Trees!

I really enjoyed yesterday's talk about trees and forestry. Yes, I have a foresty background with my family and my education, but I don't feel that makes me unable to see forestry issues clearly. (Maybe I'm wrong) I do agree with what Dave was showing us about deforestation. Deforestation is a horrible thing that is basically raping our planet. The thing that I wanted to get across was that sustainable forestry, done in a responsible steward-like manner, is a healthy way to manage our resources.

Sustainable forestry is a method that accounts for ecological and ecosystem damage, the effect on wildlife, and the loss of habitat. Sustainable forestry fights habitat fragmentation and leaves corridors for wildife to connect with other areas of habitat. Part of sustainable forestry is, of course, reforestation. Areas that are sustainably harvested are replanted to either grow into habitat or future harvest sites.

For me, one of the best things sustainable foresty does is allow us to responsibly use one of our fastest-growing renewable energy sources. Trees are great! Just think of everything around you, right now, that is made from forest products. Wood isn't made in a lab. It regrows within our lifetimes or less. If we harness this energy source correctly, our children and grandchildren will enjoy trees as part of their ecosystem and economy for generations to come.

Comment on Today's Discussion (12-8-09)

So today we talked about increasing the prices of gasoline so that we can encourage people to decrease the amount of gasoline they use and encourage them to buy more fuel efficient cars. I think that this is a great concept, but I worry about the effect that this will have on people who do not make much money and will then have difficulty driving to work, and probably will not be able to afford new more fuel efficient cars. I also worry that this will have an effect on the cost of food and other goods which will then in turn force companies to eventually lay off workers, which will make an even bigger problem. I liked the idea of having more research being done to find ways to become more fuel efficient. I think that that is a great idea. I just worry about the immediate effect that it will have on our economy. Maybe there is a better way, hopefully! While thinking about this concept, maybe we could have there be incentives to drive less. Maybe people could could get "green credits" like they have in this stimulus bill, but be for driving. This could encourage people, and maybe have people working as a community like the reading from Dr. Maathai encourages. That might make a friendlier way of approaching this problem? Just a thought :).

The Cow Jumped over the moon!!!

I am like really amazed and totally speechless from today's visit to the Dairy farm. I mean seeing the cows on the farm and watching them being milked really put things in perspective concerning where our food comes from. The cows were so trained and knew the routine when entering the milking station which was surprisingly clean. I don't know what I was expecting, but I got so much more from the experience. I was initially greeted by the smell. I saw cows in labor delivering calves and I must be honest that I cried seeing a stillborn calf. It was amazing as a mother of three breastfed babies, I in some sort of strange and kooky way related to the cows. It really amazed me to see the entire operation which is a professional business. I realized half-way through the tour that this was in fact the owners business and milking cows is big business. It is really something to think about the process and "dirty" jobs or bare truths behind a gallon of milk. I think that sometimes we take for granted the effort when entering a supermarket. A grocery store is presented as a luxury where food is beautifully packaged and presented in such a way that we don't have to acknowledge any of the specifics. I go into Kroger's, etc and I have options and choices which are readily available and never once do I even think about exactly where that gallon of milk may have come from and I really believe that this is exactly the way grocers would have it because guess what that is their business. I am still trying to find the words to accurately describe my experience today but as for right now I will just say that I plan to take my children back next weekend because they need to see this and I can guarantee that they will never be the same because I sure am not.

Skeptical about skeptics

So the question of the day is why do people feel so threatened about climate change and the admission that 6.7 billion consumers might be affecting this planet?

Butcherin'

So what did you think about Wednesday's workshop on butchering? Was that environmental education?

Slippin' on a Banana Peel...

The two readings about the food we consume, primarily the one about Dole bananas, made me think more about where my food comes from. Sure the package might say that the company is stationed somewhere "local" in the United States, but many, if not most, of the major companies have their fingers intwined in manufacturing in other countries. Not only do they dominate the production aspect, but other companies as well, including fossil fuels, plastics, etc. Because the banana article was mainly bashing Dole, I decided to do a Google search on Dole. I found an interesting website that, by the looks of it, Dole is attempting to save their face and attempt to become more organic. What do you think? Check out this link: http://www.doleorganic.com/

And what's up with this youtube video? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOXVn5_OKFw

I'm almost to the point where I care more about WHERE my food is made and what is in it than the calories, fat, etc. it contains. It is unfortunate that companies feel the need to only tell us on the packages what most people want to see instead of what they should see.

Blogging about Issues

Welcome to History and Issues of Environmental Education! I would like all of you to blog about readings and then exchange comments about other additions. Poetry, links, curriculum, photos that you take, photos that you find that fit in to the issue that you are commenting about.