Annsih KesMaa Serud | St. Louis University (original) (raw)

Papers by Annsih KesMaa Serud

A witch traditionally has been considered a wise woman. The title was an acknowledgement of ancie... more A witch traditionally has been considered a wise woman. The title was an acknowledgement of ancient wisdom and applicable modalities which had been practiced

Introduction Initially when the Army Corps of Engineers visited the Environmental Sustainabili... more Introduction
Initially when the Army Corps of Engineers visited the Environmental Sustainability and Sustainable Water Management course the idea of sustainable inland waterways transportation (SIWT) appeared the best choices for transportation of commodities. The expansion of sustainable inland water transportation (barges) is not really a question but rather substantiating its feasibility in the midst of operational opportunities for improvements. A dismantling of business as usual (BAU) paradigm, a continuation of modifications of infrastructural modifications, the removal of barriers and the implementation of ecosystem restoration recommended from environmental impact studies which could take 50 years should continue. Additional infrastructural ‘soft approaches’ (weirs and dikes) to controlling the Mississippi river and the maintenance of existing structures have been approved to allow the operation of Inland Waterways Transportation (IWT) for the next 50 years with the same quality as installing new infrastructure but with less cost to taxpayers (MCE, 2011). Currently, Missouri taxpayers are burdened with the cost to make changes and restore the ecosystem recently added to the Army Corps of Engineers proposed expansion plans. Due to the operation of locks and dams, the ecosystem along the Missouri and Mississippi has deteriorated since the inception of infrastructure to support inland water transportation. It is hoped that the Army Corps of Engineers will apply regular maintenance to existing structures and allow funding for ecosystem restoration to be moved to the Environmental Management Program (EMP) established to do just that. Transportation modes (truck, rail and barge) fuel efficiency and safety are compared more fairly showing railway systems offering equal fueling advantages but IWT is the leader in human safety. But engineering innovation could still save inland waterways transportation if ‘challenges’ are created and implemented to determine better ways to use the Mississippi and Missouri waterways conducted by university students yearly or bi-annual. Due to population projections of 9-10 billion globally by 2050, it is clear more demand for food and other materials will require better more sustainable coordination of all transportation modes to reduce traffic congestion and which offers opportunities for better scheduling on the river to meet future demands. Lastly other impacts to the ecosystem (pollution and sedimentation) and locks and dam infrastructure are also identified to acknowledge the Army Corps of Engineering operational practices are not the only barriers healthy ecosystems. IWT requires a more holistic approach to and better coordination of land use to include strategies to curb erosion and sedimentation from land use (logging and agriculture) and the allowing ‘softer solutions’ from technical environmental knowledge (TEK) of the indigenous creating employment opportunities to the poor and which will encourage a paradigm shift away from ‘business as usual’ (BAU) to assist in the establishment of sustainable IWT. Lastly, infrastructure is affected by pollution and sedimentation which causes deterioration requiring better coordination with land use practices and sedimentation control due to erosion caused by logging and agricultural runoff and natural erosion. Sedimentation control could become the new brainchild of inland waterways navigation. Locks and dams are in place to allow passage of IWT and control sedimentation on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and have been a way to move commodities to meet the demands of markets and has been said to have saved the nation $1.5 billion in indirect and direct cost and this should not be overlooked (U.S. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 2004).

Water, the magical elixir of life… The Watershed is a microcosm of the macrocosm on the planet. ... more Water, the magical elixir of life…
The Watershed is a microcosm of the macrocosm on the planet. The health of watersheds on of Earth’s waterways support on our ecosystem services are undervalued natural systems which support and sustain life on earth. Ecosystems have been slowly degraded over time and repair must take priority. To live one’s life as if they are an island alone or independent became a cultural mantra for exploitation and a mentality of man vs. nature. Unfortunately, these ideas have proved faulty and unsustainable. Even though societies are just beginning to understand our interdependence on the natural environment, we have a long way to go before we see a paradigm shift where we remember our environment as a living being as all indigenous persons once did. Our disconnection from the natural world has created contaminated waters, and skies.
Today, as the needed shifts take hold, we are looking at Mother Nature as the ancients did and now understanding we must care for our natural world. Sustainability is that return the human soul sought to reconnect with nature and her services called ecosystem services. Our planet now though shows signs of decay and our biodiversity is reduced minute by minute. This is a pivotal moment in time where humans embrace the natural as our duty to protect today and tomorrow for the future. Protecting our waterways is like protecting our own blood. The purity of our waterways is reflected by species health and human health. Today with the rise of illness due to water contaminants and pollution one must turn a real focus on educating the public on practices which no longer serve humanity and begin again to adopt practices which will assist nature in her job to provide healthy living systems for animals and humans. Understanding nature’s remedies to storm water runoff from the built environment will be more focused in the future and our actions will not be just ‘voluntary’ but mandatory to ensure a healthy happy planet.

Abstract Thomas Jefferson Quote Man believed to have dominion over Mother Earth for the past 1700... more Abstract
Thomas Jefferson Quote
Man believed to have dominion over Mother Earth for the past 1700 years could be argued as a definitive moment in how humanity came to view earth and nature as ‘alien’ or ‘other’ echoed in my public policy course. ‘White men’ in corporate boardrooms actions have proven unsustainable in the past echoed in my Sustainability boot camp. Humanity’s ‘real split’ in the garden could be a ‘split from the garden’ causing a spiritual split in the human psyche. ‘Will this hurt my Mother?’ will become corporate strategies in the future and humanity reclaims its relationship with Mother Earth and her environment called Mother Nature.
Women have long been called representatives of Mother Earth. Ecofeminism provides concrete reason why Earth must be considered a living organism acknowledging women’s inherent roles in a sustainable future. Women’s empowerment, economic stability and well being are sustainable environmental issues. Mother Nature moves forefront as a teacher and women begin to cultivate Hemp establishing a sustainable future. The cultivation of hemp as a renewable is enjoyed widely outside the U.S. as an expanding market. Hemp reduces and helps to mitigate the effects of global warming.

Conference Presentations by Annsih KesMaa Serud

Dismantling means understanding the cultural domination model which plagues our existence. Here ... more Dismantling means understanding the cultural domination model which plagues our existence. Here we view how we got here and offer solutions to return to a more feminine harmonious existence; a true return to love.