A new movement

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”-Albert Einstein. With the advances of technology many things have advanced, including the economy, processing plants and human luxury items. When looking at such advances, one often forgets what was really behind all of that. What really starts the food chain, and the most valuable thing that is taken for granted, that is nature itself.  Destroying habitats to build unnecessary buildings or roads, humans have lost their sensibility towards nature because of their personal interests. When perspectives are changed, caring for nature is not as it used to be. Before, cultivating food and helping grow animals in a healthy way was part of the daily basis. Now a days people prefer to go to a fast food, where the food is processed and eat a fatty burger.

It is amazing when people start to do things that will actually help nature in some way. Clearly shown in The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill,  Mark, an unemployed musician that started a ‘relation’ with wild parrots. His ‘relation’ with the parrots is unique, he named the parrots and interact with them day by day. Mark sets an example because he is a man which is passionate of what he does, and doesn’t focus if he will get recognize. Now a days, many people give money or others do a charity job only once just for the recognize. It’s what Mark is doing that will lead to a better state of nature, or at least preserve what it is. Having one person like mark in every state or community would be awesome just because when the government sees there is one focusing his life to promote a better cause, somehow people tend to give economical help to promote the job the person is doing.

As a citizen from Puerto Rico, I’ve experience changes in environment in the past 10-15 years. The problem picked its way up in the 2000-2007 when many companies started to build houses everywhere, destroying the habitats of many animals. When the economy started to drop, many houses where occupying the space of what used to be a habitat for many animals. People are vicious for the money, and where they see a dollar sing, anything that’s around will get destroyed if they are able to take money from it. Every Sunday morning when I ride bike from Bayamón to Dorado, I always get into thinking that how is it possible for humans to destroy so viciously the habitats of animals. It is true, that there must be roads for us to travel but it must stop at a point. On my way to Dorado I always see more than 20 iguanas on the street dead.

It is true that Puerto Rico is not the only place where people tend to destroy the habitats, but when thought deeply, Puerto Rico is an island. It could be one of the most beautiful paradises of the world if it would’ve preserve more of its nature. I know that many factors are involved but it is ridiculous that people destroy the habitat when it is a food and water provider, in fact, everything the human needs, comes from the earth itself. One positive impact for the island would be to start to grow coffee, plantains, sugar and other products that grow in the island. By doing so, the promotion of jobs would be created, nature will have back some of what we’ve taken from and animals would somehow have more places to start their own habitats. It is a movement that must involve many and to achieve the ultimate goal, genuine determination must take place. 

Judy Irving. Video Art, Inc. ‘The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill’. San Francisco. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoZswU5H9LU.

The heart of the World

Ever thought of how perfect the Ocean is by itself? By being one of the most important parts of the ecologic system, it is capable of sustaining itself. Take one moment right now to think of the things that one needs to live. Every component that supports human and animal life is found at the ocean or produced by the same.

Think of the Ocean as the heart of the world. Without it, the world wouldn’t have rain, plants would die, oxygen levels would drop 70% and the circle of life would have the most important components missing. The

Creator of the World is perfect. Thinking of a self sustained structure that gives food, oxygen, water and even jobs. By creating all sorts of things, being capable of creating a calm feeling by the sound of the waves. Animals that live in the ocean by them selves are capable of cleaning their own wastes, and creating a circle of life. Also is known as the World’s biggest pathway. Almost everything in one’s house comes from the ocean or is transported by sea.

        

         According to the documentary, the Ocean is capable of sustaining itself. Many scientists and other enthusiasts try to imagine how it is possible that so many animals live under the sea and yet how by the animals themselves the Ocean stays clean. Many of the disasters like the destruction of the Aral Sea, caused by a project the Soviet Union created for irrigation purposes and destroyed 61200 square km of sea. Also the oil spill by the Exxon Valdez who spilled 11 millions gallons of oil in the sea. The oil spill caused the death of approximately 200,000seabirds, at least 2,800 sea otters, approximately 12 river otters, 300 harbor seals, 147 bald eagles, and 22 orcas and an unknown number of salmon and herring. Humans are responsible for many disasters happening in the sea.

