Part One:
I think the first essay made me think the most because I was still trying to adjust to the style of writing Wendell was presenting for the audience. I found the fact that he laid out the complex information in steps or outline format to help the reader try to better understand the information being presented. I think that the first essay captures the impacts of 9/11 and how our culture and economy shifted from the moment the tragic event took place. We became more reliant on technology and military innovation because we believed that retaliation and protection of the citizens was necessary for America to survive. Berry goes on to point out the flaws of our total economy and how consumption and wanting ultimately drives our nation. He believes that change is necessary because it is common sense and morally correct to not kill the Earth and the life that has thrived for a long time. "Our economy needs to know--and care--what it is doing. This is revolutionary, of course, if you have a taste for revolution, but it is also a matter of common sense." He calls on people to stand up and overpower the current economic system in place because it is obviously corrupted and needs to be corrected if humanity is going to survive in future generations.
Part Two:
My research topic was the effects cow dairies has on pollution in our current economy.
"According to the EPA, a 2,000-cow dairy generates more than 240,000 pounds of manure daily or nearly 90 million pounds a year. The USDA estimates that the manure from 200 milking cows produces as much nitrogen as sewage from a community of 5,000 to 10,000 people. "
"According to the EPA, excess nutrients from agriculture, including chemical fertilizers and dairy manure, are a major source of water pollution across the US. "
I decided to choose this research topic because I found it to be one of the most interesting and overlooked ways that humans are able to pollute our wonderful world. Most people think of pollution by throwing trash outside, burning oil, or over using plastics/styrofoam, etc. but most people do not know the impacts that the dairy industry has from the close proximity and staggering numbers of cows on farms that lead to increased Nitrogen levels. I learned the cow manure directly impacts the area or farmland it is on by creating dead zones, too low of oxygen levels to survive on, and effects other places from manure runoff into water supplies and manure spills.
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| This image shows the news report of 100,000 gallons of manure leaking from a Wisconsin farm. 100,000 gallons! Let that soak in for a minute....that's a lot of manure. |
