Shiva Biodiversity

For this blog entry I will be reflecting on some quotes from Vandana Shiva's: What is Biodiversity and Why is it so important. These are my thoughts, beliefs, questions, and/or concerns.

"Biodiversity is in fact the embodiment of centuries of cultural evolution, because humans have co-evolved with other species in the diverse ecosystems of the world." -Vandana Shiva (Shiva 38)

Biodiversity is the genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation on a planet. Humans have been on earth for 200,000 years and genetic, ecosystem, and species variation have all changed in different ways. There are now billions of species on this planet all different and unique in their own way. It’s amazing how we as humans are all different no two people are exactly alike. We were all brought up in in different way depending on our culture, we adapted to our ecosystems and our ecosystems have adapted to us this has been going on for 200,000 years. 

 

http://tribune.com.pk/story/553677/water-and-biodiversity-water-shortage-will-become-crisis-if-steps-not-taken-now/

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Biodiversity.aspx
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2544731/Adam-walked-Earth-209-000-years-ago-UK-scientists-claim-common-man-lived-9-000-years-earlier-previously-thought.html

"All life forms have an intrinsic worth and a right to evolve freely on their own terms." - Vandana Shiva (Shiva 40)

I agree with the author on this quote, who are we to decide what life forms have value and if they should evolve or not. I believe in treating others the way you would like to be treated and I believe this can be applied to all life forms in a way. How would we as humans feel if another species didn't value us or let us evolve there would be an outrage. I believe we need to keep our values and respect for all life forms because we have been living just fine that way. Who knows if we mess around with the wrong life form and biodiversity is disrupted we would have bigger problems on our hands. In the end we can’t decide what has worth or not because where does it end. Will we one day be deciding what people have worth?

 

http://sylvieforworldequality.wordpress.com/

"Third World countries located in the tropics have been endowed with great biological wealth and are the cradle of biodiversity." -  Vandana Shiva (Shiva 56)

Having parents from Guyana one of countries described in this quote I can see what Shiva means with this quote. In Guyana the weather and rain fall is perfect you see plants of all kinds from mango trees to grape vines, and lots more. There is so many different variety of fruits and vegetables out there some of them I never got a chance to taste or actually see in the U.S. I just hear how good they taste. More than half of Guyana is an uninhabited rainforest how knows how many species inhabit that rainforest. Its easy to see how people might just chalk up these environments as just an underdeveloped Third World country but if you look closer you might see these environments are pretty developed just not in the way were used to.

 

http://www.panamericanworld.com/en/article/guyana-and-north-american-food-export-market