Session 8 readings (workshop, 4/7 morning)

[Percy Ortiz]

I was looking forward to the session on Conservationism so that we could learn what contemporary life in China might be. Though we only got a tiny slice of what is happening there and the conditions under which they deal with environmental degradation, the session had so many insights into ways we, who live on earth, can take lessons and apply what we learn in our daily lives. Simba talked about his conservation work in Kenya, Mr. Bikales shed light into the ever evolving term, poverty, and Mrs. Hornby unveiled the huge work that China faces in cleaning up its environment. 

Simba’s presentation on his conservation work in Kenya was really good because he told us why he chose to go to China, but also on the challenges that he faced in Africa for being a foreigner and also in his homeland for not doing much for the animals there. I liked how, as a citizen of the world, he decided to follow his dream, and though he faced many constraints within the social customs back home he still took the chance and went to Kenya. I was saddened to hear that there are about twenty thousand lions left in the wild and that one hundred die due to human interaction- often times violent encounters. It reminded me of the few lions that we have in our local mountains and the excitement it creates when one if photographed or found dead. I was shocked to hear that it was until recently that NGO's from China were in African, though there are a million workers there! The fact that he was a Chinese national made it difficult for him to be accepted by other local NGOs and their usual perceptions of what Chinese ought to be doing was quite revealing of their presence in Africa: doing business, cooking, building infrastructure, but not engaged in conservancy. In many ways his presentation was refreshing, because he's changing the usual perception of China from a worker to a member and partner in the preservation of natural habitat. 

Mr.Bikales presentation on China's poverty challenges really helped me understand how the government has made great leaps in improving the standards of people, especially those living in the country side. Yet, economic growth has come at a human price; though millions have been pulled out of poverty other areas need much needed improvement, like helping the disabled, mentally ill, and elderly. He also mentioned how poverty needs to be seen from a multi-dimensional point of view and factors to consider are housing conditions, access to education, and communal use of bathrooms. All in all the message was that even though major improvements have happened in people's lives have happened, that other factors might still affect people that might not be visible. He went on to point out how there might very well be environmental poverty where people are caught up with making economic gains at the cost of long term destruction of land. As he states, a country gets richer poverty evolves, meaning have nots will be present always, whether it be those that lack proper health care or proper social services. 

Mrs. Hornby’s presentation on China's soil pollution really showed the gravity of land degradation that China has and is facing at the moment. Though measures have been taken to "clean" the air in major cities, air pollution, water pollution and land poisoning are problems that China is still trying to tackle. She listed various methods that have been looked at and all seem to come at a cost: it’s either quick and expensive or cheap and slow. Nonetheless, in her article Chinese environment: Ground Operation it states that, "Despite the challenges China faces in cleaning up its soil, some give it credit for doing far more than most other developing economies," which shows that despite the uphill battles that China confronts it is trying to take the bull by its horns though many might still want to make money, and the government still likes to keep things secret. What really surprised but also worried me was how in some towns there are no bees to pollinate fruit trees, or how in some places the danger zone of soil degradation is up to three feet above the ground. I can remember spending hours playing with dirt, digging holes on the ground, and running around chasing balls before hitting the 2nd grade, so this was scary. Not only that, but to think that in many places around the world, because I'm sure it’s not only in China, there are cancer towns where people do not know why they have sores on their skin or why babies are born still born. 

The presentations were good, and several questions came to mind. From Simba’s presentation I concluded that, as teachers we ought to teach are curriculum and the skills needed for daily survival to our students, but more importantly that they are global citizens, and the challenges in land degradation or land conservation is a challenge for us all. From Mr. Bikales I gathered that poverty is not just about income, but also about access to basic health care and social services for those without. In my school all my students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch, but then what are the other conditions that they are under, especially the undocumented? Mrs. Hornby truly hit the homerun in making me think of land degradation and its effects on people, especially being at a school that's a block away from the 110 freeway, next to various sweatshops that pump out chemical into the air on the daily basis, and of course being near former places there were once oil fields. Truly land degradation problems are not just China's but everyone's. Dr. Dube really highlighted this challenge by when he stated that, "knowledge doesn't solve a problem, but it takes sustained action." It about taking action and instilling that to our students that pollution takes sustained effort by everyone, though the challenge might be daunting.

