350 ppm

In the article “A Last Chance to Advert Disaster,” Dr. James E. Hansen talks about the dangers of climate change.  Hansen explains how greenhouse gasses are responsible for the climate change and that humans have caused it to occur.  This change has led to the alteration of the water cycle, causing more droughts, heavier rains, and more floods.  Even with all of this data collected, many people do not see the seriousness of the issue.  The United States has declined putting limits on carbon emissions, and other developing countries have increased their emission rates.  The possible consequences which could occur if the earth is allowed to rise even two degrees fahrenheit in temperature are also described.  Glaciers could melt completely, causing a two meter rise in sea level.  In addition, the extinction of all polar species would be put at risk due to this. 

Currently the earth is made up of 385 ppm of carbon dioxide and rising 2 ppm a year.  Earth is not sustainable unless a level of 350 or less ppm is reached.  There is not much time for the earth to reach this goal however.  “A level of no more than 350 ppm is still feasible, with the help of reforestation and improved agricultural practices, but just barely – time is running out.”  To solve this problem, Hansen believes coal should no longer be used.  It is necessary for the world to transfer over to carbon-free energy for cars, instead of fossil fuels.  This would cause less carbon dioxide to be released in the atmosphere, allowing the level of carbon dioxide to decrease.  Hansen also believes that a tax should be put on carbon, so people are less inclined to use it.  Lastly, the author says it is critical for our political leaders to believe this change is necessary too.

Hydraulic Fracturing Debate

            Recently in Pavillion, Wyoming, a discovery was made in which underwater groundwater pollution was linked to hydraulic fracturing.  This issue is discussed in Abraham Lustgarten’s article, “EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination.”  This contamination was likely caused by the gas drilling process.  After the discovery, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a statement claiming the pollution of the groundwater in Wyoming was likely caused by gas wells whose contents had seeped up into the dirt.  This contamination of the ground water which was analyzed contained at least 10 compounds which are often used in frack fluids, backing up the EPAs assumption.  Currently there is a national debate on whether or not hydraulic fracking is harming the groundwater.  This discovery could be a huge turning point for environmental advocates because it could cause stricter regulations on fracking. 

            The drilling industry does not believe these claims and insists that hydrologic pressure keeps the harmful fluids from rising in the soil.   They argue “…that deep geologic layers provide a watertight barrier preventing the movement of chemicals towards the surface; and that the problems with the cement and steel barriers around gas wells aren't connected to fracking.”  In addition, when asked about the EPA’s findings, a spokesperson for EnCana, the company which owns the wells in Pavillion, denied that the contamination was caused by the company’s wells.  Instead the spokesperson claimed that the pollution was naturally occurring.

            For more than 20 years, residents of the town Pavillion have been complaining about fouled drinking water.  Some residents have encountered the water in their wells turning brown after fracking, and in response, the responsible gas companies supplied alternate drinking water.   In addition, many samples of the water have been taken, all returning results with trace amounts of contaminants, which are commonly used in fracking.  Residents have also been cautioned by health officials not to drink their water.

            Although this controversy of whether the fracking is to blame for the pollutants in the groundwater has not been settled yet, it is causing much debate.  These discoveries could lead stricter regulations being put in place on hydraulic fracturing.

Improvements to the Education System

After reading Richard Kahn’s article “Towards Ecopedagogy: Weaving a Broad-based Pedagogy of Liberation for Animals, Nature, and the Oppressed People of Earth,” a quote which really stood out to me was one found at the beginning.  It read “…it seems to me a lamentable contradiction to engage in progressive, revolutionary discourse and have a practice which negates life.”  This quote intrigued me because it is saying the progress which we have made in the world is not really a success because at the same time as progressing, we are regressing, by killing off people, animals, and the environment.  I agree with this statement, although I had never thought about it in that way before.  Is a form of technology really worth it if it is killing the living things on the planet?  People should be taught about issues like this.  An example of this learning is found in Richard Kahn’s article called Environmental Education.  This form of education should be found in all schools so people are aware of how precious the world is and all of the issues that it currently has.  If people are informed of the damage they are causing the earth, they will be less likely to continue those harmful actions.

Another change which should be made to the school system is equality.  Currently the education system is set up so the wealthy get into better colleges and therefore obtain better jobs.  The less fortunate on the other hand are accepted into less prestigious schools, causing them to have lesser paying jobs than the wealthy.  This cycle is similar to the quote from Kahn’s article because the wealthy keep progressing and making more money, while the gap between the rich and poor is growing.  The poor continue making the same amount of money, while the cost of living is increasing.  This eventually will cause the poor to become even poorer, resulting in them no longer to be able to support themselves.  If the poor cannot support themselves, then the economy could be harmed, similar to how the environment is being harmed and living things being killed.  This is another example of how progress is not worth the negative effects it may cause.

