Blog Post 9: Food Production

With the population continuing to grow at a rapid rate, mass production of food is necessary in order to feed the majority, and yes I said the majority as in the people that are fortunate enough to be able to afford food. Many people, even in this country, are hungry or eat once every couple of days.

There are many hurdles that food producers need to jump over in order to meet government regulations. Note: The following is just a few problems with the food production industry. To see other problems with the food production industry, please visit my fellow classmate's blog http://talkinbouttheissues.blogspot.com/


Fran has been working with this topic throughout the semester so she has a great deal more information for the interested reader that I can't include in 1 blog post.

The following information is from:
http://www.naturalnews.com/030808_food_safety_bill_American_farmers.html

“When witnessing such a moment in history when the federal government greatly expands its power over an entire industry, it's important to understand the Law of Unintended Consequences. Virtually everything bad that happens after a bill gets passed is due to this Law of Unintended Consequences."

“On the surface, the intention behind the food safety bill seems innocent enough: Let's all protect the food supply and prevent people from getting sick due to e.coli and salmonella exposure.”
“Because the S.510 / HR 2751 food safety bill places an enormous new burden on U.S. farmers -- yes, even small farms that are supposedly "exempt" -- it's going to drive many farmers out of business."

"It will also erect new barriers to farmers entering the food production business, and this is especially true for the small local farmers who grow food for local co-ops, farmers' markets and CSA organizations (Community Supported Agriculture). What we're going to see from all this, then, is the following:

• A reduction in the available SUPPLY of fresh local produce.
• A loss of local farming know-how and food sustainability.
• The financial failure of CSAs, food co-ops and small local markets.
• The loss of countless jobs that were related to local food production.
• An INCREASE in the price of local food, especially organic food.”


“Many dangerous chemical pesticides that have been banned in the USA are legal to use elsewhere, and foods treated with those pesticides are perfectly legal to import into the United States. So instead of buying food grown in the United States on small, organic farms, more U.S. consumers are going to be buying food grown elsewhere that's treated with extremely toxic pesticides."

"Here are some of the unintended consequences of all this:

• An INCREASE in the importation of fresh produce from other countries.

• A worsening of the agricultural trade imbalance between the U.S. and other nations.

• An INCREASE in the pesticide contamination of fresh produce sold at U.S. grocery stores.

• An INCREASE in agriculture jobs in Mexico, Chile, Peru and elsewhere, even while agriculture jobs are lost in the USA.

• A DECREASE in the overall safety of the food supply because now the proportion of foods imported from foreign countries with little or no regulatory oversight will greatly expand compared to U.S. grown foods.

In effect, then, what Congress has done is impaired the competitiveness of U.S. farms, shifted farming jobs out of the country, increased the pesticide residues in fresh produce sold in U.S. grocery stores and harmed local food security and sustainability by driving small, local farmers out of business.

Such is the nature of the Law of Unintended Consequences. And such is the nature of just about everything that Big Government tries to do when it threatens to "solve problems" by expanding its regulatory control over almost any industry.”
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As already shown above:
To see other problems with the food production industry, please visit my fellow classmate's blog http://talkinbouttheissues.blogspot.com/


Fran has been working with this topic throughout the semester so she has a great deal more information for the interested reader that I can't include in 1 blog post.

Blog Post 8: The Great Barrier Reef

According to Wikipedia.com, “the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reef and 900 islands stretching for over 1,600 mi over an area of approximately 344,400 square 133,000 sq mi. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia.”

What is a coral reef? A coral reef is “a reef composed mainly of coral and other organic matter of which parts have solidified into limestone,” (Dictionary.com).
According to Dictionary.com, Corals are “Any of numerous small, sedentary cnidarians (coelenterates) of the class Anthozoa. Corals often form massive colonies in shallow sea water and secrete a cup-shaped skeleton of calcium carbonate, which they can retreat into when in danger. Corals are related to the sea anemones and have stinging tentacles around the mouth opening that are used to catch prey.” More simply, “a hard, stony substance consisting of the skeletons of these animals. It is typically white, pink, or reddish and can form large reefs that support an abundance of ocean fish.”

Why are the reefs important?

“Coral reefs benefit a healthy world by providing:
Habitat: Home to more than 1 million diverse aquatic species, including thousands of fish species
Income: Billions of dollars and millions of jobs in more than 100 countries around the world
Food: For commercial fishing enterprises and for people living near coral reefs, especially on small islands
Protection: A natural barrier protecting coastal cities, communities, and beaches
Medicine: Potential treatments for many of the world's most prevalent and dangerous illnesses and diseases,” (http://www.coral.org/resources/about_coral_reefs/why_care).

