Human Extinction Hazards

1. Identify and discuss a Human Extinction Hazard from the lesson material or individual research. Write a post of 150-200 word post detailing the selected Human Extinction Hazard and possible mitigation strategies.
2. Research and discuss a recent event that ties in with the selected Human Extinction Hazard. Write a 150-200 post summarizing the event and sure to cite in references.
3. Draw a system diagram that highlights how the selected Human Extinction Hazard and mitigation techniques could be connected. Include at least 5 nodes.

1. The Human Extinction Hazard (HEH) I selected for the activity is nuclear warfare. While the threat of nuclear war has ensued since the creation of these weapons nearly a century ago, most notably during the Cold War, this HEH is becoming increasing relevant. This is due to the fact that the concept of mutually assured destruction is not as strong of a deterrence as it used to be. This can be seen with nations such as Iran or North Korea, which arguably aim towards having nuclear weapons, that call for the total annihilation of other nations. Possible mitigation techniques are those that are being employed. Specifically, sanctions on countries listed above serve as mitigation strategy. However, the current geopolitical environment makes the enforcement of sanctions difficult. This can be seen when support from nations like China to North Korea lessen the effect. In addition, recent developments in techniques to circumvent sanctions are also problematic. The recent release of the Panama financial records is a testament to this.

2. In an effort to combat the threat of nuclear war, summits have been held throughout recent history. Recently, this took form in a summit hosted by the President of the United States, Barack Obama. Specifically, this was a Nuclear Security Summit held in March of 2016. While this summit did include over 50 world leaders with varying concerns, the main focus seemed to be on keeping nuclear material out of the hands of ISIS. Both Belgium and Pakistan sent dignitaries instead of their respective heads of government in light of the recent terror attacks in each country. The importance of this discussion is even further highlighted by the fact that the perpetrators of the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels were investigating nuclear sites. President Obamas administration stated that they are aware of over 2000 pounds of nuclear material around the world that could potentially be used to make a weapon.

Reference:

Liptak, K. (n.d.). Obama to host world leaders for nuclear summit. Retrieved April 15, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/29/politics/obama-nuclear-summit-world-leaders/

3.

1. The diagram starts out by presenting the concept of climate change as the main starting point. In addition, this node states that the problem of climate change is a collective action problem as it involves the both the many nations that are a part of the United Nations (UN) as well as the ones that are not. The diagram then focuses on depicting the result of climate change. Specifically, the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit was conducted in 2009 as a way to answer this collective action problem. Unfortunately, the nature of this summit was not entirely altruistic. This thought leads to the next node in the diagram, which details the ethical questions that came from actions during the summit. Due to the fact that billions of dollars will be redirected as a result of the summit negotiations, various entities were involved in nefarious behavior. The primary UN member nation that was involved in this type of behavior was the United States (US). The next two nodes depict the actions of United States during this summit. The first of these nodes covers the US State Department requesting human intelligence on other members of the UN from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The second US node is more expansive as it influences other nations. This node details the ethical questions that come from the financial aid the US promised to nations that were not interested in supporting the proposed changes. Finally, the last node in the diagram depicts efforts involving spearfishing attempts on US diplomats to China.
2. I do not believe that the cables sent by the US State Department should have been made public. While requesting human intelligence on other members of the UN does raise ethical questions as to how the US conducts itself diplomatically, I think that this sort action is necessary for a level playing field. This fact is further apparent when taking into consideration the actions of others against the US. The reading addresses spearfishing attacks against the US diplomats to China. However, this only highlights a small percentage of the actual attacks performed by nations ranging from Russia to Venezuela. I do not believe that the US should essentially have tied hands when this amount of reform and assets are involved. In the clearest sense, this type activity is also a collective action problem. I do believe that the US should continue to conduct climate change diplomacy as it has been. However, if a binding agreement could be made by members that would have harsh consequences for espionage, it would lead to a more ethical summit and future talks in general. I do not believe that the financial aid should be taken into consideration though. While nations should strive to do what they can to make a difference, climate change is not the chief concern of many. In light of this, financial aid seems to be one of the tools wealthier nations can use. However, when this aid directly relates to humanitarian efforts or anything else that would influence loss of life, I believe it should not be used.

1. The town that I am focusing on for this assignment is Irwin, which is in Western Pennsylvania. The natural hazards most associated with this area would be meteorological and hydrological. In terms of meteorological hazards, the area is prone to cold waves and freezing rain at times. In terms of hydrological hazards, the most relevant threat would be flash flooding.  While the world map does detail the chances for increased rain, it does not convey the hazards listed above in a clear manner. I think this is because the world map if focused on conveying natural hazards on a global scale while our assignment focused on detecting these hazards on the scale of a city.

