Biodiversity: Why is it so Important?

Source: http://www.greenrooftechnology.com/Pictures%20from%20JBi/Biodiversity.jpg

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.

Source: http://theinstitute.ieee.org/img/blogiStockphoto16682275-1383665693520.jpg

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?

Source: http://modifylifestyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/pesticide-food-2.jpg

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.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Runoff_from_Excelsior_Geyser_to_Firehole_River_at_Midway_Geyser_Basin.jpg

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.

Source: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/06/25/us/glades600.jpg

"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.

Source: http://www.backyardnature.net/n/11/110807sg.jpg

A Land Remembered: Tobias MacIvey

Source: http://www.jacksonholehistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Cowboys-herding-cattle.jpg

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.

Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Coeehajo.jpg

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.

Source: http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/watershed1.jpg