Survey results

So the final post count on my survey is 150 responses. I had to start telling people to stop taking the survey due to the fact I can only use the first 100 responses. Since the actual usable results haven't changed, there isn't much to update. Android has 64% of the vote due to cheaper price, more phone selection and greater customability. Those who voted for Apple preferred the design of the screen and the user friendly operating system. Most were happy with the system they chose.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VBC8CFS

Essay IV

My survey is online and I have accumulated 39 responses so far and expect many more. It appears most of the people who took the survey prefer Android devices due to the lower cost and greater customization. My paper will be covering the choice between Apple and Android devices with respect to Rational Choice Theory in Economics and Sociology.

Survey

As of yesterday, I had not yet posted my survey, still needing a couple of relevant survey questions. Today I will be posting the survey on Survey Monkey. The paper and survey will be regarding the choice between Apple and Android devices with respect to Rational Choice Theory in Economics and Sociology.

Food and Sustainability issues of the Appalachians

The Appalachian region faces a unique situation with food acquisition common to less hospitable terrain. Due to the rocky hills and dense forests, the region is not ideal for crop or livestock farming. Food must be shipped in on semi-trucks from farms and distribution centers in the foothills. The routes into the mountains are often treacherous two lane roads laden with switchbacks and cliffs, making progress slow and pushing brakes and transmissions to the edge. This difficult venture causes prices for goods to skyrocket and encourages actions such as hunting, trapping and fishing for nutrition, which cuts down on local wildlife populations.

Sustainability issues of the area relate back to the problem of food and also for shelter and expansion.  Again, the necessity of locals to hunt wildlife for food causes a decreased population and can lead to species extinction. In addition, an ever-growing demand for timber for housing and amenities results in acres of forest land being wiped out by the thousands. The loss of forested land results in habitat loss for both tree dwelling creatures like birds and squirrels and ground dwelling animals, which rely on the cover of the trees to survive. Expansion of housing developments and tree farms also result in cleared forests. Very few trees are saved for housing developments and the trees in tree farms are small and unsuitable for habitats. 

Environmental Ethics Artifact

I chose this picture as my artifact of environmental ethics because of the different interpretations I saw when I looked at it. The picture is supposed to represent man's eternal struggle with nature. However, I believe it almost looks as if the man, while toppling the tree, is actually embracing it, as if for a hug. I saw two separate relations for this. The first relation is the two main attitudes of man towards nature currently. Many people continue to believe in destroying the nature and harvesting the woods to spread civilization, which the man toppling the tree represents. However, many others believe in preserving nature and keeping it from falling, which the man embracing the tree represents. Another outlook on the scene is what most people believe today versus what they need to think. Again, the man toppling the tree represents the majority that believe nature must be beaten, while the man embracing the tree represents what we should be thinking, that nature must be preserved, in order to protect the environment and the world for future generations.

Synthesis - Fracking Fury

The writer of this article offers a neutral opinion to the idea of hydraulic fracking, listing both facts and concerns about the process. He begins by explaining the process of hydraulic fracturing and the content of the hydraulic fluid used in the process. The pros of the fracking are given, a short list which mainly details the advantages of natural gas over coal or oil. This explanation does little to actually support the process, rather the result. The author then lists the cons, which must be divided between several categories, including the effects on water, human health, animal health, earthquakes and pollution. This expansive section of concerns, while presented with a neutral tone, show both the authors and the peoples concerns with the process. The writer also reference the EPA findings in Pavillion, Wyoming referenced in the Lustgarten article. Loopholes in environmental regulations explain how natural gas companies get away with groundwater contamination but a mention of pending legislation to close those loopholes suggest the writer supports the regulation of hydraulic fracturing. The writer concludes again in a neutral tone by stating that current EPA tests will determine the fate of the hydraulic fracturing process.

Palliser, Janna. "Fracking Fury." Science Scope n.d. 20-24. EBSCO Host. Web. 30 Sept. 2012.

Synthesis: EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination

Recent EPA findings in central Wyoming have linked hydraulic fracturing of the earth by natural gas companies to ground water contamination. The process of fracking is “the propagation of fractures in a rock layer, as a result of the action of a pressurized fluid” (Wikipedia). This opens up a hole which allows gas companies to access natural gas deposits in the earth. EPA tests in the city of Pavillion, Wyoming have tested positive for chemicals known to be used in the fracking process. Samples showed traces of synthetic compounds, like glycol ethers, in addition to many other organic compounds used for fracking. The town has been facing dirtied brown drinking water since fracking began in the area. The natural gas companies actually began providing water to local residents to continue their drilling. As the issue became even greater, The EPA declared the drinking water no longer suitable for consumption and warned the public about the production of flammable methane in the water.

