I see my position as an environmental stakeholder as educating the public, translating research into policy, and speaking for the environment. As an environmental stakeholder I conduct research to answer pressing environmental issues to translate into policy. I work towards making myself more sustainable and implementing policies and initiatives around campus to inspire others to be more sustainable and do so more easily. I have also advocated for species conservation and made policy change, by helping draft a bill to remove Diamondback Terrapins, a key indicator species, from the game list in New Jersey. I would like to continue a career of environmental policymaking a stewardship. I was recently recognized for my environmental stewardship as a 2019 Udall Scholar, a prestigious network of change makers dedicated to environmental stewardship. My career goals as an environmental stakeholder focus on developing viable solutions to pressing environmental issues such as coastal management, sustainable development, resource management, and biodiversity conservation. As a policymaker or environmnetal manager I will use my education and research background to create economic and societal policies to promote environmental awareness and climate consciousness. I have always felt a calling to nature and a calling to serve. Coupled with my intrinsic scientific curiosity, I found my passion studying the environment. As I uncovered questions I could not answer, I began to conduct research to develop solutions. Through my own research, I discovered amazing scientific publications in the environmental sphere. However, I did not see this research translated into public policy and environmental management. For example, instead of looking to scientific research, coastal policymakers implement methods that only produce ephemeral tourism revenues (investing in unsustaimable options like beach replenishment as opposed to dune management). Upon this discovery, I became determined to pursue roles where I could help shape public policy with greater environmental awareness. My professional aspirations center on developing environmental policy and management to achive sustainable results that implement scientific research. I have continued to conduct independent research throughout my education in environmental policy and management. I want to be able not only to consult research, but also to ask the right questions to ask and know how to implement the data into policy. My main areas of focus in policy and management are to improve coastal management, sustainable development, and conservation. I am passionate about coastal management, as our coastal communities are the most vulnerable to the rising sea levels, temperature, and levels of atmospheric CO2. I am pursuing a minor in sustainable business in order to understand how to achieve sustainable development and combat climate change. I aspire to develop policies that will better protect the Earth's biodiversity and ecosystem sources; the Earth offers countless ecosystem services and natural resources. I hope to foster a culture of environmental appreciation and sustainability. Arbor Day Celebration with second graders from PS205. It is incredibly important to instill environmental education and appreciation into our youth. My position as an environmental stakeholder is to live as sustainably as I can, to encourage others to do the same, and develop policies to combat the environmental injustices I observe.
My commitment to the environment has extended into my lifestyle. I work hard to develop sustainable habits to reduce my own personal consumption and ecological footprint. Through the Climate Impact Initiative, I am working to develop resources and policy changes to make it easier for other students at Fordham to live sustainably, specifically through dining initiatives. Just as sustainability and environmental stewardship have permeated all aspects of my life, I see environmental issues present as part of so many other global societal injustices. I traveled to Kolkata, India, through a cultural immersion and service project, where I witnessed many environmental injustices such as air, water, and garbage pollution. The Bronx community surrounding my school suffers from the highest rates of pediatric asthma because of high traffic, lack of public green spaces, and same-day delivery facilities. I wish to develop policies that will not only affect my home communities but that will also improve environmental justice across the globe.