Two months ago my school focused on having a Science fair, and the topic was on finding solutions to land degradation, air pollution and all the other kinds that we face on earth today. I recall having a student coming up to me and telling me how depressing all the projects were because of the all the problems that we faced as humans. Including topics like this are good for students to read about when engaging in research topics so that they can see what other countries are finding as possible solution to their own environmental problems and how those solutions can be applied in other places. As an introduction to Chinese history articles on water pollution can be useful because civilizations developed near sources of water, so as a comparative question this is something that can get students to think about the past, and how water allowed us to develop civilizations, and how can pollution affect the way we live and develop cities or can potentially put civilization in limbo. Nonetheless, the take away from students is that we can do something about these problems, and we all call this earth home.

 

[Jacqueline Mercado]

The plan to end poverty is surely optimitic and the question remains:  will China make progress in achieving this goal?  China's war on poverty and its efforts to eradicate poverty by 2020 appears to be a lofty goal and a daunting challenge. This is mainly due to the fact that the variables that determine poverty are multidimensional.  Many are the factors that determine poverty and the more variables that exist, the more complex the challenge becomes.  For sure, a modern China has emerged from Mao Zedong's era with a focus on urbanization and as a consequence, Chinese from rural areas are relocating to cities in pursuit of jobs and a potential middle class lifestyle. On the surface this looks like progress; however we see that the challenge of eliminating poverty is much more complex than the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas and an economy on the rise. As more Chinese are moving to more developed cities for jobs, other challenges emerge like the need for adequate healthcare, the need for a free education for their children, the need for affordable housing and the economic vulnerability of the working class comes to light.  An example of the complexity of the issue is the problem of affordable housing which affects quality of life.  As more families move to the cities, they find themselves living in substandard conditions to make ends meet. While they do have an improved income, their quality of life does not necessarily improve.  While on the surface the working class may seem to benefit from China's economic boom and urbanization, in reality these people face many other challenges that affect their quality of life.  It appears that this multidimensional aspect of poverty complicates the goal of eliminating poverty.  While one aspect of poverty is addressed, many others prop up in its place, the problem simply shifts.  The challenges that the working class face are substantive and in order to fully end poverty the effort by the Chinese government must be multifaceted.  Unfortunately, these issues are not particular to China but also to other industrialized nations like the US.  

[Stella Castro]

It was very nice to have Mr. Simba come to our seminar and talk to us about his adventures and life in Africa. I thought as did National Geographic that Mr. Simba a Chinese National was a rarity to want to go to Africa and help out the wildlife, mainly the Lions. Granted that upon seeing the video pertaining to the help Mr. Simba wants and has been able to do in Africa, goes to show that he is a true believer and advocate for the lions. As in the video/documentary it states that in? There were about a billion lions, and now there is only about? thanks to the human civilization. Granted that if a lion, or a group of lions) is called, (A Pride), if they get to near the people or their villages, it would call for drastic measures, meaning kill the beast, or ale get eaten by them. It’s a dog eat dog world, so everyone has to fend for themselves. However if the lions continue to be killed and phased out then they would probably become a next item on the endangered species list. Of course that probably would take a long time but upon seeing the statistics that Mr. Simba presented, it probably won’t take that long of a time. Watching the documentary was a delight and a treat for us, (Actually I should speak for myself, as I do not know how my colleagues felt about the lecture. Lions always have intrigued me, THAT IS THE FIRST ANIMAL I want to go see when I visit a zoo.  So I commend Mr. Simba for braving himself to go to Africa and help put this species of animals. I, myself, would be petrified to do what Mr. Simba DOES, but as he pointed out the lions do not bother him, as maybe they know he is there for a mission only, and that is to help them out. To save them from the villagers attacking and killing the lions.  One thing I thought about was that Mr. Simba spoke of how he had taken his daughter on these excursions to Africa, and that his daughter had been going to Africa since she Ws 4 years OLD. In That I did not agree with him, as, as I saw it he was putting his daughters life in jeopardy, in extreme danger.

