Monthly Archives: March 2019

Personal Change!

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I discovered recently that I have a sensitivity to the chemicals that are commonly used in hair and beauty products. However, the most prominent sensitivity I have is to sodium laureth sulfate (SLS). Because of these sensitivities, I had to change every product I had been using for years. This includes face wash, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, face lotion, body lotion, cosmetics, and any other product that would come in contact with my skin. As I looked into finding these new products, I realized that the search would be more difficult than I had previously hoped. I was looking for products that were SLS, paraben, and silicone free. Although I could find a product or a brand with the correct requirements, it would not work as well as the products I had used in the past, which was frustrating. I spent hours on the internet researching and eventually found a plethora of brands that met the requirements I needed. As I researched I also found out that all of these brands also had the intention of being Eco-friendly. At the time, this was just a bonus of finding a product I could use, but after looking into it more I realized the importance of organic and eco-friendly beauty products. I began to think about the amount of shampoos, cosmetics, etc. that I had used in the past and that altering my routine to only include eco-friendly products would help me to live more sustainably, and also help the environment.

Although I did have to go through a lengthy trial and error process, I ended up finding the Eco-friendly products that work best for me. For my shampoo and conditioner I use Maui moisture. The brand prides itself for being paraben, silicone, SLS, and synthetic dye free. The packaging is post consumer recycled and is also cruelty free. There are multiple kinds that work with every hair type and all of the products smell amazing. I use a body wash from the brand Love Beauty and Planet and most of their bottles are made with 100% recycled content. This brand has the ultimate goal of reducing their carbon footprint, while also creating amazing products. This company is Eco-conscious and give 40$ per carbon ton to a carbon tax fund that works to reduce carbon emissions and land waste. I think this is incredible, especially considering the results from the carbon footprint quiz. My face wash and lotion come from Osmia Organics and the brand does not use parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, or synthetic colors in their products. As for cosmetics, most of my products are from Juice Beauty, W3ll People, or RMS beauty. Not only is Juice Beauty organic, vegan, and cruelty-free, but the company also utilizes solar and wind power, while also using recycled ingredients for packaging their products. W3ll People and RMS beauty both do not use harmful ingredients and aim to include mostly organic ingredients.

Yes, these brands do tend to be more expensive and do not work in the same manner as my products did in the past; however, they do the job and help the planet. I strongly encourage putting some time into researching these brands, and others like them, and switching to more sustainable beauty products. It feels great knowing the ingredients in the products I use are well thought out, safe for my skin, and better for the planet, especially with the knowledge I now have from this course.

Personal Change

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In my own day-to-day life, I would consider my lifestyle to be relatively sustainable. Recently, however, in ENVT 200, we conducted a survey throughout the class to see how many Earths would be necessary to sustain all life if everyone made the same choices I did. Needless to say, I was blown away by the result, finding that over THREE Earths would be needed for everyone to live the way I do. As a college student, I am limited in the amount of things I can change about my personal routine if I want to lessen my eco-footprint; however, that does not mean that change is not possible. I tried a few things out for a while like emphasizing recycling between me and my roommates, constantly drinking out of a reusable bottle, etc. But, nothing made me feel like I was getting change that meant something, and could improve my own life aside from making me feel a little less guilty about using so many resources. Then, I thought about my utilities. Many people do not realize how lessening the amount of utilities they use can actually help; on top of it, so much money is saved and the changes one makes are not too noticeable. For a month, I actively shut lights off around the house when unnecessary, I shut the air off in the house when no one was home, and I was more conscious about my showers. These changes sound like things that should be a given, but if they are not actively being thought of, then they fall by the wayside. After a month, my utilities were almost cut in half, and I could have been saving all of this money/using so much less energy if I was more aware. I brought this to attention of my fraternity and my friends, and they have been reporting back similar results. I think that people are not aware of how easy and effective it is to save money and use less, but once it is thought of in a tangible and rewarding way, like saving money, more people get on board!

