Environmental Damage from the Mega-Dairys

In 2008, a mega-dairy in Madison County Ohio (where I live) drained their manure lagoon and spread 300,000 gallons of liquid manure on a local field. This is not a crime but the mega-dairy was not certified to do this and it showed because they did not take all the proper precautions. Problem 1; the field was wet from a previous rain. Problem 2; it rained just 1 day after the manure was spread. Problem 3; the spreading company did not check the drainage tile in the field to see if it was flowing properly. The company failed to check the weather report and the rain washed the manure into a local creek. Paint Creek (which runs behind my grandparent's house) suffered a loss of 5,634 fish due to the ammonia contaminated water. The mega-dairy and the manure spreading company plead guilty and were fined close to $28,000 for the damage. The companies deserved this punishment if not more for their irresponsibility. Many of the small creeks around me are children's fishing holes or water sources for livestock so i am surprised only the fish were effected. I hope that mega-dairy learned its lesson.

Technology

Almost everything I use in my life today is some form of technology. Things become easier or safer or more fun and they become the new replacement for the older less convenient version. I could not imagine my life without my computer or my cell phone. These are the two forms of technology that I use on a daily basis. I remember my very first cell phone that was a cool new flip screen with a camera that could alomst take an unfuzzy picture! Now looking back at it with my current touch screen, internet browsing, digital image camera cell phone, I realize how far things have come in just the past 7 years. I don't know of any ways that this upgrade in cell phone technology has harmed my life. I do text a lot, but I do not see the negative side of texting. Yes, a lot of car wrecks are occuring because of irresponsible people choosing to break the law, but usually if any law is broken something bad will happen so technology is not to blame; the user is. It is possible to live without a computer, my grandparents do it everyday, but my lifestyle would not be possible without the use of a computer. School work and e-mails are my reasons for using the computer and they do not need any of those things so this technology does not benefit them as much as it does me. Everyone has their own reasons for the technology they use to benefit their lives. I only see positive effects from the technology I use but I also understand that stupid people can make choices to ruin the reputation of technologys.

Fact

This article seems to be hitting on major issues in Al Gore's documentary. I believe these issues are very true but I do not know to what extent. Scientists will always have different opinions but no one can know the future for sure. I did not like how this article was written. It was confusing and all over the place. I believe we need to treat the problem of global warming as if the worse case were happening because anything we do to help the environment and prevent disaster can only have posttive effects. There is no doubt to most scientists that humans are the problem but we are also responsible for finding the solution. I feel that even if Al Gore exaderated the effects of global warming, he still brought awareness to the subject.