...According to the EPA 5.9 billion pounds of pesticide are used annually in the US. As a result, the average American’s body contains over thirteen different types of pesticides. How are most of these pesticides entering our bodies, through the food we consume. So, why does our food contain so many pesticides, because over 70% of it comes from Industrial Farming Operations. Today I would like to talk about multiple reasons as to why we need to move away from Industrial Farming and towards a more sustainable type of farming. What is Industrial Farming? Industrial Farming is a type of farming that maximizes production of food and profits by using excessive amounts of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and hormones that end up in what we eat, drink and breathe. What is Sustainable Farming? Sustainable Farming produces food without excessive use of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics or petroleum-based fertilizers. This practice encourages short and long term health benefits and lessens the likelihood of certain diseases. Pesticides Industrial Farming relies on the routine use of toxic pesticides applied to both crops and animals. These chemicals are known to pollute air, soil, water, and to have negative effects on human health. Sustainable farms minimize the use of pesticides and rely on alternative forms of pest control whenever possible. One such method, integrated pest management, involves carefully assessing the overall environment of a farm and using techniques including mechanical...
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...relevant on-line documents and web sites. Read about other Issues. | | * Introduction * Land based pollution sources and their environmental impacts * Sewage * Oil hydrocarbons * Sediments * Nutrients * Pesticides * Solid waste and marine debris * Toxic substances * Planning and management of environmental pollution * CEP and land based sources of pollution * Pollution related CEP reports * Links to pollution related websites | INTRODUCTION | The major sources of coastal and marine pollution originating from the land vary from country to country. The nature and intensity of development activities, the size of the human population, the state and type of industry and agriculture are but a few of the factors contributing to each country’s unique pollution problems. Pollution is discharged either directly into to the sea, or enters the coastal waters through rivers and by atmospheric deposition. In order to mitigate and control the impact of pollution on coastal and marine resources, it is essential that the type and load of pollutants be identified. This involves determination of the sources and their location, and the volume and concentration of the pollutants. Point sources of pollution are sources that can be identified to one location, such as industrial and sewage treatment plants. Point sources, though easy to identify, account only for a fraction of the land-based sources of...
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...CPROT 106.6 CULTURAL CONTROL Is the practice Of modifying The growing environment of the crop or habitat of the unwanted pests to reduce their prevalence. It is also defined as the deliberate alteration of the production system, either the cropping system itself or a specific crop production practices to reduce pest populations Or avoid pest injury to crops. >It differs from physicomech'lcontrol Because the effect of these tactics are mediated through the crop or the crop environment rather than having an impact on the pestItself Drawbacks Being indirect, makes it slow acting has limitation where immediate action is needed as the lone method, cultural method may not eradicate pests; implementation must be in tandem with another or as part of the whole management program. Cultural Control _ Mechanics 1. Impediment to pest colonization of the crop 2. Creation of adverse biotic conditions that reduce survival of individuals or populations of the pest 3. Modification of the crop in such a way that pest infestation results in reduced injury to the crop 4. Enhancement of natural enemies by manipulating the environment CROP ROTATION Effective when used against Pests that attack biennial or annual crops Pests that have relatively narrow host range Pests that have restricted movement Pests that are present prior to planting CULTIVATION MODES cause Mechanical injury, starvation, dessication and exposure TRAP CROPS VSANTAGONISTIC PLANTS USE OF HEALTHY ...
