activity - Carl Honore, In praise of slowness

 The TED Talk I chose to watch was “In praise of slowness”. In this TED Talk, Carl Honore relates to idea of speed to the audience. He describes how much of society has a constant need to do nearly every activity more quickly. Carl explains how in other societies time is often seen as period to allow growth and development. In western society, time is seen as a linear resource that we must use (fill up) as quickly as possible. He describes that often we race through our lives rather then actually live them. Carl explains the numerous "slow movement" groups around the world, and briefly touches on what the reasoning behind these movements is. Carl furthermore outlines the difficulties that we face and must overcome to slow down.

This topic was extremely easy for me to relate to because most of my days are extremely busy, so I am often trying to do certain activities as quickly as I can. As a university student; I am often left in a time crunch, trying to get as much studying accomplished in as little time possible. I often wish that I had more time to think clearly as to if I have studied all aspects of a certain unit or topic. I believe that Carl’s ideas of slowness that involve better relationships, fuller understandings and living a more meaningful life are extremely powerful. I too believe that often slow is better then fast and wish that sometimes I could take some activities out of my life to better enjoy and cherish the important events. Hearing information like Carl's often makes me think that I am racing through my life and not living my life. I hope that future generations see the benefits that come along with “slowness”, in order to give society in the future a better grasp of living life to the fullest rather then racing through it. Below I have attached a picture that has the words "be here now" in it. By remembering these words, we are giving ourselves a simple way we can remember to slow down, and live through the important moments of our lives, rather then racing past them without taking anything out of them. 

Human Domination of Earth's Ecosystems (S 9)

This reading discusses how human development has changed many ecosystems. The author explains that this is due to growth of human populations as well as growth of the resource base required to sustain our current population. The majority of these changes are physical changes to the land, therefor changing the environment for many ecosystems. The waterways of the planet have also been significantly altered, humans have changed or destroyed over 50% of all aquatic ecosystems. The author also identifies the significant change we have made to the biogeochemical cycles. The carbon cycle is most effected and this is due to combustion of fossil fuels. Furthermore, the Nitrogen and water cycles have also been strongly effected by humans. Lastly, the author outlines how humans have changed the biotic environment on earth. Humans have caused numerous species to become extinct as well as displace many animals in an improper environment.

If human population was reduced, we would have a much easier time maintaining a sustainable environment. Human population has been begun to be controlled in some countries, but these human population control policies need to be implemented in all countries if we want to have control over the world population. There is a direct correlation between worldwide population increase and the degradation of the environment and ecosystems. Controlling (or reducing) the worlds population would be a great start for creating a sustainable planet, however our actions and decisions play an even bigger role in creating a sustainable planet. If we as humans want to live on a sustainable planet everyone must come together in sustainable decision making. 

Below are graphs that show the correlation between population increase and animal extinction. I have also attached a graph that shows how in recent years (1900-present) CO2 emissions have increased drastically. The CO2 emissions also have a direct correlation with population increase.

Ecosystems and Human Well-Being (S 10)

The article discusses the degradation of many natural resources on planet earth. The reading magnifies how much of this damage has been done in recent years. Since 1900, the majority of the worlds ecosystems and natural resources have been damaged more then they were damaged in the prior thousands of years of human existence. The author states that this has a strong correlation with the worlds dramatic increase in population in recent years. The dramatic increase in population has increased the need for food. The need for increased amounts of food production has caused humans to damage most of the worlds remaining resources. The author explains that the degradation of resources and ecosystems is the cost that we pay for human development and well being. The article shares a piece from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment that gives two paths for human development. One path leads to an even more globalized world, the other leads to a more regional world. Both paths have positives and negatives. Lastly, the articles discuss the many ways in which we must make changes in environmental policies if we want to move towards being a more sustainable planet.

It is difficult to manage ecosystem sustainability because many of the negative impacts on these ecosystems that have already been made. If humans had realized the damage they were doing to both the living and non-living environment when the problem first started it would be much easier for us to sustain earth’s ecosystems. Instead, the majority of the worlds population is just learning of these problems now. It is much more difficult to recover our ecosystems back to a level of sustainability then it would have been to keep them at a level of sustainability. Ecosystem sustainability takes commitment from all contributing factors. Everyone must commit to sustainability, regardless of how much their actions are negatively effecting an ecosystem. A large percentage of society is unaware how big of a negative impact they have on ecosystems. Public as a whole, must be better educated on the significance their decisions have on ecosystems if we want to maintain sustainable ecosystems.We need society as a whole to commit to sustainability if we want to sustain our ecosystems. 

