Category Archives: News

News Report Assignment

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Unfortunately, I was sick the day I was supposed to present my news report. However, you can view the slide below.

Slideshow Presentation

Basically, this article is about the presence of volatile organic compounds in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is no secret that aerosols and adhesives are harmful to the Earth. That has been known for years. However, recent studies show that they are just as harmful to the Earth as gasoline emissions from our cars are. Unlike gas that is stored in gas tanks and burned over a period of time, hairsprays and other aerosols are sprayed directly into the air. Even more alarming, of all of the raw oil used, only 5% of that goes towards making aerosols, but it is responsible for 25% of air pollution produced by Volatile Organic Compounds. Compare this to the 95% of oils used towards fueling vehicles (which makes up 75% of air pollution from VOCs). This article suggests that we have grossly underestimated the effects of non-vehicle volatile organic compounds.

In addition to the obvious consequences of air pollution, these can also have negative health consequences. Exposure to VOCs can lead to asthma attacks. Additionally, exposure to air pollution is considered the 5th highest risk to human health. This number goes up even more in urban environments.

This combines a lot of what we have learned in class so far. Obviously, it is a form of air pollution. It also is a big part of our ecological footprints. Perhaps in addition to the questions about the foods we consume and the houses we live in, the ecological footprint calculator should also ask us about the deodorant, pesticides, hairsprays, and adhesives we use, since they can all be just as harmful to the environment. Another issue that the author brings up is how to regulate these products. Some people use several of these items that create volatile organic compounds daily, while others cannot stand to be around them. How do we go about determining how much or how little of these products can be used when it does not apply equally to everyone? This also has to do with consumption. How much of these products are produced and sold in mass quantities because of our culture of consumerism?

This article was published by BBC News. This is a reputable British news source. They are very open about their company. On their website, you can find the history of BBC, what they do, their annual reports, and a breakdown of where their funding comes from. Also, they provided information about the original source at the end of the article, which allowed me to easily find the publication in Nature.

 

If you are interested in reading it for yourself you can find the news report here:

 

If you are really interested in this topic, New York Times also reported on it. Read that here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/climate/perfume-pollution-smog.html

 

 

 

 

No Children Because of Climate Change? Some People Are Considering It.

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The news report I presented in class called “No Children Because of Climate Change? Some People Are Considering It” by Maggie Astor summarized different thoughts on people having children in the age of the Anthropocene. It included thoughts from Mormons (who are at odds to reproduce with their religious traditions), a woman from Ohio (who after an unplanned pregnancy decided to have a second child so her first child would not be alone while climate change takes place), and a couple who plan to adopt instead of have children. One bias to point out is that the New York Times only used one study and did not offer any others to compare to.  The articles audience was anyone and everyone who is concerned with having children in the 21st century. What it did was detail that reproduction rates have slowed due to awareness about the effect overpopulation has on climate change. The article was presented and pertaining to our current time that affects all people from all around the globe since climate change is a systemic issue. It important everyone reads and becomes increasingly aware the footprint humans leave and how it creates global planetary changes. Slowed reproduction is happening because people are becoming increasingly self-aware of their decisions, especially those who have seen climate change happen in their lifetime. The impact of this finding shows that people are concerned with how population growth is contributing to degradation of the climate, land, sea, and resources. It is relevant to society because will require planning of labor force and this will raise questions about how we should be dealing with climate change (especially among younger generations). This article shares a close relation with environmental and sustainable studies, especially since the study in the article was conducted by Conceivable Future (a nonprofit founded on the Notion that “the climate crisis is a reproductive crisis) who also was the study cited in the NPR article we read for class. This topic is undoubtedly interwoven into the idea that religion, philosophy and science play an integral part in our world view. This article is also closely related with our discussions on our ecological footprint since it details our awareness of our impact as well as the discussions of the Anthropocene. In class, Professor Beckingham used an image that I’ve linked below which shows the lessened impact of carbon emissions if one less child Is born. Overall this article was further informative about overpopulation and is a great resource if students want to educate themselves further on this topic and the opinions that are held by those who are of child-rearing age. Some questions I wanted to propose for discussion was How much of slowed reproduction is due to awareness of overpopulation? And, Is it possible to keep having children at a sustained rate and instead alleviate other issues that contribute to global planetary change? Once we better understand humans and their worldview, we can further understand how these worldview influence decisions and in turn, the impacts.

