EcoSpheres Inhumane?

Eromsnid Flor wrote:

If the brine shrimp are not close to human, then they do not benefit
from treatment based on our morals. At that point we only need to
consider the effect of their treatment on ourselves. Does confining
them to an 'eco-sphere' have an effect on our moral growth. Will
owning an eco-sphere lead to other morally questionable activities and
acts, such as you often see with children who torture animals and then
grow up to be sociopaths?


Now THAT is the heart of the matter - well stated! I would add that
owning an Eco-Sphere could bring positive moral growth. If the shrimp
become pets and the keeper develops a sense of caring for something
alive, that caring can extend to higher animals and even fellow humans.

--
__ Elaine T __
__' http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__

Elaine T wrote:
Eromsnid Flor wrote:

If the brine shrimp are not close to human, then they do not benefit
from treatment based on our morals. At that point we only need to
consider the effect of their treatment on ourselves. Does confining
them to an 'eco-sphere' have an effect on our moral growth. Will
owning an eco-sphere lead to other morally questionable activities and
acts, such as you often see with children who torture animals and then
grow up to be sociopaths?


Now THAT is the heart of the matter - well stated! I would add that
owning an Eco-Sphere could bring positive moral growth. If the shrimp
become pets and the keeper develops a sense of caring for something
alive, that caring can extend to higher animals and even fellow humans.


Just go and buy a few shrimp, stick 'em in a jar and have done with it.
Eco-Jar. Cheaper. Doh!

Nikki

"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...




Just go and buy a few shrimp, stick 'em in a jar and have done with it.
Eco-Jar. Cheaper. Doh!

Nikki



Not quite. If you stick them in jar you still have to feed them. The idea
of the eco sphere is that it is a completely balanced ecosystem in there.
No outside intervention such as feeding is needed.

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/200302152...qs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

Margolis wrote:
"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...




Just go and buy a few shrimp, stick 'em in a jar and have done with it.
Eco-Jar. Cheaper. Doh!

Nikki




Not quite. If you stick them in jar you still have to feed them. The idea
of the eco sphere is that it is a completely balanced ecosystem in there.
No outside intervention such as feeding is needed.


I thought I'd mention it as I remember a childrens' science programme -
I think BBC's Science Shack - where they housed a few woodlice in a jar
with soil, air and a few plants. The jar was sealed and never opened.
The only thing the ecosystem needed to sustain it was light and heat.

Nikki

"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...


Margolis wrote:
"Nikki Casali" wrote in message
...




Just go and buy a few shrimp, stick 'em in a jar and have done with
it. Eco-Jar. Cheaper. Doh!

Nikki




Not quite. If you stick them in jar you still have to feed them. The
idea of the eco sphere is that it is a completely balanced ecosystem
in there. No outside intervention such as feeding is needed.


I thought I'd mention it as I remember a childrens' science programme -
I think BBC's Science Shack - where they housed a few woodlice in a jar
with soil, air and a few plants. The jar was sealed and never opened.
The only thing the ecosystem needed to sustain it was light and heat.

Nikki

Once a year, I used to get a parade of parents (moms) with kids trailing
behind them, ready to buy some fish and plants to put into a sealed jar
for their class science experiment. It was an annual event for us,
talking them out of putting several Guppies into a 1 litre jar. I
usually send them off with a variety of plant cuttings, a newborn fry or
shrimp (which they can return to me after the experiment is over), and
instructions to use a larger container, keep it away from heat sources,
etc etc. For the most part, the parents where quite sympathetic and
willing to follow the instructions, so I'd like to think that the
greatest influence on our moral compass is knowledge ).
--
www.NetMax.tk

Once a year, I used to get a parade of parents (moms) with kids trailing
behind them, ready to buy some fish and plants to put into a sealed jar
for their class science experiment. It was an annual event for us,
talking them out of putting several Guppies into a 1 litre jar. I
usually send them off with a variety of plant cuttings, a newborn fry or
shrimp (which they can return to me after the experiment is over), and
instructions to use a larger container, keep it away from heat sources,
etc etc. For the most part, the parents where quite sympathetic and
willing to follow the instructions, so I'd like to think that the
greatest influence on our moral compass is knowledge ).

Sure, it's really not hard to do. I once had a tank with a colony
of Aphyosemion bitaeniatum in a 20 gallon tank - I started
with 6 pair and a lot of thread algae. The tank was extremely
tightly covered (they jump!) and evaporation was near or at
zero. For about 18 months I did not feed them. Fish came and went,
occasionally you'r see a dead body (not for long) and occasionally
you'd see fry. There were always about 6 pair, more or less.

The liight (strong) kept the algae going, infusoria and copepods
lived off the algae and the fish ate them. Fish waste kept the
alage growing.

I was away for two weeks, the light had failed and when I got back
everyting in the tank was dead.
--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

ET,

I have some trouble with this aspect of children+animals. Owning a
sphere could be good, if the child is mature enough to understand
death and loss. Many children don't understand how to feel when a pet
dies, and a sphere can be thought of as a pet. If they shrug it off,
then you worry. If they cry for two days, you also worry. I say that
this kind of thing should be reserved for teens and mature 9+
children.

Is it wrong? I don't think so. Can it cause harm? Certainly could.
This might be just the thing to use to see if children are ready to
take care of a pet???

rolf

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 06:18:58 GMT, Elaine T
wrote:

Eromsnid Flor wrote:

If the brine shrimp are not close to human, then they do not benefit
from treatment based on our morals. At that point we only need to
consider the effect of their treatment on ourselves. Does confining
them to an 'eco-sphere' have an effect on our moral growth. Will
owning an eco-sphere lead to other morally questionable activities and
acts, such as you often see with children who torture animals and then
grow up to be sociopaths?


Now THAT is the heart of the matter - well stated! I would add that
owning an Eco-Sphere could bring positive moral growth. If the shrimp
become pets and the keeper develops a sense of caring for something
alive, that caring can extend to higher animals and even fellow humans.