Below is a link to the Footprint Network website which shows the worldwide footprint. The page shows how far away from sustainability we are and how much we need to do if we want to make a change to our ecosystems. 

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/world_footprint/ 

 

Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services (S 17)

This article focuses on the correlation between biodiversity and ecosystem preservation and restoration. The author outlines many studies that were done on the major aquatic ecosystems worldwide. The studies showed a positive relationship between ecosystem biodiversity and ecosystem function. The author discusses some of the aquatic ecosystems that have been restored and identifies the connection this has to biodiversity. Lastly, the author outlines some of the things we as humans can and must do to help preserve ecosystem biodiversity in our oceans.

Collapsed fisheries recover better in high diversity ecosystems for many reasons. The first reason is that with increased biodiversity; aquatic animals have options for food and don’t have to rely on one specific species. The second reason is that increased biodiversity allows fishers to fish the species with the highest population. This helps species with lower populations regenerate rather then go extinct. The bigger the food web, the less the animals have to rely on a specific link (of the web) and therefor can function at a much higher capacity and allow weak links to rebuild. 

Below is a link to the World Ocean Review website that further outlines the importance of biodiversity in our oceanic ecosystems.  The website reviews the many important reasons a large diversity of species positively benefits aquatic ecosystems.

http://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-1/marine-ecosystem/biodiversity/ 

Our Stolen Future (S 29)

This reading discusses some studies done on animals that help show some of the hormone disruptors that are effecting the animals and humans of our planet. The author discusses some of the flaws with these studies as well as some of the positive outcomes. Many of the flaws involve the amount of chemicals that are used in studies, and the positives involve showing the similar outcomes that these chemicals have on both animals and humans. The author also talks about a historic meeting that brought together all of the best scientists in the field of endocrine disruptors to share their information and discuss connections. The author further discusses how big of an issue endocrine mimics are, and explains how quickly something needs to be done before it is too late.

An environmental hormone disruptor is a chemical in the environment that mimics hormones in the human body. Hormones that are mimicked can easily throw off an animal or humans entire hormone system very easily. Often when hormones are mimicked the animal or human does not produce enough of the hormone because the body believes it already has the required amount. In other cases, irregular hormones trick our body into thinking that they should be there. Whether hormones are irregular or tricking our systems into believing they are there when they are not, they are throwing off hormone systems balance. This is most detrimental in growing and developmental stages (younger years of life) when our hormone system plays a more significant role in our lives. 

Below is a simplified diagram that shows how easily some hormones can be mimicked. 

In-class blog question - Ocean Plastic

One of the biggest concerns with the oceans is the exfoliating beads that are used in many of the shower gels. Exfoliating beads are lightweight and tiny so they can easily find away to many of our major water ways. Sometimes these microbeads are mistaken as food by small fish and aquatic animals. Exfoliating beads are can be very detrimental to the lower trophic levels of many of the ocean food chains. This leads to loss of food for higher trophic levels, creating a domino effect that destroys the entire ecosystem. These beads have taken out many aquatic ecosystems in the ocean from the bottom to the top. Exfoliating beads are also a problem for freshwater ecosystems. Studies have shown that any of Canada’s great lakes have extremely high numbers of microbeads. Exfoliating beads are non biodegradable and therefor will stick around our oceans forever unless they are removed from our worlds water. 

Below is a website that has an online sing up for a petition to ban exfoliating beads in Canada. The petition outlines many of the problems involved with exfoliating microbeads and has a copy of the petition letter that will be sent to the government. 

https://forcechange.com/73040/ban-exfoliating-microbeads-for-their-harm-to-aquatic-life/ 

In class blog question - Affluenza

To promote sustainability in my life I have committed to attempt to not use plastic or Styrofoam cups. I found it near difficult at first to stop using disposable cups due to my coffee addiction. I found it was easier to plan ahead rather then trying to figure out a solution on the spot when I was presented with a disposable cup. I now carry a plastic water bottle and a thermos in my school bag at all times. This way I am prepared to say no to disposable cups and have an alternate option ready so I can still enjoy the beverage of my choice. I would like to lessen my fossil fuel output in the upcoming school year. I currently drive to school most days and would like to make an effort to bus as often as I can. The addition of bus passes as part of the student tuition makes this an even easier change for me. I pledge to bus at least 3 out of 5 days for every week next school year.

