Author: Devon (Page 2 of 3)

Vegetarians: Moral High Ground no More! – Blog 9

 (546 Words)

This week I’m writing about arguments. Essentially, I’m politely looking for a fight, and after learning a few secret moves from Sensei, I’m ready to throw down.

Not everyone should be vegetarian.

“911, state your emergency”

“There’s a hate crime! A man said words that don’t adhere to my world view!”

Oh yeah, we doing this one people, come at me.

Not everyone reacts that outrageously, but as fellow netizens I think we’ve all seen the crazy vege-nuts that give their cause a bad name.

A recent example might be the Antler protests in Toronto, famous for the “RESTAURANT OWNER TAUNTS US by DISMEMBERING a DEER’S LEG in VIEW of OUR PROTEST” video (Marsh, 2018). Any purported dietary lifestyle that can evolve into a mad crusade deserves a little scrutiny.

While the Antler incident is not indicative of why people shouldn’t be vegetarian, the behaviour is part and parcel with vegetarian culture.

Before I get into the real meat of this article, let me extend an olive branch for the vegetarians out there; vegetarian cuisine is not only healthy and delicious but it has opened up a world of recipes that even the most staunch meat eater can benefit from and enjoy.

What I’m arguing isn’t whether ANYONE should be vegetarian. The diet simply isn’t feasible for EVERYONE.

Economically, eating a ‘healthy’ vegetarian diet, is tough. There is a steep cost associated with buying a variety of imported vegetables and fruits to make up for incomplete nutrient profiles in any single piece of produce. Kudos to those who can afford exotic superfood juices; [insert brand name] vegetable powder or extracts; and the plethora of nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and grains necessary to form a complete protein. Very admirable and I am jealous to the extreme. For the rest of us Poors, that is simply not viable. When Poors go vegetarian, it inevitably turns into some Frankenstein’d junk food bonanza. Because, hey! Oreos and cheap candy count as vegetarian.

Lets talk environment: Vegetarians frequently purport that eating vegetarian causes less impact on the environment. You’ll see and hear from any number of sources things like “Eating a vegetarian diet is one of the best things you can do to stop climate change” (VegSoc, 2019). Is that true? Not necessarily. While large scale livestock production still has a ways to go to improve sustainability, there are a mountain of problems that the unchecked spread of agriculture is causing. Look no further than avocados. Hailed as the vegetarian superfood (omnivores like the ‘cado too!), avocado farming is wreaking havoc on ecosystems.

In a very revealing article, Goncalves (2018) explains that avocado farming leaves soil vulnerable to disease, requires over use of pesticides which leach into water ways effecting ecosystems. He specifically named the monarch butterfly as a victim of avocado farming. And lastly it was pointed out that avocado farming is requiring deforestation which is contributing to global warming.

So while the health benefits of vegetarian diets continue to be argued ad nauseam, I simply purport that not everyone should be vegetarian in the first place. Despite the best of intentions, vegetarian diets are simply not the one stop solution to ALL our problems we need, but damn if eggplant parmesan doesn’t taste just as good a chicken parmesan.

And heres my name to say so.

D.A. Mills

Marsh, C. (2018). Chef who butchered a deer leg in front of vegan protesters: ‘We won’t change’. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/apr/12/ethical-eating-vegan-protest-meat-canada

VegSoc. (2019). Eat to beat climate change. Vegetarian Society. Retrieved from https://www.vegsoc.org/info-hub/why-go-veggie/environment/

Goncalves, A. (2018). Are Avocados Sustainable? What Are The Consequences Of Avocado Production? Youmatter. Retrieved from https://youmatter.world/en/benefits-avocados-production-bad-people-planet-27107/

From EcoCritic to EcoHopeful – Blog8

(529 Words)

What feels like eons ago now, in September, I wrote a masterful take down article. I was rather critical on the Globe and Mail’s article “After long wait, 11 new names added to Canada’s list of species at risk”. I did little to hide my initial reaction for the article; my complete and utter disdain over that author’s modus operandi. There was a genuine concern that was being shared with us all. The environment is in peril and not enough is being done to protect it. Truly a unifying concern in 2019. But, and it is a large butt, the superficial means the author used to stir us up just rubbed me the wrong way. There was chaffing.