            The gas companies deny the release of hydraulic liquids and insist the process is safe and prevents any contamination. They claim any contamination is from oil and gas waste pits left by previous companies. These companies refuse to release the composition of their hydraulic fluid, so it is unclear whether the contaminates found are a match. Despite this, the topic has come to the attention of Washington. Debates have broken out in Congress, with some politicians dismissing it as preposterous while others push for the regulation of the fracking process. It can be assumed that regulations on fracking will soon be much tighter for the sake of human health.

            While we still have an insatiable need for natural resources such as natural gas, these resources must be acquired in a safe manner with minimal interruption to the earth or ecosystems. It is unfair and immoral to tear up the earth in search of gas, poisoning the soil and the drinking water of local residences. I have no problem with enacting restrictions on fracking to maintain a safe and clean drinking water supply. As the push is made towards renewable sources of energy are made, the need for natural gas and fracking will begin to decline, and water systems will no longer be in danger of contamination. Even so, until this point is reached, great care must be taken to prevent tainting the only source of fresh water for many people across the globe.

Works Cited

"Hydraulic Fracturing." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.

Lustgarten, Abrahm, Nicholas Kusnetz, and ProPublica. "EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination." Scientific American. Nature America, Inc., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2012.

Towards Ecopedagogy and discussion

In his essay Towards Ecopedagogy, Richard Kahn challenges the classic system of capitalism in America and other superpowers and the current methods of environmental education. Kahn challenges capitalism by claiming that it entitles the wealthy countries of the world to continue expanding and promoting themselves as other countries remain in poverty, unable to offer goods or natural resources to sell or trade. Capitalist societies also encourage classism. Those born into a certain class will find it very difficult to rise to a higer class, mainly due to the monetary situation of the family with respect to their class, but also because of education and social acceptance. In addition, Kahn criticizes current environmental education standards and the concept of a "zoo school". He points out the fact that students of a "zoo school" are simply learning the basic facts of wild animals contained in captivity. In reality, he believes students should also be educated upon the inhumanity of the idea of a zoo and petition to prevent the captivity of wild animals, like dolphins, which, instead, patrons could pay $150 to swim with. This promotes his next point, that zoos run on corporate and monetary interests. Students should discourage this and instead learn proper environmental necessities, such as humane diets. Additionally, rather than focusing on improving grades, environmental education should be focused on bioregionalism, environmental awareness, and true sustainability for the planet.

Visual Rhetoric

This use of visual rhetoric shows a jet made out of grass with leaves trailing as exhaust from the engines. This example gives a strong meaning without a single word. The picture represents green, environmentally friendly technology in airliners, The goal is to reduce or eliminate environmentally damaging exhaust from the engines and waste and liquids from the plane to reduce greenhouse gases in the environment. People are not motivated to read long paragraphs of text attempting to convince them to be greener. However, a visual rhetoric like this captures the viewers attention and gets the same point across that the paragraph is trying to.

"Front Lines", "It Pleases" and "O Waters"

“Front Lines”

The poem “Front Lines” concerns the destruction and development of forests. The poem begins by describing the clearing and logging of trees as a cancer, washing up the hills like an ocean swell. Reality companies bring potential customers out in vehicles to see the land. A bulldozer clears the land of the recently felled trees. There is a forest and desert behind this that leads to the Arctic, and Snyder believes this is where the destruction must stop. Snyder evokes a strong sense of hatred for the logging by using the metaphor of cancer, a disease which spreads through the body and is despised by all. He also shows his disgust for the bulldozer by describing it as grinding, slobbering and belching over still alive trees. This poem leads the reader to see the deforestation process as evil ant to stop it as it is now.

“It Pleases”

“It Pleases” is about the fact that big government does not control the entire world. While all of the high brass in Washington D.C. believe they run the entire country, they don’t. The Earth is free to do as it wishes. The bird is a representation of this, soaring freely over the capitol without interference from Congress.

“O Waters”

This poem seems to be about a person in a campsite, awake while their partner slumbers. He is sitting, letting the various aspects of nature wash over him like water. He sees and hears the activities of nature, such as the melting of snow and the buildup of soil as a result of the wind. He embellishes these actions and respects the Earth for it’s complexity.