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...local and surrounding ecologies and environments. Ecology is the relations and interactions between organisms and their environment. (Dictionary.com 2013) An ecosystem is comprised of living organisms together with their surrounding environment. The abiotic constituents found in the local ecosystem include; water, minerals, soil and other nonliving constituents such as sunlight and climate. The living part of the ecosystem is referred to as biotic. Biotic and abiotic constituents are linked together by nutrients cycling and energy flow. (Integrated Science, 2009) Sun is the main source of energy in an ecosystem which is transferred through an ecosystem through the food chain. The main components of an ecosystem include animals, plants and microorganisms but they are also comprised of non-living materials such as water, minerals, soil and rocks. My local surrounding environment is farm land. I live in the country with fields of hay and cattle surrounding me. •List the specific factors that distinguish your local ecology and environment. The specific factors that distinguish my local ecology and the environment are climate, soil, rocks, minerals, plants and animals. Climate is a vital factor in my local ecology since it determines the kind of animals and plants to be found in the ecosystem. Different animals and plants are only found in certain places in the globe defined by the climate of the place. Soil is another factor which affects the kind of plants and animals to be...
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...Coca-Cola in India Coca-Cola is a brand name known throughout the entire world. It covers 60 percent of the $1.6 billion soft drink market. In 2006–2007, Coca-Cola faced some difficult challenges in the region of Kerala, India. The company was accused of using water that contained pesticides in its bottling plants in Kerala. An environmental group, the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), found 57 bottles of Coke and Pepsi products from 12 Indian states that contained unsafe levels of pesticides. The Kerala minister of health, Karnataka R. Ashok, imposed a ban on the manufacture and sale of Coca-Cola products in the region. Coca-Cola then arranged to have its drinks tested in a British lab, and the report found that the amount of pesticides found in Pepsi and Coca-Cola drinks was harmless to the body. Coca-Cola then ran numerous ads to regain consumers’ confidence in its products and brand. However, these efforts did not satisfy the environmental groups or the minister of health. India’s Changing Marketplace During the 1960s and 1970s, India’s economy faced many challenges, growing only an average of 3–3.5 percent per year. Numerous obstacles hindered foreign companies from investing in India, and many restrictions on eco-nomic activity caused huge difficulties for Indian firms and a lack of interest among foreign investors. For many years the government had problems with implementing reform and overcoming bureaucratic and political divi-sions. Business...
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...Bio Fertilizer .Com .: Organic Products Natural Products in Gardens and Agriculture Bio Fertilizer are natural and organic fertilizer that helps to keep in the soil with all the nutrients and live microorganisms required for the benefits of the plants. The soil is alive and contains a lot of microorganism that produce natural N-K-P and other nutrients required for agricultre and plants. Using chemical products eventually will kill all this micro live and transform productive soils in sand in few years. Bio Fertilizer .Com is one organic center with information about natural products and eco friendly energies. Information Center about how to use Solar, Wind , BioDigestors and other sources of cheap energy for houses and business. Bio Pesticides are natural products that helps in the maintenance of gardens and organic food production. Read the Biology of Microorganisms to learn more about the scientific basis. Introducing the basics of the science of Biology of Microorganisms and its applications, as fertilizers or composting for example. Organic Farming State The World of Organic Agriculture: More Than 31 Million Hectares Worldwide The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), and the Foundation Ecology & Farming (SOEL), Germany, presented the latest global data on organic farming at the BioFach fair 2006 in Nuremberg, the world leading fair for organic food. According to the survey,...
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...Institute Category Activity Description Agro-Industry/Agriculture Animal Production and Sam Motta's Goats and Sheep Demonstration and Marketing Systems Training Centre Animal Production and Hounslow Goats and Sheep Demonstration and Training Marketing Systems Centre Animal Production and Small Ruminant Production and Marketing Systems Marketing Systems Development Crop Production and Marketing Systems Livestock Feeds and Feeding systems Enhanced Hot Pepper Production Feeding Systems development for ruminants Education/Research PROCICARIBE PROCICARIBE Caribbean Integrated Pest Management Network Caribbean Small Ruminant Network (CASRUNet) Soil and Water Management Studies in the Rio Minho Valley Project Environment Hillside Farming Systems of Jamaica and the OECS Integrated Pest Management Integrated Pest Management Integrated Pest Management Integrated Pest Management Integrated Pest and Pesticides Management...