This week we’re looking at another bard of the web. Emily Chung (2018), published a scintillating article called: 60% of world’s wildlife has been wiped out since 1970. After reading that little treat, I’m singing a different tune. While she engaged in similar clickbaitery as our boy Ivan, I can truly say I was able to look upon her wordsmithing in a much more positive light. Her PhD in chemistry isn’t just for show, as seen in the way she writes. This article looked at a much broader picture and drew great connections between several sources, explaining solutions as well. 

While breaking down information from the 2018 edition of the Living Planet Report she offered quotes from James Snider, the VP of science, research and innovation for WWF-Canada (Chung, 2018). This kept the information flowing and helped connect the dots and show us where the dry data from the report relates to us. 

Rather than just whinging about inaction by committees and government, Chung (2018) relayed Sniders’s words that “rotecting [sic] forests, wetlands and coastal areas to preserve wildlife can also have a side benefit, as those types of ecosystems also store carbon and prevent it from being released into the atmosphere” (Chung 2018).

It’s shocking and disheartening to learn that so much wildlife has been lost, but she kindled a little hope by pointing out why protecting ecosystems can help. Protecting ecosystems to save the slugs and mold just don’t butter my croissant, but the idea of protecting ecosystems to store carbon? Oh that butters me up real nice. Saving the slugs and mold will just be an added benefit. Chung (2018) delivered her information in a way that just felt a tad more sincere. That kept my mind open and focused on WHAT she said rather than noticing HOW she said it. 

Now I for one don’t trust Big GOV, and don’t want them telling me my business; however, I also don’t trust peoplekind to people-up and solve the problem. We’ll need Big GOV on this one. We can start with pushing for Federal GOV to follow through on their commitment to the UN Convention of Biological Diversity by “protecting 10 per cent of marine areas and 17 per cent of its land” as the article highlighted. We’ll only need more GOV if peoplekind doesn’t start peopling-up. 

I for one am doing my part by shaming my fellow peasants for driving fossil fuel cars and using single-use coffee cups. 

And heres my name to say so. 

…

D.A. Mills

…

References

Adult Swim. (2019) RICK AND MORTY [Screen capture]. Retrieved from https://www.adultswim.com/videos/rick-and-morty/inside-vindicators-3-the-return-of-worldender

…

Chung, E. (2018). 60% of world’s wildlife has been wiped out since 1970. CBC. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/living-plant-wwf-2018-1.4882819

..

Mills, D. (2019). Environmental Clickbait – Blog3. Retrieved from https://wpflemingcollege.com/littlebits/2019/09/26/environmental-clickbait-blog3/

….

yothisisyo. But its Honest Work. [Image]. Reddit, January 03, 2018. Retrieved from https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/but-its-honest-work

Monarch Butterfly

Devon Mills

Fleming College

The Monarch Butterfly also known as the Danaus plexippus, is one of the most well know and recognized butterflies. The WWF (World Wildlife Fund) currently lists the Monarch’s status as endangered (2019). Herein we will review the monarch’s physical characteristics, outline it’s life history, feeding ecology and preferred foods.

Physical Characteristics

Most easily distinguished by its wing colours of orange, black, and white markings.

The “two pairs of brilliant orange-red wings, featuring black veins and white spots along the edges” (WWF, 2019) give them a stained-glass window effect. As would be expected of a butterfly they barely tip the scale at less than half a gram in weight with their wingspan coming in between 7 and 10 cm.

Alternatively, the larvae of the monarch butterfly (caterpillars) have their own unique appearance (see Figure 2). Monarch caterpillars have yellow, black and white stripes. They grow up to 5 cm. When they metamorphize they shed their skin, leaving a chrysalis that is “seafoam green with tiny yellow spots along its edge” (NWF, 2019).

Life History

The NWF (National Wildlife Federation) explains that monarchs exclusively lay their eggs on milkweed which then take 3-5 days to hatch. Those larvae then eat the leaves of the milkweed and about 2 weeks later, form a chrysalis. The monarch butterfly emerges 2 weeks later. Typically, monarchs only live for a “few weeks” but the last ones to hatch in summer “can live upward of eight months” (NWF, 2019). The hope of the species will rest on their tiny little shoulders, as it is this 4^th and last batch of monarchs that migrates south to Mexico or California for those living west of the Rocky Mountains according to Stafford Mader, L, (2014). It is crucial for the species that they not only survive the migration south, but also the winter itself. They leave those wintering grounds in the spring and migrate back to Canada for the summer beginning the cycle anew (WWF, 2019).

