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Working for an Organization

Colloquium is one of my favorite classes I took this semester. I enjoyed learning about sustainability because it is something that pertains to my everyday life  and I will need to use in the future. As stated previously, I am an Environmental Studies major so this class taught me things that truly interest me. Something that surprised me while taking this course is what little I actually do to live sustainable. It made me realize howe much plastic I really use and how much energy it takes to make products that I use. Sometimes it saddens me to learn about the terrible things humans have done to our earth but it also inspires me to want to make a change.

In class we watched a Ted Talk about a girl who is an environmental studies major and her journey to a Zero Waste lifestyle. She stated that she felt hypocritical about her major and the fact that she still uses so much plastic. I saw my self in her and felt inspired to make a change within myself. Something that I could do to become more sustainable is try to live a zero waste lifestyle. Being a college student I feel like it would be very difficult but the girl showed me that it is not impossible. I need to start small with things like using reusable bags and bottles then I can move to larger things like food waste plastic.  The most difficult matter would be to make my own product but i feel like this could be fun and at-least I would know exactly what I am putting into/on my body.

One of the more simple things I could to to make a change is recycle properly. Before going to Lee Counties recycling plant I had no idea about the process of recycling. I learned that China no longer accepts our recycling because it is “too dirty”. I used to gather all of my recycling into a plastic bag and then put it into the bin. I know know that this messes up their system so I now place it all in separately. Another thing I do os rinse it thoroughly and separate the different plastics from one another as well as peel the paper off of cans. It was interesting to learn how they create energy from waste and how clean the whole process surprisingly is.

Although I am not completely sure about what I want to do with my major, I know I want to travel and teach about sustainable practices. My goal is to visit 3rd world countries and begin to educate places on safer and cleaner practices. Many counties do not have the funds or support to live more sustainable and are simply unaware about the damage they are creating to earth. “Part of the work of sustainability leaders is to help people in an organization determine which reasons make sense for them.” Education is key and I want to make it my job to inspire people on such an important topic. I feel like everybody must work in unison in order for change to happen. It is important to include everyone in this movement especially because countries outside of the USA are doing more damage than we think. “The term “governance” refers to how an organization is run, whether at the scale of a company, a city, or a country. It is the process of steering an organization or society and includes what systems and processes are used, how groups are structured, how information is shared, how decisions are made, who is included, where they are included, and how and to whom authority is delegated (Doppelt 2003a, 17)” MLA (Modern Language Assoc.) Robertson, Margaret. Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge, 2017.

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Climate

“A change of only a few degrees in the global average temperature has a significant impact on the climate as a whole.”  (Robertson) Temperatures rises dramatically  numerous different changes are effected on earth and lead to climate change. For example, it can result in more floods, droughts, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat waves. Oceans and glaciers have also experienced some changes: oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, glaciers are melting, and sea levels are rising. As these changes frequently occur in future decades, they will likely present challenges to our society and environment. Scientists are concerned because the temperature rose at an overwhelming rate and continues to rise. 

A common misconception when discussing climate change is that many people believe the earth is only heating up.  While this is not completely incorrect, many people also need to understand that climate change deals with both ends of the spectrum. Not only are we experiencing hotting summers but we are also experiencing colder winters. “When the angle of tilt is the greatest, differences between summer and winter are more pronounced....The shape of the orbit results in one cycle that is about 100,000 years long and another that is about 400,000 years long, which make the contrast between seasons either more or less intense” (Robertson) This also explains the argument of the ice-age. The ice-age occurred due to the tilt of the earths axis about 20,000 years ago. The earth has been stable on its axis for thousands of years so there will be another reason why the earth is heating so rapidly. This can be due to greenhouse gas emissions.

 “Earth’s climate is warming and it is doing so at a rate that is unprecedented. The primary driver is something called the greenhouse effect.” (Robertson”) During the past century, human activities have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Most of the gases come from burning fossil fuels to produce energy. Greenhouse gases are like a blanket around the Earth, trapping energy in the atmosphere and causing it to warm. This is called the greenhouse effect and it is natural and necessary to support life on earth. However, while greenhouse gases buildup, the climate changes and result in dangerous effects to human health and ecosystems. The more greenhouse gasses humans produce the warmer the earth will get. 

