We will continue in our textbook, The Science Behind the Stories by Withgott & Brennan, in Chapter 12: Resources Management, Forestry, Land Use & Protected Areas. I will try to post all of the week's work on Monday's but may have to post on Monday & Wednesday some weeks. Your first assignment is to begin your outlines by:
- Reading the case study on pages 343-346, 348-349 then answering the questions that follow in the outline in part I, A-F. Then type in your thoughts on the questions below G, H & I in the blog by the end of the week.
- G. What resource in Kentucky has followed a similar historical path of exploitation, production and political strife tied into business in the name of progress, jobs and economic growth? Outline its points of development and present day status.
- H. How does this case study show similarities to the visionary story of "The Lorax"? Name two points & explain their relationship.
- I. What environmental science topic(s) would YOU especially like to study during this second semester, that is of great interest to you and would help you do your best on the AP ES exam?
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ReplyDeleteG. A significant path of exploitation in Kentucky would be mountain top removal. In the case of the Clayoquot sound, forests were over exploited and left hardly any trees. Mountain top removal creates many jobs, but destroys the environment. Today in Kentucky, mountains are still being destroyed and land is worsening in condition. Many efforts made by groups of the environmentally concerned have attempted to take action against this practice, but none have had much success. Mountain top removal continues to be an issue.
ReplyDeleteH. Though I don't remember specific points from The Lorax, I remember that the overall story was about an outside force was completely destroying the environment around them. The main character(s) were trying their hardest to stop the force from totally destroying their homes and the environment surrounding them. The people of the Cayoquot sound were concerned about the forests around them being clear cut.
I. Some more topics of interest to me would most likely be about water. I really enjoy the water portions of this class.
Interesting point on MTR: Jobs + Coal- Mountains-Wildlife-Clean Water=???? Must we always sacrifice the environment in exchange for our insatiable hunger for more resources and energy as fast as we can get them at all cost to the environment? There must be another way and I hope we can get over to that path soon! Water topics coming soon in Chapter 15, so hang in there!
ReplyDeleteG. Mountain top removal has become an exploitation issue in Kentucky. This has been going on for a number of years, have left a barren landscape in most of Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. Just like the case study, many people have protested but this still continues to be a problem. While mountain top removal has granted many jobs to Kentucky, the environmental condition is severe. If things continue there will be nothing but flat land. No trees or mountains. There are many groups that have tried to help this, but mountain top removal still continues to happen, and is still an issue for Kentucky today.
ReplyDeleteH. One of the examples from The Lorax would be the extensive cut down of trees. While in the movie they weren't destroying the mountains, they were cutting down the trees. The movie showed that the continuous cutting down of trees would eventually cause everything to deteriorate. Another example would be the "happiness" showed by the people of the town. They were completely oblivious to what the problem actually was until they saw what the affects were.
I. I would like to study more about pollution and the different causes, and maybe more about population and it's trends around the world.
G. Mountain top removal has been exploited in Ky for many years, just like trees were in Clayoquot Sound. Today many job opportunities are open because of mountain top removal, but it also has brought upon environmental and health issues in Ky. Waterways around mining sights have been contaminated with a toxic byproduct called coal slurry. Also because of mountain top removal in Letcher County, Ky kids are having a high rate of nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. If we continue with mountain top removal we are damaging life around us and there will be nothing but flat lands left. There are many protesters against mountain top removal, but it continues to be a huge environmental issue in Ky today.
ReplyDeleteH. One example would be the cutting down of trees. Just like the case study in the Lorax they just kept cutting down trees to get their wants not realizing the effect it would have later on to the environment. In the Lorax it showed what would happen if we continued to cut down trees how it would destroy our earth. Another thing they had in common was that it shows when you are only thinking about your riches you can end up hurting the environment. In the case study cooperations kept cutting down trees to keep up with demand, and in the Lorax they kept cutting down trees to make more money from his invention not realizing all the trees were dying off.
I. a topic that I would like to study more is the debate over climate change and we should respond to it.
G.Coal is currently the most exploited resource in Kentucky. Mountain Top Removal is the most destructive method used to obtain coal. While it does boost our state's economy with exports and provides jobs for our citizens, we choose to be oblivious to the negative long term effects that were placing on our environment and the accumulation of health issues among our citizens that are directly associated with the aftermath of Mountain Top Removal. It's becoming harder for citizens to live in their homes without the constant worry of fly rock damaging them or the constant fear that the water their giving to their families is safe for consumption.
