Ben's Posts

Blog #1: Separate Ways: Returning to the Wood

In his essay Last Child in the Woods, Robert Louv believes that over the past half-century there has been a great human exodus from nature. He says that children these days no longer grow up with a love or appreciation of the environment. Instead, they spend most of their time inside either in a classroom or relaxing with electronics. There is no doubt in my mind that there has been a substantial decline when it comes to human interaction with the words. This could have very harmful repercussions. If we have had no interaction with something we are far more likely to devalue it and to see it has expendable. This is especially true when we become apathetic towards extremely detrimental environmental practices such as deforestation and fracking. I also agree with Louv notion that our education system has become antiquated and too much of a cookie-cutter response. Teachers have become afraid to put forth nontraditional curriculums that may indeed include environmental interaction because of things such as state tests and the powerful teachers union. The only criticism I would have of this essay is to say that Louv has fallen into the trap that the past was ideal and the present is lacking. We often had a tendency to glorify and romanticize about how good things were in the past. Change is inevitable and that the United States has certainly changed a lot in the past 50 years. Blacksmiths probably felt hard done when there was no longer a need for horseshoes, however, no one ever argues that we should return to the error of the horse and buggy. The key is to embrace the natural forward progression of a society while at the same time encouraging an active curiosity both about the past and the larger world around us.

Blog #2: My Reply to The Letters to the Editor

I have a general disdain for letters to the editor. The letters tend to be a form of a well-organized complaint. Don't get me wrong, it is every citizen's right to express their views and to speak out when they think something is wrong. However, complaining or stating a point of view without also providing at least a path for a rational solution is not constructive in the least. The citizens of Athens seem particularly adverse to change. They even vetoed a proposal to build an assisted living home for the elderly, on the Eastside, because of ridiculous traffic concerns. The letters that we read are no different. Somewhere down the line, certain citizens of Athens seem to have gotten the notion that if they live 1 mile outside the corporation limit of the city they are somehow experts on topics of ruralness, farming subsidies, property tax, and the advancement of urban sprawl. Unfortunately, most of these people are experts only in their minds.

Blog #3 A Woman’s Land:

The author of this essay presents two main propositions. The first one being that women have systematically been prevented from owning land and secondly, that women have an innate sense of the value for untouched land. I agree wholeheartedly with the first statement, not so much with the second. Throughout Western civilization land ownership has been a central tenet in order to determine the self-worth and power of a particular individual. It is for this reason that land ownership throughout the annals of history as almost exclusively pertain to white men. These men would want to keep their power, position, and the rights that the land endow them to have so they were unsurprisingly continue to pass their land holdings to their sons. An obvious side effect of this practice is that women are purposely written out of the equation. Women have every right to feel as if they have been hard done. However, just because they might be initially more appreciative of their land because they had never been afforded this opportunity before, it doesn't mean that they are somehow better environmental stewards. The essay engages in the very thing it strives to eradicate, stereotypes. A person's personality, ethnic, and general outlook towards the world has very little to do with her gender and very much to do with variables such as societal norms and the belief of their parents and others within their support system.

Blog #4 Environmental Ethics:

My research paper explores what it actually means to have a notion of morality or righteousness. In addition, I ponder what environmentalism should look like in a world that was created by a divine being. By declaring something as “good" we are making a number of unspoken assertions that we often take for granted. I have used logical reasoning to argue for the existence of a creator God who has given us free will, agency, and made humans superior to all other creations. In turn, (I applied the former to environmentalism.)However, this superiority doesn't mean that we have a right to destroy the earth and to harm the people around us. This endowment of a conscience and its moral law is meant to serve as a catalyst by which we are able to perceive the morally righteous path and thus foster a world in which we can live sustainably and harmoniously within

Ben Fultz

My Environmental Ethic

    Surprisingly I used to be one of those people who grew up in a conservative city, with very conservative ideals. In fact my environmental ethics were tremendously different than what they are now. I used to believe that a better economic system, even at the stake of destroying thousands of beautiful trees, was better for a community than nature. However, a flourishing environment can be a major impact in the economy of a community.
    It is weird to think that I thought like that and am now trying to spend all of my free time outside surrounded by trees and fields of unmoved grass. Back in Cincinnati there were parks and hiking trails that I occasionally explored, but they never compared to the experience in Athens. I feel that my strong sense of support for the environmental growth today is due to my lack of knowledge when I was younger. I was surrounded by housing developments, skyscrapers, and tons of construction, which hindered me from the true experience that I desired.
    Furthermore, because I grew up thinking that the environment wasn't that important of an issue compared to others, I never realized how effective my life was to others. Now I know that everything and everyone is connected when it comes to nature. It is like “We are all part of the web. What affects one strand affects us all.” (Awiakta, 61). This is otherwise known by Edward Lorenz as the "butterfly effect" (Louv, 209). By surrounding myself with the Athens community, I was able to better formulate together my environmental ethics. In my paper I am going to explore how my views have changed and how my effect on the environment and others is (hopefully) positively impacting.

