This work is again in relation to biodiversity in keeping with the coursework assignment for this weeks GEOG 030. The diagram explains biodiversity as it depends upon the number of particular species and ecosystems. As we all know there are tons of differing species and ecosystems on the planet that can be effected negatively or positively by way of changing human behaviors that result otherwise in negative impacts on both species and ecosystems accordingly. Ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment habitat is the type of environment in which and organism or group normally occurs or lives naturally. Further habitats consist of different species. The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend upon.

Some of the Goods and Services provided by ecosystems include:

• Provision of food, fuel and fibre
• Provision of shelter and building materials
• Purification of air and water
• Detoxification and decomposition of wastes
• Stabilization and moderation of the Earth’s climate
• Moderation of floods, droughts, temperature extremes and the forces of wind
• Generation and renewal of soil fertility, including nutrient cycling
• Pollination of plants, including many crops
• Control of pests and diseases
• Ability to adapt to change

It would seem that according to the map Asheville is in zone 1 for earthquakes and not at a high probability risk. When it comes to hailstorms though it is in the highest category; category 6. Zone 2 for tornadoes and zone 1 for extra-tropical storms activity. A zone 1 for wildfire activity risk followed by fewer storms with el nino and more storm activity with el nina. There has been little or no reported change in long temperature change in the area according to the chart map postings of NATHAN. The map I would say fairly well summarizes the natural hazards for the Asheville regional area.

A snowstorm can be a fun and enjoyable event. But not always. Currently there is a snowstorm being reported in the state of Wyoming. Snowstorms can be disastrous and resulting in loss of life. They are a fairly frequent visitor the WNC region around Asheville’s mountainous region. There is nothing we can do to prevent them. However we can prepare for them. Slippery roads causing motor vehicle accidents are problematic during such events. Even with very little or no precipitation there may be what is called “black ice”. Additionally heavy snow that can pile up can break things including rooftops. Ice on power lines can cause heavy weight to accumulate on them and under the stress, break and cause power outages creating heat to fail leading to all kinds of other problematic issues. Animals are also at risk during severe winter weather and are subject to wind chill factors, hypothermia and frostbite. Deaths can also occur due to dehydration, when water sources freeze and become unavailable. Winter conditions may make getting food and water to animals more difficult. Unprotected livestock may also be lost.

Here are a few local resources that help combat the effects of snowstorms in and around Asheville. The Asheville public works snow plowing division services of snow emergency removal include: “snow removal where service is prioritized by major arterioles (first priority),and minor through streets and residential streets (second priority). All city bus routes are first priority streets” http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Departments/StreetServices/StreetMaintenance.aspx. Additionally a map is provided for citizens to view that prioritizes the plowing routes; http://avl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=2d5766235b1c4311801ebde1afd50cd6 . The NC State Disaster Recovery Website provides support to both internal and external forces in responding to and recovering from federally declared and non-declared state disasters. When activated, it conducts the operations out of the State Emergency Operations Center. It is the liaison between NCDOT and other members of the State Emergency Response Team; https://connect.ncdot.gov/resources/Asset-Management/Pages/Disaster.aspx .

No matter the type of natural hazard type of event, there always can be some type of preparedness to deal with the event and or the aftermath of such events. having a wood stove and plenty of available dry wood to burn is a good thing. Having a good pantry supply of food and drinking water is something everyone should have on hand to deal with such occasions. Have a radio and batteries and a flashlight with batteries. Lots of heavy wool blankets if in the wintertime. Shelters are available also for stranded and the homeless and those who have lost there homes. Preparedness is a key factor in dealing with any natural hazard event.

Currently I am residing outside of Asheville, NC in a rural area in a very small town of 2225 as of 2010. The city of Asheville now has 87,882 and 424,858 in the metropolitan area. It is a city and region undergoing large scale growth. There are mostly grass fed livestock farms here and are spread out in the low land areas of this mountainous region. At one time there was more diversity such as tobacco and corn. Not so much anymore as in the smaller farms as in this area is no longer profitable. Asheville is one of the few exceptions of liberalism in the southeastern United States. People in the south are generally very slow and resistive to change. In the city of Asheville not so much. However NC is is no longer as some would have considered 30 years ago, a so-called a southern progressive state by any stretch and is generally speaking by and large Christian and conservative.

