El Salto Biodiversity Case Study

John Soluri 's Banana Cultures: Agriculture, Consumption and Environmental Change in Honduras and the United States, (Which for spatial and repetitive purposes, I will refer to as Banana Cultures for the remainder of the paper), introduces the reader to a world of corporate greed, consumption, and environmental change using the history of the common, everyday fruit, the banana. He explores the various political occurrences, health problems, and changes in mass media through the rise of the consumption of the banana in the United States, and around the globe.

In Shreveport, LA, many residents suffer from respiratory issues that they believe are caused by the local refinery, Calumet (Moskowitz). Residents have suffered for generations losing family members to cancer that they believe is brought on by pollution that the refinery emits. Some residents suffer lesser but chronic health issues ranging from minor respiratory issues like asthma to blood clots in their lungs. “Calumet denies that its refinery is the cause of any of these health issues” (Moskowitz). Many chemicals that are released by refineries can cause respiratory problems, cancer, nerve damage, and in some cases even death. There is no absolute way to be sure that all health problems happening near Calumet are caused by the pollution that it emits, but it could be a contributing factor in worsening symptoms. A resident of Marrero, LA, a town south of Norco refining, stated that they could not leave their house due to excess levels of pollution triggering asthma attacks (Ludwig). Sulfur dioxide is a known chemical that can trigger asthma attacks, it is also one of the many harmful chemicals that can be released by refineries (Sturgis). Refineries will measure levels of emissions when there is a chemical spill, so they know almost exactly how much pollution they have emitted. Minor incidents are not always reported or are under reported, but they can have the same damaging effects on the environment and the overall health of the community (Sturgis). “LABB’s reports confirms what workers and residents have known for years-petrochemical companies to often skirt the laws for reporting serious incidents”

According to Pollan, “The industrial value of specialization… and mechanization wind up crowding out ecological values such as diversity, complexity, and symbiosis” (Pollan). Pollan emphasizes the harm technology has on the environment. In contrast, Romero/Shahriari states in their article that “chronic malnutrition in children had climbed in quinoa-growing areas, including Salinas de Garcí Mendoza, in recent years” (Romero/Shahriari), where they explain that the boost of the growth of quinoa through technology has actually caused those living there to not be able to afford quinoa, and therefore suffers malnutrition. In this aspect, Romero/Shahriari focuses more on the effect of technology on people rather than its effect on the environment. In this way, Pollan and Romero/Shahriari differs greatly in the focus and emphasis of the facts of the changes technology in food production has

We eat bananas almost every day; however, most of us do not really know where these fruits come from. In Banana Cultures, John Soluri focuses on the relationship between banana production in Honduras, especially in the North Coast between roughly 1870 and 1975, and banana consumption in the U. S.. He focuses on growing, protecting, transporting, and mass marketing of bananas. John Soluri integrates Agroecology, anthropology, political economy, and history in order to trace the symbolic growth of the banana industry. The author admits that his work is highly interdisciplinary, as a desirable trait in the academic world. The study incorporates a wide range of sources, including manuscript census data from Honduras, fruit company records, published scientific records, Honduran and U.S government correspondence, oral testimonies, and ephemera from U.S mass culture. Throughout his work, he combines elements of geography, biology, social history, foreign affairs, and environmental history. Soluri also looks at labor practices and worker’s lives, changing gender roles on the banana plantations, and the effects of pesticides in the Honduran environment and people. His central argument is that United States consumption of bananas causes major social, political, and environmental change in Honduras. In addition, he looks at the banana pathogens, the ways the United States treated these fungal diseases, and the terribly detrimental effects these new treatments had on the farmers on

Another factor is nose bleeds as they last for 3-4 days constantly in a row. As a majority of the gas is released into the atmosphere it chemically poisons the drinking water which has given especially young children (5-6) a metallic taste which led to them throwing up or vomiting as the taste is potentially very strong. The farmer had a child who would play happily all day but in some instances his legs would stop, limb and become numb. This approximately lasted for 2-20mins intervals. Other factors considering the emotions of residents are kidney failures, neuropathy as well as consistent headaches. Residents have reported that the emotional psychological wired spread has caused residents near the surrounding to face anger, anxiety, depression as well as even makes them

This company, the Frutas Y Hortalizas Organicas De Michoacan, grows organic avocadoes in Michoacan, the largest avocado-growing state in Mexico. The owners (The Tungui family) run the day-to-day logistics of the family business and are also active in a larger association of organic avocado growers. This method of organic farming was expensive and costly because the company lost 30% of its produce, but now the Frutas Y Hortalizas Organicas produces a higher quality and better tasting crop that is grown without any chemicals.

