I have never been one for jumping on a bandwagon, and I am not one to change my lifestyle based upon what I saw in a biased documentary.  I, like most of you, am a pragmatic and educated individual; who makes decisions based on fact, status quo, and what I would deem as being the most logical choice for living a life a true as possible.  So when we began to watch the documentary Food Inc., I knew deep down I wasn’t going to like what I saw, but I figured that I would shrug it off and continue on… Not the case.

After watching this documentary in class (in two stretches, both on empty stomachs and right before lunchtime), I began to think a little harder about the food that I ingest.  Walking through the meat department at every supermarket since then, I am reminded about how this industry skewed to fundamental concepts of food production; maybe out of necessity, but certainly out of greed.  It began to feel uneasy looking at all the meat that I would normally cook in second; and although I cannot say I am even close to giving up meat, the idea of eating most of what is offered to me by the food industry grosses me out.

With this, I think about the optimistic organic farmer who believes he is fulfilling his duty to the highest standard, and I think about the small price differences in his products.. It feels good to say now that I would seek his product before the mass-produced, standardized product, and I do my best each time to do that, but I will not stop eating meat.  What Food Inc. did for me was inform me that those around me who push for organic food are not pompous urbanites who try to find reasons to critique the lifestyles of others, but rather people who understand the established system which most of us have subscribed to, and what it would take to change that system.

Because of all of this information and the ideas that it has developed, I have now begun to filter my fresh-food (juices, meats, dairy, etc) to organic products only. the quote: “people freak out when organic eggs are $3 while they sip on a $1.75 coke” resonated with me.  Why wouldn’t I support organic farmers anyways? The food is almost as good as their character!

My first semester of freshman year I was required to watch a documentary entitled The True Cost. I can honestly say that this documentary changed my mentality when it comes to shopping for clothing. The documentary focuses on the dangers associated with the fast fashion industry and shows viewers that their $5 top from stores like H&M and Forever 21 is doing way more harm than good. Sure, the $5 top may make you feel incredible and savvy because it was so cheap, but the $5 top makes another person in another part of the world angry and exhausted. Fast fashion companies use workers who live in impoverished areas in other parts of the world to do the dirty work for them for a price that is even dirtier. The people trapped in sweatshops creating your $5 top are some of the lowest paid workers in the world. Your $5 top from a fast fashion store is aiding in the continuation of human rights violations and the exploitation of human beings.

Along with having little concern about the health and quality of life of their workers, fast fashion companies and the industry as a whole has little to no concern about the world we live in. The $5 top that has been the continuing example throughout this post will more than likely be out of style next month, or at least that’s what the fast fashion industry will make you think. According to the documentary, the average American creates approximately 82 pound of textile waste each year because clothing is seen as disposable. The image from the documentary that always stands out in my mind is the scene where clothing is being “dumped” to developing countries. The documentary shows an area of Haiti that is essentially overflowing with unwanted clothes. These clothes are not biodegradable therefore they will sit for hundreds of years releasing harmful gases into the atmosphere. That $5 shirt will probably end up in a developing country when you’re tired of wearing it or when it starts to wear out after the third wash due to the cheap material.

Fast fashion may be trendy and easy on your bank account, but is it worth the detrimental impact you’re having on the lives of other humans and your environment? After watching this documentary I spend more to get more. I may buy a basic shirt for $50 dollars or a pair of jeans for $100 from a more “high-end” retailer, but the quality is so much better than those from a fast fashion brand and the item will last therefore there will be much less waste. In the long run spending more will get you more: more wear time from an item, more time doing fun things instead of shopping to replace a piece of cheap clothing that has worn out, and more time on Earth knowing you did something to help rather than being part of the problem.

