Great Bear Rainforest
The controversy over logging, and more specifically clearcutting, is not a new issue in America. Ever since the 1920's and 1930's, when this nation started to become conscious of conservation, citizens have weighed the consequences of logging. Critics have questioned whether the increase in jobs, tax dollars, and economic growth was worth the destruction of forest lands. Regardless of what they believe today, the logging industry had become so efficient that by the late 1980's nearly 100,000 acres of federal land had been clearcut since the industry began. Logging technology has advanced rapidly in terms of speed, to meet the increasing demands for lumber, paper, and other products derived from trees. This in turn has greatly impacted the environment by severely degrading watersheds, leading to increased soil erosion, the diminution in the quality of drinking water, and the decline of fish stocks, among many other consequences. In this essay I will examine the progression of logging equipment throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and discuss how these changes in technology have not only changed the relationship of those who work in the industry, but also haw this has changed the wider relationship of society and nature.
Before starting my research I thought there had been a progressive increase in the amount of land that had been clearcut. My reasoning for this was that logging machinery at the end of the 19th century was primitive compared to that of more recent times. As a result, it would have been difficult to compete with the output of today's industry. However, in the late 19th century there was a boom in the logging industry and thousands of acres of land across the nation were forested. Hist...
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...the improvement in machinery. However, if they were just based on technological improvements, there would not be a continual rise and fall in the logging industry. These periods of increased logging have drastic affects on the environment, today, just like one hundred years ago. More importantly, the growth in technology has led to the reduction of workers. In my opinion, it seems that now we are dealing with the big capitalist pull. Individual companies are buying these forests just to log. For the most part, they are the ones that are reaping the benefits, while destroying habitats for people and animals alike. Thereby changing the relationship of those who work in the industry and that of environmentally conscience society.
1 According to Foster, "harvesting is sustainable if the stimulated growth rate is equal to or greater than that of the existing forest."
These two sides of the issue bring about a major controversy in America today. Should the Pacific Northwest’s old growth forests and the welfare of the Northern Spotted Owl be sacrificed for America’s economy, and the jobs of the people in the logging industry? Which should be placed at a higher value, the forests in the Pacific Northwest and the northern spotted owl, or the American economy and the jobs and welfare of thousands and thousands of people?
Zielinski, E. (2012, April 25). The Northwest Forest Plan. Retrieved from U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/history/sidebars/ecosystems/Northwest_Forest_Plan.html
The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America- Paul E. Johnson & Sean Wilentz
When people see new construction or a recently paved road, they often do not realize the sacrifice that was made to create these luxuries. Most people pass some form of construction on the way to their jobs or school every day. This simple fact sparks questions regarding what this area looked like before it was inhabited by humans. Illinois forests have undergone drastic changes in the decades since European settlement. Only 31 % of the forest area present in 1820 exists today. (Iverson Pdf) Tearing down trees to build new structures isn’t bad if done in moderation, in some ways with time and good planning its wonderful. However, anyone that hunts or claims to be an outdoorsman will relate to the incomparable feeling experienced when alone in the woods and far from the hustle of the urbanized world.
The Industrial Revolution was not only a turning point in the progress of human history, but the start of a great change in the Earth’s environment. Technological advances in industry and mass migration into urban areas led to a rising demand for energy sources, a demand met by fossil fuels. Casper, J. (2010) describes coal as ‘symbolic of the beginning of the Industrial Revolution’, the increased combustion of these ‘dirty’ fossil fuels further polluted the air and enhanced the volume of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Changes in land use attributed to population rise, reduced the amount of photosynthesising biomass on Earth, diminished an important ‘carbon sink’ and concluded to enhance the Greenhouse Effect.
The Conservation movement was a driving force at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was a time during which Americans were coming to terms with their wasteful ways, and learning to conserve what they quickly realized to be limited resources. In the article from the Ladies’ Home Journal, the author points out that in times past, Americans took advantage of what they thought of as inexhaustible resources. For example, "if they wanted lumber for their houses, rails for their fences, fuel for their stoves, they would cut down half a forest at a time; and whatever they could not use or sell they would leave to rot on the ground. They never bothered their heads to inquire where more wood was coming from when this was gone" (33). The twentieth century opened with a vision towards the future, towards preserving the land that had previously been taken for granted. The Conservation movement came along around the same time as one of the first major waves of the feminist movement. With the two struggles going on: one for the freedom of nature and the other for the freedom of women, it stands to follow that they coincided. As homemakers, activists, and citizens of the United States of America, women have had an important role in Conservation.
