Daily Archives: February 19, 2019

“Faith, Justice, and Global Warming: Discussing the Climate of Our Times”

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Last Tuesday, February 12th, I went to an event on campus called “Faith, Justice, and Global Warming: Discussing the Climate of Our Times.”

 

The event was in the Education Center (Lecture Hall 118) from 4pm-6:30pm and was hosted by Professor Todd LeVasseur and the Sustainability Literacy Institute. The discussion featured Peterson Toscano and Corina Newsome.

 

Toscano described himself as a “queer and quirky” individual from rural Pennsylvania, where evidences of wildlife were abundant. He grew up as a Quaker and explained how it was considered “against the grain” to be gay and come out as a young adult, in his church community. Due to his love and support for the LGBTQ community, he began to view the issues of climate change as one directly associated with civil rights. Therefore, Toscano took a year off and began to educate himself on climate science and got involved with citizens climate policies. He explained that he is now a Bible Scholar who has his own podcast, inviting different perspectives, ranging from everyday people with a story to tell to pastors and preachers from neighboring states. Toscano is interested in hearing what people have to say regarding what the Bible has to say about climate change.

 

Newsome explained that she grew up in the city of Philadelphia and experienced a very different childhood from Toscano, when it comes to nature. She discussed how she was never really exposed to animals until she went to visit them in zoos when she was older. This experience combined with learning about how so many species are endangered and threatened, instantly spiked Newsome’s interest in wildlife preservation and ultimately, climate change as well.

 

She explained that once she brought up this concern of climate change to her church community, she was immediately shauned. She was frustrated, but soon joined the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action in college.

 

Newsome explained that one big change she made in her life was beginning to participate more in her civil engagement duties. In other words, she encouraged us in the audience to become educated on what local and national individuals were running for office (i.e what policies they support) and vote! She said that this was a small, but great way to make your voice heard.

 

Newsome also explained that she has tried to “build bridges” where she can, when it comes to discussing climate change to others. We had a mini discussion during the event about how a large portion of the older generation simply dismisses the topic of climate change. Newsome gave advice of trying to build bridges that lead into the topic. She explained that by not beginning with the topic, but instead relating with the other person on another level, could eventually lead into them trusting your views and opinions moreso.

 

Similarly, Toscano discussed how he typically uses the strategy of letting his audiences come to him. He explained that he tries to come up with things that others are curious about and interested in. Once that connection is formed, he is able to able to form the bridge to how that important thing is affected by climate change. For example, he discussed how many people care about their pets and this is a great conversation starter. He explained that once you ask someone, “Have you ever wondered how climate change affects your pet?,” this makes them curious and ask you to tell them the answer.

 

Another main point that was discussed, was the fact that our world and those individuals within in, will see an increase in suffering due to this wicked problem of climate change. Toscano tied faith into this discussion by bringing up the fact that he feels churches will miss out on an integral way to gain more followers with this situation. He explained that with this suffering, individuals will need more guidance, empathy, and something to believe in; thus wanting to turn to religion. He believes that if churches do not choose to admit climate change is happening, they are missing an opportunity to help those in need.

 

Ultimately, many different points were touched on and brought up during the event regarding how faith, class, and race are all connected back to climate change in different ways. It was interesting to hear these perspectives, because I had never really applied this form of systems thinking prior to learning what it means in class and then attending the event to actually see it in action.

AUV Operations to Observe and Report Scallop Population Health: SubSea-Observers

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A research team led by Drs. Phoel and Trembanis at University of Delaware developed and launched an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to survey the ocean floor off of the East Coast. The mission of this survey was to create a way in which researchers could estimate the Atlantic Scallop population by surveying a series of images from the sea floor. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in turn uses this information to develop catch limits for the scallop populations in order to maintain the health of this sea-creature population and ecosystem. Prior to the AUV, the only way to efficiently survey the scallop’s population and environment was through invasive collection methods that disrupted all surrounding marine life. The only barrier that remained was sorting through the hundreds-of-thousands pictures that were collected. From this obstacle was born the citizen science campaign— SubSea-Observers.

