This blog post was written by Environmental Club President Megan Phelps. The holiday season is characterized by a combination of contradictions. Along with the emphasis on togetherness and connection comes a culture of obsessive consumption of material goods. On Black Friday alone, Americans spent about 3 billion dollars on, well, stuff. From cradle to grave, excessive consumption is detrimental to the environment: Raw material extraction damages ecosystems and produces byproducts that are toxic to wildlife. Manufacturing is powered by fossil fuels, releasing carbon (and various pollutants into the air and contributing to global climate change. Consumers purchase the goods, reinforcing that process, and then throw them away, filling up our landfills and creating plastic pollution. This year, I want to do things differently. I am planning to give meaningful gifts that are light on the earth. Here are some ways to make your gifts count: CHOOSE LOCAL Buying from small, local businesses strengthens your local economy and your community bonds. ~Ideas~ Shop your local farmer’s market Search Etsy (be sure to refine your search under “Shop Location”) Visit local small businesses around your neighborhood Give a jar of local honey Go to a swap meet in your area BUY FAIR Many consumer goods are made in factories overseas that exploit workers and subject them to unsafe working conditions. By purchasing goods with a fair trade seal (or made by ethical companies), you are supporting fair conditions for people. ~Ideas~ Alter Eco Chocolate Equal Exchange Coffee GIVE GREEN Plants and seeds make great gifts, and are carbon negative, making them beneficial to the planet! ~Ideas~ Heirloom Seeds Garden Grow Kits Bee Kind Seed Packet Visit a local nursery to give an already-growing plant ECO-FRIENDLY TOOLS Give a gift that can help your loved one green up their lifestyle. ~Ideas~ Insulated Klean Kanteen Brush with Bamboo Toothbrush Reusable Produce Bags Simply Straw Reusable Glass Straw Reusable Cotton Rounds GO ORGANIC Purchase organic cotton or wool, hemp, bamboo, or cashmere if giving something to wear. Synthetic fibers (such as polyester, nylon, or spandex) shed microfibers into waterways when washed. Conventional plant fibers (such as non-organic cotton) are grown using pesticides, which disrupt ecosystems and lead to cancer in humans. ~Ideas~ Maggie’s Organic Cotton and Wool Socks DIY Cable Headband Kit Rawganique Organic Hemp Scarf MAKE IT YOURSELF Making a gift yourself adds a personal connection (plus, it is better for your wallet!). ~Ideas~ Bake cookies (gingersnaps are nice and festive!) Whip up some granola (this is a basic recipe) Knit a scarf Sew organic cotton face rounds (here is a good tutorial if you use a sewing machine, or you can do what I did and wing it) Craft body balm Create spa goods INVEST TO LAST Many products have a planned obsolescence, which is a manufacturing ploy to get consumers to keep buying. If you purchase goods that are made to last, there is less waste! ~Ideas~ Buy Me Once Cherry Space Pen Buy Me Once Soccer Ball SECOND IS BEST Buying items second hand diverts waste and reduces the strain on the planet’s resources by just reusing what’s already in existence! ~Ideas~ Visit your local thrift, vintage, or charity shop Search ebay.com or etsy.com (be sure to filter “used” for Item Type) MAKE A DONATION Donate to an organization your loved one believes in in their honor for a tangible, positive impact. Give them the gift of giving! ~Ideas~ The ACLU Planned Parenthood 350.org Our Revolution Earth Justice The Sierra Club PRESENCE OVER PRESENTS Give an experience instead of an object for a lasting memory. ~Ideas~ Coupons for: A bike ride and picnic in a scenic spot A nice meal A trip to gelato A trip to the thrift store Lessons of a skill you have (e.g. if you play guitar, you can offer to give them a lesson; if you are a great gardener, you can offer to plan and start their garden) A pass for a local museum A membership to a yoga studio A National Parks Pass A class at a local community college Tickets to a concert, play, or improv show An art class Psst: Phyla is a good company that allows you to create custom bundles of gifties for your friends and family. Each bundle includes a donation to a nonprofit, and is either organic, USA-made, fair trade, or crafted to replace toxic materials.