Agricultural pollution in Ohio

My research paper discussed the declining water quality of Lake Erie caused by agricultural pollution. I focused on the Maumee river basin which drains into the western end of the lake because for the past 15 to 20 years harmful algal blooms have been the worst in that area. Algal blooms feed off of the agricultural pollution which is mainly plant nutrients and thrive when these nutrients are supplied in excess. I found that although the amount of land devoted to agriculture in Ohio has decreased, the production of corn has largely increased. Corn requires more phosphorus than most other crops and as a result more phosphorus has been entering the ground water throughout Ohio that feeds Lake Erie. The rise in corn production correlates to the rise of harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie's western end. The agricultural land use change seems to be a main contributing factor to the decline of Ohio's water quality.
This topic was interesting to me because my family owns a lake house in Ohio on a lake that is experiencing the same algal blooms as lake Erie. The lake is also located in an area that is predominantly farm land. I was hoping to discover a solution that could also be applied to this lake. It seems that the only solution would be to reduce the amount of land devoted to agriculture but this seems to be impractical. I also would like to research what the purpose of all the corn that is grown in Ohio. Whether it is for human consumption, animal feed, or to be added to other products. I've learned in other courses that there is a surplus of corn in the US and the majority of corn grown is not for human consumption. If the production of corn was decreased the amount of phosphorus that enters the ground water would also decrease. This is a complex issue because the majority of farmers rely on corn production to make a living. It also would be interesting to see if another crop could take the place of corn if this would help the problem.

The fire next time

I think the pbs film "the fire next time" pretty much summed up my thoughts on my experience in ENG3100J Environmental Sustainability by showing how difficult and complex the subject of environmental sustainability can be. The film described a less then wealthy town in the flathead valley of Montana. The people that lived their was people who lived off of the land, had jobs where they used the land and they planned to spend most of their lives on this land. Now these types of people, as portrayed by the film, had a split in them. One group fought for the jobs and economic growth and sustainability of the local economy. The other group was a strong willed group of environmentalists, scientists, and outdoor lovers a whole. The groups existed peacefully in the valley until a man named John Stokes bought a radio station and sparked a fire. This man had radical view points supporting the working "american" class man and was not quite about his opinions. He constantly would make threats towards people who he felt stood in his " and the american peoples" way. His bandwagoning tactics provoked many people to join and follow in his footsteps and when John Stokes said the environmentalists were to blame for the loss of jobs in the Valley, people took drastic action towards the accused. In the wake an all out political war arose following in death threats, slashing of tires and even a suspected murder of a lesbian environmental activist. The valley battled over political agendas such as logging, weapons holding and opinions on what is state and public land. The result of this documentary, as portrayed by pbs, was that everyone was singing koombaya at the end, and everyone could settle their differences. The reality of the matter in this movie, and in environmental sustainability starts and ends with 7 words. NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE HAPPY. The bulk of the matter resides in the sad inevitable truth that not everyone is going to be happy with the choices and outcomes that rule. I feel thats why our system is so great. That if you like the way things are, you can vote to have the best candidate lead and make choices. But if you feel extremely strongly about an idea, you can fight that till your blue in the face and with every muscle you have. because that is your constitutional right. I feel by having choice, opinion and a voice, not always are you going to be heard, but if you feel so strongly about something, and you speak loud enough, you can be heard.

Sustainability Essay

For my essay on sustainability in Athens, I chose to focus on the intricacies of the Athens area food system and its potential for sustainability.  Originally, the objective for this essay was to explore our local food system, in the context of sustainability, from the farmer to the dinner plate.  But, the more I learned about what makes a sustainable food system sustain, the more I realized I was persuading my audience to the Athens area food system was indeed sustainable, and had the potential to be a model system for similar communities throughout the United States.  For example, Athens is home to the 30-Mile Meal project.  This project was put in place to encourage vendors around Athens, such as Casa Nueva and Della Zona, to commit to purchasing food within a 30 mile radius of Athens.  By implementing this project with over 140 vendors in the area, local farmers have a steady demand for fresh, local produce that can compete with large supermarkets and distributors such as Walmart and Gordon Food Services (GFS).  In addition to local vendors promoting local farmers through marketing projects like the 30-Mile Meal plan, there are also organizations within the community that promotes local entrepreneurship within the food business such as the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (ACEnet).  This organization rents out facilities and gives workshops on local entrepreneurship in order to strengthen the link between local business and local food.  In all, I concluded that the network of farmers, local vendors and restaurants, as well as the strong culture around promoting local food purchasing, Athens already has its foot in the door for becoming a model sustainable food system that other similar communities can admire.