2. The hazard focused on for this assignment was biological. Specifically, it was a case of Yellow Fever in Nairobi, Kenya that happened on March 16th of 2016.   While I do believe my hometown could experience this disaster under the right circumstances, it seems very unlikely. The vulnerability to Yellow Fever in Irwin  is not great by any means. This is because of the human factors that help to lessen this vulnerability. Each of the six human factors detailed in the readings explain why Irwin is much less vulnerable than Nairobi in terms of a Yellow Fever outbreak. Wealth and governance seem to be at the top of the list though. This is due to health standards associated with wealthier areas and the government’s ability to respond. The scale of this event differs from if it were to happen in Irwin. While only one person was infected, Nairobi is at high risk of such a disease spreading due to the aforementioned human factors coupled with a lesser level of preparation. One area of improvement, in terms of reducing the vulnerability to Yellow Fever in Irwin, would be education. Specifically, education on the symptoms of Yellow Fever and how it can spread would aid in reducing the vulnerability

3. I used the U.S. Geological Survey website to perform an assessment of the natural hazards in my hometown. I focused on using this source of information to better understand the risk of flooding. In researching a map that details areas at risk for flood due to high flow in rivers, I was able to find out that the risk of flooding was very low in Irwin. There are no major water sources near the town that have been susceptible to high flow in the past. The second source I used for my assessment was The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). I focused on risks associated with sinkholes. This is a hazard that I did not realize at first, but is prevalent in Pennsylvania. However, after researching a map from the DCRN I realized that this hazard in primarily active in Southern Pennsylvania. There seems to be little to no risk of sinkholes in my hometown.

Resources

PA DCNR – Geology – Sinkholes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/hazards/sinkholes/index.htm

USGS WaterWatch — Streamflow conditions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/?m=flood

4. I aim to describe actions and methods to reduce vulnerability to the meteorological hazards of cold waves and freezing rain in my hometown. The risks of each of these hazards are most readily associated with death or sickness as a result of the weather. Loss of power or underestimating the effect of harsh conditions could make these risks a reality. In order to mitigate the risk of a loss of power during  cold waves, governance plays a key role. Emergency response personal could be needed to respond to areas with no power. In addition, an individual could purchase a generator or keep supplies that would help them get through the event. Education also plays a key role in mitigating both risks. Specifically, public service announcements should be made when conditions warrant.

1.

The town I was raised in is Irwin, Pennsylvania, which is about thirty minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Irwin would be best described as an automobile suburb as it is designed primarily for people to travel by car and there are no buses or other public transportation available. In addition, there are no  sidewalks and shopping areas are located in separate locations. Irwin is a small town and as such had a population of 3,918 as of 2013. The urban density for Irwin is much lower than that of Pittsburgh.  The houses are typically for a single family and spaced far apart. In addition, there are also a great deal of farms in the community which spaces out buildings even further. My personal connection to the town is that I was born and raised in it until I was 18, at which time I left to pursue a career in the military.

2.

The first city I selected is Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. One of the first aspects of this city that stood out was the heavy reliance on cycling and how it has become a social norm. I think that an influx of cycling would have a positive impact on both health and pollution in my hometown. Unfortunately, modifications would have to be made to exiting roads in order for this to occur. Currently, the roads in my hometown are narrow, curvy and go through many hills. While this does not completely limit people from cycling, it does make it more dangerous on roads that automobiles use. One work around that would not be very expensive would be to create gravel bike paths on the sides of the roads.

3.

The second city I selected is Curitiba, Brazil. The main aspect of this city that stood out was that is was designed for buses rather than automobiles. In addition, this choice was made because the construction of a subway system was too expensive. While my hometown does not warrant a bus system on the scale of Curitiba, I do believe that busses could be incorporated in a lesser manner. Specifically, if neighboring towns with a bus system could be extended to my hometown, we could have the added benefits for just a fraction of the cost of creating our own. Terminal points along the roadside would be one of the few development costs associated with such a plan. In addition, it would need to be determined if extending the service would create enough passengers for the project to be relevant.

1. The personal experience I selected was drawn from my time living and working in Okinawa, Japan. The food choice I selected was the social norm of a diet largely consisting of fish. The social norm of eating fish is directly connected to the environment of Japan. While the trend of eating sushi first appeared as a way to preserve food, there are other environmental factors that add to how this social norm came to be.  Specifically, the amount of arable land. A large percentage of land that could be used for grazing is used for rice production. This severely limits the amount of food produced from livestock. Due to this limitation, there is a great reliance on fisheries to meet the demand of the people. The food choice is mainly connected to convenience and the environment.