Maybe people my age are forgetful, but I think that the reason my peers seem to be unaware of the simplicity in helping the planet is the idea that, “an individual is ineffective in saving the planet.” The line of thinking is shared by many people, and it could not be further from the truth. I have a tangible experience in my life that puts me at ease when thinking about my eco-footprint on this planet, and I saved money/improved my life in the process. All that was necessary was to wear a couple extra layers when living in the house during the day time, and taking a little extra time to make sure the lights/water is not being wasted. I think when people hear about what a difference that experience made for me, it makes them want to have similar change in their lives.

 

Only the courts, or you, can stop South Carolina offshore drilling

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Title of Article:

Hicks Column: Only the courts, or you, can stop South Carolina offshore drilling.

Author: Brian Hicks

Source: The Post and Courier

Citation for Article:

Hicks, Brian. “Hicks Column: Only the courts, or you, can stop South Carolina offshore

drilling.” The Post and Courier, 13 March 2019, https://www.postandcourier.com/ columnists/hicks-column-only-the-courts-or-you-can-stop-south/article_4007a40a-440d-11e9-992e-33f21c7f59b3.html. Accessed 25 March 2019.

Link to Article:

https://www.postandcourier.com/columnists/hicks-column-only-the-courts-or-you-can-stop-south/article_4007a40a-440d-11e9-992e-33f21c7f59b3.html

Main Ideas:

  • What?
    • The article is about Joe Cunningham attempting to communicate the harm of seismic testing by blasting an air horn in a subcommittee hearing. Seismic testing is used by fossil fuel companies to map the oil and gas reserves under the ocean floor with loud airgun blasts underwater.
  • Who?
    • In a House subcommittee hearing, Joe Cunningham blasted an air horn during testimony from a Trump administration official. This official, Chris Oliver, had previously suggested seismic testing would not harm marine life. Cunningham then asked Oliver, “how much louder do you think seismic testing would be?”, in which Oliver was reluctant to respond to. Cunningham then said, “What if I told you it would be 16,000 times louder than what you just heard here?”
  • Why?
    • Currently, five companies are awaiting permits to begins seismic testing along the Eastern seaboard. Joe Cunningham blasted the air horn to demonstrate how loud and disruptive offshore seismic testing would be.
  • When?
    • In January, The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced that their workers were on call to process permit applications regarding geological testing for offshore oil and natural gas, in which did not respond well to.
  • Where?
    • The seismic testing would occur offshore along the Eastern Coast.
  • How?
    • Seismic testing involves a vessel towing an array of airguns that blast loud pulses of compressed air into the water that reach deep into the seabed. These loud airgun blasts are used to map oil and gas reserves underwater, as well as deposits below seabeds.
  • Impact:
    • Seismic airgun blasting damages the hearing of marine life that rely on sound to communicate, such as whales and dolphins. It affects whales’ ability to eat, communicate, and reproduce. Each blast can be heard for miles and occurs every few seconds throughout the day. Additionally, North Atlantic right whales could also become extinct due to the damaging effects the blasts have.
  • Relevance to society:
    • This article is relevant to society, because offshore seismic testing would be disruptive to Charleston, as demonstrated by Joe Cunningham blasting the air horn. The testing would also negatively impact fisheries, decreasing the amount of jobs available.
  • Relevance to course:
    • This article is relevant to the course due to the adverse effects that seismic testing has on the environment and on society. Scientists say seismic airgun testing will damage our fishing industry by reducing the catch rates of commercial fish. In addition, seismic testing could potentially drive right whales to extinction. North Atlantic right whales are already endangered and seismic testing would be harmful to the few remaining whales of the species.

As More Rain Falls, Greenland Is Melting Faster-

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Alie Toppa

News Report take away

Title: As More Rain Falls, Greenland Is Melting Faster

Author: Chelsea Harvey

Source: Scientific American

Who: This problems of ice sheets melting in Greenland does not only affect those who live there and wildlife that inhabits that region, but the world as a whole as it contributes to the global sea level rise and warms our oceans.

Where: Greenland

Why: Due to an increase in atmospheric temperatures, more cyclones are occurring and as a result, dumping warmer precipitation as rain rather than snow to these arctic regions. This results in slush which is melting glaciers and having massive impacts on our environment.