One thing that did cross my mind , but I was kind of embarrassed to ask because I felt it did not pertain or go with the mood of the conversation, and  that questions pertains to gasoline. Mr. Simba said some people are assigned to patrol on motor bikes. But also the patrolling is driving jeeps as Mr. Simba and his immediate group do. So I was wondering how far is the nearest city to go get gasoline, and if the city is far, where and how do they store the gasoline, as motorbikes, and jeeps require gasoline to work. Then again how often id gasoline delivered to the nearest big city, and how long does it take, to deliver gasoline to the mainland, and who pays for the purchases. As driving around the savannah in search of aide to either to the lions/animals, or the village people, would seem to require quite a bit of gasoline.

[Stella Castro]

Pollution was the topic of Ms. Hornby lecture today. I was quite astonished by the devastating statistics Ms. Hornby talked about.

Actually it was quite scary for me to learn that many of our imported food could quite possibly be tainted and/or contaminated with pesticides and or soil pollution. In watching the pictures that Ms. Hornby, showed us, I can’t fathom, how people can live like that, but it is a reality and that is how life is in China/Asia. I guess I am just accustomed to the nice, way of life here in the states.  Air and water pollution, maybe even soil pollution, are still experienced in the States, but not to the extent as in China. For that I am grateful, but  then, I feel for those unfortunate people in China that just have to deal with it and bear it; as no one really cares for their  welfare and since they have no health insurance , that makes it even worse. However I presume that even if they did have health care, it would be an issue for them to attend to a doctor’s appointment and get the necessary treatment/s, as I think their employers would not grant them the time of to go seek medical advice.  Then take the time off needed to recuperate and/or get better. While it is interesting to find out about life in Asia, and their trials and tribulations, I cannot help thinking about the life situations in Asia, as compared to here in the States.  Yes, we have our problems, also, , like homelessness, poverty, hunger, etc., to name a few, but life here in the States, life can be assisted with local government programs like Welfare, food stamps, energy reeducation programs for  the gas, water, and electricity bills, , ( if one qualifies),Shelters, etc.. I guess I am quite lucky to live here in the United States. I sure do hope they have the same kind of assistance programs in China/Asia, as they do here, but that is one fact that I do not know of for sure.

It was very sad to see the picture of a person infected with skin disease because of the pollution in the soil, while that was just a random picture , I am sure there are many more of this type that one can gain access too.  The one picture that really blew me away was the one of the worker who did not wear a breathing mask, as he was spraying the fields/soil with pesticides, as it made me think and realized that this person already knows his fate. The results, of his occupation, and that would be getting infected with a disease/ condition, and knowing he could not do anything about it. He already was facing his destiny, and that being death from his occupation, in order to survive, what an irony.

[Stella Castro]

                I’m pretty excited about the upcoming sessions as, as I was reading the flyer, the/these sessions are going to be about how biographies can help enlighten issues in China’s modern history. There will be 3 guest speakers all of who will speak on different topics/subjects. All topics seem so interesting; I can hardly wait to see what the guest speakers have to say. The subject matters range from discussing the work of acclaimed critic and writer, (Lu Xun). Lu Xun was an essayist, a short story writer and editor. Lu Xun is considered China’s best modern writer. A second guest [speaker will talk about how the Song Dynasty/family hoped to build an industrial Utopia, and the 3^rd guest speaker will discuss how during China’s Cultural Revolution, the educated youth were sent to work in the countryside. All these topics have me intrigued. As I mentioned before, I can hardly wait for Saturday.  Because of our seminar occurring on the same day as the Los Angeles Book Festival, I feel it is most appropriate. Maybe it was intended as such, or maybe it is pure coincidence, but I feel it is most appropriate.  As after hearing/listening to our guest speakers, we may want to attend the book festival in order to purchase books on the subjects/topics, authors, the guest speakers spoke about or about the history of China/Asia or on any other topic/subjects that we are/ may be interested in. Since we will be there already, with complimentary free parking, we might as well take advantage of this situation and take a stroll to the Festival of Books. I know I certainly will!