 

When you first join the SubSea-Observer team, they initiate you via a series of educational slides about their mission and the background of the team. Next, you must complete a training period to ensure competence in the identification of scallops and processing of the images provided by the AUV. After that, you are free to explore at your leisure and report your results to the team. The data that everyone reports contributes towards the NMFS data that was previously described. As an environmental/sustainability student, this has heightened significance because it echoes the systems thinking approach when considering the health of our ecosystems. Where we see variations in the populations of Sea Scallops, we can seek possible underlying cause afflicting the dearth or surplus of this organism. For example, are the scallops or the predators/prey of the scallops being overharvested? Is the ecosystem changing in the form of rising ocean temperature or pH?

 

Here are some examples of the types of images provided by the AUV that require identification:

 

As an observer, you are asked to comment on the environment (sandy, shell hash, rippled, mounds, ect.). Additionally, you have to report the number of scallops (if any) that are within the image in addition to the health of the scallop (dead or alive).

 

We might already be seeing the effects of climate change on scallop populations. One article stated that the reduction could be as drastic as a 50% in the next decade (Brookins & Rhode Island Public Radio, 2018). The only way to fully establish the severity of this population reduction is through survey tools like this. Again, this is not an isolated measurement. Scallop populations provide insight into the health of the ecosystems in which they live. Continuing in our systems thinking, changes to our aquatic ecosystems result in changes to our terrestrial ecosystems and terminate have compounding effects. Consequently, there is significance in the work of the volunteer surveyors with SubSea-Observers. Any evidence to support the effects that climate change are having on Earth help advocate for action.

 

If I have convinced you to join our team of SubSea-Observers click the link: http://subseaobservers.com

 

Citations:

Brookins, A., & Rhode Island Public Radio. (2018, October 04). Climate Change Could Reduce Scallop Population, Study Shows. Retrieved from https://www.wbur.org/news/2018/10/04/scallops-new-bedford-climate-change

Marine Life and Governance in the Plasticene Era

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On Monday, January 28, I attended a Biology Department seminar presented by Dr. Qamar Schuyler titled “Marine Life and Governance in the Plasticene Era.” Dr. Schuyler presented her research topic on sea turtles and plastics, which she conducted in Moreton Bay, Australia. She sifted through sea turtle guts and found that of the test animals, turtles were 33% and birds were the 67% that ingested plastics. The lethality of plastics was also part of the scientific question. The scientists compared turtles that died of plastics to non-plastics, they looked at turtle necropsies, and came up with the conclusion that if turtles eat one plastic, there is a 22% chance that it will cause fatality.

Dr. Schuyler’s proposal for a solution is through government. Currently the plastic pipeline consists of production-use-litter/disposal-transport-ocean. In each of these “knobs,” restrictive measures can be implanted in order for plastic to have less of an environmental impact. One interesting hinderance was the mold mushroom packaging design at the beginning step (production). Her other research also focused on the governance side and measuring the effectiveness of litter/disposal legislations in Australia. They surveyed 40 local councils and asked about their infrastructure, policies, and education/outreach which is how they took their measurements of effectiveness. They found that coast lines had less debris when: greater than 8% of the annual budget was on waste management, the budget specifies the coast debris management, and that waste facilities and education are implemented. One existing legislation that I did not know about is the Container Deposit legislation. This law has been used by Australia and only a small portion of America. This container deposit law greatly reduces the amount of debris because customers are being refunded for returning the container to its owner.

I am particularly interested in this topic of marine plastics and legislation because this is the particular field I possibly want to work in one day. I aspire to help reduce marine plastic pollution in the Philippines and reform the mentality of waste because I know that the country has a grotesque and wicked pollution problem. In this lecture, Dr. Schuyler informed me of the harms of plastics not only to organisms and the environment but even paradoxically to humans themselves through the fish market. Moreover, I also think that more government allocations towards water and waste management would be significantly beneficial for the environment. Lastly, I think that the container-deposit legislation should be enforced in all states because it gives people an incentive for living a more sustainable lifestyle. People can be taught the value of items so that they cherish them and attempt to reduce their consumption overall.

