New Orleans: Post Katrina

After watching part of Professor Svensen's film on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the current systems that are bringing relief, it more than opened by eyes. He talked with many young environmental activists, politicians and leaders who are all wrorking towards the rebuilding and rehabitatation of the lower 9th ward. The solutions were varying and provided both positive and negative impacts as a result of insuring such programs for relief. Especially the young activist that was interviewed seemed to be creating this area of new orleans the in her own vision. She does not reflect upon the communities and the people who once cohabitated there and the social cutlure that existed. These people did not live on stilted homes, they did not have homes that were surrounded by gradens and art made by vegetation. There are many resolutions to the problems of how to rebuild the areas that were most effected. It is hard to establish in what way would have the least effect on the people who once lived there. It is also a challenge to establish how to get the people who abandoned the area to come back and rebuild the 9th ward.

Meeting the Needs of the Present without Compromising the Future...

Sustainable Development(Highlights)
Uploaded by OneWorldTV

The title of this blog post is what the Brundtland Commission sees as the definition of sustainable development. That we are advancing and developing out technological world, without effecting the next generations to come. I do not believe we are abiding by this at all! We can see all of the topics from the beginning of this course and it is simple to come to the conclusion that we are not participating in sustainable development. From the pollution created through hog farming, climate change issues that have increased drastically over the last 50 years, issues of sustainable living in third world countries and the exploitation of the native Indians. When i think of all the effects technology has had on our environment, it clear we are destroying ourselves and headed on a path of self destruction.
There are many advances in the area of sustainable development, which is a small start to a large global issue.
Solar Power: has become one of the leading forms of sustainable development as we can take the natural rays of the run and convert it into usable energy for cars and homes.




Wind Turbine: A new form of energy creation, where natural wind allows the development of energy for everyday life







These two examples are just some of the forms of sustainable development that we need to consider in order to make sure we leave the next generation with something they can survive on.

What about the Natives?

When Alex came into guest speak last Thursday, regarding the rights to land and resources of the Native people in Ontario, it was a wake up call. I had heard about the struggles that most aboriginals had with the Canadian government in trying to claim what was theirs. But, I did not know the extent to which race and culture played an important role. He made a point that when the 6 Nations Native's moved locations due to a rise in water levels, that the new location did not suffice what they originally had. They were put onto land that did not give them space to grow crops, hunt and live according to their cultural right. They were put into semidetached type 'row homes', totally disconnecting them from the origins of their ancestors. It has created much uproar in the communities both in southern and northern Ontario. When he discussed his experiences in the blockaide in the Ojebewa tribe of the grassy narrows, i was shocked at some of the facts and experience he put forward. He claimed having been dressed fully in black, with a mask even covering his face to make it seem he was of indian decent. This allowed for police to leave him alone, as they have this stereotypical notion that 'indians come in large numbers.' Through this society has created a negative connotation about what Indians are fighting for and what they represent. Not to mention their cultural ties to the land and the resources that reside on their reserves. By taking their trees, and valuable resources these developers are, 'raping their mother' as Alex put it. They are simply trying to reclaim the land that once theirs, and to ask developers to not use their resources to better the rest of society. This is a fair argument in my eyes, it just seems that the media has chosen to make them look like enemies to modern world of technologies.

Unsustainable living...for whom does it apply?

In the presentation from last class, the issues of clean drinking water became the main topic for discussion in regards to countries such as India and Africa. When corporations are coming into these regions and depleting their water sources and eliminating some of them all together, we begin to wonder how they are doing this? Who has the right to prevent a resource that everyone has an equal right to, such as water? That is what I feel is the main argument in this water crisis and the unsustainable living it produces.
No one in my opinion should have the right to OWN water, who is to say that water is theirs and they can prevent millions of people from drinkable water in order to better their company and spread their markets. Companies like Coke, which were referred to in the film from class, have taken this exploitation method of creating their product. Water is taken from villages in India and replaced with unsanitary and undrinkable water for the rest of the community. Fresh water that used to be available is now used in creating coke products in factories across India.
There need to tighter regulation across boarders, which make it illegal to exploit such people in their attempt to live healthy life. Water is a necessity and these communities are being deprived of their right to a sustainable life. These issues would never arise in the developed world, as we have the power to create sustainable lives and adequate access to life resources. So why does this happen in other parts of the world? Just because we are not seeing the effects of our own corporations on other nations, why does this make it alright?
The new solar water filters implemented in parts of India was a smart and successful idea in the aim for a solution. There are other solutions like the life straw and other nations need to catch on to this! and soon!

Climate Change...Believe it or Not?!

