Orr Reactions

"We, in contrast, must choose between biophobia and biophilia because science and technology have given us the power to destroy so completely as well as the knowledge to understand the consequences of doing so" (Orr 188).

I like this quote a lot because of the way it is worded. Orr does a magnificent job of explaining how because of our technology advancements we can destroy nature in an extremely quick rate. Our advancements have also made information about the effects of this damage known to a wider variety of people. It truly is a divide between those who want to limit the effects and conserve against those who want to expand and destroy.

"The ecological crisis, in short, is about what it means to be human" (Orr 197).

This quote was my favorite in the reading because how shockingly true it is. How one identifies themselves as what it is to be human directly influences how they approach nature. The people who believe that human and nature should be separate and that civilization should be above nature are the ones who will destroy the earth. The people who believe we are members of the natural order of things and are not above nature are the ones who will help conserve and sustain our earth.

Source: Orr, David. Earth in Mind. Island Press, 2004. Print.
Pics: Taken by Joshua Bonaparte

Field Trip Reactions Campus Wet Walk

The field trip that I enjoyed most was the campus wet walk. I was very uncertain about how I was going to react having to walk almost waist deep through water. My uncertainties were met with excitement as we began to slowly wade into the water. This field trip left the biggest impression on me because for the entire duration of the class prior to the wet walk I was very unoptimistic about the lessons. The field trip helped expand my sense of place because it exposed me to parts of nature I am usually not exposed to. I learned a lot about how some marshes and other forms of water help reduce flood risks naturally. The campus wet walk made me instantly think of the reading written by Douglas titled The Everglades: River of grass.  The scenes depicted in this reading I found relatively close to the scenes exposed to me during the campus wet walk. My overall experience had been a positive one because I am enjoying something I at first believed I would hate.

Photo: http://linapps.s3.amazonaws.com/linapps/photomojo/wtnh.com/photos/2012/10/g4924-photos-sandy-hits-fairfield/99122-knee-deep-water-11d38.jpg

Goodall Reactions by Joshua Bonaparte

"I believe that human know-how and the resilience of nature, combined with the energy and commitment of dedicated individuals, can restore damaged environments so that, once again, they can become home to many of our endangered species" (Goodall 161)

This quote is an extremely optimistic one. I do agree that it is possible to heal damaged environments and possibly make them habitable for native endangered species. The problem with this idea is that it is so broad fixing environments could take up to a whole persons lifetime. On top of this issue human "know-how" is not always one hundred percent correct so in an attempt to fix a habitat we could accidently harm it more or inadvertently damage another species.

"It is living proof that the rehabilitation of a man made wasteland is not only possible but can be accomplished with sound organic principals" (Goodall 163)

This quote describes the efforts of two people whom created a waste land in Kenya due to their years of quarrying. The group decided to begin planting trees and slowly introduce animals to the area. Within a few years the area was a fully sustainable system that had made a complete 180 from the dying wasteland. This quote really drives home the point that we can make a difference in conserving and healing our earth.

"With out plants animals (including ourselves) cannot survive" (Goodall 174)

Often times when discussing endangered species we do not put plants into the picture. In reality without plants we can survive and it is far more difficult to point out the endangered plant in comparison to animal. We need to start treating our plants with as much love and respect as we do the animals or else we could neglect the most important piece to earths complex puzzle. The quote really beings reality to a head because with out plants there would be no life.

Pics: 1. http://sjsa.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/resilience.jpg
         2.http://ascendingstarseed.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/11135-altruismo.jpg
         3. http://nrsd.info/student/808_files/image006.jpg
Source: Goodall, Jane. Hope for Animals. Grand Central Publishing, 2009. Print.

Reactions to Carsons "Silent Spring" By Joshua Bonaparte

"No witchcraft, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had don't it themselves." (Carson 151)

The quote above described a hypothetical country that collapsed upon itself. Carson directly adds counterparts that relate this country vaguely to the United States. It describes a town that strived greatly but was followed by a great ecological problem because they did not appreciate the earth but rather looked at it as a resource. Carson expands on the idea by suggesting the U.S could fall victim of this same fate. I agree completely and Carson does an extremely good job of describing this barren land.

