A Final Farewell

As my final blog post I would like to pay a great deal of thanks to my professor. His class has greatly opened my eyes to all the horrors of the food industry and all the other cruel practices that are being done to animals. This class has made me much more conscious about what I choose to consume. I now check labels on any products I wish to purchase and try my best to avoid eating anything that comes from a factory farm. I want to help make a difference in the world and I believe that by making small changes in my daily habits I will help improve the well-being of the earth. I think this will also help lessen the amount of suffering in the world. By refusing to eat animal products that come from factory farms and not buying any products that were tested on animals, I can ensure that I helped fewer animals suffer. I also hope to take everything I learned from this class and use it to educate other people. I want to open people's eyes to these cruel practices and show them that their choices really do matter in the big scheme of things. I want to show them that they can make choices that will lead to lesser suffering of animals, will lead to less environmental destruction, and will be healthier for them. When we show people that they can make a difference then they may be more inclined to act upon it. It's the small things in life that count because when everyone starts to catch on it will make a huge difference.

Educate for a Brighter Future

As an environmental studies major I am very conscious about the way I live. Everyday my goal is to live as simply as possible, providing the smallest carbon foot print as I possibly can. This makes me very aware of other people and their habits as well. Right now Saint Mike's has made a lot of progress in making our school a greener campus. To me it is the little things that count, like bottle free SMC, a trash in Alliot strictly for compost, and so on. When everyone pitches in and plays a small role in making these changes then we will truly make a difference. However, we cannot force people to do this or take a part in this. I am a strong proponent in believing that our earth and all its inhabitants have rights. The problem is that it is very hard to make everyone agree with this idea. Therefore, we must do our best in educating people. When people are aware of the situation they may be more entitled to join in. Also a lot of the time people forget about these huge problems we are dealing with because it is not visible to everyone. Many times people get caught up in their own needs and in their own life that they forget to think about the big picture, the well-being of the earth. If people are constantly reminded of their impact on the earth and can see how their lifestyles affect it, then we may be able to make an even bigger difference for the world. We need to educate people more and get the word out there because we cannot force them to live a certain way. However, by seeing and learning about what's really happening in the world we can help them change their ways for the better. Every little bit helps, so why not start today?!

Improvements for the Environment

With so much happening in the world it can be easy to forget about the well being of our earth. However, big things have been happening over seas for improving the quality of our planet and all the natural inhabitants that make up it. Kate Wilson, a writer for The New York Times wrote, "A few months after Lloyd reported on the Swiss government's conclusion that plants have rights the Ecuadorian population went one step further and voted to change their constitution to proclaim that nature has the right to the maintenance and regeneration of its vital cycles, structure, functions and evolutionary processes"(Wilson). People are starting to recognize the importance of nature and are fighting for its rights. Without humans fighting for protections for things like ecosystems and animals, it is very easy for them to get misused. Humans can be very selfish and are more concerned about their needs. This causes them to forget about the big picture. Without protecting and preserving our environment we run the risk of destroying everything. People tend to take more than they need and leave a whole lot of waste. In order for life to go on we need to respect it and give it the chance to happen naturally. Without the earth we are nothing. Therefore, it is about time that people start demanding rights for nature. We should follow the examples of Switzerland and Ecuador because this is the direction we need to head in in order to help improve the well being of our world. By making small steps like these we can help prepare for a brighter future.

Responsibilities

I recently viewed the film Blood in the Mobile and I must say it was quite eye opening. Through this documentary I learned that the minerals used to make electronics comes from war torn areas. What happens is that big electronic businesses are buying minerals from places like the Congo where the conditions are horrible. On top of this, the money used to buy electronics is being used by soldier groups in the Congo to buy weapons. Therefore, by purchasing a phone, laptop, or iPod you are supporting bloodshed. This is not acceptable and these big companies must start taking responsibility for their actions. The miners of the Congo are poor ordinary people who work long hours in tight spaces. The mines could collapse at any moment and they play a harsh role on the miner's health. Also, these mines are controlled by soldier groups so at any moment gun shots or explosives could be accidently targeted at these people. Not only is this dangerous for the miners, but it plays a harsh toll on the environment. In order to dig out these mines, people have to clear cut land. This means burning down forests and destroying ecosystems. It has a devastating effect on the wildlife and the worst part is that their is no one there to protect it. It all comes down to the fact that developed countries want their electronics, the people of the Congo need to make money, and the land is paying a heavy price because of it. The only way we can stop this is if consumers demand a change. We must show that we cannot tolerate this corruptness anymore. It is time for these big businesses to take responsibility for their actions and be honest with their customers. Even by making small steps like these we can help make a huge difference in our world that will hopefully lead to a brighter future.

