This show was about the new green evolution. Many businesses are starting to go green, and it seems to be a growing trend. Recycling is a $238 billion dollar business in the US and has more employees than the auto industry. Chicago is becoming one of the greenest cities in the US thanks to Mayor Dailey. The city has started trading carbon and other greenhouse emissions. Trading carbon tops $1 trillion dollars worldwide. About 5% of the US population uses 25% of the worlds fossil fuels. Many hybrid prototypes for cars have been coming out. India and China are starting to catch up to the US in carbon emissions. Prices of corn have doubled due to the high demand in the US. Many people in the world dont have conventional energy so some organizations are trying to bring them solar power. Amory Livitz is trying to reduce energy use by using solar power grids in homes and businesses. Venture capitalists around the world are trying to make the world healthier and greener. They are trying to make safer water treatment facilities through their funds. Also, demand for organic food has been rising in recent years.
I think its awesome that so many businesses are trying to go green. Ultimatley it will save us energy and money, which will hopefully help boost our economy a little bit. I hope the venture capitalists keep up the good work they are doing. Recently my mother has been buying more organic foods and milk. I appreciate this very much, because not only is it healthier, but it tastes better as well.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Pollan
I really enjoyed this chapter. Personally, I love meat with every ounce of my heart, but this chapter did make me think a little. It seems that Pollan really isnt telling us not to eat, rather he is suggesting that we respect the meat more that we do eat. I am appalled at the way many animals are treated before they are slaughtered to be food. I do believe they should be treated with respect before their death. Humans have hunted and eaten animals since the beginning of man. It is a very natural part of our heritage and lives, but I believe we could do it with a little more class and respect. Native Americans hunted and killed many animals, but they respected their prey and appreciated the animal. I think we could do something similar. Before eating meat we could take a little time to appreciate the life, whether how short or meaningless, that the animal lived. I will probably never stop eating meat, but I will stop unnappreciating what I do eat.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Death of Man-Overpopulation-Revised!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…6.5 billion! That is how many people call Earth their home. That number is projected to rise to 9 billion in 2050 (Connor). The human population has more than doubled in less than 50 years (Connor). This rapid growth is creating a problem for the environment and for our resources. This problem has been dubbed Overpopulation. According to Wikipedia; Overpopulation is a condition when an organism’s numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. It is determined using the ratio of population to available sustainable resources. Wikipedia says:
“If a given environment has a population of ten, but there is food or drinking water enough for only nine, then in a closed system where no trade is possible, that environment is overpopulated; if the population is 100 individuals but there is enough food, shelter, and water for 200 for the indefinite future, then it is not.”
This is a good example of what is happening in the world. With the rapid growth of population we are starting to see a steady decline in our most important resources including; water, food, land, energy, and fossil fuels. I am going to take a look at different causes, effects, and solutions in regards to the global problem of overpopulation.
Things causing overpopulation are sometimes good and sometimes bad, when speaking about them in other contexts. Decline in the death rate, rise in the birth rate, and improvements of public health are all positive things, but not when it comes to the issue of overpopulation. Due to advancements in medicine and improvements in public health care, doctors and scientists have found cures to previously fatal diseases. These new inventions in medicine have brought in many treatments for most of the life-threatening diseases, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals. Inevitably, this leads to an increase in population. Fighting disease and preventing death is a very good thing, but not when we look into the overcrowding of earth.
Another effect of advancements in medicine is the increase in fertility rates of human beings. Certain medicines today in some nations can boost the reproductive rate in humans. This too, is a great advancement and a miracle for many couples, but is a negative cause to overpopulation.
Immigration has also caused a stir in the overpopulation category. Obviously if people from one country travel to another country to set up a residence, then that area is certain to endure the effects of overpopulation. If a nations emigration rates don’t match their immigration rates, then overpopulation is bound to happen (Oak).
Lack of education is probably one of the largest causes of overpopulation. People lacking in education fail to understand the dangers ahead of us if we keep overcrowding the planet. The lack of family planning is very common in illiterate parts of the world. Some countries just do not have the resources to dish out this kind of knowledge, and then you have some countries who are just plain ignorant to the whole idea.
Along with causes, come effects and consequences. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of fresh water. A water crisis like this will only get worse with the increasing population. Lawrence Smith, President of the Population Institute said, “If the water goes, the species goes.” Even though we are surrounded by water, only 3 percent of it is sustainable freshwater and the other 97 percent is saltwater (CNN.com). Desalination of saltwater can be used to create freshwater. This is a very energy-intensive process. There are a good number of nuclear powered desalination plants around the world, but the high costs of desalination make it unfeasible to transport large amounts of desalinated saltwater, especially in poor third world countries (Wikipedia.com).