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This post was written by Environmental Club member Edward Shingler. What Causes Climate Change? Ever since the Industrial Revolution, humans have continued to grow more and more attached to their machines. Machines produce clothes, machines sort through food, and lately machines have the ability connect us at a moment’s notice. Humans and machines are now inseparable partners. Unfortunately, a troublesome third wheel has been tagging along for quite a while: fossil fuels. Since the industrial revolution, we have relied on fossil fuels (namely coal, oil, and natural gas) for energy. We burn them to release the energy stored inside. This energy we use to create electricity, power factories, and facilitate transportation. When fossil fuels are burned, a gas called carbon dioxide, or CO2, is often released into the atmosphere. We need greenhouse gases, like CO2, to keep our planet warm enough to live on. They trap heat that would have otherwise escaped from Earth. However, our release of CO2 on an extreme scale has caused a major increase in heat. With so much CO2, the extra heat has begun to cause changes in the natural systems that regulate our climate. These effects are collectively known as climate change and make the Earth a less suitable environment to live in. What Are the Effects of Climate Change? The effects of climate change include global temperature increase, sea level rise, warming and acidifying of oceans, less snow cover, shrinking ice sheets, and unusual weather patterns. All of these changes throw off the natural balances that have allowed inhabitats to exist for centuries. Here's an example: The mountain pine beetle, a beetle that munches away at and spends most of its life in pine trees, has generally been contained in the southern pine forests of North America where temperatures are warm and the beetles can survive the winter. However, as global temperatures increase, vast swaths of forest become buffets for these beetles. Affected forests tend to die, furthering the effects of climate change by decreasing CO2 intake from the atmosphere, destroying the dwellings of many forest critters, and creating enormous fire hazards. This is just one of the thousands of examples of how climate change endangers the environment. There are many examples of how climate change affects human life as well. Increasing temperatures and limited rainfall make it more difficult to cultivate crops, leading to shortages of food, higher frequencies of extreme weather events such as hurricanes and floods cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses in a relatively short amount of time, and rising sea levels endanger populations island nations, which are slowly being submerged. So What Now? Climate change is an indisputably grave issue. It is major cause for concern for plants, animals, and humans alike. If climate change isn’t reversed soon it might get out of hand. Fortunately, we know there are ways to stop and potentially reverse climate change. We need to totally change our energy system and rely on new technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectricity. Look for another article to come that will provide insight into what actions can be taken against climate change. Images via, via, via, via. The Mount Everest Academy Environmental Club is having a contest for art pieces that best communicate the problem of climate change. Submit a: Poem Fiction short story Essay Collage Painting Sketch Theater piece Video Song Or any other creative piece! Winners will be selected from 4 grade level groups: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12. Winners' work will be posted on the MEA Environmental Club website and used for promotional campaigns, flyers, etc (with credit to the winner!). Submissions are due December 18th, 2016. Please submit your art to [email protected]. (If you create a visual art piece, please take a picture of it. If you are selected as a finalist, we may ask for the physical copy.) This post was written by Environmental Club member and ambassador Katherine Gillcrist. The holiday season! A wonderful time of giving and receiving among friends, family, and even communities. For a time where industries thrive on the consumerism, and with so much to do, see and celebrate… the environmental impact is typically thrown into the back seat. In the United States alone, an average household’s waste increases 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. It is crucial that we may take any step we can to help make more eco-friendly, the holiday tradition of giving cards, gifts, making food, cutting down trees, and traveling. While at first the negatives do stand out and put a damper on the season, there is no reason to feel down! Picking up new habits or ways to celebrate the holiday season is incredibly simple and easy. For example,
This post was written by MEA Environmental Club founder and president, Megan Phelps. Sustainable agriculture is a big topic--but a critically important one. That's why we've compiled a list of a few of our favorite books, movies, and articles that you can read to learn more about sustainable agriculture. Happy reading! Books Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver In this memoir, Kingsolver recounts her family's journey after moving to a farm and growing their own food for one year. 100 Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mckinnon After learning that the average ingredient in a North American diet travels 1,500 miles, Mckinnon and Smith decide to eat food within a 100 mile radius of their apartment for one year. Local by Douglas Gayeton This book explores different ways farmers and activists everywhere are revolutionizing the food system. The Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale Maria Rodale is a pioneer in the organic industry. This book sheds light on the key differences between conventional and organic agriculture. Movies Seed: The Untold Story This movie explores how seeds are essential to our food security. Know Your Food Short Film series Made by the Lexicon of Sustainability, this film series explores different aspects of sustainable agriculture. Food Inc This film delves into the issue of corporatization of our food supply. Articles Rodale Institute Research This series of articles provides concrete research about organic agriculture and methodology. 