Value

I have come to realize that humans always seem to need to put a price tag on things. Whether its a picture, an animal, or a beautiful sunset humans always seem to need to place some sort of value. These values can be either intrinsic or instrumental. However, I believe that objects can be valuable without ever having to place value on them. I think this is especially true of the natural world. I believe that nature and the natural world have value within itself. As much as I hate ticks, I still believe that they have some purpose on this earth and have their own form of value. This may be something I never truly understand, but I think it's true. I think that everything on this earth has some sort of purpose and was meant to be here for a reason. I am just tired of people always trying to find that reason or understanding for it. There is a point where humans can no longer place value on items, they just have to see it for what it is. The world works in mysterious ways and sometimes we just have to accept this without being able to see the full picture. I also think that it is time for humans to stop placing values on things because it makes us selfish. Not everything on this earth is meant for us. Humans constantly take, take, take, and they hardly remember to give back. By placing value on things we only select things that we see as having some sort of benefit for our needs. Instead, we should be looking at something bigger than ourselves, the earth. It is time we start addressing the earth's needs and just appreciating all of the earth's inhabitants without placing any sort of value on them. Then we may begin to understand the ways of this world.

The Beauty of It All

Greetings! Sorry I am a few days late for my blog post, but sometimes the holidays catch up to you before you know it! Anyways this Easter had me thinking a lot about the land and eco systems. This is mainly because I watched the movie Life of Pi with my family Easter night. I have to say this was a fabulous story and it brings forth a lot of emotions as well as thoughts. One thing it made me think about was the structure of this world and how it is made up of so many different eco systems. Some are in the ocean, some are in the jungle, and some are even in a small patch of grass.This film also helped remind me of the natural cycle of the food chain and how animals depend on other animals for survival. The worst thing that humans can do is try to stop this, regardless of how painful it may be to witness or partake in it. Nature needs to take its course and we must support her in doing so. The universe has its own way of running and I feel that as humans we try to interrupt this too much. Therefore, we must be more careful because it is much more powerful than will ever be. We cannot predict what it has in store for us, so we must appreciate everything it has to offer us now; for without it we are nothing.

"Stand Up For Your Rights"

Humans have a great influence on our earth. Everything we do greatly affects things around us. This is why it is important that we be very careful with our actions. Something as small as not recycling a plastic bottle could greatly disrupt eco systems for generations to come, and this is why we must play a part in protecting our planet. Throughout the years our earth continues to suffer due to our selfishness. Humans are too concerned about their own needs that they forget to look at the big picture. Although we may be enjoying our lives and fulfilling our needs, the world around us is paying a heavy price. Eco systems and animals are suffering due to our consumption, waste production, exploitation of resources, and so on. If we keep doing this, there will be nothing left. We will have completely destroyed our beautiful home and everything it has to offer us. This is why I think it is very important that we give things like eco systems rights. This idea may seem preposterous to some because how can something with no voice or thoughts have a right? I think it is because of that reason that it needs them. Right now, all we are doing is using and manipulating eco systems for our purposes. Therefore, it needs someone to stick up for and look out for them. As I said before, if we keep up at the rate we are going there will be nothing left. One way to stop this is by protecting what we have and that means giving them rights. When people start protecting our eco systems and giving them a “voice” we will learn how to bring happiness to something much more than ourselves. We will help bring happiness for generations to come and we will help provide for a brighter future.

The Dangers of Man

The following is a passage from Hans Jonas’s writing Technology and Responsibility. I thought this passage tied in nicely with what we are discussing in class. This passage talks about how man has taken over the earth and has learned how to use it for their own needs. As a result man has become selfish and is ruling over all the earth’s inabitants (animals, resources, etc.) as well. Now the earth and all its specises are suffering because of man.

“Many the wonders but nothing more wondrous than man. This thing crosses the sea in the winter’s storm, making his path through the roaring waves. And she the greatest of gods, the Earth – deathless she is, and unwearied – he wears her away as the ploughs go up and down from year to year and his mules turn up the soil. The tribes of the lighthearted birds he ensnares, and the races of all the wild beasts and the salty brood of the sea, with the twisted mesh of his nets, he leads captive, this clever man. He controls with craft the beasts of the open air, who roam the hills. The horse with his shaggy mane he holds and harnesses, yoked about the neck, and the strong bull of the mountain. Speech and thought like the wind and the feelings that make the town, he has taught himself, and shelter against the cold, refuge from rain. Ever resourceful is he. He faces no future helpless. Only against death shall he call for aid in vain. But from baffling maladies has he contrived escape. Clever beyond all dreams the inventive craft that he has which may drive him one time or another to well or ill. When he honors the laws of the land the gods’ sworn right high indeed in his city; but stateless the man who dares to do what is shameful” (Jonas, pg. 174).

The Mystery of the Unknown

        When is it right to use an animal for our use and when is it wrong? We have people on both ends of this argument. Some say you should never use an animal for our purposes and others say that it is always acceptable, especially when it is for our benefit. Then there are some who stand in the middle of these views. They think that it is acceptable to use animals for our purpose in only select situations. The problem for most is knowing where to stand. People do not know if it is right or wrong to use animals. They do not know if animals were put on this earth for us to be in charge of or they were placed here to be seen as our equals. If you were to look at the Bible you can see that it was said that humans were meant to rule over animals. However, it is impossible to know if this is truly accurate because in some religions certain animals are seen as sacred. Therefore, they are never to be tampered with or used for our personal needs. That is why this debate remains a mystery. I think this is an answer we will never truly know for sure because what is unknown to us will remain unknown till further proof of reasoning.