According to the United Nations, “about 850 million people are malnourished or starving and 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water” (Wikipedia.com). Only a small percentage of the world is wealthy and those nations have the majority of the safe drinking water. The United Nations Development Program was quoted saying “The scarcity at the heart of the global water crisis is rooted in power, poverty and inequality, not in physical availability” (Black). Japan and Cambodia under go the same average amount of rainfall per year, which is about 160cm. An average Japanese person uses 400 liters a day, but the average Cambodian only gets one-tenth of it (Black). Better water seems to favor the more prosperous nations and over-look the more poverty stricken ones. Technology could be one of the reasons for this.
As the world population grows, so does their hunger. “Agriculture accounts for about 70% of water use around the world” says Richard Black, “and extra consumption for growing food is likely to reduce the amount available for those basic needs of drinking, cooking and washing.”
This overcrowding of Earth is taking a toll on our environment. Increased levels in air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, and noise pollution are slowly eroding away our healthy environment. The need for land is causing deforestation, which causes a loss of ecosystems, which is aiding in the cause of mass species extinction. Extinction rates are becoming as high as 140,000 species lost per year (Primm, 1995). Overpopulation can affect other life forms besides human beings. The time is way over due to start finding solutions to this problem. Governments and nations have to start acting on this immediately.
There are many suggested solutions to this problem, but some are just a little unrealistic. In the 1970’s the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi implemented a forced sterilization program (Wikipedia.com). Men with two or more children had to agree to sterilization. I don’t think something like this would work in today’s world. Other people propose that governments should stop funding on child-vaccination because children should have to survive naturally. This idea is interesting, yet mean and sinful. Only an insane government would agree to do something like that. These are solutions that I would personally not go for.
There are two ideas that I believe would help in the assistance of controlling overpopulation. One would be reforming tax laws in a way to promote couples to have no more than two children. They would still be able to have as many kids as they want, but the tax code would no longer subsidize more than two (grinningplanet.com). Finally, the best solution to overpopulation is more access to family planning services. If countries could make family planning education, condoms, and birth control easily affordable and available to their public then that could be a great start to the downfall of overpopulation. It all could start with a little education. Arnold Joseph Toynbee once said, “We have been God-like in our planned breeding of our domesticated plants and animals, but we have been rabbit-like in our unplanned breeding of ourselves” (grinningplanet.com). If this rabbit-like approach continues, then this overpopulation will surely be the death of mankind.
Works Cited
S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347-350 (1995)
"Overpopulation." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Jan. 2009..
Hoevel, Ann. "Overpopulation could be people, planet problem." CNN.com. 29 Jan. 2009.
Connor, Steve. "Overpopulation 'is main threat to planet'" The Independent. 1 Feb. 2009.
Oak, Manali. "Causes of Overpopulation." Buzzle.com. 2 Feb. 2009..
"World Population Growth." Grinning Planet. 29 Jan. 2009.
.
Black, Richard. "Water- another global 'crisis'?" BBC News. 9 Feb. 2009..
“If a given environment has a population of ten, but there is food or drinking water enough for only nine, then in a closed system where no trade is possible, that environment is overpopulated; if the population is 100 individuals but there is enough food, shelter, and water for 200 for the indefinite future, then it is not.”
This is a good example of what is happening in the world. With the rapid growth of population we are starting to see a steady decline in our most important resources including; water, food, land, energy, and fossil fuels. I am going to take a look at different causes, effects, and solutions in regards to the global problem of overpopulation.
Things causing overpopulation are sometimes good and sometimes bad, when speaking about them in other contexts. Decline in the death rate, rise in the birth rate, and improvements of public health are all positive things, but not when it comes to the issue of overpopulation. Due to advancements in medicine and improvements in public health care, doctors and scientists have found cures to previously fatal diseases. These new inventions in medicine have brought in many treatments for most of the life-threatening diseases, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals. Inevitably, this leads to an increase in population. Fighting disease and preventing death is a very good thing, but not when we look into the overcrowding of earth.
Another effect of advancements in medicine is the increase in fertility rates of human beings. Certain medicines today in some nations can boost the reproductive rate in humans. This too, is a great advancement and a miracle for many couples, but is a negative cause to overpopulation.
