A little goes a long way

  1. In 150-200 words identify a species that has gone extinct and explain the circumstances surrounding the events leading to its extinction.
  2. In 150-200 words identify a species that has been placed on the endangered species list. Describe the events leading to it being placed on the endangered species list and the efforts taken to preserve and protect it.
  3. In 150-200 words explain what actions you can take in your community, or on a larger scale, to help ensure the preservation of biodiversity.

 

 

  1. The Javan Tiger, native to Java Indonesia, was declared extinct in 2003. The tiger was identified, by the local population ever encroaching on the tigers habitat, to be a pest and was chased off to remote mountainous areas. As the tigers number dwindled they were moved again to Meru Betiri National Park Reserve. As was discussed in this week’s section the Meru Betiri National Park Reserve did not provide adequate protection and seems to be a ‘paper park’. The Javan Tiger was hunted to near extinction levels. Adding to this the continued loss of habitat and lack of prey, due to the fact they were moved out of their natural habitat, they were declared extinct in 2003. The last sighting of the tiger was reported back in 1976. This is a great example of what we discussed in module 10. Human interaction with a system, even though they did not intend for a negative outcome, produced the ultimate demise of this species of animal. What was not discussed but I am interested to know is if the result of this top predator becoming extinct resulted in any other negative impacts on the ecosystem. Did the animals the tiger preyed upon flourish? Perhaps they overconsumed their own food source and perpetuated a negative cycle that ultimately imposed negative consequences to the people that caused the tigers extinction.

http://www.conservationinstitute.org/recently-extinct-animals/

 

  1. The pangolin has been placed on the endangered species list. With eight species of pangolin they range from endangered to critical. Called the armored ant eater or the most hunted animal in the world, the pangolin is believed to be a source of great healing in Eastern medicine. In this case the current state of the pangolin is not unintentional human interaction with the ecosystem or their natural habitat. The threat is intentional and deliberate. The WWF (World Wildlife Foundation) along with other organizations is working to raise awareness and working with government agencies to protect this animal from wildlife crimes. While it is an uphill battle it is one that is required to ensure the survival of this species and others like it. What struck me as interesting with this animal is that it is pretty much in direct contrast of what we read about in module 10. The threat posed to this species is due to overhunting. Even with some loose and rarely imposed or recognized restrictions in place the pangolin is still being over hunted, without further intervention and preservation this species will not survive.
  2. I think the best way to help maintain biodiversity is to start small. Start in your own backyard. By studying up on native and invasive plant and animal species in your local region you can better identify those species that belong and do more to help them survive and flourish and the remove those that are invasive and causing destruction to the native species. It is also important to become more self-sustaining to reduce our impact on the environment. By utilizing your own garden and composting organic waste products you can effectively reduce the amount of pollution you put into the environment. By operating organically your will reduce the amount of chemicals via pesticides and herbicides you release into the ground to be transported into the waterways. By starting small you can encourage others to do the same, eventually not only you but entire communities can help make a difference. Lead by example and do what you can.

Grand Rapids, Mi

Personally I do not find this map particularly helpful. The instruction is to identify what hazards affect our home city or towns. Going by what I can see in these maps, I would have to say that you cannot really pin point your city or town, rather you are able to see what region of the continent you are on. As far as I can tell my region is in zone 1, possibly 2, for hailstorms; zone 0, possibly zone 1, for extratropical storms; zone 2 for tornadoes; zone 1 for wildfires; and generally not effected by other events listed on the following page. I am not sure if I have used this map correctly due to fact that the instructions seem specific and the maps are very general in nature.