"The most alarming of all man's assaults upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials." (Carson 153)

This quote brings to light the morbid truth that we are contaminating just about every single natural source on earth. Nothing is safe the air is receiving approved chemical trails from jet planes. Sea water is constantly polluted with trash and oil from recreational boats. Rivers get pollutants dumped into them deemed safe only later to be realized as the reason for a magnitude of destruction in fish population. The times that we live in are ones of great uncertainty due to the complete lack of respect for our earths natural gifts.

"Can anyone believe that it is possible to lay down such a barrage of poisons on the surface of the earth without making it unfit for life? They should not be called insecticides but biocides." (Carson 155)

This quote might of been my favorite through out the entire reading. The reality is that we are spraying just about everything we eat with poison. This poison not only kills the bad bugs but those that serve a purpose and basically anything that is unlucky enough to be caught in the fumes such as birds. We are contaminating our food and by doing this we are contaminating animals around us. Carson does a good job of simply presenting such a complex issue for those who might not have any knowledge to still be able to understand.

Pictures

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/seedling-growing-barren-land-16572911.jpg

 

http://wintergoosepublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/AssaultonNature_FlatforeBooks.jpg

 

http://www.greengrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pesticides1.jpg

Source

Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, 1990. Print.

Tomorrows Biodiversity Reactions

"Biodiversity is in fact the embodiment of centuries of cultural evolution, because humans have coevolved with other species in the diverse ecosystems of the world" (Shiva 38)

All of the animals in time have gone through some type of evolution in order to survive. Humans are no exception to this rule of thumb. Often people speak as if they are not a part of nature, that they are above it but this is not true. Without the diversity of humans and animal species there would be no progress on earth because it is likely the non-diverse animals would not survive. Hypothetically speaking if there was a virus that kills polar bears and only polar bears were on earth bears would go extinct simply because there was no diversity to the animal.

"The destructions of biodiversity translates into the destruction of the diversity of livelihoods of the large majority of third world people who make their living as farmers, fishermen, craftspeople and healers" (Shiva 39).

The bigger picture is never thought about when focusing on ones own personal wants or goals. Diversity on earth is important and by destroying it we are not only injuring ourselves but the people across the entire world. If there is a fishermen who fishes tuna off the coast or a farmer who grows turnips and diversity is wiped out it is likely these people will have no form of income or would have to focus on a different species. The fisherman would have to start farming artificial salmon and the farmer would have to plant GMO crops because in a land with no diversity only man made options could survive. By destroying biodiversity we are destroying the people and world around us.

"The idea of emptiness also leads to the notion of limitlessness-- that there are no limits set by nature or other cultures to be respected, no ecological or ethical limits, no limits to the level of greed or accumulation"(Shiva 57).

This quote is most certainly my favorite out of the reading because of how correct it is in describing the problem we face today. People think there is an endless amount that we can do to the earth and that we wont be held responsible for it and this is untrue. Peoples notion is that any damage done can be reversed by our outstanding progress with technology. We might understand technology well but the earth is so complex no one can truly claim to understand it. Greed is destroying the world as people knockdown forests and create invasive plant crops simply for the love of money. We need to instill ecological and ethical respect not only for ourselves but for the earth too or else we are gonna find ourselves taking a big bite we cant chew.

Sources: Shiva, Vandana. Tomorrows Biodiversity. Thames & Hudson, 2000. Print.
Pic: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr0sH18qgjJK9PGNA6nk_bg4pjm20tfzfUyVz8FvgrWwq-z-W61nQd94Z7ny-JvSUYmmMT6rvFt3T3qm0TtfMijPG1HbZpa1UEV4tSBv27hvHt-foJOTlemOZcc8izTyTNdOhFjH6f0Y/s1600/1238418977_wild-animal-vector-cartoon-copy.jpg
http://weirderacont.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/final-biodiversity.jpg
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Tale of Two Farms Quotes Reactions by Joshua Bonaparte

