The Effect Of Erosion On Our Earth

Link: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Effect-Of-Erosion-On-Our-Earth

Summary: This article is about how erosion is made worse by human use. For example, humans contribute to deforestation, allow cattle to overgraze, tillage and unmanaged construction or building of roads. With all of these factors soil is being eroded at a much faster rate then it can be reformed, causing the land to be unprotected and vulnerable. With the more soil and top soil gone, erosion has become a huge environmental issue around the world. For example, erosion is effecting the quantity of crops grown. Many are worried about the long terms effects of soil erosion mainly because if there isn't enough soil then there isn't enough food for everyone. This article is saying that people need to be more concerned and start preventing soil erosion.

Reflection: I think that soil erosion is a big deal and that people don't know about it enough to help prevent it. To help stop this problem, people have to be more carful in how they plow fields and where they let there animals graze. Also, in the lab that we did early this week, it tells about many things that farmers can do on there farms to prevent soil erosion. Cover crops seem to help the most. I hope that we can stop this problem before it gets even worse, that way in the future we won't run low on food.

Quote: Globally, the most serious consequence of erosion is the threat to long term sustainability of agricultural productivity.

Questions:

1.) Do you think that over the next 50 years people will have found a way to almost completely stop soil erosion? How?

2.) Do you think it is possible for laws to be put in place to regulate soil erosion? If so what types of laws?

3.) What ways can people everywhere help stop soil erosion?

Farmers Lean to Truce on Animals’ Close Quarters

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/us/12farm.html?partner=rss&emc=rss


Summary: This article refers to the ongoing debate over factory farming, and touches base on some states that are making laws that will eventually make factory farming illegal. Factory farming is when farmers use large-scale, intensive methods to have the highest, cheapest amount of eggs and meat produced. Ohio, the second largest egg producer in our nation, has agreed to stop using extreme cage methods by 2015. Michigan, Arizona, and Florida also have similar laws. People feel strongly about factory farming because they feel it is inhumane and wrong. However, considering 90% of our country's eggs are produced from chickens raised in cages, change may not be the best thing. The United Egg Producers, a national trade group, states that egg prices would rise by 25% if they were hatched by uncaged hens, which would be detrimental to school cafeterias and families alike. Additionally, the American Veal Association has agreed to abolish the close confinement of calves by 2017. Basically, factory farming is on the way to a much healthier and more ethical way of raising animals.


Quote: "...so-called factory farming — a staple of modern agriculture that is seen by critics as inhumane and a threat to the environment and health — is on the verge of significant change." 


Photo:

This is the living conditions of pigs who are bred in factory farms. 

Opinion/Reflection: After reading this article, I'm really happy that America is making a change in the way that animals are bred. Some of the facts in the article are mind blowing, such as the fact that 268,000 small white hens live in cages about the size of an open newspaper, six or seven to a cage, and that sows are now inseminated artificially. I don't understand how it was ever legal in the first place for the owners of these factory farms to treat these animals this way! It is absolutely heartbreaking. Although raising animals in a family farm setting is uncommon, and could possibly up the prices of meat and eggs, I feel very strongly that factory farming should be forever abolished. If people were aware of these awful statistics, I'm sure that they wouldn't mind paying an extra 25 cents for their groceries! 

Questions: 

1) What are your views on factory farming? Do you think it is inhumane, or just extremely efficient?

2) If you were to start a farm, would it be a factory farm or a family farm? Why?
3) If you could ever work at a factory farm, tending to the animals, would you do it? Or would it be too upsetting for you to see the animals in that kind of condition? 

Vaccines could help what's ailing fish

This is a catfish. Researchers at Mississipi State University tested a vaccine on these fish with positive results.

Scientists at the USDA have recently discovered a way to vaccinate fish against pathogens such as Streptococcus iniae and S. agalacticiae. Their motives for developing these vaccines are to promote international food safety. What they do is they modify the genetic makeup of the pathogens to make them not as dangerous and then use these pathogens to produce vaccines so they can expose the fish to low doses of the pathogen, with the hopes that they will develop immunity to it. These vaccines work the same way that human vaccines work, except that instead of injecting the fish with the vaccine, they are immersed in water that contains the vaccine.

In a trial performed by Mississippi State University, researchers used a vaccine intended to protect catfish from enteric septicemia. The results were positive, showing a 12% increase in the survival rate among this species.

I personally think this is pretty cool. I had never heard of vaccinating animals, well maybe domesticated pets, but fish? That's pretty neat. I am glad that these scientists have found a way to do this because it will definity improve our food safety. If we ingest fish that have some sort of disease, we could also possibly get sick.

1. These scientists are trying to come up with new methods or ways to vaccinate fish, besides immersing them in the water. What other ways might be possible?
2. Do you think eventually people will be vaccinating all of the animals we use as food? Will this be difficult?
3. Do you think these vaccines could possibly have a negitive effect? Explain.

http://esciencenews.com/articles/2010/10/22/vaccines.could.help.whats.ailing.fish

Mining the Sea-floor for Rare-Earth Minerals

Mining the Sea-floor for Rare Earth Minerals

This article is about the mining of minerals found on the bottom of the sea floor called manganese nodules. These minerals are rare, and highly valuable, and also very hard to obtain for the USA at the times. China controls about 95% of the Earth's supply of these minerals, which makes them even more rare for the USA. But, recently China has stopped their embargo to collect these minerals, which means it is a rush to get them for the USA. This could mean getting closer to China in the hunt for rare Earths.

My opinion is that it is a good thing China is done with the hunt, because it means we now have our chance. This will also give our country very rare metals. It is very important that the USA gets, and stays in front of China in this race. There will lots of money made with this, and the USA needs it.

1. Do you think this race is important? Why?

2. Do you think that the USA could make a lot of money with this?

3. How do you think the USA could better be spending their time?