For the second task I chose a Biological Hazard occurring in Wisconsin. At the time of this report 44 elderly persons had contracted this bacterium and had killed 18. This subject is very relatable to our course material as we directly discussed how age plays a key role in the vulnerability to natural hazards. In this instance only elderly people are affected at this time. In my hometown this very event could take place. In my opinion my hometown, as are most everyone’s hometown, very vulnerable to this because there are elderly people everywhere. Their immune systems are weaker than younger people’s and, in general, are more unable to care for themselves in the same capacity as younger people.                               As this event is taking place in Wisconsin, just across the lake from my hometown, the relative location is generally similar. Same weather patterns, temperatures and the like. If this hazard were to happen in my hometown I would imagine the reactions and fatalities would be similar as would be the manner in which it is currently being handled.                                                                                                                               Due to the nature of this event I cannot imagine anything really making a difference. The elderly are unavoidable, wherever you go you will have them. The severity of this event is, in CDC terms, low. There are a low amount of people affected and it is remaining strictly with the elderly. While they do not have a source at this time they are, in my limited opinion, doing what people in any other city would be doing.

My hometown is Grand Rapids, Mi. While in the past we have experienced severe weather during the winter months and occasionally a tornado and severe thunderstorm during the summer months, over the last few decades it has been generally mundane in the weather department. According to usa.com my hometown is in a higher than national average for tornadoes, however the last recorded tornado was in 2009. The area is subject to moderate flooding due to the Grand River however the banks are deep and the area is generally well prepared for this and the risk is mitigated by extensive planning and precautions.

As mentioned above, we are in a relatively low likelihood area for natural hazards. Grand Rapids has state of the art weather monitoring and early warning systems they utilize to warn residents of possible or imminent tornadoes and the path of possible destruction. The Red Cross and National Guard, in my opinion, along with the police, fire and emergency medical response departments would be the best suited to deal with possible hazards. As a resident I can pay attention to early warnings, remain vigilant to the weather and news sources for possible occurrences and abide by the suggestions and recommendations provided by the local government.

Reference: http://www.usa.com/grand-rapids-mi-natural-disasters-extremes.htm

Grand Rapids, Mi

I will be using my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan for this assignment. In the neighborhood I grew up in it was very urban oriented. There were streets for automobiles but it was a narrow two way street. The sidewalks were wide and accommodating for walking, biking, skating and running. There were convenient stores and shops, the famous Frosty Boy, and parks within walking distance. The population of the metropolitan area is roughly 1,027,703. When I was growing up I do not remember the area feeling much like a ‘big city’ it felt smaller and like home. Obviously, it has grown much since I was younger and living there but even now the downtown area still has a ‘smaller’ feel. Many of the streets have pylons that can be raised to block vehicle traffic, they do this many times a year for different events and functions.

The first city I will discuss is Copenhagen. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Grand Rapids has pylons they can raise to restrict vehicle traffic. They do this many times throughout the year, much like Copenhagen does, for events and other things. I think that my hometown can take a lot from how Copenhagen operates. If they permanently removed or severely reduced the amount of vehicle traffic in certain downtown areas they would significantly reduce the amount of pollution they produce. Another benefit to reducing or eliminating vehicular traffic from certain downtown areas would be to increase public use spaces. As seen in Copenhagen, the reduction of vehicles did not lessen business as predicted but increased it overall. Making public spaces more appealing to pedestrians brings more foot traffic to shops and retailers in the downtown area that they wouldn’t normally have on a busy city street.

The second city I will discuss is Detroit. As both cities are located in the same state I think this is fitting. While the outlying areas of Grand Rapids are rural and a lot of farmland; it could still be very beneficial for the downtown area of Grand Rapids to begin urban farming. Even turning public spaces into small vegetable producing gardens that are still functional would be advantageous. Restaurants could utilize roof top farms. Many of the parks in the downtown area could be planted with gardens while still maintaining their aesthetic qualities and retaining their functionality as parks and gardens. The combination of reducing vehicle traffic and adding urban farming into the downtown area would significantly reduce the cities carbon footprint and greatly increase its sustainability.

Locavore!

While living in California we made a decision to try to become more self-sufficient. We began growing our own vegetables and started raising chickens and pigs. At the same time we decided to purchase locally sourced items as much as we could. In our community it was a really big deal to provide as much as you can for yourself. What you could not provide for yourself you would trade with someone else or purchase locally. The social norm, obviously, is that it was an unspoken expectation that you would provide for yourself as much as you were able to. The idea was that self-reliance was important to living a healthy and burden free life style. There were no negative repercussions if you decided not to do this but you definitely knew who was and was not a locavore.