Turtle Island #2

"Steak"

The poem "Steak" focuses on steak houses and the people that eat there. Snyder points out the irony of the big steak houses with signs of happy cartoon cows or hefty prime cows, standing over the pieces of beef that are sliced, grilled and consumed. He puts emphasis on the word "rare" as if to say that rare is simply a title given to meat to put aside the fact that it is simply the raw muscle of another animal. He shows that all kinds of people eat steak at the houses, even animal nutrition experts with Buddhist beads. Then he shows what the true source of the steak is: the hundreds of livestock standing in frozen mud, eating old grain. The cattle seem to have no purpose in life other than becoming a meal. The entire poem points out the vast differences between what we the consumers believe and what really happens in the process.

“By Frazier Creek Falls”

“By Frazier Creek Falls” is about sensing nature and being a part of it. Snyder puts the reader standing on a cliff, looking into a valley. A waterfall falls nearby into the valley. He takes beauty even in the small things, such as the breeze blowing through the pine needles. He writes as if the land is alive. Snyder wants to remind the people that they are part of nature and they must embrace and respect the rest of it. He claims that we could live on earth without clothes or tools. Since we came from using nothing, we can go back.

“Rain in Alleghany”

This poem represents Snyder’s passion for Alleghany California. The area, seemingly mountainous, contains narrow, twisty roads wrapping around rivers along the way. When he is weary from his travels, Snyder enjoys sitting in Allegheny, drinking a beer and listening to the rain. He shows how one of his favorite things is to embrace nature with company. 

"Anasazi", The Way West, Underground" and "The Dead By The Side Of The Road".

This entry covers the reading of "Anasazi", "The Way West, Underground” and "The Dead By The Side Of The Road".

"Anasazi" is a descriptive poem relating to the Anasazi People of the Four Corners area of the United States. The poem uses short phrases to describe the basic environment and way of life for the Anasazi's, stating living conditions and resources. The poem was extremely hard to follow unless it was understood that the Anasazi were Pueblo people. “Anasazi” presents a native people living off the land and retaining their customs and traditions.

            “The Way West, Underground” speaks of the wilderness and primitive people of many different locations around the world. It describes the forests of Oregon, the islands of Japan, the women of Tibet and the people of Finland. Gary Snyder then focuses on Western Europe, where there are no bears. There are just men racing in the streets with guns. The only wild left in the area is bears and bison painted in caves from a people long gone. He may be suggesting that this is how all of the wilderness will end up before long.

            “The Dead By The Side Of The Road” mentions several great animals found dead by the side of the road, most struck by cars with one doe shot. Snyder is perplexed how these creatures could be so easily struck and left to die without a care. He collects the animals and skins them, cooking and eating the meat while saving the skins for bags and pouches. He shows his disgust by stating that roads were laid to kill them, and reminding the reader that the logging truck that struck the fawn was running on fossil fuels. Snyder believes the car in its present form is an evil that is not worth the lives of so many animals struck on the roadside.

Eaarth Podcast and Bioregion Quiz

          The bioregional quiz asked many detailed questions regarding the environment and the surroundings of a homestead. The person taking the quiz is expected to know facts such as the local watershed, native trees and plants and the destination of residential waste. This quiz proved to be extremely challenging, as a fairly widespread knowledge of local ecosystems and resources is needed for an excellent score, which many do not have. The typical American without a previous interest in the topics questioned would receive a fairly low score. The quiz reveals a lack of knowledge in a specific area which entices the user to research the topics and become better educated to fill that gap.

          Bill McKibben spoke in the Eaarth podcast about the fact that the Earth has already hit its limit as far as population and damage to the environment. Today is too late to stop the small changes as a result of overpopulation and environmental damage, but a catastrophic event may or may not be preventable. This rapid growth is due to the availability of cheap fossil fuels. There is a challenge to have growth without consumption of resources and space. The key to recovering is local agriculture that utilizes much more labor intensive work with many more jobs. Federal subsidies encourage large scale genetically modified crops with little labor or jobs. A single widespread farming method will not work across the globe. Each region needs to use the best techniques for themselves. Rather than growing as fast as possible, the population needs to slow down and fix the issues facing the world today. McKibben supports a local agriculture-based world with a close community like a small city.

Deforestation

In his essay Island Civilization, Roderick Nash explores the human destruction of the wilderness and the effects it has on the Earth. Nash sums up the past environmental attitude by showing that “for thousands of years the success of civilization seemed to mandate the destruction of wild places, wild animals, and wild peoples” (p. 373). Humans have always and will continue to fight against the wild like a defenseless enemy. A dominant factor in the destruction of wilderness worldwide is rapid deforestation. Forests are being stripped for resources and flattened to make way for subdivisions and shopping malls.

            One of the oldest and most prevalent causes of deforestation is the clearing of land for agriculture. Farmers need open land to grow sustainable crops in large numbers. This extensive cutting and logging has gone on for decades without much thought given to the effects on the planet. It has been estimated that the world’s rain forests will have been completely logged in one hundred years at the current rate of deforestation. In addition to the absence of trees, deforestation also destroys many species whose entire population exists in specific areas of the forests. Many species with smaller populations have made it to the extinction list due to the actions of humans.

