Survival Food: Research and buy food wisely

A Thick Forest (Photo credit: Jon Person)

Survival and  Environmental Issues: Modern day treats

Looking at what candies contain coming from outside of the US, specifically Mexico, you will find a surprising answer. Lead. Not only do we have to worry about lead in the soil, in paint, and in toys, but also candy? According to the Orange County Register, information has been gathered that not only suggests but confirms that there are toxic levels of lead in candies, including ice-creams, imported from Mexico. According to the Register, “the California Department of Health Services has documented more than 1,500 tests of Mexican candy since 1993 – and one in four of those results has come up high for lead.” If this is the case, then why is Mexican candy still able to be imported without any changes in their production methods? Not only is Mexico permitted to produce candy laced with lead, but when California finds lead in test results they make no effort to notify the source companies. In addition, this article states that many of the lead test results were kept confidential.

Forest lake in summer (Photo credit: Axel-D)

There are many sources of lead and many ways for lead to get into candies in Mexico. The chili mills were investigated by reporters from the newspaper who wrote “Toxic Treats.” The reporters found astounding results. The “makeshift factories…where unsafe manufacturing practices are routine; to the dirt-floor poverty…where a village has become contaminated making packages for candy.” The risk is very real and the damage that has yet to come is frightening. There are many examples already. One example is a little girl named Diana. Diana often went to the ice cream truck and picked out her favorite ice cream, one from Mexico that contained lead. Like many parents, for a long time Diana’s mother did not know about dangerous levels of lead in her daughter’s favorite sweet. Diana became very ill and the lead peaked when Diana’s blood-lead level reached 25 micrograms. This is a dangerous level, especially for young children. “At 25 micrograms, lead has the potential to stunt growth, affect hearing and damage the nerves” according to research conducted by reporters for the Orange County Register. Diana’s story doesn’t stop there. It took more than two years for Diana’s blood-lead level to decrease from dangerous levels and drop to 8 micrograms. The long term effects are still not known for this young girl at age six. For Diana’s parents, and many others, these are concerns that will never be settled.

  References: McKim, Jennifer et. al. The Orange County Register. “Toxic Treats.” April 25, 2004. Internet: <http://www2.ocregister.com/investigations/2004/lead/ part1_printable.html>. Withgott, Jay & Scott Brennan. Essential Environment: 3^rd Ed. Pearson Custom Publishing: San Francisco, 2009.


 Survival Food: Research and buy food wisely survival tips modern day food. This insight was brought to you by the phrase Web Directory and it's brother Blog Directory, thank you for reading.

Define the Environmental Footprint

English: The carbon footprint as it is understood by people. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Carbon Footprint Environmental Issues:

what is the definition of greenhouse effect?

According to the Carbon Footprint calculator, the national average for the US is 7.5 tons per year. My annual carbon footprint is 10.76 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Half of my carbon footprint comes directly from commuting. I have a fuel efficient, commuter car. However, traveling 90 minutes per day puts a significant impact on my footprint. The other portion, at 4.67 tons per year, is the food I eat, the clothes I wear, and the other items I purchase. My electricity is small in comparison, only at 0.8 tons per year.

It looks like the only way to reduce my carbon footprint is to move closer to work, or move work closer to home. The commuting is a significant factor however it was the only place to find work at that time. Also, if I had the opportunity and a garden to grow my own vegetables, I would be able to reduce my carbon footprint a little bit. My fiancée’s mother has her own garden out of choice for fun, but the secondary impact is she is reducing her carbon footprint. Most years we also get many vegetables from her, as her garden is often fruitful.

In trying to manipulate the calculator by altering my inputs, I find that the miles driven significantly impacts my carbon footprint, while changing the type of car I drive does not make much of a difference. Also, by purchasing local products changes my footprint, as it costs less to move products when they are closer to the consumers.

According to the Climate Crisis webpage, my carbon footprint is only 1.05 tons per year, compared to the previous estimate from the Carbon Footprint webpage. There are many simple ways to reduce my carbon footprint. Some of them include replacing regular light bulbs with the energy efficient CFL ones, purchasing energy efficient appliances when they are being replaced, and planting a tree. There are more complicated ways to minimizing my footprint, such as buying locally owned and produced foods, use a clothesline when possible, and avoiding heavily packaged products.

The simple changes are already being implemented in our home. However, the more difficult ones are difficult because they are out of my hands. Purchasing local goods is very difficult, because I live in a major city area and almost everything has to be transported in. Also, using a clothesline is impossible because we do not have a backyard to put one in. And third, it is difficult to avoid the heavily packaged products because often times things are sent and we have no idea what kind of packaging they will come with. The only thing we can do about that is ensuring we are recycling or reusing that packaging

References:

Carbon Footprint. 2010. “Carbon Footprint Calculators.” Internet:

<http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator1.html>.

Climate Crisis. 2010. Internet: <http://www.climatecrisis.net/>.

Withgott, Jay & Scott Brennan. Essential Environment: 3^rd Ed. Pearson Custom

Publishing: San Francisco, 2009.

