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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Money, money, money.


Human nature is centered around money, consumption and eventually how much destruction we can cause to the Earth. We don't INTEND to cause this destruction, yet we don't care enough to refrain from the activities that help us in the short term, yet cause us harm in the long. As Annie Leonard states in the Story of Stuff, our entire existence is centered around how much we contribute to the global arrow of consumption. Our worth is weighed in how much we own, how much we buy and how much waste we create. It's incredible how indirectly the media, an entity which is supposed to reflect human nature, is encouraging us to destroy our environment. Annie Leonard also addresses the issue of the average human's daily routine. Our daily routines consist of; shopping, working (to sustain our shopping), watching TV (after a hard day's work) - then watching  a commercial that ruins our self-esteem, shopping again for the product suggested by the commercial, working to support our shopping, watching more TV to ruin our self image and so forth. A pathetic cyclic routine easy to put a halt to, yet how many are truly willing to let go of such a simple life style for our self preservation? Truly reflects humanity's self destructive nature.

However, back to the point; human's love money. Money is what makes our world go around. Well, as Karl Marx realised, the best way to tackle an almost impossible to solve issue is to break it down from the inside. Marx intended to overthrow materialism with another form of materialism. Appeal to human nature, keep the concept they are so adamant to follow, yet apply this concept for the betterment of the world. Using this theory, money is the concept I am tackling. I feel in order to reduce carbon emissions, save the environment and save ourselves (before it's too late. Though I must admit the human race has shown knack in the ability to step in right before the situation gets out of hand) we must put a price on carbon. This is where creating a global price for carbon comes in. It is the government's job to take an initiative in such a global paradigm shift and put a price on all carbon emissions. In my opinion, this is probably the best solution to have come out of the decades of pointless debate and excuses regarding our ecological issues. Nobody wants to part with their money and when there's a price on carbon, nobody's going to be emitting more carbon than absolutely necessary to run a business. A carbon price can be essential to stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that prevents extreme climate change. Annual global emissions will significantly decline since putting a price on carbon will limit the output of carbon hence reducing the levels of heat trapped in the air. As addressed in my earlier posts, there is the issue of passing the buck on to third world countries; forcing the third world countries to subject to the developed countries' selfish demands. Greenhouse gases emitted in one location are felt all around the world due to wind currents and the fact that we all share the same atmosphere. This is justification enough to put a ban on using other countries to produce one country's environmentally detrimental goods. Furthermore, it is for this very reason that no country may be exempt from putting a price on carbon. The countries of the world must come together on an intergovernmental level to ratify and enforce a law that gives carbon a price, a value in money; a number that reflects the value it has to our planet. As explained by the methods and concepts addressed above, putting a price on carbon is definitely a solution for the future. A solution liberal enough to appeal to all nations and detailed enough to prevent misinterpretations.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Economy vs. Environment

How does it help to use economic terms when dealing with environmental issues?

Although economics and the environment were initially viewed as foes; two fundamental aspects of life that seem to be the detriment of one another, this conclusion is actually not so. The interdependent nature of economics and the environment is an incredible concept full of diverse relationships and controversial ideas. Within this piece of writing I will discuss three different perspectives on the relationship between the economy and the environment.

Firstly, the two critical purposes of an economy are to produce and distribute goods. The production and distribution of goods require matter and energy, create waste and take up space. The latter four, matter, energy, waste and space are products of the environment. The wastes created by the economy are thrown back into the environment, hence destroying the environment. As I stated in one of my earlier posts, humanity's relationship with the environment is cyclic (the economy's relationship with the environment is cyclic). The economy destroys the environment, us human beings drink water - that is now polluted, breathe air - that has been contaminated, and live in an era in which climatic changes are gradually edging towards the extremes. The economy destroys the environment, the environment destroys the economy. This is one perspective on the relationship between the economy and the environment.

The next addresses a vital misconception regarding the relationship between these two entities. The misconception being the fact that the economy is regarded as synonymous with money, a belief based on humanity's money minded mentalities. Although I believe this perspective is greatly misled, I will go on to elaborate on its finer points. First of all, the human race depends on the planet's resources in order to maintain its economy and income generation. Human's are all about the monetary value of a product, however, in relation to the environment, money and things of such worth themselves are born of the Earth, substances such as gold, silver, diamonds and oil. The human race has basically found a way of bringing  everything that lies within the environment into the economy, an environment humans are able to control. We, during our day to day lives, undergo monetary transactions (money is paper, paper is from trees) in order to buy essential resources such as food, water, shelter and clothing. Ironically, these necessities are also natural resources and so is the tree the money came from. What the human race is actually doing is paying themselves to rob the Earth of its resources.