Living Downstrram (S 28)

This article focuses on cancer and discusses how our environment plays a major role the dramatic increase in people with cancer. Sandra Steingraber talks about her experience with cancer. She was diagnosed with bladder cancer and discusses how many of her family members are also cancer prone despite the fact that she was adopted. She discusses how cancer has near nothing to do with genetics and is a result of our current life styles. Steingraber states that less then 10% of all cancers are inherited mutations. Sandra discusses how many of the known bladder carcinogens are still used and produced despite their known negative side effects (bladder cancer). Lastly, she discusses how many human rights are being broken with our current situation of the environment. She states that allowing ourselves to be in an environment that has untested chemicals and known carcinogens floating around freely is a “reckless disregard for human life”.

Effort needs to be made to further develop the study of the environments connection to cancer. It is now known that it is more then just POP’s in the environment that are causing cancer and other diseases. Dye’s that are used in clothing and printing have been listed as one of the leading causes of bladder cancer. Society needs to be made aware of these issues. The workers in factories that use these chemicals need to be made aware how severe the risk is of using these products. We have no control over our exposure to many of these chemicals due to the fact that they have been released into the air.  We as society have no choice but to be exposed to many of the chemicals that are currently circulating in our atmospheric environment, so we deserve to be educated on them. As Sandra stated; hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested into cancer research and nearly none has been invested into the research of risks in our environment. This is shocking because the number of people who have died from cancer caused by environmental issues is very similar to the number of people who died from breast cancer. Headway needs to be made in the field of environmentally induced cancer before the issue becomes to big to handle. 

Below is a graph that shows the leading causes of cancer. "Pollution" is used to represent the category of environmental risks.

 

Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization (S 25)

This reading discusses some of the main problems that are involved in our current worldwide agricultural system. The biggest problem is food supply, and within that there are the smaller individual problems; lack of water, loss or topsoil and extremely high uses of ethanol oil (fuel for cars). The reading emphasizes the urgency of this problem by predicting how the next few years may play out worldwide. Many third world countries are already experiencing the effects of the lack of food (grain) currently available. The biggest and hardest problem for humans to conquer is the worldwide water shortage. Next humans are faced with the challenge of topsoil loss due to over farming certain areas, and not giving agricultural soils enough time to recover before the next crop is planted. Lastly the extremely high use of ethanol oil for fuels in cars is taking up a huge amount of resources that could be used for food production if we had a renewable energy system. The author states “plan B” which consists of; cutting back fuel emissions immensely, stabilizing the worlds population, the eradication of poverty and the restoration of solid, forests and aquifers as our only option for the future.

The demand for food is becoming much greater then the supply. With population rates increasing, and resources decreasing we as humans are setting ourselves up for disaster. Much like many of the worlds current global problems, we are running out of time to make our move before the problem becomes irreversible. Something needs to be done now. The effects of this worldwide food shortage will be apparent in every country due to the constant trade of food between all nations. The worst outcome of this food shortage is competition. Countries may be competing for food, competing to stay alive and that often leads to war. Countries have already started to try and make contracts with each other in order to help ensure that they will have enough food over the years to come. The worst effects can only be prevented if the world as a whole makes a movement towards using less fuel, and using better farming practices. Fuel reduction can be made by converting our energy system to a renewable one. Better farming practices include allowing water tables to replenish before draining them, this may mean that we eat grains that require less water for production. Also, farmers must learn to cherish topsoil by allowing for soil recovery in between crops and planting more trees to help prevent winds from carrying topsoil away. 

This map represents the soil degradation worldwide, as you can see the "stable soil" is very limited.

Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis (S 23)

This reading talks about the various drivers of climate change. The reading is made up mostly of facts, numbers and graphs comparing recent years to previous centuries. Firstly, the reading talks about carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide levels have had the most prominent change in recent history. The reading also talks about methane levels increasing in recent history. Methane levels rising are a result of agricultural practices. Next the article talks about the steady rising sea levels, global temperature and the steady downfall of snow in the arctic. The reading states that the more changes have been seen from 1995-2005 than all the way from 1960-1995, this is mainly due to our extremely high use of fossil fuels in recent years. As a result of climate change, weather has been much more extreme in recent years and there have been “highs and lows seen like never before”. The reading also states that even though most of the climate changes are due to human activities, the earth does have natural changes on its own so we cannot be certain that ALL changes are human induced. 

Below is a graph that shows the direct correlation between the rise of carbon dioxide emissions and temperature over the past 1000 years.

This pie chart represents the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in 2015. In the pie chart, it shows that carbon dioxide is the leading contributor (65%), followed by methane (16%).

This graph shows the methane increase over the past 1000 years.

This graph shows the sea level change, and the projected change due to climate change. 

The steps for preventing further climate change are beneficial in many other ways. One of the most innovative ideas to prevent climate change, is the plan for a renewable energy system. Regardless of if global warming is a serious issue or not; creating a renewable energy source is a much more economical decision in the long run. Also, we are not sure when the earths oil supply will run out, so creating a solution long before we run out of oil would be greatly beneficial. Furthermore, increased carbon dioxide levels are not good for human health regardless of if they are causing climate change. Too reduce methane levels, we would need to greatly reduce the number of animals that are produced each year for meat consumption. By greatly reducing the number of animals produced each year, we are decreasing the amount of “factory farms” where animals often suffer.

ExxonMobil Philip Cooney view on Global Warming

The video was cut a segment cut from an old episode of 60 minuets. Scientists James Hansen and Rick Piltz reveal how their scientific evidence was changed, in order to make climate change seem less serious. They discuss how all of their information regarding climate change was reviewed by the white house before being released to congress or the public. Words like “likely “ and “possible” were inserted with scientifically proven facts in order to make the information about climate change seem less dangerous. Furthermore, some of the information on James and Rick’s climate change reports was completely removed. Much of the changes were made by Phillip Cooney who was the editor on the counsel on environmental quality. After he resigned from the white house he was hired by Exxon Mobil.

This video was not a surprise to me, I have seen videos and articles revealing that similar information was trying to be hidden in the past. The video was from 2007, which is shocking and concerning because it is nearly 10 years later and information regarding climate change is still being hidden and improperly portrayed. In fact, many people are so convinced that climate change is a hoax that people have begun to create theories saying that scientist have been hiding the fact that global warming has stopped. Many people believe that the temperatures have stopped rising and that scientists are trying to continue a “false argument” in order to protect their reputations. What many people are not aware of, is that climate change does not always mean a warming of the full planet. European countries are actually getting colder as a result of climate change. Below is a graph of the Arctic sea ice decline since 1979, as you can see it has only gone down. This is a result of global warming. This graph shows that global warming as certainly not stopped in the past 15 years, and if anything it has sped up.

Below I have attached two articles claiming that global warming has stopped. This is concerning because many people are believing that since “global warming has stopped” we can continue using fossil fuels as our main energy source.  This is NOT the case. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2425775/Climate-scientists-told-cover-fact-Earths-temperature-risen-15-years.html

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/06/05/hide-the-hiatus-how-the-climate-alarmists-eliminated-the-inconvenient-pause-in-the-global-warming/

Zoos

I believe it is unethical to keep the number of animals we currently keep locked up, as well as it is unethical to keep the animals in the size of confinement that we currently do. I believe zoos are great for the education of animals for younger kids. With that being said, much of the information that is taught in zoos can be taught similarly through pictures and videos. Zoos are very beneficial for the scientific information that is learned from the ability to closely monitor and study animals that are not as easily accessible in their natural habitat. Because of the scientific and educational benefits, I believe zoos should and will continue. However, I believe a change should be made to the regulations regarding the total number of Zoos. Currently we live in a world where almost all cities have at least one Zoo, and in my opinion this is far beyond overkill.

