tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post3650869435013875419..comments2024-03-19T18:51:58.496-05:00Comments on Cultural Front: Haley Reading Group: The Big KillH. Rambsyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16862209871277442972noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-11352882781561477802017-11-27T03:12:08.715-06:002017-11-27T03:12:08.715-06:00"The Big Kill" was interesting because b..."The Big Kill" was interesting because both sides of the situation are good points. However, I agree more with side of cons. This is due to the mass killings of animals. There should not be interference with nature. Survival of the fittest have to take place in order for the world to evolve. Precious Middletonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-75908558358278822032017-11-08T21:59:23.182-06:002017-11-08T21:59:23.182-06:00I think that their focus on killing invasive mamma...I think that their focus on killing invasive mammals to protect native wildlife and fauna is just odd to me. I see where the thought process comes from and if this is what they all agree on and want in their country then so be it, but to mess with the natural ebb and flow of different species joining your culture just seems kind of ignorant and stubborn to a world of change. With so many people participating though, 4000 conservation groups of the 4.5 million inhabitants of New Zealand (p. 164), it seems to be a good solution for them. This article showed me that there is more than one way to interpret protecting wildlife. It is just not necessarily the way I would go about it. It is very brutal.Kiana Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-60494332691006793092017-10-27T14:55:46.855-05:002017-10-27T14:55:46.855-05:00I believe that the way they are conducting these m...I believe that the way they are conducting these mass killings of species is wrong. Regardless of them not being native species, they are already there and have most likely adapted to the environment already. Therefore, the people are adding more damage than what is already done.<br />Daye'Jah CoatesAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12429691590114894234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-91355911202510272672017-10-24T16:46:00.950-05:002017-10-24T16:46:00.950-05:00The first paragraph of this chapter was difficult ...The first paragraph of this chapter was difficult for me to read. I recently became a vegetarian due to animal cruelty. The first paragraph explains a dead animal corpse that has just been killed. Kolbert describes its snout as "decomposing" and mentions the "poking" at the poor creature with a screwdriver(163). Although I disagree with animal cruelty, I can understand the appeal to wipe out predators in order to keep native species alive. Although I can understand the appeal, I do not agree with wiping out any species. <br />~ Brianna Pickens Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17132547498261189598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-69402690193455584802017-10-23T23:16:07.998-05:002017-10-23T23:16:07.998-05:00It is hard to wrap my head around the mass killing...It is hard to wrap my head around the mass killing of anythoing to save another, but in this case I think they have no choice. I feel like New Zealanders have to exterminate these invasive animals in order to save the vegetation, so by this logic it only makes sense to kill all the predators. Even though they are killing a lot of the animals, it is not like they're completely eliminating the species to the point of extinction like their first settlers did. Though it would make sense in some cases such as when the predators are making several species go extinct like the kiore did while the Maori were still settling (170).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02689088158732880815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-7278975586505253702017-10-23T14:17:09.704-05:002017-10-23T14:17:09.704-05:00I agree with the hunting of the invasive species b...I agree with the hunting of the invasive species because those invasive rats did not belong there initially in New Zealand. Those invasive animals overtook the native wildlife of New Zealand, leading to extinction of native birds and animals of New Zealand looking at page 171. There should be efforts put into keeping the native species alive so hunt down the cause of the endangerment of the native animals is alright to me.<br />--Chidera O.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-34347813870995173682017-10-22T23:01:27.410-05:002017-10-22T23:01:27.410-05:00I am a firm believer that every living organism wa...I am a firm believer that every living organism was put where they are because of a greater power. I believe nobody should have the power to take away a life they did not give. Regardless of if the life is in an animal or not. Nature has a way of adjusting to changes and honestly if no humans messed with nature at all (outside of healing purposes) the world would be such an outstanding place. dgeeterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10607558996438592389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-75520397316802942042017-10-22T17:33:45.329-05:002017-10-22T17:33:45.329-05:00To me, it's a bit disturbing the attitude of c...To me, it's a bit disturbing the attitude of conservation that New Zealander's have. I completely understand it, but it makes me