Ecological humanities essay

Essay 1

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MOSQUITOES COULD BE A VITAL WEAPON AGAINST MALARIA: ECOLOGICAL THINK PERSPECTIVE
INTRODUCTION
The ecological system continues to experience a number of transformations in so far as environmental wellbeing is concerned. The text can be analyzed and evaluated from the ecological think perspective in so far as nonhuman charisma characterization is concerned. Species can be modified into different forms to the extent that they are able to conform to the modes so desired. Different ecosystems have different species, some of which are very harmful to the existence of other species. Mosquitoes are by far some of the most harmful species of the human race (Braw, 2014, p. 1). One of the many reasons that make the species harmful is that they are responsible for causing malaria to the human species to the extent that death is usually the resultant factor. In the recent past, there have been attempts to neutralize the harmful nature of the mosquitoes. The essence of this text is to elaborate on the genetically modified mosquitoes and their ethical value of the ecological system.
Nonhuman charisma has all to do with species that elicit human emotions to a greater extent (Lorimer 2005, p. 914). Mosquitoes trigger emotions in humans to a greater extent. Dealing with mosquitoes is one of the most challenging phenomena in the ecological system. The population of the parasite remains huge hence the challenge of control. While there have been attempts by different groups to come up with ways and means of ensuring that the parasites are put under some control. Many people lose their lives as a result of the harmful effects of the parasite. The ecological setup does not foresee a situation where there can be a complete eradication of the parasites (Braw, 2014, p. 2). The only practical solution is to control the mosquitoes so that the harmful tendencies are controlled. Scientists have in the recent past come up with a means of ensuring control of the parasite. The genetically modified mosquitoes are produced by some genetic substances to the extent that they are able to ensure the death of the mosquitoes that cause malaria. This control strategy is strategic and important because there are no other harmful tendencies ensured by the genetic modifications.
There are a number of ethical issues that are relevant to this text in so far as ecological wellbeing is concerned. One of the ethical issues is that the genetically modified mosquitoes are not capable of transferring the malaria virus to the humans. When the humans are not able to convert the virus and instead ensure the control of the parasite is one of the most ethical things to do. On the other hand, the genetically modified mosquitoes do not perpetuate further transmission of the virus. Ethics demand that there are no further negative effects perpetuated by a given procedure or action and to this extent, the genetically modified parasites are of critical ethical value in so far as cutting the spread is concerned.

Lesson:

One of the most intrinsic lessons that can be learnt from this text is that nonhuman species can influence ecological environment to a greater extent. On the other hand, genetical modifications can be done to neutralize the effects of harmful or disastrous species. In the modern dispensation, genetical modification in species has taken center stage in the wake of nonhuman charisma.

CONCLUSION

Genetically modified parasites have become prominent in the modern dispensation. Parasite control is aimed at controlling the harmful effects on the ecology. In this context, the genetically modified mosquitoes are aimed at controlling the mosquitoes so that there are no further negatives experienced in the society. The procedure carries with it a number of ethical values to the extent that there are non-existent effects to the ecological system. Ethics demands that the different procedures carried out do not portend negative impacts to the inherent set up instead there should be positive experiences to the extent that no harmful issues are experienced.