Below is a map of the major zoos in the United States followed by a map with the major zoos in Europe, as you can see many of the zoos are in an pointlessly close vicinity to each other. These are the two most populated areas for zoos worldwide and most of the other areas around the world have a much more limited number of zoos but none the less, these pictures show a overwhelming number of zoos extremely close to each other.

In my perfect world there would be a limited number of zoos with highly advanced facilities, making sure all animals are in an area of confinement as similar to their natural habitat as possible.  In my opinion there are far too many total zoos (far too many total animals kept in captivity). In my “perfect world”, I would implement a solution for limiting the number of animals kept in captivity, and create a maximum total number of zoo’s per country. Larger countries (geographically, not population) could have a maximum of three zoos, and smaller countries would have a maximum of two zoos. The zoos would be strategically placed, so all citizens are within reasonable travel distance of one zoo. By having a maximum number of zoos, the total number of animals kept in captivity would be greatly decreased. By having just two or tree facilities in each country; we could greater invest into creating a perfect habitat for the animals kept captive as well as have a much greater variety of animals at each individual location. The space each animal is living in would also be increased due to the greater investment into fewer facilities. Travel would be required to visit Zoos for some people, but just like many other things in our world (Disneyland or Seaworld for example), those who are most interested would take the time and money go and visit these state of the art facilities.

A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030 (S 13)

A Path to Sustainable Energy by 2030 is the most interesting and innovative reading I have read in university thus far. The article explains an in-depth plan to convert the worlds energy to all renewable resources. The main energy sources would be from wind, water and the sun (commonly known as WWS). The energy would mainly be generated through solar panels, wind turbines (on land and at sea), as well as through hydro dams. Geothermal energy is also discussed as an option. However, geothermal energy is not as technologically advanced as the other energy source and this energy source is not as accessible and most likely will not be in use for many years. The authors break down the various hurdles that must be overcome in order for our earth to be run only by renewable energy sources. Firstly, the authors discuss the reliability that comes with using many different types of energy sources rather than relying on just one main source of energy. They discuss the efficiency of a renewable energy system compared to the energy system we currently use. The authors next tackle the cost of producing a new energy system, stating that due to the limited financial upkeep of the SSW system it is far more economical energy system in the long run. The resources required to produce many of the batteries that would be used in electrical cars and machines are limited so this is one of the few issues that may arise. The final and hardest problem to overcome with the WWS energy system is the political challenge of overturning the current energy system. Much of this political challenge is due to the extreme wealth of the oil companies that obviously do not want to be put out of business. 

Graph from: The Energy Collective - The worlds best thinkers on energy and climate

I believe the WWS energy system is the only option for our planet in the future. Much of the worlds population knows that a sustainable energy system would one day be implemented, however not nearly as many people understand the urgency for this system. The worlds environmental health is declining at such a quick rate that a serious change needs to be made now. The WWS plan is a near impeccable solution for fossil fuels which are one of the worlds greatest environmental hazards. The plan shows how easy the construction, organizing and implementing of a renewable energy system would be, however it is very difficult to get the world population as a whole “on board”.  I believe that if this plan was translated to all languages and explained in schools and universities worldwide, it would be very successful and a realistic goal to have a sustainable energy system by 2030. However, it is not as simple as it sharing this plan with everyone and getting everyone “on board”. The oil industry generates more then a trillion dollars worldwide each year and would like to continue doing so for as long as possible. Many of the major oil companies will do whatever it takes to keep this industry going, despite the factual evidence that shows the environmental harm that our current energy system is doing to the world’s health. So in order for our world to make a significant change to our energy systems we must ALL put a stop to these major corporations by spreading awareness, especially to those more vulnerable to false information in less developed countries. Many of the largest oil companies have been known to fund false “studies” that argue that climate change is not a result of the fossil fuel emission increase that came along with the industrial age. Below I have attached an article breaking down a “study” done by Willie Soon in which he argues that climate change is a result of the sun, not increased fossil fuels emission. This is just an example of one of many false studies done each year by scientists who have funded by major oil companies. 