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...Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, all grew hemp on their estates. In the early 20th Century, hemp was outlawed in the United States; even though it had been one of the major crops in the U.S. and was super beneficial. Hemp can be used for building a stronger concrete than we have right now; it is one the most nutritious foods we can harvest today and can yield more than 400 times the amount of paper which we use from cutting down trees on the same land. Hemp can also improve the environment if cotton was substituted for hemp; plus it creates a stronger and more durable fiber. Today hemp is not illegal but we would be better off if it was completely legal and we could start to use hemp as it was suppose to be used. To get a better understanding, let take a look at the impact hemp has had on the world. “For the past twelve thousand years, industrial hemp has been harvested and used throughout almost every nation in the world” (8). “From its beginning, hemp has been used throughout the world for its fiber, seed, and psychoactive effect” (9). “Ancient Chinese techniques of hemp sowing, cultivation, and processing developed rapidly and became fairly advanced” (10). China would not have been the same if hemp hadn’t been discovered. The psychoactive affects were also discovered in China, and had been used ever since. Later, its popularity had spread all over the world. Hemp could also be found in your local pharmacy. “In the 17th Century, Hemp made its way to America where it...
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... Table of Contents Introduction............................................................................................................................ 2 I. The development of global, European and national policies relating to sustainability. 2 1. Changing attitudes of public, politicians and businesses to the environment since 1945 .................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Brundtland definition of ‘sustainable development’ .................................................. 4 3. The international and UK policies to sustainable development since Earth Summit of 1992 ................................................................................................................................ 4 4. Triple bottom line........................................................................................................ 5 II. The commercial case for considering social and environmental matters in business management .......................................................................................................................... 6 1. 2. 3. Stakeholders and how they impact on business policies ........................................... 6 Is adopting CSR policies cost-saving? .......................................................................... 7 Primark Ethical Trading ............................................................................................... 7 ...
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...than 70 million each year. The emerging energy crisis is producing an economic crisis, as the prices of everything produced from oil (fertilizer, food, and fuel) rise beyond what some people can afford to pay. Energy and economic problems come at a time of unprecedented environmental concerns, from the local to global level. At the beginning of the modern era—in A.D. 1—the number of people in the world was probably about 100 million, one-third of the present population of the United States. In 1960 the world contained 3 billion people. Our population has more than doubled in the last 40 years, to 6.8 billion people today. In the United States, population increase is often apparent when we travel. Urban traffic snarls, long lines to enter national parks, and difficulty getting tickets to popular attractions are all symptoms of a growing population. If recent human population growth rates continue, our numbers could reach 9.4 billion by 2050. The problem is that the Earth has not grown any larger, and the abundance of its resources has not increased—in many cases, quite the opposite. How, then, can Earth sustain all these people? And what is the maximum number of people that could live on Earth, not just for a short time but sustained over a long period? Estimates of how many people the planet can support range from 2.5 billion to 40 billion (a population not possible with today's technology). Why do the estimates vary so widely? Because the answer depends on what quality of life people...
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...agricultural land, depleting natural resource base, climate change etc. Rice is the main crop that covers nearly 75% of cropped area contributing over 95% of total food grain production. It provides about 65 percent of direct human calorie intake. It is considered as the center of food security and socio-political stability. Major challenges in agriculture are to overcome the stress like pest and diseases or climatic hazards like submergence, salinity, drought, heat, cold, soil toxicity etc. and produce more rice with less land, less water, fewer chemicals and less labor in the context of global climate change. AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH Agricultural research seems to be the oldest form of organized research in the world. Agricultural research can be broadly defined as any research activity aimed at improving productivity and quality of crops by their genetic improvement,...
