The Story of Stuff: A Critical Analysis - Q&As

- Even Numbers

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

Answer: Annie Leonard is trying to reach the consumers that are in this continuous cycle of material economy, the idea of production, consumption and disposition is killing the environment as they reduce the number of natural resources in the world.

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?

Answer: This powerful method of a visually attractive video can grab people's attention as this is fast-paced and informative at the same time, she uses a video to present her thoughts and her persuasiveness can change people's perspectives towards the topic of consumption. In the 20th century, people would rather watch an interesting short video than to read a long article or a word report.

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

Answer: People from the government or companies, cor-operations that involve with this material economy might disagree with Annie's message. If the number of consumers start to decrease because of Annie's video, then these people will start to lose money.

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

Answer: This video has facts that put me to shock, our natural resources are being consumed at a rate that is so fast, we won't be ready when it all run out. And also it is really hard to believe that we are putting ourselves in danger by buying products with toxic chemicals contained.

Video Worksheet: The Cove - Q&As

- Even Numbers

2: Where is the dolphin slaughter taking place? (City and country)

Answer: Taiji, Japan

4: What is the turning point in his life that makes him completely change and "turn his Porsches in for this crusade? 

Answer: The death (suicidal) of Flipper

6: What country indirectly runs the international Whaling Commission?

Answer: Japan

8: How do the fishermen trap the dolphins in the cove?

Answer: They create a wall of noise by banging metal rods in the water, this causes panic towards the dolphins. As the dolphins are in the bay, the fishermen quickly close the nets and trap them.

10: How many dolphins are killed at this secret cove a year?

Answer: 23,000 a year

12: What toxic substance in found in dolphin meat?

Answer: Mercury 

14: Dolphin meant has 2000 ppm of mercury in it while the recommended amount is no more than 0.4 ppm. Why do many Japanese people eat it then?

Answer: People from Japan don't realize what they are actually eating, the Japanese Government cover up the fact that dolphins are sold as "healthy whales".

16: The number of fish is severely declining. What is the cause?

Answer: The main cause is over-exploitation, which refers to people consuming too many fish.

18: What is the form of propaganda they plan to use to "sell" dolphin meat to people?

Answer: The Japanese Government give out free meat to school systems and feed the children.

20: The main character goes to the IWC and does what at the end (even though he is banned from their meetings)?

Answer: He suddenly walks in and then shows the footage of Japanese Fishermen killing dolphins in the cove.

22: When was whaling banned? 

Answer: 1986

Population Dynamics: Wet Lab (Mark-Recapture Sampling)

Purpose of the lab: 

Estimate the numbers of pieces of pasta in a plastic bag by using the Mark-Recapture Sampling technique.

Materials needed for the lab:

• 1 bag of uncooked pasta

• Sharpie markers

Procedures: 

1) A small number (~30) pieces of pasta were "captured" and this number was recorded as (M).

2) A marker was used to indicate the captured population in a recognizable way.
Examples: by painting both ends of the pasta or using a simple letter (A).

3) This captured and marked population was then put back into the general population.

4) With eyes closed, a second random sample of pasta was captured (n) and the number of marked pasta was recorded (m).

5) The estimated size of the general population was then calculated. 

6) Two more trials were been done and more data was collected and recorded.

Calculations:

Estimated number of pieces of pasta (guessed before the lab) - 280 pieces of pasta

Trial One

M = 20    n = 1    m = 46

20/N = 1/46

N = 920     <- Outliner

Trial Two

M = 65    n = 8    m = 72

65/N = 8/72

N = 585

Trial Three

M = 64    n = 8    m = 69

64/N = 8/69

N = 552

Actual Population

558 pieces of pasta

Average population

(920+585+552) / 3 

= 685.6667 = 686

Average population without outliner

(585+552) / 2 

= 568.5 = 569

Percentage Error

| 686-558 | /558 x 100% 

= 23%

Percentage Error without outliner

| 569-558 | /558 x 100% 

= 2%

Photos taken in the lab:

 

 

Analysis:

1)   When comparing the estimated size of the pasta population versus the true size, 
and according to our calculations, we were within 2% (without the outliner).

2a)  The problems that could affect the accuracy of the estimate were: some of the previously marked pasta that may have been recounted and some samples of the pasta may have been lost which affected the count.

2b)  Some problems in outcome results from ecologists studying animal mark-recapture population sampling might be: hardware or software malfunction, tag out of range, lost tag, specimen died from starvation or being eaten.

3)   We can improve the sampling design by marking more pieces of pasta to improve the reliability of the outcome result.