Felons Receiving Organs
In class last week, we read an article about a convicted felon who had received an organ, and while this was happening, it talked about another patient in need of an organ who died because there were none available. I thought it was unnerving how an innocent and law abiding citizen died before a criminal. However, this article continued to state and assume things like criminals should never have access to organs, making the article extremely biased. If a patient can go on dialysis and survive, while the criminal would not be able to, obviously the organ should go to the criminal, especially since it is their moral right. When the situation is different, though, such as both will die if they don't get the organ, and after all other established priorities have been exhausted, and it could go either way, the organ should obviously go to the law abiding citizen. This topic is such a sketchy one though, that every single organ should be debated over and made a case for because there are so many variables that need to be taken into consideration before it's determined who can go on living.
Chimpanzees
Animal testing has been a heated debate for several years, and a recent decision by the National Institute of Health will be making their stand on the debate painfully obvious. By 2011, 186 practiced chimps will be brought back into labs for medical testing after a so-called ten year retirement.
Although several attempts by public figures, such as New Mexico governor Bill Richardson and primatologist Jane Goodall, have been made to rescue the chimps, with motives such as two investigations of criminal charges at the labs to back them up, their efforts have been unsuccessful thus far. Although several improvements have been made to the facilities, these improvements have been made with government funding, this funding will run out within the next two years. I think that animal testing is a horrible thought, but it is necessary for medical advancement. Cosmetic testing is completely different from medical testing, and cosmetic testing is completely unnecessary, as human beautification can be tested on humans. The fact that these chimps had already done what was asked of them, and then given a 10 year break to recover, before being brought right back in for medical testing is disturbing to me though. There should be a limit on animal testing when animal testing is necessary, because an indefinite amount of testing time may alter the results, and it is unfair to the chimpanzees.
HIV-Ted Talk
HIV is one of the most serious and dangerous viruses in the world, but new discoveries are made constantly yearly that lead to huge developments and breakthroughs with a solution to the virus. Nathan Wolfe talks about what he had discovered and the developments he and his team have made.
Wolfe focuses on the HIV spread in Africa and how it has spread from monkey to man over the years, starting in the late 1920s. Wolfe explains that because of bushmeat (the hunting of anything in the jungle) blood has entered into our bloodstream and spread throughout the world through sexual activity. New discoveries made by Wolfe, such as new viruses that have been discovered and thousands of new blood samples he has obtained, all helped contribute to his main objective, which was to monitor and try to prevent the spread of HIV throughout the world.
This article was very relieving to me in the sense that I thought HIV was a lost cause and there was nothing we could do about it. Now with this new research, we can make some progress in the cure of HIV, as well as preventing its spread from primate to human. I also think it is amazing that we can work with these African hunters, and try to find a solution to this problem that has devastated the lives of many.
Why Ecosystem Services Matter
Environmental disasters have always spurred peoples' concern momentarily, until something more important concerns them and they forget about everything in order to perform their next task. Disasters are not the only thing that should spur peoples' concern, and this concern should not be momentary. Things like global warming and air pollution have a long term affect on everybody and everything, and things should be done to progressively avert and prevent this disaster from happening in the first place.
A Scientific American Podcast acknowledges our planet's ecosystem services, or what we are able to use and take away from what nature offers. This podcast focused on how the enormous benefits that we can take out of these ecosystem services are being overlooked because they are not viewed as an economic benefit. Because of the lack of interest in these ecosystem services, disinterest turns into negligence, as economics expand and cause danger to the ecosystem; examples being the polluted air and water that was once clean and provided naturally by the ecosystem.
Because this planet is everything that we have, it is necessary that we take care of it, long term. Because we know what could happen if we do nothing to take care of our planet, we obviously need to change habits and behaviors quickly, because we are lucky enough to have this foresight. Habits such as leaving lights on at night or even being overindulgent only contribute to the slow decline of the ecosystem and even biosphere. We need to take advantages of the natural products and functions given to us from such an efficient producer. And just because you take the time to preserve the planet doesn't make you a hippie or a tree-hugger, just somebody investing long term into our only habitable life source.