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The Climate Impact team shot some promotional photos for our newly launched Instagram @fuclimatechange to educate Fordham about sustainability. Climate change is one of if not the most globally pressing issues. Seemingly miniscule changes in global temperature will have huge impacts on the earth and its inhabitants. Only half a degree will contribute to tens of millions of people being exposed to severe heat waves, water scarcity, and coastal flooding and likely result in the end of coral reefs and artic summers. Despite the scale of climate change, it is a public policy problem that can be addressed locally. Addressing climate change is a matter of living sustainability. The problem of climate change is addressing “how can humans live well on the planet without compromising the ability of current and future generations to do the same?” Sustainable development seems so difficult to achieve because society lacks a global and long-term perspective. From my experience with environmental management, I see over and over again policymakers and political figures make environmental decisions that will produce immediate results, sustain tourism revenues, and get them reelected next term. However if climate change continues to be addressed with short term solutions, resources will be depleted, land will be lost, and the impacts of rising temperature described above will wreck havoc on humanity. Aggregate local action leads to global change. Climate change is perhaps one of the best examples of this principle. It is combined global consumption, production, and waste that is resulting in climate change. Every individual, enterprise, institution, and community has the responsibility and even moral obligation to act sustainably. Public policy to encourage these groups to act sustainably should penalize reduced waste and consumption and encourage sustainable actions. Institutions working collectively together can achieve large reductions in carbon emissions. Policies exist to encourage businesses to reduce carbon emissions and produce more sustainably. Universities can contribute as much or more to global carbon emissions as businesses. Universities can implement policies and programs to reduce climate impact and create a more sustainable campus. College campuses have great potential to implement policy and behavioral change across the university with far reaching results. NYC has created a long term strategic plan to combat climate change: OneNYC 2050 is a strategy to secure New York City's future against the challenges of today and tomorrow. Despite the goals that New York City has set forth, Fordham has not developed a long term strategic plan. Fordham's sustainability website has a stated Climate Action Plan: We will measure and implement methods to reduce our carbon footprint, working to meet the City of New York’s program, NYC Carbon Challenge, for carbon reduction of 40 percent by 2030. There have been no actual strategies or carbon offset targets implemented. The sustainability website needs to be updated. Fordham was ranked a C+ in sustainability in 2011. Fordham released an official Climate Action Plan in 2014, where they stated a target of 30% carbon reduction by 2017. This reduction has not been achieved and proper strategies have not been implemented for such carbon offsetting. Fordham specifically has a moral obligation to improve its respect for the environment, a priority of the Jesuit Mission. Pope Francis recognized this in his Encyclical, in which he pleads with us to take care of our “common home.” Pope Francis notes that humans are the root cause of the destruction of the earth, although God trusted us to protect the earth when He placed us here. It is our duty not only as followers of the Jesuit tradition but also as humans to care for the environment. Therefore, Fordham University has an obligation to minimize climate impact and to educate students about sustainability. Greater education on sustainability is needed in the Fordham community. Most students are unaware how to live sustainably on a college campus. However, Fordham does not make living sustainably on campus easy. Fordham produces a large amount of waste that could be greatly reduced with proper education, greater recycling receptacles, and introducing composting. Campus wide policies like banning plastic bags, ending the sale of plastic water bottles, and allowing reusable containers will contribute a great deal to waste reduction on campus. Creating an Office of Sustainability would further solidify sustainability at Fordham as students initiate most of the climate mitigation actions at Fordham. Community cleanup around the Belmont community with Climate Impact, LC Environmental, SEAJ and USG Sustainability Committee. To catalyze the needed policy changes at Fordham and raise climate consciousness I started the Climate Impact Initiative. This year Emily Leaman (GSB 20') and I started a new initiative in the Fordham Social Innovation collaboratory to connect students, faculty, administrators, community members, and alumnus to sustainability at Fordham University. This semester the Climate Impact Initiative has grown to more than twenty consistently active students as part of the team and our network has broadened even more. This semester we took the initiative to connect with LC Environmental, the only environmental group at Fordham College Lincoln Center. This Club's primary mission is to spread the incredible importance and value of environmentalism and sustainability. We set up reoccurring monthly meetings for us to meet with LC Environmental to keep improving sustainability across both campuses. Together we will be working on a video to show about sustainability at Fordham New Student Orientation to educate future generations of Fordham students. The Climate Impact Initiative aims to foster a culture of sustainability at Fordham. The Climate Impact team comprises leaders from all of the sustainability groups at Fordham. Climate Impact aims to breakdown silos and foster collaboration. Personally, I attend all of the USG Sustainability Committee meetings and help to organize and run events such as Fordham Flea, Earth Market, Arbor Day