Dr. Schuyler’s seminar reminded me of the terms systems thinking and consumption discussed in class. The plastic pipeline that she discussed is a system within itself and unlike renewable resources, it follows a linear pattern. First, plastic is made by converting natural products from oil, gas, or coal. Next, it is made available to humans and used by them once in large amounts. Then, the plastic becomes waste and is disposed of (sometimes as litter). Finally, if plastic does not end up in land fills, it is then transported to the ocean by natural causes. Each “knob” is also a point of intervention that can be applied with the right tool. For instance, cleanup groups are a point of intervention at the transport knob when plastic ends up in beaches/streets. Over-consumption is one of the underlying causes of plastic pollution. Within capitalism, consumption is an integral part of society and cannot be helped. Often times, the material design of these consumed items is in fact, plastics because it is so cheap. The human mindset of constantly consuming things without realizing its ecological consequences is common and should be altered in order to reduce plastic pollution. Manufacturers should be turning to a more sustainable design for their package and use. Overall, Dr. Schuyler’s lecture on plastics and marine life was excellent and gave me a really good insight into plastic pollution research.

“The Devil We Know” Documentary Review

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The documentary film, “The Devil We Know”, directed by Stephanie Soechtig exposes the serious dangers of chemicals used by DuPont to manufacture Teflon kitchenware. . One such chemical is PFOA which has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses. By purposely dumping dangerous compounds into drinking water and willingly exposing workers to PFOA also known as C-8, DuPont has created one of the biggest environmental cover-ups to date. DuPont continues to deny that C-8 and PFOA are harmful despite files showing potential dangers as far back as 1982 and entire communities that have been ravaged by cancer and other ailments.

The Devil We Know focuses on the blue collar community of Parkersburg, WV which has borne the brunt of damages from DuPont. Manufacturing is the backbone of Parkersburg. Common products include teflon cookware, waterproof jackets, and microwave popcorn bags, all of which require C-8. Citizens of Parkersburg who worked directly with the chemicals, including pregnant women, were the first to feel the effects of C-8. Extremely high rates of cancer and birth defects were present in the population and children’s teeth began to turn black. One resident, Bucky Bailey, was born with a birth defect that required him to undergo over 30 surgeries as a child and permanently altered his genetic code. Pollution from the factories and from DuPont ran downstream to other communities in the Ohio River Valley and potentially to the entire United States.

The film begins with footage taken by a Parkersburg farmer, Wilbur Tennant, of dead livestock and dogs on portions of land which he sold to Dupont. Tennant was told by DuPont that the land would be used for “non-hazardous” waste. However, when his cattle began suffering birth defects such as white, blind eyes and dying prematurely, he started to believe otherwise. The footage features Tennant belligerently expressing his view that something incredibly wrong was occuring on his land. Tennant was one of the first in his community to be suspicious of DuPont’s motives and to recognize signs that all was not well with the water. He attempted to get help from city officials, doctors, veterinarians, lawyers, and journalists, who all turned him away. DuPont owned the majority of Parkersburg and Tennant realized that he would have to seek help elsewhere. DuPont’s control over the towns it operated in is a theme that runs throughout the documentary.

The key point of the film is the investigation into DuPont which features interviews from those involved in the case as well as taped depositions from DuPont executives and lawyers. DuPont’s files made it clear that the company was aware of the dangers of C-8 and PFOA and continued to manufacture it regardless. When their rival chemical company, 3M, discontinued production of C-8 due to the clear dangers it posed, DuPont upped production. Despite links to ailments and the fact that C-8 has been found in the drinking water of 27 states, DuPont has not been seriously damaged by lawsuits, yet. Attorney Rob Bilott is a prominent feature in the documentary. His fight against DuPont began in 1999, when he took Tennant’s case against DuPont. He later represented 70,000 who had been drinking water directly laced with PFOA for years and helped to organize one of the largest epidemiological studies of chemicals in the history of the United States. Part of the film tracks Bilott’s cases against DuPont and shows the mountains of incriminating data freely given by DuPont. 2

