Climate Change

*NOTE: I'm going to take a very unpopular stance on this issue, just to play devil's advocate, so don't take any of this too seriously. It's more for the purpose of debate.

After hearing all the evidence showing that global warming is indeed destroying our earth, what was most influential to me were all the graphs showing the effects of global warming. Now, I've been taught to think critically when I'm presented data like this and so the possibility that these results are blown out of proportion does cross my mind. I mean knowing the manipulation that comes from having power in many cases, including most of the ones we've learned about, isn't it possible that scientists are making it seem like a bigger deal than it actually is? After all, they're scientists and whatever data they present must be true right? What could explain the sometimes huge variations in predictions many scientists make regarding this issue? Perhaps they notice that this is becoming an issue and really will spell the end of the world in say 500 years, so they want us to take action now instead of say 100 years from now and deal with the issue before it's really too late. This actually to me, would be very smart of them and I actually hope it is the case. However then the credibility scientists have now would be kicked out the door but it would give us more time than what we think we have now.

All in all, there's no doubt that climate change is a serious problem and this can be seen in the many examples shown in class that are clearly not fabricated in the least, nor could one make an argument that they are. Whatever the situation may be, I think it should be dealt with as soon as possible.

Understanding Disaster Vulnerability: Floods and Hurricanes

Last week we learnt of the damages natural disasters are capable of inflicting and the repercussions it can have for citizens living in the afflicted area, specifically when it came to the case of Hurricane Katrina. I found Allison and Stephanie's presentation to be very informative and they did a good job of bringing this point the surface. I had no idea hurricanes could potentially be so powerful...1 000 000 nuclear bombs?! What?! The video did a good job of showing what the reason for a lot of the damage done was, the levies, as well as what happened after...or didn't happen. It really does seem as though "the city" is trying to extinguish residents in places like The Lower Ninth Ward as there has been ample time do provide them with some sort of worthwhile assistance and 2 and a half years later, it's pretty clear by the current conditions that this type of assistance hasn't been sent. To me, if this is case, the question of whether it's a coincidence that most of the residents are of black descent comes up. I would like to hope it would be. However, I remember hearing in class about the possibility of turning this area into a tourist area in the future with casinos and hotels. All I would say to this person is, "This sounds like a good motive from an economic standpoint but it would seem like sometimes when you see things purely in this way, you fail to include human lives into the equation and when this happens it makes it seem like you put a value on life and assume you're worth more than others. This may not be true, but you see the logic."
However you look at it, there is no excuse for letting a whole group of people live in the conditions they are in in some of New Orleans when you have the power to easily save them.

From Farms to Factories

Last week yet another issue was brought to my eyes. I had no idea this was even a problem but I could definitely now see what it is. It astonishes me that people are even allowed to treat animals the way corporate farmers treat their livestock. I don't know the history behind this but it almost seems ridiculous that organizations like PETA are putting their time and effort into how inhumanely animals get treated in cartoons rather than in real life. I guess what needs to be realized here is that through the inhumane treatment of the livestock in these conditions, people are being treated inhumanely as well, through such things as the chemicals used/reused. All of this just in order to sell as much product as possible. What's more? A lot of this produce ends up in the garbage anyway, whether it be from sitting on the shelves in the grocery store for too long, or in a consumer's fridge/freezer. I mean I realize there's no way to stop that kind of thing but does it really take this kind of process to get the optimal amount of eggs? And who's to say what the optimal amount is? Of course here the idea of "more is better than less" but for whom? Let's weigh the options here: Less would entail not having enough product in the grocery stores, which would anger the consumers and put a damper on that company's reputation, potentially leading to a loss of profit. More would entail having too much in the grocery store where in the end, some product would have to get thrown out, meaning in essence that a few chickens or cows or pigs lived a meaningless life, in the eyes of the corporations at least. You tell me which option is going to win...