From Fertile Waters

Sharpe

1/31/2017

From Fertile Waters:

This week chapter I had to read was chapter four (From Fertile Waters) within the book "Mountains of the Heart" by Scott Weidensaul.

Within the chapter, I learned what a rhododendron is. Prior to reading this chapter, I did not know what rhododendron are. I did a little research and I found out that it is actually a type of flower, well a family of flowers (Weidensaul, 81).

Rhododendron (state of Washington)

(Author: unknown)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Garden_with_Rhododendrons.JPG

Another interesting fact that I learned within this chapter of the book was about the health of rivers of within the Appalachian mountains. But this section involves around the improving health of these rivers from being devastated by mining operations within the Appalachian region of the United States. The author talked about how the river was basically dead of life in the 1970s, known as the Little Schuylkill River. Twenty years later, the author sees how wildlife had come back to the area as the water quality had improved. And another indicator of improved river quality is the new interest of humans within the region are travelling to this river (Weidensaul, 90-91). Giving hope that natural environments could improve after humans ended up destroying the region.

Little Schuylkill River Watershed

(Author: Karl Musser from the USGS)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schuylkillmap.png

The next major minor thing that I am not surprise about is invasive species. In this cause, Weidensaul talks about the Zebra Mussel. The Zebra Mussel is not only invasive in the Appalachian region of the United States, but increasing to the Great Lakes, all the way to California (Weidensaul, 99-100). One infamous case of the Zebra Mussel is actually at the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead in the American southwest. If it is left unchecked, it could clog the entrance pipes of the Hoover Dam, stopping the flow of water to the generators, stopping the generating of electricity.

Zebra Mussel

(Author is unknown, but is from USGS)

Photo Location: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dreissena_polymorpha3.jpg

Book Citation:

Weidensaul, S. (2016). Mountains of the Heart: A Natural History of the Appalachians. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing.

Supple Rock

Sharpe

1/24/2017

The Supple Rock:

The first issue that I have about the first chapter within the book called "Mountains of the Heart" by Weidensaul revolves around a comment about amphibians, "..... when the first amphibians were just deciding they liked dry land." The main issue I have with this is that you cannot place human thoughts, or feelings to another animal, or group of animals. We cannot simple determine the wellbeing of an animal, especially ones that lived hundreds of million of years ago. It is simply a lucky break for organisms to even able to transfer from an aquatic environment to land.

Eryops, believed to be the first amphibian to be on land.

(Drawing by: Dmitry Bogdanov)

Photo from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eryops1DB.jpg

The next point basically confuses me. "Not every New England notch is the direct result of glacial carving." The example that Weidensaul uses is Smugglers' Notch in Vermont. She claims that the notch was created by the process of glacial melting, instead of an actual glacial carving. Simply, the writer is contradicting herself by saying that it is not caused by glaciers, but it is caused by water that is from glaciers.

Quechee Gorge, Vermont

(Photo by: Tom Brosnahan)

Photo from: http://www.newenglandtravelplanner.com/go/vt/central_vt/woodstock/sights/gorge.html

It is also hard to believe that "life appears to have had an easier time dealing with the glacial maximum than with the balmy interglacial that followed." It is hard to believe that this actually happened. Main issue is that we need to take the human threat off of the planet in order to accurately predicting this. Especially since majority of animals in the modern society is going extinct because of human activity. But Weidensaul described several species of animal that is no longer on planet Earth. Some of these animals include species of mammoth/elephant, the saber-tooth tiger, and even the giant ground sloth.

Saber-Tooth Tiger

(Photo by: Unknown Author)

Photo Location: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smilodon#/media/File:Smilodon_fatalis.jpg

Ultima Thule

Sharpe

1/17/2017

Ultima Thule

Within the chapter called Ultima Thule within the book Mountains of the Heart discusses about the Belle Isle within eastern Canada. The island is considered to be part of the Appalachian Mountains of the within North America.

Location of Belle Isle.

Photo Retrieved from: (Atlas of the World)

http://www.robertsewell.ca/canadian.html

But within the chapter, it once again shows the human greed to take advantage of animals and other parts of the environment. One example was the Cod (type of fish) industry completely collapsed. It simply shows how humans just take the fish without really thinking about the consequences of their actions. Then once completed, they just go to the next type of fish.

Atlantic Cod

Photo Retrieved from: (Hans-Petter Field)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod

Then it goes into a species of bird, called the Eskimo Curlew. A species that was once plentiful, but is now on the verge of extinction due to human activities. The main activity that caused this was being shot by humans during their migration routes, mostly for easy meat for the human family.

Eskimo Curlew

Photo Retrieved from: (Archibald Thorburn)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_curlew

Then another issue that the author shows the reader an idea of a Polar Bear skeleton. Since the author uses just a skeleton instead of an actual animal roaming the island, it helps bring the idea to the reader that the species of the Polar Bears are obviously on the decline, and that it only seems to be  on the increase. And if we do nothing to help, the Polar Bears will surely go extinct.

Overall, humans are a very greedy race. We only care about ourselves, and that we no longer focuses on the Earth and in preserving the planet. The animals that are currently living on the planet has to suffer due to the actions of humans.

Triple Bottom Line

Sharpe

1/12/2017

Triple Bottom Line

By: Timothy Slaper

To be honest, I do not believe that the business program idea called the Triple Bottom Line is effective in businesses. Especially when the business crosses international boundaries. One example is from a quote from the text. Slaper writes that "the Triple Bottom Line is an accounting framework that incorporates three dimensions of performance: social, environmental, and financial" (Slaper, 4). It is safe to say that majority, if not all types of business are not interested in the safekeeping of the planet. The only thing that businesses really care for is the financial aspect of the Triple Bottom Line. Well, most to gain money rather than helping the economy. As for the environmental aspect, they only see dollar signs on the environment that the business can exploit. And finally, they use social issues by crossing international boundaries. Allowing to exploit the people of foreign nations, nations that have a lack of law protecting the people, to increase profits. Now the article goes into detail about calculations that the business have to do within economic, environmental, and social measures (Slaper, 5). Simply in my eyes, it is saying that the business is saying how much money I can get within my business, how much waste I am allowed to release in a region, and how to operate in countries that have a lack of laws protecting the people. The last major portion that I find interesting is the section that tells the reading of who actually uses the Triple Bottom Line. Which are regular businesses, nonprofits, and the government. The businesses and the government is not surprise. They are mostly using this method in order to solve a problem, and to find the cheapest way in solving it. For non-profits, I was surprised. Because non-profits are using businesses that are not interesting in gaining money. Which can actually help the environmental and social aspects of society. Overall, I believe that majority of the world is very greedy. We have lost our way from worshipping the environment around us to gaining wealth and power. And in order to do so, we destroy other lands, and willing to allow cultures to disappear. Leaving only a small group who actually is willing to protecting the environments around the world.