Immigration has also caused a stir in the overpopulation category. Obviously if people from one country travel to another country to set up a residence, then that area is certain to endure the effects of overpopulation. If a nations emigration rates don’t match their immigration rates, then overpopulation is bound to happen (Oak).
Lack of education is probably one of the largest causes of overpopulation. People lacking in education fail to understand the dangers ahead of us if we keep overcrowding the planet. The lack of family planning is very common in illiterate parts of the world. Some countries just do not have the resources to dish out this kind of knowledge, and then you have some countries who are just plain ignorant to the whole idea.
Along with causes, come effects and consequences. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of fresh water. A water crisis like this will only get worse with the increasing population. Lawrence Smith, President of the Population Institute said, “If the water goes, the species goes.” Even though we are surrounded by water, only 3 percent of it is sustainable freshwater and the other 97 percent is saltwater (CNN.com). Desalination of saltwater can be used to create freshwater. This is a very energy-intensive process. There are a good number of nuclear powered desalination plants around the world, but the high costs of desalination make it unfeasible to transport large amounts of desalinated saltwater, especially in poor third world countries (Wikipedia.com).
According to the United Nations, “about 850 million people are malnourished or starving and 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water” (Wikipedia.com). Only a small percentage of the world is wealthy and those nations have the majority of the safe drinking water. The United Nations Development Program was quoted saying “The scarcity at the heart of the global water crisis is rooted in power, poverty and inequality, not in physical availability” (Black). Japan and Cambodia under go the same average amount of rainfall per year, which is about 160cm. An average Japanese person uses 400 liters a day, but the average Cambodian only gets one-tenth of it (Black). Better water seems to favor the more prosperous nations and over-look the more poverty stricken ones. Technology could be one of the reasons for this.
As the world population grows, so does their hunger. “Agriculture accounts for about 70% of water use around the world” says Richard Black, “and extra consumption for growing food is likely to reduce the amount available for those basic needs of drinking, cooking and washing.”
This overcrowding of Earth is taking a toll on our environment. Increased levels in air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, and noise pollution are slowly eroding away our healthy environment. The need for land is causing deforestation, which causes a loss of ecosystems, which is aiding in the cause of mass species extinction. Extinction rates are becoming as high as 140,000 species lost per year (Primm, 1995). Overpopulation can affect other life forms besides human beings. The time is way over due to start finding solutions to this problem. Governments and nations have to start acting on this immediately.
There are many suggested solutions to this problem, but some are just a little unrealistic. In the 1970’s the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi implemented a forced sterilization program (Wikipedia.com). Men with two or more children had to agree to sterilization. I don’t think something like this would work in today’s world. Other people propose that governments should stop funding on child-vaccination because children should have to survive naturally. This idea is interesting, yet mean and sinful. Only an insane government would agree to do something like that. These are solutions that I would personally not go for.
There are two ideas that I believe would help in the assistance of controlling overpopulation. One would be reforming tax laws in a way to promote couples to have no more than two children. They would still be able to have as many kids as they want, but the tax code would no longer subsidize more than two (grinningplanet.com). Finally, the best solution to overpopulation is more access to family planning services. If countries could make family planning education, condoms, and birth control easily affordable and available to their public then that could be a great start to the downfall of overpopulation. It all could start with a little education. Arnold Joseph Toynbee once said, “We have been God-like in our planned breeding of our domesticated plants and animals, but we have been rabbit-like in our unplanned breeding of ourselves” (grinningplanet.com). If this rabbit-like approach continues, then this overpopulation will surely be the death of mankind.
Works Cited
S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347-350 (1995)
"Overpopulation." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Jan. 2009.
Hoevel, Ann. "Overpopulation could be people, planet problem." CNN.com. 29 Jan. 2009.
Connor, Steve. "Overpopulation 'is main threat to planet'" The Independent. 1 Feb. 2009.
Oak, Manali. "Causes of Overpopulation." Buzzle.com. 2 Feb. 2009.
"World Population Growth." Grinning Planet. 29 Jan. 2009.
Black, Richard. "Water- another global 'crisis'?" BBC News. 9 Feb. 2009.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Paraphrase activity
The Source: “The new inventions in medicine have brought in treatments for most of the dreadful diseases.”
Mine: “These new inventions in medicine have brought in many treatments for most of the life-threatening diseases, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals.”
Corrected paraphrase: “These innovative findings in medicine have brought about many treatments for the majority of life-threatening illnesses, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals."
Mine: “These new inventions in medicine have brought in many treatments for most of the life-threatening diseases, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals.”
