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

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Quotes from Endgame by Michael Grunwald Reactions by Joshua Bonaparte

"The ecosystem's natural balance was so out of whack that efforts to save the Cape Sable sparrow threatened the survival of the everglade snail kite." (Grunwald 78)

This quote is a good example of how fragile the ecosystem truly is. The quote helps bring to light how interconnected all of the members of the animal kingdom really are and how small changes can cause big problems. It is interesting to think that conservation or preservation efforts for one specific species could be inadvertently damaging a different species.

"The basic message was that it made no sense for the federal government to green-light a major airport at the edge of the Everglades at the same time it wanted taxpayers to spend 8 billion to restore the Everglades." (Grunwald 82)

I find this quote to be interesting because of how the problem is represented. I feel like the author represents the issue of the airport in such a simple way that it is hard to no understand. It is reasonable for tax payers at the time to be against the airport being near the Everglades because of the tax they pay for restoration efforts. It would be like beginning restoration efforts for the Gulf of Mexico and opening different oil drills along the Gulf.

"They still considered Everglades National Park their rightful homeland, and tensions had flared again recently when park leaders tried to stop them from building homes along the Tamiami Trail." (Grunwald 86)

 The group of people being discussed in this quote is the Miccosukees who are Native Americans who live within the Everglades. Restoration and sustainability efforts are important because not only does the Everglades provide shelter for animals but it does for people too. In my opinion when it comes to preserving the land we might be better off leaving it to the Native Americans.

Source: Grunwald, Michael. Endgame. Simon & Schuster, 2006. Print.

Pic 1,2,3

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/three-part-nature-circle-clouds-wheat-9712017.jpg

http://www.visualphotos.com/photo/2x3587698/boardwalk_everglades_national_park_homestead_fl_335BAL00235.jpg

http://cdn.toonvectors.com/images/11/13530/toonvectors-13530-940.jpg

The Nature Of The Everglades by Douglas Responses by Joshua Bonaparte

"To try to present it whole is to find oneself lost in the sense of continuing change." (Douglas 107)

I find that this quote was very accurate when describing the Everglades. I enjoyed how the writer described how even with men passing through the everglades it goes moderately unchanged other than its natural change occurrence. The Everglades is such a vast community of different creatures and species that trying to explain it in one broad term would be impossible. So many animals have found their niche in this constantly changing environment it is hard not to appreciate its wonders.

"The Mangrove becomes a solid barrier there, which by its strong, arched and labyrinthine roots collects the seepage of the fresh water and the salt tides flow and draw back and flow again." (Douglas 111)

I enjoyed how well the author described what the mangroves primary function is. The imagery was so vivid that I began to think back to our most recent field trip and could picture the different types of mangroves webbing together to make a beautiful landscape of arches. By reading this written work I actually gained better understanding of how to classify mangroves what each ones primary function was and how awesome the cool plants are!

"Moths move in and out of the light at the jungle edge, the twilight hawk moth, seeking the pale-flowered vines, and the rose colored tiger moth." (Douglas 141)

The last quote is another example of the authors imagery when describing the wonderful wetlands of the everglades. When most people hear about moths their reaction is somewhat negative. The way the author described the moths colors and the colors of the flowers they were attracted to I could just picture the natural beauty. Through out most of the reading I felt a surreal feeling as if the scenes being described to me were occurring in front of me. I gained a deeper appreciation of the everglades because of it.

Source

Douglas, Marjory. The Everglades River of Grass. Pineapple Press, 1988. Print.

Pictures 1,2,3

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Quotes from The Land Ethic by Leopold Responses by Joshua Bonaparte

“Individual thinkers since the days of Ezekiel and Isaiah have asserted the despoliation of land is not only inexpedient but wrong” (Leopold 58).

This quote really symbolizes how long the struggle for a healthy earth has been going on. People in general have been using the earth for their own selfish reasons mostly to get ahead economically. People cut down forests for warehouses and housing complexes without really weighing in on what type of impact it will have on the environment. The earth is most important because is sustains life as we know it its wrong that we damage it for personal gain.