Preferred Food

While not as prolific as bees, monarchs are still pollinators, the importance of which cannot be overstated. Although the Monarch butterfly can feed on the nectar of many flowers such as “echinacea, black-eyed susan, sage, goldenrod, zinnias and dahlias” (WWF, 2019, para. 7), the most important food source for the species is still the milkweed plants. As stated above, the monarch larvae/caterpillars exclusively eat milkweed.  In Milkweed: Medicine of Monarchs and Humans, Lindsay Stafford Mader explains the connection between the steroid compound called cardenoloid, in milkweed and the decreased risk of infection in the larvae and later the natural toxicity of the butterfly that acts as a defense against predators.

The higher the cardenoloid levels in the milkweed the larvae eats, the higher the caterpillar’s chance of survival. Higher consumption of cardolenoid rich milkweed not only helps with survival on an individual basis but directly connects to the survivability of the species itself. This would be from the common association response poisonous prey induce in their would-be predators.

References

NWF. (2019). Monarch Butterfly. Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly

Stafford Mader, L. (2014). MILKWEED: Medicine of Monarchs and Humans. HerbalGram, (101), 38–47. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=awh&AN=94874416&site=eds-live&scope=site

WWF. (2019). Monarch Butterfly. Retrieved October 06, 2019, from http://www.wwf.ca/conservation/species/monarch_butterfly/

My Writing Evolution: Day 11, 132 – Blog7

(410 Words)

On this 11, 132nd day of learning the craft of writing, I will give a brief overview of my recent progress.

While the volume of my writing as of late has only gone up slightly, the sheer depth of scrutiny that writing has undergone is staggering. I have wholly embraced and welcomed that scrutiny. In doing so, my fangs have become sharper, allowing me to tear into school assignments with a newfound vigor and eagerness.

I have at times been told that I am a predator of the English language or that I bend the English language to my will. I was famously told by my greatest friend and chief rival M.S. Carrie: “You have a way of describing things I can only describe as visceral and brutal. I like it”. 10/10 spot on analysis and ego stroking. I typically write rather strongly with the aim to punch my readers in the face with my words. While this allows me to get my thoughts onto paper more efficiently, I also struggle to write more toned-down pieces like cover letters or my foe du jour: the Species Profile.

Recently I was reminded of this yet again in a September 27th comment by Liam on my THIS I BELIEVE (DRAFT#1). He pointed out “you have a lot of short sentences with a strong statement to make a point… it also feels a bit stop/start/stop/start at times” (Mills, 2019, comments). That was a fair point to make. Even knowing I have that tendency doesn’t always help. If the muse is upon me, I just let my fingers do the thinking and see what sticks. This is an easy fix once I see it and it never hurts to remind the English Language I am not to be trifled with. Thanks to that little gem of insight from Liam, I’ve been finding that if I merely take the time to reread each paragraph as I write them (even on a 1st draft), I can stitch those right hooks into a more aesthetic string of combos.

While I continue to engage in epic battle with my Species Profile assignment, I will try to stay mindful of Liam’s comment. If I can keep my own predilections in check I can avoid slamming down fact after fact. Now that I have a taste for peer review and serious critique, I will also continue to intellectually enslave my friends and family into reviewing my work before summitting it.

And heres my name to say so.

D.A. Mills

References:

Mills, D. (2019, September 13). THIS I BELIEVE (DRAFT#1) [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://wpflemingcollege.com/littlebits/this-i-believe/

Peer Critique of Field Notes for Week 7 Field Trip – Blog6

(309 Words)

Connor Gass and Jared Kiddle field notes for Stop 2: Victoria County Forest.

The Field Trip took place on 16 October 2019. Stop 2 was at Victoria County Forest and occurred between 1210 and 1220. Conditions included 100% cloud cover, 11° C temperature, and steady rain. Students Connor and Jared observed that it was wet and raining with a light wind. They noted that there were no animals. The location is described as a red pine plantation with Precambrian bedrock. The students did not slip at this stop.