The two perspectives described above seem to have deemed the relationship between economics and the environment as parasitic. A relationship in which the economy is leeching off the environment, depriving the Earth of its belongings and putting the world into ecological overdraft due to over-consumption. The third perspective I am about to explain is the most contemporary and discusses the potential the economy has in contributing positively towards the environment due to their already incredibly interconnected nature. This perspective states that the economy and the environment are not only related, but are able to work hand in hand to improve one another. As I have stated, economics and ecology (the environment) are often classified as two completely different entities. Economics is often thought to deal purely with monetary and financial issues, however society often tends to overlook the fact that economics also deals with the allocation of scare man-made and natural resources. Economics finds the most effective and cheapest method of performing a certain task. However, in many cases the cheapest method also happens to be the most ecologically destructive. If economics worked collaboratively with ecology in order to find the most cost efficient and environmentally friendly method of performing these same tasks, the main issue concerning human impact on nature will have been eliminated. The other area in which ecology and economics are interdependent is under the umbrella of natural capacity. Natural capacity is "an extension of the economic notion of capital (manufactured means of production) to goods and services relating to the natural environment." Natural capital is the stock of natural ecosystems that produces a flow of valuable ecosystem goods or services for the future. Natural capital addresses issues such as sustainability. This contemporary approach towards the relationship between ecology and economy has given birth to a new field called ecological economics. Ecological economics is a trans-disciplinary field of that aims to address the interdependence and co-evolution of human economies and natural ecosystems over time and space. In addition to the field of ecological economics, there is also a field called environmental economics that aims to ratify the theory that the economy is a subsystem of the ecosystem (it is in environmental economics that natural capital is directly involved). Personally I feel that ecological economics is a more contemporary and realistic approach to the relationship between these two entities as ecological economics takes environmental economics a step further by saying that the human economy and natural ecosystems are actually parallel to each other in importance while maintaining the belief that the economy too can feed the environment, a belief that environmental economics rejects.

Based on my in depth analysis of three or rather three and a half (counting the difference between environmental and ecological economics) perspectives on the relationship between the environment and the economy, I am able to confirm that although the economy is having a negative impact on the environment, these two entities are completely capable of working together to improve the state of our Earth.


Work Cited

Bank, international organizations such as the World. "Conservation Ecology: Bridging the Gap Between Economics and Ecology." Ecology and Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.

Dowdey, Sarah. "HowStuffWorks "How Carbon Footprints Work"." Howstuffworks "Science". N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.

"Ecological economics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.

"Natural capital - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2010.

Eco-Action Quotes

~ We have modified our environment so radically that we must now modify ourselves to exist in this new environment. ~ Norbert Wiener 

~ In an underdeveloped country, don't drink the water; in a developed country, don't breathe the air. ~  Changing Times Magazine 

~ We generate our own environment. We get exactly what we deserve. How can we resent a life we've created ourselves? Who's to blame, who's to credit but us? Who can change it, anytime we wish, but us? ~ Richard Bach 

~ I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend? ~ Robert Redford 

~ If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos. ~ Edward O. Wilson 

~ Our environmental problems originate in the hubris of imagining ourselves as the central nervous system or the brain of nature. We're not the brain, we are a cancer on nature. ~ David Foreman

Carbon Footprints

 The site attached below provides a sophisticated yet understandable interpretation of what a carbon footprint is and its relationship with the environment. This article also goes on to provide information on exactly how to calculate one's carbon footprint and reduce one's carbon footprint. It has also looked at carbon footprinting and neutrality from an industrial perspective in its explanation of how companies have begun putting carbon labels on their products. I feel that this site addresses all the important aspects of Carbon Footprinting and is a must read if researching ecological affairs.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/carbon-footprint.htm

Our Questionable Existence.

What is the purpose of our existence?
To engulf ourselves in a parasitic mannerism destructive to all around us including ourselves? NO.
Is this the type of activity we constantly engage in? YES.

