Read 'n' Seed 3: Second Quarter of "Man vs. Wild"

1. In the second quarter of the book I read the next 64 pages which was pages 65-129.
2. Some of the main topics in the second quarter were: Surviving The Mountains in the Summer and Surviving Sub-Zero Terrain.
3. Once again I've learned a ton of vital, essential, and interesting information on surviving a variety of vast/unforgiving terrain. "A positive mental attitude is a vital ingredient in any survival situation"-Bear Grylls. Surviving the Mountains:

• Rule 1: Think First-Act later: Preserving your energy in the mountains is half the battle. Consider all your options, then act decisively. If you fail to have a plan, you plan to fail. So make a plan and stick to it. Whatever your situation, finding a drinkable water source and adequate shelter should be very high on your list of priorities. Drinking contaminated water is even worse than drinking no water at all. In general, the farther water is from its source, the more likely it is to be contaminated.
• Rule 2: Shelter from the Storm: Mountain terrain can be very exposed to the elements, but at the same time a good shelter is perhaps easier to build and find than in any other wilderness terrain. Natural caves and crevasse's  provide for good shelter against the elements. Use the abundance of nature around you. She has given you all you need.
• Rule 3: Use Height Effectively: Always use height to survey and orientate yourself to the surrounding terrain before you descend. Make a mental map. It will pay dividends later.
• Rule 4: Watch the Weather: Weather changes quickly and dramatically in the mountains. Always keep an eye on the sky. This following saying is one that I was taught at a young age from my parents. Red sky at night sailors delight and red sky at morn sailors take warn. Use good weather to your advantage, but prepare early if things look likely to change. Tune in your instinct to bad weather; learn from the animals.
• Rule 5: River Lore: Rivers are often a route to salvation, but they can also be very dangerous. Don't get wet and cold unless there is no other option. But learn to use the river and live off it. Follow it downstream-it will eventually take you to safety.
• Surviving Sub-Zero Terrain:
• Rule 1: Stay Warm and Dry: Hypothermia is the number-one killer in sub-zero terrain. It won't be the normal outside temperature that kills you, however, but the amplifying effects of the wind and the wet, so protect yourself from the wind and stay dry. Treat your limbs, head, and extremities like children-watch out and look after them!
• Rule 2: Build a Snow Shelter: Use the environment to shelter yourself. Snow should become your greatest friend, not your worst enemy. The most basic snow shelters are quick and easy to make. Remember, snow is one of nature's best insulators. Bears hibernate in it, so it can't be all bad!
• Rule 3: Make a Snow Stick: Some sort of support, protection, and prodding device is a vital accessory in snowy and icy terrain. It will stop you falling through thin ice, into a crevasse, or down a mountain, and help you move through the mountains with greater speed and ease. Move as early in the day as possible, before the sun warms potential avalanche slopes and crevasse coverings. Ice needs to be at least 2 inches thick before you should even consider walking on it.
• Rule 4: Make some Snowshoes: You must spread your weight when moving over deep snow. Snowshoes can be made from any number of tough, flexible materials and strapped to the bottom of your feet. They are easier to make than you might think
• Rule 5: Never Stop Believing: Cold itself will slow the mental processes required to make effective decisions regarding direction. Survival is about thinking smart not just sweating hard. Keeping warm is a battle of will, a resolution to keep limbs and extremities moving and working, resisting the temptation to give up and allow them to go numb. Frostbite occurs when, in order to protect core heat, the body reduces the supply of blood to the extremities. The temptation to curl up and give up must be resisted at all costs. Surviving in the extreme cold takes constant determination. But, deep down, you have what it takes. Remember that when you were conceived you won a race out of 500 million competitors, fighting a battle uphill and in the dark. You have always been a champion at heart. Believe, and you will survive!

     4. What I would continue for people to take away from this reading is that they do have the capabilities, heart, and determination to survive any unfortunate situation in the wilderness. It's not out of the question or impossible to survive various and vast terrains and by following some of these important tips I hope people don't get discouraged if they do in fact become lost in the wilderness. Everyone has the ability to survive in any situation it just depends if they have the heart and right frame of mind to do so. If you say and tell yourself that I can then you can but if you say I can't do this than the battle is lost.

Eye Opener: CSPI

1. I was absolutely shocked and awed after reading many of the statistics from the food supply website. I am going to jot down some of the assigning and mind blowing stats that the website provided when it comes to supplying our foods: 

• The energy required to manufacture 22 billion pounds of fertilizer could provide one year's worth of power for about 1 million Americans.
• Massive quantities of pesticides, fertilizers, and water are used to produce livestock feed. These chemicals often end up polluting the soil and water.
• Excessive use of animal manure as fertilizer can pollute waterways with nutrients, that cause algal blooms, and with bacteria that are harmful to human health.
• Irrigating feed-grain crops and raising livestock requires about 15 trillion gallons of water per year-over half of all irrigation water used in the United States.
• Pesticides that kill weeds may also kill beneficial insects and plants.
• Huge cattle feedlots foul the air with smelly and harmful gases and pollute water with run-off from manure.
• Hamburgers, cheese, whole milk, egg yolks, and other fatty meat and dairy products promote heart disease and some types of cancer. The saturated fat and cholesterol in those foods cause about 50,000 to 75,000 fatal heart attacks annually.
• Poor sanitary practices in modern slaughterhouses-combined with the presence of dangerous bacteria from animal remains-can transmit those bacteria to the meat that ends up in our supermarkets and restaurants. If not cooked well enough or handled properly, that meat can be the source of food-borne illness, some of which can be life threatening.
• The annual medical and related costs of food-borne illnesses and deaths from pathogens in animal products in the United States are over $7 billion.

     2. After reading through the website and its statistics I learned that the effects and damages that our food supply process causes are astronomical to not only our environment but to our overall well-being as humans. I hope that more people become aware of these environmental factors and health risks that our food supply process causes and that more people advocate for a healthier way of producing our food supply.
Source: (CSPI)