Plan B Chapter 10 and Earth Charter Analysis

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Fossil fuels are normally considered to be finite resources, meaning that there are limited amounts of them available for normal consumption. Normally during production, these fuels damage the environment around them due to the harmful amounts of carbon dioxide introduced into the air. One method of dealing with these methods, according to Lester Brown, is by introducing a gasoline tax. "Phasing an incremental gasoline tax rising by 40 cents per year for the next 10 years and offsetting it with a reduction in come taxes would raise the U.S. gas tax to the 4 per gallon tax prevailing today in Europe." (Brown 245). I highly disagree with Brown's suggestion, and for good reason. Normally when you take into account the large size of the United States compared to the small countries of Europe, it's easy to see why we use so much gasoline compared to other countries. Truckers and haulers (which depend on the volatile market of diesel fuel) travel from state to state, delivering goods to various markets that require them. Increasing the price of gasoline would therefor increase the price of diesel, which in turn would increase the prices of local goods and groceries to already exponential prices. Although I do believe in sacrificing some luxuries in order to reduce one's carbon footprint, hurting the United States' consumer finances doesn't give great returns.

Source: http://gryllus.net/Blender/PDFTutorials/07BGlobe_iTunesU/EarthMap.jpg

Now the earth charter is a wonderful preamble to go by. Broken into four core principals, they represent key ideologies that would benefit the planet in the long run. Principal one of the Earth Charter states "Respect and care for the community of life." Our visit at CIW really was considered to be an eye opener, as I did not realize issues of mistreatment took place right in our own back yard. In order to improve our natural quality of life, issues like these must be dealt with as soon as possible, ensuring that everyone receives equal treatment in including but not limited to finances and societal cultures.

Principal two of the Earth Charter states "Ecological Integrity." I felt that I understood this principal when walking through the cypress domes located near campus. It is important to have biological diversity as they "hold" other organism's lifelines if something they depend on goes extinct. The cypress domes for example, provide adequate shade for other organisms lurking in the swamp, aiding predator or prey. Trekking through the swamp's dark waters was incredibly satisfying, but it made me learn a new aspect when it came to Ecological Integrity.

Principal three of the Earth Charter states "Social and Economic Justice." Again, going back to our visit at CIW, this was severely lacking towards farmers and pickers who worked long hours on the field. Not to mention the staggering $700 a week renting prices for migrant workers, which forces them to overcrowd in order to have a decent enough roof over their heads. Society as a whole needs to have economic activites and institutions that promote human development, and recognize labor laws in order to pave the way to a brighter future.

Principal four of the Earth Charter states "Democracy, Non-Violence, and Peace." One of it's subsections states "Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life." This accurately describes University Colloquium entirely. In order for our youth to facilitate a natural and better understanding of the environment and the world around them, they must be taught these principles directly in the classroom. By not educating values and knowledge into our youth, we risk growing an ignorant society not knowing cause and effect. Not only does the education benefit our society, but it benefits our world as well.

Plan B 4.0 Chapter 3 Summary

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It is an unfortunate (and even more unsettling, outright deniable) scenario in today's standards, but the earth is facing the inevitable conclusion that is global warming (also known as climate change by today's standards). Rapid temperatures fluctuations, including the atmosphere and the ocean's temperature, are increasing slowly but surely and are affecting weather patterns all across the continents. Levels of carbon dioxide in the air is expanding due to factories and other harmful emissions, and is magnifying the green house effect by trapping more and more heat inside the atmosphere. Although they are symptoms now, they need to be addressed before they become more than just symptoms. Otherwise, we will be dealing with a environmental crisis the world has never seen before. 

I read an chapter from Lester Brown's Plan B 4.0 and he iterates some of these concerns time and time again. "This warming is caused by the accumulation of heat-trapping 'greenhouse' gases and other pollutants in the atmosphere." (Brown 57). A disadvantageous effect of growing population and rapid industrialization. Another one of these negatives is also the melting of the polar ice caps. "Ice is melting so fast that even climate scientists are scrambling to keep up with the shrinkage of ice sheets and glaciers." (Brown 61). Although we have been causing the harmful effects of global warming, we have been doing some methods in order to rectify them. Take CFC's for example; They were used in a wide variety of products from fire extinguisher and refrigerator coolant to aerosol cans and exhaust from funnel stacks, and they depleted the precious Ozone layer that protects us. They were thankfully banned (at least in the United States) in 1978, and the Ozone layer ever since then started to regenerate.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Future_ozone_layer_concentrations.jpg