Animal Experimentation

                Animals have been used in lab experiments for a very long time. It is a practice that we may never stop using. However, over the years there have been improvements with this practice. There are now regulations and requirements that these labs have to follow. The animal’s treatment has improved and they are taken much better care of. Also the majority of animals used for these procedures are mice and rats. However, even animals as small as rodents suffer. Therefore, I do not think we can justify the fact that they are still being used for our benefits. I feel that we should find new ways of doing lab tests instead of using animals. All the animals die at the end of their experiments which is unacceptable. I believe if we want to stop suffering and improve this practice we have to find alternate ways of testing. Whether that means doing more tests on humans who volunteer or doing it through a computer, we need to try. It is not fair that we do not have to go through with this, but animals do. Therefore, we need to do what we can to end this.

Hunting

One sport I may never fully understand is hunting. Growing up I was completely against it. I couldn't understand how anyone could find killing animals enjoying?! You know that psychologists have proven that an early sign of a serial killer is "when young people take pleasure in harming animals" (crimemuseum.org). This is one fact that has stayed with me for a long time. This is why I am very cautious around people who are hunters. I know that may sound silly, but I just don't feel comfortable with that practice. I feel hunters have such an unfair advantage over animals because the animals have no idea what is coming! New hunting equipment has made it effortless for people to kill animals. Deer, bear, and coyotes don't stand a chance against such tools. For example, I once went hiking in the woods with my brother and we spotted a group of deer not far off the trail. My brother was able to walk up to one of the deer, with about 5 feet in between them, and the deer didn’t even budge. This is because they have become so accustomed to people being in their land and taking their homes. This is why hunting is really unfair. I also feel most hunters do it just to get another kill and this is what truly disgusts me. I know not all people are like this, but for those who are I wish they would stop!

To Eat Meat or To Not Eat Meat?

Recently I have become conflicted with the idea of me becoming a vegetarian. I feel that by making this choice I would help make my environmental footprint that much smaller. I feel that if everyone where to do that we could end the practice of factory farming and could really make a difference for the earth. However, this idea just seems so farfetched to me. Humans are not going to give up eating meat anytime soon. People like what they like and there is no way we can stop them from consuming what they enjoy. I know that I am going to have a difficult time becoming a vegetarian anytime soon because I really enjoy my meat. I know that may be wrong because I am very aware of how this process is done, but I am very cautious of where I get my meat from.  Another issue is that we are humans and have been consuming meat for thousands of years. If you look at our anatomy you can see that our teeth and other parts of our body are structured for being carnivores. If you look at our history you can also see that since the beginnings we have learned how to hunt and use the earth for our benefit. However, I know that it is not healthy to eat excessive amounts of meat, so I am going to slowly start easing my way off of it. As my Dad always says, “Everything in moderation” and that is what I intend to do.  If people started doing this we could really help lower the demand for meat, but many people may struggle. This is due to the fact that they have been brought up eating a diet full of meat. Therefore, if we really want to stop the practice of meat eating we have to start kids off as infants only eating the natural foods. That way they won’t develop a taste for meat. That is mainly why I struggle so much. If I had grown up never eating meat then I think the whole idea of it would be repulsive and I would probably not fancy it. So if adults want to help shape the younger generations, they should try starting kids off with a vegetarian diet and maybe then we will notice a decline in the meat industry, as well as an improvement in our environment.

Factory Farming

Meat is something people may never stop eating. Yes we do have our share of vegetarians and vegans, but there are not merely as many as there are meat eaters. Most of these people who eat meat purchase the kind that comes from factory farms. However, very few people realize the horror of the conditions these animals went through. This is due to the fact that Factory Farms have a closed door system. They do not let the outsiders enter these places because of the brutality that goes on behind these walls. Factory Farm owners fear that once the public eye gets a look into these factories they will be astonished and refuse to purchase any product from here until things change. This may also cause law regulators to step in and try to shut these places down. However, this is what we really need to happen. We need more people to be exposed to the truth so we can end this terrible practice. We may not necessarily get people to stop eating meat for good, but we can help them eat less. We can also direct them to eat meat that only comes from small farms where the practices they use are humane and cause as little suffering as possible. If we get more and more people to get their meat from organic and free ranged farms we will start taking business away from the big factories. Once more and more business is taken away from them, they may be forced to shut down. This will then stop the evil ways of meat production. Animals will be guaranteed to have a better life and small farms will also be very fortunate to receive the business as well. So if you want to stop the harmful practices of the Factory Farm and want to help prevent animal suffering, support your local farmers! Buy organic and free ranged meat and you will notice a difference! Your meat will not only taste better due to less animal suffering, but it will also be better for you. Factory farms have a tendency to alter their animal’s diets and genetically modify them so they produce more meat. This means when you eat the meat you absorb all those toxins in our body. Therefore, eating organically is the best thing we can do for both animals and ourselves.

-Hannah B-