Nature --> Extra credit

Nature – The Human Epoch

Human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.  Anthropocene is connected with the greenhouse gas created by human activities. Crutzen, a chemist at the Max Plank Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, discovered how humans can damage the ozone layer.   Crutzen proposed the term Anthropocence and claimed that humans already made a hole in ozone layer, humans had double the amount of methane in the atmosphere, and driven up carbon dioxide 30%.    He chose the Industrial Revolution as the start point.    Other researchers, for example, Finney, a stratigraphic Palaeontologist at California State University in Long Beach,  claimed “ the sediments  of the deep sea for the past 70 years would be thinner than 1 millimetre.”  However, as Simon Lewis defines Anthropocene in four parts which includes human impacts, history of time of when modern human societies live within the debates, when human activity left global markers, importance to the geological epoch, and advantages and disadvantages of global markets that might  define the beginning of Anthropocene.  The first impact of humans on the environment was during the Pleistocene time when humans started to use fire.   Additionally, impacts of agriculture also impacted the environment.  Many researchers, such as Crutzen, conclude that the Industrial Revolution was the beginning of Anthropocene.  As the human population increased, so did the pollutants.  Finally, all this human activities have impacted Earth’s functioning as indicated with fossil megafauna dated back 50,000-10,000 yr BP until the present with the persistent industrial chemicals still present in our society.

            I believe that humans have dramatically changed the face of Earth.  However, humans continue to pollute our soil with pesticides, herbicides, large landfills, and nuclear waste from nuclear reactors.  Humans pollute our water from fertilizer run off and oil spills damage our entire ecosystems.   Humans pollute our air burning of fossil fuels and toxic gases from factories.  But, humans must act to make positive change to help our environment such as using renewable energy sources, use technology to reduce pollution, cleaning waterways, controlling wildfires, etc.  Certainly, all of us need to support positive change individually to help our environment, such as carpooling, take short showers to 5 minutes, saving electricity, recycle, reduce, and reuse.

Blog #19

                                    The Global Environment Transformed

            Human impact on the environment in the twentieth century was affected by three circumstances.  The first was human population growth due to the revolution of medicine and sanitation advances that lowered the death rates.  Additionally, Green technology in genetically modified seeds and fertilizers increased world food suppliers.   Secondly, with coal and oil, hydroelectricity, natural gas, and nuclear power added to the energy resources available to us.  Thirdly,  through science and technology, economic growth occurred through  goods and services.  Furthermore, these three circumstances contributed to humans remaking of the ecosystem.  The global spread of modern industry contributed to the vast amount of air pollution that unknown chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons which protects the earth from excessive ultraviolet radiation.  Eventually this transformation leads to global warming by the twentieth century due to the increase of burning fossil fuels and carbon dioxide.

            Today, I try to do my part in reducing, rescuing, and recycling products every day to reduce the demand for fossil fuels.  I don’t have air conditioning nor do I every use our heater even in the winter because I live in warm California.   I do use fluorescent light bulbs.  I try to walk or take the bus.  I use as less electricity as possible, along with saving water.  I recycle water that I use to wash my vegetables and fruits.   Meanwhile, I hope other individuals depend less on fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming.  

Blog #18

                        The Case of India:   Ending British Rule

Nationalists rose by the Indians in Britain, when all-Indian National Congress (INC) was established in 1885.    This organization after World War I attracted many Indian supporters.   However, in 1917, the British’s proposed commitment that the gradual development of self-governing institutions would allow Indians to have political change.  Noteworthy, Mahatma Gandhi arrived after the influenza epidemic and many transformations began.    He began lying groundwork for a mass anti-war, pro-independence movement for the Indians.   Gandhi believed that violence in resisting criminal acts was acceptable, although he believed that non-violence approaches would remain with his followers. Gandhi rejected modern industrialization and not everyone accepted Gandhi’s ideas.  The Hindus and the Muslims struggled in their religious terms for their country.  The Hindus and the Muslims had two different religious philosophies, social customs, and literatures.   Thus,  this  built the formation of Pakistan and its’ leader, Muhammad Al Jinnah making Pakistan predominantly Muslims.   The British left India after World War II.  India then became independent in two countries, a Muslim Pakistan, and a Hindu India.  This division  of Pakistan and India lead to violence and a year after India’s independence, Gandhi was assassinated by a Hindu extremist.  