[Juan Liebana-Mena]

Hi Lin, thanks so much for your reply. Yes, there are many programs and campaings to save animals but Simba's approach is the one I consider more sutainable and cohesive with the lion's environment and the tribes. He's helping and educating the villagers about the importance of coexisting with lions and the importance of these for the environment they share. I agree with you. It's not about treating the lions as a menace and just try to eliminate any that becomes a danger to the livestock you depend on to survibe, but who is going to build those fences? I too think support and exposure of his work to a wider audience is a must. 
 

[Ronald Taw]

Simba life work to save the lions is very admirable... I can not imagine quiting a good stable salary job and going to Africa to pursuit his childhood dream of living among the lions and saving and preseving them for future generation.  These kind of life changing decision is hard enough when you are single, but with a family with teenage daughter must be very hard. I appreciated him sharing such a personal journey of hardship in his life. 

But, once the decision was made to move to Africa and lived in Kenya with the lions, his life seem almost idealistic of Jack Karouoc.  He seems to have this aura of freedome over him and truely enjoy his life work of saving the lions and connecting them to the people all over the world.  And, it was almost be great for his daughter to have such an adventurous father and be able to live amont the lions...

[Juan Liebana-Mena]

Hi Laura. I too found Bill's presentation quite eye opening. Just thinking about the incredible transformation that China has undergone in the last 30-40 years is fascinating in itself. But hearing about this transformation through the experiences and eyes of an American who has lived there for almost all this time is something else. I really Bill's presentation and deeper analysis of the social and environmental problems that China faced back in the day in addition to the ones that faces currently. I also enjoyed hearing his words about how these current issues are addressed and how the government's plan is presented in the media. The fact that China intentionally kept the rural areas underdeveloped and how this changed since his death is algo something I learned from this presentation and a quite interesting takeaway. 

[Donna Jamshidnejad]

After the morning talks on economics and pollution in China, I think it would be a good idea to design a lesson on local pollution in Los Angeles in order to related the topic to students’ lives and make the lesson relevant. Then, I can move into the topic of global pollution and use the case study of China. It would be interesting to use this lesson in AP World History because students should be able to connect this to changes in China in the 21^st century. A major theme in the course is continuities and changes in history, and students study China from the Yellow River Shang until today.

Students in AP Environmental Science have mentioned to me that in AP Enviro they focus on the problems and do not discuss solutions. Many of them believe their teacher thinks there is no hope, and as a consequence, students also do not take action. This is unfortunate, so I think it is important to work in an activism segment into the lesson. After the lesson on pollution, I would invite Youth4Justice to visit. They are a group of student led environmental activists who create a club at your school to get students involved in environmental activism on a local level. This can even lead to some sort of community action project.

[Sandra Soltero-Torres]

Simba is an amazing inspiration to me in how he has chosen to live his life with drive and passion.  His personal life changing story speaks volumes and exemplifies someone who decided to strive for what he believed in.  I admire how he sacrificed his own economic stability to dedicate himself completely to saving the lions in Africa.  His perseverence and patience with working with the villagers demonstrates how important it is for Simba to protect the interests of the villagers while still protecting the wildlife.  Even though he faces various complexities and challenges in his work, Simba perseveres through his application of the conservation model.  His fundraising efforts in China have drawn much speculation, yet he has not allowed that to deter his efforts.  He has continued to follow his dream of saving the lions through continuous to fundraising, workshops and speeches.  I commend his drive and his goals and hope that he continues to receive the necessary support.  I can definitely use Simba's film in my class to teach my students about environmental awareness issues. His work would also be a great example for my students to learn about working hard and following your dreams.