ReplyDeleteH. Like the Lorax our case study show how big businesses and companies manipulate resources to their advantage and disregard the concerns for our environment. In both Clayoquot Sound and The Lorax companies exploit trees by cutting them down to match the demands society has placed on them without realizing the later effects it will have on communities and ecosystems. Thneed-Ville also represents a completely artificial and synthetically made community. Commodities today that come freely to us are bought and paid for in Thneed-Ville. In my opinion this represents the effects of rapid industrialization and an insight on what will or can happen if we do not stop to think about the future consequences of our actions.
I. I would like to know more about sustainability and biodiversity. More specifically how were effecting it and what makes us ignore these critical issues.
G. The situation similar in Kentucky would be mountain top removal. Coal and oil companies remove tops of mountains in order to discover these resources in order to make money. The issue gets worse and worse with time, and although there are regulations in place regarding this, it hasn't been fixed. The tree situation in Canada is similar.
ReplyDeleteH. One way this situation compares to the Lorax is the greediness of the company. In the Lorax, once his product spread, he became very greedy and in result, overexploited his resources. In the situation in Canada, the timber companies sold their product quickly, and had to supply consumer demand, therefore exploiting their resources.
Another way they compare is by the damage done by using these resources. In the Lorax, oxygen was sold in bottles because it was so hard to come by. Although we haven't gotten to that extreme, we are destroying the atmosphere by removing a source of oxygen.
I. I like studying solutions to pollution.
More on pollution in Chapters on Freshwater & Oceans!
DeleteG. Exploitation of our mountains are a tremendous problem in Kentucky. They exploit our mountains for coal. This resource is used for energy. As we need more energy the mountains are exploited more. They use a method called mountaintop removal and just blow up the mountains to get the coal. Originally they are expected to restore the land but very few have actually been restored. This causing habitat loss. Although this causes more jobs and money are mountains are being demolished.
ReplyDeleteH. The movie The Lorax was mainly about what would happen if all of our trees were to disappear. We overuse our resources way to much thus causing more trees to be cut down. The case study talked about the people who boycotted clear cutting of trees. This would relate to the main Lorax himself because he tried to make people see the good in keeping the trees and he was against cutting them down. Another point would be that it did cause businesses to gain more money but it just harms the environment around us. Company's try to show that they aren't harming the environment but in reality they are.
I. I would enjoy studying in this second semester more on mountaintop removal. I know we have already studied it but I would enjoy to learn more about it and to a bigger extent.
I Love Mountains Day is coming up mid- Feb & I'm trying to schedule a field trip to Frankfort so we can attend!
DeleteG. Mountaintop removal has been a real big problem in our state and other states as well. Everyone needs power so everyone needs coal. But there are other sources of energy such as solar power. But that is to expensive so companies go straight for the coal. It is less expensive and provides many jobs for Kentuckians.
ReplyDeleteH. The Lorax relates to our case study in the way of clear cutting. It shows that many people are overusing their resources and not replacing the trees or returning the environment back to that was it was. Another thing in the Lorax relating to the case study is how many homes are lost for the animals that live in or around the trees. So deforestation would result in the loss of animals habitat.
I. I would like to learn more about solutions to the dead zone.
G. Coal has certainly followed a similar path. In the name of growth we corrupt local environments, put people out of their homes, and pollute the precious natural resources that flow out of the mountainous areas in Eastern Kentucky. With the economy's focus on nonrenewable energy sources such as oil, coal, and fossil fuels, the coal-rich regions of Appalachia are a primary location for spats over land as the coal companies try to get every acre they can. Currently, more and more people are turning towards more environmentally efficient power sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy, but still the region of Eastern Kentucky is plagued by corruption and exploitation as coal moguls tear apart the land for their personal gain.
ReplyDeleteH. The case study shows similarity to the Lorax because they both contain themes of clear cutting and how devastating it can be to the environment. In the Lorax, after all the trees had been cut down, the animals had no place to live and the land was uninhabitable, the air polluted and toxic. This is exactly what the people were preventing when they lined up and stopped the loggers from entering the old growth forests. The people recognized that without these natural habitats, Earth would become unlivable. Another point that relates to the Lorax is how big business harms the environment almost inevitably. Economic gain seems to be only acquired by the conquering of the land, and these people don't stop. They contain the most political power, the most economic power, so they do what they want. It's very sad that those who want to protect the land usually have the least power, like the Lorax. He warned until he was blue in the face, but did anybody listen? Of course not, because he had no influence. And then it was left to the generations of the future to understand their catastrophic mistake.
I. I would like to learn more hands-on activities, such as what biologists do out in the field. I would also like to learn more about physical science related areas, such as parts having to do with thermodynamics and chemistry as used in environmental sciences.