The documentary does not go into much detail on the effects on consumers besides mentioning that C-8 is found in the blood of 99% of the world’s population. As many as 110 million Americans are potentially drinking water that has been contaminated with PFAS chemicals, including an estimated 24,904 people in South Carolina. PFOAs have been found in the blood of animals from Alaskan polar bears to albatrosses on Sand Island in the Midway Atoll. The dangers posed by PFOAs and other chemicals are serious and do not appear to be solved anytime soon.

 

Link: https://www.netflix.com/search?q=the%20devil%20we&jbv=80997719&jbp=0&jbr=0

 

Coastal Conservation League’s Advocacy Training

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I attended an Advocacy Training event on January 31st hosted by the Coastal Conservation League. The event was put on by College of Charleston organizations Alliance for Planet Earth, CofC Democrats and CofC Vegan Club. The event began with the CCL’s Community Outreach Coordinator Jasmine Gil introducing herself and giving background on what CCL does. The Coastal Conservation League is an organization that lobbies for environmental protection of the Carolina coasts, but also for other local progress like transportation, food and agriculture solutions, and social inequality in the lowcountry. The CCL works with local communities, businesses, residents and volunteers to protect the natural resources and beauty of Charleston, as well as the surrounding coast. One of the biggest ways they help do this is by being very vocal to policy makers and local government representatives to be clear on how they want them to vote, in the interest of local ecosystems and people. The 30-year organization was instrumental in helping get the ban on plastic bags passed in Charleston last year.

The purpose of this advocacy training was so that students who are interested in conservation could learn how to actively participate in passing policies that promote conservation and stop policies that threaten our ecosystems. Jasmine and Caitie Forde-Smith, the CCL’s Communications Director, laid out a basic outline of how we can each be part of creating change in our communities. To block or pass policies, we should be aware of what is being proposed and what environmental impacts these proposals would have if enacted. They used the example of a bill that is on the table currently and could have large environmental consequences. This bill proposed by Republican policy makers would be a state-wide ban on bans, like the plastic bag ban, claiming that banning things like plastic bags and straws reduces jobs… but there aren’t any plastic bag manufacturers in SC. Furthermore, the bill threatens local municipalities’ autonomy on deciding what they want for their own communities. This ban on bans would negatively impact Charleston’s ability to regulate plastic, impacting our wetlands and beaches, and subsequently tourism. Next, we should be aware of who our representatives are, and to reach out to them stating how we want them to vote and why it’s important to us that they do. An easy way to contact a representative would be to send an email, but the CCL suggests calling them if you’re comfortable making phone calls because they are more impactful and personal. As part of the workshop, Caitie asked for 3 volunteers to call their representative to urge them to oppose the ban-on-bans bill in front of the group on speaker. The first 2 volunteers went up, then I volunteered. Caitie helped me find out that my West Ashley representative was Sandy Senn. Caitie gave me some background information on Senn, telling me she was a republican but a lowcountry native, and that she votes in support of the environment usually, also telling me to butter her up with thanks for her vote for the plastic bag ban. I called, introduced myself as a biology major at CofC, told her I oppose the bill and it’s important she vote against it because it will have negative impacts on our marine ecosystems and thanked her for working to protect the lowcountry.

This workshop was very informative, engaging and fun. The Coastal Conservation League focused on the importance of being educated and aware of local issues, to be vocal about issues you are passionate about and to reach out however you can to be active in our own communities. I am personally interested in volunteering with the CCL after learning about everything they do in support of our local marine habitats. The Coastal Conservation League does a lot of interdisciplinary work pertaining to environmental protections and making Charleston and the Carolina coasts more sustainability focused. They work with local communities to secure and distribute locally grown food, advocate for local green energy, fight for clean air and land protections, preservation of historic land and sites, and provide support to local farmers. All the work they do combines policy, profit, people and the planet.