2. The food choice identified in the first paragraph most heavily relates to the societal issues of hunger and the environment. In terms of the environment, the reliance of fisheries as a food choice in Japan is apparent. Japan is ranked behind China for amount of fish caught. However, the lack of farmland available is in direct correlation with a dependency on fish.   Hunger is linked to this food choice for the same reason. In order to meet the depend of the people, social norms related to food developed in far different way than other areas of the world. In addition, the popularity of eating raw fish has a similar origin. Specifically, fuel as it relates to manure from livestock and wood from forests. A shortage of each of these fuel sources can help to explain why raw fish is a norm in the area.

3. 

1.

The first case study I selected focused on the development associated with the use solar cookers in Kenya. Specifically, in the refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab. The source of this information is from an undergraduate student at Colby College in Main, Jill M. Maccaferri, who analyzes two related sources. The goal of this development is to reduce air pollution associated with burning wood to cook, free up to five hours a day that would have been spent looking for firewood and save up to 60% of earned income that is used for cooking. The secondary benefits are related to social betterment as a result of the extra time and money women will save. The development of solar cookers in refugee camps relates the closest to the health disparities of poor populations living locations in the U.S. While both populations live in different countries, the contrast between rich and poor is apparent.

http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/sol-ken.html

2.

The second case study I selected focuses on methods to combat air pollution in India. Specifically, the main challenges of reducing air pollution are discussed and possible solutions are outlined. The source of this information is the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office for India. The goal of this development is to address the issues of household air pollution, which relies on making clean sources of energy available through liquefied petroleum cooking gas and solar power. In addition, outdoor air pollution is identified as an issue and the benefits of lessening automobile use and the relocation of heavily industries is discussed. The impacts of the aforementioned solutions to air pollution challenges relates closest to the constraints that natural resources place on the developmental process. Specifically, The use of fossil fuels and their impact on the environment and health.

http://www.searo.who.int/india/topics/air_pollution/air_pollution_media_note.pdf?ua=1

3.

The two cases I reviewed relate closest with my time spent living and working in Karachi, Pakistan. The most relevant case in terms of similarity of development in Pakistan would be the challenges of air pollution in India. This is due to the fact both areas have extremely similar issues in terms of air pollution and the use of fossil fuels with little regulation. The development of solar cookers relates closest with the impact of using wood for cooking fuel in Pakistan, as opposed to natural gas or other cleaner sources. I selected both areas to compare and contrast to where I lived for two reasons: their development level and political relationship with Western culture. The development level of each country, as well as situation discussed, are very similar to include common goals. However, I think that relationship that both Kenya and India have with Western nations allows for greater aid. If Pakistan had a similar relationship, I think that greater development could occur.

1-a

My hometown is the city of Greensburg in western Pennsylvania. Greensburg falls under the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County, which supplies water from five separate water plants to various areas. The Greensburg water supply comes from the Indian Creek Water Plant via the Youghiogheny River. Specifically, the source water comes from the surface of Indian Creek. The intake locations for this water plant are located in Dunbar Township and Fayette County. This water is processed at the plant and follows a series of pipes to the tap at my home. Treatment capacity is approximately 45 million gallons per day and the water plant had an average production of 22.7 million gallons a day in 2010. The water plant performs a collective action by switching disinfectants from Chloramines to Free Chlorine each year for a few months. This is done in order to maintain bacteriological quality of the water. In addition, the sewage for my city is handled by the Greater Greensburg Sewage authority.

1-b

Water Usage February 6, 2016

Activity/Gallon

Shower: 17

Dishes: 2

Consumption: 1

Toilet x 3: 9

Brushing teeth x 2: ½

Total: 29 ½

1-c

I first looked at my most costly actions from the previous day. The activities that stood out were showering, dishes and toilet use. I cut out the first two activities by doing both the day before. I cut down my toilet use by eating and drinking little. I only used the toilet once during this time and held off on flushing until the experiment was over. My priorities for water use were brushing my teeth and drinking enough water to stay moderately hydrated. The strategy I employed was performing the most costly actions the day before and cutting down on what I considered necessities. I was able to succeed in my goal but I had to plan out my activities the previous day. This experienced opened my eyes to how much I take water for granted and the difference individual action can make. In terms of water use, geography means a great deal. While infrastructure can help, even areas in the U.S. deal with shortages. Without infrastructure, the process of getting water can consume the population. When living in Kenya and visiting different areas, some women would have to walk 20 miles to retrieve water for the day.

1. Is it more important to be a good person or to perform good acts (virtue ethics vs. action ethics)?

I think that it is more important to perform good acts. Both the ability of performing good acts and being an inherently good person are connected though. However, if a decision must be made, I think it is more important act ethically. I hold this view because the question of what we should do seems to have a greater direct impact on the betterment of society as a whole. While being a good person and practicing virtue ethics will ultimately lead to the population performing a greater amount of ethical actions, if all effort is spent merely discussing what we should be, the practical applications seem to be lost initially. The example that comes to mind is a bureaucracy of some sort that is unable to preform even the simplest of actions due to time spent discussing what should be done. Due to this, I think it is better to preform ethical actions instead of discussing them.