Willie Soon "Study" 

Alberta Tar Sands Project (In-class blog question)

The Alberta tar sands projects is extremely environmentally damaging. One of the biggest and most intense environmental problems are the “tailing lakes”. The tailing lakes are filled with water that has been used in the separation process when purifying the oil that is produced. The water that has been used in the separation process is sent into the tailing lakes in order to “bring it back to its natural state”.  However, the water is toxic and has been known to cause many cancers. The tailing lakes are currently not a safe way of dealing with this “used” water. The tailing lakes are said to take up over 100 square kilometres of area and can be seen from space (picture below), not to mention they are known for damaging the entire water table of Alberta. Canada is one of the biggest exporters of oil in the world and I understand that closing this project will result in a huge economic loss. I believe if we want this economically beneficial project to continue we must work towards making an environmentally sustainable solution for the “used” water. I believe that if the Alberta tar sands projects wishes to continue BP, Chevron and the other oil companies involved in this project must commit to an environmentally sustainable plan to replace the tailing ponds. 

However there are also many other environmentally damaging aspects of the Alberta tar sands project, so I believe the best case scenario we end the project completely. I hope that in the near future Canada can increase our investments in wind power, solar power and all other renewable energy sources in order to power our own country. The economic loss of the closing of the Alberta tar sands project IS worth saving our environment. No matter how much income this project generates for our country, it will not matter if we cannot survive (or live here) due to the damaged environment. 

"The toxic tailing lakes are considered one of the largest human-made structures in the world and can be seen from space."  - Henry Waxman (D-CA), a senior member of Congress and chair of the powerful Congressional Commitee on Energy and Commerce.

Manitobas Food Systems (In-class blog question)

The food system in Manitoba is not currently not very strong. The city of Winnipeg does not have a large enough community supporting organic and locally sourced foods, so the prices on these products are often extremely high. If we want to see a change in price in organic foods, the Winnipeg community as a whole need to make a strong movement towards purchasing organic foods. In order to make any food system environmentally sustainable, the majority of food must be locally sourced. One of the biggest obstacles we face when trying to eat locally is our extremely long and intense winter conditions. The weather conditions we experience in wintertime make it impossible for us to grow many fruits and vegetables locally for over half of each year. In our growing season, the majority of our fields are used to produce grains and oilseeds. The “commercial food” grocery stores have set the standard to have all fruits and vegetables available all year round. The growing conditions are not constant enough for us to grow many of fruits and vegetables that we currently import. In order to break this “social norm” of having all fruits and vegetables available all year round, society needs to better understand that this is not possible in our climate. This concept must be more widely understood by Manitoban’s if we want to have an environmentally sustainable food system. The nutrition and taste of organic foods in Winnipeg is set at an extremely high standard, much alike everywhere else in North America.  Organic foods have been made available, however not at a price that most low income families can afford. I hope that moving forward we as a community in Winnipeg, can work towards an environmentally and economically sustainable food system.

Manitobans also heavily contributes to hog production, Canada is the 3^rd largest hog exporting country in the world and 60% of those hogs come from Manitoba. There are many environmental issues involved with such high rates of hog production due to the waste these animals create. Much of this waste is used as fertilizer for other agricultural practices. The main concern is nutrient runoff, which contaminates our lakes, streams and groundwater. ManitobaPork is working together with farmers and hog producers to protect our water.

Below is a link to the Environment Protection section of the ManitobaPork website, which has numerous videos explaining the different methods of environmental protection that are used in Manitoba. 

All videos in link below:

Environmental Protection Methods (ManitobaPork)

A Sand County Almanac (S 4)

 

This reading discusses different viewpoints and more specifically, ethical viewpoints. The author discusses how he once thought of wolves having a negative impact on deer, but came to the realization that wolves are essential to keep the deer population down. The author talks about how we must sometimes look at things from natures point of view (mountain point of view) rather than a human (maximizing economic benefits) point of view. The author also discusses how what sometimes might seem best in the moment, may have long-term negative effects down the road.

The “land ethic” is relatable to modern day ethics in the sense that often decisions are made without taking into account the morals involved in a certain decision. The meat industry is a great example of how many modern day humans do not take ethics into account when making decisions. Many humans choose to ignore the fact that the majority of animals produced for meat consumption are violated of all animal rights. Instead, many humans think about what is the easiest way to consume the “required” consumption portrayed by society. Much of what the Canadian public believes is best for our diet is dictated by the Canada Food Guide. Much of society chooses to follow this guide, ignoring the ethical violations that come along with such high meat consumption. 