To Watch The True Cost: http://truecostmovie.com/watch-now/

Honestly, watching this documentary I was not 100% sure what it was going to be about. I thought this documentary was going to just scare people out of eating meat and that it would show a behind the scenes look at processing meat farms. I was shocked to see that this video took me in a whole different direction. This documentary talked about many different categories related to sustainability. I was dumbfounded to see the crazy amounts of water needed to keep the cows hydrated because the grains that are fed to the cows causes the cows to be very thirsty, thus greatly lowering our overall water supply. Second, it was interesting to see how much waste the cows produced compared to us as humans. Next, another big issue was the amount of precious land that is cleared out to harvest these animals. In the documentary they looked at Brazil as an example and stated that 80% of their rain forests were cleared out for land for cows. A lady whom was being interviewed in the documentary admitted that she believes that cows don’t leave a carbon footprint. That is crazy to think people can’t admit the effects this has on our lives, and future generations to come. If we don’t start now, we will never be able to have the resources we need to survive in the future.

Another major issue that was discussed in this video is the increase in overpopulation. This was a topic that was discussed in class as well. But when we look at actual numbers, people are starving in different places world wide, but most of our grains, water and resources are given to cows to be produced. If we limit the amount of milk and meat production, we would be able to sustain other natural resources such as fruits and vegetables. A plant based diet is the most sustainable and we would be able to thrive as a world off of this type of diet.

The United States is not suited to meet the demands of meat; and shouldn’t be attempted or tried. We also need to be concerned with preservation of all animals, everywhere. Animals are being killed for no reason, everywhere. Also, the treatment, health and overall well being of these animals in the farms are horrible, and very devastating to see. I am not a big red meat eater to began with but, after watching this video I want to eliminate red meat from my diet as a whole. As a country, and across the world we just keep producing cows as a major mean of food supply, but no one is able to look or admit to see the huge effects it has on limiting our sustainability across our world. More laws and policies need to be set into place to limit the amount of meat production that should be allowed. This would allow for an increase in water supply, limiting waste, helping animals, and thus sustaining land and resources.

I chose to attend the screening of Cowspiracy by Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn.  At first I didn’t know what to expect and thought it would be a lot like Food, Inc., focusing on the mistreatment of animals and where our food really comes from.  I was pleasantly shocked that this film wasn’t just about cows and their waste, it was so much more in connecting all other environmental aspects linking back to livestock.  I would compare this film to the documentary about fracking by Josh Fox called Gasland.  The styles used and commentary are similar.  Being filmed from an average humans view point is what really gets me.  This film made me believe that I could potentially be doing what Kip Anderson has done but with the concerns that are dear to me.

This film was filled with statistics and quotes throughout.  One that stood out to me was “Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.”  This blows my mind.  How can over half of the CO2 emissions the world puts out into the atmosphere be from producing livestock? How could I not have known about this just like Kip was confused why no one would talk about this leading issue.  Usually the methane produced by livestock is talked about but nothing about how much carbon dioxide is being emitted.  Livestock and growing feed for the livestock to consume takes 56% of the water in the US.  Over half of our water is being used to grow meat for us to eat? That just seems impractical.  It was mentioned in the film that the food being fed to the livestock could easily be fed to humans and we could also be able to resource all that water for either drinking or growing other foods for us the eat.  To produce one pound of beef it takes 2,500 gallons of water. 477 gallons to produce 1 pound of eggs and 900 gallons of water for one pound of cheese.  These numbers are insane and I feel ashamed to have ever eaten and partaken in such a detrimental act against our environment.

The thing that stuck out to me the most in this film was when it was said that you can’t be an environmentalist and eat meat.  I care way too much about the environment to be eating meat and this film made me realize and opened my eyes to maybe an alternative way of eating that I should pursue.  I know nothing about being and eating as a vegan, but after watching this film I really believe that I need to make the effort and re consider my eating options and the food I put into my body.  “Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested land, 20 pounds CO2 equivalent, and one animals life.”  Eating meat and the industry of livestock is causing too much damage to this earth.  So many environmental problems can be traced back to livestock.  Becoming a vegan is a huge change to one person’s life, but it has an even greater impact on the earth in such a positive way with immediate results, how could anyone not even consider how beneficial for the earth and oneself that it is.