 

 

Astor, M. (2018, February 5) No Children Because of Climate Change? Some People Are Considering It. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/05/climate/climate-change-children.html

The future of energy is sustainable: Artificial Synthesis is real

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Solar energy is using the sun as a source of power, which is retained through photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies (energy.gov). PV technology is the use of solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity, and CPS is using mirrors to convert sunlight into heat. Solar energy is a very important form of energy because it is a resource that we do not need to harvest by exploiting the earth. The sun is a giant ball of energy just waiting for us to absorb the rays it shines down on the planet. Based on a report from the International Energy Agency, solar energy technology is rising in popularity, increasing by 50% in 2016, with mostly China and secondly the US leading the charge in the expansion (USA today). The growing mode of solar technology is the use of PV technology / solar panels, because of mass installation in China and support from the Chinese government. With the rising popularity of solar technology, it is only natural that the next step in pursuing sustainable forms of energy would be to develop artificial photosynthesis.

What is artificial photosynthesis? It is a way of storing the energy that it collected from solar technology. Right now, we can use solar panels to power our stuff, but it really is only useful during sunny seasons. If there was a way to store the energy collected for use during the winter/darker seasons, people could be using sustainable energy all year long. That is the goal of creating artificial photosynthesis. With the creation of artificial photosynthesis, scientists hope to “store solar energy in a way that can be used later on.” (ZME Science). In order to actually start the process of creating artificial photosynthesis, there needs to be a catalyst for the chemical reaction of converting sunlight into energy. Plants use photosynthesis to make sugar from the carbon dioxide in the air, and the process is jump-started by a catalyst. The catalysts science has available to it are usually one-atom catalysts, and there is an exploration into the production of a 2-atom catalyst. Boston College Associate Professor of Chemistry Dunwei Wang is heading up experimentation into a 2-atom catalyst and was able to produce one that is durable and great for water oxidation (ZME Science). The catalyst created is made of iridium, which is a factor into the 2-atom catalysts strength. Having a durable catalyst could be the first major step towards a future where the sun powers the planet, rather than the precious resources we have almost drained completely from the earth. Professor Wang explains that artificial photosynthesis stores energy by directly harvesting solar energy and storing the energy in chemical bonds, similar to how photosynthesis is performed but with higher efficiencies and lower cost.” (IFL Science). Further study is still needed before artificial photosynthesis can begin production and get into the hands of the people, but there are high hopes because technology like this would be so beneficial to humanity and would help the world move towards a future with less negative environmental impact, and reduce our carbon footprint, especially since the artificial photosynthesis is literally taking in carbon dioxide and turning into energy.

Works Cited

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/solar-energy-technology-basics

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/10/04/solar-energy-fastest-growing-source-power/730594001/

https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/solar-energy-photosynthesis-catalyst-06032018/

http://www.iflscience.com/technology/new-dualatom-catalyst-provides-important-step-towards-creating-clean-energy-through-artificial-photosynthesis/

Got Mercury?

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https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/02/melting-arctic-permafrost-toxic-mercury-environment/

Researchers have discovered that the permafrost in the Northern Hemisphere (specifically in Alaska) stores massive amounts of natural mercury. This permafrost is melting as a result of rising air temperatures due to climate change. The high temps are continuing to rise as more pollution from human activity is released into the air, and the ice continues to thaw.

This is a big problem. Not only is Global Warming an issue in itself but, studies have found that the soil in these areas hold nearly twice as much the amount of mercury than in all other soils, the ocean, and atmosphere combined. When it thaws, this massive amount of mercury will be released. The mercury bound up here may be 10 times greater than all the mercury humans have put into the atmosphere from pollution of the last 30 years. (National Geographic) As this happens far more of the pollutant will be allowed to build up in the atmosphere.

This is a serious problem because mercury is a toxic heavy metal that is very dangerous to the health of humans. Not only can it poison us, but it can build up in the water and affect the fish and other animals in the environment causing serious health issues. Mercury can have harmful neurological and reproductive effects on animals, leading to a shift in the health of the environment and our eating habits. As the mercury collects in the water, it will lead to the terrestrial food chain being affected and will eventually work its way up the food chain. Humans are at the top of this food chain. This will affect our health and ecosystems worldwide. The effects of this mercury take over will spread, for the mercury being released into the atmosphere will be spread globally.

Even though this is a scary outcome of the Earth’s rising temperatures, they are looking into a solution; or at least a temporary hold on this outbreak.