Canada Food Guide recommended daily servings of each food group:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/basics-base/quantit-eng.php

Modern day pork (Pig) factory:

Tragedy of the Commons (S. 7)

Garrett Hardin discusses "no technical solution problems" and how these problems are effecting the world in the beginning of the selection. He then discusses tragedy of the commons, and describes in detail how one's decision to benefit themselves can have largely negative effects on the group as a whole. Harden talks about how tragedy of the commons relates to pollution, and explains how large groups of people all suffer as a result of a few peoples actions because the environment is common to all humans. The author recognizes that most of the environmental problems we have to deal with are examples of tragedy of the commons.

If everyone in the world decided to have as many kids as possible the entire world would suffer as a result of the "commons" suffering. The individuals who chose to have as many kids as possible would not be directly impacted. Instead, the population as a whole would suffer due to the large amount of extra people. Some of the exploited resources that are held in common by the entire world are; water, wood, air and farming land. Overuse of water can be prevented by people being cautious and careful with the amount of water one uses. One tree can be planted, for every tree that is cut down in the environment to maintain a constant amount of trees. Fossil fuel emissions can be greatly reduced by using better forms of transportation (public transportation, carpooling). Farming land can be better maintained, to ensure it will be productive for a long time.

Human Carrying Capacity (S 35)

The first section of this selection talks about Easter Island, an island who's population has changed drastically over time due to environmental and political changes. Easter Island is believed to be an accurate representation of how our planet as whole goes through population changes. In the second part of this selection the author talks about the human carry capacity of the earth. Joel Cohen argues that there are too many variables in today's world for their to be an exact number, at which we exceed carry capacity. With so many variables involving how different populations act and live around the world, as well as how each populations environment reacts to certain situations, Joel says we can only estimate what the human carry capacity is. He also discusses the different concepts of equilibrium, keying on passive equilibrium in the second part of the selection.

Carrying capacity or human carrying capacity is the maximum amount of humans that our world can maintain successfully. Earth does not have one single number that is our maximum human carrying capacity. With so many different cultures around the world, all acting so differently (different incomes, different land, different birth rates) it makes this number very hard to predict. Because there are so many variables contributing to the carrying capacity, this estimated number is also constantly changing.

Collapse: How Society's Choose to Fail or Succeed (S. 38)

This selection talks about what might have caused ancient societies to collapse and what might cause our society to collapse. The author discusses that the main reasons for collapse are usually due to ecological problems, economic problems, war, as well as migration. He also discusses how the cultures might have seen a collapse coming, if they even did. Furthermore, the article discusses how our society may end, and what are signs of this. The author argues that technology may be having a larger negative impact on culture then the positive benefits that come along with it. The author discusses five contributing factors for environmental collapse in depth; environmental damage, climate change, hostile neighbours, friendly trade partners and societies response to it's environmental problems. The most important factor is society's response to it's environmental problems, this is because every society responds in a different way, based on its political, environmental and economic beliefs.

Not all society that damage their environment are doomed to collapse. However, I believe that we have done such extensive damage to our environment that it is irreparable. Jarred Diamond defines society collapsing as "A drastic decrease in human population size and/or political/economic/social complexity over a considerable area, over an extended period of time". Societies collapse due to environmental damage if poor choices are made after a society recognizes its environment is endangered. Upon realizing that a society is at risk of collapsing due to environmental damage, drastic changes must be made in order to stop further damage and help fix the problems. If a society chooses to ignore the environmental problems, it will most likely lead to the society collapsing.

Park Management / Wapusk Provincial Park (In-Class Blog Question 3)

Parks can meet the perfect balance between access and protection, however the area must be studied so we as humans know exactly how much human access a certain environment can handle. Some environments have a much higher capacity for human activity then others. It is essential that we understand what an environments capacity is, that way we can best control the human access to ensure we do not disturb the environment. In Wapusk provincial park they are currently implementing further human access on tours and guides in order to create a better balance between access and protection. The park has previously had very little human access due to its geographic placement. With human access increasing, it is important that rules and regulations are in place regarding littering, camping, hunting, fishing and fires.