celebration, movie screenings, and more. On all of my environmental practicum work, I spend at least twelve hours a week trying to better sustainability at Fordham. This semester we have really given students a seat at the table. We were invited to speak at the semesterly Sustainability Committee meeting. All of the sustainable leaders from Climate Impact, SEAJ, Sustainability Committee, and LC Environmental were on the agenda and invited to speak. We were able to gain insight into administrative sustainability at Fordham, have our voices heard, and ask pressing questions. We asked pressing questions and voiced our concerns for the need of a concrete sustainability strategy. It is not enough to be working towards sustainability, Fordham needs to see measurable, scientific-based targets to achieve its goals of carbon reductions. The Climate Impact team has worked really hard to identify sustainability stakeholders at Fordham. We identified stakeholders, interviewed them, and compiled a systems map of all stakeholders. Because of this work we identified administrators that are very passionate about student involvement. Gerardo Galiano in Facilities is very passionate about sustainability and student involvement. He moved from Lincoln Center to Rose Hill a month ago, and he has been a tremendous help in giving students a seat at the table and planning sustainability events. He also helped us confirm our map of sustainability at Fordham, where we highlighted all of the sustainability resources on campus. All of this information will be updated on the Sustainability website, which has not been updated for a while. The website currently contains outdated information and plans. We are replacing it with current information, projects, and progress. The website will include the hard work of Climate Impact students with our campus and stakeholders map. We are also displaying sustainability resources and players on our newly launched Instagram @fuclimatechange. The Instagram informs students of how they can be sustainable at Fordham and people to connect with for climate related projects. We are featuring cool events and news as well to raise climate consciousness. Word Count: 1266 NYC's and Fordham's Environmental History Sources:
https://orgsync.com/36915/chapter http://ulsf.org/about/ https://onenyc.cityofnewyork.us/about/ http://www.aashe.org/about https://www.fordham.edu/info/23673/sustainability_at_fordham https://www.fordham.edu/download/downloads/id/2107/climate_action_plan.pdf Oryza sativa, the Asian cultivated rice species, is grown for its yield performance. Rice is the most important food crop in the world, feeding more people than any other crop. Air Pollution The preservation of a healthy, unpolluted atmosphere is essential to combating climate change and ensuring the well being of future generations of humans, plants, and animals. Outdoor Air pollution results from industrial smog and urban photochemical smog. Air pollution results in stratospheric ozone layer depletion. Ozone depletion results in climate change because the ozone layer acts as a UV radiation shield. Air pollution can also result in acid deposition and rain, posing health risks to life on Earth. Greenhouse gas pollution in the atmosphere contributes to climate change. In order to clean the atmosphere and combat climate change, industrial and urban atmospheric waste needs to be regulated and usage of fossil fuels needs to be drastically decreased. To aid in cleaning our polluted environment, the preservation of plants is essential. Plants filter the air and produce clean oxygen. Plants are also essential to mitigating climate change. Because of the vital role that plants play against climate change, plants responses to changing environments are very important to understand. Plants, Climate Change, and Food Security I will be conducting research this summer that will help understand how plants adapt to changing environmental conditions as a result of climate change. Plants are essential to combating air pollution and climate change, thus it is important to understand evolutionary adaptations to changing climates. The plants I am studying are also important crop species. The crop species are consumed on a global scale and will thus be important in ensuring food security in the face of climate change. Climate change presents a threat to national security as well as global food security. Determining how and to what extent plants adapt to changes in climatic conditions, through plasticity or evolution, is an important question in ecological genetics. One way in which organisms can cope with environmental change is through phenotypic plasticity, in which a different phenotype is expressed in different environments. When plasticity is adaptive, individuals that show greater responsiveness to environmental variation are favored. Plasticity is thought to be particularly useful in variable environments. Although much work has examined plasticity of traditional phenotypic traits, less research has focused on plasticity of gene expression. Many crop species, such as broccoli, cabbage and canola oil, are included in the genus Brassica, which has with edible roots, leaves, stems, buds, flowers, and seed. The genus contains some of the most economically important crops. Analyzing plasticity in Brassica rapa will have broad implications for all other crop species in the genus. Additionally, Brassica rapa is established across the United States and the world. Brassica rapa species consist of a number of important vegetable and oil crops. Oryza glaberrima is an endemic African cultivated rice species that is specifically economically important in West Africa. Oryza sativa, the Asian cultivated rice species, is grown for its yield performance. Rice is the most important food crop in the world, feeding more people than any other crop. Understanding the adaptability of rice to climate change is imperative for establishing global food security. These genera comprise some of the most economically important crop species, but they have been negatively impacted by climate change induced drought, highlighting the importance of developing drought tolerant crops. This work will be instrumental in determining how crops respond to drought by examining plasticity and selection on plasticity in gene expression. Gene expression is continuous and numerical, but most studies are looking at how genes work. Despite its importance, looking at selection on plasticity in gene expressions is rarely done, making this a novel study. Understanding plastic responses is crucial for predicting and managing the effects of climate change on crop plants, like B. rapa and O. sativa. Crop plants are becoming increasingly vulnerable in the face of climate change. Analyzing the plasticity in B. rapa and O. sativa will have greater implications for how crop plants will respond to a continually changing climate. Flooding in Miami from extreme climate change induced weather events. National security is threatened by the vulnerability of climate change. Climate Change, Coastal Management, and National Security
