Alissa Mandich Baraka

Alissa Mandich

Biology 1040 

Jose L. Jimenez

February 25, 2008 

Baraka 

The Baraka film is a beautiful montage of a collection of photography and background music that captures nature as well as human nature.  Even though there are no actors, actresses, plot or script it captures the beautiful scenery of landscapes around the world like: churches, waterfalls, ruins. and cultureal and religious ceremonies.  It explored various places in the world including the six major continents.  This powerful nonverbal film shows people in their natural habitat, and how the advancements of technology have altered am extreme and primitive way of life by completely changing their life and lands.  

This film explores six different continents and twenty-four countries.  In these different places there were numerous religions, each one of them with a noticeably different customs.  For example it showed Orthodox Jews praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.  IT was evitable how holy this land was to the Jews because they were very seriously dressed and composed there.  It also showed the Muslims pilgrimage to the city of Mecca.  It showed the customs of them praying with millions of other Muslims as they walked around Mecca.  Catholics were another major religion that appeared in the film.  It showed Catholics performing ceremonies in a very traditional fashion in a traditional church.  Even other less common religious groups that are rare in the United States were touched upon.  It hoed people with face paint and matching pants partaking in a ceremony that consisted of people sitting around and dancing as they listened to musical beats.  There were so many religions explored in the film and it was very interesting to see the many different life styles of the different groups of people.  

A major portion of this film showed destruction of nature.  There were many things being blown up, trees being cut down, things being produced in factories, people digging throw trash to find food, prostitutes on the streets, and homeless people sleeping on the streets.  This created a very different tone and mood to the film than the peaceful scenery of the rest of the film.  This portion of the of the film was more disturbing because after the showing of the beautiful and peaceful world we live in it showed the destruction and mess which we have created.  This was incredibly sad to see because even though I know things are like this are taking place in the world I seem to be very much sheltered from a lot of the major issues in the world.  

Overall I really enjoyed this movie.  It gave me a chance to look at the world in a different way.  Baraka really captures the beauty and greatness of the world and the people living in it.  It made me wonder about how much we are destorying the Earth by cutting down tress, and building factories, and blowing things up.  Even though the movie was alittle long it was really able to make an impact on how I view the world.  

Demographic Information

In Davie there is currently a population of 23,589. 12,017 of those people are female while the other 11,842 are male. 20,213 people are white, 1,286 are black or African American and 5,292 are Hispanic or Latino. The average household size is 2.44 and the average family size home is 3.03. The is an overwhelming amount of bums and low-income families in Davie. 3,705 individuals are below poverty and 599 families below poverty.

Mini Project #6

What precautions are the local officals in your city taking regarding a biological terrorism attack?

Our nation needs to be prepared for a biological terrorism attack (the delibrate use of disease as a weapon). In 2003 the President significantly tried to improve the protection of the citizens by increasing the budget to $5.9 to defend its citizens. This funding focused specifically on: infrastructure, response, and science.
Funding the infrastructure will strengthen the State and local health systems, including by enhancing medical communications and disease surveillance capabilities, to maximize their contribution to the overall biodefense of the Nation. Response is crucial because it will improve specialized Federal capabilities to respond in coordination with State and local governments, and private capabilities in the event of a bioterrorist incident. Finally, science funding will allow new vaccines and medicines.

Superfund Sites Surrounding Davie

Using EPA's web site( www.epa.gov)  we were able to locate seven superfunds surrounding the Davie, Florida area.  The first is located on Davie SW 142nd ave.  The second is a Petroleum Products Corp located located on 14000 Block Pembroke Road in Pembroke Park.  The third superfund is a Pepper Steel & Allloys, Inc. located 11100 Northwest S River Drive in Medley.  The forth superfund is a Munisport landfill on 152 St NE & Biscayne blvd in North Miami.  The next superfund is a Northwest 58th Street Landfill in Hialeah.  A varsol spill superfund is located in the Miami international airport.  Finally, a USAF- Homestead air reserve base is located in Florida turnpike east in Homestead.  