wonder: is there a better way? Is there something else they could be doing? I understand the need for preservation of their native species of animals, but it seems like such a harsh solution to the problem to just kill all of the invasive species. Also, their attitudes about it are very nonchalant. "...in New Zealand, killing small mammals brings people together," page 177 states. It seems to me that the protection of wildlife is gone about very differently even in countries as developed as the U.S. Perhaps the reason that they can be so casual and even excited about the extermination of animals is because this is what they believe is the best way to go about saving their wildlife. Jada Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-43243445041630904272017-10-20T23:42:29.421-05:002017-10-20T23:42:29.421-05:00Joshua
My opinion on the killing of the invasive...Joshua <br /><br />My opinion on the killing of the invasive mammals to protect native wildlife is that sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet and by that I mean if you really are serious about protecting g the native wildlife then the best option in my opinion is that you have to kill the non native animals. Like on page 170 the Maori hunted and killed all the Moa and the Haast eagle also left and this is a problem and this shows how the new animals are over powering the native animals and that they don’t stand a chance. This enhances my view of the break a few eggs point of view because it reinforced the fact that to help one group you have to help another.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15390334728836934140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-71703554480913361652017-10-17T22:11:51.352-05:002017-10-17T22:11:51.352-05:00The BIg Kill by Elizabeth Kolbert was a very inter...The BIg Kill by Elizabeth Kolbert was a very interesting paper. The one thing that I felt was a little alarming was the behavior in humans. It took me by surprise because I didn't know that people like killing animals that much. For an example, on page 163 it states that “ one thing lead to another and soon they were going after rats”. They went on to kill just about any living thing on their farm. I feel like what they did was overkill when especially when they started killing the cats<br />alishiana Ivyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12563956177114739836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-78444873686045312792017-10-17T10:09:26.383-05:002017-10-17T10:09:26.383-05:00The Big Kill" held my interest due to the fac...The Big Kill" held my interest due to the fact that it never crossed my mind of the over population of species and the damage they cause. Kolbert’s ideology of humans hunting and killing mammals for the protections of native wildlife and New Zealand’s national identity was jaw dropping yet intriguing. This story has really made me think about how we as humans are capable of almost anything. Tomika Collinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-11791140289135977092017-10-16T08:50:42.675-05:002017-10-16T08:50:42.675-05:00Kolbert’s focus on humans hunting and killing inva...Kolbert’s focus on humans hunting and killing invasive mammals to protect native wildlife and New Zealand’s national identity was fascinating or alarming, depending on your point of view. What did you think? How did the article enhance or reshape how you thought about what it means to protect wildlife? Please provide a page number citation, where necessary.<br /><br />I thought the hunting and killing ideology that many humans have was completely alarming. To me, I instinctively thought of humans, and how non-native Americans (literally EVERYONE) would feel if we hunted and killed them because they were simply doing what they needed to do to survive. This reshaped my way of thinking about wildlife because they are just like humans, no one asked to be born, so it's up to you to do what you need to do to survive -- and if that means endangering plants, then so be it. I wholeheartedly agreed with Kolbert when she said, "One response is simply to accept this as the planet’s destiny. Yes, the invaders will, inevitably, choke out some local species, and there will be losses... But people aren’t going to stop shipping goods and they aren’t going to stop travelling; therefore, we’re just going to have to learn to live in a Pangaea of our own making" (174).<br />--Toriel S.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-66023023948052580532017-10-15T18:43:15.131-05:002017-10-15T18:43:15.131-05:00Elizabeth Kolbert's article "The Big Kill...Elizabeth Kolbert's article "The Big Kill" opened my mind up to things I never knew were occurring. The thought that people could want to kill the animals just preserve the animals that symbolize their national identity is shocking. It is cheating in a sense, the animals that are supposed to win, live. Those that die, were not meant to be. To interrupt this process could cause a big disturbance in the ecosystem. I believe the should try to find other ways preserving their national identity through those animals. But at the same time I think humans would be ignorant to think that we are not already doing this. We are creating different species of plants with chemicals and doing the same with animals just so we can make more money off the food. As incorrect as killing those animals is, we can do so much better than say just say what is inmoral.Stella Nguepnangnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-16061832753947607702017-10-14T19:39:12.322-05:002017-10-14T19:39:12.322-05:00The article, "The Big Kill" discussed in...The article, "The Big Kill" discussed invasive species and how they disrupt the native species. New Zealand are exterminating the invasive species on their island to repopulate their native species. I believe that they should leave the non native species at peace and let nature take its course. Disrupting the natural process of natural selection can cause harmful consequences on the island. On page 174 the text reads," It is impractical to try to resolve ecosystems to some 'rightful' historical state," a group of American researchers wrote a few years ago, in Nature. "We must embrace the fact of 'novel ecosystems' and incorporate many alien species into management plans, rather than try to achieve the often impossible goal of eradicating them. "I love this statement because I completely agree with it. Manhandling natural ecosystems does more harm than good in the long run. <br />Taija Cooknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-26975622600528735812017-10-13T23:23:35.491-05:002017-10-13T23:23:35.491-05:00"The Big Kill" by Elizabeth Kolbert shed..."The Big Kill" by Elizabeth Kolbert sheds light on a subject rarely touch. As humans, there isn't talk or alot of exposure about the extermination of animals. But bearing the situation, this just shows that there is always a choice that has to be made, everything comes with sacrifice.<br /><br />-Abraham Carmichael Abraham Carmichaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-32181708760726302062017-10-13T23:22:34.508-05:002017-10-13T23:22:34.508-05:00After reading "The Big Kill" by Elizabet...After reading "The Big Kill" by Elizabeth Kolbert, it informed me on how invasive species have negative effects on the environment in New Zealand. I have always that animals didn't have that much of a negative effect on the environment but to sustain the ecosystem and human life in New Zealand they have to kill the non native animals. Kolbert says " The invaders are eating their way through the native fauna, producing what is, even in an age of generalized extinction,a major crisis"(164). Thomas Mosesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-50311684554189918582017-10-13T23:17:01.973-05:002017-10-13T23:17:01.973-05:00"Today Invasive species are everywhere. No ma..."Today Invasive species are everywhere. No matter where you are reading this, almost certainly you are surrounded by them."(173) This passage made me wonder if what we as a humans think of as invasive species are actually invasive. Environments are constantly changing and different groups of animals migrate to different areas over the course of time. So i could not say that i find it right to exterminate these "invasive" species because it is the natural flow of things and also because i believe the the most invasive species is us.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10585950219687136614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-73576575202562122722017-10-13T23:07:20.901-05:002017-10-13T23:07:20.901-05:00I think humans forget that we disrupted the enviro...I think humans forget that we disrupted the environment and changed the natural order of things. And New Zealand wanting to kill off a species is proof of that. I don't find any reasoning worthy of killing off animals. They want to find the easiest way to solve the problem instead of reducing their impact and rebuilding spaces for these species to thrive.Dasia Andersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-32670341145283659412017-10-13T22:47:47.573-05:002017-10-13T22:47:47.573-05:00"The Big Kill", written by Elizabeth Kol..."The Big Kill", written by Elizabeth Kolbert, was very unique in how it explained conservation. Rather than gathering every animal and protecting them, citizens of New Zealand kill the invasive species. They view it as a learning experience to kill animals such as rodents. Due to different plants and animals arriving from other continents, the native animals are facing much difficulty in living safely. Killing animals such as cats keeps them safe. She also spoke about what makes their island unique, such as the large amount of feathered animals along with an animal from the Mesozoic period. It even spoke about how human interaction made a kakapo uninterested in sexual-intercourse with its own species. This section does a lot to tell people of how human influence changes the lives of all animals. The people of New Zealand find it important to not kill off creatures just because they were there first. An article such as this can do a lot to change how and where people hunt.