My past research explores the misconceptions surrounding coastal management. Understanding how to properly manage our coastlines is extremely important in the face of climate change. Hurricanes are increasing with severity and frequency with climate change. In the United States and in many other parts of the world, the coastlines are heavily developed with a large amount of the nation’s wealth and population extremely vulnerable to climate change. Hurricanes induced by climate change can displace millions of people. With rising sea level, developed land may be lost. With these issues surrounding coastal management, climate change becomes an issue of national security. When considering the development of an effective comprehensive national coastal protection plan adjusted for local conditions, it is helpful to understand what the community members that influence the political decision-making process know about their environment. While coastal residents are not the only stakeholders in this process, the political landscape in the U.S. is influenced by public opinion. Experts can also hold public opinion more important than scientific evaluation with media coverage potentially skewing scientific findings towards an agenda. The outcome of the aforementioned Borough of Harvey Cedars vs. Karan case (Docket No. A-120-11, 070512) set a new precedent in sandy beach property laws. Initially the Karans were awarded $375,000 in March 2012, pre-Hurricane sandy (October 2012), for their easement to compensate for property value diminutions due reduced ocean view from a dune. However, post-Sandy this ruling was overturned, and the family was instead awarded $1 due to the protection the dune afforded to the property overweighing the reduction in ocean view. This ruling marks a shift in U.S. coastal law with the power to positively influence public opinion towards dunes and other soft management initiatives. However, without an understanding of how relative parties understand and view their environment we cannot predict how or why they might favor one management initiative over another, potentially leading to ill-informed decisions. The need for sustainable, long-term, and community supported coastal management solutions to erosion will only grow more important in the future with the impacts of climate change. Approximately 1% to 3% of New Jersey is predicted to be permanently inundated over the next century with storms flooding low-lying areas up to 20 times more frequently. Informants recognize the increased threat of storms and sea level rise to coastal communities, as 81% of informants agree that storms will increase in severity and frequency. Business owners agree with this statement more than expected, as do all beachfront homeowners. Interestingly there is no age effect, indicating that opinions and knowledge on climate change are not skewed towards a younger demographic. Hardened engineered structures like jetties and bulkheads are still considered viable options by the public. However, interest in exploring other possibilities with a long-term perspective has grown. Adaptive management recognizes the impeding threat of climate change and aims to increase coastal resilience through measures such as the protection and vegetation of dunes. The management and education suggestions in this study integrate transitional ecology by linking ecological knowledge to decision making where ecologists, decision makers, and stakeholders work collaboratively to address complex coastal management issues posed by sea level rise and increasing storms. The opinions and knowledge base of beachgoers discovered by our study illuminate community misconceptions and pave the way for future management practices and thus a better protected shoreline. Questions: How can we include climate change into plans of national security? How can we relate scientific evidence of evolutionary plant adaptations to climate change to the public and growers? What strategies will be helpful in discouraging continual development along our coastlines. Word Count: 1276 Nuclear energy plants are a possible energy opportunity to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Energy
Energy is the ability to do work. Anything that acts, is at work, and moves things is energy. Humans and other creatures use energy to move. Water, sunlight, and heat are natural sources of energy. Energy is the basis of and flows through all ecosystem levels. The transition to a new energy regime consists of less use of nonrenewable fossil fuels and gradual increases of renewable sources of energy. Many advocate using natural gas as a bridging step because it emits far less greenhouse gases. Fossil fuel based energy systems involve unsustainably high levels of energy source depletion, degradation, inefficiency and pollution. In nature, solar and chemical energies are recycled through the ecosystem and food chain. Energy is often dissipated in the form of heat as well. Nonrenewable energy systems, which have a lack of biomimicry of natural energy systems, cause a great amount of energy loss with high inputs and high outputs. In terms of energy efficiency, 45% of current energy production is needlessly wasted. Conserving energy would greatly decrease the need for fossil fuels. Currently, only 7% of energy production in the United States is renewable, while 15% is renewable worldwide. Nonrenewable