Genetically Altered Food

"In the U.S. alone, 60% of all processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients. Growth over the past 10 years has been especially huge. Now, about 130 million acres of GM crops are grown around the world in countries like Argentina, Canada, Germany, Spain, and many others. But, the U.S. grows the most GM crops by far. After increasing 25-fold in acreage, from 3.6 million in 1996, the U.S. now controls over half of the GM foods market, with 88.2 million acres of GM crops in 2001. There are 50 registered GM crops in the United States, and many more in development, soon to be appearing on your grocery shelves. "

The Pros

"GM food is good for a variety of reasons. People who support GM foods imagine a world where huge plants bursting with natural pesticides and vitamins rule in farms around the world and put an end to hunger. With some work, this vision might not be far from reality.
GM crops allow farmers to do things that previously seemed impossible. With GM crops, farmers no longer have to spray plants with pesticides because the plants themselves have built-in protection. They can produce greater amounts of crops with less seed, cutting back costs immensely. Pesticides, weed-killers (herbicides), and fertilizer cost farmers staggering amounts of money every year. GM foods can eliminate much of this cost. Also, plants that are modified to resist herbicides (like the Roundup herbicide, which kills all plants) need not be tilled into the ground after they die, because one "broad-spectrum" herbicide is used instead of many. This could reduce soil erosion by a projected 70%, benefiting farmers enormously (farmers lose 25 billion tons of soil every year due to soil erosion). GM foods can be altered to resist diseases and freezing, which can catch entire crops unsuspected and lay them to waste. GM foods even hold the promise of crops that can grow in place that plants could never grow before such as salt-laden areas. Genetically altered foods can also be manipulated to carry vitamins, minerals, and proteins that they otherwise would not have, increasing their healthiness. For example, many plants can be altered so that they have fewer calories and more fiber or starch. Many also have lower levels of pesticides, herbicides, and toxins than traditional plants because farmers don't need to spray them with chemicals and insects aren't able to release toxin into them. GM crops can help people in third-world countries by increasing nutritional value. "Golden rice" is one of the best examples of this. This GM rice stimulates the body to make Vitamin A and its goal is to prevent 2 million children from dying and another 500,000 from going blind because of lack of vitamin A. GM crops can also carry medicines and vaccines to parts of the world where it is currently too costly to store and prepare them. Genetically altered foods also harbor a hope that 600 million people around the world won't have to go hungry every day, because crops will be plentiful enough to feed them. GM food companies say that all GM foods are completely natural and thoroughly tested for allergens and the like, meaning that the foods are completely safe for consumption. This is perhaps the most important of all, because transferring genes between plants and among completely different species increases the risk that a non-native allergen might enter a plant, causing sicknesses in people around the world."

The Cons

"While there are many, many benefits (or possible benefits) to GM foods, there are several arguments against the advancement of these foods. While there are people who think GM crops will help the environment, there are also some who think they will harm it. This is certainly plausible. Studies have found that when the pollen of B.t. corn (GM corn with insect-resistance) was dusted on a milkweed plant, monarch caterpillars who ate the leaves of the plant died or were stunted. When natural corn pollen was dusted on the milkweed plants, the caterpillars suffered no ill effects. This raises the concern that GM crops may cause other species to have unknown diseases that were previously not a problem.
There also are concerns that insects will become resistant to the natural pesticides in plants, just like mosquitos did with DDT. This would create a race of bugs that would be resistant to many pesticides, and a nightmare for farmers. Also, the transferrence via pollen of genes to weeds is a big concern. If weeds received herbicide-resistant genes, it could spawn a generation of "superweeds," weeds resistant to all types of herbicide--another nightmare for farmers.
Other people fear that GM crops pose more risks to humans. They fear that transferring genes between two unrelated species can transfer allergens that could make people sick. One allergen scare occured in 2000, when a variety of GM corn called StarLink found its way into many corn products. StarLink corn had previously only been allowed as cattle feed because it showed some qualities that suggested allergens.
There is also evidence that GM crops pose legal and economic risks. It could, for example, result in many, many farmers growing the same crop, which could result in vast amounts of food being lost to one overlooked disease or natural disaster. Also, huge bioengineering companie like Monsanto are suing small farmers because they were supposedly using GM corn that was resistant to the herbicide Roundup without a license from Monsanto. The result is a huge legal mess.
Clearly GM crops have a lot of problems and kinks that need to be sorted out, but they have many benefits if they can be used correctly and safely. Countries may promote GM crops--or ban them. There are reasons justifying each action. But as of now, GM crops continue to prosper and grow, charging ahead into whatever dangers or benefits may come."

