Restoring American Bison

  How would you prioritize the reintroduction of the American Bison?
 

I think reintroducing the American Bison is somewhat important for overall ecosystem, but I think it's more important for Native Americans. Bison are good for the land because they do not clear graze like cattle.  Unfortunately, they were driven to extinction.  Prior to this class, I didn't know that hunting American Bison was a past time that they did so nonchalantly.  They didn't even use the American Bison, just shot to kill. It's really unfortunate, and for the Native Americans where it's such an important animal for them, I feel that's why they're gathering together to reintroduce American Bison and have them no longer be so distinct.

“...we had six grizzly bears, and the Canyon pack of wolves that were all visible in the morning, and throughout the day. And really, all week.” Do you feel we are resetting the natural balance here?

I'm not sure I think that putting all these wild animals in at once is resetting the natural balance. Yes, it is good for the environment and will be beneficial in the long run. But I'm also a bit concerned that all these wild animals will be dangerous for humans. As long as they stay in the wild, then it's fine. But if there becomes an issue and they start coming to the urban areas, I can see the trouble that would occur. I"m not sure we're really resetting the entire natural balance because the environment has changed so much, and reintroducing animals won't fix a solution.

Ecosystems and Deep Ecology

What do you think about the “eight-point Deep Ecology Platform”?

The "eight-point Deep Ecology Platform" has good principles, but I think it's difficult to enforce.  It does make me reflect on how I treat the environment, and what I can do to help be a better influence in the deep ecology movement.  Unless there are some drastic changes that happen, the nonhuman life is doomed. As humans, we just consume consume consume without thinking of the consequences that it may cause.  I think if we slowly enforce little changes, we'll see an improvement. Now the question is, how?

Can you explain why “Ecosystems are both strong and fragile”?

Ecosystems are both strong and fragile because they range in sizes.  It can be "as small as a pond or as large as a planet."  Healthy ecosystems change, and this can either help it or harm it. This is why they are strong and fragile, because it works so closely within itself.  The loss of one facet can impact the rest of the ecosystem.  When there are natural boundaries and rural landscapes, it helps.  However, urban developments create new divisions and changing things in a short amount of time can harm a ecosystem.  They all need to be working together in harmony to be strong, but can crumble with a small factor.

Post your thoughts on one of this afternoon's class discussions

"Why May the Chickens Hit the Road?" I thought this article was interesting, but I agree with the people who don't like the chickens! Just because I can imagine what a nuisance it would be. I also don't like when humans feed animals, just because it makes the animals dependent on humans and will continue to bug them because they know they'll get food. And I couldn't imagine having to hear them every morning at 3:30am!

Cell Biology : HIV/AIDS

How do you feel about western approaches to HIV/AIDS?

I think western approaches to HIV/AIDS is one that is the same to western approaches to most things-funding and research. There seems to be a lot of funding and research for HIV/AIDS and as time goes on, more and more information is being collected. I think that the main concern is finding a cure rather than a treatment, and even if the side effects are horrific, as long as the advancement of the illness is delayed, then it's progress. Unfortunately, the virus is tricky because of how sophisticated it is and how quickly it can change.

What are your thoughts on the prospects of a vaccine for HIV/AIDS?

 I really do hope a vaccine will be developed soon for HIV/AIDS. But part of me knows that when it is available, the price will be outrageous. When drugs first come out they are expensive, and it's not until after the patent has expired that they can become more affordable. This makes it almost impossible for people in poverty or third world countries to receive the vaccine. Hopefully, it will become easily acceptable sooner, rather than later

Can TCM strengthen our immune systems?

Definitely! TCM is remarkable because it can do so many things, and strengthening our immune systems is just one of them! TCM looks at the entire body compared to just a symptom. It can strengthen the body's overall functions and help eliminate pathogens that harm the immune system.  Toxic Heat, Phlegm, and Blood Stasis are example of TCM evils that can invade the body but can be eliminated through treatments/herbs.  It is also good to use in combination with HIV/AIDS to treat side effects from medication and reduce stress and anxiety.

Cell Biology and Cancer

How sophisticated is our understanding of cancer?

I feel like our understanding of cancer is not that sophisticated,  especially in the U.S. I think it's such a complex disease and is constantly changing, so it's difficult to know exactly how it works and its an ongoing battle to be able to determine what will treat it. The article "Is America better at treating cancer than Europe" is such an eye opener. I think as Americans, we pride ourselves on how great everything is. In reality, we probably just have this sense that it's great, but look at the results! America is ranked 11th out of 11 other developed countries. We spend the most on health care, yet it seems that our overall health care is horrible for the average person.  Through this, we can tell that our understanding is very small. While it is constantly growing, I think it will be a continual learning process. 

How does a TCM approach to cancer differ?

The TCM approach to cancer is a bit different in some ways, yet similar in other ways.  In modern Chinese hospitals, when cancer patients have western treatments, it's often combined with herbal medicine and acupuncture to help maintain the person's overall health.  In western hospitals, they just undergo treatment and are sent home to rest.  In TCM, qi is an essential part of health.  Weak qi leads to illness.  When there is no qi, the person would essentially be dead.  PET scanning technology shows that molecules are arranged in crystaline networks in living organisms and this network froms a communication system where information flows.  This corresponds to the Chinese qi network with meridians in the body.  Emotions and diet are also important in both TCM and Western medicine.