Monthly Archives: February 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.

SEWE Event: Blog Post

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For this blog experience, I chose to attend the SEWE festival. This is also known as the Southeastern Wildlife Expo, where all different species are shown to the public. This was very fascinating to me, as I have always marveled at how many different types of animals there are out there and how they all come from different ecosystems and locations. All the animals shown at this expo hail from the southeastern area of the United States, so it is interesting to see the similar adaptations they have. This includes being of certain color to combat heat absorption, hunting specific prey that is plentiful to the area, among other interesting facts. Among the animals shown at this event, there were also art exhibits and food events, so this expo really can appeal to all different types of people with different interests.

I really enjoyed this event because it showed off how unique different species are and how amazing they truly can be. I have been to many dog shows in the past, but they were a lot stuffier than what was going on at this expo. Dogs’ talents were truly put to light, and owners were able to show off how special their dogs are and how much training has gone into their abilities. This shows a true connection between dog and owner, which I really admire as I have two dogs and it is very difficult to train them. I have also always admired how loyal a dog can be to their owner, and that different dogs absolutely have different personalities. My one dog has a very loyal personality, always aiming to please and feeling so guilty when he misbehaves. On the other hand, my other dog feels no remorse and has no problem being bad. This expo really shows the differences between animals and how these differences are important in have a diverse system.

Relating back to this class, I think that biodiversity is a huge environmental importance and this was really highlighted at the SEWE event. There were different species of owls, snakes, and other native creatures that really shows how different each animal is from one another. Each animal is crucial to the food chain and sustaining life. Owls and snakes share the same prey of mice, but they also have variations in their diet that allows them to live in similar environments and still have a steady food supply. It is so important to maintain this level of biodiversity so that all species can live sustainably. The impact of this event is to bring light to different species in a fun, interactive way. Not all people care about the environment, but this event was great in the sense that it really included every type of person and tried to make sustainability interesting to people who might not otherwise care or be interested in it. It is hard to get everyone on the same page of supporting the environment, but small steps like this SEWE event is a gateway to gathering people in on the pro-environmental movement.

 

Co-Exist

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Dawson O’Brien

Prof. Saunders & Welch

ENVT 200

17 February, 2019

Co-Exist

This past Friday, February 15th, 2019, I was lucky enough to attend the Southeastern Wildlife Expo, if only for a short while. The SEWE has been held for the past 36 years, this year being the 37th, and has been carrying on the tradition of celebrating the things that are enjoyable about nature, but often forgotten about. Nature contains so many wonderful components, all of which are gorgeous, and so there must be time to revel in that fact. The SEWE has events for connoisseurs, or even children. For the younger-crowds there are demonstrations of live birds, live ocean/zoo animals, and even wildlife sanctuary shows. For those not looking for trying experiences, there are auctions, food cooking events, and art viewings! And for those who want an immersive experience without being too immature, there are events like the one I attended: dog demonstrations!

Because of time restraints and class, I was not able to experience as much of the SEWE as I had wanted, but I was able to get out there for their series of dog demonstrations. Essentially, because of the high popularity of hunting in the state of South Carolina, the SEWE gives owners the chance to show just how able their pets truly are! I witnessed solely the search and rescue dog demos that were later in the afternoon. However, if I had been able to come earlier, I would have been able to see sheep and herding demos, and if I stayed later there would have been a retrieving show! Overall, the experience was incredible. For the average individual, it is difficult to grasp just how well-trained service dogs really are. The dogs are professionals at what they do and it shows when they are performing their individual tasks.

What was so brilliant about the performances of the dogs was that when the dog was displaying its training it was so receptive to the trainers, and when the dog was not in training it was so loveable and friendly. I found it fascinating that the four-legged animals could separate their training from their enjoyment time. Upon seeing this same interactions, I had a thought that related the event back to being sustainable; humans need to co-exist with nature. Although dogs are domesticated, they have natural instincts and tendencies that remain, causing them to appear to symbolize nature to me. The cohesiveness seen with dogs and people reminded me that nature and humans are one in the same, and in order for a more sustainable future, humans must co-exist. From goat-herding to live camels, the SEWE was a brilliant experience that causes people to take a moment out of their day to remember how grateful people should be for the world around them.