Sure, it is compulsory for us to use the Earth's resources to survive. A little more of the Earth's resources to live a life of quality. Yet leeching off the Earth in a sense symbolizes a mountain. Once you reach the top, you have no where to go but come back down - which is exactly what is happening to the human race and its usage of natural resources. Our parasitic relationship with the Earth is destroying the Earth, which unfortunately only destroys us. We have used so much of what the Earth provides, the Earth is unable to sustainably provide anymore. Thus the introduction of ecological overdraft. Ecological overdraft should flash red in our minds as it is an evident indicator as to how we are only digging our own graves, luring our doom in sooner than what's inevitable. The human race's relationship with the Earth is cyclic. Whatever harm we cause to the Earth, eventually effects us indirectly in the future. On the down side, the Earth does not need the human race to survive. Quite frankly, the Earth would be better off without it. However, in order to save ourselves, us as weak humans in the shadow of the Earth must learn to coexist with our environment in order to progress effectively.

An Angel's Cries, Seem Mute to The World.

I decided to give ecopoetry a shot with a twist of my own flavour. What I composed I have written below:









I watch my flowers wilting
In the dusty autumn breeze
An angel crying softly
Her cries seem to never cease

She once cried of joy and laughter,
She cried of peace and love
Peace was never meant to meet us
Love trapped in the skies above

Her tears of joy transformed to sorrow
Accompanied by a storm of grief
Our greedy human nature proved
Unworthy of a single leaf

Beneath floods of self-indulgence
Her soft weeping has been muffled
What became a human civil war was
Born of no more than a scuffle

We tear ourselves apart
It seems almost a modern art
Destroying, primarily the poor
Shoving them down, into a sewer
While the privileged wallow in gluttony
The majority does not reap, they sow

As we oppress our own kind,
We destroy the world around
Sucking dry the Earth of what it provides,
Depriving us of what lays our ground

Children of consequence shall suffer
For them it is too late,
If we don’t act at this very moment
We will have permanently sealed their fate
In the blink of an eye.

Eco-Poetry

Below I have found a beautiful poem with a strong ecological emphasis. I found this poem while researching a genre of poetry named ecopoetry. This genre has surfaced throughout the last few years with the growing emphasis on ecological catastrophes and 'going green.' Below I have presented an example of this type of poetry.

One thin September soon
A floating continent disappears
In midnight sun
Vapors rise as
Fever settles on an acid sea
Neptune's bones dissolve
Snow glides from the mountain
Ice fathers floods for a season
A hard rain comes quickly
Then dirt is parched
Kindling is placed in the forest
For the lightning's celebration
Unknown creatures
Take their leave, unmourned
Horsemen ready their stirrups
Passion seeks heroes and friends
The bell of the city
On the hill is rung
The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived
Here are your tools

- Anonymous.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

The Greenhouse Effect.

What is the Greenhouse Effect?

Life on Earth depends on energy from the sun. Approximately 30% of the sun's light that beams towards the Earth is deflected by the outer atmosphere back into space. The rest reaches the Earth's surface and is reflected upwards as a type of slow-moving energy called infrared radiation. The heat caused by infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. Greenhouse gases, usually making up around 1% of the Earth's atmosphere, plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's temperature and keeping it at levels that appeal to hometostasis. This natural phenomena is vital to our existence and has been named the 'greenhouse effect'. However, there can be too much of a good thing.

Excessive greenhouse gas emissions cause the greenhouse gases being emitted to trap higher amounts of heat, as they are designed to do, hence warming up the Earth's atmosphere to levels beyond what nature can tolerate. Although we are not entirely responsible for this negative change in environment, our activities were fundamental to the acceleration of the natural process in which the greenhouse effect takes place and will be fundamental to its solution, since these environmental issues are directly affecting us; in the short and long term

How are humans emitting excessive greenhouse gas into the atmosphere?

Below I have mentioned a few ways in which humans are emitting excessive greenhouse gases into the atmosphere hence disturbing natural procedure.
  •  Burning natural gas, coal and oil (including gasoline) contributes to levels of carbon dioxide
  • Specific farming practices and land-use changes increase levels of methane and nitrous oxide
  • Factories producing long lasting industrial gases that have just been introduced to today's society are contributing immensely to the enhanced greenhouse effect
  • Deforestation. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and with the lack of trees there is an excess of carbon dioxide lingering in the atmosphere.
  • Population growth and overconsumption hence ecological overdraft. We want more than we can have,

TREE HUGGER: Thumbs Up!