Corrected paraphrase: “These innovative findings in medicine have brought about many treatments for the majority of life-threatening illnesses, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals."
Monday, February 2, 2009
Death of Man-Overpopulation
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…6.5 billion! That is how many people call Earth their home. That number is projected to rise to 9 billion in 2050 (Connor). The human population has more than doubled in less than 50 years (Connor). This rapid growth is creating a problem for the environment and for our resources. This problem has been dubbed; Overpopulation. According to Wikipedia; Overpopulation is a condition when an organism’s numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. It is determined using the ratio of population to available sustainable resources. Wikipedia says:
“If a given environment has a population of ten, but there is food or drinking water enough for only nine, then in a closed system where no trade is possible, that environment is overpopulated; if the population is 100 individuals but there is enough food, shelter, and water for 200 for the indefinite future, then it is not.”
This is a good example of what is happening in the world. With the rapid growth of population we are starting to see a steady decline in our most important resources including; water, food, land, energy, and fossil fuels. I am going to take a look at different causes, effects, and solutions in regards to the global problem of overpopulation.
Things causing overpopulation are sometimes good and sometimes bad, when speaking about them in other contexts. Decline in the death rate, rise in the birth rate, and improvements of public health are all positive things, but not when it comes to the issue of overpopulation. Due to advancements in medicine and improvements in public health care, doctors and scientists have found cures to previously fatal diseases. These new inventions in medicine have brought in many treatments for most of the life-threatening diseases, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals. Inevitably, this leads to an increase in population. Fighting disease and preventing death is a very good thing, but not when we look into the overcrowding of earth.
Another cause of advancements in medicine is the increase in fertility rates of human beings. Certain medicines today can boost the reproductive rate in humans. This too, is a great advancement and a miracle for many couples, but is a negative cause to overpopulation.
Lack of education is probably one of the largest causes of overpopulation. People lacking in education fail to understand the dangers ahead of us if we keep overcrowding the planet. The lack of family planning is very common in illiterate parts of the world. Some countries just do not have the resources to dish out this kind of knowledge, and then you have some countries who are just plain ignorant to the whole idea.
Along with causes, come effects and consequences. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of fresh water. A water crisis like this will only get worse with the increasing population. Lawrence Smith, President of the Population Institute said, “If the water goes, the species goes.” Even though we are surrounded by water, only 3 percent of it is sustainable freshwater and the other 97 percent is saltwater (CNN.com). Desalination of saltwater can be used to create freshwater. This is a very energy-intensive process. There are a good number of nuclear powered desalination plants around the world, but the high costs of desalination make it unfeasible to transport large amounts of desalinated saltwater, especially in poor third world countries (Wikipedia.com).
This overcrowding of Earth is taking a toll on our environment. Increased levels in air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, and noise pollution are slowly eroding away our healthy environment. The need for land is causing deforestation, which causes a loss of ecosystems, which is aiding in the cause of mass species extinction. Extinction rates are becoming as high as 140,000 species lost per year (Primm, 1995). Overpopulation can affect other life forms besides human beings. The time is way over due to start finding solutions to this problem. Governments and nations have to start acting on this immediately.
There are many suggested solutions to this problem, but some are just a little unrealistic. In the 1970’s the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi implemented a forced sterilization program (Wikipedia.com). Men with two or more children had to agree to sterilization. I don’t think something like this would work in today’s world. Other people propose that governments should stop funding on child-vaccination because children should have to survive naturally. This idea is interesting, yet mean and sinful. Only an insane government would agree to do something like that. These are solutions that I would personally not go for.
There are two ideas that I believe would help in the assistance of controlling overpopulation. One would be reforming tax laws in a way to promote couples to have no more than two children. They would still be able to have as many kids as they want, but the tax code would no longer subsidize more than two (grinningplanet.com). Finally, the best solution to overpopulation is more access to family planning services. If countries could make family planning education, condoms, and birth control easily affordable and available to their public then that could be a great start to the downfall of overpopulation. It all could start with a little education. Arnold Joseph Toynbee once said, “We have been God-like in our planned breeding of our domesticated plants and animals, but we have been rabbit-like in our unplanned breeding of ourselves” (grinningplanet.com). If this rabbit-like approach continues, then this overpopulation will surely be the death of mankind.
Works Cited
S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347-350 (1995)
"Overpopulation." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Jan. 2009..
Hoevel, Ann. "Overpopulation could be people, planet problem." CNN.com. 29 Jan. 2009.