In certain regions they are researching putting certain animals back in these areas to walk over the fluffy snow. These climate adapted horses, ox, and bison will push down the fluffier snow to compact it down thinning it and making it dense. This lowers the permafrost temperature and allows a deeper freezing which will lower the temp and hold off on melting. They say that the fluffy snow act as an insulator to the ground and keeps it from getting cold.

This is just another example of an issue that is a result of Climate change that is a result of humans abusing the earth and being careless of the toxins they release. Hopefully we can be to restore the damage we have created before the irreversible results like mercury poisoning begin.

This article was a great source, I feel like it was intended to inform the public of the things that are happening around us as a result of our actions. However, biases could be involved by making people feel as though things are worse (or better) than they are in order to put certain ideas in to the public’s mind. Regardless, it is a good article that explains a recent event like so many others, that we need to be aware of to keep our actions and planet in check.

Rising Temperatures in Australia

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BBC recently posted an article about the rising temperatures in Australia. Their intended audience being the general public, in order to raise awareness and seek a solution. I don’t think there is any bias in this article as it is solely factual and posted by a credited news source. In the last five years, Australia has broken the record for its incredibly high temperatures. Temperatures have been in the high 30’s and 40’s, which is equivalent to upper 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit. In outer suburban Sydney, the heat hits 43.3C (117F) before a cool change knocked it down to 43.6C.

More than 40% of the most populous state, New South Wales, recorded at least 50 days hotter than 35 degrees Celsius. It is causing many changes in the environment, effecting people of Australia, wildlife, agriculture, etc. Bushfires, destroying peoples homes and land, have started earlier than usual due to this heat. A section of a highway connecting Sydney and Melbourne started to melt last week. Bats are falling dead from trees struck down by the heat. The coral Reefs are being bleached as well, and they may not be able to recover if things don’t change. Some potential causes of these high temperatures are global warming, overpopulation, and lack of policies. Over-population is a condition in which population of organisms exceed the carrying capacity of its environment. So maybe there is a connection in regards of the most populated city having the highest temperatures. Everything that we experience today is happening in a world that is about one degree warmer than the long term mean. While it is normally what is record-breaking that makes the news, it is the chain of hot days that cause the major problems for not only humans but wildlife as well. A lack of policy may also contribute to the rising temperatures. The government recently repealed carbon pricing laws which required big businesses to pay for its pollution. Since this repeal, Australia’s industrial emissions have been on an upward curve. This environmental issue correlates with our class by bringing up issues of our carbon footprint, the carrying capacity debate, and environmental sustainability. One potential solution is to reinstate the Carbon Pricing Laws.

Increased Coverage of Beech Trees in the Northeastern U.S. – AP

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Photo of an American Beech Tree

Summary of the Article

On February 25th, 2018, The Associated Press (AP) published an article about the increased coverage of American Beech trees seen in the Northeastern United States after researchers from the University of Maine and Purdue University released a report on their findings earlier in the year. Using data from the U.S Forest Services from 1983 to 2014, researchers were able to determine that the Hardwood Forests (also known as Beech-Birch-Maple Forests) of the Northeastern United States has seen a distinct increase in the coverage of beech trees in recent years while the presence of maple trees and birch trees have decreased during the same period. The researchers warn that the effects of climate change are likely the main driver of the latest rise in beech trees. They also warn that logging and timberland industries could be significantly impacted in the future as these industries rely heavily on the maple trees that grow in this ecosystem. However, other researchers say that the exact future impacts of climate change on the Northeastern Hardwood Forests are unknown.

 

A Changing Climate

One of the states that has seen an increase of beech trees is Vermont. In 2014, the Vermont Climate Assessment published a 219 page report on how weather patterns have and continue to change drastically over the last sixty years and that climate change will continue to have both positive and negative impacts on the State of Vermont’s economy and ecology in the future. The report, conducted and composed by a team of researchers at the University of Vermont, uses data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources, climate experts, and other agencies to analyze how Vermont’s climate has and continues to change and develop scientific understanding to determine probable future outcomes based on available data. This report is similar to reports released by United States government agencies on a national scale, but with the intent to better communicate with the businesses and people of Vermont on how climate change could alter their economical future. While this report pertains to the state of Vermont, data on the report is still relevant to other states in the Northeast region as well since nearby states like New York, New Hampshire, and Maine have seen similar changes to their climate and even their hardwood forests.

 

Using a number of sites located throughout the state of Vermont, researchers find that the average annual temperature has increased 1.3°F since 1960 in Vermont.