What: This article is published about two new studies coming out on contributors to the polar ice caps in Greenland melting.

How: Similar to why, this is a direct result of climate change. An increase and rainfall and the position of the snowline moving to be exposed omre to sunlight is causing glaciers to melt quicker than ever before.

When: Since especially the industrial revolution, our planet has been warming ever so slowly. It has not been up until the last couple of years that we have really notices these negative side effects to all of our humanitarian accomplishments. The atmosphere has been experiencing a rise in temperature for a long time now but if we do not make major changes we will only see these problems become worse. This article on these two new studies was published on March 8, 2019. Although it has not even been a month since this was released, it is no secret to us about the dangers our glaciers are in.

Relevance to Society: Most people might not think this issue impacts them but our glaciers are way more important than people see them to be. Without them, our oceans will become way warmer causing all sorts of issues pertaining to climate change as the ocean regulates all sorts of ecosystems. Also, as mentioned before, glacier melting is a huge contributor to global seal level rise which is becoming a large concern for many coastal areas.  

Relevance to the course: I found this news to be relevant to our course in multiple ways. To start, it is a large environmental concern that has much impact on the success of our planet’s future. Ice cap melting is a result of us humans heating up our planet from all that we do. So as we had the power to create this issue, it is likes to be believed that we can also undo it. If we want to see change in the future than we must act now and turn our words into actions to reverse climate change. Sustainable practices and reducing our individual carbon footprint are ways in which we can do our part to help solve this massive issue of our glaciers from melting.

 

Works Cited:

Harvey, C. (2019, March 08). As More Rain Falls, Greenland Is Melting Faster. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/as-more-rain-falls-greenland-is-melting-faster/

 

South Eastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE)

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Going to SEWE for the first time was amazing. The South Eastern Wildlife Exposition is an event held in Marion Square that highlights nature and different aspects of wildlife in a bunch of ways. They present art , provide education on preserving wildlife, and food and drinks which is always a plus. I love how they have dedicated an entire event to preserving wildlife and educating other people n how important it is to preserve it. I also did not expect this Expo to have such an impact on people but there was a ton of people there which was nice to see. Two of my favorite exhibitions was the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network and the Defenders of Wildlife.

The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network is an organization that takes pride in protecting Charleston’s local marine life. They do research and educate local businesses and other organizations, along with children, on trying to preserve the marine wildlife by practicing ethical behaviors to reduce the risk of harming these creatures. I love how they focus on all local wildlife but mainly dolphins. I did not know that there were dolphins in the Charleston area nor did I know they were at risk. I think it’s very necessary for them to not only reach out to older people and those who actually understand the impact they are having on marine life but also to children so they can eventually start becoming conscious of their actions that could possibly be effecting marine life as well.

The defenders of Wildlife was another favorite. They focused on a bunch of different interests in regards to protecting wildlife. They are active in areas of protecting and preserving species to combating climate change. They invite others to make a change physically or you can donate. They also provide ways you can take matters into your own hands and write to people higher up in positions like congress members. This organization is spread across the United States which means they have a great understanding of how drastic and harmful these changes have been to wildlife across the country. I really like that they give you the option to become a defender but they give you other options as well to help out such as adopting animals, writing to congress, or just donating. I think that is very important because it is more inclusive for those that want to help out but can’t physically be places due to other things. I also love that they focus on other important matters that indirectly effect wildlife such as climate change.

Overall, I really enjoyed this expo and cant wait to go again!

Painting “The Inevitable”

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“The Inevitable” inspired by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”

