A Closer Look delves into the farming practices in regions across America while Science in the News reports on Pfiesteria, a bizarre organism that kills fish. A Closer Look examines the process of hydroponics which was developed in the 1930s. Hydroponics is the growing of plants in the absence of soil. The natural way of farming includes tilling, sowing, watering, and crop rotation which can be a gruesome practice that is not always successful. By use of hydroponics, farmers instead use water and nutrient solutions to grow their crops. The genre of the text is science. The main focus of the text is to bring awareness to the benefits and drawbacks of hydroponics on the Earth and society by utilizing Chris Killenberg. Killenberg is the head of …show more content…
The author tells the narrative of this text and engages with the reader by asking questions about their opinion on hydroponics. The narrative is manipulated by the author to propose hydroponics as a viable solution to farming needs. The drawbacks of hydroponics are only illustrated in one paragraph of the text while the benefits are listed throughout. The knowledge put forth by the text can only be concluded to be from a scientist or a well-read researcher who decided to write an article at an elementary based level. The academic language presented by the article is quickly explained and defined within the passage. There may be challenges for a novice reader because there are a few words that might confuse the reader if they do not know the meaning. To make the text more accessible and understandable the author puts definitions in parentheses. The only visual image in the text is of a picture of Chris Killenberg overlooking his lettuces. The text and image work together because the image is adequately placed right next to the introduction of Killenberg. The image, along with the text, shows that Killenberg has a great deal of power as head of his company. The article puts forth into question whether there is manipulation by the hydroponic industry to create a sense of security for farmers to use its process. Not enough sufficient research or knowledge is known about the drawbacks of hydroponics. There is still no …show more content…
Pfiesteria is baffling researchers because no one has been able to find out how Pfiesteria kills fishes or how it sickens people. Nor scientists know why the bacteria thrives in polluted water. Scientists have yet to be able to pinpoint or predict the outbursts of Pfiesteria. The genre of the selected text is science. The main argument of the article is that it is alarming to know so little about a bacteria killing organism. The main focus of the article is to inform the reader of the harm Pfiesteria has on the environment and how the bacteria’s appearance is possible a direct outcome from the damaging pollution of the “state’s fertile but fragile estuaries”. Direct exposure of Pfiesteria has proven to be sickening to people after watermen on the Pocomoke River in Maryland felt their minds addled after reeling in nets full of sore-pocked fish. The point of view is told from a journalist or researcher who wishes to bring more attention of Pfiesteria. The narrative is being told by someone who appears to be equally worried about the effects of Pfiesteria and how it could negatively damage the ecosystem. The narrative is being told with a sense of urgency towards a call for more information to be discovered about the bacteria. The knowledge is of educated scientists conducting research on the bacteria and concluding the bacteria’s dangerous impact on people and fishes. The article could be
...ood that he grows. Pollan describes his day at the Polyface farm through out most of his essay and construes about how “local is not organic” and the importance of “choosing the person who grows your food” (Pollan 1 & 4). However, Pollan does neglect to bring up the time, cost, and environmental effects between buying at a local farm compared to a local supermarket. I conjecture a further investigation and inquiry on the environmental impact on the Earth and the study of gas consumption and cost differences between buying from a local farm and shopping at a local supermarket.
Today’s economy and the environment are hurting due to the lack of nurture we have been providing. Conventional farming rules the world of agriculture, but not without a fight from organic farming. Organic farming is seen as the way of farming that might potentially nurture our nature back to health along with the added benefit of improving our own health. With her piece “Organic farming healthier, more efficient than Status Quo,” published in the Kansas State Collegian on September 3, 2013, writer Anurag Muthyam brings forth the importance behind organic farming methods. Muthyam is a senior at Kansas State University working towards a degree in Management. This piece paints the picture of how organic farming methods
Alice Waters, in her 2007 article “Farmer Bill Should Focus on Healthful Foods”, instead of focusing on the farming techniques themselves, makes a more pointed inspection over the products and produce
Hydroponics and organic farming, both provide food but there is one difference, one could help you and one could hurt you. Did you know that some of the food you eat doesn't come from the ground? It's true, scientist have come up with a source of farming called hydroponics. Hydroponics consist of water, unnatural sunlight, and unnatural chemicals. The water replaces the soil, the unnatural sunlight replaces the natural sunlight, and the unnatural chemical replaces the nutrients that the soil usually gives off. When eating organically grown food you might start to notice changes in your weight, mood, and even your health. These things may improve because in organic and natural food, there are different kinds of nutrients that help your body
Dan Barber is the co-owner and executive chef at Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. He is an advocate for sustainable farming and speaks out against agribusiness. In his Tedtalk, “How I Fell In Love With A Fish”, Barber informs us that 90% of the fish that we eat have been wiped out of the oceans. He also explains how farms that claim to be sustainable may actually be contributing to the environmental crisis at hand. “For the past 50 years agribusiness has been adamant about feeding more people more cheaply” (Barber) but their methods are not sustainable. In fact, this model is actually very destructive.