See:

carbon trust

define environmental footprint

ecological footprint definition

carbon taxes

Clinton administration the roadless rule

Colorado Meadows (Photo credit: QualityFrog)

Environmental Issues

How can the government impair your ability to survive?

In 2001 during the Clinton administration, the roadless rule was implemented protecting 58.5 million acres of land. The roadless rule prevented an additional road construction or maintenance on the specified land. The land consisted of national forest land as well as general US land in several states, including California, Oregon, Colorado, and New Mexico. The roadless rule was publicly supported by 4.2 million people however the Bush administration overturned this legislation. Federal judges reinstated this legislation in 2007 although this issue is still going through legal channels (Withgott & Brennan).

The roadless rule impacts many states, including Colorado. The state of Colorado has a $10 billion annual income from outdoor recreation. Colorado received $500 million in state tax revenue and 107,000 jobs are created as a result of outdoor recreational activity. This way of life supports the state’s economy. However, the roadless rule is not welcome in Colorado. According to the Denver Post, the roadless rule is not “good enough.” The rule that is geared at protecting the natural land in Colorado does not provide any long-term care of the land. Although this legislation does prevent further construction on the land, it does not provide any long-term maintenance that will ensure the current roads will be in safe condition for the use of people attending recreational events and activities. The roadless rule also does not provide protection for communities from wildfires (Abel & Robinson).

Colorado Sky (Photo credit: Let Ideas Compete)

While Colorado does not believe the roadless rule protects the best interests of the recreation economy in Colorado, the President agrees with environmental agencies that firmly believe that this legislation is more beneficial than detrimental. The Obama administration has continued to push forth the benefits of the roadless rule, which “prohibit[s] commercial logging, mining, drilling, and road-building on about 58 million acres of national forests, including 4 million acres in Colorado” ( Harmon). The environmental agencies welcome the support of the Obama administration and are grateful for the assistance in maintaining this legislation against scrutiny.

There are pros and cons for whether this legislation remains in effect or is successfully repealed. The roadless rule prevents further building on designated land, but does not provide maintenance on existing roads on the land. This, as in the case with Colorado, can be detrimental to state revenue that is earned from recreation in these national forests. On the other hand, the roadless rule prevents companies from building more roads or buildings on this land, thus preserving the land as it currently is.

References:

Gary Harmon/Grand Junction.  (2009, August 14). President sides with

environmentalists to reinstate roadless rule. Daily Sentinel.  Retrieved July 18, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1830838501).

Mike Van Abel, & Brady Robinson. (2010, June 20). Roadless Rule Not Good

Enough. Denver Post,p. D.4.  Retrieved July 18, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 2063073791).

Withgott, Jay & Scott Brennan. Essential Environment: 3^rd Ed. Pearson Custom

Publishing: San Francisco, 2009.

Emergency preparedness survival readiness

English: Waterfalls are example for natural resources (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Environmental Issues

By definition, preservation ethics are “an ethic holding that we should protect the natural environment in a pristine, unaltered state” (p. 15). In comparison, the definition of conservation ethic “holds that people are and should put natural resources to use but that we have a responsibility to manage them wisely” (p. 16). Essentially, the major difference between preservation ethics and conservation ethics is whether or not natural resources are utilized in taking care of the earth. Preservation ethics state that we are not to use any resources on the planet and to preserve it as is, without any changes. Conservation ethics state that we can utilize the resources available to us, but we are to use them prudently in order to conserve what we have and to take care of the planet on which we live.

To be quite honest, I find it difficult to live in a habitat without utilizing the surroundings. I find myself to identify more with conservation ethics because I do believe that we should be wise in our decisions to utilize the resources around us. However I also believe that we should be able to use them to gain benefit as a society. To completely preserve the environment “as is” in which we live would be very difficult because every footprint, every step we make will change our environment. I think it is impossible to preserve all of earth while we are living on it. Each time we breathe, walk, or work we are changing our environment. It is simply impossible to preserve ALL of earth.

English: Bachalpsee in the morning, Bernese Alps (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now, if we were to look at preservation ethics for a particular area that is more realistic. If we are protecting Mount Rainier State Forest, for example, then that is a specified land area that can be preserved and left unaltered. This would be beneficial because that forest not only is a state park that is protected to represent the Evergreen State, but it also preserves the lives of the animals that depend on that habitat and supports the ecosystem. Sectioning off a particular part of the earth, such as this park, would make it possible to take the preservation ethics stance. Now, to look at the forest belonging to Weyerhauser would require a conservation ethics approach. This company harvests trees for transformation into various products. However, Weyerhauser has maintained its environmentally friendly stance by planting trees and cutting trees in the same quantities. This is a way that the company can conserve the natural resource but also utilize it to benefit society as a whole. In regards to the development ethic, I believe it is irresponsible to take this approach. Humans are not “masters of the environment” and are not superior to the planet. We as a society do not have the authority and responsibility to utilize all resources as we see fit without considering the impacts. That is simply unethical and irresponsible. Humans are special, but not that special. We still have a responsibility to take care of our environment, especially if we want to survive as a species.

