Susan J Lewis | University of Delaware (original) (raw)
Papers by Susan J Lewis
According to many climate model predictions, the end of the century could mark the point where we... more According to many climate model predictions, the end of the century could mark the point where we find the Arctic Ocean completely ice-free during summer. According to an analysis published in 2009 in Geophysical Research Letters indicated that this might happen as early as 2037. Other scientists and experts anticipate this will occur even sooner than this. The specific time for ice-free Arctic summer is unclear and impossible to predict absolutely, but it appears certain that it is indeed going to happen in the foreseeable future. This has major implications at several levels - environmental, economic, social, and more. These implications are explained separately, but it is important to realize that all areas of change due to Arctic Meltdown are interconnected and do not happen or exist in isolation from one another.
Humans have been dependent on the sea for food and medicine for thousands of years. The ocean wa... more Humans have been dependent on the sea for food and medicine for thousands of years. The ocean was once abundant with life of all shapes and sizes, but today, life in the ocean is a small fraction of what it once was. Humans continue to depend on the ocean as a major food source, but must travel to further distances and deeper depths to access declining fish supplies due to overfished stocks. Simply put, overfishing is the result of fish being removed from the sea at a rate faster than they can reproduce. This is a huge problem all over the world. Overfishing not only causes collapse or even extinction of sought after species, but can wreak havoc and disrupt entire ecosystems.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is fundamentally an international problem and one without... more The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is fundamentally an international problem and one without precedent or clear solution. It is international in scope and source, and any solution must also be an international effort. Due to the location, size, and potential cost of cleanup efforts, large scale, international level policy is needed. Local efforts can help towards the overall goal, in ways such as bans on plastics and pollution control measures, but this is not enough to resolve the problem. The solution and relevant policies – for cleanup today and prevention into the future - must be international in scope. This essay will explore these ideas.
The globalization of technology and current technological transition creates a mixed bag in regar... more The globalization of technology and current technological transition
creates a mixed bag in regard to democracy, cultural autonomy, the global environment, and our collective future. Technology represents something a dichotomy – it has enabled the movement into an information society, where ideas and knowledge can be shared quickly across borders and oceans. Conversely, it has allowed humans to create significant social and ecological problems that also cross borders and oceans. Western societies that are “advanced” have absorbed and integrated technology into all facets of existence. We continue to seek more, faster technology, and deeper integration into the world around us. Western society has also pushed technology and technological methods onto Third World societies. The West perceives its ways as superior and pressures Third World societies while simultaneously ignoring their traditional methods and culture. The intentions of these actions aside, it has led to detriment for some. Technology is not inherently bad or evil, but it is a powerful force with potential to lead us to greatness or to harm.
The relationship of technology, environment, and society is a complex and varied. As science and ... more The relationship of technology, environment, and society is a complex and
varied. As science and technology have progressed, so too has social
complexity and economic growth dependency. The environment is the most fundamental, essential, and important piece of the puzzle, but sadly not treated as such. Society – life - is completely dependent on the environment, whether because it is valued as our home or because it is valued for its economic or resource worth, society is still dependent on it. The relationship of technology and environment is one of duality. The rewards of grand technological advances have come with grave environmental and social risks. Technology has enabled society to understand and scientifically evaluate the environment, for instance, understanding the atmosphere and the changes humans have caused to its chemistry (Byrne, et al, 2002:282). The cause of the changing chemistry and resultant climate change, though, is science and technology.
According to many climate model predictions, the end of the century could mark the point where we... more According to many climate model predictions, the end of the century could mark the point where we find the Arctic Ocean completely ice-free during summer. According to an analysis published in 2009 in Geophysical Research Letters indicated that this might happen as early as 2037. Other scientists and experts anticipate this will occur even sooner than this. The specific time for ice-free Arctic summer is unclear and impossible to predict absolutely, but it appears certain that it is indeed going to happen in the foreseeable future. This has major implications at several levels - environmental, economic, social, and more. These implications are explained separately, but it is important to realize that all areas of change due to Arctic Meltdown are interconnected and do not happen or exist in isolation from one another.
Humans have been dependent on the sea for food and medicine for thousands of years. The ocean wa... more Humans have been dependent on the sea for food and medicine for thousands of years. The ocean was once abundant with life of all shapes and sizes, but today, life in the ocean is a small fraction of what it once was. Humans continue to depend on the ocean as a major food source, but must travel to further distances and deeper depths to access declining fish supplies due to overfished stocks. Simply put, overfishing is the result of fish being removed from the sea at a rate faster than they can reproduce. This is a huge problem all over the world. Overfishing not only causes collapse or even extinction of sought after species, but can wreak havoc and disrupt entire ecosystems.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is fundamentally an international problem and one without... more The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is fundamentally an international problem and one without precedent or clear solution. It is international in scope and source, and any solution must also be an international effort. Due to the location, size, and potential cost of cleanup efforts, large scale, international level policy is needed. Local efforts can help towards the overall goal, in ways such as bans on plastics and pollution control measures, but this is not enough to resolve the problem. The solution and relevant policies – for cleanup today and prevention into the future - must be international in scope. This essay will explore these ideas.
The globalization of technology and current technological transition creates a mixed bag in regar... more The globalization of technology and current technological transition
creates a mixed bag in regard to democracy, cultural autonomy, the global environment, and our collective future. Technology represents something a dichotomy – it has enabled the movement into an information society, where ideas and knowledge can be shared quickly across borders and oceans. Conversely, it has allowed humans to create significant social and ecological problems that also cross borders and oceans. Western societies that are “advanced” have absorbed and integrated technology into all facets of existence. We continue to seek more, faster technology, and deeper integration into the world around us. Western society has also pushed technology and technological methods onto Third World societies. The West perceives its ways as superior and pressures Third World societies while simultaneously ignoring their traditional methods and culture. The intentions of these actions aside, it has led to detriment for some. Technology is not inherently bad or evil, but it is a powerful force with potential to lead us to greatness or to harm.
The relationship of technology, environment, and society is a complex and varied. As science and ... more The relationship of technology, environment, and society is a complex and
varied. As science and technology have progressed, so too has social
complexity and economic growth dependency. The environment is the most fundamental, essential, and important piece of the puzzle, but sadly not treated as such. Society – life - is completely dependent on the environment, whether because it is valued as our home or because it is valued for its economic or resource worth, society is still dependent on it. The relationship of technology and environment is one of duality. The rewards of grand technological advances have come with grave environmental and social risks. Technology has enabled society to understand and scientifically evaluate the environment, for instance, understanding the atmosphere and the changes humans have caused to its chemistry (Byrne, et al, 2002:282). The cause of the changing chemistry and resultant climate change, though, is science and technology.