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.

Eight Point Deep Ecology Platform

I think the platform is interesting in its focus on the unification of human and non-human life. As our current urban, industrial lifestyle continues to develop and expand, we are not only destroying natural habitats and ecosystems, but we ourselves are becoming further out of touch with nature, which in turn is creating an imbalance within us. This manifests through all of the social, emotional and health issues that we are facing. It is important to examine what is not working with our systems and our disconnection from the earth is really at the heart of the matter. The Eight Point Deep Ecology Platform is not just about what would be better for us, but what would work better for the earth and all of its elements, which we are part of. It's looking at the bigger picture. I wonder how much impact these outlined principles have had, but in any case I do think they are an important platform to encourage people to start thinking about their actions and their relationship to the environment in a different light.

"The deal that saved the whale"

Recently I have seen so much horrendous footage of whales being slaughtered, and the exposure of the corruption that goes on within the international whaling commission in the documentary "The Cove". It is all entirely heartbreaking, so it gives me hope to learn that this cooperative has effectively banded together and agreed to protect the habitat of these grey whales. Viva Las Ballenas!! And definitely check out The Cove if you haven't already.

Can TCM strengthen our immune systems?

TCM's approach is to restore balance to the whole body so that it may function at its optimum. TCM has a long history of treating immune disorders. Research has proven that acupuncture treatments can increase the body's T-cell count, as well as the number of cells that ingest and destroy bacteria, protozoa, and cell debris. There are also several herbs that are known to boost the immune system and qigong can also help in this way as it improves oxygen supply and distribution in the body, which increases efficiency of cell metabolism and tissue regeneration. It helps the the parasympathetic nervous system to neutralize the stress response and it can also aid in circulation of the lymph fluid which eliminates toxins. These are all key components in strengthening the immune system.

Western approaches to HIV/AIDS

HAART has created some positive change in the development of HIV/AIDS but it has not come without it's costs. It has contributed to a noticeably reduced rate in deaths, hospitalizations and new AIDS illnesses. In many cases, people with HIV/AIDS are living longer and are more able than before. However HAART is by no means a cure as it does not eliminate the virus it can only inhibit it and those who are on the drug regime must continually stay on it to keep the virus at bay. If they miss their doses a drug resistance can develop. The long term side effects can also be quite severe, including liver failure, myalgia, increasing risk for strokes and heart attacks, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Not to mention that HAART is also outrageously expensive which simply rules it out as a possibility for so many people, but can be a major stress for those who just manage to scrape it together. I can't hate on HAART because of how it has saved many people from a death sentence but I wonder how the quality of life is with so much risk and the potential for so much added long term damage to one's system cannot be a good thing. I guess in this case, its the lesser of two evils and until a cure is found it seems to be the best option so far (with the support of chinese medicine I'd say).

Are our genes still being shaped by natural selection?

I definitely think so. Why we would stay the same when our world is constantly changing? We have different lifestyles, diets and environments that have shaped so much of our development. Not only are our local environments shifting, but the impact of globalization means factors that have often affected natural selection in the past such as diet and disease are no longer as confined to specific regions. I would imagine the fact that there is such a massive increase in multiracial people would throw some genetic changes in the mix as well as the various developments in medicine and procedures for childbirth such as IVF, c-sections and use of pitocin, modifying the conditions of birth that are supposed to happen naturally. It seems to be that there are such a vast array of changing elements today that could be constantly shaping our genetic evolution.

TCM + Cancer

TCM approaches to cancer is different to western medicine as it treats the individual and their symptoms they are presenting rather than the textbook disease that has been diagnosed. It focuses on rebalancing the system, tonifying, clearing toxic heat and phlegm. TCM also uses natural herbs rather than chemical drugs which are less damaging to the patients body. I think depending on the individuals situation, a combination of western and eastern treatment could serve to be the most beneficial approach to work on the disease in a variety of aspects.

How sophisticated is our understanding of cancer?

There has been a huge amount of funding and effort invested into researching cancer in depth and it seems that there is an incredibly sophisticated understanding of how cancer cell function and process, but comparatively our knowledge of the causes and cures is still quite elementary. It seems that cancer diagnoses are increasing at such a rapid rate that there is a tough race at hand, trying to find improved treatments and potential cures while cancer continues to persistently develop in new patterns and forms. However, there has been some success in cancer treatment as death rates are now shown to be decreasing. The main issue with the current treatments is that although they have has some effective results, radiation and chemo drugs are incredibly toxic and are a huge blow to the already weak system of the patient, so while it can kill the cancer cells, it doesn't seem to give the body much encouragement to heal otherwise. This is where TCM could really help.

Chinese Medicine Gaining Respectability in the West

As more studies on the positive effects of Chinese Medicine are conducted in the West, the media is beginning to take notice and the media has a massive influence on western culture. I think that a major issue for western minds in accepting Chinese Medicine has been cultural barriers, but since globalization is happening at such a rapid pace, the skeptics are starting to have more of an open mind (whether they like it or not) in order to keep up with the all of the change. The fact that Acupuncture has been integrated into many of the top U.S. hospital programs for their complementary medicine programs is proof that it is gaining more credibility in this country. In my own experience of having a chronic illness, western medicine could not provide many answers or solutions for my condition, except drugs that have some serious side effects. As I began to look for another path, I came across so many other people who were also feeling disillusioned by what western medicine had to offer them, and had turned to acupuncture, particularly for chronic conditions, back pain and fertility issues. I think now that Acupuncture is becoming more mainstream, people are drawn to it because it pays attention to the patient's system as a whole, not just focusing on the most overt aspect of the problem and prescribing a generalized solution. Additionally, it works to support the body's natural functions instead of a more attack-like approach of many western drugs- kill and destroy- until there is nothing left, not even the good stuff. I am definitely encouraged to see more support of Chinese medicine and look forward to seeing how an integration of different systems will take shape.

The significance of the use of language and tools in chimps

Given the similarity in DNA, I'm not quite sure why people seem so shocked when chimps show capabilities similar to that of humans. I suppose its kind of a superiority complex...What I found interesting in the "Hidden cameras" article was that they have identified a variety of distinct patterns of behavior that originate within groups of chimps and are then passed on to new generations. Since Chimps and humans have such similar DNA, but have developed in different ways, we may find some useful pieces in the puzzle of our own evolution in studying the potential functions of chimps and how they are advancing from one generation to the next.

Week 6 How do I distinguish between living and non-living systems?

Before learning about Autopoesis, I determined whether a system was living or non-living by whether it had a birth, growing/maturing and death cycle, whether or not it breathes and reproduces and if it came from nature or was man made. A more simplistic criteria, if you will..