15 Ways to Celebrate Agriculture This article details 15 ways that farmers, policymakers, and consumers can improve our agriculture system. Sustainable Agriculture: What it is, and Why it Matters Written by former MEA student Patrick, this post is a great overview of agriculture and sustainable solutions. Have any other suggestions? Comment below! Written by MEA Environmental Club founder and president, Megan Phelps School supplies used to be one of my favorite parts of going back to school. I loved the blank notebooks begging to be filled with thoughts and doodles, the colorful sticky notes, and the perfectly sharpened pencil tips. All the do-dads and knick-knacks seemed to promise productivity and organization. When I began to examine my buying patterns, I began to realize that this demand for school supplies was not healthy for the Earth. For example--erasers, glue, markers, mechanical pencils, pens, and binders all contain petroleum. Petroleum is not only harmful to extract (think harmful oil spills from fracking), it also takes thousands of years to break down. Worst of all, plastic (one of the most common forms of petroleum) contains many toxins that have been found to be endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. Not something we want to expose growing kiddos to! The unfortunate truth is that conventional school supplies are just not good for the planet or for our bodies. I compiled the following list to help you and your family move towards more sustainable and healthier choices throughout the school year. You can read it in blog format, or check out our Pinterest board. **Use What You Have!** Before buying anything new, I suggest you search your house for existing items. Make reusing more exciting by sharpening tired pencils, reassembling previously used colored pencils and markers, and “reinventing” old binders by redecorating them with recycled paper. Reusing what you have will help the environment (by reducing the amount of resources needed to make new supplies), and also help your wallet! Last year, I didn’t purchase any new school supplies by just using what we already had around the house. Pencils {Option One} Zebra Stainless Steel Mechanical Pencil $14.95 Eco-friendly how? These can last indefinitely, meaning they require very few resources--so long as your student doesn’t lose them! One reviewer said, "I've had my Zebra pencil for 9½ years now. Yes, almost a decade. It still functions the same as when I bought it...." {Option Two} Forest Choice wooden pencils 12 for $2.95 (less than $0.25 each) Eco-friendly how? FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council, a certification given to companies that manage forests sustainably, meaning the pencil is made from responsibly harvested wood. Be sure to compost the shavings! {Option One} TreeSmart StartNow pencils 24 for $8.78 Eco-Write Pencils $0.40 each Recycled Old Money Pencils $0.45 each Eco-friendly how? Instead of cutting down trees, these pencils repurpose materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Erasers {Option One} Recycled Rubber Erasers $0.99 Made by Humans Eco Eraser Sticks $5.99 Eco-friendly how? Conventional erasers are made out of petroleum product. Recycled natural rubber erasers uses natural rubber that might otherwise be thrown away. Plus, they're better for our bodies! Pens {Option One} Zebra Retractable Ballpoint Pen 9 for $14.99 Zebra Pen Refill 2 for $5.16 Eco-friendly how? Instead of throwing away entire pens as soon as they run out of ink, these pens enable consumers to simply purchase new ink--making for less waste. {Option Two} ZEBRA ECO Pen 1 for $1.99 ZEBRA ECO Pen Refills 3 for $2.99 Eco-friendly how? These pens divert materials from the landfill and eliminate demand for new resources, and include the benefits of being refillable (listed above). Folders {Option One} Naked Folders $1.99 Eco-friendly how? I'm sure you know the benefits of recycling by now! Binders {Option One} The Naked Binder Woodie $15 Eco-friendly how? This product is durable, making it perfect if you'd rather not have to replace items year after year. Also, it is made from FSC-certified wood and is 100% recyclable! {Option Two} The Naked Binder $7-9 Eco-friendly how? Made from recycled materials (instead of the typical vinyl and/or plastic), this binder makes use of otherwise landfill-destined materials. Also, it is fully recyclable. Paperclips {Option One} Use what you find Simply look for paperclips scattered on the ground wherever you are--I've collected over 60 within the past few months by doing this! {Option Two} Recycled Steel Paperclips 100 for $1.39 Eco-friendly how? Instead of mining for new metals (which is destructive of the land and harmful to mine workers), these paperclips use recycled materials, and come in a recyclable box! Staples {Option One} Replace them with paper clips! Eco friendly how? Instead of using staples once and then discarding, paperclips provide a reusable alternative. See above for ideas! Written by environmental club member Edward Shingler Do you know what's in the products you clean with? Do you know how they can affect you, your family, and your environment? The answers to the questions are important if you want to protect the planet Earth and the creatures living on it! Many people choose certain cleaning products because they are marketed to "get your whites whiter and your brights brighter." However, the secret to these products' cleaning power can come from dangerous chemicals which harm you and your environment. Phthalates, perchloroethylene, triclosan, 2-butocyethanol are probably all words you've never heard of before. This is likely because the companies responsible for chemical cleaners aren't always required to list all the ingredients in their products! Furthermore, government regulation is pretty loose. Among the disclosed ingredients, there are commonly untested (potentially dangerous) chemicals, and even ones already proven to be quite harmful. Using chemical cleaners can induce a wide range of negative effects: asthma, allergic reactions, reproductive problems, birth defects, and cancer to name some. Not to mention poisoning from accidental ingestion! "Using chemical cleaners can induce a wide range of negative effects: