1. Title of my news report and article:
   1. “Dead whale washed up in Philippines had 40kg of plastic bags in its stomach”
      1. Found on The Guardian
      2. Written by Hannah Ellis-Petersen
   2. My citation for this new report: Ellis-Petersen, Hannah. “Dead Whale Washed up in Philippines Had 40kg of Plastic Bags in Its Stomach.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Mar. 2019, theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/18/dead-whale-washed-up-in-philippines-had-40kg-of-plastic-bags-in-its-stomach.
   3. Direct link to my article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/18/dead-whale-washed-up-in-philippines-had-40kg-of-plastic-bags-in-its-stomach
   4. The 5 W’s and how:
      1. What/who A dead beached juvenile male curvier beaked whale.
      2. Why:This whale died from gastric shock, caused by 88 pounds of plastic in its stomach.
      3. When: March 16^th2019
      4. Where: The Philippines
      5. How: A result of single use plastics ending up in our water ways and oceans.
   5. Impacts
      1. Environmentally: It displays how much damage humans have really caused to the planet and how we are effecting the other species on it. How we are ruining the homes of other species and killing them in their own habitats because of our neglect.
      2. Economically: This shows that we are so stuck on using these cheap plastics to fuel our economy that we can not make a change, because of the effects it could have on the wallets of the world.
      3. Socially: This socially shows us how neglectful and terrible we are as a human race. We are killing other creatures because of our want to have plastics. Which is a horrible way to live, we lived without them before people just do not care enough to switch back to non plastics.
   6. Relevance to our class:
      1. This is relevant to out class because, I have learned so many alternate methods to plastics. And though this class I believe I have gained the ability to help teach other how to move to a more sustainable life style, which also informing them of what their neglectful lifestyle is doing to our planet. And, lastly in this class we have talked a lot about environmental justice and how we can always band together and stand up and give the animals were killing a voice.
   7. Questions:
      1. How could we as a species see our plant getting this polluted and still not as a whole want to save it?
      2. How is other marine life fairing because of plastic pollution?

Citations:

Primary article used:

SCELP Cases: Folly Super Beach Front Lots – Avulsion. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://scelp.org/projects/view/130

Johnson, C. (2019, March 28). Folly Beach land swap raises concerns about city’s environmental lawsuit. Retrieved from https://www.postandcourier.com/news/folly-beach-land-swap-raises-concerns-about-city-s-environmental/article_26bb6234-50a1-11e9-a5da-db117ac95188.html

Additional article used:

https://www.change.org/p/stop-folly-beach-land-swap-and-risky-beachfront-development

_____

The questions: who/what/when/where/why/how

The South Carolina Environmental Law Project filed a lawsuit on February 12th against private landowners. They want to challenge the landowners who took artificial renourished  land and claimed it as there own. It is a big debate between whether are not this should be allowed, because the “South Carolina’s Public Trust Doctrine, the state owns all land below the average high-water mark and keeps this land in trust for the benefit of all the citizens of the state. When private property borders a shoreline, the boundary between public trust property and private property is not fixed.” (https://scelp.org/projects/view/130). Recent news reported that the City of Folly Beach wants to do a land swap with the private landowners.  This raised concerns to other residents on Folly Beach because they do not want another unsustainable home on Folly Beach.

Impact/Relevance to our class

If the land swap does not occur there is a likely hood that there could be another “super beach front” lot on Folly. These houses are built because people want to make a quick and easy profit with this land. Meaning that the houses that are being built are made quickly and without thinking of the long term effects. Folly Beach is already eroding quickly and with sea level rising it is only going to get worse. Folly Beach citizens began a petition to the land swap because it goes against what Folly Beach stands for and that is saving the sand-starved beach. This is relevant to our class in many different ways. it deals with sea level rising from the cause of climate change and pollution from the houses that can cause greater contamination to our oceans.

Why I chose this article

This article I chose, because I personally wanted to know what is going on in Charleston. I do not live on folly, but I does frequently visit it as do many residents and tourist. Folly Beach is a home that is eroding quickly and the community is trying everything to help slow it down.  In class we have talked about sea level rise due to climate change is already affecting coastal cities. Many people find it hard to believe that is already happening here locally. I wanted to raise awareness of how building these “super beach front” lots will only damage us in the long run. Putting more pollutions into our waterways and the possibility of the septic tank overflow that will contaminate the area locally. Although many people are not from Charleston, you, students still go to school here making this your second home. Signing the petition I showed in class will help stop this from happening in the future as well. I will also link it here below if you did not get a chance in class.

The petition website:

http://chng.it/NQHPSrk9Fn

Citations:

Primary article used:

Dutkiewicz, J. (2019, March 07). What the Green New Deal will mean for your hamburger | Jan Dutkiewicz. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/07/green-new-deal-clean-meat-hamburger

Additional article used:

Pierre-louis, K. (2019, March 08). No One Is Taking Your Hamburgers. But Would It Even Be a Good Idea? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/climate/hamburgers-cows-green-new-deal.html

———-

The questions: who/what/where/when/why/how?