         Humans use the oceans for many reasons. It’s us who must take care and try to prevent disasters. Many can start helping by keeping beaches clean. It is a shame that after some activities like “La Noche de San Juan” beaches end up all messed up and bottles or wraps from six-packs end up being the trap for some animals. The Ocean has given us great things including food, transportation, water and oxygen. It is our duty to do anything possible to sustain what we have and try to improve for the future.

Greg MacGillivray and Alec Lorimore. MacGillivray, G. Ocean Film Network. Virginia. Retrieved March 22, 2013

 <http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjoe11_the-living-sea_shortfilms>

Cutler J. Cleveland "Exxon Valdez oil spill". Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth June 9, 2010; Retrieved March 22, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill?topic=58075>

Road Kills.

Road Kills

     One night of the summer of 2012, I was on a dark road, when all of the sudden a shadow crossed my car. After seeing something run pass my car y felt something hitting my car and bouncing out. The car on the lane next to mine also went over to what I first crashed. I got really scared and decided not to stop. After five minutes of driving I realized that what I previously hit, could’ve been a small kid running. My nerves caught up to me and I decided to go back to the crime scene. After realizing everything and seeing the animal, it was a dog. Part of me was calm because many kids run skateboards through that area, even though is very dark.

     When traveling through the roads of Puerto Rico, you can see many stray dogs walking around. Unlike iguanas, for example, dog breeding can be legalized. Using the examples of iguanas, they breed fast and stopping the way the reproduce is nearly impossible. When driving through highways one might see iguanas running around the street and others all splattered on the floor. Controlling dogs, in the other hand can be regulated. People should have some kind of permit to be breeders, if not, the male dog should be castrated. By controlling the reproduction of dogs since their early stage of life, one will be able to stop the excessive reproduction of stray dogs.

     With all due respect, when passing through some poor neighborhood you can see a lot of stray dogs walking, eating garbage and worse, some end up killed in the street. Then the problem comes. When a stray dog is killed on the street, people tend to ignore it and they tend to stay at the side of the road for days.

     Concluding, there should be a law to control the excessive reproduction of dogs and other controlled animals. By having some sort of control over the animals being reproduced, the amount of road kills will reduce. Many states have laws that control dogs. Implementing some kind of law in Puerto Rico will take time but definitely will be worth it. 

      Animal Legal & Historical Center. (2013), Map of state breeding law, Retrieved from http://www.animallaw.info/articles/armpusbreedinglaws.htm. Accessed on February 24, 2013.

Animal Exploitation

Why is there animal exploitation? Is there any reason to abuse animals? Created by the same, yet forgotten what was told. “…Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” God, NIV. A clear instruction, yet so changed throughout time.  Now a day’s people have lost all respect towards nature. Using dogs, roosters, horses and other animals, abusing from them to earn money. In a desperate fight to earn money, humans constantly put in danger the life of many animals.

Manipulating the way families enjoy their time, theme parks like Sea World earn millions a year but abuse from animals. Leaving a dog in a kennel for a year is abuse but leaving a family of Killer Whales in a pool is fun to see. The way society manipulates our minds into agreeing with animal cruelty. Some would say that animals are dangerous and have killed many but usually animals act in self-defense. “Killer whale kills trainer at Orlando's Sea World” a title on NY Daily News. Clearly, not the whale’s fault. People get overwhelmed at the idea that an animal killed a human. First of all, what was a Killer Whale doing in a pool? After deeply thinking the idea that humans do anything to earn money, it becomes easy to understand the way animals react by feeling restricted to their natural impulses.

Concluding my point, undomesticated animals should stay in their natural environment. Yet other animals like the dog, which have a famous quote “a dog is a man’s best friend”, is a type of animal that can live peacefully with humans. Humans need to understand the beauty that lies behind each animal, yet to respect them in their precious environment. One might be able to succeed in training a wild animal but at some point that animal might do a treacherous act. God made the animals for people to enjoy them, clearly respecting them and treating them the right way.

Sources:

Helen Kennedy, (February 24, 2010), Killer whale kills trainer at Orlando's

Sea World; whale Tilikum linked to two other human deaths. NYDailyNews.com. Accessed on February 10, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/killer-whale-kills-trainer-orlando-sea-world-whale-tilikum-linked-human-deaths-article-1.168269#ixzz2KVv62B6u.

            Moses, (1450-1410 a.C.) The creation. Biblegateway.com. Accessed on February 10, 2013. Retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+1%3A28&version=NIV