Blog # 3, Enviro 2000.

Section 25: Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization? Lester R. Brown

1. Summary 2. According to Lester Brown, demand for food is growing faster than the supply. 

What are the effects of this trend likely to be? How can we prevent the worst effects?    

1) The absence of government control in developing nations is creating failed states that lack personal security, basic education, reliable health care and food security. These globally marginalized communities are highly vulnerable to the negative impacts of global warming, fresh water shortages, and loss of topsoil. As the global population continues to rise, the demand for finite resources will also increase. Long-term sustainability goals need to be achieved in order to protect the ecological integrity of the planet’s finite ecosystems. Eradicating poverty, restoring forests, soils and aquifers are long-term humanitarian goals- politically correct and morally appropriate. The projected cost to save civilization will be less than $200 billion, which is one sixth of current global military spending. Immediate government action must be taken to reduce 80% of global carbon emissions by implementing carbon taxes before 2020 to slow the impacts of (human induced) climate change. By stabilizing the global population at 8 billion individuals by 2040, international leaders will be able to moderate the long-term impact of global resource management.

2) By stabilizing the human population, rationing the global fresh water supply and removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere all nations can achieve sustainable development without compromising finite resources for present and future generations. Elected officials should focus on stabilizing the global population by increasing sexual education programs, access to reproductive health care facilities, family planning services and preventative birth control methods. Leaders of the twenty-first century should also make it a top priority to reduce 80% of carbon emissions by 2020 to prevent irreversible ecological damage caused by global warming. Planting billions of tree’s that naturally perform cellular respiration by removing CO2 from the atmosphere can also offset accumulation of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Transforming our reliance on fossil fuels to solar, wind and hydro power will be the first step towards achieving sustainable resource management. 

Section 37: Women’s Indigenous Knowledge and Biodiversity Conservation: Vandana Shiva 
1. Summary 2. In what sense according to Vandana Shiva, is Third World- women’s work in agriculture “invisible”?

1) By maintaining a balance between survival and sustainable agricultural practices, twenty-first century indigenous women are continuing to perform spiritual rituals that celebrate the renewal of life and the propagation of biodiversity. These highly intelligent women are maintaining their traditional ecological knowledge about seed preparation, germination, and soil maintenance in order to conserve species richness and biodiversity for future generations. The destruction of biodiversity in exchange for industrial monocultures is a capitalist endeavor wrongfully claiming the royalties that belong to indigenous Third World communities. Agricultural biodiversity is threatened by biotechnology, which encourages uniformity of species through genetic cloning, decreasing natural reproductive variation and ultimately weakening the species immune system. To compensate for these enzymatic deficiencies, scientists spray their genetically modified organisms with pesticides that encourage insects to increase resilience and successfully pursue these susceptible monocultures.  Laden with toxic chemicals, these genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are detrimental to human health, environmental integrity and ecological wellbeing. 

2) Deeply rooted agricultural knowledge belonging to Third World indigenous women reflects their spiritual connection to the earth. This ecological understanding of balance and sustainability does not fall into an economically viable “production boundary” rendering these highly efficient indigenous cultures of women to be corporately invisible. The generational wisdom of seed preparation and maintenance is not taken into commercial consideration and therefore completely undermines the very fabric of Third World indigenous agricultural intelligence. Neither credit nor compensation is given to the people who suffer from the long-term consequences of corporate piracy and this needs to change. We must reach out and globally acknowledge these indigenous women as strong, wise mothers of the earth by boycotting corporations that take advantage of marginalized communities. We can start this movement today by practicing sustainable methods of organic agriculture right here, in our own back yards. 

Section 9: Human Domination of Earth’s Ecosystems: Peter M. Vitousek, Harold A. Mooney, and Jerry M. Melillo 
1. Summary 2. Would it help to reduce the human impact on the Earth if we could reduce the human population?

1) Urbanization and land transformation have lead to industrial agriculture, clear cutting and deforestation throughout terrestrial ecosystems. The accumulation of greenhouse gasses within the atmosphere such as methane and nitrous oxide are contributing to global climate change as a result of fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer production and pesticide runoff. Insecticides such as DDT as well as synthetic organic chemicals including chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) are persisting within the stratosphere and causing ozone layer depletion. By inadvertently altering the nitrogen cycle, humans have increased the frequency of photochemical smog and acid rain throughout the atmosphere. Flowing directly into our globally finite fresh water supply are highly toxic metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury released during mining and mobilization of phosphorus. Rapid extinction rates of marine species are an indication that toxic contaminants are persisting throughout coastal ecosystems. Invasive species also challenge the survival rate of native species by out-competing them for shared resources. Humans must take responsibility for our carbon footprints by applying an economic cost to the ecological damage we have induced to ensure that sustainable development will persevere for future generations. 