There IS a connection between murderous beings, such as Ted Bundy and Charles Manson, and a common high school bully. Such characters share similar traits such as a lack of remorse/shame/guilt and changing themselves if they know it will help keep them from being found out. This is known as sociopathy. The connection between the two characters listed earlier, is that the root of their behavior stems from their childhood. More specifically, it stems from their upbringing. A child who suffers from maltreatment or neglect are two very common problems. There is even the opposite of neglect, a parent who praises and pushes their child to do their best, throughout their entire life, until the child finally snaps. How a young child is treated from the moment they are born to adulthood can immensely affect the kind of person they become. If signs of sociopathy are found early on enough in the child’s life, something can be done about it.
The NRA (National Rifle Association) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization; its goal is protecting the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights (“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”) by promoting firearm ownership rights and well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the opposition of legislative proposals for the control of firearms (About the NRA, National Rifle Association). Other goals include “promoting and encouraging rifle shooting on a scientific basis” by preparing youth programs for gun training, hunting, firearm competitions, as well as setting law enforcement training for new recruits (About the NRA, National Rifle Association). The NRA is effective in promoting and protecting the Second Amendment, by opposing restrictions on gun ownership, fighting for law-abiding citizens’ rights to own guns for defense, promoting safety in gun handling, and preserving and emphasizing the heritage of America’s gun culture from the Second Amendment.
...done its job protecting it even to today. The powerhouse that the NRA has become is the only interest group that has stood its ground on its beliefs and has never backed down from a challenge given to them by political opposition. The American people seek more of this from our government and this is what has allowed the NRA to become such a powerful group. They have taken blow after blow from the Democrats that have a hold on the government, but they have only grown and gathered more support! This shows that the NRA is not trying to hurt the people or the country, but is simply just standing up for the rights of the American people. Without them we would not be where we are today. Overall the NRA is a un bias group, that not only wishes to educate people about the laws we have today, but to promote them to stand up for their rights given to them by the constitution.
James, Henry. “Flaws in The Scarlet Letter.” Readings on The Scarlet Letter. Ed. Bruno Leone.
The National Rifle Association (NRA), recognized today as a major political force and as America's foremost defender of the Second Amendment, “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a Free State the Right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The NRA adheres to the belief that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of individuals to bear arms. Recent U.S. Supreme Court cases have confirmed those beliefs. In spite of whether one personally adheres to these interpretations of the amendment or not, the fact is there are over two hundred million guns in this country. Moreover, there are over seventy-five million firearm owners. In addition to the NRA’s political activity for second amendment rights, it has fulfilled a service, as since its inception, it had been the premier firearms education organization in the world by providing firearms safety and training.
Since there are two sides to every debate, the antithesis of this position views gun control as unnecessary. This view is strongly held by the National Rifle Association, a very powerful organization, which has nearly 3 million members and an annual budget of 88 million dollars. The NRA is highly effective in motivating thousands of gun owners into action against gun control legislation. Lobbying, advertisements, letter-writing campaigns, and contributions to political candidates who oppose gun control have been some of the establishment's most effective strategies in its fight against tighter firearms laws. Most members of the NRA believe that restricting firearms to prevent gun-rel...
The NRA has been around for more than 145 years and has never wavered in its beliefs and goals for society. The United States relies solely on the United States Constitution. The NRA has been defending these basic human rights since the late 1800s, but specifically the NRA has been a big part of US history with defending the important 2nd amendment, the right to bear arms. Three interesting things about the NRA is what is does for the community, their history, and NRAs stance on politics.
Rainforests once covered 14% of the worlds land surface, however now it only covers a mere 6%. It is estimated that all rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years. Trees are becoming more needed and used everyday. We need them cut down for many reasons such as paper and timber, while also needing them ‘untouched’ for other reasons like oxygen, we have to ask ourselves, which is more important? At the current rate, most of the rainforests are being cut down for resources like paper and timber, but less importance is being placed on main resources like oxygen.
They think that “the ambiguity of the amendment's text - in particular the controversy over the original meaning of the term "well-regulated militia," and the question of whether contemporary concerns justify an adaptation of its original meaning - has always been at the heart of the gun control debate in the United States.” after one hundred years of the ratification of the Second Amendment, the National Rifle Association (NRA) was founded by two Union officers who wished to promote rifle shooting. The NRA has been became the one of the biggest and most powerful non-governmental organizations in the United States. The NRA’s main works are protecting personal firearm rights and hunting rights, also promoting shooting as a sport, and sponsors educational programs on firearm safety. On other hand, the NRA is against most gun control