            The Amazon Rain Forest is a prime example of major deforestation. In the past 40 years, 20% of the rain forest has been cut down due to excessive logging. It is expected that another 20% will disappear within the next 20 years. Removing that massive amount of forest interrupts the natural rain cycle of the remaining forest, causing the remaining trees to dry up and wither away. Many of the people clearing this forested land do it illegally for their own profits. Brazilian police forces attempt to stop these perpetrators; however they are far too understaffed to stop all of the loggers. Due to this fact, the Amazon Rain Forest may meet an early demise.

            Island Civilization could be the answer to all of these problems. Getting all humans far away from the remaining wilderness such as the Amazon would give the land time to heal and spread. This process would take thousands, if not millions, of years to get back to the expansive forested Earth it once was. Without humans to stop it, it could be done. Only minor, responsible logging would be allowed on designated plots. Reforestation and selective logging would be practiced acts, preventing the civilization from knocking out an entire section of forest. While these measures seem drastic and unlikely to ever occur, they could potentially save the world’s shrinking forests.

Summary and Response - "Island Civilization"

Seth Jones

Dr. Taylor

English 101

8/20/12

Summary and Response to Roderick Frasier Nash’s “Island Civilization:

A Vision for Human Occupancy of Earth in the Fourth Millennium”

            In his essay in the magazine Environmental History, Roderick Frasier Nash reviews the past interaction of human beings and the wild, highlights the major issue of a shrinking wilderness and offers radical options to preserve and expand the remaining wilderness. This essay begins with a look into the history of the idea of a millennium and how its significance has grown.  Nash continues by defining wilderness as “A state of mind, a perception, rather than a geographical reality, and prior to the advent of herding and agriculture about ten thousand years before the present, it didn’t exist.” (p. 372).  He speaks of how humans have struggled for years to attempt to eliminate the wilderness and redesign the Earth as they see fit. He suggests that this continuing, though decreasing, attitude will lead to a self-destruct to the human species and many others.

            As the essay progresses, Nash points out the fact that enlightenment in regards to the ever-shrinking wilderness has begun to reach the people, but it may be too little, too late. He lists several theoretical plans which could be implemented and, at the least, reduce the human effect on the wild. Finally, he reveals his own radical plan to save the wilderness. His plan, named Island Civilization, would keep humans in dense bunches approximately 100 miles wide, with methods to reduce their footprint on Earth and allow the wilderness to take over around them. Nash comments that “The beauty of Island Civilization is that it permits humans to fulfill their evolutionary potential without compromising or eliminating the opportunity of other species doing the same.” He finishes by emphasizing the Earth’s need for a caring and respectful life form that will protect it.

            I found this essay to be quite an interesting read. It really puts the human effect on the Earth into perspective. While I have never been much of an environmentalist, I have noticed that forests and ecosystems have been rapidly devoured by the human hunger for expansion. Seeing more acreage covered in pavement or farm land than trees leaves me curious as to how long it can continue. It seems cutting down so many trees would eventually begin to severely impact oxygen production on the planet, considering there used to be abundant forests supplying much smaller populations with clean air. Now there are small, condensed forests having to supply clean air to a massive population. It doesn’t take much insight to see that this won’t work much longer. It’s a trend that just cannot continue.

            While I enjoy the wilderness and want to preserve and expand it, I find Nash’s plan to be a bit excessive. While his plan does appear to have great potential, it also has too great of a negative impact on humans themselves to be feasible. I have always been a big believer in personal rights. Forcing humans to live in densely packed cities is a great violation of personal rights. Nobody can and should be able to force people into cities. I for one don’t like the idea of living in a city, much less being forced into one. I prefer to live out of the city; close to restaurants and shopping areas, but also to the wilderness. As an avid offroad enthusiast, I am all for preservation of the surrounding land, as long as it keeps the designated trails open and functioning. However, I still want to be able to live in the wilderness if I choose. I believe many of the world’s problems, including a shrinking wilderness, stem from the overpopulation of the human  race.  The people should be educated of this increasing problem as the Earth  reaches its carrying capacity. Greater measures should be taken to avoid unintentional pregnancy and families should be sure they are ready for a baby when they decide. Also, members of society who use pregnancy and children as an excuse to get benefits such as welfare should have their welfare revoked and children taken away. I do not want to take any drastic measures where they are not warranted, but something must be done. If we want to save the wilderness and the planet, we have to start with ourselves.