Review of Reading 15: Feeding the World

I thought this chapter was very interesting. Since earth’s population is growing to the number of 6 billion, food and resource demands are also increasing. How are we going to feed all of these people? Resource depletion and environmental degradation are currently undergoing demands as well for this growing population. The sections in this chapter include discussions about: Society’s Four Transitional Stages, Evidence for Negative Population Growth, Future Food/Supply Demand Balance, Protecting the Environment, and The Challenges Ahead.

Society’s Four Transitional Stages:
The United Nations’ low/medium population projection suggests that food supply growth will continue to outpace food demand supply growth will continue to outpace food demand growth, resulting in continuing decline in real prices for farmers. (McKinney, 57). This section discussed the four transitions of societies based on demographics, economics, agricultural productivity, and technological advancements (technology). There are many different sides to each argument. If income growth and population growth slow down, food demands decrease as well.


Evidence for Negative Population Growth:
This section was difficult for me to understand since it deals with various countries' statistics. The United Nations' medium population projection of 2.1 children after 2040 is widely used as a demographic forecast, but it unrealistically assumes that this rate will be the same in both developed and developing countries. (McKinney, 56). We cannot base our future statistics on predictions based on past and present population rates. There are many variables that change such as population growth/decline that are not always predictable.


Future Food/Supply Demand Balance:
If population and income continue to grow at the same rate as they grow from 1995 to 2000, the demand for food will sharply outgrow future food supply. (McKinney, 57). This is a very scary thing to think about. Some differences have been made. Many statistics show that birthrates are decreasing causing more available resources. What about the families that aren't decreasing family size? Do they know that our resources are limited?

Protecting the Environment:
This section describes the consequences of population growth. I thought that it was mind blowing that population growth leads to land clearing leads to streams being polluted and lower quality air. Education may promote the awareness of the environment possibly changing the behaviors of people. Forests are continually being cut down for the resources it provides. Something that a lot of people don't realize is that this affects the species living within the environment as well.

The Challenges Ahead:
I interpreted this section to be based on balance. If you balance population, the resources provided, and the food supply, it will work more efficiently. If one of the aspects such as population, the whole equation falls to pieces. Other things to keep in mind are trading, food businesses, and agriculture. The book explains that agricultural trade in a mature society remains high to supply the diversity of food products demanded by high-income consumers.


Christen's Views:
I thought this section was a little difficult to understand, but realize that we are about to face challenges is we don't readjust our behaviors. I think that with some education on the topic, people will have a better understanding of everyday choices that are overlooked. When planning families, people may consider these facts and readjust their decisions.

Terms:
Demographics-
Economics
Agricultural productivity
Technological Advancements (technology)
Developed Countries
Developing Countries

Documentary Review: "The Inconvenient Truth"

Over the past couple weeks we've had the opportunity to watch a documentary of Al Gore's most famous work; "The Inconvenient Truth." Al Gore has traveled to many countries telling about his story. He is very passionate about making the changes that are crucial to our environment. Our survival is like a ticking time bomb if we don't take action and make some changes. Some people believe that this is proposal is a complete hoax. They don't think that we're the cause of all the high levels of carbon dioxide which is a false interpretation. Al Gore taught this lesson to us in a personable way. He made jokes and made the documentary entertaining to watch. I know that it made an impact on the whole class. I am the first group to discuss a documentary, so wish me luck, here it goes..

Gore's Beliefs:

He believes that in 50-70 years, the glaciers will be completely melted which will affect our clean water supply, aquatic life, and much more. Since an increase in temperature heats the water surrounding the glaciers, glaciers begin to melt. You can actually see the effects we've made on glaciers. Al Gore showed pictures of glaciers from 20 years ago and compared the exact same glaciers in present day. You can actually see how the glaciers have retreated each year.We are taking our beautiful environment for granted. So many changes in the environment have already taken place, what's going to be the result of our habits in 20 more years? This makes it impossible for polar bears to swim causing them to drown. We are the reason they're becoming endanged species. A really neat device that caught everyone's eye was how they determined the carbon level from the ice fragments. I couldn't believe how that was even possible.


Weather becomes more intense due to the increase in water temperatures. Stronger storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes have been the result of our careless actions. That's when it hit me, were we responsible for Hurricane Katrina? All the lives lost, the devestation to the community, and the homes ruined due to our lack of education and lifestyle.

Why Haven't We Changed?:
Something that really upsets me is the car industry. Why haven't car industries created more fuel efficient vehicles for us to travel in. It all comes down to money. Just like Al Gore said,"Old Habits + Old Technology = Consequences." If we could change the habits of the people and improve technology, we could find a solution to these problems. Currently, the United States is the largest contributer in our high levels of carbon. Al Gore actually had to ride a device that raised him to the level of carbon dioxide we are emitting into the atmosphere. It is at it's highest level it has ever been which is almost off the charts. Currently the United States and Australia are the only two countries in the world who have not adopted the Keyoto Protocol. Since we are the highest contributers, there is no reason why we should not be a part of this potential solution. We are becoming obsessed with war and terrorists than our own actions. New York City could be under water due to the melting of glaciers. China faces the same issues we're dealing with. Al Gore has gone overseas to discuss these issues. Al Gore is determined to come up with a solution. What if Al Gore won the presidency? Would we still be in this predicament that we're facing today? I hope that President Barack Obama will have the solutions we need to ensure our environments' safety.

Christen's Final Thoughts
We have been warned! We know everything we need to know! Effective electricity methods, lower mileage vehicles, and renewable technology are just a few ways to reduce our problems. The solutions are in our hands, we just have to go through with it. We can no longer make excuses of not being educated anymore. Al Gore gave us all the information we need to implement a program. If we can put men on the moon and contribute in war, we sure can take part in saving the environment. Towards the end of the film, he showed a cartoon display of a frog in a boiling pot of water. The frog was comfortable in the warm water until the temperature began to rise. He immediately jumped out as the water began to boil. This represents us in that we won't do anything until it's too late. We don't want to be like the frog and miss our chance to avoid all these horrific events coming our way.

Please learn from this proposal and be the first to make a change. Tell your friends and family about ways to reduce pollution and to conserve. We can make the change!It's not too late

Welcome to Christens Environmental Health

Hello everyone! I am glad you are interested in my blog. I am going to discuss what I've learned in Environmental Health this semester and also show you neat features and activities that you may take part in. Have fun and post a comment if you wish!

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The Five Possible Types of Posts:

The 5 Posts:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Reviews
5. Share and Voice