Biology

The authors Flint and Stallard wrote an article entitled Dams for today and tomorrow, which focused on the uses of dams across the United States, as well as around the world.  In another article authored by Nicholas entitled The case for dam removal, the need for the eradication of several dams around the country.

a)  On what points do you think the authors agree On what points do they seem to disagree
Despite the opposite points of view of the two articles, there are certain points on which both article agree upon.  Firstly, both articles concur that dams serve as sources of power, mainly through the conversion hydropower into electricity that is distributed to homes and other buildings across the state and the country.  On the other hand, the two articles disagree on the maintenance and existence of dams.  Authors Flint and Stallard support the idea that dams serve as number of uses to society and the environment, including the provision of water source for agriculture.  On another vein, the article of Nicholas emphasized that dams destroy the natural aquatic ecosystems, as these reservoirs block the flow of streaming and affecting the migration and survival of fishes and other aquatic invertebrates.

b)  Describe at least one benefit that you think would result from following each authors recommendations.  Describe any harm you think might result.

Following the recommendations of Flint and Stallard may result in a more stable economy and society, as dams would serve as a prime resource for electricity and water.  However, their recommendations would also result in the perturbation of aquatic ecosystems.  Following the recommendations of Nicholas would result in the reestablishment of aquatic ecosystems, which in turn would increase the fish populations.  However, the same recommendations would also result in an insufficiency in the amount of electricity and power for the country.

c)  Identify the major stakeholders who would be affected by this debate. How would the consequences of each viewpoint affect different types of stakeholders Which stakeholders might collaborate to achieve their goals

The major stakeholders who would be affected by this debate would include the farmers, fishermen, politicians and local and national government officials.  Any benefits that the farmers would gain would serve as a risk for fishermen and vice versa.  The politicians and government officials would gain an advantage if dams were maintained, because this would enhance the economy of the local government and the country.  It is more likely that farmers and politicians would collaborate for the maintenance of dams, while fishermen and politicians would collaborate for the eradication of dams.

d)   Describe some of the strategies that the actors featured in the above websites are employing to pursue their policy goals. Which strategies have the greatest potential success, and why

Hydropower provides a resource for electricity to the state and the country.  Hydropower is generated from dams, making use of the water as a source of energy.  Unfortunately, dams negatively affect the environment because it breaks the natural flow of rivers and thus disturbs the aquatic populations (Mustapha, 2009).  One of the strategies employed is to produce documentaries on the deteriorating aquatic ecosystems.  Another strategy is to actively conduct rallies to save the environment.  The greatest impact possibly comes from the documentaries because it reaches influential and proactive people in the society.

e)   Assess the dam removal success stories featured in the above websites. What factors, strategies, and approaches account for the greatest success
Dam removal showed the restoration of natural aquatic ecosystems, as these reservoirs block the flow of streaming and affecting the migration and survival of fishes and other aquatic invertebrates.  Great success may be achieved if the environmental angle is presented to the audience because this would show that the destruction of fish populations were to be terminated if dam were removed.

f)  Is the weight of the evidence enough to persuade you to agree wtih one point of view or the other Has your viewpoint changed from what it was prior to doing your research

The weight of evidence persuades me to agree with the point of view of Flint and Stallard because electricity and irrigation are very important factors in every country.  However, it should also be considered that environmental measures should also be conducted in order to decrease and ultimately prevent the destruction of the environment despite the existence of dams in the vicinity.

Look through Chicagos water testing results for pharmaceuticals and hormones. Identify any compounds that meet or exceed the Lowest Level that can be reported.   Write a short paragraph for each compound that was detected above the minimum that describes what the compound is used for and what affect is has on humans or other organisms.

Prozac (generic fluoxetine) was found to be present in the waters of dams and this drug is known as an anti-depressant.  Prozac is known to act as a serotonic reuptake inhibitor, resulting in the normalization of the mental condition of an individual positively diagnosed with major depression.  Prozac may be harmful to individuals who are not experiencing any mental health conditions and thus its presence in the water may influence the homeostatic condition of an individual.

Ibuprofen was also detected in the water of dams.  This drug is an over-the-counter painkiller that is classified as a non-steroidal non-inflammatory pain reliever.  Ibuprofen may be harmful to individuals who do not require any pain relievers.  The accumulation of ibuprofen may affect the liver and kidneys of an individual, as well as affect the soft tissues.

Sulfamethoxazole was also found in the water of dams.  This drug is an antiobiotic that is generally prescribed for soft tissue infections.  The presence of this antibiotic in the water may enter the body of other individuals and chronic exposure may result in multi-drug resistance, which is currently a global problem for the control of microbial infections.