Survival equipment 

Reference:

Withgott, Jay & Scott Brennan. Essential Environment: 3^rd Ed. Pearson Custom

Publishing: San Francisco, 2009.

Related articles

• Emergency preparedness survival
• Morning Bell: Can Conservatives Be Environmentalists?
• Straits Times feature Peter Davie: "Singapore still has undiscovered marine species, says scientist"

Check out http://pinterest.com/SecWhDirectory/

Environmental studies online

Environmental problems article

Hypothesis:

An increase in fertilizers on the farm are causing increasing amounts of algae in the lake nearby, thus causing a decrease in the number of fish in the lake.

Prediction:

If fertilizers are added directly to the lake, there will be a significant increase of algae in the lake. The increase of algae in the lake will cause a decrease in fish.

Experiment:

English: Algae harvester Made in San Jose, California, USA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A simple experiment would be to directly add the fertilizer (cow manure) found on the farm into the lake water. By monitoring the lake water, the farmer would be able to see if there is a significant amount of algae increased as a result. This would help determine whether or not this is the cause. The suspected cause is the runoff fertilizer from the farms into the lake. The increase in algae is resulting in a decrease of the number of fish in the lake. If the farmer was able to regulate the runoff of cow manure and redirect where it went, it is feasible to think that the algae in the lake has the potential to decrease, therefore providing a more healthy environment for the fish to thrive in. By manipulating the dependent variable, the fertilizer/cow manure, the farmer would be able to observe its impact on the independent variable, the algae, with any changes that may be implemented through this experiment.

One question I have is whether or not the algae have killed off all potential fish to thrive in the lake. If between the farmer and the algae all of the fish have been exterminated then the lake will no longer have fish in it without another source being introduced.

Reference:

Withgott, Jay & Scott Brennan. Essential Environment: 3^rd Ed. Pearson Custom

Publishing: San Francisco, 2009.

http://pinterest.com/SecWhDirectory/

Related articles

• Environmental studies online

Specific Environmental Issues

Easter Island (Photo credit: Ndecam)

Environmental Issues

various environmental issues

Observations:

Easter Island is remote and located in the Pacific Ocean. In 1722, the landscape was described as “barren” and was only populated by fewer than 20,000 people. The people of Easter Island lived in caves and had a few “meager” crops. Explorers also noted several hundred gigantic stone statues, indicating a sophisticated civilization had previously existed on the island.

Hypothesis:

The sophisticated inhabitants of Easter Island overused their limited number of natural resources, resulting in a more primitive form of survival to emerge.

Results:

Easter Island (Photo credit: Ndecam)

After implementing the scientific method to the questions surrounding Easter Island, the logical conclusion would be that the hypothesis is correct. Taking into consideration the pictures on cave walls and the large statues that were meticulously erected in specific places, one can conclude that there once were numerous trees on the island. In addition to this evidence, soil tests were conducted which differentiated the types of trees once found on Easter Island. In the course of investigating the soil, 21 different plant species, predominantly trees, were identified to have once existed on Easter Island, but sadly are completely eliminated. Since the trees were eliminated, soil erosion caused a loss of productivity on the agricultural front, therefore resulting in less crop yields with increasing years. The erosion was able to be proven by looking at the lakes and the sediment that has accumulated at the bottom of them. As a result of the decrease in available food, population decline was inevitable and imminent. Scientists found that with the decrease in food and population, those that were left became very protective of the few resources they had and built fortresses with entry ways in order to protect their few crops and live animals from others. As the text states, this led to “clan warfare” amongst the few remaining people on Easter Island. Weapons were located in the soil as well as human remains that had head wounds on the skulls.

environmental pollution and global issues

Summary:

Easter Island (Photo credit: Ndecam)

What happened to the people of Easter Island is a warning for the rest of the world. Even though it was on a much smaller scale, the harsh lessons the people of this island learned can definitely be beneficial to today’s world population. While there are many people across the world who do not overuse limited resources, there are a significant amount of those who do. As Easter Island used up all of their primary resource, trees, the decline of civilization as they knew it fell quickly afterwards. As the modern world today is so dependent on the limited resource of oil, we too can find ourselves in a similar predicament in the not so far off future. The lessons learned in history can help teach us how to prevent such a catastrophe in our future, providing we utilize those lessons and teachings. Even though oil is the primary commodity in current societies, there are still other limited resources we depend on, such as trees (for building supplies, heat, etc.), fish (food source), and metals (for building materials, equipment, and transportation needs). All of these materials are used in such an exaggerated fashion that we may find ourselves without any resources in the very near future. One local example for me is the salmon located in the Pacific Northwest. If the salmon hatcheries were not protected and the fishing limited, the salmon would have already been extinct in our area. 
types of environmental issues 

Reference:

Withgott, Jay & Scott Brennan. Essential Environment: 3^rd Ed. Pearson Custom 

The Understanding Environmental Issues by Survival Readiness, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. 

Publishing: San Francisco, 2009.