During the spring break, I decided to create an artwork related to environmental studies. After looking through multiple pinterest pages, I was inspired to recreate Edvard Munch’s famous artwork, The Scream (1893). The original painting is an autobiographical depiction of the artists’ life and his anxiety (Shabi). In relation, I used this same concept of artist anxiety on my recreation of The Scream. The central figure has anxiety over the background, which I created to be disastrous and representative of mass pollution and destruction of natural resources. I call this painting The Inevitable. The three gray stacks are a nuclear power plant that produces significant amounts of air pollution as seen with the use of orange and gray colors. The toxic spills into rivers commonly associated with power plants are portrayed in this painting as well. I used orange, red, and brown colors for the toxicity of the river and the short, impressionist strokes creates the flowing motion of the river. Moreover, the waters outside of the toxic rivers are blue mixed with a hint of orange because it is representative of the original body of water where it is not yet majorly polluted but contains some pollution from the toxic spills. The top left body of water is also close to the forest as shown by the green and black mass of trees. I placed the forests beside the nuclear power plant to emphasize the impacts of air and water pollution on natural environments. The air on this side of the painting is decent and blue, however, the orange polluted air can mix with the good fresh air, thus creating negative impacts on nature. Without the released fresh oxygen from forests, there would be less clean air for organisms to breathe. Thus, I titled this painting The Inevitable because it is representative of the inevitable destruction of all natural environments if humans keep using unsustainable practices such as nuclear power or fossil-fueled power. The main person in the painting is a human who has just realized how damaging his/her species are to the environment and experiences stress as a result of this epiphany. Though it may be obvious that human induced change can be seen in our world today, some people do not realize it until they have seen the consequences for themselves just as the central figure here has just realized it. Hopefully, this painting will make others also realize how humans have significantly affected the earth and pose a threat to the natural world. The Anthropocene Era or the time where humans have significantly altered the earth causing global changes leads to the inevitable destruction of all natural resources. Currently, the average human in the US creates an ecological footprint that totals five earths, however, the only earth we have is the one we’re standing on. If we all require five earths to sustain ourselves, can we all survive equally and properly? The answer is no, but if all of us attempt to minimize our daily consumption and help enact policy changes to a more sustainable earth, then we may all be able to sustain the human population and other organisms on earth as well. “The Inevitable” can be stopped or at least slowed down if we all work together to minimize our catastrophic impacts on the environment.

Citations:

Shabi, K. “Meaning of The Scream (1893) Painting by Edvard Munch: Art Analysis.” LEGOMENON, 12 June 2013, legomenon.com/meaning-of-the-scream-1893-painting-by-edvard-munch.html.

Going Vegan!

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            Ever since we did the Ecological Footprint activity, I have been considering going vegan. Personally, the activity calculated that I would need 1.4 earths to sustain how I was living when I did it. By simply going vegan, that would reduce to 1.2 earths. I don’t eat much meat to begin with, but I thought dairy products would be harder to give up. Except for yogurt though, dairy isn’t a staple in my groceries for the week. 

            I began about two weeks ago by swapping my whole milk skyr for coconut milk yogurt. I never bought milk before, but I bought soymilk for my coffee so I could “add” something to my diet while “removing” dairy. The first week wasn’t bad at all, but I realized I consume a lot of dairy without realizing it. Chocolate, cookies, and even some frozen meals I had contained it. It was a bit harder to read labels and look for dairy, but I’ve been getting my junk food fix from Oreos!

            After the first week, I noticed that my skin was clearing up (I’ve been having problems with hormonal acne recently). That was definitely an unintended benefit. At the end of the second week, I realized I had lost weight; my mother noticed as well. This was also unintentional, but could also have resulted from exercising more. This was unintentional as well, though I would consider it a benefit. It did, however, make me realize I need to ensure I’m getting enough protein.

            Overall, I think this is a dietary change I will stick with. Eventually, it will probably become like meat for me and I won’t even want dairy products. The challenge will come before that, though, in situations where I’m eating out with friends. A lot of restaurants don’t have vegetarian friendly options, let alone vegan options. It will be hard, but definitely not impossible, as “healthy” eating is becoming more trendy. Even if I do slip up or choose to eat dairy occasionally, I don’t think it will negatively impact me. It is a change that I’m willing to work towards.

             Even a small change can impact our consumption and overuse of the earth. If people who consume more meat and dairy than I did to begin with, veganism could be an even more impactful change. The Ecological Footprint activity clearly showed how much of an effect decreasing our consumption of animals and animal products can have. However, it could also yield benefits like clear skin and weight loss for others as well. Plant-based diets are innately more sustainable than animal-based diets. 

