For my second extra credit blog post, I watched A Plastic Ocean on Netflix and here is my review:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5203824/

Message: Refuse single-use plastics and spend your consumer dollars wisely because plastic waste & styrofoam are damaging our oceans and inevitably affecting us. We will show you why plastics should cease to be produced and then dumped into our landfills and the ocean – because it never goes away.

Summary: The documentary, A Plastic Ocean, begins with the Director Craig Lesson, attempting to follow and record Blue Whales off of the coast of Sri Lanka. Craig has always had a fascination for these animals, which began when he was a child. While filming a juvenile pigmy Blue Whale, the camera glances up towards the surface of the water – where loads of plastic and trash are floating and bobbing in the waves. This is how Craig begins the story…The waste problem is disproportionally affecting Blue Whales because they feed by opening their mouths and sucking in up to a hundred gallons of water and cannot distinguish between krill and plastic before digestion. The scientists in the documentary even found plastics along the ocean floor, where sunlight never reaches. The documentary quickly touches on Earth systems, particularly the 5 massive gyres that can be found all over the world.

Biases: The Director, Craig Lesson, has major devotion for the ocean to where he understand its intrinsic value. This attribute would greatly sway the way this documentary is directed and the messages he intends to spread. In addition, it is plain to see that this documentary was targeted towards Americans because it mostly discusses American influence on waste.

Reflection: I found it rather shocking that almost every plastic product made on the planet is, in one way or another, still around. This revelation further proves one of Barry Commoner’s Laws of Ecology that we learned about it class – but it’s still disturbing to realize that the massive amount of plastic that I have encountered and use throughout my life is somewhere now, even years after I enjoyed that Starbucks Frapp! Another reflection I’ve made while watching this film was the blatant environmental injustice that occurs in countries outside of the United States. For instance, the documentary highlights on a country where 2,000 families live on a 123.5 acre lot designated to be a landfill in 1998. Just like we’ve discussed in class, this community also faces birth defects, cancer and other implications due to the pollution that they are surrounded by. It is so unfortunate that these people do not realize the connection between the place they live and their health – some even burn plastic to help cook food! I feel like awareness to the health effects of plastics and living on landfills is desperately needed in these areas!!

On March 14, I attended a talk led by Dr. Drew Lanham, who is a professor at Clemson University. Lanham studies natural wildlife as well as the integration of race in nature. The name of the discussion was Race, place, and the de-gentrification of Nature Conservation in areas of the south. Dr. Lanham began the discussion by introducing a song: Mercy Mercy Me which was written by Marvin Gaye in 1971. Initially, I had thoughts as to why he presented this song to the audience. I supposed it was a simple tactic in order to gather the audience’s attention, ensuring that they were ready to be engaging. However, I believe that it was a creative way to start off the discussion. The reason the song was presented to the audience was because it held a deeper meaning and had connections to the topic of the talk. The meaning of the song ties to the topic of ecology and its comparison of how the world was in the past and how it has evolved. The song also explains the struggles of the environment: socially, environmentally, and economically. Although the song was written in 1971, the world still displayed signs of change that would have negative impacts on the conservation of nature.

The next thing he mentions is the topic of water, which is a very important aspect considering people and the environment depend on it. He made a statement about how water is everywhere and how it is needed to sustain life. He followed with a question that asked, “what is your water?” The question that Dr. Lanham was asking refers to something that you consider important to sustain your life. When he made this statement, I thought about the different things in my life that I felt are important to my survival, like food and shelter. Dr. Lanham managed to also tie race into the topic of water by stating that despite what the past consisted of we are all connected to water. No matter what race you are, your life depends on water!

He wrapped up the discussion with his personal connections to water. Dr. Lanham discusses a story of his personal experiences, which he wrote in his book, about times when his father would go to their spring well and collect water for them. Unfortunately, his father became ill and past away. Times became rough after the passing of his father, water wise. Dr. Lanham and his mother needed to find a new source to gather water. There was a pipe put into place for them to receive water, however it had a foul taste and wasn’t fresh compared to what his father used to collect for them. This really had a major impact on them because this one aspect that was important to sustain their lives wasn’t pure/fresh. He explained how crucial water is to our lives and how it can impact it as well. At this moment I realized how many individuals, including myself, take water for granted. His talk was very eye-open for me because he mentioned several things that will stick with me about water’s impact on individuals as well as the society.

