~Starting from where we left off as a class on section 4 of chapter two~
One of the most important parts though out the chapter after section three was the point which we are eating fertilizers and pesticides which are chemically made, which is based on poison gas from world war II. And now we don't need a large supply of sunlight because of this new technology powered by fossil fuel. "By fertilizing the world, we are altering the planet's composure of species and shrink its biodiversity." (P.47)
Because of the break through of fertilizers and technology, it allows a farmer to produce a lot of corn and keep using the same land over and over again. But the supply and demand of the different people wont take corn for a high price and more, since it is a lot easier to harvest and grow it. Since many farmers cant make a very decent living with so much corn being produced, a new farm law is established and the farmers will take a loan from the government to store their crops till the prices raise again.
in the sage of purdue when America was exporting tons of produce to other nations it vastly increased the income of the farmers, but after a year the prices became too high that no one in America could afford to buy much anymore. thus lead to not enough food being sold, which also affected the farmers since they couldn't sell they cant produce anymore and created a vast decline of certain products. so Butz said "fencerow to fencerow"... "get big or get out" (P.52) which they advise the farmers to make more to help lower the prices on the food.
Every year the corn price and grain falls and farmers are going in dept, since there is so small prices farmers are making more corn to sustain their living styles. "Iowa grain elevators were paying $1.45, so a typical Iowa farmer is selling corn for a dollar less than it takes him to grow it. Yet the corn keeps coming, more of it every year." (P.53) How can some farmers continue working with out getting into dept?
There was no real explanation of how George avoided dept.
Why do farmers want to put in more dept if they make more corn?
Does any of this cheap corn have to do with the technology to plant and reap it?
How are the supermarkets faring with the farmers going into dept?
This shows how even the lowest food group as in corn affects the society highly when in trouble. The technology we use to plant and reap this produce also makes me wonder why we make much if its going to cause many farmers to go bankrupt, and run out of land in the future, since it is fueling the population to expand even faster. By also using all these chemicals we are having a war with the earth and we are winning since we take all its fertility to make food and plant more food and spray and cover it with artificial chemicals.
Vincent:
Its like the quote in the book "men have become tools of their tools. With not needing sunlight anymore and using fertilizers made from nitrogen and a bunch of other things, we have put our hands in the fact that all these things will keep working for us... Do you think you have an idea to why they continue to use all the new products knowing all the consequences? ~KateE.
Kate-[May 24th, 2009 9:35am]
Wells in the book the farmers are told that they must grow more crops to produce more food, to sustain their life styles. But with more crops each year the more they have to use, so it's an endless cycle, that's why they cant break out of it. but unlike the farmers of today some farmers don't use the land more than twice every couple of years to refresh the nutrients, and that's a way they can break out of it. To answer the question all you have to do is look at their shoes and how they sustain life; even if there was a better solution this would be worst especially with the growing population and the high demand for produce. what do you think now?
I would disagree with your last segment about not needing nature on our side. I believe that nature is needed even if we have all of these chemical enhancers. The ground itself gets exhausted and loses all of it's minerals if it keeps getting planted over and over on. Even if we have chemical fertilizers, these chemically grown corn is extremely bad for us. Think about it we're consuming chemicals in a different form. We do need nature, we manipulate nature but we end up shortening our lives. ~John
John- [May 24th 2009 5:50pm]
i think Kate is trying to say that we don't need the non-refundable parts of nature. the unlimited that all manipulate is just the soil, everything else we can make by chemical's. even though we are eating chemicals all we are doing now is altering their DNA so lots of fresh ripe fruit and vegetables come out perfectly. there is no harm to us, since if other animals and plants can survive it so can we. if we don't have these chemicals how can we sustain this vast population and continue to improve technology.
5 comments:
Its like the quote in the book "men have become tools of their tools. With not needing sunlight anymore and using fertilizers made from nitrogen and a bunch of other things, we have put our hands in the fact that all these things will keep working for us. We are now dependent on them to keep growing crops and there will be many changes to them so that they can grew more and more crops most effectively. A better thing to farmers is all of this new technology but they don't think of the other outcomes of it. Like how it is effecting the other life sources around them. Naylor's family has even been effected by some side effects like the fact that they cannot drink tap water. they see this happening and now the cause but wont stop to think why are we doing this and how can we stop it? Do you think you have an idea to why they continue to use all the new products knowing all the consequences?
As to the first question, I think its hard to explain how George is avoiding debts because there are so many problems in the first place when George has taken over the land. The land's nutrients has already dried up much if you take a look about it since it was way back in the grandfather's time. Hm, I also don't think the farmers "want" to put in more debt than they should because in the chapter, it says the farmers need to grow more corn to sell more because of the market price keep dropping. I think it is more like a force that the farmers have to be in debt if they are going to be farmers. The costs of being a farmer and the tools and seeds that the farmers needed to buy are already given them a hard life. Don't you think? It is the same with anybody if they want to start their own businesses but it is not like they are able to do anything about it unless they actually get a huge group of farmers (which I don't think there is many percentage of farmers) to fight for with the government or other companies about it.
I honest think farmers should go back to go fashion farming when everything was done by hands, and with no chemicals, all natural. People now a days would do anything for money, evening if it means affecting what we eat. and i agree with the line "This shows how even the lowest food group as in corn affects the society highly when in trouble", when trouble hits, it hit everybody and everything, its like the domino affect really.
One thing that stood out to me was when you said, "Because of the break through of fertilizers and technology, it allows a farmer to produce a lot of corn and keep using the same land over and over again." The way that I interpreted, and possibly the way you meant it, was that you are assuming the land cannot reproduce crops on its own, without fertilizers and technology. The use of fertilizer and technology only began in the early 1900's when Fritz Haber discovered fossil fuels as a replacement for solar energy. I am pretty sure that the same land can be used over and over, even without the technology and fossil fuels, since it's been producing corn and other crops for billions of years, long before Haber was even born.
I agree with everything that you are saying. If machines keep taking over, there would be no jobs and if they keep producing corn, then we will run low on food supply.
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