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.