The article in the news that I found which was on the topic of sustainability is called Famed Walden Pond, which inspired Henry David Thoreau, is being killed by urine. The intended audience for this article is really open to the public to those who watch and or read this news site. Who it may concern is the people who do or plan on visiting Walden Pond in the future. The agenda of this news article is to inform the public of the issues surrounding this natural environment that is affecting not only the beautiful view but also the wildlife in the area, specifically fish. I feel there is no possible bias in this article because these findings are scientific and the are evidence based to be informative. Though there is scientific research to back these findings up I am not completely certain that this is a reliable source. The findings are backed up with research, but this is also a new site that is nothing like a journal article where someone has looked over the work from a scholarly stand point and made sure everything was correct and could be backed up. I like the quote that the article starts off with. The news article states, “If Henry David Thoreau were alive today, he might re-title his most famous work “On Golden Pond.” The issue surrounding the pond is the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from what we know now from scientific research is caused by human waste, specifically urine. “More than half of the summer phosphorus budget of the lake may now be attributable to urine released by swimmers,” the study states. This quote from Dr. Jay Curt Stager best summaries what is happening with the lake. “These findings suggest that, although mitigation efforts have curtailed anthropogenic nutrient inputs to Walden Pond, the lake has not returned to the pre-impact condition described by Henry David Thoreau and may become increasingly vulnerable to further changes in water quality in a warmer and possibly wetter future.” The nitrogen and phosphorus are producing algae by speeding up its growth which in turn creates a mass of algae that covers the pond. This mass of algae causes sunlight to be blocked from reaching into this water. This then effects the fish, killing the off because they do no have sunlight. The scientist recommend that swimmers stay out of the lake. Since people are the main contributors to the issue. They recommended that a swimming facility with a pool be built around the pond location. This will allow people to see the wonderful views of Walden Pond but not harm its natural environment. This pool would serve as a swimming area, so contamination could stop, and restoration of the pond can be brought fourth. In my opinion I agree with this article. In class we have talked about Walden and the nature of the pond. I have even read the book, so I feel like I have somewhat of an understanding of protecting this natural environment.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/famed-walden-pond-which-inspired-henry-david-thoreau-being-killed-n863381

Alexis Waters-Peterson

Event Blog: Charleston Farmers Market

The events that I went to and still continue to go to is the Charleston Farmers Market in Marion Square. The farmers market has become an every Saturday routine since I came to Charleston. The Farmers Market doesn’t only have the best vegetables, fruits, and meat but it has a whole bunch of other things like artwork and crafts.

The Charleston Market is the go to place to get any local product. I believe it is very important to buy local because you are helping the livelihood of farmers in our area and also helping the environment due to lessening the traveling the products do. I wrote about this in my first blog but the market has helped make it easier on me to keep my promise to try my hardest to eat local and healthier.

The people at the market are a major positive as well. You can meet so many nice local people who have helped me to eat healthier by giving me recipes and tips on how to cook different healthier ways. I also think it is really important to thank the farmers who produce the food for our country, because with out them most Americans would not have access to the food we have today. The people at the market also tell me where I should eat based on who has the freshest foods and just tips about living in Charleston in general.

The food at the market although sometimes more expensive is unbelievable. It always taste so much better than store bought produce. The fruit is always fresh a juicy, the vegetables always taste fresh and the meat is farm and grass raised unlike most meat today as we learned in the documentary “Food Inc.” Although I do know that meat isn’t a necessary part of my diet I do have it occasionally usually only from the Charleston Farmers Market and local farmers.

This event lines directly with almost everything that we have talked about in class. The Charleston Farmers markets help reduce my ecological footprint in many ways. It has taught me how to eat healthy so I do not have to endure heart disease hopefully. It has allowed me to help support local businesses and farmers, which helps Charleston economy as a whole. It has exposed me to more organic products, which allows me to support farmers who do not use harmful internal pollutants. It has also help me to keep up with my goal I posted about in my first blog. The Charleston Market in Marion Square has changed my life and I do believe that it has changed other peoples as well. It is an event that helps me tie together the things I have learned from the make up and effects of micro-plastics to the importance of supporting businesses that operate with the triple bottom line mindset.