Connor and Jared’s field notes were on the messy side of still being neat and legible. They included enough information to make it easy to understand their experience at Stop 2. However, there is no information about understory vegetation, organic debris, or surface soils.

I figure these were good field notes. It was our first time attempting to keep field notes in the actual field. Considering the conditions, we were in, namely, being soaked to the gills, seeing that Connor and Jared were able to keep their wits about them and write down their observations is already admirable. Merely based on how thorough these notes were after having little to no structured training from the college, its safe to assume the next time these two scholars hit the field, they’ll make some real outstanding notes. I would expect the field notes next round to look neater and contain information they may have overlooked this time through.

I’m well aware that if we compare these field notes to that of a professional with experience, we might be able to give Connor and Jared a generous 5/10.

On the other hand, I’m looking at their work for what it was. A first attempt to gain practical experience in less than ideal weather conditions. In that case, I give their work a well-deserved 10/10.

And heres my name to say so.

D.A. Mills

Monarch Butterfly

Devon Mills

Fleming College

The Monarch Butterfly also known as the Danaus plexippus, is one of the most well know and recognized butterflies. The World Wildlife Federation currently lists the Monarch’s status as endangered (2019). Herein we will review the monarch’s physical characteristics and outline it’s life history and feeding ecology/preferred foods.

[INSERT PICTURE]

Physical Characteristics

Most easily distinguished by its wing colours of orange, black, and white markings.

The “two pairs of brilliant orange-red wings, featuring black veins and white spots along the edges” (WWF, 2019) give them a stained-glass window effect. As would be expected of a butterfly they barely tip the scale at less than half a gram in weight with their wingspan coming in between 7 and 10 cm.

Alternatively, the caterpillars have yellow, black and white stripes. They grow up to 5 cm. When they metamorphize their chrysalis is “seafoam green with tiny yellow spots along its edge” (NWF, 2019).

[INSERT PICTURE]

Life History

The NWF (National Wildlife Federation) explains that monarchs exclusively lay their eggs on milkweed which then take 3-5 days to hatch. They then eat the leaves of the milkweed and then about 2 weeks later, form a chrysalis. The monarch butterfly emerges 2 weeks later. Typically, they only live for a “few weeks” but the last ones to hatch in summer “can live upward of eight months” (NWF, 2019). Its this 4^th and last batch of monarchs that migrates south to Mexico or California for those living west of the Rocky Mountains according to Stafford Mader, L, (2014). They leave those wintering grounds in the spring and migrate back to Canada in the summer (WWF, 2019).

Preferred Food

Although the Monarch butterfly can feed on the nectar of many flowers like “echinacea, black-eyed susan, sage, goldenrod, zinnias and dahlias” (WWF, 2019, para. 7), the most important food source for the species is still the milkweed plants that their larvae/caterpillars exclusively eat. In Milkweed: Medicine of Monarchs and Humans, Lindsay Stafford Mader explains the connection between the steroid compound called cardenoloid, in milkweed and the decreased risk of infection in the larvae and later the natural toxicity of the butterfly that acts as a defense against predators.

The higher the cardenoloid levels in the milkweed the larvae eats, the higher the caterpillar’s chance of survival and later, not just the individual butterfly’s survival, but the species itself. This would be from the common association response poisonous prey induce in their would-be predators.

References

NAF. (2019). Monarch Butterfly. Retrieved October 31,

2019, from https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly

Stafford Mader, L. (2014). MILKWEED: Medicine of Monarchs and

Humans. HerbalGram, (101), 38–47. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=awh&AN=94874416&site=eds-live&scope=site

WWF. (2019). Monarch Butterfly. Retrieved October

06, 2019, from http://www.wwf.ca/conservation/species/monarch_butterfly/

You Are What You Eat – Blog5

(261 Words)

In keeping with the Monarch Butterfly pattern here, this week we’re looking at another solid source. MILKWEED: Medicine of Monarchs and Humans by Lindsay Stafford Mader.

