There are two environmental philosophies present throughout the course of Earth's history, the first being the natural state of the universe and its infinite stability and the second being the natural state of the universe which is currently being destabilized at a ridiculous rate by human actions. In either case the conclusion is, is that Earth will be just fine without humans. All life on earth is facing a catastrophe, the end of human civilization is nearing and as we use and use more of our natural resources than we can foster those resources are slowly diminishing, we have taken for granted the gift that was given to us, the gift which was our god given right. We have soiled our land and infected our homes with chemicals and waste, and we have also polluted our bodies in the process, passing those concentrations on to our offspring, leaving the future and even the present generation's riddle with health problems. Our population has been conditioned to live in a take and take more society. Today humans are more wasteful and use even more resources than our ancestors used, our landfills are full to the point of disgust and more disturbing much of the excess garbage is being dumped into our oceans affecting the oceanic ecosystems the result from this is what scientists are calling "dead zones" these are areas of the water that have very low levels of oxygen the end result is all of the life in that area die. It is important to understand that if we hurt every step along the food chain there will be nothing left. Our future is bleak and it appears there is no way to break the pattern and as well there is no stopping the general need for goods. Over population has become such a problem the matter of feeding the world is at the top of the list of problems to solve. This has led to new strategies for feeding the growing population and most if not all these strategies are highly unethical, and are not natural at all. It is apparent that earth is facing a tragedy of the commons, and unless we have the cooperation of every man, women, and child the end of the human race is inevitable.
In the early 19th century a French physicist, Jean Fourier, proclaimed that the earth's atmosphere operates in a similar way as the glass of a greenhouse operates. Closer to the end of the 19th century it was discovered that with the increase in human activities such as burning of coal and other fossil fuels for heat, there was an increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere.
Carbon is one of the most significant and abundant naturally occurring elements on earth it is in everything from the human body to the soil we cultivate in. Researchers have determined that global warming and climate change are direct results of too much carbon dioxide in the air. Yet one of the most important contributions to the cycle of life is carbon and the fact that carbon gives our soil the nutrients it needs through the plant cycle so that our food is healthy and nutritious. Soil farmed using synthetic- chemicals or other conventional methods have very limited abilities to keep or build vital supplies of carbon in the soil, this coincidence is related directly to farmers who use fungicides and chemical fertilizers as well as pesticides on their crops, all of these chemicals are meant to kill pests but also pose great health risks for the farmers who apply them and the consumers who eat them. This concern is about more than just our current climate issue. It is bigger than the debate of whether we can feed everyone in the world. When we destroy the routine cycle of our soil and generate more carbon than we can sequester, we are literally suffocating ourselves with a big blanket of carbon, this can also account for the increase in cases of asthma and upper respiratory infections.
From the book the Organic Manifesto Rodale states (2010) "For more than two decades the farming systems trial at the Rodale institute has been studying what happens over time to plants and soil in both organic and synthetic chemical farming systems. The most surprising finding of all has been that organically farmed soil stores carbon. A lot of carbon, so much in fact that if all the cultivated land in the world were farmed organically it would immediately reduce our climate crisis significantly"(pp.10) this can be directly related to the process of photosynthesis which is the most important process to sustain life on earth, the reason for this is because plants breathe in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and breath out oxygen, which is the oxygen humans need to breathe. The importance of this one fact has much to do with how organic farming methods could reverse an irreversible ecological problem. It is here where I state my claim which is the importance of living and thinking organically and how it could save the human race from possible extinction. The time to act is now and there are ways we can all make it work but we must work together otherwise there is just no point! It must be a "civilization effort".
There are many aspects to thinking organically; the first step is to analyze the food we have been eating and feeding our families, secondly the products we use daily that we have grown up with or "can't live without" must be replaced with more organic and natural products so the chemicals do not pollute our water. We must reconsider and rethink our options for sustenance, separating our needs from our wants and prioritizing those needs in turn saving energy in the process. Our present thought process must also change dramatically, it is imperative to consider and even grasp the weird concept of organic life as a matter of survival. It is necessary for humans to devote themselves to the land that has treated them so well, all the while reverting our current conventional farming methods back to the time before chemicals. Returning earth's soil to its most organic and original state is our obligation as a civilization this is important for the survival of the crops of the future, it is possible to reverse the chemically soiled to the organic soil. It just takes time, effort, and patients.
In the article 10 reasons why (and how) organics can feed the world (2008) the authors explain how "organic farms have the potential to become self-sufficient in energy or even become energy exporters. The "Dream Farm" Model sees farms feeding manure and waste from livestock and crops into a bio-digester, which converts it into methane-rich gas used for heating and electricity. The residue from these bio-digesters is a crumbly nutrient rich fertilizer that can be spread on soil to increase crop yields"(pp.21). New innovations are being researched every day and this proves that research is getting more than the evidence that it needs to help shift thinking but the problem is spreading the world and actually having people listen.