Most people have heard of the wooly mammoth, saber tooth tiger, or the dodo. Science education, even from a young age has made sure of that their existence is known and some may have seen fossils of the beasts in a museum. These creatures roamed the Earth thousands of years ago when our species was just getting started. Today, they are long gone but science and modern technology is beginning to question that reality. In the conservation biology class I am currently taking here at the College of Charleston, which I highly recommend, we had to select a book to read to broaden our views of conservation and our environment. The one I chose was How to Clone a Mammoth by Beth Shapiro. In Shapiro’s book she explored the new science of de-extinction, which is essentially resurrecting animals that no longer exist. While I will not spoil the excitement of the end, the author did however delve into the fascinating aspects of bringing back mammoths; the means of either cloning or gene editing in elephants to make them mimic mammoths as a key part of the process. She also closely examines the ethical questions and the potential environmental impacts that would come with reintroducing an extinct animal into the wild. Shapiro argues for de-extinction in the name of restoring or reviving ecosystems such as the arctic tundra with the reintroduction of mammoths. Hypothetically if this feat of bringing mammoths back was successful, then they could potentially stop the melting of permafrost by packing it back down. The author also notes that she does not believe that a resurrected species be displayed in a zoo for tourism like some kind of trophy. This species coming back from the dead would theoretically provide great ecosystem services both culturally and environmentally if the feat could be achieved. However, there is the question of whether this is morally right or wrong. If we have the technology and the science to bring something that we helped go extinct back, should we? Shapiro wrestles with this question throughout the book asking the reader what they think. After reading, I contemplated this question myself. I personally concluded that it could not hurt to try. I believe that the worst-case scenario is that the new species just dies out again, but if it succeeds then humans could utilize this to save other ecosystems that we as humans depend on. I see this new biological technology as a tool for good and it gives me hope for the future. With all that said and done I really do encourage people to pick up this fascinating book in their spare time!

Source: Shapiro, Beth. How to Clone a Mammoth: the Science of De-Extinction. Princeton University Press, 2016.

Blake Wooldridge

One of the most relevant and recurring topics in society today as well as our class is climate change. The role climate change plays on our everyday lives is increasing due to noticeably increasing impacts. The effects of years and years and millions of tons of burnt fossil fuels has created large scale turmoil regarding the implications on decisions to keep abusing resources. Combating these changes has become a priority for several nations. Renewable resources have gained popularity amongst these nations. The search for more efficient ways of maximizing the capacity of power with minimizing impacts has resulted in an outbreak of solar power.

Solar power alone has attributed to more than a third of all new net power capacity added worldwide in 2017. Solar power has become much more affordable and therefore applicable within the past several years. Since 2009 the cost of electricity from large scale solar projects has dropped by 72%. Recently solar panels have been used on thatched roofs in Kenya allowing Indian farmers to pump groundwater for their fields. This allows agriculture to flourish and boosts economy. Other new sources such as wind, biomass, and geothermal power can also account for a substantial change of reliance on fossil fuels.

Cumulatively all renewable energy sources account for only 12% of electricity consumed worldwide. The majority of energy produced still comes from coal and fossil fuels that are continually refused to be recognized as detrimental to the health of our planet. “This shows where we are heading,” said Nils Stieglitz, a professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, which produced the report along with Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “The fact that renewables altogether are still far from providing the majority of electricity means that we still have a long way to go.” This long way to go is becoming longer and longer, and some world leaders have recognized the importance of combating this issue now.

One of the nations on the forefront of this solar revolution is China. China has significantly cut back on usage of coal at home as well as accounted for almost half of all renewable energy investments worldwide. In 2017 alone China pumped $86.5 billion into solar energy. The U.S. has also played a significant part in the development of solar power but has displayed an increasing lack of urgency regarding the protection of the environment. Even though the U.S has historically been the largest emitter of greenhouse gases the investment in renewables went down to $40.5 billion in 2017.

The priorities of U.S government can be exemplified through many of the recent administrative propositions such as the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency. Some of the cuts included in this 2019 budget proposal include a 15% cut to the Agriculture department along with a 25% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency as a whole. Under this cut many programs could be completely relinquished. This creates a significant problem for the growth of the renewables industry. The lack of governmental subsidies could prove to be the tipping point for projects backed by government price support.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/05/climate/solar-energy.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=sectionfront