Prior to moving to Asheville, NC I lived in Charleston, SC for quite a long time. Charleston in may ways is quite the same as Asheville. Geographically speaking though are totally different. In regards to inner city transit systems both cities have very good and adequate bus systems serving the community at affordable costs. Buses in both cases historically replaced what in our reading for the week refers to “street cars” and street car communities in and around the communities. Neither city is terribly large and at this time do not have longer “commuter service” type of runs or “commuter rail” services. However this will undoubtedly be arriving with the continuing expansion of both cities as an economic and efficiency concern in the future.

Boston is a very large metropolitan region. In regards to the aspects of mass transit and efficiency the area is very well served by its mass transit system(s). Boston is an area that accommodates many many people coming and going all the time. It offers commuter rail service, street car service, subway service, inner city bus service, commuter bus service, inter-city bus service, inter-city rail service and more. Many downtown people don’t own cars and ride bicycles and or ride buses, subways (street cars inc.) or in taxi’s. It is a very efficiently run system. Much of the electricity used for the subway cars is however fired with coal and nuclear and these technologies are becoming outdated and have proven dangerous. At this time we have no clear answers but prospects for a better cleaner more efficient future. Solar, wind, water hydro power, and hydrogen and others replacing diesel, coal and nuclear means and leaving less carbon footprint and lower cost.

Health wellness and eating the correct foods and diet is a choice. Sugar and in particular high fructose sugars are in every kind of sweet snack food and soda beverages in America. Corporations have attempted to cheaply implement these most unhealthful products into snack foods and beverages and consider this the norm. That is if we accept it. Its best to reject most sugary types of items or limit them to a minimum. The consumer now has far more choices when choosing and consuming these types of foods. Earthy health food markets offer better and ethical products containing organic pure cane sugar as it should be in the first place and at about the same money. The more we shop there what used to be alternative marketplaces the more push and leverage we have for progressive and healthier food stuffs in the marketplace. An educated consumer is the best consumer.

Whether its sugary snack foods or drinks again thankfully in this day and age we have more choices than ever. That does not mean however that what the majority or norm are producing and consuming is ethical or healthy. It isn’t. Adding to the issues again we have food choices and with the later above all GMO unethical production and consumption. GMO foods are nutritionally deficient and not a natural product as in the case of pure untouched organic. Organic is in my opinion the best available on the market. Organic is truly what something is in its untouched state. GMO food stuffs and products are about profit not about nutrition and ethics. This is something traditional food outlets don’t want you to know. The norm should be an obvious choice and yet because of higher prices for Organic; and something that most time is often less by way of being natural actually cost us more at the Health food stores.

SOCIAL NORM
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HEALTHY ORGANIC GMO POOR QUALITY

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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE

1) First topic on development is transportation and location is LA, Southern California area. Here is he web link at Colby University in Maine, from which the study is drawn upon; http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/trans-cal.html. The study relates to the traffic and congestion problems in the LA area. Private developers were granted access to develop a new 2 lane toll lane highway along side the CA. 91 state highway in a private sector attempt for profit, and to reduce traffic apparently in the name of profit. This is seemingly development for profit and people who can only afford such development. In my opinion it is in part unfair to the majority of the populous. The goal here was to lessen traffic and the commute times for commuting motorists. Might they have done better with a multi passenger ans high occupancy (buses) lanes instead?

2) Second topic on development is regarding Vibrant Rural Communities: Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Here is the link for the study done by NADO.org; http://www.nado.org/vibrant-rural-communities-lewistown-pennsylvania/. Local, state, federal and private investors concerned with the communities well being and growth invested strategized and planned a rehabilitation and revitalization for the town which had previously seen better days. They have successfully revitalized the downtown region of the community renovating vacant structures redeveloping former industrial sites transforming a new prosperous downtown. This has benefited the people of the town by way of jobs, tax base and new industry and activity to the region. In my estimation some 50 million dollars have been spent in efforts to redevelop and preserve the town for the people and prosperity.” The study is part of the NADO Research Foundation’s Vibrant Rural Communities SERIES OF CASE STUDIES which describes how rural regions and small towns across the country are growing local and regional economies and creating stronger communities”. This is all relevant and inclusive of this weeks topic(s) of development.” http://www.nado.org/vibrant-rural-communities-lewistown-pennsylvania/

3) Where I currently live in Asheville North Carolina, both subjects above are most relevant and applicable in the areas of Development. As of recently (in the last 10 years) and more increasingly the Asheville area has seen quite a bit of this type of renewal activity on a larger scale however than Lewistion, Penna. has undergone. Many millions of dollars have been spent and plan to be spent on revitalizing the area. Projects include rehabilitation of structures new building, new hotels among others. This relating to all areas of more development and prosperous community. Also in the very near future the community will undoubtedly have to consider widening and expanding certain roadways that are now already under served and outdated. A great deal has been done in Asheville and there is a long way to go. Conservatives in the state will still undoubtedly try to block sending tax dollars to the area for progress and expansion of the area. This is a huge problem for lack of development in the south and south eastern states. Asheville however has and will continue its expansion with or with out certain portions of what would otherwise e more available tax money blocked by right wing conservatives.

