WSDE Articles

QQC for "Sea Ethic"

Quote:

It now seems desirable that we should extend our sense of community below high tide- complimenting the Land Ethic with a "Sea Ethic"- including all life on Earth in our concept of community. Were it not for the fact that we are such visual creatures, our sense of community with the ocean would be easier and more intuitive to grasp than even our sense of land, because our connection with the sea is intimate. Most of the oxygen we breathe is made by ocean plankton. And when animals left the seas in which life arose, they took the saltwater with them, in their bodies- an internal environment crucial for cellular survival. We are, in a sense, soft vessels of seawater. Seventy percent of our bodies is water, the same percentage that covers the Earth's surface. We are wrapped around an ocean within. You can test this simply enough; taste your tears.

Question:

While reading this, I began to make connections to salt in the water versus salt in animals and food. I began to question- Does the salt in animals enter our systems because of what we eat? Why are our tears naturally made up of salt, and does it relate to the food we eat? And if so, why can't we drink salt water?

Comment:

Out of the WSDE articles we read, I was most influenced by the "Sea Ethic" reading, one that focuses on the demand of fishing. It really inspired me to find my own WSDE subject- I could focus on overfishing or even our local fisheries in San Diego. I could also go into subtopics of toxic and healthier fish to eat.