The societal issues that the previous paragraph can be connected to are as follows. By becoming more self-sufficient and buying locally sourced products we cut down on emission of greenhouse gasses. The products we produced or purchased came from nearby, most times from right down the road, and were not transported by large fossil fuel burning transports. The products that we produced or purchased also had no GMO’s, growth hormones, insecticides, inorganic fertilizers or antibiotics. What we had was clean food. The meat products we had were all free range and lived happy lives that served a specific purpose. Most of the times we would be able to meet the animal before we purchased it. They were not caged and confined, removed from their natural environment. This ensured that there were no unwanted chemicals entering our bodies or leeching into the environment.

BPeck_diagram_btp5114

Compensation for Climate Change?

Location: Chennai, India.                                                                                    Information Source IRIN website at http://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2015/12/11. November 2015 Chennai received an unprecedented amount of rainfall. The result was tens of millions stranded, over 1,000 injured and nearly 300 dead. This article correlates with environmental justice, which we learned about in this week’s lesson. The devastation wrought by the flooding is being highly debated by many and the issue of compensation and liability is being raised by the Indian Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. Minister Javadekar is looking to have the terms ‘compensation’ and liability’ re-entered into COP21 accord dealing with climate change and how it will be dealt with. On the other hand, Sunandan Tiwari, with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives states that while climate change was a factor, other factors such as filling in drainage canals and natural lakes along with bad governance played a role as well. This disaster only adds to the emphasis on the UN-led negotiations, in Paris, regarding an unprecedented climate accord.
Location: Thailand                                                                                              Information Source: The Climate Institute at http://www.climate.org/topics/international-action/thailand.htm                                                                                                        The Thai government has enacted an aggressive plan to reduce greenhouse gasses and lower pollution and dependency on fossil fuels in general. Thailand’s plan comes from multiple environmental disasters and changes over the years. Most notably is the research done showing that Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is sinking by 10 centimeters annually. The Thai government has come up with a plan to reduce fossil fuel dependency by upgrading the transit system and bike lanes to encourage people to leave their vehicles at home. These plans and ideas reflect what we learned about Sustainable Development in this week’s readings. With Thailand being known as the ‘rice bowl of Asia’ it is vital they take these actions to ensure their agricultural heritage can continue for future generations to come.
Location: Anza, Ca                                                                                                Southern California has been in a drought crisis for a few years now. We lived in the high desert and drew our water from an aquifer. I relate the first story to how over the last few years there was fierce debate between the government and farmers who could not grow their crops. The farmers wanted compensation, much like India, but the government didn’t see that as a viable option. Farmers were left to find other viable crop options that required drastically less water. The second story relates because during the drought everyone had to actively participate, they are still participating, to reduce water use as much as possible. From the time we moved into our home until we moved a few years later the difference was drastic, our two acre pond had all but dried up, we had to rely on what little water we got from rainfall (not much!) to keep the fish alive. Most of the trees had died all over the area we were in and most golf courses were dried up. Only those that could afford to pay the stiff penalties were still in operation. Conclusion, you cannot change the effects that were set in motion decades ago. We all need to make changes to live in a more sustainable manner and reduce pollution as much as possible so future generations are able to survive and thrive.

water water everywhere…

Water, water everywhere…
Part 1-a) In Grand Rapids Michigan we get our water from the Grand River. From the river it goes through a process to ensure it is potable for human consumption. From the treatment facility it is brought into homes throughout the area. After water is used and flushed or drained it goes to a waste water facility where it is filtered, treated (if needed) held for a certain amount of time and released back into the river.
Where I live now we do not utilize public water. We have a well that produces ground water, pumps it through a sediment filter and into a holding tank. After we use the water it is flushed into a septic tank where it is held and filtered and released back into the ground.
Part 1-b) Daily water usage:
Brush Teeth- 1 cup of water
Drinking water throughout the day- 1 gallon
Bathroom- 1 gallon per flush (roughly 4 flushes per day)
Washing hands- roughly 2-3 gallons per day
Water for animals- (not sure if this counts) 5-7 gallons per day
Cooking- 4-5 gallons per day
Bathing- 15-20 gallons per day

