Levester Williams
Reed Esslinger-Payet, GSI
ADP 250: Technology and Environment
Ecocide
Since foreign countries have colonized other developing countries in the past, those countries may have been introduced a problem that disrupts the biota of that region: the introduction of foreign species. Introduced species may sometimes outcompete indigenous species since the native species have not encounter those species before. Those introduced species may prey on the native species, who have not evolved or adapted to avoid such predators; therefore, the predation leads to decline or the extirpation of native species. Furthermore, those introduced species may outcompete natives in food and territory resources. Current examples of this ecocide and its consequences on that society can be found in Australia and United States.
Introduced species may be implemented in an environment out of ignorance or carelessness. When British colonized Australia in the 18th century, they incorporated their lifestyle into the lives in Australia. However, both environments have significant differences since Australia has low soil productivity (Diamond 390). Even though the sheep provided the export of wool, the sheep deprived the soil of its few nutrients. Also, foxes, who have no predators in Australia, eats native species while rabbits eats vegetation of the Australia’s native species (Diamond 392). In Montana, the introduction of foreign species has decrease the commercial fishing due to the decline of native species and the infection of disease from foreign fishes. Also, chronic wasting disease is a fatal disease that can be transmitted from the nonnative elks and deers into human (Diamond 54). In addition to that, Montana has weeds that efface much vegetation. To overcome this issue, Montana must buy expensive herbicide (Diamond 55). This is an ecocide since this issue affects biodiversity: it may cause the extinction of native species. Biodiversity is healthy to our system, and without it, biota of all regions will be disrupted and will lead to a chaotic phenomena. An example of how drastic that introduced species may affect a biota is the migration of the Asian carp in the Mississippi River. The fear of this carp in Michigan’s Great Lakes has urged the government to poison two miles of the Chicago River to stop its entrance (Trumpey).
Works Cited
Diamond, Jared M. Collapse How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking, 2005. Print.
Trumpey, Joe. "Biodiversity." Art & Design III: Technology and Environment. Univeristy of Michigan Ann Abor, Stamps Auditorium, Ann Arbor. 2 Dec. 2009. Lecture.
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Jared Diamond discusses how different societies throughout history have struggled to maintain sufficient soil, sustain a surplus of crops, and avoid starvation for both livestock and its societies people. Diamond uses Greenland as an example for the process leading up to a societies collapse in this manor. The livestock overgraze the land, which causes the soil to die. Another example is Easter Island, whose citizens only saw their dense forests as a giant lumber yard. While they failed to replenish these natural resources, there land became a sparse field of stumps. The society was so dependant on the resources that the people soon became extinct once the tree supply was running on empty. The author uses these various failed societies as a lesson for modern societies to learn from. Unfortunately, history tends to repeat itself.
ReplyDeleteworks cited:
Diamond, Jared M. Collapse How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Viking, 2005. Print.