Week 14, reflections on week 13 discussions

Crows offer clues to cognition

I like looking at this article just after reading about the dolphins and their amazing cognition.  I like how it compares the crows to a 7 year old child.  In our group we talked about how children in our society are coddled so that they aren't able to figure out simple life skills, but that a 3 year old child living in the jungle of Costa Rica might be as "smart" as the crow.  It is pretty neat that crows can solve problems in interesting ways.  I wonder if they could pass this information on to their offspring, as dolphins can.  I would like to know what age children dolphins are smarter than.  

week 14- Dolphins

   Couldn't agree more.  Dolphins are so cool, smart beautiful, playful, amazing, it is terrible to keep them confined for use in shows etc.  I love reading about all dolphins' amazing attributes.  It definitely makes me want to spend the rest of the night watching youtube videos about dolphins in the wild.  

   All I know is that sometimes when I am surfing, dolphins swim by, and sometimes they even surf in the waves, and it is out of this world amazing.  It is so cool to see them playing in the waves, and the energy they bring is palpable.  If the water is freezing, or I just got destroyed by a big set, and the dolphins swim by, my mood is lifted and my day is better.  

   And for this reason I agree that they should only be living in their natural habitat, interacting with their dolphin friends and family.  I love the author's passion about dolphins, but I can't help but think about all other animals.  Probably anyone who spent 25 years studying a particular species, and loved them, would be opposed to confining them for use in amusement parks and zoos.  Animals are always at their most awesome in nature.  But the author made a particularly good case for dolphins.

week 13- Earthworms Detoxify Pesticides at a high Cost

This article talks about the hardships faced by earthworms who live in pesticide treated, conventionally farmed soil, versus the healthy lifestyle enjoyed by those in organic fields.  However, it is cool that they have adapted to living in the contaminated soil, even if they have to fight harder to live there.  They have to use more energy and don't weigh as much as worms in organic soil, showing they are less well nourished.  They are using a lot of energy to detoxify themselves.  This is another example of why its so important to support the organic food movement .  I wonder if the worms processing the toxins, help to "clean" the soil, or if the toxins remain in the feces of the worms.  The article did not say.  But it makes me want to hit up the local farmers market!

the human species is living as if it had more than one planet to occupy…”

the human species is living as if it had more than one planet to occupy…” 

  Humans population growth rate is increasing at an alarming rate, we produce a tremendous amount of waste and require incredible amounts of resources.  Most people are not even aware that this is an issue.  People are pretty caught up in their lives, and don't think about trying to compost their waste or reuse a plastic bag.  I just heard someone say "10 cents for a bag? Thats the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"  Though she did not appreciate having to dig into the bottom of her Tori Burch purse to find a dime, I don't think she will remember to bring her reusable bag next time.    People are not educated or willing to change their daily lives to make any significant change to the world.  Maybe we are in a destructive cycle now, but the Earth will take care of itself.