Stem Cell Therapy

I found it interesting how in The Hindu, they described Stem Cell therapy as aiming at addressing the root cause of the disease rather than the symptoms which sounds more in line with the Chinese medicine than many other Western medicine developments I have heard of. I think it sounds like a promising therapy for quite a wide variety of diseases, particularly the autologous treatment since it uses ones and own cells and tissues and I imagine is therefore less likely to be rejected by the body's immune system. However it looks as though the allogenic path will likely be more pushed since it is more affordable and profitable. I am a bit skeptical about the possible side effects that could unfold over time from having a donor's foreign cells introduced into another person's system, but hopefully they are moving with caution in this regard and not just getting swept up in the money making potential.

Laughter really is the best medicine

Absolutely! It is such a natural expression and a huge emotional release. When you are heavy hearted there is a stagnancy created that impedes the flow of energy. Funny things happen so spontaneously that in one instant laughter can occur and give rise to a lightness and relaxation within. It has the power to break the habitual stress or negative patterns of the mind. Once I went to an Ayurvedic clinic in India when I was very ill and down about it. I went in for my first consultation with the doctor who was loud, boisterous and looked like a car salesman. He was completely incomprehensible because his Indian accent was so thick, but he insisted on speaking English, ignoring the translator named Guru who was sitting by his side. He kept referring to my condition as Rheumatoidikal Artriti and it sounded so absurd that the more he said it I felt this laughter bubbling up inside of me. I tried to disguise it by coughing but eventually it just came pouring out and once I started I couldn't stop. Guru and the doctor looked at each other and then suddenly the laughter became contagious and we were all doubled over in hysterics. Once we all calmed down I tried to apologize but he interrupted me and said "Laughter makes the life longer so we are off to a good start"

Montana and Idaho plan open-season wolf hunt

Can we balance the issues involved?

It seems that the decision to allow open hunts so soon after they have been removed from the endangered species list was perhaps a bit premature. It may have been more effective to allow wolf recovery to flourish some more, before letting the hunters have a field day. If they are too hasty with making allowances, wolves could end up right back on the endangered species list. I understand that ranchers need to protect their livestock, but I wonder how strictly the rules are enforced and obeyed. From what I have heard American ranchers can be quite ruthless when it comes to killing animals considered to pose a risk, even if there is no direct threat on their property. Cases like these need to be more carefully monitored, especially since the trigger happy ranchers have an unfair advantage with their guns. As mentioned in class, top predators, such as wolves help create a balanced, healthy ecosystem and there should be more emphasis placed on this when creating the hunting laws. There should also be rules against killing entire wolf packs which clearly inhibits effective genetic exchange and diversity. Another point I came across in research was that if adult wolves are shot it completely disrupts the pack structure and without experienced hunters to help capture the wild prey, the young ones may turn to easier prey such as cattle or sheep, which is obviously not favorable for the ranchers. I see why hunting can assist in population control but it also has such adverse effects for the surviving wolf population, so I'm unsure if a fair balance can be struck as humans attempt to manipulate the growth and control of a wild species.

Vaccinations

I do think it is very important to educate oneself in order to make an informed decision on what you choose to let into your child's system. The CDC recommended vaccine schedule seems a little hasty, considering that a baby's immune system is not fully developed until it is about 6 months old. This is used as an argument for why babies should receive vaccinations as early as possible, as they are more susceptible to virus and disease but if the baby is being breastfed, then it is receiving immunity through the mother's breastmilk. Apparently babies get the hep B vaccine right after they are born, but the only way for a newborn to contract this disease is if the mother is a carrier. It all seems a bit overly eager.
I don't agree that there should be one vaccination schedule for all children, it should more depend on the individual factors such as the child's particular condition of health and the environment (at home and in the community) in which it is raised. Likewise, I don't think that vaccination programs should be made compulsory, since they do not even guarantee complete protection from a disease. Furthermore, until they can develop vaccines that do not contain toxic, harmful substances such as mercury, formaldahyde and aluminium hydroxide, it doesn't seem right to force parents to have these toxins injected into their otherwise healthy children.

Reintroduction of American Bison

Prairies are the most endangered ecosystems of the U.S. They were the continent's largest continuous ecosystem supporting a vast array of plants and animals. Prairies provide erosion and non-point source pollution control. They protect ground and surface water as well as act as buffers for wetlands. Apparently they once spanned about 40% of the U.S, however only one percent of North American prairies still exist. The reintroduction of Bison seem like a very important component of restoring these ecosystems since they play a key role in creating a healthy environment on the Prairie. The continuous grazing by the Bison keeps the grass short, stimulates new shoots to grow, and their hoof action sows new seeds into the earth, helping to support new vegetation. Not only do their actions contribute to a more thriving ecosystem, but their significance for the Native American people should not be ignored. As the article states, the Bison is a symbol of their strength and unity, so to promote the reintroduction of the Bison would likely be a very healing act of respect from the cultural conflicts and deliberate devestation that took place in the past.

End Goals of Social Ecology

Well sometimes it is difficult to imagine that with all of the craziness that is going on in the world now that perhaps someday, there could be a significant shift in the direction of these end goals and on a bad day it can seem all a bit idealistic. I really do think that despite our current state of affairs, it is very important to hold these goals in high regard and to works towards cultivating such changes starting in one's own life, community and environment. I think that practicing Chinese medicine has the potential to contribute to these end goals with its strong connection with nature and its holistic approach to healing.

"Ecosystems are both strong and fragile"

Ecosystems are resilient in their ability to adapt and regenerate from environmental disturbances such a fires, droughts and earthquakes. However their natural resiliency is being weakened by the continuous pressures and challenges that human activity has created in such a relatively short time span. As human populations continue to expand, there is increased dependency on water, land and animals and most of our practices are not sustainable for our environment. This has majorly contributed to the loss of biodiversity in many ecosystems and is throwing a wrench in the natural cycles of the environment, therefore putting all ecosystems at a major disadvantage with less and less of a chance to flourish.