The following website is one of the most effective websites I have found on going green as it addresses going green in a number of aspects of day to day life.The website provides advice on how to go green in a realistic way that appeals to modern day society yet is still effective enough to make a significant impact on our world in the long run.

http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php

After this time, there is no more time.

Every minute that passes without action being taken is a minute wasted. We've strategized, we've debated, we've wasted years of time deciding on our course of action. What we need to do now is follow that course of action, or at least the part of our strategy that has been confirmed. By 'acting' I don't mean a few of us, a select few of eco-friendly people, I am referring to the entire global population who are in a position to make sacrifices; not those struggling under the burdens of starvation and poverty. We are sucking the Earth dry of its resources, we have forced our planet into ecological overdraft, we are pushing our world into an era of lack of sustainability, an era that only affects us in the long run. If we truly cared about our children, their living conditions and the future of our race we'd sacrifice at least a little of our lives for the benefit.

Okay. Appealing to human nature, let's disregard the future for a moment. Think of now. Think of today. Spending more on sunblock? Higher chances of absorbing UV rays? Unable to go to the beach? Can't travel back from Europe due to emissions caused by the volcano in Iceland? The Tsunami of 2004? The Earthquake in Haiti? Well those were caused by me, by you, by US. They are OUR fault. People have died, cousins, aunts, uncles, our MOTHERS, FATHERS, CHILDREN. Not all of us are still convinced that it is our fault, but convinced or not we are the ones being affected therefore there is absolutely no use blaming our issues on others. It doesn't matter who's fault it is anymore, the only option we have left is to ACT.

Captain Planet Theme Song!


Lyrics | Phil Collins lyrics - Captain Planet Theme Song lyrics

The Greenest Cartoon Characters

Cartoons are a form of social media aimed at a younger audience. Including ecological awareness in kid's cartoons is an exceptionally effective method of raising awareness of ecological issues amongst the younger generation; the generation that has been placed with the burden of taking our environmental issues upon their shoulders and solving.

1. Captain Planet

Captain Planet fights the eco-villains with his captains in waiting: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water and Heart. There is no environmental disaster they can't solve. However, Captain Planet too has his weaknesses, that come in the form of environmental catastrophes such as pollution, radiation, toxic waste and smog. When faced with such issues, Captain Planet uses his vast array of powers ranging from telekinesis, blowing hurricanes or whatever else the situation calls for to win the battle in the name of the environment. This show even features 'Planeteer Alerts' mini public service announcements designed to alert kids at home to the actual environmental crises facing the Earth.

2. Lisa Simpson

 Lisa is one of those conscientious kids who make everyone feel a little guilty about their own self-indulgences. The small acts of environmental kindness she takes part seem to tug a little on the heart's of those who understand why she is the way she is. Her planting a lemon tree for meditation purposes makes those watching the show with an ounce of morality and intelligence question their own spiritual beliefs. She petitions to stop Mr. Burns from using six pack wrappers to catch materials for 'Lil' Lisa's Slurry', part of an episode in which Mr. Burns attempts to become environmentally friendly but only results in adding to Springfield's ecological issues. She even canvasses the town in the Simpson's Movie, urging citizens to be aware of the mercury content in Springfield Lake. This kid really is one of the only kids in the cartoon industry I would personally advise little children to emulate.

3. Bambi

Despite its initial impression as an innocent movie about forest creatures, Bambi introduces some intense environmental issues. From hunting to deforestation (Bambi's mother is killed by a poacher and humans set Bambi's forest home on fire), Bambi is a grim reminder of the greedy nature of humans and the chaos we are inflicting upon our Earth.

4. The Lorax

Though The Lorax is technically a book and not a TV cartoon, it has to be mentioned in this list of greenest cartoon characters. At first it seems like a nonsensical children's story (the first impression of many Dr. Seuss books) however it is actually a powerful social commentary, relying on anthropomorphism and allegory to point out that it is our own destructive, wasteful ways that our ruining the Earth.
In the book, the 'Once-ler' cuts down a load of trees to set up a store called 'Thneeds' that sells stuff he insists that 'everyone needs'.