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Waste

“Maybe the question should not be, “how can we recycle more?” Maybe the right question is, “how can we stop producing so much waste in the first place?” Zero waste is something I am familiar with and is surprisingly a growing trend. Many influencers are known on social media for their “zero waste” life style. through these websites they vlog/video how they are successful with producing little to no waste. Most families who choose to live this way showcase the waste they use throughout the year in as little as one mason jar. In this jar I have noticed that there are mostly tags from clothing, string and small amounts of plastic. I think that it is amazing that they are able to fill up only one small jar of waste through the span of a year. In these vlogs they give you tips like composting, bringing silverware/tupplewear to eat food, glass bottles , growing your own food, etc. Zero Waste looks at every material as a resource that can be used again either to the biosphere or recycled completely. There are even “challenges” on youtube from popular websites like Buzzfeed to challenge people to zero waste living for a certain amount of time. 

https://youtu.be/7IfAu_wk_-U 

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Livable Cities:

“A livable city provides mixed-use development with safe and healthy neighborhoods, places for social interaction, interconnected green space, food, clean air and water, power from renewable energy, multiple modes of easy-to-use transportation, economic opportunity, and social inclusion.” (Robertson, 208) It has always been a dream of mine to live in a big city and the 21st century is heavily based on metropolitan areas. With this infrastructure comes great responsibility and having livable cities is crucial to the heath of our planet. Many cities are polluted, impractical and have harmful effects to the environment. By incorporating these practices into our society we can create a better future. 

“As cities grow in population it is important to plan where growth will happen, using urban containment to encourage cities to grow inward and upward, rather than outward (IPCC 2014c, 972).” When I think of a city I invision tall skyscrapers and swarms of people. In order to maximize the space, it is important to build vertical rather than horizontal. This way we can fit numerous buildings into a confined area. This compactment can leave more valuable space for farm land and recreational use. If farmland is not practical in or around the city, other options are available. For example, roof top gardens are a great way to live sustainably in a city that simple has no space. These gardens help to absorb rain water, insulate/cool temperatures and of course provide food. 

Personally one of the most important features to have in a city is a sense of community. “Community-enhancing neighborhoods provide a variety of places for meeting and inter-acting.” (Robertson, 217) Something that lacks in Naples, FL is a true sense of community. I constantly find myself bored with nothing to do. A livable city with a sense of community will provide things like libraries, parks, farmers markets, clubs, cafes, events, festivals, etc. There is always something to do in a livable city that is fun and exciting outside work or school. These cities should inspire you and should be pleasant to live in and look at. “Resilient communities provide walkable streets, common public spaces, ample places to sit, and opportunities for casual social interaction.” People should feel save and comfortable in the place they live in and shouldn't be afraid to talk to strangers and make new friends. 

MLA (Modern Language Assoc.) Robertson, Margaret. Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge, 2017.

https://www.prosightspecialty.com/in-the-news/blog/urban-rooftop-garden-benefits/

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Sustainable Food:

Something that blows my mind every day is the fact that parts of the world are starving while the other parts throw out the majority of their food. What is even stranger is that we have not yet come up with a simple way to fix this “easy” problem. In fact, “The FAO reports that there are currently over one billion hungry people in the world” (Robertson) Clearly there is an issue with dispersing the food equally, rather than the quantity we currently provide. Something that I am very passionate about is growing sustainable food for our earth and healthy eating habits. 

One of my favorite documentaries called Cowspiracy opened my mind to the cold hard truth about animal agriculture and the devastating effects it has on our environment. “The world produces enough grain to keep every person alive at a subsistence level and it produces enough grain plus vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat raised on grass rather than grain to provide a healthy diet to every person (Kimbrell 2002, 7; Meadows et al. 2004, 57).” On top of this most of our grains are actually grown to feed livestock. There is a greater yield of grain than meat per yard and uses far less resources. This could help fix the world hunger problem, but instead we are tearing down the rainforest  and using it to feed cows. 

Another issue that I can personally relate too is the declining number of bees. “Growing healthy food depends upon nutrients, water, soil, and pollinators. Globally, over 75 percent of all food plants and nearly 90 percent of all wild flowering plants rely on pollination by bees and other animals (Potts et al. 2016).” My grandma was a bee keeper and had four hives in her backyard in Pittsburgh, PA. We constantly were working on the hives and educating people on the importance of bees. My grandma used to always say “when the bees die, we die.” Although it is morbid, this statement has some truth. “We rely on bees to pollinate 71 of the 100 crops that provide 90 percent of most of the world’s food.” Yet we are still killing bees by the millions. Climate change, global warming, pesticides and habitat loss are only some of the reasons the bees are dying. 