A World Without Mosquitoes
Everybody hates the summertime pests that cause irritated skin. Mosquitoes are no doubt one of the least beneficial species in an ecosystem, at least to people, and have caused the question, "Why do mosquitoes even exist?" to come up numerous times. It is true that even scientists question these insects' importance in an ecosystem, and have conducted a study about the pros and cons of completely eradicating the pests.
Mosquitoes do serve important services in different ecosystems, but scientists have been weighing the possibilities of the ecosystems' abilities to survive without mosquitoes. For example, insect eating birds rely on the vast population of mosquitoes to sustain themselves, but if mosquitoes were eradicated, it is most likely that the birds could turn to other insects, especially an insect that would quickly become a notable population of insects because of the absence of the mosquitoes. However, in ecosystems such as the arctic, mosquitoes play a role in maintaining the stability of the ecology and patterns in the ecosystem. Mosquitoes are also important for spreading pathogenic microbes, which assists in population control of certain species, including humans. Nevertheless, entomologists such as Joe Conlon believe that ecosystems that slightly depend on mosquitoes would be able to move on and eventually be successfully independent of mosquitoes.
Personally, I'm not sure whether or not the world would be better of without mosquitoes because they do play important roles in certain ecosystems, and ecosystems' success is crucial to the sustainability of the collective biosphere. However, it would be nice to be rid of the annoying bumps and itches on my skin caused by the bugs, and if mosquitoes were eradicated, deaths due to malaria would drastically decrease. If it was guaranteed that ecosystems could recover from a missing link, and other species could take up the important roles mosquitoes play, it would be beneficial to eradicate the mosquito.
Selective Breeding
Genetics has always been an engaging topic, one of the main reasons being a result of the numerous debates involving the humanity of certain aspects of genetics, especially selective breeding. Selective breeding is when two organisms are bred so that a specific trait is passed off to the offspring, and with each generation, as these traits grow more and more dominant in the organism, it reaches a point at which one of its most defining characteristics is the trait is was specifically bred for. These allow for a much more efficient use of the trait the organism has been bred for. For example, Belgian Blue Cows were bred for the high percentage of meat, which makes for leaner cuts, and a lot more of them. Selective breeding is not to be confused with a genetically modified organism (GMO). GMOs are usually the product of either crossbreeding, the combination of two alike species, such as two different species of tomato plants; or taking the genes of two completely different organism, such as a gene that allows a certain type of fish to have a high resistance to freezing combined with a tomato plant, would create a tomato that can resist freezing at a much higher tolerance than a normal tomato plant. In instances like these, GMOs can be very beneficial, but there are some downfalls to both selective breeding and GMOs, which is what the article brings to light.
Selective breeding has gotten to a point, in some instances, that the breeding is affecting the organism negatively. Britain's Boiler Chickens, like the Belgian Blue Cows, are bred for consumer purposes. These chickens have become so increasingly large in such a short span of time that their hearts can no longer support their mass, so several chickens have undergone heart failure and lameness. GMOs, also have produced concerns as well. Not only is the fact that genes from one species are being crossed with one in a completely different domain worrisome to the public, but another concern involves the safety hazards associated with genetically modifying an organism. For example, several farmers have begun crossing natural insecticide genes into their crops, so the public is essentially consuming chemicals. It is true that several farms spray their crops with insecticides, but the difference is that this spray-on type does not last forever, and it can be washed off.