Alexandra Ocasio Cortez (AOC) a democratic representative from NY proposed the Green New Deal in late 2018 in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The article mentions ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by finding alternatives to industrial agriculture; the alternative being “clean meat.” Clean meat is created using cellular agriculture technology, which produces meat that are genetically identical and taste the same as meats that come from animal stem cells grown in a lab.

Impact/Relevance

The topic that this article talks about involves the triple bottom line, which achieves sustainability in the economy, society, and environment. The most powerful environmental impact that the article mentions is that clean meat generates 96% less greenhouse gas emissions, uses 99% less land, and 96% less water. An interesting fact that I read, said that 14% of greenhouse gas emissions come from industrial agriculture, and 9 billion animals are slaughtered in the US every year. The social impact that relates to the topic are that the people who work in slaughterhouses could potentially lose their job, if clean meat technology becomes a thing. Another social impact is that people are feeling forced to change diets; people may feel this way, because they have lived off of the slaughtering of animals their whole lives, and are scared or close-minded to trying alternative meats. The economic impact from this proposition has already been mentioned above with the loss of jobs, but another economic impact is, the increased profit for plant-based companies for their alternative options. The main goal is to find a way to sustainably produce food that meets the food security of the nation.

Question posed

Being a public health major, I question the health impacts of alternative options. My question while reading the articles was, what are the possible health outcomes that are a result of the clean meat technology presented? According to the World Cancer Research Fund, limiting the consumption of red meats lowers the risk of cancer. At the same time, the article found that nutritional deficiencies would increase, specifically protein. Yes, there are alternative ways to get protein in one’s diet, like the consumption of lentils, quinoa, nuts, and dark greens to name a few, but studies have shown that even eating those foods, the body would still be in deficiency.

Why I chose this article?

I decided to choose this article to do my news report on, because I am interested in nutrition and the health outcomes that come from healthy eating. I found this topic interesting, because I decided to go vegan last year for about 6 months, and really learned a lot. Unfortunately, I stopped due to not having the time to meal plan. Although, I am no longer vegan, I try to eat only white meats and reduce my consumption of dark meats. I also try to reduce the amount of animal products I eat in general.

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/

What & Who?

• Fish populations are declining as oceans warm
• Food and income are now at risk for millions of people
  • 17% of the global population’s intake of animal protein (up to 70% for coastal and tropical regions)
  • Northeast region of the Atlantic Ocean and the Sea of Japan have been greatly impacted (up to 35% decline)
  • In East Asia, where communities are very dependent on seafood, ecosystems have had a paramount decline in fisheries productivity.
• Due to warming waters, fish are expanding their range in search of favored temperatures.
• If ocean temps reach too high, fish can be killed off along with their food sources.

When, Where, & How?

• Warming waters, resulting from climate change, have led to declines in fish populations.
• Climate change greatly impacts marine life
  • 93% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases is absorbed by the oceans
  • Free began this research while attending Rutgers University as a Ph.D. student.
  • 235 fish populations located in 38 ecological regions around the globe
  • Study separated other factors (overfishing) from the effects of warming waters
  • Research suggested that overfishing made fish more vulnerable to temp changes (hurt their ability to reproduce)
  • A measure developed by the UN was used to determine the amount of food that can be repeatedly harvested from a base population of fish
  • A quarter of the regions determined no significant changes in populations (northwest Atlantic)
  • Northeast Atlantic and Sea of Japan hit hardest (significant decline in sustainable catches)
  • “Overall, more populations of fish declined than increased over the eight decades in the study.”

Impact & Relevance to Society:

• Food source and income for millions is threatened
• Fish are a vital source of protein for many
• About 56 million are supported by marine fisheries
• “Having regulations that are adaptive to climate change is going to be really important for maximizing food potential.”

Relevance to Class:

• Discusses climate change and the impacts it can have on various species
• Many studies have focused on what will happen in the future as a result of climate change
  • This study reflects actual effects that are currently impacting the ecosystem

Questions this Article Raises:

• How could we potentially limit the warming?
  • Different study found that billions in extra revenue for fisheries could result from limiting warming to 2.7°F above preindustrial levels
    • Paris Climate Agreement goal
  • Would benefit people in developing countries where fish are a crucial protein source

Pierre-louis, Kendra. “The World Is Losing Fish to Eat as Oceans Warm, Study Finds.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Feb. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/climate/fish-climate-change.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront.

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

Article: “Microplastic Contamination Found in Common Source of Groundwater”

Source: Science Daily

Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190125112312.htm

Citations:

Banjot Kaur. “For the First Time, Study Confirms Presence of Microplastics in Indian Cosmetics.” Down To Earth, www.downtoearth.org.in/news/environment/for-the-first-time-study-confirms-presence-of-microplastics-in-indian-cosmetics-60365.

“Causes and Effects of Groundwater Contamination (ULTIMATE LIST).” ALL ABOUT WATER FILTERS, 6 Sept. 2018, all-about-water-filters.com/causes-effects-groundwater-contamination/.