In the twenty first century we are being ambushed with this notion of climate change, that humans are destroying the earth at a rapid pace. We know all the facts and the many solutions pitched at us from companies and leaders. But you really start to wonder how much is truely being done and what is really causing this climate change of the world. Should we trust the scientists that have been hired by companies to save their 'asses', to make them look like they are not guilty of any greenhouse gas emissions?
It is hard to honestly come to a conclusion about what this issue really is and how big of an impact it will really have on us in the future. We can deal with now and I think thats where people need to wake up and realize that we CAN help the now, and we should not dwell on what we HAVE done in the past.
In our seminar we showed the video An inconvenient Truth by Al Gore, which shows the effort of the united states in stepping up to the plate. You can question his stats and wonder how much truth he actaully speaks, but the effects are visible and undenyiable. There is an issue with climate change and looking to the state of the arctic just north of Canada, we can see visual evidence. The meltlig of glaciers is not only causing harm to the animals like polar bears which rely on ice caps for rest, but the basic waming of the north causes concern for further warming of the south. If most of the southern states have temperatures almost unabreable fo rhumans, what will happen in the next 50 years when temperatuers are so high we cannot go outside inthe direct sunlight anymore?

Environments, animals, humans....are we next?!

Hog Farming Article! Check it out!
It is clear that hog farming is surpassed in terms of targeting it as one of the most environmentally problematic industries. When the waste of one hog farm is distributed in lakes, streams and air, it produces as much waste as a small city. Most of us look too the larger corporations that emit carbon pollution to the cause of our issues. When in fact, looking at hog farming we can see that the effects are not as visible to the average citizen, therefore we ignore it. If we visited the lakes, streams and people who are affected by these hog farm byproducts, it would be apparent that this industry has created more damage to society than good.

There is no stopping these industry's, as the larger corporations own them and manage to escape the questionable actions taken against them. If we have taken our own animals and created an industry where we exploit both them and the environment in which we live, what is next? Will we be turning to human's next to fulfill this over need for consumption?

If we turn to human's next, how will we exploit each other? As Karl Marx proposed in his ideology of the world as a consumer, we will eat each other up and destroy ourselves before we stop consumption all together. This notion of destroying each other is a terrifying one and a way of looking at society that is not far off from the path we are headed in.

Private Corporation: Anyting But A 'Natural Person'

The corporations of today are the leaders or controlling powers of the ideologies within society and culture. Predominately we see this in the first world countries such as Canada and the United States. In Elizabeth Campbell's article Corporate Power: The role of the global media in shaping what we know about the environment, it is stated that the United States Supreme Court added the ruling that the private corporation is a 'natural person' (71). This notion of multinational corporations having the same rights, freedoms of speech and influences on society as that of a common citizen of the country is appalling.

When it comes to issues of the environment, there are advertisements and commercials thrown at us on a daily basis as to how corporations are doing their part to support the environment. This allows these powered individuals the ability to manipulate the public and create a positive image for their companies. With reference to the current economic situation, we see the government handing out money to several automobile corporations in hopes to boost their sector. Not publicized, are the effects of what will come out of a reemergence of more cars being produced and how it will effect the environment. Since these corporations control most central news stations and papers, they can eliminate any negative publicity that will reflect poorly on their corporation. This is how these corporations over use the freedom of speech and influence on society to gain what they want. They claim to be using their power to improve the environmental state of the world, when in fact they are hiding some of leading causes for the effects we are witnessing today. Can the government really deem the corporation as being a "natural person"? What makes the environmental situation we face today any more under control when we are not told the truth? Does anyone else feel like this issue of environmental downfall is being turned into a marketing and advertising frenzy?
The presentation touched on this notion of the corporate having the same rights as the citizen. Is this right? Should we be giving them as much power as they hold? Is there any way to stop them, or will they continue to use issues such as climate change to their advertising and marketing towards their money making strategies?

Imperialism: The Risk Society

The era of 'late modernity' in the late 20th century, produced concern for the overwhelming amount of harmful chemicals and processes that were effecting the environment. This era was what Ulrich Beck named the 'risk society,' the notion that we are willing to gamble with the nature of society. Not only does this society take a risk with the environment but with the people as well. David Pellow states that in '2000 the majority of persons in neighborhoods hosting hazardous facilities are people of colour..." This notion of inequality among the individuals of society is reflected in 'risks' we take everyday. When Simon came into class as a guest speaker, he touched on much of the same issues regarding the notion of exploitation and risk society. He refers back to the views of Marx and the capitalist ideals. Consumption, production and waste are created on the grounds of bettering those in a position of power. He discussed how roses are grown in India upon vast lands, so they can be exported for much cheaper to developed nations. These individuals in India are exploited and work for less money, while expecting little out of their hard work. Not only are the people being exhausted of their natural abilities but the land is as well. Using dry areas of India to grow roses makes it impossible for the land to rejuvenate itself in terms of a source of nutrients and water. This idea of a risk society, which emerged out of capitalism, has created much of the concern for inequality seen in individuals and the environment. Is there any point in the near future that the state will come to realize the negative consequences of their actions? Is it too late?