            While Athens seems to be a golden city of sustainability based on my research of the local food system, numerous questions arose from this project.  Did you know that 1 in 6 residents of Athens County live below the poverty line and often do not have enough food to eat?  This fact may contradict my conclusion that Athens has a strong and sustainable food system.  If there is such a good network of farmers, markets, and vendors selling local food, why is the local economy allowing for 1 in 6 of its residents to live below the poverty line? This is a question that absolutely needs further exploration and the answer may not come from just one place.  Does the answer lie in the Appalachian culture, history of exploitation, or neither?  By exploring this food system and attempting to persuade my audience that Athens is in fact sustainable, these were relevant questions that came up that require further exploration and explanation.  If this contradiction within the local food system has not yet been explored or there is no established answer, then I encourage the rhetoric around this topic to create a conversation within the community on steps to better the Athens food system and eliminate this contradiction for the sake of progress.

My Research Paper

            My research paper was on the 30-Mile Meal here in Athens and also on whether or not local food is actually better for the environment.  I found a lot of research on both sides of the issue, some saying local food is better and others that disagreed with that notion.  It was fascinating that so many people could look at this one issue and have so many varying opinions on the matter.  While some people spoke about food miles, the distance food travels to get to your plate, other talked about greenhouses and how much energy it took to produce fruit and vegetables that wouldn’t grow in that location otherwise.  I found out that shipping food by railway is ten times less harmful than shipping the food on the back of a tractor trailer.  I also found out that in some cases it is actually more environmentally friendly to have food shipped in instead of trying to grow it where you live.  The example given in one of the articles I read talked about having tomatoes shipped from Spain instead of trying to grow them in greenhouses in Sweden.  The author concluded that if the Spanish tomatoes were grown in fields in the sun and those farmers didn’t have to add an expensive system to water the plants that even after they are shipped all the way to Sweden they still required less fossil fuel to get there then it would have taken to grow them in a greenhouse in Sweden.  After reading all of the articles that I found I decided that it would be best to eat local food, but only when that food is not grown in a greenhouse.  Also, if you can cut down on meat, especially beef, it would help as well since animals produce methane that is also harmful. In order to make you diet more environmentally friendly the key is to try to eat only local food that is currently in season and not grown in a greenhouse.

"Years of Living Dangerously"

      In class, we watched a Showtime documentary entitled "Years of Living Dangerously" which is essentially a commentary on the causes and effects of global warming. The film stars Harrison Ford, Don Cheadle, and journalist Thomas Friedman as they each explore separate storylines related to climate change. These storylines include the devastating effects of deforestation in Indonesia, a drought in Texas that has crippled the local economy, and the revolution in Syria,in which a drought was a major contributing factor to the outbreak of civil war. The film is presented much like a Hollywood film, using dynamic lighting, theatrical cinematography, and dramatic music to set a certain mood, all the while trying to present information relevant to global warming.
      Before watching this film in class, I had never heard of the "Years of Living Dangerously" series, but I found it to be particularly interesting simply due to the nature of the film. While I resent the fact that the filmmakers had to use celebrities and well-known public figures in order to generate interest on an issue of such universal importance, I do believe that this tactic has its practical benefits. As I was watching the film, I noticed at one point that I had forgotten that I was watching a documentary, let alone that I was still in class. I was thoroughly entertained, and whether or not the events portrayed in the film were staged and/or scripted, the important thing to remember is that people will watch it because they want to. Like any other entertaining film, the audience will come away from the viewing experience with an understanding and appreciation for the stories and ideas presented; only in this case, the stories and ideas presented are socially relevant and attempt to raise awareness for an extremely meaningful issue.

My Land Ethic

When beginning my final essay I tried first to think about how important the environments I know are to me and why. I discovered that I have an equal--yet completely different-- love for the red rocks and sandstones in Arizona, the marshy wetlands, beaches and rivers of Maryland, and the lush woods and rolling hills of Ohio. Upon further introspection I've found that it's the experiences I had as a child that really made me love these places. I can remember going to the beach every weekend of every summer in Maryland and how every experience was better than the last, from the "sand crabs" we would dig for at the edge of the surf to the wild ponies that lazily strolled down the shore grazing on sea grass here and there.