 

Another extensional crisis that can be caused by climate change is lower food yields and harvests. "If all the earth's mountain glaciers melted, they would raise sea level... but it is the summer ice melt from these glaciers that sustains so many of the world's rivers during the dry season." (Brown 66). Even though we as a species have hunger and famine as a huge detriment as of now, it would be even more catastrophic if we were to continue the trend of climate change. "Agriculture in the Central Asian counties of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and  Uzbekistan depends heavily on snowmelt from the Hindu Kush, Pamir and Tien Shan mountain ranges for irrigation water." (Brown 67). As climate change increases the temperature of our environment, natural irrigation will soon slowly come to a stop, soil erosion would possibly be more probable, and newer and more costly farming techniques would have to be developed. Hopefully more efforts to spread awareness and information comes to fruition, otherwise humanity as a species can see a bleak future for itself sometime soon.

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Plan B Chapter 2 Summary

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Top soil is an absolute need when it comes to the survivability of our species. However, humanity has unfortunately over stepped its bounds due to over-harvesting, massive cultivation efforts, and desertification due to the removal of certain flora and fauna. Countries that were once dependent on their own crops are now begging to be apart of the WHO food program due to severe soil erosion. Because of these endeavors, we have found ourselves in a dangerous crisis that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

I read a chapter from Lester Brown's Plan B 4.0 and he describes the erosion crisis: "the thin layer of topsoil that covers the planet's land surface is the foundation of civilization... But sometime within the last century, as human and livestock populations expanded, soil erosion began to exceed new soil formations over large areas" (Brown 32). Regrettably, this is not a new occurrence. "A similar situation exists in Mongolia, where over he last 20 years three fourths of the wheatland has been abandoned and wheat yields have fallen by one fourth, shrinking the harvest by four fifths." (Brown 33).  Brown details many scenarios where the effects of soil erosion are felt in some countries and also around the world. Many countries are foregoing natural preservation of resources by tapping into them way too many times at an alarming rate. Aquifers are now drying up much faster than they were anticipated, and desertification is becoming more rampant, leaving countries completely dependent on importing crucial resources for their people.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Desertification_map.png

Although they are eye-opening in some cases, it seems as if he is continuously adding more examples when the audience already gets the point of the discussion: The increase of the world's population is now at a level where it can possibly exceed the world's sustainability for that increase, and soil erosion is making it a hell of a lot worse. "China's desertification may be the worst in the world" (Brown 37). "Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is losing 351,000 hectares of rangeland and cropland to desertification." (Brown 36.) I absolutely agree that there needs to be an outcry for these sort of situations, but monotonously dragging the point onward leads to brown's argument somewhat being missed.

Source: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/environment-book/Images/water-hole-cattle.jpg

Plan B Preface and Chapter One Summary

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Ever since mankind has existed and stopped their nomadic ways of life, they looked towards more conventional methods of gathering food. Slowly but surely they increased the size of their population through various farming techniques, knowledge of rich and fertile soil, and animal husbandry.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and you'll see quite a different story. I read the preface and chapter one of Lester Brown's Plan B 4.0, and he explains how our food uses and out climatic footprint are becoming more and more problematic. "With business as usual, I see a combination of the projected growth in population, the planned diversion of grain to produce fuel for cars, spreading shortages of irrigation water, and other trends combining to push the number of hungry people to 1.2 billion or more by 2015." (Brown 4). He continues describing the food scarcity problem: "The question, at least for now, is not will the world grain harvest continue to expand, but will it expand fast enough to keep pace with steadily growing demand." (Brown 9). I agree with Brown on these two points. The encroaching problem of food scarcity is almost at an all time high, and its a difficult situation to address in its entirety. There are many countries that cannot support their growing populations and it's becoming increasing grueling to not only themselves, but to other countries as well. Those countries that are in the crisis of a food scarcity problem may panic and decide to focus solely on their own locally produced product. Meanwhile in developed countries, they are producing more amounts of ethanol (a combination of corn and gasoline) which also increases their agricultural prices. Food responsibility and climate stabilization is an absolute necessity to decrease the trend of scarcity and protect our future.

