The Story of Stuff: A Critical Analysis

Even number Q's:

2. What audience do you believe Annie Leonard is trying to reach?

The audience Annie Leonard is trying to reach are the consumers. She is trying to create an awareness to the consumers that the continuous cycle of materials economy: production, consumption, and disposal is putting the environment in jeopardy by exploiting the world’s natural resources, people’s health through toxic chemicals in products and people’s happiness though the media measuring happiness with materials.

4. Why do you think Annie uses the format of a 20-minute video rather than another format, such as a report, web blog, or poster?

Annie uses a very powerful method to demonstrate the material economy’s negative effects to our world through a fast-paced, informative, and visually attractive 20-minute video. This is a more powerful method to present her ideas and change people’s perspectives instead of using a report, web blog, or a poster because of our over-stimulated society. It has become easier to grab people’s attention through visual attractions than thousands of words. Therefore, Annie chose a video to present the critical vision of our consumerist society supported by her persuasive voice tone as well.

6. Who might disagree with Annie's message? Why do you think they would disagree?

People who might disagree with Annie’s message are the companies, corporations, and organizations who are involved in the materials economy. They would disagree with any anti-consumerists like Annie because if the numbers of consumers start to decrease, an economy shrink would follow which means less money for them.

8. Has The Story of Stuff affected the way you think about consumption? If so, how?

The Story of Stuff did affect the way I think about the consumption since it was shocking to know how quickly we are using up the world’s natural resources, putting our health in danger by surrounding ourselves with toxic-containing products and how a lot of our value in happiness has been measured through our mass consumption of materials.

Video Worksheet: The Cove

Even number Q's:

2.Where is the dolphin slaughter taking place (city and country)?
The dolphin slaughter is taking place at Taiji, Japan.

4. What is the turning point in his life that makes him completely change and "turn his Porsches in for this crusade"?
Ric O Barry was working as a successful dolphin trainer and his turning point was the death of 'flipper,' Cathy. Cathy was a dolphin who Ric used to train but she committed suicide in his arms by refusing to take a breath. Ric then realized how unethical it was to forcefully isolate dolphins from their environment for the entertainment of humans.

6. What country indirectly runs the International Whaling Commission?
Japan is the country who indirectly runs the International Whaling Commission.

8. How do the fisherman trap the dolphins in the cove?
Fisherman traps the dolphins by driving them closer to the cove using their boats and making loud noises by hammering long poles. Since dolphins are extremely sensitive to sounds, this causes them to run away from the boats as quickly as possible and eventually end up in the cove where several nets are set up.

10. How many dolphins are killed at this secret cove a year?
23,000 dolphins are killed every year at the cove secretly.

12. What toxic substance is found in dolphin meat?
Mercury is the toxic substance found in large amounts in dolphin meat.

14. Dolphin meat had 2000ppm of mercury in it while the recommended amount is no more than 0.4ppm. Why do many Japanese people eat it then?
Japanese people eat dolphin meat because the dolphin meats are labelled as other fresh and healthy meat such as a whale. Therefore, the people are getting tricked by fake labels on dolphin meats and consume significant amount of mercury with dolphin meats without knowing.

16. The number of fish is severely declining. What is the cause?
Humans are the greatest consumers of fish. However in the video, the Japanese government blames the dolphins in the ocean for the declining population of fish to make an excuse to kill and slaughter the dolphins for meat.

18. What is the form of propaganda they plan to use to "sell" dolphin meat to people?
The form of propaganda they plan to use is giving out free dolphin meats to schools which children eat for lunch.

20. The main character goes to the IWC and does what at the end (even though he is banned from their meetings)?
The main character goes to the IWC with a TV screen strapped to his stomach which shows the massive killing of dolphins at the cove.

22.  When was whaling banned?
Whaling was banned in1986.

Lab #1-Mark Recapture Sampling

     Ecologists use quantitative measurements to study, predict, and describe populations. However, since it is impractical, inefficient and very time-consuming to count each individuals within a population, ecologists use different methods to estimate a population size. One of these techniques is called mark-recapture: a method in which animals are captured, marked with a tag, collar, or band, released, then recaptured at a later time to determine an estimate of population size. In this lab, the technique, mark-recapture, was conducted through an experiment with large number of pastas in a plastic bag representing the population of the same species living in a specific area.

Side Note: Since I was unable to participate in this lab, thanks to Katherine Shin, all the photos and data posted on this blog is originally taken by Katherine and her group.

• Materials: 1 bag of uncooked pasta, a Sharpie marker (an inerasable, permanent marker)

• Methods:

(Trial #1)
1. From your pasta population, capture a sample population that will be prepared for marking and record this number of pastas (M).

In trial #1, 20 pastas were captured. Therefore, M=20.


2. Using an inerasable marker, mark the captured population of pastas in a recognizable way.

In trial #1, the 20 pastas captured were marked using the letter "A".


3. Release the previously captured population of pastas into the general population of pastas, and make sure that they are randomly mixed with the general population of pastas.

The 20 captured pastas were released back into the general population of pastas.


The pastas were mixed randomly with the general population of pastas by shaking the plastic bag several times.


4. After mixing, with eyes closed, take a second random sample of pastas and record this number of pastas (n). If there are any previously marked pastas found in the second sample, record this number of pastas (m).

With eyes closed, the total number of pastas captured were 46. Therefore, n=46


After the search of previously marked pastas, only one was found. Therefore, m=1.


5. Calculate the estimated population size of the general population (N) using the values for M, m, and n.

M/N=m/n
20/N=1/46
N=920

6. Perform two more trials of the previous steps and record the data.

Trial #2
M=65, n=72, m=8
M/N=m/n
65/N=8/72
N=585

Trial #3
M=64, n=69, m=8
M/N=m/n
64/N=8/69
N=552

Average=920+585+552/3=685.6=686

The actual population of the pastas was 558.

% Error=Theoretical-Experimental/Theoretical x 100%
             =(686-558/686) x 100%
             =0.229 x 100%
             =23%

Analysis:

1. Comparing the overall estimate size and the true size of the pasta population, it is reasonable to say that the estimation was close to the actual population. The estimation size for the second and third trial was especially very close to the actual population of the pasta since the estimations were 585, 552, and the true size was 558. However, the first trial was not as close as the second and third trial since the estimation was 920 when the actual population was 558.
The reason for this inaccurate estimation in the first trial can be said due to such small number of pastas captured out of the actual population which led to only 1 recaptured pasta.

2. a) One of the problems that might affect the accuracy of the estimation size in this lab is when such a low number of pastas are captured compared to the actual population. For example, in the first trial, because the captured population was so small compared to the actual population, the accuracy of the estimation size was decreased.
Another factor that may have decreased the accuracy of the estimation size is a poor mixing of pastas in the bag. This would result with the previously marked pastas becoming too concentrated on one side or certain parts of the plastic bag.

b) In this lab, working with pastas instead of active and mobile animals, a lot of problems which could have occurred in nature were prevented. For example, one of the problems which ecologists may face when working with animals in a natural environment is their migration. This can result in a great loss of marked animals and therefore cause an inaccuracy in the estimation size.
Another problem which ecologists may encounter is the uncontrollable natural disasters. A natural disaster can suddenly wipe out a large population of animals or cause them to migrate to a different region. This, once again, will affect the number of marked animals.
In addition, a problem can rise even due to the immigration of animals from other places to the studying area. The different population size from when the study began due to an immigration, will decrease the accuracy of the estimation size.

c)To improve the accuracy of this experiment, it should be repeated numerous times to examine that there is a consistency in the results of the experiment.