Besides being able to produce food at a faster rate, technology has helped improve the health of multiple foods. As has been said previously, soybeans are currently used to create oil; however, this was only possible with improvements to technology to help extract this oil from the beans. Besides beans, leafy greens also have improvements in health. A new process known as aeroponics, a newer form of hydroponics, uses mist to provide nutrients to the plants (Gilpin, “10 Foods That Technology Has Transformed.”). This reduces water consumption. Since aeroponics occurs indoors, pesticides are not used and since the plants are grown in water rather than soil, contaminated manure is no longer a
Thirty years later, organic farming was in high demand, but suffered developing pains. Although there was agreements being made, there was no regulations put forth towards organic farming. Fast forwarding to present time, many consumers are starting to purchase organic food products even making it a trend. Written in Inouye, Alena, and McCauley’s 2006 article “Organic Farming Should Be Pursued”, “organic farming is gaining in popularity due to Americans ' increasing concern about food safety and environmental protection.” This quote assumes the reasoning behind the sudden popularity in organic farming is society’s attraction towards the idea of a cleaner food industry and environment. The article also mentions, “As a result, sales of organic foods in the United States have increased by more than 20 percent every year since 1996, reaching $7.8 billion in 2000.”(Inouye, Alena, McCauley) The fact that popularity towards organic farming grows at a rate of 20 percent every single year further proves how its movement has such an impact towards the consumers of
Although there may be various disadvantages such as diseases, time consummation and many more, with the proper care the results of hydroponic farming may be propitious. For example, in a report from “Fresh Plaza” entitled “New report on Hydroponic Crop Farming in the U.S” states, “During the five years to 2013, revenue for the Hydroponic Crop Farming industry has maintained positive growth, indicating that the recession had a minimal effect on industry operators. Over the five-year period, a growing number of individuals shifted to healthy eating and consuming organic produce, resulting in high demand. In addition, extreme weather conditions damaged many crops for fresh field farmers, so grocery stores and farmers markets quickly turned to hydroponic farmers to meet their demand.” (IBIS). How can hydroponics revolutionize the future of the world? Hydroponics has been a lifestyle for many, it has changed the way people have farmed. For example, Hydroponic farming has already started booming in Japan in an article of NewsWeek “TO FEED HUMANKIND, WE NEED THE FARMS OF THE FUTURE TODAY” it states, “Aeroponics, a companion technology to hydroponics, has taken off in Japan and is helping high-tech greenhouses produce
Conventional farming practices are responsible for many negative health and environmental issues. One of the main issues is the creation of monocultures in the farming environment. Specifically growing the same species of plants or animals in mass quantities without variation every season is not natural. Monocultures do not exist in nature (Pollan 67). Nature practices diversity and for good reason. In nature and organic farming, if there is a threat to one species, there are others to balance the decrease in the threatened species. Conventional farmers and the modern food industry argue that planting the same crop year after year is convenient and profitable because it cuts down on the different types of farm equipment necessary in production, and initially, in the types of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers needed. However, in this unnatural environment, tremendous amounts of pest...
For years organic farmers and conventional farmers have feuded over which is superior. Organic farmers argue that their product is more eco-friendly because they do not use the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers conventional farmer’s use. Conventional farmers argue that their product is healthier and yields more. People tend to have stereotypes regarding the two types of farmers. Organic farmers are usually thought of as liberal, hippy, tree-huggers while conventional farmers are usually thought of as right-wing, industrialists. Obviously, some do adhere to this stereotype, but a majority of these farmers are normal, hardworking people. Although these farmers, both believe in their methods, one is no better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is no true superior method of crop farming.
Imagine a community garden not only educating its members of the community but also preventing crime. Community gardens have been proven to show how its effectiveness can provide for one another and now help lower crime. This can help elevate a community into its best potential, bringing safety and protection through a garden. The Garden Matters states “While vacant lots can be magnets for litter and criminal activity, community gardens are observed and managed by the gardeners, resulting in a cleaner space and more active local community. All of this often comes at little or no cost to the city” (Schmelzkopf, 1995).
Muthyam is a library assistant at Fielder Engineering Library in Manhattan, Kansas and is involved in an internship at Advise Technologies. He specializes in computer software and focuses his free time pursuing environmental science as a hobby. His editorial attempts to convince students and young consumers to believe in the validity of this concept. Muthyam uses the above definition of organic farming, specifically noting the absence of the use chemicals or pesticides and the reduction in potential for ground water contamination. He goes on to state, with less cited evidence, that it can feed the world. He generalizes and states it is better for our health and the long term sustainability of our population. Muthyam argues in favor of organic farming and against conventional farming all together. He gives claims, warrants and evidence to prove his points in order to attempt to sway the readers to understand that organic farming is the best choice over conventional farming. He explained the cost effects, and acknowledged concerns that students, and consumers might have. Muthyam was very persuasive throughout his
Agriculture is one of the most ancient forms of art and science that ties human development and well-being to natural resources and ecosystems. (Fritz J. Häni, 2007) Sustainable Agriculture is the production of food, fibre, plant and animal products using farming techniques that protect the environment, public health, human communities and animal welfare. (Sustainable Agriculture - The Basics, 2015) Sustainable agriculture is an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site – specific application that over the long term will:
...t too expensive for the farmers. The second step is that broader awareness is required. According to Sarah Alexander, “different farmers trust different sources, such as vendors, crop consultants, and university extension services.” Farmers are going to need to be open minded to new things, in order to feed the human race. The last step is farmers need the right incentives. Farmers want to know about the good that they are doing. Farmer’s want to know how they are saving the environment, and how they are producing more food, and feeding more people than they were before.
Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals--environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. A variety of philosophies, policies and practices have contributed to these goals. People in many different capacities, from farmers to consumers, have shared this vision and contributed to it.