I concur that the Hindu and Muslim have been in conflict in India for hundred of years.   Right now, Islam and Hinduism are the main religions in India.  Historically, India and Pakistan have fought three wars with each other.   I believe that the mistrust feelings of the Muslims with the Hindus and visa versa will never be reconciled.  Each group continues for a power struggle in India.   Today, controversies still exists today especially for the Muslims living in India who are excluded for education.   Since Pakistan has a Muslim majority, and India has a Hindus majority, I believe that their differences will probably escalate and their relationship will continue to have direct conflicts.  The war between them might result in a nuclear war.

Blog #17

                                    Labor and Property

5.  Property Ownership in Modern Society:  Rights and Responsibilities

            St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings described the requirements of the common good of private property.  Additionally,  the Catholic teachings with Pope Paul VI identifying  how the wealthy owners of property in Latin America hurt the poor where some laborers left their plantation uncultivated for a period and some laborers were close to starvation.  However, by the 1960s, social conditions changed and popes have modified the teaching to reflect new challenges.  Pope John XXIII identifies the government efforts to exercise social responsibility called socialization. Pope John Paul II introduced limitation upon private property.  The fundamental nature of property ownership challenges have many assumptions about the relationship between people and goods and that people should not use property in ways that would harm the less fortunate.

           

6.  The Dignity of work, Rights of Workers, and Support for Labor Unions

            Leo XIII and John Paul II held the ideal of worker’s justice that  applied to the conditions that faced workers in the actual workplace and in the labor markets.  Some labor unions were associated with corruption, favoritism, and violent strikes.  Labor Unions drove up the cost of doing business and sacrificed the competitiveness of industries due to wage demands.  However, union-free workplaces were involved with deplorable working conditions and exploited workers.   The Catholic social teachings supported the labor unions. The Catholic social teachings identified that organized labor unions were part of obtaining justice so that workers would not be powerless to employers who can take advantage of them. However, the Catholic social teachings were aware of the problems that people faced in their jobs.  John Paul II, “Laborem Exercens,” emphasizes the “priority of labor over capital.”  Finally private property represents the wages that one had the right to earn and that individuals needed private property to served themselves and their family.

            I affirm that the private property guidelines had tried to maintain the respect and dignity of the people in the workplace historically.   I endorse all Popes that hold peace, the social well-being and development, and respect of the common good.  I affirm that work unites people in that social order still continues to struggle today due to controversial opposition.  Finally, I warrant that labor union today remains a method of social order in the workplace.

Blog #16

Maurice Hindus – Red Bread 1931

            Russian born journalist, Maurice Hindus’ describes his return to a Russian village 1929-1930.  He tells his personal peasant neighbors’ responses, the disparity that existed during  Joseph Stalin’s rule.   He describes how Stalin’s kollhozy or collective farms in the Soviet Union, changed the peasants’ lives during the time Stalin ruled Soviet Union for two decades.   Stalin wanted to modernize agriculture that led to having the peasants forced to join collective farms.   If these peasants resisted, they would be sent to prison camps.   Harsh measures including land confiscations, arrests, and deportations to prison camps were inflicted upon al peasants.  Many of these peasants objected violently and they had to leave their private farms.   These peasants had to even slaughter their own livestock and destroyed their farming equipment.   Stalin wanted to destroy the kulaks.  The kulaks opposed communism and were left homeless without anything.   During this time, it was forbidden by law for anyone to aid Kulak families.  Many families perished when they were deported in unbearable living conditions.   Hindus talked further about the social cost and personal suffering.  Thus, the hatred toward the Soviet regime remained intense.   In the end, this might of lead to more efficient farming and increased production; however, many people died in Stalin’s rule and terror.

I conceive that this type of propaganda was a campaign for Stalin’s communist power.   I consider that Stalin’s unyielding cruelness, intimidation, and horror simply did not justify the millions of people who died for his cause.   I admit that Stalin’s reign of terror to modernize Russia, caused people to die from famine, and eventually destroyed the Kulaks.  Finally, I accredit Russia monopoly of power continued even after Stalin’s death as we all know when Hitler arrived and replaced another reign of terror into Ukraine.