Our Earth eDump

I first heard of the e waste problem in China after watching Edward Burtynsky's documentary " Manufactured Landscapes"

http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/Sections/The_Film/Manufactured_Landscapes.html

in high school. I couldn't believe the condition these people worked through every day and for such low pay. I remember the landscapes he showed in that video and how there was piles of e waste as far as the eye could see. what really gets me is that most of the waste comes from us our i pods our cell phones our computers. The video from http://www.babelgum.com/118286/edump.html gave me a lot more depth of knowledge surrounding this tragedy. I saw the landscape and what it was doing to the environment in Burtynsky's documentary, but this video really focused in on the plight of the people. Its terrible how their only safety equipment is at best rubber gloves and goggles. The chemicals and toxins they have to breath in every day used to separate metals must have serious side effects on there lungs. Not only the burning chemicals and choking smoke they come in contact but the menial, boring and repetitive tasks they do day in and day out must be so draining to there mind as well as body. I am glad to hear that the Chinese government is trying to crack down on e shipment no matter how small an impact there having and how European electronics are phasing out the more toxic and hazardous materials. hopefully they will see a day of better living conditions some time soon.

Class reflection: Winnipeg Sewage

According to the winnipeg website

http://www.winnipeg.ca/WaterandWaste/sewage/systemOperation.stm our sewage flows into combined sewers which are then carried by interceptor sewers to a treatment plant. the waste is then transported back to the river. The water isn't treated when wet weather creates over flows of the sewer. the sewage than finds its way into our rivers untreated. the site says "Combined sewer overflows occur an average of 18 times during the open water recreational season (May 1 – September 30)."

Selection 20 Summary

Impact of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services by Boris Worm is about the benefits we get from a high biodiversity. He begins by detailing the loss of population and species in marine ecosystems by human domination. He did experiments and found that that the loss is impairing the oceans ability to provide food, maintain water quality and recover from damage, but it is all still reversible at this point.He then describes the role of biodiversity in an ecosystem. Surveys suggest that it enhances the productivity and stability of an ecosystem. But we do not know the importance on a landscape level. Increasing population of people on the coast so loss of ocean services would be a disaster. He then Details the experiments he conducted to understand the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services. In 36 experiments it was found that an increase in biodiversity correlated with an increase in all the processes of the ecosystem. He then studied the record of economically important coastal organisms. He saw huge declines in population This has impaired the processes of coastal ecosystem. He then went larger scale and looked at info on fishing in 64 large marine ecosystems world wide from the U.N. data base. Those that had higher biodiversity were more resistant to collapse and overfishing. This implies that different species play complementary roles to each others survival. He then analyzed data from 44 marine reserves to find if there is chances of recovering from a collapse.He found that it is possible to recover which brings more revenue for the area. He concludes that through sustainable management , pollution control we can invest in the productivity and reliability of the goods the oceans can provide.

Selection 33 Summary

At the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima or Why Political Questions are not all Economic by Mark Sangoff talks about the need for a deeper approach to environmental problems than purely an economic one.He starts by explaining what happened to the community of Lewiston, New York. Radioactive Materials from Manhattan project were buried nearby and when heavy winds blow southerly radon gas is blown into town. This has put the residents at risk of leukemia and related inflictions. Yet corporate officials will not do anything. Between buffalo and Lewiston is a large landfill where no life is found. Overlooking this display is the shrine of our lady Fatima . It is this shrine that mark used for cost benefit analysis. Some people suggest that all environmental problems are when resources cannot be allocated in effeicent ways. This way of thinking is completely at the level of the consumer. They value only what the market can price such as a condo on the beach or a snowmobile for the mountains. This Poses the question, how do you value open space. He then says that each of us have two different ways of thinking. We think as a consumer and as a citizen. the consumer thinks of their individual wants while the citizen acts for the community. He says these dual ways of thinking constantly conflict. For example he voted for passing a bill to tax gas for funding of public transit then he continues to drive his gas guzzling cars. He then asks should the public economy serve the ideals of the citizen or the consumer. He then talks about how the court will take the side of the cost beneficial party instead of passing regulations. Such as when regulations for the amount of cotton dust emitted by a textile manufacturer was declined because it wasn't cost beneficial. He believes the government should do more to balance economic with ideological, aesthetic and moral goals. he then talks about how corners on safety because its cost beneficial . The amount of benzene was limited from 10-1 ppm in 1977 but late the American petroleum institute made a case that was more cost beneficial. This approach treats people as equals but as equals with no value except for their willingness to pay. The ancient world focused more on the community while today we go the other direction. Economist argue there role as policy makers because they are impartial to competing values. Sangoff states we must use our knowledge, wisdom, morality and taste to come up with policies not solely based on whose willing to pay the right price. "No matter how much your willing to pay 3 will never be the square root of 6."