Sound familiar to you? Deforestation = to build homes and raise cattle - real thneeds, things that everyone needs. What people must realise, is that before you can build a house and raise cattle for food, WE must EXIST. The Earth dictates our existence and if the Earth is deteriorating and slowly ceasing to exist as it was, consequently so will we. We are cutting down trees to make houses, but before we need houses we need oxygen. The human race needs to set its priorities straight.

5. The Smurfs

The Smurf's may not be living lifestyles realistic to the human race today and they may not be providing effective solutions to our current situation, but you must admire the simple lives they live. These little blue creatures live in the far reaches of the forest in mushrooms. Unlike humans, they manage to coexist happily with the Earth, inhabiting its growth and eating its leaves enough for their survival, but not in excess. The Smurfs will definitely not put the Earth into ecological overdraft since they take only what they need and refrain from destroying the Earth. These tiny creatures disregard modern conveniences, instead choosing to live off the land and reap its benefits. The Smurfs are a perfect example of what life used to be like for us humans during the time in which in Earth and the human race were on, coexisting in a relatively interdependent relationship (though we need from the Earth more than it needs from us).

The Poverty of Philosophy.

The Povery of Philosophy is a song by rapper Immortal Technique. It addresses poverty and the poverty in Latin American coutnries caused by the injustice of the United States.
This song ties in with ecological issues since it although most would like to work towards healing our planet, there are a number of obstacles in the way. One of these obstacles being poverty. Those in poverty, as described by the song below, are unable to focus on the major ecological crises, financial issues and issues of social injustice taking place in today's world since they are too preoccupied being subject to these catastrophes.

Immortal Technique speaks of a communist revolution he feels must take place to eradicate the issue of poverty. Once this issue has been eliminated, the world's population can work together as one to address the overwhelming issue of ecological overdraft.
______________________________________

Most of my Latino and black people who are struggling to get food, clothes and shelter in the hood are so concerned with that, that philosophizing about freedom and socialist democracy is usually unfortunately beyond their rationale. They don't realize that America can't exist without separating them from their identity, because if we had some sense of who we really are, there's no way in hell we'd allow this country to push it's genocidal consensus on our homelands. This ignorance exists, but it can be destroyed.

Talk about change and working within the system to achieve that. The problem with always being a conformist is that when you try to change the system from within, it's not you who changes the system; it's the system that will eventually change you. There is usually nothing wrong with compromise in a situation, but compromising yourself in a situation is another story completely, and I have seen this happen long enough in the few years that I've been alive to know that it's a serious problem. Latino America is a huge colony of countries whose presidents are cowards in the face of economic imperialism. You see, third world countries are rich places, abundant in resources, and many of these countries have the capacity to feed their starving people and the children we always see digging for food in trash on commercials. But plutocracies, in other words a government run by the rich such as this one and traditionally oppressive European states, force the third world into buying overpriced, unnecessary goods while exporting huge portions of their natural resources.

I'm quite sure that people will look upon my attitude and sentiments and look for hypocrisy and hatred in my words. My revolution is born out of love for my people, not hatred for others.

You see, most of Latinos are here because of the great inflation that was caused by American companies in Latin America. Aside from that, many are seeking a life away from the puppet democracies that were funded by the United States; places like El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Columbia, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Republica Dominicana, and not just Spanish-speaking countries either, but Haiti and Jamaica as well.

As different as we have been taught to look at each other by colonial society, we are in the same struggle and until we realize that, we'll be fighting for scraps from the table of a system that has kept us subservient instead of being self-determined. And that's why we have no control over when the embargo will stop in Cuba, or when the bombs will stop dropping in Vieques.

But you see, here in America the attitude that is fed to us is that outside of America there live lesser people. "**** them, let them fend for themselves." No, **** you, they are you. No matter how much you want to dye your hair blonde and put fake eyes in, or follow an anorexic standard of beauty, or no matter how many diamonds you buy from people who exploit your own brutally to get them, no matter what kind of car you drive or what kind of fancy clothes you put on, you will never be them. They're always gonna look at you as nothing but a little monkey. I'd rather be proud of what I am, rather than desperately trying to be something I'm really not, just to fit in. And whether we want to accept it or not, that's what this culture or lack of culture is feeding us.

