Unethical Treatment of Animals

Animals are living, breathing creatures, completely able to feel pain. The meat industry treats cows, pigs, chickens and other meat with no respect for their lives or well-being. I tried to watch a video clip of how animals were treated on farms and slaughter houses, but it was the worst video I have ever watched and I could not make it through the entire thing. I know the food need is an ever-growing demand with the increasing population, but something has to change. It should be illegal to keep animals in cramped places causing physical and mental illnesses. It should be illegal to make animals, who have as much feeling as the pets in your home, suffer through cruel punishment such as being beaten, chained down, abandoned without food or water for long periods of time. Skinning, burning and killing while fully conscious and terribly scared out of their minds should be outlawed as well. Something has to change and it needs to change fast. Animals have a right to live in open fresh air and walk around and enjoy their life without all of the torment.

Human impact on ocean life

I have chosen the topic of the human impact on ocean life for my research paper. I had been thinking of writing on this topic for quite some time. However, when I saw the recent news about the millions of dead fish that appeared (seemingly over night) in a west coast harbor. I find it very disturbing that things like this are happening. I to take a little bit of comfort in the fact that the city is trying to find ways to use these dead fish rather than just disposing of them in the trash. I read an article today that said officials were allowing local community members to come pick up some of the fish to use as fertalizer in their yards and gardens. Some of the other fish were being transported to an organic composting site. . As the clean up in the California harbor continues, fears are now turning to possible bacteria pollutants in the air and water from decomposing fish. Some areas of the harbor floor are up to three feet deep in dead fish. Low oxygen levels in the water is said to be the cause of this massive kill-off. I can't help but wonder what on earth caused the oxygen levels in the water to drop so rapidly.

Depleted Uranium Shells

My topic for the research paper is on the environmental impact of depleted uranium shells used by militaries around the world, specifically the issue of whether or not to use them at all and possible suitable replacements. This is a major ethical issue since the enemy combatants are not the primary parties damaged by the ill effects of the rounds left after they are inert combatively. The small doses of radioactive particles can get into water supplies much the same way as lead from conventional rounds, but with much worse consequences. Cancer and lesions can ensue, killing local populations and leaving them in medical trouble seeing as how most recent war zones are in countries without world-class medical care. Depleted uranium rounds are dangerous and need to be replaced.

The Environment and its Studies: Environmental News

The Environment and its Studies: Environmental News

Climate change thoughts

I must first apologize for the delay in my post. Things have been quite hectic around my house these days. I decided reading would be a good time killer and distraction. Therefor, my post is going to be about what I read. First off, WOW, how deep can a person get about climate? I have never heard of someone going on and on with one word. I found the writing to be a bit "blah." I do agree with the author's reasons for the disagreements our world has on the subject of climate, and the reasons as to why it is changing. People have many different views on the health of our climate and what we should change to fix it if we should even change anything. It is obvious that our climate is now different than it was in 1800's or even in the early 1990's. However, it is difficult to pin point exactly what changed and what needs to be done to fix it. I look forward to reading the rest of this book and hopefully learning more on this particular subject.

Deforestation in the Amazon

Our growing demand for food is causing huge environmental changes. In order make enough food for the fast-growing population, trees and vegetation must continually be cleared. Brazil, the number one exporter in beef, is willing to clear thousands of trees in the Amazon to meet demands. "An estimated 60-70 per cent of the deforested land in Brazil is used for cattle ranching." Demands in meat not only means using money to clear trees, but also using a lot of money for fuel, exporting, and bringing cattle in. Clearing trees looks bad and removes much needed trees to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. "Carbon dioxide emissions in conjunction with deforestation are currently responsible for ten per cent of all emissions globally." Population is only expected to increase, meaning food production will need to continually increase. At some point soon we will hit a dead end if the world as a whole does not change its methods of creating, eating, and shipping food.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110304091504.htm

From the 1/3/11 NYT

How Species Save Our Lives

Clothes Makers Join to Set ‘Green Score’

Oil Drilling to Resume in the Gulf’s Deep Waters