Toxins in the water contribute to problems of the river because of the many times back in the day when businesses dumped their waste into the river and till today isn’t not yet cleared. Another problem of the Chicago River is that the public has to interest and don’t take any access towards the river because the river is fenced and some people still remember the awful stinky smell and the black color. The purpose of this field trip was to go test the different chemicals that are in the water and the health of it and see what can be found in it. The field trip lets people know what kind of biodiversity is around the river or in the river to see and determine the health of the river to see what contributes to what the state the river is in

Environmental healthcare addresses all the chemical, physical and biological factors that are external to an individual as well as the related factors impacting behaviors. It is comprised of assessment and control of those environmental hazards that can potentially affect health leading to disease and medical conditions such as asthma and cancer (Knight, 2006). These environmental hazards such as chemical wastes have devastating effects on the quality of air, water and soil of regions affected. In my area, Orlando, Florida, there are various environmental hazards that have affected the quality of water, air and soil. According to various analysis carried out in Orlando, Florida on the quality of its air, water and soil, most of them have shown that the quality has been affected. In comparison of the recent analysis with those of past years, the quality of this matter has been

Often, toxic substances are being drained into the air, waterways, and undergrounds wells. According to the report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 60 million pounds of deadly chemicals are produced by industries in Florida. Notably, Florida’s water has been suffering mercury contamination until the state’s department of migration issues a circular regularly for regulations of eating freshwater fish in the region (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). In fact, such metals emanate from coal combustion’s emissions which run into water bodies. Not to mention, pesticides and herbicides utilized by government and homeowners pollute the environment (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Indeed, all chemicals released into the atmosphere find themselves in rivers.

This article relates to Week 3 Lecture about Physical and Social Environment, which describes the terrible smell, which is hydrogen sulfide has an indoor and outdoor pollutant. As an indoor pollutant, the smell enters people’s homes through their toilets. As an outdoor pollutant, sewers lines were poorly designed leading to the release of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide as an indoor and outdoor pollutant is detrimental to people’s health because people are exposed to the gas by breathing in the air from all areas. The article relates to the community level of the ecological model. In the article, the city installed carbon air filters and sealed the manhole covers as they continue to monitor the levels of sulfide in the air. This shows that the Plano officials are concerned about the effects of the hydrogen sulfide and the long-term effects it could have on people. The air can cause serious respiratory problems such as asthma and

This policy memo addresses the development and expansion of the cattle ranching industry in Brazil, which has contributed to the mass deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon in the last 40 years. It exposes the regional and global consequences to deforestation and provides strategies for the Brazilian government to sustainably manage cattle ranching industries while protecting the future of the Amazon. The rainforest ecosystem is an immense reserve of natural recourses that is far more valuable than the beef produced on Brazilian cattle ranches. Not only does the rainforest create habitat for up to 65% of the world’s biodiversity, but when harvested sustainably, it provides humans with an abundance of spices, foods, oils, medicines

The author of the book, “The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World” (2008), Dan Koeppel, who is a famous journalist describes in a fascinating way banana’s cultural importance, threats associated with the crops of banana in the future and banana’ history. Banana is a very delicious fruit and is eaten all over the world. Banana is one of the world’s fourth largest harvests in the world. Dole and Chiquita are eminent American based distributors and producers of banana. They are claiming to produce the banana on low price. In this book, Koeppel discusses the risks associated to the plantation of banana around the world. He also discusses the fact that due to blight, the plantation of banana is destroyed (Koeppel, 2008). He points out that the farmers and the producers have no insight at all regarding this matter (Koeppel, 2008).

The article explores how the Sulawesian people went from producing the food they needed to survive to planting cacao as a cash crop which they sold to survive (Li, 2014). After reading her article and listening to her lecture, I found that I had a greater appreciation and understanding for the production and availability of the food that I consume.

of air and water and it has left some residence with hearing problems and respiratory

Sulphur dioxide is identified to be toxic when it has be breathed in and may cause burns and irritations to the eyes and respiratory system due to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. It is concluded that about 99% of the sulphur dioxide in air comes from human sources and the main source is industrial activities. Sulphur dioxide is a choking gas and may trigger an asthma attack (even some hours after exposure). South Durban has several petrochemical refineries and chemical industries and with its topography of a basin- like shape. The structure aids with the accumulation of Sulphur dioxide in the air, resulting in and this has been an ongoing concern for South Durban since the 1980. There was no excess incidence of respiratory