forms of energy are coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy. Net energy yield, cost, and environmental impact are all things to consider with different energy sources. Nonrenewable forms of energy like coal currently have a low price point because of subsidies. The future constriction of pipelines locks the economy into decades of more fossil fuel use. Pipelines and fracking result in many environmental and human health concerns. Forms of renewable energy are solar energy, hydropower, wind power, biomass, geothermal, and hydrogen. Nuclear Energy Nuclear energy is the energy released during nuclear fission or fusion. A certain amount of the large atom’s mass is converted to pure energy following E = MC2. Fission is the energetic splitting of large atoms such as Uranium or Plutonium into two smaller atoms, called fission products. To split an atom, you have to hit it with a neutron. Several neutrons are also released which can go on to split other nearby atoms, producing a nuclear chain reaction of sustained energy release. Fusion: is the combining of two small atoms such as Hydrogen or Helium to produce heavier atoms and energy. These reactions can release more energy than fission without producing as many radioactive byproducts. Fusion reactions occur in the sun, generally using Hydrogen as fuel and producing Helium as waste. Fusion is not commercially developed. Fusion should be further researched because of its potential low pollution and nearly limitless source of energy. In a nuclear reactor, the fuel is a source of both energy and neutrons. Neutrons induce nuclear fission reactions in the fuel in a chain reaction. Water surrounding the fuel moderates neutron speeds to maintain the chain reaction. Control rods regulate the energy of the output of the reactor. The repeated risk assessments performed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission demonstrated the ability of multiple safety systems for containing nuclear radiation resulting from failures of reactor operators and key equipment. Contemporary reactors are now believed to be 10 times safer because of technological improvements and policy changes following the accident at Three Mile Island. Present-day light water reactors evolved from proven designs of smaller reactors for nuclear-powered submarines. The electric utility industry reasoned that economics favored large plants producing 1000 megawatts of electric-power, but the economics gained have been offset by costly safety conditions, and their design could prevent core meltdown even if all mechanical and electrical systems fail. The increasing concern about global warming motivates new regulations directed at carbon-intensive energy sources that may assuage the recent the recent appetite for burning the cheap shale gas. In turn, nuclear power plants produce almost no carbon dioxide. Conversation measures taken since the oil embargo in 1973 lessened the need for new electric power plants. However, demand for electric power is on the upswing and the capacity for meeting peak demands is decreasing. New power plants will be needed to meet demands for electricity. As of today, nuclear energy is considered as one of the most environmentally friendly source of energy. It produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions during the production of electricity as compared to traditional sources like coal power plants. Nuclear energy has the least effect on nature since it doesn’t discharge any gases like methane and carbon dioxide, which are the primary “greenhouse gases.” No unfavorable impact on water, land or any territories. There are environmental damages from nuclear energy such as radioactive waste disposal. Uranium is used in nuclear reactors, which is a nonrenewable source of energy, estimated 70-80 years left. Nuclear power produces very inexpensive electricity. The cost of the uranium is low. Even though the expense of setting up nuclear power plants is moderately high, the expense of running them is quite low. The normal life of nuclear reactor is anywhere from 40-60 years. These variables make the expense of delivering power low. Even if the cost of uranium goes up, the impact on the cost of power will be that much lower. We have enough uranium for another 70-80 years. A nuclear power plant when in the mode of producing energy can run uninterrupted for even a year. As solar and wind energy are dependent upon weather conditions, nuclear power plant has no such constraints and can run without disruption in any climatic condition. There are sure monetary focal points in setting up nuclear power plants and utilizing nuclear energy in lieu of traditional energy It is broadly accessible, there is a lot in storage, and it is believed that the supply is going to last much, much longer than that of fossil fuels that are used in the same capacity. At Chernobyl, the station consisted of four reactors, each producing 1,000 megawatts of electric power. On April 25–26, 1986, reactor four malfunctioned and exploded releasing large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere. The radioactive material travelled far and resulted in a 30 km evacuation. Doubling Dose is the amount of radiation that would cause additional mutations equal in number to those that already occur naturally from all causes, thereby doubling the naturally occurring rate of mutation. At Fukushima, cooling control failed during an earthquake. The earthquake was followed by a tsunami, causing a nuclear explosion. The future nuclear energy relies on investing in developing nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is renewable and has no waste. Researching other elements instead of uranium such as plutonium can make nuclear energy renewable. Strategically placing power plants away from risk of natural disasters increases the safety of nuclear power plants. Demand for nuclear energy is increasing with greater need for electricity. Finally, radioactive waste can be reprocessed to extract nuclear fuel. Questions: Is switching to renewable, cleaner forms of energy enough to combat climate change? Is nuclear energy a risk or an opportunity? Word Count: 1163 The water consumption of a typical American burger. Beef has a very