Saturday, May 26, 2012

It's funny how I always saw blogging a way to let out your feelings like a clean slate. I didn't realize that I would have to maintain the slate. Keeping up with this blog is hard. There are times when I can't think of anything to say. But then there are also times when someone says something and there's a flashbulb moment when you know exactly what you want to write about. I was busy all of Friday so this will be my first opportunity to get my thoughts into writing.

Yesterday, my Biology teacher was talking about dissection. You see, instead of doing a live dissection, we will be doing a virtual dissection. I couldn't have cared less. But, to others, this was upsetting news. While my teacher and peers quarreled about the dissection I was preoccupied thinking about my EOC score. Until, my teacher said something that got my attention. She pointed out that dissections were bad for the environment. If you think about it, some might say that it is obvious. By taking animals from their natural environment and chopping them up, it will potentially scar an ecosystem and food chain. Maybe, it was because I don't spend my time thinking about cutting up frogs and fertile pigs but, until she said that I didn't care. So, their is one tip for you.


#39 Care. So simple, so true. Think about your environment and how little things can effect it. Before you do something like pick up the dissection knife, think about what is on the sharp end of the knife.

In 2004, the World Conservation Union reported that six million frogs are killed every year in the US for dissection. What do frogs eat? Bugs. What do farmers hate? Bugs. So if there are less frogs, then there are more bugs and ultimately more pesticides to get rid of the bugs. That is one serious effect of dissections. Another? Have you seen that smoking commercial of the girl in her Biology class that drinks the liquid used to preserve frogs? They say that formaldehyde is in that liquid, as well as in cigarettes. Many people can agree that smoking is disgusting but, how about putting that chemical (which can cause cancer) in the air and water? Every student that dissects something is exposed to that. And if disposed improperly, everyone else. And what does dissecting a frog teach, anyways? It teaches the body system of an animal. Although I am almost positive I will never use this in my future career, I don't think that the virtual dissection will impair my ability to learn. Plus, who wants to clean that lab up? In the end, the consequences outweigh the benefits. The quote above is from PETA's Guide to Animals and the Dissection Industry. PETA sent out undercover informants to the factories that kill and prepare the animals for dissection. The abuse stories are despicable. If I can stop this abuse by advocating virtual dissections, I will. So, that is the next tip.

#40 If you are a student, parent, teacher, or know anyone who is involved in education, stop dissections. There are so many ways to tell the world. As you can see, I am blogging about it. 




2 comments:

  1. wow Meryl you post a lot.. lol. i love these tips you keep putting up!

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    1. Thanks, Sarah. I hope that you that you see my point on the serious matter of high school dissections.

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