“In short, a land ethic changes the role of homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it” (Leopold60).

I think this quote may be one of the most important out of the whole reading. The reason I believe this quote is so important is because it shows us how important it is to have a noble land ethic and understanding. We as human beings are only another species on the earth. We may be the self-proclaimed best species because of our problem solving skills and communication skills but that won’t help us if we destroy our habitat. It is unfair for us as humans being the “smartest” species on earth to continue our unsustainable practices that are damaging not only our home but the habitat we share with hundreds of other species.

“A system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided” (Leopold 67)

This statement holds true in all aspects of the world and not only conservation efforts. We live in a time where everything from politics, sports and conservations efforts are led by the economic self-interest of our population. We do not have a strong land ethic and understanding for the importance of earth instead we worry more about sustaining economic capital to continue our consumer ways. People who work for self-interest are not concerned with the good of the community but rather the good of their pockets and assets. We must break down the walls of conservations techniques and start by teaching people why it is important to take care of the only floating rock we have to live on.

Sources: Leopold. (1949). The land ethic. Oxford University Press.

 

Pictures: 1,2,3

http://natureiscalling.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/learn-three-boys-river.jpg

http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/environmental-conservation-symbols-8921105.jpg

http://www.fm.uci.edu/images/conserve.jpg

 

Quotes from Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment by Richard Louv, Reactions by Joshua Bonaparte

"Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle maintains that each hour of TV watched per day by preschoolers increases by 10 percent the likelihood that they will develop concentration problems and other symptoms of attention deficit disorders by age seven" (Louv 4) 

This quote holds some shocking information in regards to how detrimental television can be to the youth. If one hour of television increases the likely hood of attention deficit disorders by ten percent it would be believed that watching television wouldn’t be as popular as it is today. There are numerous types of television shows that are more or less directly targeting younger children such as Yo Gabba Gabba and Little Einsteins. Parents are placing their children in front of the television and putting on these “educational” programs without even knowing that it is possible that the amount of television their child is watching could in turn attribute to an attention problem in the future for their kid. This quote overall shows that one of our main forms of entertainment if not managed correctly could be injuring our youths ability to concentrate.

 

"Andrea Faber Taylor, Frances Kuo, and William C. Sullivan have found that green outdoor spaces foster creative play, improve children's positive adult interaction- and relieve the symptoms of attention-deficit disorders". (Louv 8)

The findings of these three researches open up another door for parents who's children suffer from ADHD but do not want to heavily medicate them with the common prescriptions such as Ritalin. Since children can gain positively in regards to an attention deficit problem from playing outside in green spaces such as parks and forests it would be a lot more cost effective to take your child to an outdoor activity rather than spending hundreds of dollars on prescription medications. Not only would it save parents money but it would also be an all natural approach to the attention deficit problem. The medication will always be readily available all you would have to do is open up the door and head outside.

"The medications can also have unpleasant side effects, among them sleep disruption, depression, and growth suppression of approximately half an inch per year on average, as reported in a large randomized trial funded by the National Institute of Mental Health". (Louv 10)

ADHD is becoming a popular disorder. More and more often you hear parents discussing the latest diagnosis of their children's hyper activity problem. Children are prescribed numerous amounts of prescription drugs to help curve the Attention deficit disorder one of the most popular being Ritalin. The problem is that the side effects of these prescriptions are damaging the children emotionally and physically. If the side effects of Ritalin suppress growth, initiate depression, and keep the children up at night you must wonder is it really helping them? With the knowledge of how the medicine could be negatively impacting the children it is important to lean towards more natural approachs like the "green space" idea recently discussed earlier.

Sources

Quotes

Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods. Algonquin Books.

Pictures

1.http://www.adhd-app.com/2013/03/05/tv-causes-attention-problems/

2.http://www.freefoto.com/preview/31-06-6/St-James-s-Park--London

3.http://momsdailydose.wordpress.com/category/discipline/