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...THE CONCEPT OF PEST A pest can be defined as any organism which injures man, his property, or his environment, or which just causes him annoyance. Such organisms include principally certain insects, nematodes, fungi, weeds, birds and rodents, or any other terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life, or virus, bacteria, etc. In agriculture, concern is normally expressed when the damage done to a crop by a specific crop pest or a group of pests causes a loss in yield or quality because this would mean a reduction in profit. When a loss in yield reaches certain proportions, the pest can be designated an economic pest. According to Edward and Heath (1964), the pest status is reached when there is a 5 percent loss in yield in a particular crop. In pest management, the economic appraisal of the pest status and justification of the need to embark on control measures is defined in relation to the following concepts: economic damage, economic injury level and economic threshold. Economic damage can be defined as the amount of injury done to a crop that will justify the cost of artificial control measures. Economic injury level is the lowest pest population density that can cause economic damage, which will vary from crop to crop, season to season, and area to area. For practical purposes, there is an economic threshold defined by Stern et al. (1959) as the pest population density at which control measures should be initiated or started to prevent an ever increasing pest population from...
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...potatoes, corn, tomatoes, squash, oils, beef, pork, chicken, salmon, peas, alfalfa, and honey. Notice that most of the items listed either came from a plant or an animal. Those are the top 20 grocery items that have been genetically modified. What are genetically modified organisms? A genetically modified organism is any living thing that has had their DNA tampered with. This can be mutating, removing, or adding genetic material into the organism. All of the items listed in paragraph one has had their DNA tampered with. Most times when people talk about genetically modified organisms, they mostly refer to plants that are genetically modified. You may be wondering how the animals listed are considered genetically modified. This is because scientists modify the plants that are being fed to the animals. This causes the DNA in the animals to also get tampered with. There are ways, for example, to feed chicken so that they are stronger and they get more meat in them. The way to do this is to modify the foods they eat and put something in the plant’s DNA to make these chickens stronger. Scientists can also directly modify the DNA of the animal also, instead of feeding it...
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...resource. The water supply is deteriorating as it is becoming ever more polluted from chemical run off from farms and industry, poor water management practices, over use, and expanding populations. This is causing severe shortage problems, skyrocketing water prices, and major environmental issues around the world. Research suggests that over-use of the world’s available fresh water supplies is a major problem, because use is exceeding the ability of nature and water treatment plants to keep up with demand, rising costs have led to a lack of access to safe water for many poor people, and shortages of adequate fresh water cause there to be insufficient water to sustain communities around the world. Water usage and lack of adequate fresh water affects everyone, so should governmental or international bodies play a larger role in maintaining a clean and adequate water supply for everyone in order to protect and provide this essential element for the world’s citizens and allow for growth and expansion of societies everywhere? These are some of the issues explored in this paper. Ecosystems need clean water in order to exist and to continue to function in a healthy way for the...
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...Impacts of a Borderless Society Kaplan University SC300: Big Ideas in Science: From Methods to Mutation Carmelisa King December 1, 2014 Living in the United States there are resources that are more readily available to us than in other parts of the world. However, in the world today there are endless boundaries when it comes to how we obtain goods, services and food. In certain countries it’s hard to obtain clean water, foods with all the necessary nutrients and vitamins that are needed. However, in the United States we live in an era where everything is available for consumption and all we have to do is go to the local grocery store, Walmart, Target or Farmers Market. This paper will discuss the impacts of a borderless society. Where we get our foods from? The farming methods that are used and how these methods impact the environment and the employees who work with these farms. Were the items grown and shipped in from other countries? Lastly, this paper will cover the ecological and economic advantages and disadvantages of purchasing foods locally. First of all we will discuss my breakfast yesterday. It consisted of eggs, potatoes, onions, green peppers, and orange juice. Some people buy food from the local grocery store. However, I normally purchase our groceries from Stiles Farmer’s Market, Brother’s Farmer’s Market, Publix or Winn Dixie. My breakfast meal consisted of: eggs, onions, potatoes, green peppers from Farmer’s Market, and Simply Orange Juice from Publix...
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