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http://www.nrdc.org/onearth/06spr/frontlines.asp
Picture- This insect is called a boll weevil. It is one of the many insects that infest cotten fields. There are more than 10 million across the United States.
Today, many American farmers overuse pesticides and
fertilizers. They are creating dead zones in the ocean. If dead zones increase,
then there will not be a place for aquatic creatures to live in the sea. These
chemicals also use up many of our fossil fuels, which we are in desperate need
of. Using fertilizer on plants also increases the number of bugs you attract.
If this is the case, is it even worth it? American farmers spend about $2.4
billion a year on pesticides and fertilizers, which is a huge waste of money.
In a study, it was proven that 18 times as many moth eggs were grown in a
fertilized ground other than an organic farm. Organic matter decreases
insect outbreaks by releasing nutrients at rates and in proportions that best
meet the plants' needs. It is hard for farmers to get funding to switch to
organic farming, but with the right kind of money it is possible.
Opinion/Reflection
I think organic farming is way more
useful to everyone. The food is just as good and it will be helping the earth.
We have to stop thinking about ourselves and start thinking about the big
picture. There is life at sea and we are killing all that life off when we do
not have to. I feel like it is just an on going process of using fertilizer and
then having too much bugs so you need pesticides and so on. There are also
alternatives. I know my mom uses compost instead of fertilizer and her plants
are still beautiful. If more people hear about this issue than I think more
farms will get the funding to start an organic farm. By creating organic farms,
we are just one step closer to repairing our world.
Questions:
1.)
What are some alternatives to fertilizers and pesticides?
2.) What other affects do you think fertilizers and pesticides have on the world?
2.) What other affects do you think fertilizers and pesticides have on the world?
3.) Do you think
there is a reason to keep fertilizers and pesticides?
4.) How do you
think we can get the word about the harm of pesticides and fertilizers?
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteCool article, Big Al! This totally ties in to what we are learning in class! I think scientists should come up with a better solution to keeping our lawns green and to keeping bugs out of our plants. Organic farms are doing all of the right things- au natural. Their products have no chemicals on them either, therefore being healthier for you. I relate this to last Saturday when my little brother, my mom and I went to Wegmans, and my little brother complained that he wanted the organic bananas because they “tasted better.” Hopefully, one day the whole nation will be eating organic foods. Also, dead zones are a huge issue. It is almost unthinkable to think that we as humans have actually created spots in the ocean where no wildlife can live. Just to think that we could cut down our fertilizer and pesticide usage and stop is issue is exciting!
2.) What other affects do you think fertilizers and pesticides have on the world?
In addition to creating dead zones and polluting our waters, pesticides and fertilizers pollute the air and obviously, kill bugs. The killing of the bugs might not seem like such a big issue, but by killing them we are probably destroying part of an ecosystem. The organisms that are eaten by bugs and the organisms that regularly feed on bugs are affected.
Opinion/Reflection:
ReplyDeleteI think the best thing about environmental science is learning both sides to every story. I always thought fertilizer was great, but I never knew how much they impact our oceans. Dead zones are really scary and we need to be aware of what we are doing to the world. I think a lot of people (including myself) are really uninformed about organic products and how much they can help. I agree with Perie that hopefully one day everyone will be eating organic foods, but in order to reach this goal society needs to be informed. I know that personally, I have only eaten organic ketchup (wasnt bad by the way). In the end people are going to need to decide what is more important to them, the appearance or our grass, or the stability of our oceans.
Do you think there is a reason to keep fertilizers and pesticides?
I DO NOT think we should get rid of fertilizers all together but i do think we should take the organic route. To me, there is no reason not to buy organic fertilizer it gets the same job done and is better for the environment. I found an article about how to go green and correctly use organic fertilizer. I think anyone who gardens should really do their research and go organic. Here's the link to the article i found: http://home.howstuffworks.com/lawn-garden/professional-landscaping/alternative-methods/green-up-your-landscaping4.htm
Opinion/Reflection:
ReplyDeleteOkay, maybe I'm missing something here. How does pesticides use INCREASE the amount of bugs you attract? I don't think I understand that. Anyway, I completely agree with this article. There's nothing wrong with decreasing or getting rid of the pesticides used un-necessarily on our plants and yards. I think that first, however, the prices for organic food have to be lowered dramatically. Lots of people now refuse to buy organic food just because it is more expensive. If the prices were lowered, then more and more farms would use less pesticides.
"Do you think there is a reason to keep pesticides and fertilizers?"
I won't deny that they aid farmers a lot when it comes to the ease of food production from bad areas fro farming, but the use of them can still be drastically lowered. If the land is naturally fertile and rich in nutrients, then don't use fertilizer. If there are no health-endangering bugs around, then don't use pesticides!
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteI never thought before environmental science that the fertilizer we put on our lawns would run off and effect water systems or animals. I was never a huge supporter of organic products because I thought that they were just more expensive than regular products. Now that I know what fertilizer can do (attract bugs, pollute water systems), i've really changed my mind. If we all supported a more organic lifestyle, we could reduce wastes. Along with Rachel and Perie, if we all changed to be more organic, the world would definitely better off. Yet again, we'd need to inform everyone and try to convince them the benefits outweigh any negatives. Having a healthy ocean is definitely more important than any grass or field.
How do you think we can get the word out about the harm of pesticides and fertilizers?
WE could all do simple things as in telling our families. Parents (especially mothers) can be chatty cathys (sorry mom!) and tell friends about issues such as fertilizers destroying our oceans. By spreading this by word of mouth, it could start a revolution. And what about the Kony 2012 video? How about we start a Fertilizers 2013?! Something like that could go as viral as the Kony video, and even though it could be short lived, at least people would be aware and possibly change their lifestyle.