2) The global population of human beings is 7 billion and climbing while the earth’s finite resources such as fresh water and oil are steadily declining. Competition for limited resources is an international issue displaced by corporate endeavors that casually exploit developing nations. This megalomaniac behavior is an inexcusable crime. Finding a balance between resource management and growing populations will be a difficult challenge for humans. Educating women and men about preventative birth control methods such as vasectomies, intrauterine devices and abortions should be an international priority for individuals that find themselves in questionable living situations. A global decline in population will not completely alleviate the anthropogenic stress put onto the earth due to persisting chemicals, long-term consequences of ozone layer depletion, droughts, soil erosion, water contamination and intense storms but it’s survival is our only option, we cannot give up!

Activity: Ted Talk Video: Cary Fowler

One seed at a time, protecting the future of food. Summary.

Crop diversity is a genetic resource that stands between human survival and catastrophic starvation on a global scale. Biodiversity is the foundation of evolution and it is currently crumbling into global species extinction. Apple diversity for example, has decreased by 90% within the last 100 years due to industrial agriculture, pesticide use and genetic modification. Individual taste preferences have selectively chosen for apples that are more satisfying than those with less appealing qualities. In the grand scale of evolution, maintaining biodiversity is essential for building strong immune systems with resilience to pests and environmental variation. Global warming is a new trend that will affect agriculture consistency as early as 2030 by increasing the temperature of cold growing seasons. In Southern Africa for example, individuals will likely experience a 30% reduction of maize production due to climbing temperatures, ultimately causing food shortages throughout vulnerable communities. Owned by the Norwegian government, the Svalbard Seed bank is in place to ensure that conservation of biological diversity is maintained in a remote location, independent of mechanical refrigeration. Currently 425,000 samples of unique crop varieties are housed within this storage facility and are expected to exceed 1 million varieties of seeds in the near future. Crop diversity is a conservative approach to combating climate change that requires global consent and economic support. 

Blog Reflections

1) Consider your food system: what do you like about it? What you dislike about it (consider taste, nutrition, cost, equality and environmental issues)?

1) Three years ago my partner and I decided to adopt a strict vegetarian diet. Currently we are living in Osborne village where we have access to Safeway, Vita Health and Organza. With competitive prices, Vita Health offers an excellent organic produce selection often in support of local farm cooperatives. In order to maintain healthy protein requirements we eat free- run, organic grass fed eggs. Another excellent meat alternative can be found in hemp hearts and hemp protein containing high concentrations of Omgea-6 and Omega-3, iron, and fiber. The conscious transition away from junk food and cheap GMO alternatives has been an upward battle but the rewards are in the form of a strong immune system and cognitive awareness. It has become artistic mission to raise awareness about how these corporate giants how conceal the truth to preserve their profits at the cost of human health, environmental integrity and biological diversity. By eliminating toxic chemicals from my diet and expressing this message in my art I hope to change the perspectives of people around me via the ripple effect. 

2) What role, if any, should zoos play in conservation/ education? Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos? 

If so, what size/ type of animal or zoo? Do you enjoy visiting zoos?

2) Raising awareness by through public education about current extinction issues and species conservation should be the goal for sustainable zoo management.  Realistically, humans have built imprisoning environments that deny social interaction between different species and limit natural environmental variation. Isolating animals to monitor their behaviors also compromises their immune systems and naturally leads to species extinction. I do not condone the capture of wild animals for educational or entertainment purposes because the limited space allocated to these animals causes extremely stressful experiences and perpetuates an imbalance within the global ecosystem. I fully supportive of animal sanctuaries that promote protection, rehabilitation and conservation of endangered or threatened species to preserve global biological diversity. 
 

3) What am I doing to promote sustainability and happiness in my life?

What would I like to do? I pledge to: 

3) I have adopted a vegetarian diet to boycott the industrial meat market. I use biodegradable cleaners around my home to limit the input of toxic chemicals in my drinking water. I have moved into Osborne village to be closer to my place of work, school and friends. I walk, ride my bike or take the bus to all of my desired destinations. For the last 3 years I have rode my bike to the Winnipeg Folk Festival at Birds Hill Park to help reduce carbon emissions. I work at the Hempyrean at the Forks market where I get to speak with people from the community on a daily basis about environmentally friendly fibers such as Hemp and Bamboo. I am raising public awareness about sustainability and healthy living at work, in my everyday life and through my video installation work. I pledge to complete my education degree by 2016 and begin teaching high school students about sustainable lifestyle choices through science and art. I will be the change I wish to see in the world and I will lead by example.