Where I currently reside in rural western North Carolina outside of Asheville in the mountains everyone has well water. It is in a way being off the grid I think a good thing if you can obtain good clean fresh drinking water from a well. Septic systems especially older ones can present potential issues especially if not properly maintained. If the system is of a modern and current design with a nice leaching field there shouldn’t be any issues and the water eventually reclaimed or pumped out by a service vehicle whatever preferred. The cost of drilling a well and installing a septic system far outweighs paying a utility company or municipality a bill every month for the life of the property. I myself utilize the water provided for all things except for drinking. I purchase bottled water for drinking consumption. Reason being is that in this area of the country much of the water including municipal water is heavily laden with calcium and causes kidney stones.

Daily Water Use:

Shower 10 gallons
B/T .5 av
Commode 12 av
Wash Hands 1 av
Cooking 2 av
Drinking 2 av
Dishwasher 2 av
Clothes Washer 3 av

Total: 32.5 gallons

If given the situation of having to be limited to just 2 gallons of water per day I would plan accordingly and take the following actions. Water would be limited to drinking and cooking only. Water for hygiene would be obtained from stream water, river, lake, ocean, whatever available. In using a footprint to eliminate the potential issues would be just using the 2 gallons and doing the above. I don’t think there is anything impossible about this however it would compromise a persons hygiene and cleanliness after a period of time, no doubt about it. Speaking in comparison to 1-b this would be a drastic but not impossible change and after a period of time one would learn to improvise and do the best they can with what they have to work with. Geography matters in water use as it presents a wide and varying diversity of locations where water may be more plentiful and then lack of availability of issues and problems related to cost and health.

1. In consideration of “Is it important to be a good person or to perform good acts?” (virtue ethics v. action ethics); the answer to this question to me is both. A person who is a good person is very likely in my opinion to also perform good acts. Virtue could be a person thinking of assisting in the Peace Corps or humanitarian aid efforts helping people in need. Until this assistance is put into action it is a thought, as just someone who truly cares about humanity and helping where help may be needed. Placing this thought of a virtue into action would create a situation where the ends justify the means as a result of such actions being taken and actually helping people. So the thought is equally important as is performing good acts.

3. In consideration of “Does the process by which decisions are made matter more than the outcomes of these decisions?”(procedural justice v. distributive justice); Again my answer to this question is both. Procedural justice and the mechanisms and what goes into formulating procedural justice is as important as the outcome. I think an example of an ethical and balanced criminal justice system with jury trials for example in a Democracy with checks and balance accountability is equal to distributive justice thereby in effect after the decisions about procedure are fairly constructed. The process is very important in formulation and ultimately carrying thru with the Distributive. Does one matter more than the other? No in my opinion they both go together.

4. In consideration of “Do ecosystems matter for there own sake, or do the only matter to the extent they impact humans? (ecocentric ethics v. anthropocentric ethics); Ecosystems DO matter for there own sake as well as the impact on humans. Ecocentric ethic matter in the matter of Ecosystems as they can remain and sustain a perfectly healthy and balanced environment completely on there own with out disturbance. The benefits of such are many to man kind also inclusive of healthy air to breathe and water to drink not even mentioning an Anthropocentric interest. The human benefit (Anthropocentric) is also important as we are human beings on the same planet. Finding and creating a delicate and sustainable balance between the two are most beneficial to all creation.

The core ideas behind this diagram are the introduction of are a more balanced and social ecosystem. This leads to a higher standard of living by of the use of the new Biogas generation systems in India. It is a continuous source of fuel for the people and is clean burning and smokeless; a healthier environment.The farming productivity byproducts are a most efficient way of manufacturing the fuel product. Additionally The end product after the gas is harvested will be profitable as a source of fertilizers for local farmers growing crops. It is a fully sustainable and organic manufacturing process as depicted in the diagrams.