Data complied onto the Vermont Climate Assessment shows a linear increase in the average annual temperature in the state of Vermont since 1960. Since 1960, the average annual temperature has increased 1.3­­°F statewide. While a degree increase in temperature may not sound like that much of a change, this increase in temperature can be enough to surpass the threshold of certain species within ecosystems and completely alter them. This could be one reason why there has been an increase in beech trees in recent years while maple and birch trees have decreased. The Vermont Climate Assessment also warns that further temperature increases could alter the forestry landscape of Vermont even more as trees suitable for warmer climates could move into the region and even replace trees currently in place. With that said, the trees that currently making up the Vermont landscape could dwindle as the climate becomes more unsuitable since different trees require different suitable conditions, and cannot adept to changes in climate.

 

Researchers of the Vermont Climate Assessment also used sites throughout the state to calculate that the average annual precipitation has increased 5.9″ since 1960 in Vermont. This graph shows that number of days per year with >1″ of rain has increased in recent years as well.

 

Data complied onto the Vermont Climate Assessment shows that while temperatures have risen linearly since 1960, precipitation rates have increased nearly exponentially in recent years. One explanation for this is since warmer air has a higher saturation mixing ratio, it is able to hold more water content therefore allowing more rain to fall over any given place. This effect is also likely elevated in mountainous regions due to orographic effects, where the increase in the coverage of beech trees can be most observed. With that said, if temperatures continue to warm, the average amount of precipitation Vermont sees in any given year will likely increase as well. Just like temperature, most of the precipitation increase has occurred within the last twenty years. Excessive rainfall can be beneficial to some species of trees while unfavorable to others.

 

Conclusion

With a changing climate, we should be prepared to experience changes to the environment as well. Unfortunately, there is a lot of uncertainty with what exactly to expect as we can see with the hardwood forests of the Northeastern United States. This should be worrisome to us since ecologists and environmentalists are unsure of what the future has in store for many ecosystems around the world but somehow we need to prepare for the change. More extreme scenarios of climate change would completely replace the hardwood forests in Vermont with trees more suitable in southern climates by the end of the century, likely completely transforming or pushing out economic industries (i.e. logging and timberland) that currently makeup a sizable portion of Vermont’s economy. Regardless of whether that happens or not, change is inevitable, and whatever happens industries and people will have to adapt to these changes over time.

 

The discussed article can be viewed here: https://apnews.com/8390a9d1225d4717aaea7e55c9e264f6

The Vermont Climate Assessment can be viewed here: vtclimate.org

Freshwater Phosphorous Overload

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For my news report project I found an article from Science News on extreme levels of phosphorous finding its way into freshwater bodies throughout the entire planet. Phosphorous is a natural occurring element on the earth but with humans high impact we are spreading more than healthy amounts into multiple ecosystems. Humans use this element in factories, fertilizer, and other agricultural reasons. After we use the resource it does not just disappear or become eliminated. After use it typically becomes runoff and flows into grasslands or bodies of water. This element increases growth rates of many plants and specifically algae and acts like a fertilizer. With increased rates of algae growth it disturbs the equilibrium of the ecosystem and in turn greatly affects the well being of the other species in the ecosystem. Ecosystems are complex systems that have deeply interconnected components. If these components are disturbed or manipulated then a shift in the entire system can occur.

This article actually just touches upon the deep seeded affects that algal blooms have and just spoke of the depletion of drinking water for humans and any other organism trying to consume this fresh water. The fact that these blooms have made the water toxic to drink is the main downside that actually has a negative affect on humans and has caused a major environmental problem. I feel this article could have gone much more in depth with this great problem, for they barely scrapped the surface of the whole problem. This problem is directly caused by humans yet most of society does not feel responsible or know it has even been occurring.

Phosphorous levels have become toxic to certain ecosystems and are even creating “dead zones”, not only affecting the safety of drinking water but other lives also. A dead zone is when there are so many algal blooms occurring the algae consumes all of the resources in the environment, for example: depletion of all oxygen in the water, blocking of sunlight from hitting the waterbed, creates a new toxic element that makes an area inhabitable, raises total suspended solids in the water. This event can happen quite quickly also. Algae is a quick growing organism, filling the bodies of water and destroying large areas that thousands of organisms would have inhabited and killing those organisms that were living there.

