Myth of Progress 2nd reading 9/16/08

Our weekly assignment was to finish the reading in the book Myth of Progress by Tom Wessels. I found this book to be interesting and informative on the terminology of biological systems and the human impact on our environment. A lot of groundwork was covered in this weeks reading. I learned about self-organization and how every species has its own ecological role, or niche. These specific niches are confined or decreased by the process of co-evolution. Lifeforms become specialized in there biological role as they adjust to there environment and other species around them. Complex relationships have been formed over thousands of years as species have adapted to coexist with one another. This is the idea of mutualism, species mature to form symbiotic relationships with each other. I think a great example of mutualism is found in a ecosphere. An ecosphere is a self-contained, self sustaining enclosed ecosystem. You can buy these ecosystems and they consist of glass spheres containing red shrimp and algae. The red shrimp feed of the algae and there waste is used by the algae to form oxygen and food for the shrimp. In this mini-ecosystem all resources are utilized without overpopulating or contaminating the environment.
The growing complexity of the earths ecosystems create an increasing amount of biodiversity on earth. Species can either work together or force each other out of a habitat in whats known as competitive exclusion. Humans can play a big role in hurrying up this process by introducing species into different environments. In one example, using species to control other species is commonly used in farming methods throughout the world. As i was working this week at Chapin apple orchard in Essex I noticed many impurities brought on by molds and insects. I found it interesting that to solve the aphid problem apple growers can introduce insects such as lady beetles, lacewings, damsel bugs and flower fly maggots. These helpful insects are an example of mutualism as they help control the ecosystem of the orchard.
The reading covered the problems being faced by the ever growing human race as we have stared to overpopulate our ecosystem. Big problems have been created by the replacement of local enterprises by transnational corporations. Mergers, acquisitions, and outsourcing have been used to create a global free trading economy. Between the 1940's and late 90's we have seen the number of farms in the US drop from 5.6 to 2 million. Local farms can not compete with the low prices being created by these huge corporations and the government subsidies they are provided. The problem is that corporations have become so powerful and rich they have become an influence on politics. Originally corporations were not supposed to be involved with the political process. Over the years this changed and now corporations can even contribute to political campaigns. The loss of local infrastructure has killed the diversity and social structure of our communities. We are going to have to make big changes as a country to start changing the very reasoning for human existence as a whole. Our capitalistic society has created this myth of material wealth being the foundation for progress. But in many cases it is shown that this increased affluence is related to the decrease in happiness and general fulfilment of our citizens. As a whole our country needs to understand the problems being created by a world run on material progress and we need to work these ideas of environmental sustainability into our system.