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However, when it comes to falling political power regarding countries, Brown uses a poor example for describing them. "States fail when national governments lose control of part or all of their territory... conflicts can easily spread to neighboring countries, as when the genocide in Rwanda spilled over into the Democratic Republic of the Congo." (Brown 18). He also describes how failing states provide possible radical breeding grounds. "Failing states can also provide possible training grounds for international terrorist groups, as in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, or as a base for pirates, as in Somalia. (Brown 19). I feel that these two explanations are a bit melodramatic. These countries have been in a developmental ecosystem for quite some time now, and I don't believe that because of that early development, it leads to producing terrorists and mass genocides. Food scarcity is indeed a problem, but directly correlating that to solicitations of drugs and production of violence is outright irrelevant. I believe that Brown loses focus on his main point, and that hurts his overall vision he is trying to produce.

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Food Inc.

Source: http://www.eatmedaily.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/food-inc.jpg

After watching Food Inc. for the second time, it really amazes me how much of a hold corporations have on local farmers and producers. Instead of revolutionizing or innovating ideas of how to fix current problems with the agricultural industry, these corporations effortlessly find ways to continue the same dying business model in order to receive a better financial quarter.

Take for instance the farmer who was being sued by Monsanto for allegations of using their patented soy bean crop. By all means I know that Monsanto doesn't have an absolute pristine reputation for their company (I.E. Agent Orange after effects), but by Food Inc. showcasing their financial bullying, their public relations department must have been doing damage control. I felt disgusted that an agricultural farmer would be shown as an example for legal repercussions if any other farmer would follow their own ways of planting or saving seeds. By damaging potential ideas through the justice system, effectiveness and efficiency of the agricultural industry would slowly but surely decline, no matter how many band-aids you put on it.

Another example is the amount of contamination that our food comes into contact with. When Upton Sinclair wrote The Jungle in 1906, it changed the way America did food inspections. However, Food Inc. reinforces the fact that these corporations are protected in the legal system since the potential to shut down slaughterhouses that were deemed unsafe by the government was nullified in court. I was in shock; how could something that is considered to be rule number one of preparing and maintaining food be disregarded? Thankfully after a brief search, the Food Safety Modernization Act was passed in 2011, giving back these powers to the FDA.

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Biodiversity: Why is it so Important?

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Biodiversity is defined as the variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem. Naturally, humanity depends upon the vast biodiversity that Mother Nature has to offer. Birds offer a natural pest control, killing off mosquitoes and locusts that would otherwise do harm to our health and crops. Honey bees provide pollination to a numerous amount of plants, which sprout fruit and other benefits for our survival. There are so many connections and symbiotic relationships that are too great to list, but does it go without consequence to alter genetic information to better suit our needs, or should that ideology be entirely off the table?

I read an excerpt from Vandana Shiva's Tomorrow's Biodiversity: "What is Biodiversity and Why is it so Important?" and she argues the point that bioengineering can erode biodiversity to where it can no longer provide benefits as nature intended. "Industry is reorganizing itself as the 'life sciences' industry, changing property laws, environmental laws and trade policies to create markets for genetically engineered products and to establish monopolies in the vital sectors of food and medicine" (Shiva 39). She continues, stating that "Humankind is one among millions of other species. It does not have a right to push other species to extinction, or to manipulate them for greed, profit, and power without concern for their well being." (Shiva 40). I believe that Shiva's word may ring true to some extent, however I don't agree with her entirely. For instance, the hot topic nowadays is genetically modified organisms (GMOs), specifically local produce, and how their considered "vile and toxic" to local communities in their entirety. When in actuality, they are almost a blessing in disguise. Take orange groves for example; without the crop being genetically modified, ripe and plump oranges that would typically come with a harvest would be slightly shriveled and about the size of a golf ball. Flash freezes that destroy thousands of crops in Florida, costing the state millions of dollars, can be instantly averted by modifying a gene to protect it from such occurrences. The info on GMO's is heavily misinformed, and by instilling a sense of urgency I believe that Shiva falls far from reaching her intended mark.

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However, biodiversity still is an imperative design which still must be held even with genetic modification. "Species diversity is the species richness of an ecosystem... all cultures have ways of organizing life forms along lines of difference" (Shiva 42). Although genetic modification brings about many benefits, changing a gene and releasing that modified animal back into the environment can be a very catastrophic and costly mistake. "Ecological interactions between diverse species become the key measure for ecosystem diversity" (Shiva 42). Biodiversity is an absolute necessity for many organisms, including ourselves.  Each ecosystem a person may come across can be radically different depending on the region they are located in. Modifying an organism to the point where it is not environmentally friendly as its past counterparts may have been can be devastating, as the biome would have to adapt to this new organism. If human beings continue to be ignorant, everything as a whole could suffer entirely in the next couple of centuries.