            To anyone considering making this change, I highly recommend it! I welcome any questions or concerns. My best advice would be to start by incorporating vegan protein sources before dropping meat. The same goes for dairy products, if cheese, milk, or eggs is something you will miss. There are tons and tons of delicious and affordable options out there, and just as many resources for recipe or lifestyle inspiration!

            I don’t really have any pictures to share, but picture lots and lots of produce! Eat the rainbow!

CofC Day of Service

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On Saturday, February 23rd, I volunteered with the College of Charleston’s Second Annual Day of Service sponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement and the Sustainability Literacy Institute (SLI). The day of service focused on the 2018-2019 QEP focus, “Social Justice and Fair Distribution”, and placed volunteers with various organizations in the Charleston area.

The day started off with a workshop on sustainability and social justice. In the workshop, staff from the SLI educated volunteers on the triple bottom line and urged us to look for connections to the three pillars throughout our volunteer experience. I chose to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity’s Charleston chapter. I and the other volunteers worked on constructing the wall frames for what will someday be a lower-income family’s home.

Habitat for Humanity’s mission hits all three aspects of the triple bottom line. When building homes, Habitat uses repurposed materials to save costs as well as reducing waste. Habitat for Humanity also operates thrift stores called ReStores which are a point of intervention in the linear economy, they are donation-based and staffed by volunteers. These stores sell scrap building materials, furniture, etc that can all be repurposed or reused by buyers. Restores are also a means for potential Habitat homeowners to earn the “sweat equity” needed to pay off their homes.

Sweat equity is a concept that ensures homeowners invest back into their community through service at the ReStore or by helping to build others’ homes. I found this concept very interesting, especially with the theme of fair distribution. Volunteers with Habitat are able to donate their hours to pay for the sweat equity of homeowners who may have other obligations such as working multiple jobs or caring for their families. I would like to see what could happen  with the concept of sweat equity in other areas such as schoolwork. While I know that students can’t do work for each other, there are opportunities that some students miss out on due to work or other excluding factors. It would be interesting to see if there was a way to donate opportunities or time to others who weren’t able to gain the same experiences.

The Future of Meat

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Hi everyone,

We briefly talked about meat substitutes in class after the third Newsroom report yesterday and Prof. Saunders mentioned a podcast for us to listen to. I wanted to share one I listen to that happens to have an episode on “The Future of Meat”! It makes economics, business, and lots of other topics more accessible and interesting to those of us who aren’t business majors!

The link to the meat episode, in which both an agricultural economics professor and the CEO of Impossible Foods (a major meat substitute manufacturer) are interviewed, is:

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/meat/

The podcast itself is called Freakonomics, and it is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and pretty much anywhere you can listen to podcasts!

Ecosystem Chaos: News Article

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CNN article: Toxic delicacy of shark fin causes ecosystem chaos, and consumers are pushing back
• What: Shark species are becoming endangered and possible going extinct
• Who: The Chinese culture are buying shark fins as delicacies
• Why: the shark fin soup trade is a major thing in Hong Kong which is why tons of shark fins are being illegally caught and sold on the market
• When: between 2014 and July of 2018 5 metric tons of shark fins were caught and sold
• Where: Hong Kong
• How: because the shark fins are being cut off, sharks are becoming immobilized and consequently dying of starvation and suffocation or being eaten alive
• Impact of the event or finding / Relevance to society: those eating these shark fins are risking being poisoned because shark fins have tested positive for unsafe amounts of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury including methylmercury Ten different species of sharks were found to contain cyanobacterial toxin which is linked to neurodegenerative diseases
• Relevance to the course: The drastic decrease in the shark populations contribute to an unsustainable underwater ecosystem. Because sharks are at the top of the food pyramid, they are vital in keeping the ecosystem balanced. Because they are gradually declining, the prey species are increasing and wiping out other species.
• Any pertinent questions raised by the story: why hasn’t the consumption of shark been made illegal once they were aware of the consequences?

Source: Liu, Marian. “Toxic Delicacy of Shark Fin Causes Ecosystem Chaos, and Consumers Are Pushing Back.” CNN, Cable News Network, 5 Feb. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/02/04/health/shark-fin-chinese-new-year-hong-kong-intl/index.html.