asthma, allergic reactions, reproductive problems, birth defects, and cancer to name some. Not to mention poisoning from accidental ingestion!"It's a common misunderstanding that natural cleaners are ineffective. However, many natural cleaning products are almost, if not just as effective! When deliberating over what brand to use, don't be afraid to do some digging. Many brands try and capitalize on "going green" without truly living up to the name. This marketing tactic is called greenwashing. For example, the brand Seventh Generation states that it is environmentally friendly, while some of its products still contain unhealthy chemicals. Environmental Working Group has a great database that can show you just how clean your products really are. If you really want to simplify your cleaning routine, try looking in your pantry! Baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar can all be used as cleaners. Here are some of our favorite recipes. Image from here. Written by Patrick Mulvany, MEA student In the US, our agricultural practices are often not very sustainable, and will cause problems in the long run. However, there are easy solutions for the majority of these problems. The Problem: Erosion Erosion occurs when land is cleared of native plants for farming. As any farmer can tell you, the topsoil is the soil which contains the nutrients needed to grow crops. Lose the topsoil, and you lose fertile farmland. When the native plants are cleared away, the topsoil is exposed to the elements. It is often then blown away by wind or washed away by rain. It takes approximately 500 years to replace one inch of topsoil, so fertile land is, for all human intents and purposes, a non-renewable resource. The Solutions: Compost and Windbreaks First, lining fields with trees to create a windbreak helps control erosion. Second, using compost in the fields helps prevent erosion as the compost absorbs a lot of the water which would otherwise drain off the fields and take soil along with it. The Problem: Dying Pollinators Pollinators face many problems. One of the biggest is pesticides. Pesticides are designed to kill organisms that feed on the crop plants we grow for food. Unfortunately, pesticides often don’t just kill their intended target, they often kill many pollinators and other organisms as well. Many pesticides don’t naturally break down in the environment and therefore can continue to kill non-target insects for a very long time. In addition, the vast tracts of land used for agriculture and other uses of land by humans has severely degraded many pollinators’ natural habitats. This limits space for pollinators to live, and therefore severely reduces population numbers. The Solution: Organic Agriculture
Buying organic foods can help this problem. Organic crops must be grown without use of pesticides. This helps prevent the collapse of pollinators, as no pesticides means fewer dead pollinators. It also means pesticides aren’t on your food. Other forms of less harmful pest control are usually used in organic farming, such as biological controls. This generally means farmers attempt to provide a habitat for and boost the population of natural predators of the pest species. In addition, pheromones and other chemical attractants can be used to trap pests, disrupt their reproduction cycles, and more. Reducing your waste to zero may seem impossible in this consumer world. And going completely zero waste is pretty daunting--but even just reducing your waste a little bit will add up in the long run. Flip through the slideshow below for some tips. Find out how to reduce junk mail here. (Thank you to Rethink Recycling and The Zero Waste Home for the tips!) Written by Jesse Barrera, MEA student. Before we get into the facts, it's important that we define waste. Anything that we humans produce or consume but do not then reuse, is called waste. Natural environments produce no waste because every molecule is cycled continually through the system, reused over and over again for millennia. In contrast, humans produce endless materials that, because of their manufacturing processes, cannot be easily broken down into their component substances or reused as is. Instead, we have chosen to simply store these products in the environment, so we do not have to deal with them in our cities, towns, and suburbs. Clearly we cannot continue to dispose of waste this way indefinitely, because the environmental space available for waste storage is highly limited while our material production, though not unlimited, will continue to grow far into the future. For this reason, eventually, humans must transition from this linear model of production and storage, to a circular model of production and repeated reuse, just like that exhibited by environmental systems. It may seem like this transition to a zero-waste society is something that will need to happen in a few decades, in some far-off futuristic moment when our waste production finally leads bursts our landfills at the seams, and this would be true - if this were the 1960s. Instead, its 2016, and the future has arrived. Today, global annual municipal solid waste production alone exceeds 1 billion tons per year, the equivalent of 2 trillion lbs of waste. The amount of waste in landfills in developed nations has long exceeded their capacity, while in developing nations, waste is often improperly disposed of and poses health risks to those living nearby. Corporations ship hazardous waste, such as the heavy metals found in electronic devices such as cell phones, to poor nations whose citizens are exposed to the hazardous substances, while the oceans are saturated with plastics that can strangle, trap, or even be ingested by, fish and wildlife. Landfills themselves are not risk free, as chemicals from decomposing plastics can leach into and contaminate nearby groundwater, while decomposition can also release potent greenhouse gases into the air. Finally, nuclear power plants, while a cleaner energy source than oil or coal, produce dangerous amounts of radioactive nuclear waste, which poses a major threat both to international security and to environmental quality. Thus, human production of waste has already reached a critical mass that is damaging human health and the environment worldwide. |
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