Chapter 7: Answers
Herbal Medicine
Comprehension Questions
- Why do you think Christopher Nolan, a film director, was willing to devote so much of his money to the totally unrelated industry of herbal medicine? Answer: Global revenue for herbal medicine has increased significantly and a large proportion of the population in the United States consumes some type of dietary supplement and uses medicinal herbs as some form of alternative therapy.
- What is the main reason mentioned by the author for the recent increase in interest in herbal medicine? Answer: The COVID-19 pandemic pushed herbal medicine onto the stage of healthcare. Many patients have added symptomatic treatments, such as herbal medicines, to their current treatment with COVID.
- The author lists some ways that herbs are important. What is one way that herbs are important? Give an example for one of the ways. Answer: 1 of the following – 1. fighting disease. Example: Curing respiratory diseases; 2. As members of their ecosystem. Example: Insects, especially pollinators, depend on plants for a mutual relationship.
- What are two ways that technology can help farmers nowadays? Give one example. Answer: Farmers nowadays can: 1. monitor and track real-time climate activities; 2. check the health status of the herbs. Example: Technologists invent systems that rely on historical weather patterns that have been passed down through generations, rather than traditional Doppler radar systems used in agriculture for a long time.
- What are some of the challenges that climate change has on farming? Give one example. Answer: Any 1 of the following – make thoughtful, science-based decisions; add climate change considerations to our project and management plans; prioritize among the opportunities that can be included in adaptation strategies because funding and time are limited.
- What example of an invention does Lisa Hamilton give at the end of the article? Why do you think she calls the farmers who invented it “unconventional farmers”? Answer: Lisa Hamilton mentioned the farmer’s screen. She probably called the farmers who invented it “unconventional farmers” because they were able to use new knowledge and apply simple new technology to control water loss in their farming practice.
