Jun 8 2012: I agree with you on both fronts, but don't a lot of zoos' breeding programs just lead to the animals staying in captivity instead of being released?
Jun 8 2012: Zoos do a fantastic job of educating and exposing the public to species that would have otherwise remained a mystery. There are already breeding programs that are being implemented by zoos to help with the number of animals within the zoo, the pandas or hippos for example. I think that the zoos should continue to do what they are doing since that has proven to be very effective and leads to several people wanting to become zoologists or involved with conserving animals.
Jun 8 2012: Your idea is great and has already been incorporated into elementary curriculum. My internship this term consisted of going to elementary schools in Lane county and teaching classes about how to be more sustainable in terms of energy use and how each energy worked. The kids were all very informed on the issues and eager to learn more about them. Not to mention that the schools themselves have made a huge push towards being more sustainable in any way they can.
Jun 8 2012: I like that you bring up all of the sources for ideas on how to be sustainable and that we need to make it trendy. I think that if we made being sustainable more accessible and easier for the everyday person that it would go a long way to encouraging people to change their lifestyles. Even the implementation of a few Natural Capitalistic views would slightly change our actions while still creating a significant shift towards sustainability. The environmental movement also needs to present a more united front so that the infighting does not deter potential supporters and give the media a way to delegitimize impact science.
May 23 2012: The debate around legalizing cannabis is a heated one, to say the least. There are the people on campus who go around with petitions to get pot legalized and decriminalized for any potential user. Many people are all on board for signing such petitions because they like to smoke recreationally, not for its medicinal purposes. Not many people take the medicinal aspect of marijuana seriously since so many people abuse their medical marijuana cards, however, there are some very serious benefits that I think need to be acknowledged when determining the legalization. One such benefit would be what this herb can offer to cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy and need a means of reducing their nausea so that they can be as comfortable as possible through a tough time in their lives. (http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/marijuana)
It really is too bad that so many people knock down the benefits of marijuana because of a few extreme cases that are published in the press. Hopefully the public can get past these stories and accept the benefits as an alternative medicine.
May 16 2012: Since there is a huge threat to the habitat of chimps adding to the loss in wild populations. Are there no chimps that are bred in captivity? It seems that there would still be some amount of breeding going on in the lab to ease the pressure of taking a threatened species from a degraded area. There would have to be some legal red tape with the countries and regions and removing chimps from their environment. While animal testing is very controversial and unpopular, the testing done on chimps does lead to further advances in finding a cure to Hep C. I still find it hard to get completely behind despite the positive side. I always envision the testing conditions and how the chimps probably don't understand what is being done to them or why. It seems that humans are playing god with other animals lives under the guise of helping humanity? But how much help is actually being found? Are there ways to cut down on the number of chimps that are infected and then tested? I would challenge the medical field to find better ways of testing the chimps while still looking for a vaccine.
May 2 2012: Very true. People often think that there are health benefits given the absence of many chemical pesticides. The article states the differences that lead to said assumptions.
May 2 2012: The health impacts of organic foods vs conventionally grown are often the deciding factor when making the choice at the store. The Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organic-food/NU00255) goes over some of the differences between organic and conventional methods.
May 1 2012: I think you bring up a great point, Billy. Education is really the best way to get the word out about different, more sustainable practices or just ecosystem services in general. What do you think the best way to get people educated would be? Is there an age limit to the education, or just a modified way of reaching older audiences who might be more resistant to changing?
May 1 2012: Mat, I'm glad that you brought up microbes and how they play an invisible, yet significant role in our day to day lives. To take your example of nitrogen fixation as a service a bit further, microbes also thrive in our bodies as their ecosystem. Microbes seem to be so tiny and easily forgotten because most of us take them for granted and are unaware of what it is they do despite their presence in everything. These services, aiding in digestion, keeping harmful microbes off our skin, and nitrogen fixation, among other things are great ecosystem services. You mentioned that they are worth paying for, how would you place a value on these services they provide? And what would you be willing to pay?
TEDCred score: +50.20 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.
A reply on Conversation: Do zoos help biodiversity conservation?
A comment on Conversation: Do zoos help biodiversity conservation?
A reply on Conversation: From ivory tower to prison cell: How can we bring conservation efforts to the public?
A reply on Conversation: From ivory tower to prison cell: How can we bring conservation efforts to the public?
A comment on Conversation: Should Cannabis be legalized as a medicine?
It really is too bad that so many people knock down the benefits of marijuana because of a few extreme cases that are published in the press. Hopefully the public can get past these stories and accept the benefits as an alternative medicine.
A comment on Conversation: Given that chimpanzees are endangered, is it ethical to use them in biomedical research?
A reply on Conversation: What are ecosystem services that you rely on everyday? Are you willing to pay for them?
A reply on Conversation: What are ecosystem services that you rely on everyday? Are you willing to pay for them?
A reply on Conversation: What are ecosystem services that you rely on everyday? Are you willing to pay for them?
A reply on Conversation: What are ecosystem services that you rely on everyday? Are you willing to pay for them?