Plan B 4.0 (Preface/Chapter 1)

“The first trend of concern is population growth.” (Brown 5)

I believe that population is a problem we are all facing. With the added growth of population, the environment continues to suffer. More people equals more consumption, more erosion, and more irrigation problems. Certain areas of the world are becoming overly populated and we never choose to use these individuals as an asset for the environment, instead we hurt it more. With an increase in population also comes more automobiles, which pollutes the air. When I was younger, everyone rode their bike to school on Earth Day to try to make a statement and show how a small change can help pollution. Population growth is a large concern as more resources are being used to satisfy mankind and balance out the number of people.

https://www.populationmedia.org/2011/04/01/good-cartoon/

“As the number of failing states grows, dealing with various international crises becomes more difficult.” (Brown 23)  

I do not believe that international crises become more difficult with the increasing number of failing states. I think individuals or governments lacking peacefulness affects the way international troubles are worked out. If more people agreed on economic progress, the flow of raw materials, politics, and maintaining resources, then crises would be minimized. Failing states may not help the problem, but they are not the only thing tied to international difficulty. If more individuals agreed on finding a way to better their society then complication would be diminished. Cooperation is the key to dealing with obstacles that may stand in the way, and international crises can be subsided with this small idea.     

http://www.en.idpi.ba/

“One of the little noticed characteristics of land acquisitions is that they are also water acquisitions.” (Brown 11)

This statement is hard to comprehend because it’s tough to envision land acquisitions being directly related with water acquisitions. Why would water be a purchase characteristic of land? The only thing that may make sense is when you purchase a piece of land, you also get the water resources on that land. This would connect the two ideas and make them interchangeable. Some pieces of land may be irrigated with a river by it, or even fed by rain. For example, if you acquired land in Africa by the Congo River then that would be included with helping irrigation. This statement seems to be a little confusing and hard to understand how two separate acquisitions are characteristics of each other.

http://www.alwt.org/whatwedo/landacquisition.shtml

Biodiversity

“All life forms have an intrinsic worth and a right to evolve freely on their own terms.” (Shiva 40)

I could not agree more with this statement that every form of life should be able to live freely. Humans are species, just like all of the other living things in the world, and we evolve without being affected by other life forms. On the other hand, humans push species to extinction by manipulating their environment in some way. It is not right to alter evolution just because we are greedy and have no concern for the well-being of other living things. It is unethical and goes against the rights and duties theory that every living organism has a right to live. So, we are required to have a duty to protect that right and foster a secure home. 

http://cornwallfreenews.com/2012/04/earth-matters-by-jacqueline-milner-making-sustainable-choices-april-9-2012/

“This monoculture of the mind destroys biodiversity by blocking the perception of the multiple benefits and uses of biodiversity.” (Shiva 57)

I believe that monoculture of the mind doesn’t necessarily destroy the viewpoint of biodiversity. What is really destroying biodiversity is human interaction, and how we are uneducated about its benefits and uses. I think that the perception is ruined because each child is not learning how important biodiversity is to this world. Mankind continues to make the same mistakes and we build a wall of uneducated thoughts that restricts us from seeing the need for biodiversity. When I was a kid, I was not one-hundred percent educated on this subject, but I knew that we needed different species and a diverse world to stay productive. I disagree that monoculture of the mind is destroying the perception of biodiversity.   

 

http://www.publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-hub/environmental-studies/essay-on-the-importance-of-biodiversity/3194/

 

“During the past forty years, crop loss to insects alone has nearly doubled, despite a tenfold increase in the amount of pesticides applied.” (Shiva 47)

It is hard for me to comprehend this statement because if pesticides are being sprayed, then the amount of crop loss to insects should decrease. I am not sure if this is an effect from the growing uniformity of crops, but all signs could point to this as the culprit. The possibility of an increase in pests from the lack of diversity could be killing the crops. That means that not only are we spraying unhealthy pesticides, but we are also getting insects that are killing the crops no matter what. I have never really been around agriculture so I wouldn’t know the problems of having uniformity, but I definitely do not understand the increase of insects. Diversity does more than we can imagine, and this statement is a testament to that. 

https://www.tyrantfarms.com/the-new-american-yard-monoculture-grass-farm-or-organic-food-farm/

Silent Spring

“Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one species –man– acquired significant power to alter the nature of this world.” (Carson 153)

I couldn’t agree more with this statement, because humans are so powerful in today’s world that they can alter even the most beautiful form of scenery that we have. People alter nature by building on it, polluting it, and creating habitat modification. As a child, I had this forest near my neighborhood where my friends and I would play. It was a place where we all felt comfortable, and where our imagination could soar. Like humans always do though, it was torn down and built into a shopping center. Man has the power, but how he uses it is what matters most. We should be using our power for good and not for evil. Nature is a precious thing to waste and we are slowly but surely destroying every last bit of it.

http://www.seppo.net/cartoons/displayimage.php?pid=821

“For time is the essential ingredient; but in the modern world there is no time.” (Carson 154)

I think time is how each individual views it. The modern world may seem busy for some, but I have to disagree that there is no time. Most people feel stressed out and they think they have no time to do anything valuable for themselves. On the other hand, the individuals who care about relaxation and nature will feel like they have all the time in the world to reflect. If time is the essential ingredient then we should be using it to the fullest. I have felt like 24 hours in a day wasn’t enough for me to get stuff done, but then I make sure that I always give myself some time to unwind. There is definitely enough time in the modern world to appreciate God’s creation, and savor it.  

 

http://nuim.libguides.com/timechange

 

 

 

“Disease carrying insects become important where human beings are crowded together, especially under conditions where sanitation is poor, as in time of natural disaster or war or in situations of extreme poverty and deprivation.” (Carson 157)

 

It is hard for me to comprehend this statement because I would think that disease carrying insects would never be seen as important, especially where humans are. If there was a crowded area of people with poor sanitation then you would not want insects with diseases to be able to infect that many individuals. The only importance it may have is to bring attention to poor areas where deprivation is a problem. I have been around insects, and it is not the greatest thing. I can only imagine having disease carrying insects flying around and then trying to kill them off with dangerous chemicals. This statement is hard to understand because of the importance that it portrays.

 

 

http://practicalhorsemanmag.com/article/health-update-weather-changes-affecting-horse-health-hay-supply