Part 1-c) Living on two gallons of water a day is difficult, but not impossible. Especially if you literally only have two gallons of water per day. Obviously, rationing enough water to ensure you have enough to drink is paramount. After that ensuring you have enough water for cooking and sanitary functions is the next most important step. There have been multiple times in the military where we were placed on water rations. It is relatively easy to survive on a certain amount of water when it is all you have. You either manage your water properly, or you run out and have nothing left! Considering I use half the rationed amount of water just in drinking I do not think I would make living on two gallons of water a day! One’s geographical location is crucial when considering water use. If you are in an area where there is an abundant water supply you do not need to concern yourself, as much, with water restrictions. Whereas if you are in an arid climate that is void of natural water sources you need to pay much closer attention to your water usage because you are either paying a premium to import your water or have a scarce amount available naturally.

Question 1. My life is worth the same as any other person’s life. I say that to balance the scales. What decisions we make throughout our life can shift those scales in either direction. If someone were to threaten my or my family’s life they would, by action, shift the scales and put me into a situation where I had to defend myself and/or my family. In that situation my and my family’s life would be more important. In the military we swore an oath to protect America and her citizens, an oath that could cost us up to and including our own lives. We freely swore that oat and were/are willing to lay down our lives if need be. In this setting my life is worth less than others in the fact that I am willing to sacrifice it in order to save others.
Question 2. If a person is good they will inherently either perform good acts or at the very least not commit heinous acts. If a person is good and cares about the environment they will either do something with the specific intent to help make a change for the better, or at the very least NOT do something like litter because they are aware of the negative consequences.
Question 3. I believe the outcome of decision is more important than the process by which the decision is made. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor it was a terrible tragedy, but it was part of the process that lead the U.S. to going to war with them.

BP biogas

The idea behind my diagram is to show, in detail, the effects of utilizing methane gas producing generators vs. traditional wood. Trying to imagine ever possible positive and negative effect is quite daunting but important. As we live in a coupled human environment our actions, in the human system, have an effect on the environment. In turn the environment effects the human system. As discussed in the lecture, this circular motion is continuous and very intricate. Every action has an effect, whether positive or negative. In the two paths displayed in my diagram one has negative outcomes. Over harvesting of a natural resource will deplete that resource. Not only will the resource be depleted but less ground cover brings increased erosion, which leads to less usable land for farming which leads to less produce and grain crops for humans and animals. Not only that but the depletion of trees results in less habitat for birds and other insect eating animals, which would lead to increased numbers of disease spreading insects and push disease spreading rodents closer to human population.
Comparing the two diagrams you see that both display a unit representing the social system and the ecosystem. You can also see in both diagrams there are representations of technology, water, soil, animals. The biggest difference is the Marten diagram is very broad in its makeup, while my diagram is well defined for a specific task. With both diagrams we see both the social and eco system effect one another. biogas_btp0125

Getting to know me

I am Brian Peck, a 33 year old, married, father of two awesome boys (8 and ten months). I spent ten and a half years in the United States Marine Corps where I worked as an air traffic controller. I got out to start my own farm and food truck but ended up moving to State College to work at the airport and go to school instead! I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and spent my later growing up years in Dallas, Texas, where I enlisted into the Marine Corps. I am interested in the Agricultural department, I want to own my own farm and store/restaurant/butcher/what ever else I can think of! So I am pursuing knowledge in the Ag field and business management, or something like that! (I really have no idea what I’m doing!) This course meets some requirement of mine and it looks interesting, I really just want to learn a little bit about everything.

I never gave geography much thought until now and realize how much I have used it in the past. From planning operations and site selection for FARP’s (forward arming and refueling points) to reading maps and figuring scale and position for troop movement, utilizing different aspects of geography, perhaps in a skewed fashion but I have used it nonetheless. Watching the video “Powers of Ten” was interesting, and that was made in 77! can you imagine if they re-made that video today? scaling down to the cell in the blade of grass under the picnic blanket? that would be interesting.

I look forward to working through this class this semester, I think it will truly be interesting. Good luck to you all!