Oh how Al Gore has messed with our pretty little minds. Climate change is a hot topic issue for Americans for a reason I can't seem to fully grasp. (At least not enough to jump on the bandwagon.) In my humble opinion, climate change is a mixture between natural and anthropogenic. I am certain humans have caused enough damage to our atmosphere to alter the climate, just as well I am certain natural occurrences create a climate change.
I am a very young skeptical girl who disregards most information tossed at me until I find and test the resource myself. This being so, reputable sources for climate change information are few and far between. There is evidence of the rising temperature, yes. And I will acknowledge the problems we are facing. I will not however, acknowledge rants and rages people go on about the climate issue. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have a National Climatic Data Center that provides facts and not opinion. This is a reputable source for climate change.
The problem with climate change isn't really a problem about climate change but rather, in my book, its a problem with the media on climate change. Movies such as: The Day After Tomorrow, WALL-E, Avatar, and Happy Feet gives these radical notions and examples of how the environment and climate change will destroy all of us. Now, let me be clear to say that I think we do a poor job taking care of our environment and that when it comes to sustainability, we are doomed. But, the media is sneaky because it is viewed by millions who believe anything, anyone says. In general the media, including movies, documentaries, television news, newspaper, books, etc. by large portray an act of emergency on climate change. Because the issue is over-debated and over-glorified it has been tossed into my "over-rated" dropbox in my brain.
Even before the hype of climate change, I have been recycling, turning off lights/water, conserving personally energy when possible, and re-purposing items. The media nor the scare has pressured me to change my lifestyle, this is my lifestyle. I personally prefer riding my back to target and I love being creative and re-purposing wood from an old chair into a new picture frame. Will that save the climate? No, but I enjoy it so I will continue living this way. Now, if I do decide to raise children in this horribly corrupted world we live in, I do not think the climate will be their biggest worry. Not even their children's worry. Maybe I partially believe this because I'm predicting bigger natural disasters will be their worries or the war on oil will erupt in our time or theirs. Either way, we have much bigger issues besides the "climate change".
Until next time,
Annie
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Dear USDA, (Post 7)
Dear USDA, today I stand before you as a eco-aware citizen in Southwest Florida. I am here to to testify on the merits and pitfalls of bringing plots of genetically modified eucalyptus here at FGCU.
The eucalyptus tree has 800 species, with all but three or four endemic to Australia. Its full name is Eucalyptus camalduensis and is a perennial, single-stemmed, large boled, medium sized to tall tree. This tree lies near water and the seeds success for growth is based off of flooding. The leaves are loved by kangaroos and koalas. Both animals that are not natural to SWFL environment. Eucalyptus can deploy a full canopy of leaves within a fear years. It is greedy for carbon, and within 27 months can grow up to 55 feet in height. What benefit would we have to invest in ArborGen to plant test plots of GM eucalyptus at FGCU? Eucalyptus makes great paper however, as a university and more general as a society we are trying to cut down paper usage.
There are many reasons not to have this tree come on campus. For starters they are extremely flammable. I'm going on a limb here, but I would say bringing a tree into a dry environment where fires occur would not be the best idea. Especially in a land that is flooded with students daily. A quick rapid fire could easily damage the entire campus and be fatal to civilians. These types of fires have happened in California where GM eucalyptus plants have been planted. Eucalyptus trees suck up a lot of water, this could in turn leave us with a drought. The drought could then start a wildfire to the trees we have discussed as highly flammable. Not even the wildlife in our forests can benefit from this tree. It is not suitable for them for food or habitat. It doesn't make sense to me why ArborGen wants to test plot GM eucalyptus. I have stated both intrinsic and extrinsic concerns that show that no reasonable and cost-effective steps can be taken to mitigate the risks. There seems to be no benefit worth the risk. And NO, paper production and timber is not a stellar reason to plant this tree. Even though I can see where the fast growing ability would be inciting. We need to stop thinking about instant production and money and consider long-term effects that could damage our environment to where no amount of production or money can solve it.
Until next time,
Annie
Resources
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/WfHC/Eucalyptus-camaldulensis/index.html
http://globaljusticeecology.org/stopgetrees_about.php?ID=402
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/06/10/arborgen-approved-to-test-gm-trees/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/02/tech/main6166930.shtml
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