I want a better life for my family and for my children, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of millions of lives in my homeland. We're given the idea that if we didn't have these people to exploit then America wouldn't be rich enough to let us have these little petty material things in our lives and basic standards of living. No, that's wrong. It's the business giants and the government officials who make all the real money. We have whatever they kick down to us. My enemy is not the average white man, it's not the kid down the block or the kids I see on the street; my enemy is the white man I don't see: the people in the white house, the corporate monopoly owners, fake liberal politicians those are my enemies. The generals of the armies that are mostly conservatives, those are the real ones that I need to bring it to, not the poor, broke country soldier that's too stupid to know about the way things are set up.

In fact, I have more in common with most working and middle-class white people than I do with most rich black and Latino people. As much as racism bleeds America, we need to understand that classism is the real issue. Many of us are in the same boat and it's sinking, while the upper class ride on a luxury liner, and as long as we keep fighting over kicking people out of the little boat we're all in, we're gonna miss an opportunity to gain a better standard of living as a whole.

In other words, I don't want to escape the plantation I want to come back, free all my people, hang the fool that kept me there and burn the house to the god damn ground. I want to take over the encomienda and give it back to the people who work the land.

You cannot change the past but you can make the future, and anyone who tells you different is a lethargic devil. I don't look at a few token Latinos and black people in the public eye as some type of achievement for my people as a whole. Most of those successful individuals are sell-outs and house Negros.

But, I don't consider brothers a sell-out if they move out of the ghetto. Poverty has nothing to do with our people. It's not in our culture to be poor. That's only been the last 500 years of our history; look at the last 2000 years of our existence and what we brought to the world in terms of science, mathematics, agriculture and forms of government. You know the idea of a confederation of provinces where one federal government controls the states? The Europeans who came to this country stole that idea from the Iroquois lead. The idea of impeaching a ruler comes from an Aztec tradition. That's why Montezuma was stoned to death by his own people 'cause he represented the agenda of white Spaniards once he was captured, not the Aztec people who would become Mexicans.

So in conclusion, I'm not gonna vote for anybody just 'cause they black or Latino they have to truly represent the community and represent what's good for all of us proletariat.

Viva la revolution!

Global Warming Cartoons

 Interpretation: 
The world the elder generation is leaving behind for us has been destroyed immensely leaving us nothing to look forward to when we are placed with the burden of its renewal. The elder generations have ruined the world, leaving our generation to fix their mistakes. The father in this cartoon is telling his kid that 'someday all this will be his'. The kid replies, 'gee, thanks' since the kid doesn't ever want to receive such a destroyed society, full of social and ecological detriments.
       
Interpretation:
America's policy of free will and freedom of speech is being exaggerated in this cartoon as George Bush is shown saying 'I believe emissions should be reduced voluntarily'. The Earth has reached the point at which emission reduction can no longer be voluntary, it is a must in order to save our Earth and make our lives sustainable. Furthermore, this cartoon goes on to address how America's global warming policy consists of nothing but; destruction, false ineffective ideologies, politics (the negatives of politics), denial and delays. With this sort of irresponsible attitude, global warming will only grow in significance.

Interpretation:
This cartoon states that, 'global warming does seem harder and harder to deny' and indicated by polar bears sunbathing and seals playing beach netball - a completely abnormal phenomena.


Interpretation:
This cartoon addresses 8 significant reasons centering around denial (mainly caused by the United States) as to why the global warming issue is not improving as effectively as it should be. The issues are as follows:
Outright denial
False convictions (that global warming is a good thing)
Pretending that is has not been confirmed
Passing the buck
False hopes that it will fix itself
The 'there is nothing we can do' card
The 'too expensive, we can't afford it' card
Postponing

These issues have been debated about for a decade and in this time global warming has not been worked on significantly. The only thing improving is the American government's ability to come up with excuses and wallow in their denial.
Action must be taken. Awareness must be raised.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Impact of Progress

Before delving into the different aspects of a concept as complex as 'progress', one must become familiar with the term. Progress by definition is thought to be positive, an advancement forwards. However it is evident that economical progress often has its side effects; ecological, moral disadvantages.