"My trips to Huls and Gardar farms, thousands of miles apart but visited during the same summer, vividly brought home to me the conclusion that even the richest, technologically most advanced societies today face growing environmental and economic problems that should not be underestimated." (Diamond 17)

 The quote above really brings into light a problem so basic that it is often over looked. The problem is that our generation is a highly technological based community and we lean on technology to help us with all aspects of our life. With any problem nowadays the one and only answer is technology. Diamond shows this not to be a true solution by using the two farms as examples of high technologically advanced places that still feel the strain of economic problems and environmental problems.
"The past offers us a rich database from which we can learn, in order that we may keep on succeeding" (Diamond 17)

History repeats itself and those who ignore it will be faced with the same downfalls of those before them. There is no better teacher then time itself. It is important for us as a whole to pay attention to those who came before us so that we may be prepared for unseen events in the future. For us to advance and keep succeeding we must take a slower more thought out approach to everything that we do.
"Natural climate changes may make conditions either better or worse for any particular human society".(Diamond 29)

I thought that this quote was interesting because of how the information was presented. It is normal to assume that when one hears the dreaded words climate change they instantly think of global warming and a crisis that is waiting to happen. This quote on the other hand kind of plays both sides of the field saying that the type of climate change and location of a society can affect whether the outcome is good or bad. Unfortunately even if we would like to believe climate change is as simple as good versus bad it isn't there are many factors contributing to both ends of the scale.

Sources: Diamond, J. (2005). A tale of two farms. Penguin.
Pics: http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/ddraw/ddraw1001/ddraw100100020/6254221-farm-family-with-background-funny-cartoon-and-vector-illustration.jpg
http://www.galaxytradebd.com/images/Old-clock-II-83.gif
http://www.releasingtruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/iStock_000009770380_ExtraSmall.jpg

Plan B Reactions

"At the top of the food chain ranking are the United States and Canada where people consume on average 800 kilograms a year". (Brown 5)

This quote I find interesting simply because of how the United States and Canada are the highest consumers of food on the planet. Compared to other countries we are smaller than like China and India we consume a lot more. If there is worry of a food scarcity because of population growth then it would seem that we should be dispersing food to those in trouble rather than consuming are hearts desire.

"As land and water become scarce, competition for these vital resources intensifies within societies, particularly between the wealthy and those who are poor and dispossessed." (Brown 44)

Competition between the rich and poor truly is no competition at all. The wealthy people always will have more resources to accomplish the goal at which they set forth whether it be for land or water. This quote brings to light how bad it could be if water scarcity became a problem because it would be the wealthy who would have the vital resources like water while the poor would be left in a worse position.

"Ever since civilization began, each generation has left the next a planet similar to the one it inherited. Our generation may be the first to abandon that tradition." (Brown 55)

I find this quote easily one of the most interesting in the reading because of how true it is. Our generation has made some of the most quick advancements in technology in a short period of time and because of this we are destroying the earth at a more rapid pace. Most earlier generations would pass the earth along fairly untouched because they did not have the technology to do the damage that we can today as quickly as we do. This quote reminds me of another that I read I am unsure of the author but it went like this "We do not inherit the earth from those before us rather we babysit it for those to come". The earth is not ours to destroy we should preserve it for the future generations who have to say in the destruction we are causing.

Sources

Brown, Lester R. . Plan B 4.0, Mobilizing To Save Civilization. W W Norton & Co Inc, Print.

Pictures

http://www.cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/1528

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0p2EsvdfVVJ8rdVAnRc3a8_nMUr8lXp1NqdkTSfjkxuw_oIcuZDDOzBdCwqvhOtf0OJQP-KMCUQ1U1ymsk7AdNBpyA23qty2yLHixQWLebE-po7pxNdY1hwqxya-yRZIq7BfjLnmnls/s1600/water_844529.jpg

http://image.yaymicro.com/rz_1210x1210/0/4fa/earth-cartoon-with-recycle-symbol-4fabbf.jpg