high water footprint. Water Consumption It is easy to think I can control my water consumption by taking shorter showers and turning off the water when I brush my teeth. But the truth is the majority of my water consumption is “invisible water.” I consume this invisible water through the food I eat, the clothes I wear, and the products I purchase. My water use is not limited to kitchens, bathrooms, and water. In fact, most of my water use is taking place in stores, groceries, and restaurants. Purchasing products made with cotton, wood, or biofuel consumes a large quantity of water. Water footprints can calculate an individual’s water consumption in the same way that a carbon footprint measures contributions to climate change. My water footprint is the amount of water I consume day to day. This consumption includes all the water and energy that goes into the food I eat and products in my life. Understanding how much water I am consuming and from where is important in achieving water security for future generations. With climate change, salt-water intrusion, and development, the Earth’s water supply is dwindling. Limiting current water consumption will help sustain the Earth’s water resources for all living things on the planet. In the global economy, every consumer on average consumes as much as 5,00 liters of water every day. Everything we consume or use has a water footprint. Sometimes that footprint originated close to home, and other times water usage to grow food or produce consumer goods occurs far away from home in different countries. For example, in a sandwich I could have lettuce, tomato, and turkey all from different places around the globe. Although water is a renewable resource, it is finite. The amount of water today on the Earth is the same amount there was before humankind. However, the population is continuing to grow and each individual person is using more and more water. The available supply is also tainted by pollution and salt-water intrusion. Seasonal and geographical differences alter the amount of water. As climate change, creates different seasonal patterns and temperatures the amount of water is decreasing. In many places around the globe, communities are using more fresh water than the Earth’s natural limits sustain. My personal water footprint is 746.9 m3. This footprint is only based on my country of residence, my gender, dietary habits, and grossly yearly income. Interestingly females are projected to use less water. This may possibly be due to men typically consuming more meat than females. The global water footprint average is 1243 m3. I think my diet likely greatly decreased my water consumption as I consume very little meat. Surprisingly, vegetables and fruit contribute very little to water consumption. I put myself as a vegetarian even though I occasionally eat chicken. However, I do not consume dairy and the water footprint calculator included dairy as a large contributor to my water consumption. I intentionally do not consume red meat because of all the water it requires to raise cattle and process beef. My country of residence, United States, increased my water footprint because water consumption is higher in the United States as compared to other countries. The United States in general consumes more than other countries. Also, almost all areas of the United States have access to water. Americans also consume a large amount of water intensive food. My grossly yearly income is much smaller than other Americans, which restricts me from consuming more industry products and further contributing to my water footprint. I think everyone should calculate his or her personal water footprint, as it is difficult to detect hidden water. Understanding where and how you are consuming water is important to improve and secure future living conditions, while protecting animals and plants globally. Eating less meat greatly reduces water consumption. The water footprint of 7 ounces of beef is equivalent to 47 eight-minute showers. Most people would gage their water consumption by their shower time, when in reality just a single burger is 47 showers! Switching from chicken to beef can save 450,000 liters of water a year. I stopped eating beef and now instead eat chicken to greatly reduce my water footprint. Swapping chicken with beef is healthier and saves so much water and carbon emissions. I also switch out meat with vegetables, which have very small water footprints. I try to eat very little meat every week. Eating more plant passed is climate-conscious, water saving, and healthy. The Great Pacific Garbage Page is a gyre of garbage in the northern pacific ocean. Water Pollution
The limited water resources that the Earth has are becoming polluted. Pollution from just plastic alone is plaguing our oceans. The plastic in the ocean is not only depleting water supplies, but it is also greatly harming many organisms. The film Albatross depicts the death of thousands of birds from consuming plastic. The film takes place on Midway Island in the North Pacific Ocean. The island is more than 2000 miles from the closest continent, and yet birds on the island are dying from plastic consumption. The film depicts images of deceased birds with tons of plastic items in their stomachs. The birds are consuming plastic from the oceans, even though the closest continent is more than 2000 miles away. Tons and tons of plastic have accumulated in the ocean in what is none as the Great Pacific garbage patch. The patch is located halfway between Hawaii and California. The garbage patch is also described as the Pacific trash vortex, where a gyre of marine debris plastic particles collects in the north central Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific garbage patch is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world. Micro plastics are extremely harmful to marine life. Sea creatures, like turtles, also become entangled in the plastic. Scientists found more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in the garbage patch which is equivalent to an estimated 80,000 tons of plastic. It is estimated that 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic are entering the ocean each year from rivers. Plastic is not dense and is resilient, allowing it to withstand the ocean and float for long distances. All of this plastic accumulates in the garbage patch or continues to travel. Plastics that enter the gyre are unlikely to leave until the plastics have broken down into smaller micro plastics which are extremely harmful for marine life. Questions: How can we determine the water footprint of the products we buy before we purchase them? What should consumers look at on product and food labels that indicate a lower water footprint? Will images of animals dying because of plastic in their stomachs deter people from consuming plastic? Word Count: 1118 Sustainable fashion is not a trend but rather the future. Sustainable Fashion