selection 31 Summary

The article Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment by Sandra Steingraber, talks about the need for more knowledge on the environmental factors in cases of cancer. Shes begins with a personal story how she had bladder cancer as an young adult. She then talks about the perception that genes are the main cause of cancer; if your in a "cancer family" your sure to get it. she goes on to say that she is adopted, therefore something in the environment must be leading to the cancer trend in the family. Cancer is caused by a mutation where a single rung of the DNA is swapped for another resulting in a change of the gene. She then asks the question what is causing bladder cancer? She found that there are many carcinogens in streams and rivers that we come into contact with and gets into our drinking water.this is from industries, pipe materials and water treatment. She states that we need a better way of regulating these contaminants. She goes on to state there are hurdles to overcome if address cancer's environmental roots. Presently cancer research is focused on inherited cancer from family. She then says that even though cancer causing products have been stopped from being used domestically they still linger in the environment. chemicals such as DDT last in the environment for a long time. Some people are more at risk of cancer than other because of genes but those who work with and live by carcinogens are at high risk no matter what DNA they have. She concludes by saying we need to be guided by the principle of the least toxic alternative which means we need to choose the least harmful way to solve problems.

Selection 10 Summary

In John Teal and Mildred Teal's book Life and Death of the Salt Marsh the importance of salt marshes are shown. He begins by describing the salt marshes of along the eastern coast of North America. they are ribbon of soft, salty wet lowlands along the coast that change greatly from high to low tide. it has a very high biodiversity from birds to crabs. he then goes goes on to say how they have been destroyed and polluted by encroaching human establishment. he then goes on with describing the wetlands. he says the ground is a mat of plant roots then mud then liquids. Dangers to wetlands are human in origin. We dredge, fill, build on and pollute it. The increased population along the coast is increasingly straining the marshes. If preserved the marshes could be of benefit to the growing population. to preserve me must accessible so people can appreciate them. some marshes will be destroyed but a federal level of planning could allow the best options. it will also need safeguards against industry trying to use the land. he concludes by comparing the undertaking of preserving the wetlands with what has already been done in national parks such as Yellowstone.

Carl Honore praises slowness: Reflection

In Carl's talk he promotes the idea that as a society we are to fast. We rush to get as much as we can done in the shortest amount of time. This prevents us from enjoying life. I agree that we need to slow down once and a while. Presently am definitely guilty of going too fast. Its one thing after another school homework, work, extracurricular activities and other. I never take time to fully enjoy my life instead i'm rushing through it. He says the Nordic countries are combating this, they apparently have less work hours but the same or better productivity. I think slowing down as a society could be good for the environment. If everyone wasn't rushing more people would take the time to walk or bike leading to less carbon emissions. Carl says this behavior stems from urbanism and consumerism. You could say its one of the signs of affluenza that we spoke of in class. We try to pursue more, get more "stuff" we rush about trying to get more done in a short time. This leads to a painful, contagious, condition of overload, debt and anxiety which is affluenza.