Project on Environmental Issues 10

A Sign of Hope in San Diego

This was one of the most hopeful articles I read about people and climate change. The article was about a Republican mayor Kevin Faulconer in San Diego that planned to make San Diego use 100% renewable energy that will be produced from solar panels and wind. The mayor is an open-minded man that goes to LGBT pride walks, feels responsible for the environment. He took action for environment rights even before he was a mayor. When he became the mayor, he gained the power to change something in order to save the environment. He was able to persuade his Republican friends that his plans had an economic part that would profit them too. When we see other Republicans that say things like, “climate change is a religion” it is an improvement and a relief to see there are Republicans that think this way.

Seeing that there are mayors that care about the wellness of the environment makes me feel full of hope. My neighborhood used to be full of trees, but because of the effort and money it takes to leave a tree in the area that they are going to build a building on, they cut most of the trees. This is one of the reasons I’m into environmental issues. And seeing people that take action without the aim of economical profit makes me want to hug and congratulate them for being a thoughtful person.

If there were more people that would take action for the sake of environment and risk their money for this cause, the world might have not get effected from climate change as much. Taking care of environmental problems requires a lot of money spending. That’s why most people just don’t get into this problem and chose to ignore this fact or refuses to get involved. One of the best things this mayor did was to take the first step in USA, and to convince some other Republicans to help him in this case. If the idea that saving the environment doesn’t require as much money, and it will be a gain in long term, more people will help this problem. And I want to thank mayor Faulconer for taking a big first step.

Project on Environmental Issues 9

How Chickens Are Raised

The issue of animal testing, raise of poultry and cattle in factories is a recent and popular debate topic. The article was about how chickens are tortured while they are being raised and how imbalanced their bodies and genetics are. These poultry grow much faster than a normal chicken, and their bodies are so dysfunctional they can’t even walk properly. Here is a part that explains the condition of chickens,

By day nine, the broiler’s legs can barely keep its oversized breast off the ground. By day 11, it is puffed up to double the size of its cousin. It looks like an obese nine-year-old standing on the legs of a five-year-old. By day 35 it looks more like a weightlifter on steroids and dwarfs the egg-laying hen. (Lawrance)

Also their cages were only the size of an A4 sheet, now they have an extra space that’s area is only one postcard big, which was put after a lot of debating. So all we can say is their life conditions are really bad.

I used to be a vegetarian for some time, but started eating meat again because of the high school exam and some other reasons. When I think about the things these chicken go through, I want to quit eating meat again. Eating meat isn’t worth making poor animals that can’t do anything suffer like this. They are under a curse they can’t control from the moment they are born. And with the genetic disorders they are given to make them easier to sell and take under control, they are treated as meat, but not animals or even living things.

Animals can’t communicate with humans. This is a known fact. But does this really have to mean that because they can’t speak for themselves, they can be controlled in any way we want? They are being tortured just because they can’t communicate. But if they could speak, would we still apply these, or would we stop doing this? I don’t think they should even speak to stop this suffering. Aren’t their screams enough?

PS: After a few weeks I wrote this essay, I quit eating meat again. The paragraph that I wrote about being a vegetarian before is now a present thing and I am a half vegetarian now. By half I mean I don't eat meat when I have other options to chose. If I have another option that doesn't include any meat, I don't eat meat, and I usually do have other options. 

Project on Environmental Issues 8

Environment’s Effect on Scottish Elections

The article was about where the parties for the Scottish Parliament stood in the support for bicycle use in Scotland. The amount of candidates that responded was really low. And most of the ones that responded gave vague answers to the questions that were asked. I really liked the language the article was written in. It was formal but it also had a sincere tone. In the part where the writer said politicians weren’t a good resource to use in a data because they gave vague and “answer-shaped words as answers”. He responded with, “Who knew?” which gave the article a really warm and sincere tone.

I wish environment were valued as much in Turkey, like it’s valued in Scotland. Even when the candidates gave vague answers there were also a lot of candidates that are going to join a bicycle ride to the Parliament. They are trying hard to improve roads for bikers. They are planning to invest some money to bikers and travelers by feet. Also they are planning to fund the infrastructure of bicycles that can be used by almost anyone that wants to use bicycles to travel. By financially helping these they are also helping save the environment, and people of Scotland are going to consider the perspective of the parties on the protection and saving of the environment by the use of bicycles and travellers by feet.

People considering the perspective to environment of a party to chose parliament members shows their level of awareness on environmental matters. Environment protection is one of the most important things to consider because if a party cares about environment, it shows they value the protection of environment more than they value money, which is a rare level of selflessness that can be found in a politician. This research might be about what the candidates and parties think about the investment in the use of bicycles, but it also shows a lot of different things about a politician that might help them gain the elections.