I am very passionate about sustainable business and development, which I am studying at Fordham. I have always loved fashion, but I definitely struggle to explore this passion sustainably. I am very interested in implementing sustainability in the fashion industry. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter with 10% of global carbon emissions. The fashion industry is second to the oil industry! Fast fashion greatly contributes to the problem of fashion pollution. Fast fashion consists of companies like Forever 21, H&M, and Zara where they produce a huge supply of clothes, pushing out even more than four collections a year. Fast fashion usually follows current trends. Fast fashion retailers offer consumers a way to cheaply participate in trends. Because of the low price point of fast fashion retailers, the retailers are extremely successful and most consumers participate in fast fashion. The low price points of fast fashion mean the products are cheaply made. Even though trendy pieces from fast fashion are not designed to be worn for a long time, the pieces are often made with materials like polyester. Polyester and other petroleum based materials actually last for a very longtime. So fast fashion pieces that are thrown out after a few wears will not even biodegrade quickly. Consumers on average only wear a single clothing piece seven times before throwing out. Fast fashion pieces have an even lower average of wears before throwing out. Fast fashion probably is not going anywhere soon because of its low price points and the nature of trends in the fashion industry. Fast fashion companies should investigate replacing their cheaply-made, long-lasting materials with biodegradable materials. If a piece incorporates a trend that will only last a season, then the materials of that piece should only last a season. One of the most important concepts of sustainable fashion is circularity. Sustainable fashion implements concepts of the circular economy. Cradle-to-Cradle addresses creating products that are meant to be reused and repurposed instead of cradle to grave. Many sustainable fashion brands are investing in the materials they use and their supply chain to design clothes that last. Many of these brands strive to create timeless pieces, so that the customer will be able to wear the clothes for many years and eventually donate, recycle, or repurpose the clothes. Eileen Fisher has a program to recycle their clothes called renew that makes the fashion industry circular. Eileen Fisher strives to design clothes that last. When customers are done with the clothes Eileen Fisher takes them back. Renew is a take-back and reuse program that preserves the value of their clothes at every stage, in any condition. It’s part of their commitment to being circular by design. Customers bring back their old clothes and Eileen Fisher finds them another home. When customers’ clothes can no longer be worn, the program remakes them into one-of-a-kind designs—and they save the scraps, because they’re tomorrow’s raw materials. By taking responsibility for the lifecycle of their clothes, they’re patching up the holes in a flawed apparel industry and setting a new standard for sustainability. Every time someone chooses to bring clothes back or shop Renew, they’re helping us design a future without waste. Lafayette 148 is a socially conscious clothing brand. Lafayette 148 is closely involved with every part of the supply chain to ensure things are being done ethically and sustainably. The company built a beautiful, artistic factory and gives their workers amazing working conditions, education for their children, and more than fair wages. Additionally, they design their clothes to last and create timeless pieces to help create a more circular economy. The company invests in sustainable and organic materials. These materials are more expensive, which does create high price points. Lafayette 148 strives to have the most sustainable packaging and to transport clothes sustainably. Packaging is one of the most difficult and stagnant challenges that the retail industry faces. Puma reimagined their shoebox packaging to greatly decrease waste and carbon emissions. They removed the tissue and shoe inserts. Additionally they decreased the amount of cardboard used by creating a box with only three walls. The box is housed in a reusable bag that also encourages sustainable behavior to their consumers. The 65% reduction of cardboard contributed to one million of liters of water and eight thousand five hundred tons of paper, twenty million mega joules of electricity, and five hundred thousand liters of diesel saved. Companies that do not have sustainability at its core can still implement sustainable strategies and rethink their supply chain. Many sustainable and ethical fashion brands have high price points. The cheapest way to shop sustainably is through thrifting. Thrift shopping is usually extremely cost effective and consumers can purchase more unique pieces. Thrifted items are less likely to end up in the landfill and contribute to the circular economy. I have learned a lot about sustainable fashion and thrift shopping through volunteering with the Fordham Flea. The Fordham Flea is a program that collects used clothes from students and resells them to the Fordham community. The proceeds go to local environmental organizations. The Fordham Flea educates students on the harms of the fashion industry and the importance of second hand shopping. The Fordham Flea also provides students with affordable unique pieces. Second