Wednesday, November 16th, I attended the documentary and panel about plastic usage and waste. The colleges, Alliance for Planet Earth, held the event. The panel included, Mayor of the City of Folly Beach, Tim Goodwin, Director of Global Partnerships & Community Engagement with 5 Gyres, Lia Colabello, and Program Director of Air, Water, & Public Health at Coastal Conservation League, Katie Zimmerman. And the documentary that followed was, “Bag It: is your life too plastic?”.

I chose to attend this event out of curiosity and to hear Mayor Goodwin speak on the recent ban on plastic out at Folly Beach. I have tried my best recently to stay informed on plastic use in my own life and how our communities near and far are considering their plastic use and waste. After attending this event, the statistics and thoughts shared throughout have reconfirmed the frightening knowledge I already knew, and yet was still able to illustrate a promising future if certain steps are implemented.

Firstly, each panel member spoke and gave their thoughts on where the world is today in terms of plastic consumption and waste. Compelling facts and statistics were shared by each member, certain ones that I found to be very memorable are: 8 million metric tons of non biodegradable plastic enters the ocean annually, 5.2 trillion pieces of plastic are floating ON TOP of the ocean, 1 trillion plastic bags are used a year, and in the United States it takes 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture a plastic bag. And to bring it close to home, there are currently 700,000 tons of microplastics in the Charleston Harbor. After hearing these statistics it almost seems crazy not to have a ban on them everywhere!

This leads to the next topic mentioned, bans and their efficacy. When talking about putting a ban on one of the most prevalent materials used today, one must think how influential will this new policy truly be for our communities and environment? Some answers were provided based off the 54% of areas in the world that are currently under plastic bag free zones. In Ireland, there has been a 95% reduction rate in waste due to plastic. In San Jose, due to the 90% reduction rate in plastic bags they have seen a positive impact on storm drain blockage. When heavy rains would come, violent floods would result due to blockage in the storm drains by plastic waste.

The statistics shared, the impacts noted, and lastly Mayor Goodwin’s words on the recent ban at Folly were the most notable parts of the event for me. I was curious to know how the Folly Beach community responded to the ban, was there any backlash, and how he was moved to make this decision? Luckily, most of these questions were answered! Mayor Goodwin stated that there was 4,784 respondents to the call to action on plastic, all saying that something should be done. With this kind of positive feedback it was easy to fuel the movement towards banning plastic. Mayor Goodwin did mention that there was a small window of backlash towards the ban however. He noted that small ‘mom and pop’ shops were worried that they would not be able facilitate paper bags and that would impede on storage. But Mayor Goodwin responded by saying that plastic has not always been around, and if stores in the past were able to make do, then we can very much make it happen now as well.   

Overall, I found the panel members and documentary to be very enlightening. The documentary was able to open my eyes to the fierce impact of plastic all over the world, and the panel members were able to express ways that this impact can be altered. Mayor Goodwin shared that he used to work for conglomerate, DuPont, and now he is the Mayor of the City of Folly Beach where the first ban on plastic in the state of South Carolina has been passed. Additionally, the panel members have urged students to stay involved in the issue and stay abreast on the politics surrounding the issue. If we are informed and educated we can use our knowledge to influence others, furthering our chances to make big changes.

Also, the event was a Zero Waste event and the food was provided by Grow Food Carolina!!

Cowspiracy is a documentary exposing the horrors of the agriculture industry. It talks about how large-scale animal farming has huge negative effects on our environment. I think it is a great documentary to introduce people into one of the greatest environmental issues of our time. I really enjoyed this documentary because it helped me easily understand how our actions impact our environment and the big role that politics, media, and technology have on our society and the environment.