Organic food/farming is something that everyone should consider incorporating into their diet. Before the green revolution all plants were considered organic because there were no pesticides, fertilizers or GMO’s added. Simply put, “Organic farming is a general term for growing crops using environmentally healthy methods that “conserve soil and water and optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of plants, animals and people” (Robertson, 239)  Instead of using harmful pesticides, farmers use methods like crop rotation and “good” pests like ladybugs to keep the plants healthy and prevent disease; as well as manure to fertilize the soil.  If possible, people should even try to grow their own food or compost what they eat. 

MLA (Modern Language Assoc.) Robertson, Margaret. Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge, 2017.

https://www.cowspiracy.com/ https://environmentamerica.org/feature/ame/no-bees-no-food

https://www.greenmatters.com/p/why-is-organic-food-more-expensive

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Pollution

In the year 2019,”pollution” is a word that we are all too familiar with. Pollution is simply defined as “the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects” Unfortunately, the world is filled with pollution by humans and causes devastating effects on the environment. 

One detrimental pollutant is Sulfur Dioxide. “Ninety percent of the sulfur dioxide in the air comes from the burning of fossil fuels, particularly coal (Pepper et al. 2006, 382). Oil refineries, ore smelters, and cement manufacturing also emit significant quantities of SO2 (Hill 2010, 127). Sulfur dioxide is corrosive and is damaging to both plants and animals. It causes respiratory problems and is believed to be second only to tobacco smoke as a cause of air pollution-related health problems (ibid., 125)” Sulfur Dioxide is able to be absorbed by water vapor which then produces acid rain. Acid rain can flow into lakes which has negative effects on fish because it alters the natural pH of the water, which can cause fish populations to decline or even cease to exist. It will also cause plants to die who take up the acid rain and melt snow. Perhaps the most well known effects of acid rain though is its effects to landforms and buildings. It eats away at these structures which can corrode metals and break away rock. 

“Heavy metals are metals that have high atomic weights. They include mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and lead. The oceans once contained high concentrations of heavy metals.” (Robertson, 143) Organisms who have ingested these metals eventually will die and their sediments will sink to the bottom of the ocean. The heavy metals that were once in the animals bodies  accumulate on the sea floor and venture into the crust. Over time humans then mine and release the toxic metals which in return pollute the atmosphere. 

Fish eat the organisms that have absorbed the mercury causing it to bioaccumulate in their bodies. “Bioaccumulation is the cell’s process for absorbing and storing materials it needs. The same mechanism that allows the cell to accumulate useful substances also lets it accumulate harmful ones. Toxins may be diluted in the environment, perhaps a few parts per million, but inside the cell can build up to dangerous levels.” (Robertson,135) Humans then eat the fish with the mercury inside of them and if eaten too much can experience mercury poisoning. This can cause peripheral vision impairment, stinging or needle-like sensations in the extremities and mouth, loss of coordination, muscle weakness, and other impairments of speech and hearing. As a pescatarian, the only meat I eat is fish. If I do not keep track/regulate the amount of fish I eat, I could be subjected to mercury poisoning. 

MLA (Modern Language Assoc.) Robertson, Margaret. Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge, 2017. https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain

Davies, M. (2014, December 4). Water polluted with heavy metal causes Chinese villagers to develop horrific, painful swellings . Retrieved from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2859324/Water-polluted-heavy-metal-causes-Chinese-villagers-develop-horrific-painful-swellings.html.

Davis, C. P. (n.d.). Mercury Poisoning: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, & Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.emedicinehealth.com/mercury_poisoning/article_em.htm#what_are_the_symptoms_of_mercury_poisoning.

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Blog 2: A Land Ethic

As with any problem needing to be fixed, the first step to solve it is to educate. Education is a key factor in changing the world as we know it and it is up to us to spread the word. Throughout my childhood I have bee told that in order for history to not repeat itself we must learn from our mistakes and discuss the issues. This type of education can span from the extremes we learn about in school like 9/11 and the Holocaust or even women going door to door in 3rd world countries to educate other women about the importance of contraception. In this case though we must educate the word about our decaying planet before it is too late and history repeats itself. 