I think that GMOs should be more of a concern to the public than selective breeding. Selective breeding is essentially a natural process of reproduction, with the exception that the reproducers are selectively chosen, so it does not bother me as much as the possibility that I am consuming potentially harmful product. Genetic modification is a relatively new study, so essential knowledge such as what the safety affects of GM Products are, are still unknown. These safety hazards apply not only to the consuming population, but also the environment, because there is no way of stopping cross-pollination, resulting in the transfer of transgenes, which would have unknown ecological impacts. If Gregor Mendel were to understand these new methodologies, I think he would be fascinated, because he was a man who headed up the study of genetics, and made such terrific discoveries, that I think he would be intrigued at what kinds of leeway we were making today as a result of his scientific breakthroughs.
Chimpanzees
Animal testing has been a heated debate for several years, and a recent decision by the National Institute of Health will be making their stand on the debate painfully obvious. By 2011, 186 practiced chimps will be brought back into labs for medical testing after a so-called ten year retirement.
Although several attempts by public figures, such as New Mexico governor Bill Richardson and primatologist Jane Goodall, have been made to rescue the chimps, with motives such as two investigations of criminal charges at the labs to back them up, their efforts have been unsuccessful thus far. Although several improvements have been made to the facilities, these improvements have been made with government funding, this funding will run out within the next two years. I think that animal testing is a horrible thought, but it is necessary for medical advancement. Cosmetic testing is completely different from medical testing, and cosmetic testing is completely unnecessary, as human beautification can be tested on humans. The fact that these chimps had already done what was asked of them, and then given a 10 year break to recover, before being brought right back in for medical testing is disturbing to me though. There should be a limit on animal testing when animal testing is necessary, because an indefinite amount of testing time may alter the results, and it is unfair to the chimpanzees.
HIV-Ted Talk
HIV is one of the most serious and dangerous viruses in the world, but new discoveries are made constantly yearly that lead to huge developments and breakthroughs with a solution to the virus. Nathan Wolfe talks about what he had discovered and the developments he and his team have made.
Wolfe focuses on the HIV spread in Africa and how it has spread from monkey to man over the years, starting in the late 1920s. Wolfe explains that because of bushmeat (the hunting of anything in the jungle) blood has entered into our bloodstream and spread throughout the world through sexual activity. New discoveries made by Wolfe, such as new viruses that have been discovered and thousands of new blood samples he has obtained, all helped contribute to his main objective, which was to monitor and try to prevent the spread of HIV throughout the world.
This article was very relieving to me in the sense that I thought HIV was a lost cause and there was nothing we could do about it. Now with this new research, we can make some progress in the cure of HIV, as well as preventing its spread from primate to human. I also think it is amazing that we can work with these African hunters, and try to find a solution to this problem that has devastated the lives of many.
Why Ecosystem Services Matter
Environmental disasters have always spurred peoples' concern momentarily, until something more important concerns them and they forget about everything in order to perform their next task. Disasters are not the only thing that should spur peoples' concern, and this concern should not be momentary. Things like global warming and air pollution have a long term affect on everybody and everything, and things should be done to progressively avert and prevent this disaster from happening in the first place.
A Scientific American Podcast acknowledges our planet's ecosystem services, or what we are able to use and take away from what nature offers. This podcast focused on how the enormous benefits that we can take out of these ecosystem services are being overlooked because they are not viewed as an economic benefit. Because of the lack of interest in these ecosystem services, disinterest turns into negligence, as economics expand and cause danger to the ecosystem; examples being the polluted air and water that was once clean and provided naturally by the ecosystem.
Because this planet is everything that we have, it is necessary that we take care of it, long term. Because we know what could happen if we do nothing to take care of our planet, we obviously need to change habits and behaviors quickly, because we are lucky enough to have this foresight. Habits such as leaving lights on at night or even being overindulgent only contribute to the slow decline of the ecosystem and even biosphere. We need to take advantages of the natural products and functions given to us from such an efficient producer. And just because you take the time to preserve the planet doesn't make you a hippie or a tree-hugger, just somebody investing long term into our only habitable life source.
A World Without Mosquitoes
Everybody hates the summertime pests that cause irritated skin. Mosquitoes are no doubt one of the least beneficial species in an ecosystem, at least to people, and have caused the question, "Why do mosquitoes even exist?" to come up numerous times. It is true that even scientists question these insects' importance in an ecosystem, and have conducted a study about the pros and cons of completely eradicating the pests.