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Humanity is perfectly capable of sustaining itself as well as the world around them. Genetically modifying organisms can be beneficial if used correctly, however we should properly run tests to make sure the environment isn't affected maliciously. If the proper way of thinking were to revolve around this procedure, humanity can lessen its overall overhead of effecting the environment.

Silent Spring: Can mankind recognize its created devils?

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There has been a lot of discoveries and innovations over the past century, ranging from photovolatic solar energy to bio fuels. These innovations of course have changed the way we live, but one perspective we don't realize is how it changes the environment around us. Many chemicals and pesticides are used on crops for the purpose of managing invasive and damaging insects, but the thing we don't realize is that it sets off a chain reaction of events that eventually leave us doing more harm than we had originally intended.

I read a few excerpts from Silent Spring's "A Fable for Tomorrow" and "The Obligation to Endure" by Rachel Carson and she goes into great detail about how mankind has used harmful substances that have affected the world around them. "Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species--man-- acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world" (Carson 153). Man has indeed been able to alter the world around them in order to suit their needs, but that power has been increasingly malicious over the past decade. Although harmful chemical pesticides like DDT are no longer used today, there are plenty of other chemicals to take its place. "Strontium 90, released through nuclear explosions into the air, comes to earth in rain or drifts down as fallout, lodges in soul, enters into the grass or corn or wheat grown there, and in time takes up its abode in the bones of a human being, there to remain until his death." (Carson 153-154) Chemicals such as chromated copper aresenate (CCA), DEET, and Atrazine are present in herbicides and pesticides. These chemicals will later run off and affect the environment around it, which will in turn affect us in the long run.

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Chemicals aren't the only things to be blamed here, unfortunately. Human history has a dreadful background with introducing invasive organisms into native territories; another evil it has sadly created. "Another factor in the modern insect problem... the spreading of thousands of different kinds of organisms from their native homes to invade new territories." (Carson 158). Thankfully there are knowledgeable methods of dealing with invasive species, but it seems as if humanity has accepted its fate and refuses treatment. "Have we fallen into a mesmerized state that makes us accept as inevitable that which is inferior or detrimental, as though having lost the will or vision to demand that which is good?" (Carson 159). All across the governmental landscape biologists, ecologists, and preservationists are hired to give rational advice to those who wish to make decisions that would help or harm us. Regrettably, those politicians are swayed by other voices that would rather keep the status quo, and the landscape suffers for it.

Source: http://www.greenberg-art.com/New%20illos/Invasive%20illo.jpg

The Nature of the Everglades: One of the World's Sacred Treasures

Source: http://www.nature.org/cs/groups/webcontent/@web/@florida/documents/media/everglades.jpg

The Everglades are considered to be one of Florida's most national treasures, coexisting with people both young and old who treat it as their own sense of place. Ever since it had been discovered, people were marveled by the endless sea of saw grass, the winding paths of rivers and deltas, and its unique environment and ecosystem. An excerpt I read from The Everglades: River of Grass: The Nature of the Everglades by Marjory Stoneman Douglas reiterates these points, as he describes the beauty and history of the Everglades.

"There are no other Everglades in the world" (Douglas 104). Although it is the very first sentence in the excerpt, its impact and tone are felt deeply. The Everglades is rich with history and life, and is considered a strong point of study even to this day. I remember visiting the Everglades on vacation, taking the last airboat ride of the day through the deep mangrove forests and slowly transitioning into the wide open grasslands. It was a fantastic experience, but something other than the transition of biomes really caught me by surprise. During the evening it was somewhat quiet, a few birds singing here and there followed by the humming of cicadas. But when night came around, it was as if the Everglades themselves had a nightlife of its own. Frogs replaced the sound of birds and small growls of alligators could be heard in the distance. Douglas could not have chosen a better way to describe the Everglades, there really is nothing like it in the world.

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"The first saw grass, exactly as it grows today, sprang up and lived in the sweet water and the pouring sunlight, and died in it, and from its own dried and decaying tissues and tough fibers bright with silica sprang up more fiercely again" (Douglas 109). It's truly amazing at the types of flora and fauna the Everglades brings to Florida. Even more amazing is how saw grass itself is so resilient. The way Douglas describes how saw grass withstood the test of time really makes me wonder about the intense struggle it faced throughout history, but also made me think about how nature can 'rubber band' back from a disaster. Perhaps there is a deep sense of symbolism of how anything can return from a devastating event.