To view the complete list of how coral reefs benefit a healthy world, click here.

Did you know….

• The Great Barrier Reef is so large that it can be seen from space
• It is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms

Dangers to the degradation of the reefs:

Water Polution: “Oil, gas and pesticide contamination posions coral and marine life. Reefs are harmed when human, animal waste and/or fertilizer is dumped into the ocean or when rive systems carry these pollutatnts to reef waters. These pollutatnts increase the level of nitrogen around the coral reefs, causing overgrowth of algae, which smothers reefs by cutting off their sunlight. Trash also kills coral reef animals. Floating trash can cover reefs, blocking off sunlight that polyps need to survive. Turtles often mistake plastic bags for jelly fish and eat them. The plastic blocks the turtle’s digestive tract, causing them to starve to death. Lost or disgarded fishing nets- called ‘ghost nets’ can snag on reefs and strangle thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.”

Coastal Development: “Coastal populations have risen, increasing the pressures on coastal resources. This has led to a multitude of problems for coral reefs. In many areas, developers have constructed piers and other structures directly on top of coral reefs. At one time, big cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila and Honolulu had thriving coral reefs. Long ago, these reefs were destroyed by human pressures. Now, reefs growing near other coastal communities are experiencing the same coral degradation.”
To view the complete list click here.

Blog Post 7: Decline of Species

“Often, in the process of creating more human habitat, humans alter the environment enough to eliminate the food, water or living spaces needed by other organisms to survive.” (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_lf_k0700_0167c.pdf)


Here are some terms to understand the needs of different species:

Generalists- Species that are “able to use the greatest variety of food, water and types of living spaces.” As the name implies, these species are more general and use broad methods for survival because of their ability to adapt to various environments. Humans are generalists because we are able to adapt the land so that we are more comfortable.

Specialists- “are organisms that have very specific living requirements. They are often very successful at making use of something in their environment that other organisms do not or cannot use. Most specialists are found in very limited areas. Their numbers may be large where they are found but a loss of any part of their unique habitat causes a rapid decline in their population. Endangered species are usually specialists.”

Within just the United States, there are 2,269 endangered species. These endangered species include Amphibians, Arachnids, Birds, Centipedes, Clams, Corals, Jellyfish and Sea Anemones, Crustaceans, Fishes, Insects, Mammals, Plants, Reptiles, Snails and Worms.

To view the extensive 2,269 list for yourself, click here.

Within West Virginia, there are 48 different species that are endangered.

Rhode Island: 33 endangered species Puerto Rico: 145 endangered species

To Search for a specific state or country click here and select the area that you want to find out through the drop down tab then hit search.

Below are some pictures of animals that are on the endangered species list:

There are fewer than 2,000 Giant Pandas in the World.

Asiatic Lions

Green Turtles

Hippo

Toucan

Humpback Whale

Red Panda

Readers' Suggestions

Hello readers!

If I could include anything else within my blog to help you better understand my topic such as more
pictures,
links,
a better description of key terms,
or any other suggestions you can think of, please let me know. You're opinion is important to me! I can only improve if I understand fully what I am missing. If I'm missing information, you as my readers are as well.

Thanks!

[Please post your suggestions in the comment function at the bottom of this post.]

Blog Post 6: Air Polution

Air pollution has become a serious problem around the world. According to the EPA, "you could go days without food and hours without water, but you would last only a few minutes without air. On average, each of us breathes over 3,000 gallons of air each day," and "air pollution isn’t just a threat to our health, it also damages our environment. Toxic air pollutants and the chemicals that form acid rain and ground-level ozone can damage trees, crops, wildlife, lakes and other bodies of water. Those pollutants can also harm fish and other aquatic life." “Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is polluted,” (http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/Frames/pollution-health-effects-f.html).

According to Dictionary.com, asthma is “a paroxysmal [a severe attack or a sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically], often allergic disorder of respiration, characterized by bronchospasm, wheezing, and difficulty in expiration, often accompanied by coughing and a feeling of constriction in the chest.”

According to http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/Frames/pollution-health-effects-f.html, “Short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema.”
and
“Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. It is estimated that half a million people die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes.”

What causes air polution?
The EPA lists a page full of links to other sites just about air pollutants. Some of the pages include aerosols, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), lead, radiation and many others. For more information about the headings mentioned above and/or to see the others listed, please click here.

Are you interested how the air quality in your state is? Below are a few states that I've selected:

West Virginia

California

Iowa

New Hampshire


Your state wasn't listed? No worries! Click here then select your state at the top right pull down window.


China:
The following pictures so how terrible the air polution in China actually is.

As you can see, conditions are so severe that many citizens choose to wear masks in attempt to protect themselves from the pollution.