http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312650/food.htm

List of Genetically Altered Food

* Frito-Lay Fritos Corn Chips
* Bravos Tortilla Chips
* Kellogg's Corn Flakes
* General Mills Total Corn Flakes Cereal
* Post Blueberry Morning Cereal
* Heinz 2 Baby Cereal
* Enfamil ProSobee Soy Formula
* Similac Isomil Soy Formula
* Nestle Carnation Alsoy Infant Formula
* Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
*Nabisco Snackwell's Granola Bars
*Ball Park Franks
*Duncan Hines Cake Mix
*Quick Loaf Bread Mix
*Ultra Slim Fast
*Quaker Yellow Corn Meal
*Light Life Gimme Lean
*Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix
*Alpo Dry Pet Food
*Gardenburger
*Boca Burger Chef Max's Favorite
*Morning Star Farms Better'n Burgers
*Green Giant Harvest Burgers (now called Morningstar Farms)
*McDonald's McVeggie Burgers
*Ovaltine Malt Powdered Beverage Mix
*Betty Crocker Bac-Os Bacon Flavor Bits
*Old El Paso Taco Shells
*Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=576

Endangered Animals In South Florida

Bankclimber, purple (mussel) (Elliptoideus sloatianus)Bat, gray (Myotis grisescens)Beetle, American burying (Nicrophorus americanus)Butterfly, Schaus swallowtail (Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus)Caracara, Audubon's crested (Polyborus plancus audubonii)Crocodile, American (Crocodylus acutus)Curlew, Eskimo (Numenius borealis)Darter, Okaloosa (Etheostoma okaloosae)Deer, key (Odocoileus virginianus clavium)Eagle, bald (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)Jay, Florida scrub (Aphelocoma coerulescens)Kite, Everglade snail (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus)Manatee, West Indian (Trichechus manatus)Moccasinshell, Gulf (Medionidus penicillatus)Moccasinshell, Ochlockonee (Medionidus simpsonianus)Mouse, Anastasia Island beach (Peromyscus polionotus phasma)Mouse, Choctawhatchee beach (Peromyscus polionotus allophrys)Mouse, Key Largo cotton (Peromyscus gossypinus allapaticola)Mouse, Perdido Key beach (Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis)Mouse, southeastern beach (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris)Mouse, St. Andrew beach (Peromyscus polionotus peninsularis)Panther, Florida (Puma (=Felis) concolor coryi)Pigtoe, oval (Pleurobema pyriforme)Plover, piping (Charadrius melodus)Pocketbook, shinyrayed (Lampsilis subangulata)Rabbit, Lower Keys marsh (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri)Rice rat (Oryzomys palustris natator)Salamander, flatwoods (Ambystoma cingulatum)Sawfish, smalltooth (Pristis pectinata)Sea turtle, green (Chelonia mydas)Sea turtle, hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)Sea turtle, Kemp's ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)Sea turtle, leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)Sea turtle, loggerhead (Caretta caretta)Seal, Caribbean monk (Monachus tropicalis)Shrimp, Squirrel Chimney Cave (Palaemonetes cummingi)Skink, bluetail mole (Eumeces egregius lividus)Skink, sand (Neoseps reynoldsi)Slabshell, Chipola (Elliptio chipolaensis)Snail, Stock Island tree (Orthalicus reses (not incl. nesodryas))Snake, Atlantic salt marsh (Nerodia clarkii taeniata)Snake, eastern indigo (Drymarchon corais couperi)Sparrow, Cape Sable seaside (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis)Sparrow, Florida grasshopper (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus)Stork, wood (Mycteria americana)Sturgeon, gulf (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi)Sturgeon, shortnose (Acipenser brevirostrum)Tern, roseate Western Hemisphere except NE U.S. (Sterna dougallii dougallii)Three-ridge, fat (mussel) (Amblema neislerii)Vole, Florida salt marsh (Microtus pennsylvanicus dukecampbelli)Whale, finback (Balaenoptera physalus)Whale, humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae)Whale, right (Balaena glacialis (incl. australis))Wolf, gray (Canis lupus)Woodpecker, red-
cockaded (Picoides borealis)Woodrat, Key Largo (Neotoma floridana smalli)

Carbon Cycle Diagram

"Carbon is one of the most common elements on Earth. It is found in the tissues of living organisms, in the atmosphere, dissolved in ocean water, and locked up in limestone deposits that line the ocean floor. This diagram from NASA Earth Science Enterprise illustrates some of the most abundant stores of carbon and identifies some of the pathways in the carbon cycle along which carbon is transferred from one form to another."

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/tdc02/sci/ess/earthsys/ccycle/assets/tdc02_img_ccycle/tdc02_img_ccycle_l.jpg