Mosquitoes do serve important services in different ecosystems, but scientists have been weighing the possibilities of the ecosystems' abilities to survive without mosquitoes. For example, insect eating birds rely on the vast population of mosquitoes to sustain themselves, but if mosquitoes were eradicated, it is most likely that the birds could turn to other insects, especially an insect that would quickly become a notable population of insects because of the absence of the mosquitoes. However, in ecosystems such as the arctic, mosquitoes play a role in maintaining the stability of the ecology and patterns in the ecosystem. Mosquitoes are also important for spreading pathogenic microbes, which assists in population control of certain species, including humans. Nevertheless, entomologists such as Joe Conlon believe that ecosystems that slightly depend on mosquitoes would be able to move on and eventually be successfully independent of mosquitoes.
Personally, I'm not sure whether or not the world would be better of without mosquitoes because they do play important roles in certain ecosystems, and ecosystems' success is crucial to the sustainability of the collective biosphere. However, it would be nice to be rid of the annoying bumps and itches on my skin caused by the bugs, and if mosquitoes were eradicated, deaths due to malaria would drastically decrease. If it was guaranteed that ecosystems could recover from a missing link, and other species could take up the important roles mosquitoes play, it would be beneficial to eradicate the mosquito.
Selective Breeding
Genetics has always been an engaging topic, one of the main reasons being a result of the numerous debates involving the humanity of certain aspects of genetics, especially selective breeding. Selective breeding is when two organisms are bred so that a specific trait is passed off to the offspring, and with each generation, as these traits grow more and more dominant in the organism, it reaches a point at which one of its most defining characteristics is the trait is was specifically bred for. These allow for a much more efficient use of the trait the organism has been bred for. For example, Belgian Blue Cows were bred for the high percentage of meat, which makes for leaner cuts, and a lot more of them. Selective breeding is not to be confused with a genetically modified organism (GMO). GMOs are usually the product of either crossbreeding, the combination of two alike species, such as two different species of tomato plants; or taking the genes of two completely different organism, such as a gene that allows a certain type of fish to have a high resistance to freezing combined with a tomato plant, would create a tomato that can resist freezing at a much higher tolerance than a normal tomato plant. In instances like these, GMOs can be very beneficial, but there are some downfalls to both selective breeding and GMOs, which is what the article brings to light.
Selective breeding has gotten to a point, in some instances, that the breeding is affecting the organism negatively. Britain's Boiler Chickens, like the Belgian Blue Cows, are bred for consumer purposes. These chickens have become so increasingly large in such a short span of time that their hearts can no longer support their mass, so several chickens have undergone heart failure and lameness. GMOs, also have produced concerns as well. Not only is the fact that genes from one species are being crossed with one in a completely different domain worrisome to the public, but another concern involves the safety hazards associated with genetically modifying an organism. For example, several farmers have begun crossing natural insecticide genes into their crops, so the public is essentially consuming chemicals. It is true that several farms spray their crops with insecticides, but the difference is that this spray-on type does not last forever, and it can be washed off.
I think that GMOs should be more of a concern to the public than selective breeding. Selective breeding is essentially a natural process of reproduction, with the exception that the reproducers are selectively chosen, so it does not bother me as much as the possibility that I am consuming potentially harmful product. Genetic modification is a relatively new study, so essential knowledge such as what the safety affects of GM Products are, are still unknown. These safety hazards apply not only to the consuming population, but also the environment, because there is no way of stopping cross-pollination, resulting in the transfer of transgenes, which would have unknown ecological impacts. If Gregor Mendel were to understand these new methodologies, I think he would be fascinated, because he was a man who headed up the study of genetics, and made such terrific discoveries, that I think he would be intrigued at what kinds of leeway we were making today as a result of his scientific breakthroughs.