I was drawn to this article because I actually have a background knowledge of this specific topic. Last year I took a Biology lab class that based all of its research off of one river that was polluted and had algal blooms occurring. We had to do multiple experiment on different aspects of the river like TSS and Turbidity, Phosphorous levels, Oxygen levels, fish population levels, and testing different sites with different pollution sources at these sites (factory, overpass, farm). We were to solve the problem of why so many fish were dying in this river. We concluded that the oxygen levels were just too low to inhabit fish and this was caused by the blooms. The fish could live with the levels of phosphorous but because there was too much algae in the water there just wasn’t enough oxygen to go around. This experiment made me realize the true complexity of a system and how small things can make a huge impact on the system as a whole. It is fact that humans are causing this problem and it is fact that we need to solve and fix this problem as soon as possible. More care towards runoff with a drive to treat the environment with respect would be a wonderful start.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/humans-are-overloading-worlds-freshwater-bodies-phosphorus

 

Blue Skies in Beijing? YEAAA Right

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The other week, I decided to present my news report based on the air pollution in China, namely, the efforts being made to combat this major environmental issue. For many years now, devastating levels of toxic pollutants including PM2.5, O3, NO2, and SO2 have consumed China. PM2.5 is a contaminated air particle so small that it can only be detected with an electron microscope. O3 is a resulting pollutant in our atmosphere that is formed when previous pollutants react under the sunlight. NO2 is Nitrogen dioxide and this is a group of gaseous air pollutants most commonly formed as a result of fossil fuel combustion and carbon emissions. NO2 mixing with other air pollutants results in acid rain. Lastly, SO2 is Sulfur dioxide, and this too is produced from the burning of fossil fuels. In addition, SO2 is produced from the smelting of mineral ores that contain sulphur. Like NO2, it is a major component of acid rain. . In 2013, China’s State Council implemented the Action Plan for Air Pollution and Control – which included three goals focusing on the air pollution in China. The goals included PM2.5 reduction, setting a limit on coal consumption, and mandated renewable energy growth. In a way to measure the effectiveness of this plan, a group called Greenpeace East Asia decided to collect data on the pollutant levels in China’s cities and provinces. The article that first drew my attention to this current event discussed the decreasing levels of pollutants in Beijing, a major city in China. Hoping to read something actually cheerful in the realm of environmentalism, I read into the article: “A Blue Sky in Beijing? It’s Not A Fluke, Says Greenpeace” from The New York Times. According to author Steven Myers, “In Beijing, pollution fell 53 percent. Greenpeace estimated that lower pollution levels resulted in 160,000 fewer premature deaths across China in 2017” (Myers, 2018).  Even though pollutant levels have decreased since 2014 in the populous city of Beijing, one should not think that the problem is over. On the contrary, polluting coal and metal industries have only increased their output, causing more pollutants being released! This is happening in places other than Beijing, like the providence of Anhui. Since 2014, O3 has increased from roughly 40 ug/m3 to approximately 70 ug/m3 in Anhui alone. In addition, NO2 is on the rise as well (Greenpeace East Asia, 2018).

 

Learning this, I understood a little bit more about the complexity of the environmental crisis that China faces. It’s next to impossible for the State Council to make strides with their Action Plan for Air Pollution and Control if the fossil fuel burning and metal industries undermine their attempts! It’s easy to become frustrated when you know so well how awful these corporations and industries are affecting air quality – this means even children are affected – but if it means they can make money…

I have attached the link to the short film by Jia Zhangke, bringing awareness to the daily lives of those in China living in air pollution. When we educate ourselves we can more effectively make a difference.

 

“We don’t have to sacrifice a strong economy for a healthy environment” – Dennis Weaver

 

 

 

Myers, Steven. “A Blue Sky In Beijing? It’s Not A Fluke, Says Greenpeace.” The New York Times 2018. Web. 26 Jan. 2018.

“PM2.5 In Beijing Down 54%, But Nationwide Air Quality Improvements Slow As Coal Use Increases.” Greenpeace East Asia. N.p., 2018. Web. 26 Jan. 2018.

Zhangke, Jia. Smog Journeys. East Asia: Greenpeace East Asia, 2015. film.

 

 

Feeling salty? Check out Desalination Plants

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           A desalination plant is a system that converts seawater to drinkable water. These plants are very important because as sea levels rise, fresh water can become less available. Some countries and states even rely on desalination plants because they do not have enough freshwater of their own. Israel, a country smaller than New Jersey, gets half of its domestic water from desalination, and actually has more water than it needs. Water is such a precious resource and having a desalination plant can save people’s lives and livelihoods. Israel had an extreme drought a few years ago, where farmers were losing a year’s worth of crops, but because they built desalination plants, they have more than recovered from the drought, and a lucrative business was built. The company that built the most recent desalination plant outside of Tel Aviv just built one in Carlsbad, Southern California, a place notorious for their droughts and fires.

