems like a very likely look into the future.  The fourth scenario is outlandish because it is important for humans to interact with the world around them.  The reduction in the human population is slightly disturbing because Nash wants to preserve certain species while greatly reducing his own. I would have liked to see an option that was not so extreme, one that didn’t end with humans having to be separated from the rest of nature or one that resulted in the complete destruction of the Earth. There has to be a grey area between the black and white of the possible scenarios for the future.  Overall it was a wonderful selection that opens people’s eyes to the current problems facing the human race as well as how the future may look if something is not done to change our effect on the environment.