Louise Prance-Miles. “Japan Passes Bill to Reduce Microplastics in Order to Combat Pollution.” Global Cosmetics News, 22 June 2018, globalcosmeticsnews.com/japan-passes-bill-to-reduce-microplastics-in-order-to-combat-pollution/.

Santa Rosa Water. “Groundwater.” 2018 Ballot Measures | Santa Rosa, CA, www.srcity.org/857/Groundwater.

Steinmetz, Katy. “Microbeads: States Set to Battle Over Face Wash.” Time, Time, 10 Dec. 2014, time.com/3628392/microbead-ban-states/.

Tomiwa Isiaka. “Microplastic Pollution Is All around Us.” SustyVibes, 1 May 2018, sustyvibes.com/microplastic-pollution-is-all-around-us/.

The Questions:

• What: Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic in the environment that are contaminating our water sources (both surface waters and groundwaters). Microplastics can be found as little beads in toothpaste, facewashes, etc. or can be broken down larger pieces of polluted plastic.
• Who: University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign conducted a study to see how much microplastic is in groundwater around metropolitan St. Louis and rural northwestern Illinois.
• Why: Wildlife is already being affected by microplastics due to them eating them and then either killing them, giving them health problems, or humans eating the wildlife and then we have the after effects of health problems because plastic is not meant to be in the human body. That was when we would eat wildlife but when it is directly in our water source it will cause more direct health problems.
• When: Study was posted on January 25^th, 2019 (does not mention when that actual study was conducted)
• Where: Globally people are affected by microplastics, but this study was done in Illinois (metropolitan St. Louis and rural northwestern Illinois)
• How:  Pollution of plastics or microplastics being found in cosmetics, toothpaste, or facewashes

Impact of the event:

We were already aware of the problems of microplastics in surface water and how it will affect wildlife and human health. It was through eating marine life that we would ingest plastic which could be very dangerous to human health let alone wildlife health. Now with this study it shows that humans could be directly drinking microplastics.

Relevance to society: 

Some people only have access to groundwater, and this could be a massive health issue if this is not fixed or there is not proper filtration of these microplastics. Although there is little research on microplastics and human health that does not mean that it is good for our health. It has been shown to migrate through intestinal walls and absorb toxic chemicals and release them in the digestive system.

Relevance to the course: 

This is clearly not a sustainable way to live due to the pollution of plastics. It affects the wildlife population, wildlife health, and human health. Clean drinking water is a essential this human life. Even if we stopped using plastic today, we would still have a long problem of pollution.

Any pertinent questions raised by the story: 

What is an alternative way to dispose of plastics and microplastics? How do we directly fix this? Where is it coming from most?

Article: “A toxic crisis in America’s coal country”

Source: BBC News

Citation:

Evans, G. (2019, February 11). A toxic crisis in America’s coal country. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47165522.

The Questions:

• What: A type of surface mining for coal known as mountaintop removal has polluted the water in the Appalachian Mountains, leading to symptoms like rashes, restrictive airway disease, dermatitis, and generic skin disease along with general inflammation and cancer.
• Who: CM Energy, owner of the surface mine in Wyoming County since 2017 (previously Dynamic Energy)
• Why: Mountaintop removal leads to excess waste material that state licensing does not regulate disposal of.
• When: First practiced in the 1970s, but practice continues today.
• Where: Multiple counties across the Appalachian Mountains.
• How: Companies dump overburden into valleys, covering streams. The water sources then have to travel through the waste, collecting acidic ions and metals.

Impact of the event:Residents are suffering health impacts listed above and many other effects. Taps, toilets, showers, appliances, and anything that comes into contact with the water are stained by the water. Drinking water isn’t safe, one man was told his clothes would be flammable in direct sunlight if washed in the water, and individual wells produce water that reeks of sulfur. The same man collects water from a local stream and treats it with swimming pool chemicals, which could lead to additional health impacts.

Relevance to society: People face health consequences, extreme costs for safe water, lengthy lawsuits, and poor living conditions. One man took out a loan against his property to drill a new well, not even knowing if it would result in clean water. A woman’s wedding ring corroded from the water. Neighbors have turned against each other due to differing opinions on litigation.

Relevance to the course: Water is an important provisioning service, necessary for human life and for the sustainability of the environment. Toxic chemicals are leeching into the water through mining waste, which in turn is spreading it into the ground, plants, and homes of residents. Dumping waste in this way is not sustainable, and allowing this dumping is polluting water that sustains life. The same life that supports the economy and is needed to do the jobs that sustain the way of life in the Appalachian Mountains.

Any pertinent questions raised by the story: What is an alternative way to dispose of the waste from mountaintop removal mining? What are less invasive methods that could be developed to mine for coal? Can the water be treated, or does it need to be disposed of entirely?

02/14/2019 EDIT: Union of Concerned Scientists & EPA article links if anyone would like to read more about this issue.

https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/coal-and-other-fossil-fuels/coal-water-pollution#.XGQ5vC3MzR0

https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?Lab=NERL&dirEntryId=238504

This issue still has not been picked up by major news agencies besides a WV state newspaper.