Journal #5 One Degree Factor

The One Degree Factor is an excellent video on the quickly worsening problem of global warming.  The three main areas discussed were shrinking numbers of Caribou, Krill and the ocean food web, and drought in the Sahara bringing dust to the Caribbean.

The rise in global temperatures of just one degree Fahrenheit is a global average. In the Polar Regions, the temperatures have risen an average of 11 degrees.  This rapid temperature rise is making the arctic tundra a more hospitable place for mosquitoes and forcing caribou herds to higher elevations—where less food grows, to try to escape them.  The Caribou are not spending enough time feeding during the summers, and rain in the winters is making it harder for them to access food as well as travel.

Krill in the eastern pacific thrive in cool waters that have recently returned as a result of normal fluctuations.  The problem here is that because of global warming, when the next El Niño occurs temperature may be so high that the krill numbers will decline to almost nothing.  Krill and other small marine organisms are extremely susceptible to fluctuations in water temp and are at the base of the food web.  Losing these crucial species would be detrimental.

Rising temperatures in the Indian Ocean are affecting the North Atlantic Oscillation.  This in turn is keeping air currents from the Sahara to the Caribbean steady, year after year.  The dust is raising the number of children who have asthma in the Caribbean.  The dust also contains pathogens that are attacking the sea fans of the area and other coral.

All these issue demonstrate how interconnected we are on this plant and how necessary it is that we as a species must act quickly to attempt to stop the continued warming and with enough time maybe a return to normalcy.

Journal #4 Jared Diamond

I really liked Diamond way of looking at the problems facing mans use of materials in an unsustainable manner from all angles.  Diamond analyzed civilizations throughout history to see If they collapsed through misuse of natural resources like the deforestation of Easter Island, or if they simply collapsed because of economical and other human reasons, or a mixture of the two.  Too many environmentalists would try to push environmental problems as key to the demise of many civilizations and not mention anything that did not support their agenda.  Diamond makes himself more credible by explaining all aspects, and by doing so, the reader can make the connection that although the lack of resources is not entirely to blame for the collapse of many ancient civilizations, it definitely is a major factor in the strength of a society. 

                In reading articles about environmental problems, as with most subjects, I take a skeptical approach until I get a good feeling for the background and intentions of the author.  The point Diamond established himself as credible to me, was when he spoke about his relationships with corporations.  He was defending himself against other environmentalist who would attack him for associating with CEO’s and other business leaders.  For me this showed his understanding of what it will take to have any real impact on improving environmental conditions.  Business, as the main contributor to pollution and destructive practices, also posses most of the power ability stop or reverse the unsustainable practices.  If, and only if it can become economically feasible and in the best interests of the corporation’s bottom line will they work to make changes.  The only push we as consumers can give is to support businesses that are trying to be responsible.  We cannot wait for government to find a way.

Journal #1 "sense of place"

I feel my current sense of place in the environment is probably one of neutrality.   I am not currently involved in any organizations to improve the health of local ecosystems, nor do I pollute, adding to the problem.  When I am in my neighborhood, I pick up garbage along my path and place it in the proper receptacles along with my dog’s feces, so I help maintain and slightly improve my surroundings.  I learned –from a Jack Johnson environmental campaign—that water bottles were filling up landfills and it was an easily preventable waste that I was attributing to. After learning this I switched from individual 20 ounce bottles to gallon jugs, a small contribution but every bit helps. 

To relate my current sense of place to an education experience outdoors, I think that I will learn ways to be an even better steward of the environment.  Taking the classroom outside jumpstarts interests in the natural world around us and puts a face per say on what it is we are learning about.  If we were to read from a book or watch a video of some distant species that is endangered, and then never to see the subject in real life, to us it’s the same as if it were already extinct.  But if we see a local habit being destroyed or an animal that we are familiar with, the motivation and reminder to act would always be with us. If for nothing else, witnessing nature helps it stick in our memories better than if we were to hear about in the classroom.

Journal #2 Vandana Shiva

The idea of biodiversity that Vandana Shiva explained, is one that I have never really thought of myself.  At first this article did not make very much sense to me because the author made the point that man does not have the right to manipulate other species. I couldn't help think of Gen.1:26, which states"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth".  This sums up how man has viewed his place in the environment since antiquity and what I have accepted as fact simply because of my ignorance. Shiva made excellent points by explaining how man has cultivated only what we have perceived as the most valuable species of crops and livestock and in doing so have made those species more susceptible to attacks by viruses, microorganisms, and insects.  The biodiversity in an environment make it richer, filled with billions of different organisms that are all interconnected with each other, and that is why man's effect on the environment goes well beyond the few trees we destroy to plant a crop. The chemicals we use on crops like fertilizer and pesticides have far reaching effects.  Birds lay eggs with thinner shells that break, and thereby reducing the population, which can lead to more rodents that the birds eat or less predators that depend on the birds for food.  Developing more environmentally responsible ways to produce, and catch food is ultimately our only hope. The current methods are unsustainable and will undoubtedly lead to the collapse of entire ecosystems and our way of life.

Journal #3 Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall’s article was a real uplifting one among the doom and gloom stories of destruction and impending extinctions.  I found it amazing that a woman who has seen so much destruction could still hold on, hoping for change.  Goodall has accomplished major successes by transforming entire communities, the way they feed themselves and fuel their households, and in doing so has not only improved the lives of the locals but created a situation where the environment can begin to heal itself and ultimately have a real chance at saving her beloved chimpanzees.  I have never read about Jane Goodall, although I have heard of her name and her studies of the chimpanzee.  I always assumed  she was a crazy nature lover because I knew she had lived in the jungle with the chimps.  I stand corrected, she isn’t just some voice crying out to save the monkeys, she had good ideas on how to implement the change she knew needed to happen. 

One story that really spoke to me was the one of Paul Rokich, who spent his own money and time going up a baron mountain sewing grass seed to restore it after the mountains flora had been destroyed by a mining operation.  This story stood out to me because it wasn’t  the restoration project of a large organization with hundreds of volunteers and resources, it was a single man who wanted to make a difference.   When confronted with monumental problems like the over-fishing in our oceans or global warming its easy to stand back watch without getting involved because one feels like their isn’t anything a single person can do to make a difference.  Paul Rokich’s incredible self motivation shows us that we, as individuals, can make an impact one mountain at a time.