TED Community » Allison Walter

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• A reply on Conversation: From ivory tower to prison cell: How can we bring conservation efforts to the public?

  Jun 8 2012: Mat, you make a very good point. It's our societies consumption that is to blame for the rise of taxes. Will America ever be able to eliminate our dependency? I believe that this way of thinking and over consuming is engraved in our society regardless of the environmental impacts.

• A comment on Conversation: Do zoos help biodiversity conservation?

  Jun 8 2012: Personally, I've always had the perception that zoo's not only care about the animals that they are holding in the exhibits, but they are also aware of the conservation processes that need to happen in order to save the species. To my experience, most individuals who work at a zoo are animals lovers and work to educate society about human threats and risks of extinction.

• A reply on Conversation: If green roofs were mandatory in cities would there be less development and building?

  Jun 1 2012: Debra, you make a good point. Our society can greatly benefit from green roofs. However, since green roofs can be built now, why would production increase only if it was mandatory?
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  A comment on Conversation: If green roofs were mandatory in cities would there be less development and building?

  Jun 1 2012: Personally, I do not believe that by making green roofs mandatory that it will stop the development of new buildings. The price of the building will just increase due to the price increase in the production.

• A reply on Conversation: If green roofs were mandatory in cities would there be less development and building?

  Jun 1 2012: Theresa, you make a very valid point. Today, our society is big on being cost efficient. A building company would care more about the initial cost then saving earths biodiversity, simply because it is just not their job. If green roofs were to become mandatory, the developers might indeed cut cost somewhere else in the building process. With that said, do you think that there is any way around this obstacle? Is there a way that green roofs could become mandatory without it effecting the quality of the work?

• A comment on Conversation: Should shark fishing be banned?

  May 30 2012: I think that stricter laws regarding shark finning is a MUST if we wish to see a decrease in the extinction risk for sharks. Although, I do not believe that laws alone can prevent the extinction due to people disobeying laws and creating more loopholes within the system. I am curious to find out what else is being done to conserve this species (ie. captive breeding programs) that could help to increase the numbers of their population which is vital to save the species.
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  A reply on Conversation: Should Cannabis be legalized as a medicine?

  May 22 2012: Bob, I find your comment very informing. It's interesting to hear a point of view from someone that understands the law side of the issue. When I've had this same debate in some of my previous classes, many students argued that if marijuana was legalized, our crime rate would decrease and the use of the drug would slowly diminish overtime. I believe that we will never truly know what will happen in our society until we see if for ourselves.

• A reply on Conversation: Given that chimpanzees are endangered, is it ethical to use them in biomedical research?

  May 15 2012: Heath, you share the same thoughts on this subject as I do. I believe that if the chimpanzees are bred in captivity for the sole purpose of medical research, then this isn't a true threat to their original population. The wild chimpanzee's are what needs to be monitored and protected. To me, it seems as if these are two separate issues regarding the same species.

• A reply on Conversation: What is more important: Our drugs or our ecosystems?

  May 7 2012: Lisa, you share my sentiments on this subject. I know that I will never throw away unused and expired medications without remembering what they MAY do to the environment. The problem remains that no government agency, like the FDA or CDC, has approached this problem with a public solution.

• A reply on Conversation: What is more important: Our drugs or our ecosystems?

  May 7 2012: Casey your comments have a lot of merit. Profit is the goal for companies, and pharmaceuticals are a big profitable business in the world. R&D is expensive and requires a lot of time; however, in the process they become aware of all the effects their product would have on lab animals, people, and ultimately the environment. It is pretty amazing, tho, when you think about it, that we take from nature to help our lives and then return to nature the product in a new form. As with all things, there are probably good side effects to products if only we knew how to manipulate and use them. Thank you for the thoughts.