Connor, Steve. "Overpopulation 'is main threat to planet'" The Independent. 1 Feb. 2009.
Oak, Manali. "Causes of Overpopulation." Buzzle.com. 2 Feb. 2009..
"World Population Growth." Grinning Planet. 29 Jan. 2009.
.
“If a given environment has a population of ten, but there is food or drinking water enough for only nine, then in a closed system where no trade is possible, that environment is overpopulated; if the population is 100 individuals but there is enough food, shelter, and water for 200 for the indefinite future, then it is not.”
This is a good example of what is happening in the world. With the rapid growth of population we are starting to see a steady decline in our most important resources including; water, food, land, energy, and fossil fuels. I am going to take a look at different causes, effects, and solutions in regards to the global problem of overpopulation.
Things causing overpopulation are sometimes good and sometimes bad, when speaking about them in other contexts. Decline in the death rate, rise in the birth rate, and improvements of public health are all positive things, but not when it comes to the issue of overpopulation. Due to advancements in medicine and improvements in public health care, doctors and scientists have found cures to previously fatal diseases. These new inventions in medicine have brought in many treatments for most of the life-threatening diseases, resulting in an increase in life expectancy for individuals. Inevitably, this leads to an increase in population. Fighting disease and preventing death is a very good thing, but not when we look into the overcrowding of earth.
Another cause of advancements in medicine is the increase in fertility rates of human beings. Certain medicines today can boost the reproductive rate in humans. This too, is a great advancement and a miracle for many couples, but is a negative cause to overpopulation.
Lack of education is probably one of the largest causes of overpopulation. People lacking in education fail to understand the dangers ahead of us if we keep overcrowding the planet. The lack of family planning is very common in illiterate parts of the world. Some countries just do not have the resources to dish out this kind of knowledge, and then you have some countries who are just plain ignorant to the whole idea.
Along with causes, come effects and consequences. One of the biggest concerns is the lack of fresh water. A water crisis like this will only get worse with the increasing population. Lawrence Smith, President of the Population Institute said, “If the water goes, the species goes.” Even though we are surrounded by water, only 3 percent of it is sustainable freshwater and the other 97 percent is saltwater (CNN.com). Desalination of saltwater can be used to create freshwater. This is a very energy-intensive process. There are a good number of nuclear powered desalination plants around the world, but the high costs of desalination make it unfeasible to transport large amounts of desalinated saltwater, especially in poor third world countries (Wikipedia.com).
This overcrowding of Earth is taking a toll on our environment. Increased levels in air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, and noise pollution are slowly eroding away our healthy environment. The need for land is causing deforestation, which causes a loss of ecosystems, which is aiding in the cause of mass species extinction. Extinction rates are becoming as high as 140,000 species lost per year (Primm, 1995). Overpopulation can affect other life forms besides human beings. The time is way over due to start finding solutions to this problem. Governments and nations have to start acting on this immediately.
There are many suggested solutions to this problem, but some are just a little unrealistic. In the 1970’s the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi implemented a forced sterilization program (Wikipedia.com). Men with two or more children had to agree to sterilization. I don’t think something like this would work in today’s world. Other people propose that governments should stop funding on child-vaccination because children should have to survive naturally. This idea is interesting, yet mean and sinful. Only an insane government would agree to do something like that. These are solutions that I would personally not go for.
There are two ideas that I believe would help in the assistance of controlling overpopulation. One would be reforming tax laws in a way to promote couples to have no more than two children. They would still be able to have as many kids as they want, but the tax code would no longer subsidize more than two (grinningplanet.com). Finally, the best solution to overpopulation is more access to family planning services. If countries could make family planning education, condoms, and birth control easily affordable and available to their public then that could be a great start to the downfall of overpopulation. It all could start with a little education. Arnold Joseph Toynbee once said, “We have been God-like in our planned breeding of our domesticated plants and animals, but we have been rabbit-like in our unplanned breeding of ourselves” (grinningplanet.com). If this rabbit-like approach continues, then this overpopulation will surely be the death of mankind.
Works Cited
S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347-350 (1995)
"Overpopulation." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Jan. 2009.
Hoevel, Ann. "Overpopulation could be people, planet problem." CNN.com. 29 Jan. 2009.
Connor, Steve. "Overpopulation 'is main threat to planet'" The Independent. 1 Feb. 2009.
Oak, Manali. "Causes of Overpopulation." Buzzle.com. 2 Feb. 2009.
"World Population Growth." Grinning Planet. 29 Jan. 2009.
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