<br /><br />-Rodney ClarkRodney Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-64814149154529391472017-10-13T22:36:19.951-05:002017-10-13T22:36:19.951-05:00The ways New Zealand tries to control the over pop...The ways New Zealand tries to control the over population of "anything with fur and beady little eyes" (pg 164) is very concerning to me. I understand that they are trying to create a safer environment for the things that are natural to that area, but I do not think that they have to go about it the way that they are. I think that if they were to let the animals go into the traps by themselves it would be a lot more humane than baiting them into the traps. As a nature lover myself, I understand the want to preserve the beauty of tress and the natural animals that live in that area but I also do not think it is okay to kill those animals. I think that is horrible how they are going about it and just killing things because they believe it is disrupting their nature. The animals that they believe to be brought over from other places are just doing what is natural to them and they are trying to survive. If they are truly from other places, they are trying to adapt to the changes their species are not adapted for just like the people and nature in New Zealand are trying to adapt to the new species. I understand their want to maintain the balance that was already in place but there are better ways than poisoning them and causing them extreme and unnecessary bodily harm .Breonna Robertsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-33809369931005937452017-10-13T22:34:52.474-05:002017-10-13T22:34:52.474-05:00While reading "The Big Kill" by Elizabet...While reading "The Big Kill" by Elizabeth Kolbert, I found it very interesting to read about all of this stuff and to find out that it was about New Zealand. I honestly sometimes forget that New Zealand is right by Australia and it's crazy how they treat certain animals. While we don't treat animals that well in America either, it still was shocking for me to read at the beginning about how they get rid of certain animals. It just goes right in a row how they get rid of the possums, then the rats, then the stoats, and then even cats and all by poisoning them. It is sort of hard looking at this situation from our point of view in because we don't necessarily consider these animals to be invasive.<br /><br />Kelsey McNeilnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-10832961220432908532017-10-13T22:06:04.994-05:002017-10-13T22:06:04.994-05:00The process was both fascinating and concerning at...The process was both fascinating and concerning at the same time. The fascinating aspect was that the New Zealanders saved many critically endangered animals by establishing invasive species free safe zones where they could thrive. The concerning aspect of this culture of extermination is the lengths that the citizens will go to kill rats. On page 167, "New Zealand, which has 1 percent of the worlds land but uses 80 percent of its 1080." 1080 is a highly poisonous toxin which New Zealand uses in a bid to kill its invasive mammals. While I can understand the need to preserve the local species of an ecosystem. I believe that conservation should be just that, with efforts having a minimal environmental impact.<br /><br />- Quinn CadwellQcadwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15467781258487227676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-2571196570023326502017-10-13T21:37:22.008-05:002017-10-13T21:37:22.008-05:00The article,"The Big Kill," by Elizabeth...The article,"The Big Kill," by Elizabeth Kolbert discussed invasive species and how they disrupt the native species. New Zealand are exterminating the invasive species on their island to repopulate their native species. I believe that they should leave the non native species at peace and let nature take its course. Disrupting the natural process of natural selection can cause harmful consequences on the island. On page 174 the text reads," It is impractical to try to resolve ecosystems to some 'rightful' historical state," a group of American researchers wrote a few years ago, in Nature. "We must embrace the fact of 'novel ecosystems' and incorporate many alien species into management plans, rather than try to achieve the often impossible goal of eradicating them. "I love this statement because I completely agree with it. Manhandling natural ecosystems does more harm than good in the long run. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03586932476869784690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-30667819691275046952017-10-13T21:06:43.612-05:002017-10-13T21:06:43.612-05:00The quote that stood out to me most was "We a...The quote that stood out to me most was "We always say that for us, conservation is all about killing things." I saw that killing these animals did in fact conserve the ecosystem while at the same time they are not conserving the animals lives. So I agree with the comment and question it.Kayla Summynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-595859379914711075.post-8287795222317028742017-10-13T19:40:54.502-05:002017-10-13T19:40:54.502-05:00Before reading this article, I always believed tha...Before reading this article, I always believed that some animals should be suppressed. If I were to say that I believe all animals should stay alive, that would mean we should all hesitate when killing that pesky fly by our food at the family cookout. With this logic, I would completely side with the people of New Zealand. On page 164 Kolbert says,"But theirs is, to borrow E. O. Wilson's term, a bloody, bloody biophilia. The sort of amateur naturalist who in Oregon or Oklahoma might track butterflies or band birds will, in Otorohanga, poison possums and crush the heads of hedgehogs. As the coordinator of one volunteer group put it to me, 'We always say that for us, conservation is all about killing'". Though thee phrase seems provocative, I do agree with it. Look at how farmers defend their crops. They also set traps. Sometimes a sacrifice must be made to benefit the greatest amount.Jonathan Sancheznoreply@blogger.com