3. Does the process by which decisions are made matter more than the outcomes of these decisions (procedural justice vs. distributive justice)?

I firmly believe that the process in which decisions are made outweighs the overall outcome of the decision. I think this because the procedure in which we make a decision can be repeated in order to produce the same results. Having a set of clearly outlined processes seems like it would ensure that better outcomes are more frequent. When contrasting procedural justice with distributive justice, one question above others presents itself repeatedly “If the outcome is good or bad, how did it occur?”. Obviously, if the outcome is good people will be less likely to care about how it was reached. However, when an outcome is negative we often wonder what led to it. The most prevalent example would be any type disaster, whether it is a terrorist attack or ecological disaster. The first question posed in either of those situations is most likely “How did this happed?”. Due to this, I think that understanding the process which led to an outcome matters more.

5. Do the pleasure and pain of non-human animals matter as much as the pleasure and pain of humans (speciesism)?

I think that the pleasure and pain of human is more important than animals. While I do believe that the suffering of animals matters to an extent, it does not outweigh that of humans. This was a question that presented itself earlier in my life when I asked myself if eating meat was ethical. I was concerned because I had never fully investigated the depths of this question. After watching a few debates and documentaries dedicated to exposing the cruelties that exist in our culture as they relate to animals, I was shocked to say the least. However, seeing the gruesome process of how the meat supply is met within the U.S. did little to curb my feelings on the matter. I understand that animals feel and suffer greatly but ultimately I believe they are food. Similar to how this valuation is different in other cultures, it is the same with me. It is not uncommon to serve horsemeat in certain areas while in others eating beef is looked down upon. While I have no problem eating beef, I have had pet rabbits before and would never eat one.

The core ideas in this diagram revolve around a focus on biofuel and the effects it has on both the society and the ecosystem. Due to videos primary focus on the impact this process has on the society, a more in depth approached was used in this lane of impact. The production of biofuel creates a cleaner environment which in turn allows for less pollution and better health. In addition, the production of biofuel can also be used to create organic compost, which can then be sold to produce better income or used to produce better crops. The income generated from either may then be used to pursue education. The diagram assumes that the pursuit of education is halted by lack of income or time. A futurist would argue that the due to the positive impact of technology, the overall negative impact on the environment is lessened.

The diagrams are the same in the sense that they both outline two systems, the social system and the ecosystem. They are different because my diagram details the process in which a product, biofuel, is used to affect both systems. The Marten diagram adds by detailing how each system interacts with its counterpart rather than how one product influences two systems. The man takeaway I gained from this comparison was that one can look at the effects two systems have on each other, to gain a better understanding of the overall system that results from the comparison. While my diagram outlined the products and resulting effects, it did not analyze how the systems interact with one another.

Hello class,

My name is Brenton McDonald and I currently live in State College, Pa. I was born and raised in Irwin, which is about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburg. However, I joined the Marines at eighteen and I have not lived in the U.S. for the past eight years. My long-term goal is to become Foreign Service Officer (FSO) for the U.S. Department of State in the management career track. I have worked at various diplomatic missions over the course of my military career and developed an interest in this field. The process of becoming an FSO can take up to two years though. Due to this, I have taken a job with Deloitte as Federal Technology Analyst in Washington, D.C. while I pursue becoming an FSO. My interest in diplomatic efforts directly correlates with my interest in this course. I believe that understanding the relationship between humans and geography will serve me well in my future endeavors.

While reading Module 1, an example from one of the countries I worked in came up as particularly fascinating. Specifically, the capital city of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The first president is known for many outrageous initiatives. These range from requiring all buildings to be cased in marble to the creation of a “green oasis”, which aims to plant 3 million trees in the aired desert land to create a more hospitable city. This initiative started in 2013 and in one day, nearly a million trees were planted. Due to the nature of the land, these trees also need a great deal of water in order to grow. I think the study of geography could be useful in determining the environmental impact of the green oasis initiative. Unfortunately, Turkmenistan is one of the most closed off countries right being Iran and North Korea. Due to nature of present diplomatic relations, it will be hard to obtain information related to the initiative.

Please feel free to skim through the links below. This first outlines basic information about Turkmenistan and the second details the green oasis initiative.

http://palmtreeproduction.com/Hikes%20and%20Climbs/Turkmenistan/Ashgabat/Ashgabat%20gallery.html

http://www.rferl.org/content/turkmenistan-tree-planting-silly-dictators/24925415.html