            The reason having desalination plants in dry areas is relevant today, because Cape Town, South Africa is about to completely run out of water, and there is a viable solution on the horizon. The city is rushing to build some temporary desalination plants, so the people can survive until the earth can replenish itself. Technology can do wonders, and desalination plants are further proof of that, but the main issue with building these desalination plants is that it will cost the city big time. The process to turn salt water into drinkable water is a very expensive process, that uses a lot of electricity. The timeline for a solution to this grievous event, running completely out of water, is drawing near. The calculated date that Cape Town’s taps will run dry is April 16th, and that date could end up changing to a sooner time. Cape Town is going to have to build a desalination plant and will apparently be called the Strandfontein plant and cost around $19.8 million dollars. This might be a big expense, but it is well worth the cost, because the alternative is grim. If there is no water in an entire city, how can people possibly continue to live there? People would have to leave Cape Town, and the city would pretty much disappear.  

            Desalination is bound to become a more important necessity in our future on Earth, considering how the Earth is getting warmer as time goes on. Even a small change in temperature can cause a lot of changes to the planet, because the waters get warmer, which causes events like ice melting – which destroys habitats for the polar bears and other creatures – coral bleaching, hurricanes, and other horrible natural disasters. Desalination plants are a great way to start evolving with the changing environment, since humanity would rather just build more tech than make actual changes to how we live, which would solve a lot of problems.

 

References:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/israel-proves-the-desalination-era-is-here/

https://moguldom.com/18453/cape-town-desalination-relying-on-tech-to-save-the-city-from-dying-of-thirst/

The Trucking Industry: Carrying the Weight of Overconsumption

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My summers during high school were spent in a warehouse of a small local trucking company. My final summer there, I worked in the office and as the front desk person. This meant that I got to experience how much work goes in to processing orders, filling orders, loading them on the truck, and ensuring that the drivers departed with the correct freight. I also know what it is like when someone calls for a rush order, and we all have to scramble to fill it because the customer is willing to pay extra to get the order sooner. My mom still works in the trucking industry and recently shared with me that the trucking industry I knew has become far messier than I ever could have imagined. What used to be an occasional rush order from a customer, has turned in to an everyday occurrence. Orders are coming in faster than they can be filled. There are not enough drivers and trucks to meet the demands of all of the customers. The ports cannot process the amount of containers coming in everyday, which causes backups and even more rush orders. She shared this article with me that I have chosen to write about.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-shortage-of-trucks-is-forcing-companies-to-cut-shipments-or-pay-up-1516789800

While this article touches on many different aspects that are contributing to the crises in the trucking industry, I think it relates to the concepts we learned in class about overconsumption. We live in a world of Amazon Prime and two day shipping. I know I am guilty of ordering things online that I could easily get in store, even from a local business, because online is just convenient. It shows up two days later on my doorstep and saves me from having to leave my house. The issue is that this has become so integrated in our society, that many of us don’t think twice before putting items in our virtual shopping carts. We do not stop to consider how far those items will have to travel and how much work will go in to ensuring that that new bracelet that was two dollars arrives at your doorstep two days later. So, not only does online shopping allow us to consume even more products because they are available at the touch of a button, it allows us to do so without considering the carbon footprint of those individual products. The article mentions the company HelloFresh. This is a company that ships fresh meals right to your front porch. This means that someone has to receive the order, another person has to fill the order, another person loads the order on to a container, a driver transports that box to a local post office, it is sorted, and then is loaded up onto another vehicle so that it can go out for delivery. All of that work and transportation for one families dinner. This dinner arrives in a large box full of bubble wrap and insulation to keep all of the ingredients fresh. Companies like these are becoming more and more popular. It is so easy in our society to just have everything delivered to us. This means that the transportation industry will continue to face these issues. More and more orders are going to continue to flood in and companies and drivers will struggle even more to meet this demand. Throughout our conversation, my mom just kept repeating that it was such a big problem, and that nobody knows it. The customer only knows whether or not their package arrived on time. While we learn in our class that we need to reduce individual consumption, it is becoming easier and easier to consume more, and that is something we are soon all going to experience the consequences of that consumption.