The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World: Fourth Edition, revised and updated by Joni Seager
For most Americans and other industrialized countries, when we want water we simply go and turn on the tap. There are not many worries about what is coming out and if it is safe, not to mention running out of water. Of course there are places that come into droughts or have sanitatoin problems but for the most part we have no worries. Water to the industralized world is still seen as if it is a renewable resource like we once viewed oil and gold.
According to the reading, Americas use the most water at a huge amount of 585 liters per day. Comparing this to europeans at say around 300 on average, this is a huge difference between two industrialized countries or groups of countries. So my question is, where is all this water going to? This is not even to mention some of the poorest people in the world who only use between five and thirty liters per day, and most of them have to walk miles and miles a day to get it from a watering hole, or if they are lucky, a local pump.
I feel that since water is a non renewable resource and probably the most important necessity to survive that water should be payed for. But, because not everyone can pay for water and it is necessary, like I said to survive, the United Nations and World Bank should look greatly into finding the amount of water necessary in liters per person, per day for a person to live compfortably. Once they found this number, everyone should be aloud to have that amount of water for free, and if you feel you need more then you pay a fee for it. I know that something like this is not realisitic but as our aquifers and rivers are drying up I hope that we as a whole group of people could come to an agreement like this.
We constantly hear that history is taught so that we learn from our mistakes. Well, as you can see that doesn't happen very often. One example of this would be the people that lived in the
Mesa Verde Valley. They were an advanced people that were able to settle down. What happened though, was that they were not careful in using their resources and were forced to move out of the valley or starve. Today, this is happening around the world and we still don't see it, the biggest example now being with oil. We are constantly repeating the pattern of using resources until they are no longer available, rather then looking for alternative ways that are renewable.
I feel that we really need to be careful and aware especially as a leading nation that people look to, it becomes our responsibilty. We are going to use up all the water before people in Africa even have safe access for everyone. So my question is I suppose, is when are we as a nation going to wake up and in a sense stop killing ourselves slowly?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Chapter 4, Racism the begginers Guide, Chp. 4 Racism without race?
Racism, the Beginners Guide
Chapter 4, “Racism Without Race?”
Written by, Alana Lentin
Summary
Many people today in politics and those who fall into the category as the standardized normal would say that America is a post-racial society. The author, Alana Lentin writes this chapter with the main purpose of showing how far we really are from getting rid of the idea of ‘race.’ Race in America has gone from what we think of before and during the civil rights movement, to something more subtle. In my opinion what we have today is almost more dangerous because we don’t see it. In America you have two sides or different cultures, the rich white people who can afford health care and private schools etc… and the poor people of multiple ethnicities. We use the excuse that poor people have put themselves there when in fact we don’t start on an even field. To have good schools and good health care you need money to start with. Our fend for yourself culture allows for this and justifies it. The fact that we still have racism shows in that we still use race and differentiate cultures. We use the terms, Asian, Black, White etc… in the same way we look at people and say girl, boy or tall short etc… which has its own problems. Racism in America is everywhere if you look for it and are aware some of the biggest according to the author being in Hurricane Katrina and our justifications for immigration policy.
Key Terms
Post-racial America- the idea that we as a country and people have put racism behind us.
Ethnocentrism- looking at the world from only your own cultural views and values.
Racelessness- the idea that white people are the norm and have become invisible.
Colorblindness- white, not seen as a color, the norm and invisible.
Re-segregation- “is ensured by the privatization of all common resources from roads to healthcare and schools.” (p.100)
Kinaltruism- a tendency to protect and help those of your own kind.
Instinctivism- the idea of protecting your group from outsiders, justified by evolution.
Important Quotes
-“…racism does not stand alone; it is bound up with the way our societies function.” (p. 91)
-“…Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak No Evil. If we do not mention the fact that someone is different maybe her difference will go away.” (p.95)
-The badge of race, “to the ‘physical bond’ that the ‘common history’ of those who have suffered a long disaster and ‘have one long memory’ have to carry with them.” (p.104) (Du Bois 1940, cited in Appiah 1985: 33)
-“…can avoid being accused of racism because it is based on the argument that all human groups share the instinct to want to live separately from others.” (p.107)
Questions
-Since the idea of race has been created and is so bound in our culture like male and female, can it ever go away?
-How aware are we that we are all racist in some way because we have pre conceived notions about everyone?
-A world with social justice is what most people would agree is what they want, but could we even imagine a world where that was possible?
Chapter 4, “Racism Without Race?”
Written by, Alana Lentin
Summary
Many people today in politics and those who fall into the category as the standardized normal would say that America is a post-racial society. The author, Alana Lentin writes this chapter with the main purpose of showing how far we really are from getting rid of the idea of ‘race.’ Race in America has gone from what we think of before and during the civil rights movement, to something more subtle. In my opinion what we have today is almost more dangerous because we don’t see it. In America you have two sides or different cultures, the rich white people who can afford health care and private schools etc… and the poor people of multiple ethnicities. We use the excuse that poor people have put themselves there when in fact we don’t start on an even field. To have good schools and good health care you need money to start with. Our fend for yourself culture allows for this and justifies it. The fact that we still have racism shows in that we still use race and differentiate cultures. We use the terms, Asian, Black, White etc… in the same way we look at people and say girl, boy or tall short etc… which has its own problems. Racism in America is everywhere if you look for it and are aware some of the biggest according to the author being in Hurricane Katrina and our justifications for immigration policy.
Key Terms
Post-racial America- the idea that we as a country and people have put racism behind us.
Ethnocentrism- looking at the world from only your own cultural views and values.
Racelessness- the idea that white people are the norm and have become invisible.
Colorblindness- white, not seen as a color, the norm and invisible.
Re-segregation- “is ensured by the privatization of all common resources from roads to healthcare and schools.” (p.100)
Kinaltruism- a tendency to protect and help those of your own kind.
Instinctivism- the idea of protecting your group from outsiders, justified by evolution.
Important Quotes
-“…racism does not stand alone; it is bound up with the way our societies function.” (p. 91)
-“…Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak No Evil. If we do not mention the fact that someone is different maybe her difference will go away.” (p.95)
-The badge of race, “to the ‘physical bond’ that the ‘common history’ of those who have suffered a long disaster and ‘have one long memory’ have to carry with them.” (p.104) (Du Bois 1940, cited in Appiah 1985: 33)
-“…can avoid being accused of racism because it is based on the argument that all human groups share the instinct to want to live separately from others.” (p.107)
Questions
-Since the idea of race has been created and is so bound in our culture like male and female, can it ever go away?
-How aware are we that we are all racist in some way because we have pre conceived notions about everyone?
-A world with social justice is what most people would agree is what they want, but could we even imagine a world where that was possible?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