"The hurricanes make up, although no man has yet seen the actual beginning of one, as far east as the Azores, where the hot air rises all along the line of the equator as the Northern Hemisphere cools toward winter" (Douglas 118). Floridians, as well as the Everglades, are very well acquainted with hurricanes, as they mostly bring unnecessary destruction and flash flooding. One of the worst hurricanes I ever experienced was Hurricane Charley back in 2004. It was the first hurricane I had ever witnessed, and the aftermath I saw when I emerged from my house was truly traumatic. Flooding of course is a major concern for any area, but I believe that the Everglades play a key part in protecting its surrounding areas from potentially worse flooding, which is why its so important ecologically that it is preserved.

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A Land Remembered: Tobias MacIvey

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Tobias MacIvey is one of the main characters in Patrick D. Smith's A Land Remembered. His purpose in the story is to show how the first generation MacIveys managed to live on the land after moving from Georgia to Florida. His purpose is also to show how his family has a strong connection to nature and the environment compared to his child Zech and his grandchild Sol.

When Tobias first moves to Florida, he was very closely involved with the environment. During the first few years of their stay in Florida, he struggled establishing a house and lived directly off the land. His relationship with the land is somewhat compared to a farmer and a rancher; he respects the land since it provided him a food resource, shelter, and protection from harmful predators and weather patterns. He furthers this connection by defending the Seminole Indians Keith Tiger, Bird Jumper, and Lillie, proving that even though there is a deep cultural schism between their races, working together to survive is a common ground he can relate to.

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I believe that Tobias experienced a strong sense of place during his life in Florida. His wife Emma cooked anything Tobias could find, which was mostly hog and coon. He taught his son Zech lessons about the wildlife during their treks and how humanity had its affect on them. He would wish that his family lived entirely off the land and nothing more. In an unfortunate case of irony, it seems that the very thing he loved would in turn kill him.

Tobias is a strong headed character, which is why I believe that I relate to him so much. Although I haven't lived in harsh conditions and my family doesn't live in poverty, I can respect his characteristics. He is a man who is strong with integrity, kindness, compassion, and is firmly tied in tradition. One of my core values that I was brought up on is to treat everyone with equality and to give assistance to those in need, regardless of what they look like or how their past has shaped them. Tobias does exactly that by defending the Indians and helping the runaway slave. Tobias is a leader, one who chooses to stand above the rest and shepherd those on the right path; someone we all should aspire to be.

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The Land Ethic: Can We Establish a Deeper Connection to the Land Around Us?

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Humans exist primarily from the resources that they thrive on. Take a look at farmers for example: They till fertile soil for miles and utilize water for irrigation in order to create a edible resource. In order to continue making more fruit and vegetables on the same soil, they have to respect the land and fertilize it with compost.

I read an excerpt from A Sand Country Almanac: "The Land Ethic" by Aldo Leopold and he discusses on how humanity still treats the environment as property rather than an entity that requires respect. He goes on to state that this land ethic includes "the boundaries of the community to include soil, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land" (Leopold p.60). He continues: "This sounds simple: do we not already sing our love for and obligation to the land of the free and the home of the brave? Certainly not for... soil... waters... plants... animals (Leopold p. 60). I agree with Leopold here as humanity typically takes these biomes and other for granted. In the past, we as humanity don't necessarily have the best track record with mother nature. See for example: DDT, surface runoff, Dumping grounds and the list goes onward. More or less our natural enviornment has been exploited (or in some cases harmed due to ignorance or accidents) and its imperative that we at least make an effort to have guidelines and safety in place in order to create a better ethic or respect for the land. Otherwise we could soon see a future where wearing masks and large-scale filtration systems are common-place.

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Runoff_of_soil_%26_fertilizer.jpg

I completely understand the outcry and how much importance humanity needs to place on the situation, however Leopold's points continue to fall short into melodramatic tones. "Would Boone and Kenton have held out? Would there have been any overflow into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri? (Leopold 61). "Will the tax base carry its eventual ramifications? At what point will governmental conservation, like the mastodon, became handicapped by its own dimensions? (Leopold 67). If Leopold had not switched tones and continued his pace into a deeper understanding, maybe he would have kept his point across. He is painting any minor step for conservation efforts by creating a negative outlook, simply implying "this won't work." Any step, no matter how minor, is a great step in the right direction, no matter if its the federal government or local.

ADHD: Can the outdoors be a psychological comfort?

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Biophilia Vs. Biophobia: Can we coexist with nature?

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