When visiting my grandparents in Arizona every year for Christmas I can remember being amazed at the polar differences between Maryland and Arizona. The desert creatures we would rescue from the pool (mice, rabbits, armadillos, lizards, etc...) seemed so different in both appearance and behavior from the ones I knew. Every trip to the botanical gardens was an adventure in which we were surrounded by 100 year old Saguaros and tempted by the delicious yet dangerous Prickly Pear Fruit.

Finally, Ohio (Southeastern, to be precise) holds a special place in my heart. Almost every memory involving Athens from my childhood involves nature, the environment, or the land in some way. I can remember nothing that would excite me more at five or six years old than the prospect of hiking with my grandfather. On the farm we own out near Mineral, I was taught to appreciate things that grow as much as any living animal you could witness. It seemed as though my grandpa knew every flower, tree, and weed that grew on those hills better than any encyclopedia  and it made those things precious to me. Suddenly each Buckeye he patted as he walked by, showing us the shape of the leaves without plucking them from the branches, had a personality, feelings, a purpose, and most importantly a distinct right to be there. Each beaver-made walking stick he found was as precious as the animal that spent so much time making it.

This exploration has made me realize that my favorite places in the world--those closest to my hear-- are the ones in which I have strong ties to the environment. In truth, it is the first thing I think about when I picture these places in my mind. Our family had to sell the farm, so we are currently in experiencing the last summer we'll ever have at our family farm and it hurts me more than I can express. One of the things that upsets me the most is that I just don't know how the next caretakers of that property will treat the land. I'm in no way saying my family was the best that's ever lived on that land but we absolutely love it and that is what I've realized is important. You can love the land like a sister or brother, or grandparent and that is how humans are meant to live in the environment, in my opinion. These resources are here for us to love and respect and use but not to deplete. Give what you have and take what you need, it's what the land has been doing for us since the dawn of calculable time.

Fighting for What You Love & Fighting for What's Right

In the trailer, “On Coal River” we watch as a coal-mining town that is faced with a serious dilemma between the work that they love, and the people that they love. The people who live in the Coal River Valley are seen as a proud people, proud of who they are and what they do. However, when they learn that a toxic waste dam is affecting the health of the students at a nearby school, the tables start to turn.  We see as a town gets turned upside down and we see people who are not afraid to fight for what they believe in. Some people in the town fight for the children, and some people in the town fight for their coal mine. One thing that really stands out when watching this trailer is when the women says,  “I used to be so proud when someone would say what’s your husband do for a living? What’s your father do for a living? Their coal miners.” It’s striking because even though she says it in the past tense she cannot mask the smile of lingering pride that creeps up onto her face. Yet, the health of the students at Marsh Fork Elementary causes her to change her beliefs. Even though she is not alone in her new fight to save the school, many people of the town are seen not fighting for the same cause. This trailer really shows the lengths people will go for the things that they believe are right. It shows that human need to fight for the things that they love. Many people love their children but, as also displayed by the trailer, the people of the town also love their coalmine. So it’s really difficult deciding what side would be right. Of course someone would say that the people fighting for the health of other people would be the right thing to fight for. But what about the others? Do they not have a valid reason to fight other then the fact that they love their work? The fact that it is their work is reason enough. In a town like this, odds are many families are provided for by the money a family member makes working in the coal mine. So what’s more important? Money or Health? Can you have health without money? And can you have money without health? This town is faced with a serious problem with two extremely contrasting sides.

My Land Ethic

  When talking about my land ethic, I feel like it's probably not one of the best in the world, but after taking this class and reading the essays we did, I feel like I will look at the land a different way. The land we have left is a precious commodity and at the rate that we are destroying it or how slowly we are replenishing the forests is quite concerning.
  Then take into account all the mountain top or strip mining we do for coal. We don't restore the land after we're done mining to where it looks like we were never there. The mess we leave behind from these mines can also be potentially harmful to the environment if not taken care of properly.
  And then living in Athens county for the past 11 years, I can say that I would have to agree with some of the anti-fracking folks from the area, and for multiple reasons. 1, the risk to the local water table is high and with a decent portion of Athens county getting their water directly from aquifers, I wouldn't want my water to be contaminated either. 2, if handled incorrectly or disposed of improperly, the contaminated water that is used to extract the natural gas can enter the watershed and cause problems elsewhere down the line and cause issues for someone else.