“BP: Plastic ban ‘could have unintended consequences'” Talking Points

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Title: “BP: ‘Plastic Ban Could Have Unintended Consequences’”

Author: Matt McGrath

Source: BBC News

Citation: McGrath, Matt. “BP: Plastic Ban ‘Could Have Unintended Consequences.’”BBC News, BBC, 15 Feb. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47255249.

Who: British Petroleum (BP) is one of the world’s top producers of fossil fuels. The company has a very problematic record when it comes to the health and safety of employees, the public, and the environment. BP is responsible for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest oil spill to date, as well as the Texas City, TX refinery explosion of 2006.

What: BP’s 2019 Energy Outlook Report which suggests that plastic bans could have a negative environmental effect and that fossil fuel demand will remain high over the next two decades.

When: The annual report was published February 14, 2019.

Where: The report deals with the impacts of plastic bans across the globe.

Why:  As a producer of fossil fuels which are the main ingredient in plastic products, BP has a vested interest in maintaining fossil fuel dependence. The article cites a report that state alternative bags are not much better than plastic ones in terms of environmental impact. BP’s report did not account for widespread implementation of recycling and re-use, which could mitigate the problem.

How: BP claims that plastic bans could lead to increased energy use and emissions for the manufacture and transport of alternatives. The report also claims that despite a projected rise in renewable energy, fossil fuel use will increase over the next twenty years.

Impacts: The results of this report could be detrimental to plastic bans in cities and countries across the globe. Recently, there has been a lot of momentum for such bans, but if reports such as this continue to be published, they could be set aside. By discounting the move towards renewable energy, BP’s report could also aid arguments against finding sources outside of fossil fuels. On the positive side, decreases in bans could increase recycling and reuse efforts.

Relevance: Economically, BP stands to gain from this report. Since fossil fuels are key in the production of plastics, toting the downsides of plastic bans allows BP and other fossil fuel companies to continue to profit from the plastic industry. The report may also lead to a change in investments for renewable energy, either decreasing them due to cynicism or an increase to countridict BP’s projections. The harmful environmental impacts from plastic bags and fossil fuels are well known; however, the carbon footprint of alternatives isn’t as well known. If BP and other fossil fuel companies continue to push against environmental initiatives like plastic bans and renewable energy, climate change will only get worse. Reports such as this one can fuel arguments between groups that are very motivated to stop climate change and climate skeptics, increasing social unrest.

Additional Sources: 

Heriot-Watt University. “Ban on Plastics Could Increase Damage to Planet.” About Us. Heriot-Watt University, 30 Nov. 2018. Web. 16 Feb. 2019. https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/news/2018/a-plastic-ban-could-increase-damage-to.htm

Edgington, Tom. “Plastic or Paper: Which Bag Is Greener?” BBC News. BBC, 28 Jan. 2019. Web. 16 Feb. 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47027792