The way kids are accepted into college should be changed so the education system is more fair.  Parents would still be able to send their children to either private or public schools, but when the child’s transcripts are sent to a college only the GPA would be seen by the admissions office, not the school they attended.  This way if a child did not have the privilege to go to a prestigious high school, but is still brilliant, they will have the same chance to get into any college which a child with a similar academic record had who went to a private school.  I believe this change would be effective in creating a more just education system.

The Consequences of Cars

This photo came from http://bulgaria.indymedia.org/usermedia/image/13/consumerism.jpg

This picture shows the world having been run over by a car.  There are tire tracks down the center of the earth and it is basically squished in half.  What this symbolizes is how people are destroying the earth by using cars.  Cars release carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, into the air.  This leads to heat to being trapped in the atmosphere, causing the climate to become warmer.  Cars are also harmful to the earth because the roads built for them to be driven on destroy habitats for animals and plants.  When animals lose their habitats like this, often they are hit by cars and killed.  In addition, cars run off of fossil fuels, which is a natural resource which is eventually going to run out.  Last, driving instead of walking can lead to bad health for humans.

Preservation Instead of Construction

In the three poems, “Front Lines,” “Control Burn,” and “Black Mesa Mine #1” Snyder writes about construction, industrialization, and the preservation of nature.  Long before the United States was civilized by Americans, Native Americans lived on the land and respected it.  They did their best not to destroy it and lived in harmony with the nature.  The Americans however did not and still to this day do not treat the land well.

            In the poem “Front Lines,” Snyder begins by calling the industrialization of land “cancer.”  He describes trees being cut down, reality companies coming in, jets beginning to fly overhead, and the sound of bulldozers.  The poem ends with a Native American group drawing a line to claim their land, which will most likely be taken over by the Americans and industrialized.  In the poem “Control Burn,” Snyder also writes about the Native Americans.   He explains the careful way that the Indians treated the land and implies that the land today is much different from then.  The poem ends with Snyder hoping that the land can be changed back to its natural state, the way it was when it belonged to the Native Americans.  The poem “Black Mesa Mine # 1” also has a similar theme.  It starts out with a description of construction occurring to land and then ends by mentioning a nearby Indian living site, which is abandoned due to the construction. 

            All three of these poems connect and speak of the hardship Native Americans face with their land being taken away from them.  Snyder wants his readers to realize construction destroys nature and instead it should be preserved and treated with respect like the Indians have done.

All Living Things Equal

In Gary Snyder’s article “The Wilderness” in Turtle Island, there was one particular quote that I found interesting.  It follows:

At the root of the problem where our civilization goes wrong is the mistaken belief that nature is something less than authentic, that nature is not as alive as man is, or as intelligent, that in a sense it is dead, and that animals are of so low an order of intelligence and feeling, we need not take their feelings into account. (Snyder 107)

This quote intrigued me because Snyder is inferring that people do not treat animals and nature as equals.  Humans act like they are superior to everything else and most of the time do not have a conscience about the harm they have caused.  This theme is present throughout Turtle Island in many poems.  Some examples include “The Dead by the Side of the Road”, “Steak”, “The Call of the Wind”, “Mother Earth: Her Whales”, “The Hudson Curlew”, and “Two Fawns that didn’t see the Light this Spring.”

                In “Mother Earth: Her Whales”, Snyder speaks of the beauty of both plants and animals as he sees them in his own eyes and hopes others will too.  He then describes the way they are underappreciated by others.  Brazil sells their natural resources which Snyder refers as “the living actual people of the jungle” to other countries instead of keeping them to appreciate and treasure.  Japan debates which species of whale is invaluable enough to kill.  These actions disturb Snyder very much and by writing this poem he is trying get his readers to realize that all living creatures are beautiful and should be treated equal.  In addition, Snyder questions most human’s thoughts by saying “IS man most precious of all things?”  Although we may have the most “power,” it does not mean that we should overuse it and only care for ourselves.   

                In the poem “Two Fawns that didn’t see the Light this Spring” Snyder describes the death of two pregnant does caused by humans.  In both stanzas, a deer is killed by a person in two common day situations.  One doe is shot by a hunter and another hit by a car.  Although the death of the deer alone is already sad, because the loss of the unborn fawns life, it causes the readers eyes to really be opened up to the tragedy.  Snyder is attempting to make the reader feel sympathetic and realize that animals are living beings too and should be treated equally.

                Overall Snyder has a love for all living organisms and believes that they should be treated no differently than humans.  He thinks that people think too highly of themselves and should stop being selfish.