Essay 2

SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG ON THE EAST COAST AND IT’S KILLING ALL THE BABY PUFFINS: ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY PERSPECTIVE
INTRODUCTION
The ecological system has gone through a number of transformations since the time of inception. In the modern dispensation, there are a number of issues that threaten the wellbeing of the ecological wellbeing of the environment. Pundits have raised a number of concerns based on the direction the ecological system is taking. A number of environmental continue to suggest that humans are at the center of the different positives or negatives that have been experienced over time. Baby puffins have increasingly faced numerous threats in the recent past due to different activities both natural and artificial (Jacobsen, 2014, 2). Climate change has brought about a number changes to the environmental wellbeing. Case in point is that there are different places that continue to experience massive depletion of environment to the extent that some of the natural resource such as forests is increasingly fading off. Such challenges threaten the existence of baby puffins to a greater extent.
Forests carry some of the largest number species of plants. In the past and in the modern dispensation, there have been inherent activities that have threatened the wellbeing of plant species in such setups. In every given forest set up, there are humans who use such places as their habitat. While it has been argued that the forest families are the best environmentalists in terms of taking care of the forests, others have always concluded that they are the biggest threats to the wellbeing of the forests. Human activities, however, remain some of the greatest challenges facing the population of plants and the different species. For instance, human beings always want to use the forest as a cultivation site. To do so, they have to cut down the trees to make room for their activities. Such actions further the extinction agenda to a greater extent. On the other hand, fires started by people who carry their activities in the forest have by far become the greatest threats to the species in the forest. Consequently, the wild fires portend a serious challenge in so far as maintenance of the plant species and other ecological species are concerned.
In the historical perspective, a story is told of the forest of Ash in the southeastern part of Australia (Griffiths 2000, p. 19). The wild fires caused havoc to the larger parts of the forest to the extent that humans and plants were the major victims. The focus, however, remained with the damage that was caused by the fires and the extent to which it led to the extinction of the plant species. This event in history is a clear indication that the plant species continue to face a number of extinction challenges. While some extinction challenges of the plant species are largely human, a good number is natural. The concern remains the level of damage caused to plant species. Extinction may not be one of the subjects that people would want to engage with but the truth of the matter is that rate of extinctions are headed to alarming rates in so far as the existence of plant species is concerned. A journey through the historical lenses testifies of the inherent issues that have become a threat to the existence of the plant species. The ecological system in the modern dispensation suffers some of the worst challenges in many years. Different forms of environmental degradation are some of the greatest threats to the existence of plant species.
Baby puffins are fading off due to different catastrophes inherent in the ecological system (Jacobsen, 2014, 5). The extinction risk in a number of species has been observed for a period of time and a number of generalizations brought into perspective. Different species have different characteristics to the extent that he risks of extinction are diverse and varied. For instance, different species have unique ways and means of ensuring that dispersion and pollination occur. To this extent, it can be noted that in the event that the species do not have a common method of pollination and dispersion, the extinction rates may be varied to a greater extent.
Animal species such as baby puffins do well in environments that are stable in vegetation cover such as forests. Therefore, insects are inherently significant in the extension processes of the plant generations. Interactions between species are one of the most fundamental issues of concern. Plants have ways and means through which interactions can take place. However, human activities can be detrimental towards the enhanced interactions of the plants (Lawton and May 1995, p. 136). When humans through their activities break the interaction cycles in plants, the relationship is cut; hence, pollination and dispersion is interfered. Cataract of extinctions occurs as a result of human beings interfering with the normal patterns of relationships between the different plant species.
Since time immemorial, the issue of extinction has dominated ecological discussions to a greater extent. Plants and animals continue to face a number of threats in so far as their existence is concerned. The ecological system has become one of the single most critical centers of attractions for the simple reason that a number of issues continue to be experienced that reflect a number of negatives in so far as environmental wellbeing is concerned (Lawton and May 1995, p. 132). The changing patterns in the environment and the various activities continue to raise issues of critical importance. Extinctions do not occur by accident, but rather are experienced as a result of inherent activities some of which may be natural and others arising from uncharismatic human activities.
The extinction of any species in the ecological brings about the negative effects irrespective of the magnitude of the cause. In the modern dispensation, a number of issues contribute to a great extent the effects of extinction. For instance, when pesticides are used in vegetation areas, the resultant factor becomes poisoning of the species to the extent that pollination and dispersion is hindered to a greater extent (Lawton and May 1995, p. 140). The structure and wellbeing of the ecological system are choreographed in such a manner that there is a mutual relationship among different species. For instance, plants and animals have mutual relationship tendencies to the extent that one depends on another. Animals tend to suffer the most when the plant population is affected. When the plants or simply vegetation is pushed to extinction, the animals in the eco-system become disadvantaged in the sense that the food resources become scarce. Starvation eventually forces the very species of animals to fall into extinction.
The interdependence between the plant species and animal species is inherently significant to the extent that they are the essence of ecological wellbeing. There are high possibilities of failure and subsequent of species due to lack of mutualism in the ecological wellbeing. On the hand, plants produce seeds that are very important to the furthering of the generation of plants. When plants fail to produce seeds, the resultant factor is the demise and stagnated generational cycle in the plant species. Seeds are very critical to the plant species and as such stand in the way of growth and demise of the very vegetation. On the hand, it is important to note that insects are very critical for the wellbeing of plants.
Lesson:
There are a number of lessons than can be drawn from this text. The threats that are faced by the baby puffins in the modern dispensation can be traced to the environmental history especially in so far as forest cover in some parts of the world is concerned. Another lesson is that can be drawn from the text is that human activities as well as natural causes such as wild fires threaten the wellbeing of species to a greater extent. Extinction of different species such as the dwindling number of baby puffins can be traced from environmental depletion that arises as a result of climate change and human activities.

CONCLUSION

Extinction rates have become a common phenomenon in the ecological system to the extent it has become a characteristic of the environment. Different plant species face some of the greatest threats to their existence due to various reasons. When ecological resources such as forests are depleted, animal species such as baby puffins are greatly affected. However, human activities and natural environmental disharmonies threaten the existence of the plant species that in turn affect human species such as baby puffins are threatened by extinction. When the plant species are affected, the population of vegetation goes down a factor that affects the animals to a greater extent. Extinction rates are a real danger to the wellbeing of different species, especially the plants.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES:

Braw, Elisabeth. (2014). Genetically engineered mosquitoes could be vital weapon against malaria. Guardian professional.
Griffiths, Tom. (2000). Forest of Ash: An environmental History. Cambridge University Press.
Jacobsen, R. (2014). Something Is Seriously Wrong on the East Coast and It’s Killing All the Baby Puffins. Disappearing puffins, stray whales, invading sailfish: The North Atlantic is in a bad way. Here’s why. Retrieved from:
Lorimer, Jamie. (2005). Charisma Nonhuman. School of Geography, Oxford University Press.
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