Everything is Connected- Alie Toppa

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I attended Peterson Toscano’s presentation/show/lecture/performance on the relationship between different issues such as LGBTQ and climate change and intertwining them in a way that we can connect everything together. It was a very interesting and entertaining hour of  Mr. Toscano putting on performances, 3 acts for us, to relay information about not only his own struggles with being gay but connecting it also with issues of religion also. Rather than just another guest speaker who stands up to give a lecture, this was a very different and fun approach to allow the audience to become more engaged and for him to connect with us. To start out, the audience gained knowledge of him learning that he is both religious and gay. In attempting to connect these issues together, he started with his first act about the “Homo-Nomo”. This was about his time when he was fighting the urge to be gay and belonged to this homo nomo halfway house. This was an eye opener for me at least as he was explaining how anti-gay everyone was back then and how much he went through to “un-gay” himself.  In this act, he touched on why he went though these great lengths such as conversion therapy and this homo nomo halfway house. At this time in the world, “GRID” aka AIDS was such a fear and the doors were shut for most LGBTQ individuals. Moving on to act 2, Peterson touched on issues more related to the bible. He told the story of Jacob and Esau, speaking about the son of Jacob, Joseph. Joseph was given a “princess dress” and loved to wear it but was not accepted by his brothers. The way that Peterson went about these acts was very entertaining as he got very into the characters and accents. And the third act was a dramatic shift, to climate change. He took character of a man from the Bronx, his father, and spoke about climate change. He did this is an entertaining way including polar bears and making jokes about them, but also at the same time calling upon the issue of climate change. Through this last act, he shifted back to the story of Joseph and stated that the story of Joseph was actually a climate change story. He for sure left me with my brain confused but eager to find connections between all these different topics, especially trying to walk away with a mind-set of sustainability and how this can all be related. But I guess that is the point, that everything is connected! To me, one of the coolest things about all of this is, how he embraced who his true identity and is using it to influence and inspire many. Rather than successfully converting himself, he stood up to himself, and the world, and Peterson is trying to change the world all for the better through this, even climate change! That is what I was thinking about after I left the event in how much of a different approach he took. He takes risks and makes it work, and in return I have much respect for him. Trying to wrap by brain around this and connect it to one of our student learning outcomes, I realize that all of this includes the aspect of the triple bottom line. Environmentally, economically, and especially sociably, Peterson’s show left us with an idea of the connection between all three of these. In terms of environmentally, his connection with climate change and environmental rights leads us all to be more conscious of our day to day choices, such as water management to prevent droughts! The reason I say this is because Peterson emphasized on the specific issue of droughts when it was called to his attention was due to this, pasta production was going to be negatively impacted! This humorous connection between his love for pasta and not wanting climate change to affect that brings up the idea of instrumental value and viewing nature in that way. This means, that Peterson believes in the goddess of nature and the environment for the goods and services that it brings about, pasta for example. In terms of economics, he does not harp on this too much but we can just get an understanding of the amount of money that some LGBTQ individuals spend to possible convert themselves back to possibly straight. With many more people spending just as much money as him on this, it creates a large industry of conversion, but one that many people might see as not only wrong but in the long run, sustainability speaking, having no good impact anywhere. And mainly, socially, Peterson well represented the LGBTQ community and his pride showed through his meaningful acts and attempts to relate everything together. It is not a me world that we live in, but as us one. And Peterson tries to emphasize this through the triple bottom line and calling upon action from our hearts towards not only climate change but the struggles that members go through in the LGBTQ community.

The Office of Sustainability was a big part of putting this together for us lucky members of the audience and even handed out goodies at the door including pens, pins, and phone accessories! I thought this was an overall excellent experience, and I encourage all of you if you ever get a chance, to try and engage yourself in something outside of your comfort zone! That is what I did with this event, thinking that it is not normally something that I would attend so I took a chance and ended up loving it!

 

The Amazon being destroyed for gold

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The Amazon is being destroyed for gold

Kann, D. “Record levels of gold mining are destroying one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, study shows.” CNN, 8 Feb. 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/08/world/gold-mining-deforestation-peru-record-levels-trnd/index.html Accessed 11 Feb. 2019.

 

The Amazon is being destroyed for gold, from the CNN article “Record levels of gold mining are destroying one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, study shows.”

Who: The people of the Southern Peruvian Amazon What: the illegal destruction of one of the most biodiverse ecosystems Where: the protected Southern Peruvian Amazon When: since 2017 Why: for the incentive of $100/day for gold How: clearing forest and harmful mining methods

 

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth, and the biomass of these forests is responsible for cleaning much of the earth’s air. People have been over-harvesting resources in the Amazon for decades, and now in one of the most untouched parts of the Amazon rainforest, Peruvians are contributing to this deforestation and polluting their own areas with mercury so they can find gold to make money. In the past 2 years alone, 45,565 acres of forest have been felled for gold mining. Mercury is known to damage immune, digestive and nervous systems in people. The river systems being polluted carry water all over South America and are sources of water and livelihood for people and organisms all over the continent. This illegal gold mining affects innumerable people and the long term effects of high amounts of mercury can be deadly.

 

This trend affects people, the planet and profit.There are many points where intervention can occur to stop the deforestation and pollution, and where people and the planet can benefit as opposed to how they are suffering now. The Peruvian government has tried for years to enforce the protection of the Southern Peruvian Amazon with no progress, and the incentive for people to continue mining is the pay. If the government could create opportunities for these people to make good wages at the same time as stopping the deforestation and hopefully taking steps to reverse the damage done, they would be closer to being sustainable.

 

If the people need money this badly, can the government incentivise protecting the areas instead? Can they create jobs to contribute to re-vitalizing the forest? Is there anything that can be done to remove mercury from the environment?