 

[Lin Kuang]

After I finished reading Ms.Hornby ‘s article “ Chinese Envirobmrnt:Gound Operation” , I started worrying about t our next generations survival skills are not to find a job or position in our society, instead to protect our environment and return clean water, air, and soil to our next generations. The 2011 Caixin magazine shocked us all with its cover photo of a rice plant, the grain turned a “ silver metallic color “, which told us that rice from southern Hunan province , the top producer, was contaminated with cadmium. The report “ hit the nerve with city dwellers already anxious about food safety and persistent smog “. As a researcher from Jiangnan UniversitySchool of Business stated, “ The effect of pollution and of the misuse of agricultural inputs like pesticides and fertilizer will become the next big stage in the food safety debate”. Seriously, I actually spoke to a professor from Shanghai University about the severe pollution in China, his reaction quite shocked me because he does not care about it. I asked him curiously about their concern and topics in his lecture, he very honestly told me “ literature has nothing to do with environment”. While the worldwide recognition of the global warming and environmental issues are not on their agenda in a very distinguish University. This is really bothering me a lot. Anyhow, Chinese government finally published a $150m national Soill pollution survey in 2014 , which has been classified as a “ state secret”. They also started to move pollution plants away from prosperous cities to area where regulations are laxer and people are too poor to complain.  God bless Chinese poor people! 

[Jonathan Tam]

I am incredibly inspired by Simba’s efforts towards preserving lions in Kenya. I definitely think that it brings about a new meaning to what it means to be a global citizen and this is something that I hope Chinese, Africans, and everyone around the world will be inspired to do something about. His actions on a much larger scale present the need for more global awareness to be cultivated. Sometimes it does take an outsider, like Simba, for the native Kenyans to understand that lions on a more global level are dying. And despite the fact that they might be the source of their pain, they are a species that we may lose one day as a result of excess killing.

[Jonathan Tam]

Much like how the economic spending of the Chinese differs from that of Americans, I found the issue of poverty also much more nuanced. In China, the issue of poverty generally stems around the lack of resources in rural China. In the United States, this is also very much true - but cities in particular articulate the prevalence of poverty in cities. China’s plan is primarily focused on rural china, where countries, towns and villages are the site for reeducation and assimilation. Especially because the goal is to eliminate poverty by 2020, it will be interesting to see what the next few years look like and what the aftermath of this initiative will be like.

[Sandra Soltero-Torres]

      The pollution crisis in China is affecting the health of Chinese people drastically.  One example of this is with China's hairy crab scandal.  Hairy crabs are a seasonal delicacy served in Hong Kong restaurants.  The hairy crabs are brought in from lakes around the Chinese city of Suzhou.  It was reported by food safety inspectors that some crabs contained dakngerous levels of cancer-causing chemicals.  The lake where these crabs were said to have come from was known as a lake that had been cleaned up as an effort to fight against pollution. So the answer to the pollution lies in a practice called "bathing crabs."  "Bathing crabs"  refers to crabs that are brought in to spend minimal time in the lake's clean waters so that they can be sold at a premium price.  They are sold for a better price because the fresh water makes the crabs sweeter and tastier.  China has struggled to clean up their water pollution.  Although they have funded environmental clean ups and water quality has improved at this particular Lake Tai, they continue to struggle.  The bigger issue is that the water pollution is also linked to the soil pollution crisis in China.  The pollutants penetrate into the sediment and stay in the environment for a long time.  Although China has made efforts and invested millions of dollars to clean up, the pollution crisis is continuous.  This is evident with China's hairy crab scandal.

[Sandra Soltero-Torres]

     Lucy Hornby's lecture opened my eyes to the seriousness of China's industrial pollution crisis.  The major issue lies in the lingering soil pollution that remains even after the original pollutor is gone.  Although China has made attempts at cleaning up their pollution problem Chinese people are unhappy with the way that this polluton crisis is bing handled.  "Green financing" which provides funds to remediate the problem may function to treat waste water, but it doesn't function the same for polluted soil.  There are various types of soil pollution that are quite serious to the health of the people.  For example, heavy metals are inhaled with the dust that children kick up as they play.  In addition, local crops are contaminated which means less food and income for that community.  As a result some affected villages are switching to ornamental crops , like flowers, that cannot be eaten.  This may provide a temporary solution to the income dilemma, but it does not address the health risks that still continue.  Overall, it is a step forward for China in that they are reognizing and trying to address the pollution crisis affecting Chinese people, but there is still along way to go!

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