The article gives a light overview on some history behind milkweed, human uses, monarch uses and a look at the effects and cause of milkweed decline. Rather than solely focusing on the Monarch’s need for milkweed as a food source, Stafford Mader also explores the connection between the cardenolides in milkweed and monarch butterflies. The cardenolides are responsible for the medicinal and toxic properties of milkweed. The same compound the makes milkweed lucrative to herbalists, is the reason monarchs exclusively lay their eggs on milkweed. The more cardenolides monarchs consume, the better their protection against predators.

Reliable Sources Beget Reliable Information

I can exclusively use these peer reviewed sources thanks to my abuse of the Fleming College Library’s research directory. Since we’re dealing with mainly the importance of milkweed as a food source for Monarch butterflies, our 2014 publication date is of little note. After a little snooping, I found that our Author du jour is ‘only’ a freelance writer. However if its good enough for Fleming’s peer reviewed directory, then I can only say: what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

The source here provides a novel look at milkweed and monarchs butterflies I haven’t seen yet. Kind of an “Eat the poison, become the poison” strategy.

I know the idea behind researching for school projects is to learn things, but I’m nevertheless surprised when I find myself learning something interesting.

And heres my name to say so.

D.A. Mills

References

Stafford Mader, L. (2014). MILKWEED: Medicine of Monarchs and Humans. HerbalGram, (101), 38–47. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=awh&AN=94874416&site=eds-live&scope=site

Long Live Her Majesty the Monarch…or we die – Blog4

(452 Words)

Gotta hand it to the Monarch Butterfly, their beauty and grace have captivated humans around the globe. However researching monarch butterflies is tangibly depressing. Merely scratching the surface gave me a glimpse into the near obliteration of the species that has granted them the equally depressing and useless title of endangered.

I had to look specifically for a drier profile. Sure, we can still infer the destruction wrought by humans but its simply not as ‘in the face’. The World Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Butterfly profile was able to do just that.

I highly recommend starting with the WWF if you want to have a leg up on people when it comes to Monarch Butterflies. The article was written in such a way it can be easily consumed by we the little people, but still contained some more useful tid bits that hobbiests and academics can make use of. They made the information clear and concise by breaking it into easily digestible blocks with a clear topic.

That said, while the information was certainly relevant to learning about the monarch it was not very current. Rather surprising that the WWF’s website is not as up to date as one would expect. Enviroloons famously go ape mode when GOVs don’t update environmental policies and species status fast enough. Meanwhile their webpage (their very face if you will) need updating.

Regarding the area of wintering grounds the Monarch occupies, WWF explained that in 2017 the monarch only occupied 2.5 hectares, (World Wildlife Federation. 2019).

Meanwhile, in January 2019 the CBC posted an article with a significant update to the Monarch Butterfly stats. “This winter, researchers found the butterflies occupying 6.05 hectares (14.95 acres) of pine and fir forests in the mountains of Michoacan and Mexico states. That’s an increase from 2.48 hectares (6.12 acres) a year ago.” (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2019. Monarch butterfly numbers up 144% at Mexico wintering grounds, para. 3)

I love the WWF and all the work they’ve done around the world so its hard to be critical of them, but….. we need more updates to their species profiles. WWF is not just a globaly recognized organization, but certainly the most loved and reputable one in Canada. I think this oversight could be due to funding so look below for the link to their donation page. That and explaining WHY the monarch butterfly is important should have been near the top of the species profile. Not off to the side, buried like its unrelated.

Monarchs are pollinators, and I feel like that alone makes it important that we educated people on why we need to stop the destruction of Monarch habitats. If the pollinators die, we all die. Or so I’ve heard.

And heres my name to say so.

D.A. Mills

WWF Monarch Donation Page

References

World Wildlife Federation. (2019). Monarch Butterfly. Retrieved October 06, 2019, from http://www.wwf.ca/conservation/species/monarch_butterfly/

Canadian Broadcast Corporation. (2019). Monarch butterfly numbers up 144% at Mexico wintering grounds. Retrieved October 06, 2019, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/monarch-butterfly-population-1.5000249

Special thanks to Bonnie McBride for providing photos. She is a local gardener in Sault Ste. Marie, ON who provides an extremely robust habitat for the Monarch Butterfly.