The typical way of learning usually begins with teachers giving a book to read and students taking a quiz on the text. There are many flaws with this way of educations and being a student myself I can vouch that this method is not the best way to go about such an urgent issue (sustainability). The problem with this method is that students are much too focused on receiving a good grade on the test  and getting it over with rather than valuing the material. They will simply memorize key concepts until no longer needed. “Education has been based on abstract, theoretical knowledge and on reduc-ing subjects to simple, relatively isolated parts.” (Roberson, 317)

Instead we need to bring students outside on field-trips, and have them physically see what devastating problems have occurred to our planet due to our actions (otherwise known as experiential learning). We need to install a desire in them and even a sense of competition. “Once presented with a problem, the ability to focus on solutions ena-bles them to feel empowered and to feel that these things are worth learning.” (Robertson, 320). 

One example would be to introduce a school garden. Students could plant their own crops and watch them grow. This is both personal and rewarding... all while teaching a good lesson. Another would be a field-trip to the beach where student have to compete to pick up the most trash.

School Garden - https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/activity/school-garden/

It is important to make it personal to them and give them a sense of hope and reason. “The new project of education is to prepare learners to live in a changing world. Required are learner-centered pedagogy, systems thinking, values, and the ability to work collec-tively. In addition, three important concepts underpin much of education for sustainability: biophilia, bioregionalism, and learning by doing.” (Robertson, 318)

“School Garden.” Action for Healthy Kids, https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/activity/school-garden/. MLA (Modern Language Assoc.)

“Field Trip Information.” Crystal Cove, https://www.crystalcovestatepark.org/field-trip-information-2/.

Robertson, Margaret. Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge, 2017.

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Blog One: Sustainability

As a future environmental studies major, I have an immense interest in what the future holds for our ever changing world. Sustainability is a topic that I am all too familiar with and care greatly about. Sustainability must ensure that the needs for the present time and future must never be compromised. Yet, “We face multiple, global-scale issues including food scarcity, aquifer depletion, pollution, habitat destruction, extinction, depletion of renewable and nonrenewable resources, climate destabilization, social inequity, failing states, growing control by powerful corporate interests, and widening gaps between rich and poor.” (Robertson, 5) 

Just this week most of the Amazon rainforest burnt to the ground leaving nothing but a blanket of ash filling the air. The lungs of our earth have collapsed as well as the hundreds of species who called the rainforest home.

 “A mass extinction is underway, with species disappearing at 1000 times the normal rate (Primack 2008, 126). Storms and wildfires are growing, mountain glaciers are melting, sea level is rising, and indications are that we may be approaching a climate-system tipping point.” (Robertson, 6) 

This weekend Hurricane Dorian is set to hit my hometown, Florida, and is only increasing in power. Headlines are claiming that Dorian could hit as a category 5 storm and warn that it is extremely dangerous. The warming waters of our oceans could be playing a part in the increasing amounts of devastating hurricanes plowing through our planet. 

Meteorologists, Weather.com. “Hurricane Dorian Expected to Intensify to a Category 4 and Poses a Growing Danger to Southeast U.S., Especially Florida.” The Weather Channel, The Weather Channel, 29 Aug. 2019

Perhaps the most debated topic regarding our planet today would be... you guessed it, climate change.  “Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

All over the news we are constantly seeing before and after pictures of the melting icecaps on earth thanks to remarkable technology over the century. The evidence from these satellite pictures clearly show cases the devastating outcome/consequences of unsustainable living due to overheating caused by green house gas emissions.  

Trift Glacier, Switzerland, has retreated by 1.17 km (0.7 miles) between 2006 (left) and 2015 (right)James Balog and the Extreme Ice Survey

“In order to live sustainably within Earth’s carrying capacity, humans would need to maintain the health of ecosystems (our life-support systems); use renewable resources at a rate no faster than they can be regenerated; use nonrenewable resources at a rate no faster than they can be replaced by the discovery of renewable substitutes; and emit wastes and pollutants at a rate no faster than the rate at which they can be safely assimilated (Daly 1990)” 

Although the world is facing problems bigger than our minds can perceive, there is still hope. There is always an opportunity for change to take place. Whether we are using metal straws to save the turtles or donating money to fund the amazon rainforest, we are still making a change towards a better more sustainable future.  

“Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?” NASA, NASA, 9 July 2019, https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/. Robertson, Margaret. Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge, 2017. https://sea.mashable.com/culture/5813/the-amazon-forest-is-burning-to-the-ground-heres-how-it-happened-and-what-you-can-do-to-help

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2019-08-29-hurricane-dorian-florida-southeast-forecast-projected-path.