November 16, 2008

Cleaning Up the Bush Agenda

Perhaps the most important issue to address in your upcoming editorial is the country’s dependency on oil, and Bush’s drill anywhere and everywhere attitude. The editorial should address the fact that Bush has been a bedfellow to oil companies throughout his administration. We should mention alternate energy sources, and the Obama-Biden “New Energy for America plan” (http://www.change.gov/agenda/energy_and_environment_agenda/).

Considering our location we should also address the issue of mountain top removal that drastically affects our community. In the editorial we should mention the “stream buffer zone” rule that, according to the Sierra Club, the Bush administration has continuously ignored. We should address the fact that many of the mining companies in places like West Virginia have contributed to Bush’s presidential campaigns. The editorial should mention new ways to promote economic diversity, clean energy, and tourism in the Appalachian region.

Finally, instead of the main focus of the editorial being on the negative aspects of the Bush administration, we should focus on the promises the Obama-Biden website promotes. This will provide an optimistic outlook for environmental and new energy issues, but also will educate people on what to hold Obama and company accountable for. Some of the things Obama’s website proposes are creating millions of new “green” jobs, ensuring 25 percent of our energy comes from renewable resources by 2025, and to get 1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015.

November 14, 2008

The Future of Appalachia

The future of Appalachia lies in educating people, and attracting them to the mountains. I don’t want the trail, mountains, or National Parks on the range, to become some sort of superficial tourist trap. I think people that live around the mountains would be surprised how little people living just 2 or 3 hours east of the mountains know about them. The public, especially those living so closely, should be made aware of the mountains history and beauty. I think through the Internet, and other visual media, the people of the mountains, and perhaps the National Parks Service, can begin to better promote what the mountains offer. At the Grand Canyon there are iMax movies that feature the Canyons beauty through amazing photography, and also tell its history. Something like that would be great for Appalachia.

October 23, 2008

Writing on the Arizona Daily Star's Tony Davis Global Warming Article

Clearly warming temperatures in Arizona are adversely affecting the region. Warmer temperatures are at least helping lead to a greater number of, and more devastating, wildfires. The hotter climate is making it a less livable place for some birds, and warmer winter temperatures may hurt apple production. However, the most important thing I gathered from reading Tony Davis’ “What is Global Warming?” is the number of times he wrote that the scientist couldn’t prove what they were saying appeared to be happening. Why not? Has there not been enough time to study these things? I’m just not sure what’s going on. It may also be important, as Roger A. Pielke, Sr. of the University of Colorado pointed out, that scientist study other things besides carbon dioxide emissions. He suggests that global warming may be caused by land-use changes, and urban growth as well as carbon emissions. It will be interesting to see how the study of global warming changes over the next decade.

 September 23, 2008

Dr. Mark Barrow of Virginia Tech studies historical perspective of American alligators

Years ago in Gainesville, Florida one could catch a young Mark Barrow sneaking marshmallows to one of America’s most revered and feared reptiles; the alligator. Today, hours of gator studies and a Ph.D. later, Dr. Mark Barrow, an expert in environmental history at Virginia Tech, has dedicated much of his research to studying the history and perception of the animal that has captivated him since youth.

The perception of the alligator as a fierce beast stems from early American artwork, and other things like pamphlets or brochures sent back to Europe, advertising the “new world” as a wild, untamed land, according to Barrow.

Barrow believes that Philadelphia naturalist, William Bartram’s 1791 book, Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, has a lot to do with the dominate idea that alligators are highly aggressive animals.

In the book Bartram writes about an encounter with an alligator in north Florida’s St. Johns River, “His enormous body swells. His plaited tail brandished high, floats upon the lake. The waters like a cataract descend from his opening jaws. Clouds of smoke issue from his dilated nostrils. The earth trembles with his thunder.”

Barrow says perceptions created hundreds of years ago still remain because of the way gators are portrayed and covered in the media.  

-- This is a good overview, and typical of journalistic style.  I would try to sharpen the contrast lead a little bit,  but I think its a good job.  A few hundred more words would have neen better, but a solid effort overall.