English 101 Environmental Blog
Friday, April 20, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Education and the Proliferation of New (Old) Concepts Response
In Education and the
Proliferation of New (Old) Concepts Paul Theobald and Hibajene Shandomo
profile the education systems of the world as nations move from agrarian based
economies to industrial based ones. Education was once a highly values
resource, something that only the most wealthy families could afford. Children
that attended these schools considered their classes a privilege, chance to
move away from the rural towns of their childhood and make a name for
themselves in the large, growing cities. Today children view school as work,
something that is forced upon them and takes away from the fun of their
childhood. This eventually leads to a decline in the overall education for
students. If you go ask many students in public schools if they actually wanted
to attend classes your response would be a resounding no. If students do not
begin to value their education again the standards of the world’s education
systems will continue to decline. The US, once an educational superpower, is
now ranked in the mid 20’s in the world.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Coast Salish cultural survival response
Indigenous
resistance and racist schooling on the borders of empires: Coast Salish
cultural survival By Michael Marker explains the horrible discrimination
towards the indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest. In the late 1800’s children
of these tribes were forced to go to boarding school, once there they were
forced to abandon all of their ancient traditions and assimilate into modern
culture. Should they refuse, harsh punishments awaited them. When the
government finally decided that forcing these children to attend such schools
was unethical they decided to unsegregated public schools and allow Indian
children to attend. The children that went to these schools face such harsh criticism
that soon their parents were sending them back to the boarding schools they had
once been so desperate to be free from.
In reading this I
cannot help but think about the assimilation policies for aborigines in
Australia during the mid 1900’s. Aborigine children that had fair skin were
taken from their families and homes and forced to go to school. Once at these
schools they were trained in the ways of modern culture and then placed with a
white foster family. Most of these children never saw their real family again.
The children of this ancient culture would become known as the lost generation.
The racist policies seen in the late 1800’s and 1900’s are not just unjust, but
unethical. Unfortunately, racism may never be abolished in the world, until
then inequality and ethical criticism is a daily reality. It saddens me to
learn of the treatment of native Indian children and make me realize that this
harsh reality my never be changed.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Meatrix Resopnse
The Meatrix, while funny and somewhat
childish, does an excellent job of revealing the horrors of factory farming to
its audience. The films show how the quaint family farms that most major
agriculture companies use as mascots are indeed things of the past and that a
very small number of companies actually operate the agricultural market. To be
able to fund the fast food crazed society of the 21st century these
companies mechanized all farming processes in order to maximize profit. The
animals grown are so unhealthy that most are unable to walk; many never see
sunlight or get a breath of fresh air. What happens to these animals is cruel
and inhumane and must be stopped. These factory farms are also disgusting, many
are known to let manure drip onto already processed meat. The standards of the
meat packing industry must be raised or people throughout the world may soon
feel the repercussions.
When I watched films I was forced to remember the awful stench of the chicken houses outside of North Wilkesboro, NC that i pass everytime I go home. The stench alone is enough to make you sick.
My US History teacher in high school told me this to help me remember about the meat packing industry:
"Marry had a little lamb and when it began to sicken it was ent off to the meat packing plants and now its labelled chicken."
When I watched films I was forced to remember the awful stench of the chicken houses outside of North Wilkesboro, NC that i pass everytime I go home. The stench alone is enough to make you sick.
My US History teacher in high school told me this to help me remember about the meat packing industry:
"Marry had a little lamb and when it began to sicken it was ent off to the meat packing plants and now its labelled chicken."
Monday, March 12, 2012
Genetically Modified Crops Response
Genetically
mutated crops may be one solution to the world’s growing hunger crisis, but
what risks do they pose to worldwide health. The world’s population has
exploded over the last century, and shows no signs of stopping. As populations
increase governments are forced to look for ways to feed their growing
populations, many have turned to GM crops. These crops are genetically mutated
to increase yield, some are changed so that they take shorter time to grow
while others are mutated so that they can endure different environmental
climates and shocks. Even though these “super crops” sound great in theory,
humans must realize that the food they are eating has been chemically altered
and carries with it some health risks. Crops throughout the world have been
linked to such bacteria as e.coli, among others. These bacteria that have
themselves mutated along with the crops are much more resistant to antibiotics
and can seriously harm any unfortunate consumers. The moral dilemma of the food
service industry is that if we don’t modify crops people could starve but if we
do people could get sick. The decision is entirely that of the consumers, if
you don’t want to eat GM crops, buy organic. These crops may cost more but they
are much safer to eat.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Fracking Response
Environmental
groups finally have what they have been hoping for ever since natural gas
drilling began, evidence that fracking is harmful to the environment. Fracking
is a technique that uses highly pressured liquid (water and other chemicals) to
hydraulically fracture shale formations, creating veins that allow for the collection
of vast reservoirs of natural gas. Many areas that are “fracked” soon see
contaminates show up in their water resources. In Wyoming people started to see
particulates in their tap water that gave the water a brown hue. Environmental
researchers working with the EPA were able to link this to hydraulic fracking
nearby. While this is the first proven case of contamination, many people
across the country have reported contaminated water soon after natural gas
wells were built near their homes. In a small town in Pennsylvania methane
leakage was so bad that tap water turned flammable. Local residents were able
to hold a lighter to their faucets and see their water spark. This is because
of the many chemicals that are shot down wells to fracture shale. Substances
such as methane and lead are sent down right below underground aquifers. Ever
though there is a considerable distance between the bottom of the well and the
fresh water, some of the chemicals are still able to reach the underground
drinking water. Many chemicals that are used are classified as carcinogens and
can be detrimental to the health of anyone that is unfortunate enough to come
in contact with them. Methods and technologies that are associated with this
dangerous drilling technique must be cleaned up, or abolished. There are too
many people put at risk to justify drilling for natural gas. By improving
drilling technology we may someday be able to harvest the Earth’s natural gas
resources safely, but until then something must be done so that innocent people
are not forced to suffer and the surrounding areas are not destroyed.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fracking-linked-water-contamination-federal-agency
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Relgion and the Environment Article
By incorporating religion into the basic tenants of religion, the world may become a better place. Areas that hold strong religious ties to the environment tend to have more beautiful landscapes, not because they were blessed with them in the first place, but because their inhabitants fought to protect them. If people the world over began to see divinity in nature the effects of environmental travesties such as deforestation would diminish. Legislation would be passed to protect nature, just like it has been passed to protect other holy places.
This article shows how the people in Indonesia shows how religion has helped to reduce environmental damage.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216111701.htm
This article shows how the people in Indonesia shows how religion has helped to reduce environmental damage.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216111701.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)