Greed, being a fundamental component of human nature, has consistently played a prominent role in our 'development'. Greed encourages the human race to opt for rapid, effective, short term developments as opposed to effective, slower, sustainable development. We want more, and we want it now. During the period in which the already developed nations of today were still developing, there was a complete disregard to the ecological, social, financial and moral consequences of economical development. In order for the capitalists to reign, they must take advantage of the lower proletarians; a clear example of exploitation (a moral issue). The planet went into overdraft due to overconsumption, we were draining from the Earth's its resources in oder to 'economically develop'. By not taking into consideration the external consequences of our rapid development, the increasing lack of sustainbility was inevitable. Due to our intensely capitalistic societies, the higher class does not feel the effects of their wrongdoings. It is the proletariats that suffer from our greed. On the other hand, since the underprivileged are so pre-occupied with mere survival, it is up to those who are responsible for this catastrophe to pull the world out of the grave we are digging for ourselves.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Eco Trivia


* Every week about 20 species of plants and animals become extinct.
* Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres per minute.
* One third of the water used in most homes is flushed down the toilet
* A single quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water
* Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kills as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year.
* A modern glass bottle would take 4000 years or more to decompose - and even longer if it's in the landfill.
*  Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.
*  Energy-saving lightbulbs last around ten times longer than ordinary lightbulbs- over 10,000 hours.
*  A laptop is more environment friendly than a desktop. It consumes five times less electricity.
* An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now.
* A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15 per cent.
* Tissue paper is a major source of waste. It takes 60,00,000 trees to make 1 year's worth of tissues for the world.
* A ton of recycled paper equals or saves 17 trees in paper production.
* A plant on your desk acts as a natural filter, absorbing airborne pollutants and computer radiation while replenishing oxygen levels.
* Crawling traffic contributes eight times as much air pollution as traffic moving at regular highway speed
* Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
* Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and soaping your hands. This can save around 16 litres a day. That's 11,000 litre of water per person per year.

" Eco Facts." NDTV’s Greenathon- An Environment Initiative. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 May 2010. .




Sunday, May 2, 2010

City On Our Knees: tobyMac


If you've gotta start somewhere, why not here?
If you've gotta start sometime, why not now?
If we've gotta start somewhere, I say here.
If we've gotta start sometime, I say now.
Through the fog there is hope in the distance
From cathedrals to third world missions
Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave.

Tonight's the night
For the sinners and the saints
Two worlds collide in a beautiful display
It’s all love tonight
When we step across the line
We can sail across the sea
To a city with one king
A city on our knees.

If you've gotta start sometime, why not now?

85 months and counting takes into consideration the fundamental psychological aspects behind the lack of sustainability within today's world. It indicates and addresses the change in mentality that must take place in the minds' of the human race in order to effectively develop our planet and pull ourselves out of the grave we are burying ourselves in. 85 months and counting points out how the most economically developed nations within our society are playing the blame game, carbon laundering and not taking responsibility for their nonchalance. It was originally their responsibility to initiate the global aim to neutralize the world's carbon footprint and eradicate excessive greenhouse gas emission. The responsibility was placed in their hands, as the leading nations of our economy, to take the first step towards sustainability. However they failed miserably and passed the buck on to the less developed nations without the ability to initiate such a change; Brazil, India and China. The author of 85 months and counting really took into account the downfalls of human nature and recognized that when the buck was passed to these less developed nations, they had the ability to play the "Why should we, when you didn’t and still aren't?" card. American politicians are blaming our carbon issues on the overpopulation crisis within China, however the rest of the world including China, realise that the majority of carbon emissions per person actually come from the United States.


As pointed out by this blog, the very army that is dedicated to controlling the decline in oil supplies actually use up tremendous amounts of oil themselves, an on-going problem with a limited number of solutions, one solution being the use of alternative energy. However as stated by the blog regarding the US military's relationship with the control of oil supply, "It’s possibly the greatest energy inefficiency we have, not to mention the way that this military “oil protection racket” also removes the incentive for energy alternatives to develop." Furthermore, as stated by 85 months and counting, in 2007 the US spent over $17 billion dollars on fuel, $17 billion dollars being equivalent to 363,000 barrels of oil per day - clear evidence as to why the world is in ecological overdraft and unable to sustain the lives we (in particular those who lives in the States) live today. The evidence stated in this reflection highlights the urgent nature of our ecological issues, human greed and the human race's typical way of passing the blame and not taking responsibility. Since it is evident the human race are too greedy to sacrifice just a little (collaboratively) to help themselves in the long run, 85 days and counting suggest radical methods of countering this issue. A few may think that these solutions are bordering extreme, however taking into consideration human nature, extremity is needed to tackle is significant issue. Personally I believe that when the economic recession eventually fizzles out and the world returns to its relatively stable financial condition, a 100% tax must be imposed on the usage of oil hence encouraging society to turn to alternative energies since by then they will be cheaper. I feel that this is an effective solution although it is not realistic to explore under current circumstances. The world must first tackle its economic crises in order to use its finances and overcome its ecological issues.