This is the point in my essay where things get a little ugly. I will be discussing in detail the process that most "conventional" foods go through to be on our shelves ready to eat. It would be the turning point in consumer habits if packaging companies were able to put warning labels on the chemically grown products but they can't so it is important to understand that everything that is not certified organic by the USDA can in fact have long term detrimental effects on our health. The reason for this is because the chemical companies have infected the minds of America's farmer and instilled in them the bad practices of the chemical companies. Their mission is to destroy all life in its path through the process of feeding the world. These chemical companies have strategic plans to sell their products to farmers when the reality is those agents, lobbyists, and CEO's eat organic products themselves, there is evidence these chemical companies are working with the government developing subsidiaries for the farms that use their product. Mean while their researchers are researching new methods that are full proof only in terms of the profits they bring in but are by no means safe or ethical, for example GMO seeds are genetically modified organism that are cultivated from the DNA of other seeds and that may have been grown with or come with pesticides already in them, these seeds are genetically modified to be pest resistant which means that the DNA of these seeds are more unsafe than your conventional crops are. They are a product of the chemicals company big scheme to feed the world and make profit. A passage from the book Organic Manifesto states that (2010) "Genetically modified organism seeds are so strictly controlled by the companies developing them that scientist are not allowed to study them independently. They must get permission from the companies to conduct the research and their research must be approved by the company before it is published or submitted to the EPA."(pp.87) meaning that there has been little to no research to prove these are safe for the soil or safe for consumption, the chemical companies make it very difficult for anyone to get answers. The concerns regarding fresh organic or conventional produce are only a fragment of the whole spectrum of problems related to this movement. In contrast our dairy products go through a somewhat similar pattern of growth and development only it is just a little more disturbing in a moral sort of way. Large conventional farms raise animals in mills these can be described as smaller than prison cells 5 feet wide by 10 feet long the normally have very little coverage from the elements and are very un-sanitary and extremely inhumane. These animals spend the day standing side by side in their own bile, with no space to move, eating food that may be grown with chemicals or even worse there is a chance they may be fed ground up dead cows and that is blasphemy. These cows are given antibiotics so they do not get sick from the unsafe living conditions, and they may also be administered rBGH or Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone which is a genetically engineered drug injected into cows so they produce more milk, it also increases the levels of cancer causing and other dangerous chemicals in milk. Its manufacturer is the Monsanto Corporation they were also responsible for the deadly Agent Orange that was used in Vietnam, as well they are also responsible for GMO seeds and many of the fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides used on conventional farms. Luckily bovine growth hormones are largely recognized by most as bad but we still have to worry about the living condition of these poor animals and the concentrations of chemicals in their bodies because they are eating food that is not natural to them.
Scientists have proven that the increased use of chemicals in farming have a lot to do with the increase in health problems across the nation there are a number of illnesses that can be associated with the toxicity of the chemicals used as well substantial evidence claims that there is no safe amount of chemical consumption therefore at any level there is a risk of harm. Some related illness and disorders that can be associated with the long term affects of harmful toxins include Autism, cancer, diabetes, obesity, asthma, allergies, depression, infertility, genital deformities and sexual dysfunction these can all be directly linked to the increased use of chemicals in food products around the world. The single most important issue here is that there is growing evidence that suggests the toxic chemicals we are using to grow our food are in fact slowly killing us. It has been proven that these synthetic chemicals farmers are using are altering our abilities as a species. The things that I am about to tell you are very important and you should consider them and even implement them into your daily life to feel better and do your part at least by understanding and wanting to make the change.
10 Reasons why (and how) Organics can feed the world
It improves crop yields
It saves energy
Lowers greenhouse gas emissions
Will lower the 72% of water consumption agriculture currently uses
Locally grown means supporting your community
No pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, rBGH or GMO's used
Impacts the ecosystem
Nutritional benefits
Seed saving can help future crops
Job Creation
When you go grocery shopping it is going to be hard to buy just organic food but it can be done over time the more people that buy organic food will bring the demand even more in our favor but the reason organic food is more expensive is because organic farmers do not receive assistance like their counterparts do so when you are picking produce you can select foods that have less concentrations of chemicals and shop organic for the others that have higher concentrations in them. From the article Why go organic?(2008) The author gives 2 lists of different produce available at the local grocery stores one is the consistently clean list and the other is the dirty dozen it gives you some insight as to what is a little safer when picking produce, this is what it says (pp.32):
Dirty Dozen- Conventional crops with the HIGHEST pesticide loads
Consistently Clean- Crops with the LOWEST pesticide loads
Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes
Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Mangos
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Eggplant
This is one thing you can do to start lowering the levels of toxic chemicals in your body, and start becoming a part of the solution instead of part of the problem. This is only a start to the good things that could be accomplished by thinking organically. When we imagine a new future we see ourselves cultivating the land the way it should be without the use of harmful chemicals because those chemicals will have been long since banned. There will be an over abundance of local farms that are growing a variety of different fruits and vegetables. Our daily farmers are taking the best care of the livestock they have pasture raising them and feeding them only grass not forgetting to rotate the grazing fields to insure no overgrazing occurs. The result will be flourishing reproduction and excellent production. All humans will continue working with each other to maintain our land the most efficient way we can without taking it for granted or over exploiting it. New jobs will be created to keep the land clean and healthy and farmers will always be needed because there will always be a need for more fresh food. We will be supporting each other instead of fighting. Our mission as an individual is shaping a better future for the human race even if it's just a little bit at a time, just encouraging other will do a world of difference. When you go to the store think about what is in the products your picking up, think about the effects that it will have on you and then return it to the self, the time to change is now and it can be done.
