Organic Farming Will Save the Third World

An article from Science Daily reports that organic farming, at least within the third world can increase the amount of produce harvested. Without having to buy extra fertilizers or expand their plots, they can organically provide themselves and the rest of their communities with food. Organic farming is especially important in these areas because if synthetic fertilizers were used, the run off would create dead zones in their water systems because of a lack of oxygen. Conventional farming can also lead to soil erosion, increased pest resistance, and loss of biodiversity. In a community that may already be struggling to survive, a conventional farm could be the straw that broke the camels back and leave the land unusable. A community living in the third world does not have the luxury to order food and have it shipped directly to them. Between the lack of infrastructure and the rural areas, this would cost a lot of money they do not have. An organic farm would insure natural regeneration of soil, no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and a natural cycle of nutrients.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070711134523.htm

Ants and Us

The book gives a really interesting example of the thousands of different species of ants around the world and how they adapt to be fitting to their environment, so they are not only beneficial to their species, but also to their surroundings. Humans, in some ways, are similar to ants in that we have developed different cultures and practices in countries all over the world in different ecosystems. However, with humans, (and for the sake of this example lets think of different cultures of people as different species of human),  like the book says, because of our use/transfer of goods and energy, some species thrive, while others decline. This is because some species have managed to develop faster than others, due to power and money; and of course power and money often lead to the accumulation of more assets, furthering still the development of those species. Thanks to the idea of "developed" and "undeveloped" countries and the ramifications that go along with those, we have gone global. Globalization has made us all co-dependent on each other, and is I believe, a big part of the reason that things like changing our behavior to fit climate change, etc., is  so difficult. We have built this web that gets more and more delicate, and more and more intricate with every advance of industry. The big problem with this is that when something goes wrong, it upsets the ENTIRE system and causes big problems for everything and everyone. This is why it is so important to support local businesses and food sources. We need to stop depending on all of the different species of people all over the world for our survival. We need to strive to be more like ants!

locally we can save the world

I felt that this weeks reading and last week readings had a lot in common. The main points in the readings was that buying locally foods and supplies will help out environment, ecological footprint and save us money. some key reasons to buy locally are Fewer or no chemicals to preserve the food, lower shipping costs using less fuels, Less packaging/ package waste, and it also Promotes/supports your community. buying local products does a lot of things for the environment even though it can cost a little more in the long run it is saving our economy money, but it is also a lot more beneficial on the planet with less machines, work, and gas to get you the same supplies you can get right in your backyard in your community. it depends how you look at things if you want to get things shipped in it might be cheaper and give you more quantity, but if you buy locally you know what you are getting and it is of better quality, it is your choice on which you would rather prefer but if you want to do more for yourself, community, and economically, than you should buy locally. This readings had made me better and more aware on how much just buying locally produce and building materials are really so much beneficial to you as a person knowing what you are getting an eating healthier foods with out hormones and pesticides all over and in it, but it is also a lot more beneficial for everyone cutting down on package materials, traveling materials, and not to mention the fuel needed to transport all of these supplies causing pollution and travel fees when I have access to purchase these things right in front of me. The readings have opened my eyes on how buy local products can make a big difference and how I'm going to be better at supporting and buying local products.