http://www.neweconomics.org/programmes/climate-change

What do you think ‘Carbon Footprint’ means?



A carbon footprint is "the total set of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product." It is made up of the sum of the primary footprint and the secondary footprint.

The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 - from the burning of fossil fuels (domestic energy consumption, transportation) and other energy consuming aspects of our life we have direct control over our primary footprint.

The secondary footprint is used to measure the the indirect CO2 emissions from the lives of the products we us - including their manufacturing and eventual breakdown. The more we buy, the more our secondary footprint is. We have limited control over our secondary footprint although we do have the ability to choose what we buy and how much of it we buy.

The new ecological 'fad' as such is to be carbon neutral. One can reduce their carbon footprint by using energy saving lightbulbs, public transport and any other form of reducing consumption. Furthermore one's carbon footprint may be reduced by countering one's carbon footpint with deeds that positively contribute to the environment such as raising awareness starting environmentally friendly products, introducing being environmentally friendly to large consumer companies and other pro-ecological acts. In order to reduce one's carbon footprint's one must engage in events that counter this increase and eventually engage in so many acts that counter our carbon emissions in order to achieve being carbon neutral (having a carbon footprint of 0).

Why is the Earth in ecological overdraft?

"I am a weapon of mass consumption, it's not my fault, it's how I'm programmed to function." - Lily Allen


First of all, WHAT is ecological overdraft? Ecological overdraft is the point at which human consumption exceeds the Earth's ability to sustain it. The human race is now taking from the Earth resources the Earth cannot afford to give hence putting the world into ecological overdraft and creating a lack of sustainability. Disregarding the most obvious reason behind ecological overdraft; the fact that the human race is consuming more than they should, their demands have grown from simple necessities to complex wants, one of the fundamental reasons behind ecological overdraft is the overpopulation crisis. Even if the consumption rate of each individual stays and has stayed the same over the last 20 years, the population has risen therefore the Earth is supporting a larger amount of people consuming the same amount. In a deceptive attempt to overcome ecological overdraft, heal the damages in our environment (which in the long term affect none other but us), major developed countries such as the UK and US have begun 'carbon laundering'. Laundering in this context is illegally obtaining or export of a certain product while making the transaction seem legit. The UK and the US have begun classifying their carbon excretions under the carbon footprints of other nations, such as China, by placing their higher carbon emitting industries on Chinese soil. The industrialized nations are a) Responsible for most carbon emissions to date and b) Particularly responsible for driving the rapid growth in emissions from industrializing nations such as China. 


"Without this demand, China would not have developed so rapidly and its emissions would not have risen so sharply," the report for the widely-respected government-funded Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research by Tao Wang and Jim Watson said, suggesting that 'imported carbon' should be included in national emission calculations of the country itself (for example UK and the US) as opposed to under the national emission calculations of the victim nations (such as China that are being used as the powerhouse and factory to supply goods for the developed nations). 


According to the National Economic Forum, if the world had the same consumptions rates as in the United States, it would take 5.3 planet Earth to sustain this consumption. The figures for France, Britain, Spain, Germany and Japan are 3.1, 3.1, 3, 2.5 and 2.4 respectively. However on the other hand, if the world emulated the carbon emissions of China (one of the only major countries to have taken into account the significance of sustainability) it would take a mere 0.9 of a planet to sustain the world's consumption. "As China is increasingly attacked because of its rising population, people overlook one important issue. Per person, China's greenhouse gas emissions are a fraction of those in Europe and the United States," stated Andrew Simms, the director of the National Economic Forum.


More concealed reasons for ecological overdraft (as opposed to the usual reasons such as excessive consumption):
- Overpopulation
- Carbon laundering. Industrialized society's fast track mind with their lack of ability to think in the long term.