Cowspiracy talks about the major environmental issues being caused by the agriculture industry that are being ignored. This issue is not being talked about in our media or discussed by our politicians because of their financial incentives. Animal agriculture uses more than ten times the amount of water we use domestically and it produces over fifty percent of our greenhouse gages yet we continue to do nothing about it. Animal agriculture is unsustainable and we need to make a big change in our food industry before it’s too late.

This is a great documentary to introduce people to one our biggest environmental issues of our time. It makes it easy to understand the facts of how much we are consuming and what the effects of our consumption are. Most people do not know where their food is really coming from. This film makes it easy to track where our food is coming from and the big environmental impacts we make simply by our food choices. These documentary exposes key features of our food industry that are impossible to ignore once they are presented. This documentary makes the viewer want to further investigate our food industries and our political system.

Cowspiracy also helps to develop critical thinking skills about our human relationship with the environment. As humans, we fail to realize that without the environment we would be nothing. We get everything we need from our environment. Our earth provides us with food, shelter, and money. We cannot keep taking from the environment and giving nothing back. Our planet does not have an infinite amount of resources and we are driving them to depletion. This documentary helped me think about how important my connection with the earth is and how my every day choices can make a huge difference. Although one person is not enough to save the planet, this film is a great start to getting people to be aware of our current reality. This documentary does a really good job at sharing critical information and showing us that we need to think more deeply when making our every day choices.

Cowspiracy also shows how much of an impact politics, the economy, and the media play in our everyday lives. One of our main political parties including our presidential candidate, do not even believe that climate change is real. This shows how disconnected we have become from our planet and from our core values. Politics, the media, and the economy are the reasons why animal agriculture continues to be one of the biggest industries and why we continue to deplete our planet of its resources. It also shows how financial incentives can also get industries to make a switch to more sustainable products. We need people to become aware and to bring exposure to these systems and begin to question the role they play in our lives.

The environmental effects from animal agriculture are massive. As we see in the documentary Cowspiracy, industries will not switch to sustainable products unless they are financially motivated. Our entire food industry is destroying the planet and bringing animals that have been around for centuries to extinction. Animal agriculture is destroying our land, our rainforests, and our oceans. There is no possible way that the earth can continue to sustain our demands for animal products. We need to completely change our food consumption habits and switch to sustainable food. It is our responsibility to put our environment first and start making changes in our food industry, the political system, and the media. This film fortified my beliefs and personal choices to follow a mainly vegan diet and I think it would make other people consider their personal choices too.

On November 3^rd, I attended a documentary showing about the endangerment of the Red Wolf. Red wolves are not hybrids of coyotes and wolves, even though many people say they are. Red wolves are much larger than coyotes. It is also thought that red wolves share a common ancestor with wolves. Currently, there are no more than 40 red wolves living on earth today. If you compare red wolves to lion, tigers, and polar bears one could say that those species are flourishing. But that does not make the red wolves condition more important than lions, tigers, and polar bears – both cases are devastating.

At the moment, the very few red wolves that roam the earth are being protected in the Alligator River Wildlife Refugee in North Carolina. While the red wolves are receiving protection, the area isn’t ideal for the species. Red wolves, like regular wolves, require a lot of land to thrive.

Years ago, the protection for Red Wolves was almost terminated because private land owners were complaining about seeing red wolves on their property and that they were competing with the endangered species for deer. In order to do this, Fish and Wildlife was about to declare the Red Wolf extinct so that they can halt all works for protecting the red wolves. This is something that I found insane, how do you declare a species extinct when there are still 40 of them roaming around trying to survive? Luckily, Fish and Wildlife didn’t pull the plug and continued to provide protection for the endangered species.

The endangerment of the red wolves was incredibly sad to hear. At the end of the short movie, there was a speaker to talk about an organization that works to continue protecting the red wolves. The speaker really wants to get the attention of many people about the red wolves. Right now many people aren’t aware of what is happening to animals like the red wolves. I’m sure if more people were aware of what is going on, more people would care and want to take action.