We see land as property, as
entailing privilege not obligation, we have no limitations to the freedom of
our actions on land. ethics according to ecologists can be symbioses because it
has its origin in the interdependent individuals or groups to evolve mode of
co-operation. we don't take care of the land, not even of plants or
animals and we see nothing wrong with that.
According to Aldo Leopold,
"the land ethics simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to
include soil, water, plants animal... without love respect and admiration for
the land there is no ethical relation". we all including farmers,
educational and economic system need a change in attitude towards land in order
to remove the obstacle to the evolution of land ethics because the time we
spend on land, our skills, tastes and predictions determines all of land use.
Critical Thinking
The basic lesson of Aldo
Leopold's "thinking like a mountain" is that there is a relationship
between all things; humans and animals, humans and their environment.
destroying a particular species will affect the existence of the another or
will affect the environment negatively. nature knows how to balance itself but we always try to re-shape it thinking we know better. Without the wolves the deer`s population will keep growing and they will eat up every edible bush and seedling which in tern leads to a barren mountain side and this can have a negative effect on the environment
The Historical Roots of our Ecological
crisis
Man has been part of nature but
now they are separated with man as the master, plowing,
cutting, harvesting and butchering. Lynn White Jr. explained how humans have negatively affected their environment, how their fire drive method
of hunting has destroyed the mammals of Pleistocene, instead of the swampy
African Jungle of the banks of lower Nile, we have human artifacts and due
to burning of soft coal London suffered a smog problem as early as 1285.
Our attitude towards our
environment is mostly affected by our Religion, for Christians, "go
into the world and have dominion" is a passage that we have refuse to
let go. We have fuse the teachings of Saint Francis "equality for all
creatures". Although we do not think or speak Christianity, we live and
behave like our ancestors 1700 years ago in a large contest of Christian
axioms. Missionaries chopping down trees which to them were idols and
Irish Saints boosting about their dealings with animals all to show their
dominance over all things (birds, animals, fishes and plants).
Critical Thinking
The purpose of nature is
different to different people. to Christians, it is God`s plan to benefit man
and give him power of rulership. it was seen as God`s way of speaking to man by
the Greeks but later in Latin it became an effort to understand God`s mind by
discovering how his creation speak. Man exploits nature to meet his needs.
However the purpose of nature is
largely to protect its species and enhance the quality of life of man; family
bonding, fresh air and supplement for medication.
A Path to Sustainable
Energy by 2030
A decade ago,
it was not clear that a global Wind, Water and Sun (WWS)
Energy system would be feasible but Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi gives a clear
way for global leaders to make it possible.
The US Energy
Information Administration projects that by 2030 the world power would increase
from 12.5 to 16.9 trillion watts and it is heavily dependent on
fossil fuel. Mark Z. Jacobson
and Mark A. Delucchi develop a new project that uses Wind, Water and
Sun (WWS) Energy and
provides about 15 percent of demand if mixed with fossil fuel. To build
the WWS infrastructure, enough concrete and steel is needed and they are
recyclables but materials like Neodymium used in turbine gearboxes can be only
found in China for a low-cost.
The problem with this method the claim, is
that wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine in a given
location but generating a base supply from geothermal or tidal power can
help in times when the wind and sun is temporarily unavailable.The cost of this project was
totaled to $100 trillion for over 20 years and these money is an investment
that will pay back through the sale of electricity and energy, using
traditional services, these costs will become competitive even though some
parts will be very expensive.
If our leaders can eliminate
fossil subsides and introduce a combination of feed in tariffs plus incentive
to reduce cost then they can be able to provide a meaningful climate and
renewable energy goals
Critical Thinking
The most effective way to cut
back on greenhouse gas emissions is to implement goals to shift away from
fossil fuels to clean renewable energy sources such as water, wind and sun
energy which would largely eliminate pollution. An urgent action needed to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions is political will, and the courage to make tough choices;
choices like growing our foods locally, reducing our use of electricity and
heat.
Summary for
Policymakers: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis
If we keep on emitting greenhouse
gases the way we are today then our climate will keep getting worse.
Here, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) talks
about the effects we are having on the earth’s atmosphere and
what the impacts on the earth will be if we continue emitting greenhouse
gases like we are.There is an
increased atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous
oxide and these has been since the pre-industrial era. it was predicted that
these would cause global warming and today we see the signs of it happening;
Glaciers, ice sheets and snow cover has decreased, there is increase
in atmospheric water vapour, surface and ocean temperatures, sea levels
are rising.
Because we have done much damage
already, even if greenhouse gases were to be stabilized, there
will still be an increase in global temperature between
1.8 Celsius and 4.0 Celsius. Therefore it would be best if
we take action immediately.
Critical Thinking
consequences expected from global warming includes;- a continuous contraction of Greenland ice sheet which will contribute to sea level rise after 2100,
- due to timescales required to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this gas will continue to contribute to warming and sea level rise for more than a millennium
- climate carbon cycling is expected to add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as the climate system warms but the magnitude of this feedback is uncertain.
Activity
Just as Mark Z. Jacobson and Mark A. Delucchi said “the obstacle
is political not technical”. Our leaders do not want to accept the truth about
our environment, they only want to hear the good stuff and make the bad look
not so bad. According to the video “ExxonMobil Philip Cooney view on Global
Warming” politicians are rewriting the science, restricting what can be said
and editing what can be published. That means what we hear and read about our environment
and science is probably not true.
Is the impact of global warming increasing or decreasing? While most
scientists say the Global warming
is just quarter what we thought, others say it is increasing and will keep on
over the century if nothing is done to about it. The national Geographic
society posted on its site what will happen later this century, if warming
continues and these includes the spread of diseases like malaria, less fresh
water available, floods and drought will become more common and many others.
As I watched
this video I began asking questions like is now the time to lie? Should the
truth be told? Is global warming worth been on our priority list as a nation?
What other matters are so pressing? What will be of us and what will the
politicians do if the effects of global warming increase?
Reflection
I now
understand the dangers of not properly disposing your waste. before his talk in
class, i was one of those who put garbage anywhere as long as it was out of the
way. Randy Park, Supervisor of Waste Diversion with the City of Winnipeg talked
about waste management,from how they are brought in, assembled, recycled, and
sold for reuse. during his short period in class, i became aware of
the consequences of my actions more involved in making sure that my
waste and that of the entire house is properly disposed.
We are doing a good job
diverting waste because when wastes are
diverted, the life of landfills is extended, produces fewer
greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts, recycled materials
have tremendous value and potential to create investment opportunities and new
jobs.
recycling is also worth the
cost because they are more efficient in terms of energy and environmental
friendliness. When recycled materials are sold, they yield a net
profit if we (households) sort out our recyclables and the
cost involved in transportation is low.
References
"Brady Road Resource Management Facility (Brady Road Landfill)." Winnipeg 3 Feb. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://www.winnipeg.ca/waterandwaste/garbage/bradyroad.stm
Easton, Thomas
A. Sources Environmental Studies. Fourth ed. New York: McGraw Hill,
2012. 11-115. Print.
"Effects of Global
Warming Signs Are Everywhere." National Geographic. n.d. Web.
14 Feb. 2014. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects/#close-modal
Micks, Ashley. "The Costs of Recycling." 12 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph240/micks2/
Rose, David.
"World's top climate scientists confess:" Mail Online 14
Sept. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2420783/Worlds-climate-scientists-confess-Global-warming-just-QUARTER-thought--computers-got-effects-greenhouse-gases-wrong.html#ixzz2tFLrWI00
"Waste Reduction
Strategy." Ontario Waste Management Association June
2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2014.