hand shopping is far more sustainable than purchasing new products. Reduced consumption is necessary to achieving sustainable development and mitigating the effects of climate change. Not all sustainable brands are very expensive though. New, more affordable sustainable clothing brands and services are emerging as the demand for sustainable fashion increases. It is important to vote with your wallet and spend money on sustainable brands instead of fast fashion brands. Many sustainable brands are out of reach of a college student’s budget. However, purchasing fewer, better quality pieces are a better investment in the long run that will save consumers money. A great new, affordable sustainable clothing brand is For Days, a clothing subscription service. For Days focuses on basics, namely T-shirts. Its subscription-based zero-waste approach makes it a little different. Consumers sign up for a membership and get a certified organic cotton T-shirt. The initial piece only costs $38. When you want a new T-shirt, you just order one for $8 and send back an old tee. All of the items sent back in are “sorted, sanitized, broken down and blended into fresh new yarn” for new T-shirts those costumers can buy to update their wardrobe. Questions: How can we encourage fast fashion brands to consider sustainable materials? Is it better to support sustainable brands or shop second hand? What new sustainable fabrics have the best possibility of making it into fast fashion? Word Count: 1131 Food Inc is a documentary revealing how industrial agriculture and farming has completely changed the food system. in the United States. Food Inc The way we eat has changed more in the past 50 years than in the past 10,000 years. A trip to the average American supermarket displays packaging that display imagery of quaint farms on meat packaging. These images of farms are merely a pastoral fantasy. None of these products are coming from a small farm, but rather an industrial, cruel factory that could not be further from the picturesque happy animals and red bard. There are 47,00 products on average in the modern American supermarket. Most of the products are just reengineering of corn. Majority of our food is clever rearrangement of corn. All of the obscure ingredients in processed food are from corn. 30% of agriculture land is for corn growing as it is cheap and easy to redesign. There are no seasons in the American supermarket. All produce is available regardless of the season. Although American consumers can find a tomato at any local grocery store, what they are purchasing is only a notional tomato that required ethanol gas to ripen and thousands of miles to travel. The environmental impacts of eating foods that are not seasonal or endemic to one’s area has tremendous environmental impacts, as the food has to travel great distances to reach the consumer. The emissions from food transportation greatly contribute to climate change. The reality is Americans do not know where their food is coming from. Plump red tomatoes, farm images, and no bones in the meat aisle are all disguises as to where our food is coming from. The reality is a factory not a farm. If Americans knew the reality of where their food is coming from, would they eat the same? Animals and the workers are being abused inside factory farms. Videos and images inside the factory farms are disgusting, saddening, and shocking. The powerful food corporations deliberately hide the world of the food industry from us. A few corporations control the entire food industry, particularly the meat industry. Years ago there were thousands of factory farms contributing to consumer meat, today there are only a few producing all of the American meat. However, a single hamburger can have meat in it from thousands of cattle. This is troublesome as one infected cow can contaminate thousands of burgers. E. Coli is in meat from feeding cows corn. A food security advocate discussed in the film the poor standards for food security and safety in the industry, whose son, Kevin, died from E. Coli in 12 days. Kevin’s law allows the USDA to shut down a plant that repeatedly produces contaminated meat. It is still working to be passed. The fast food industry expedited the current state of our food system. It began with the 1940s drive in. McDonalds realized they could be more profitable by removing the drive in element and implementing a factory system to the back of the kitchen. Assembly line food production enabled McDonalds to quickly produce food and underpay workers to do one simple task. McDonalds controls so much of our food system. McDonalds is one of the largest purchasers of meat and the largest purchaser of potatoes. Chicken farming enabled people to produce a lot of food on a small amount of land cheaply After the decline of Tobacco many farmers turned to chicken farming. Farmers have now redesigned chickens to grown in 49 days with larger breasts. Thousands of chickens are kept in one single house. Many of these chickens never see the light of day. Dark ventilated houses where chickens are raised have poor air quality conditions and feces on the ground. Many of the chickens struggle to walk as they are engineered to grow faster, have bigger breasts, and are too heavy for their bones. The chickens fall in their feces and die. Branding from the reducetarian website encouraging individuals to consume less animal products and adjust to a more plant-based diet. The Reducetarian Movement
I have strived to be vegan and vegetarian but struggle to completely cut foods out of my diet. I do not have a very big appetite for meat and I do not consume dairy because of dietary restrictions. It has been challenging to adhere to veganism or vegetarianism as a college foodie, and it so challenging to cut out animal products from your diet for so many people. I found the Reducetarian movement to be the perfect diet for me to get behind that supports my lifestyle, beliefs, and environmental concerns. It is composed of individuals who are committed to eating less meat - red meat, poultry, and seafood - as well as less dairy and fewer eggs, regardless of the degree or motivation. This concept is appealing because not everyone is willing to follow an "all-or-nothing" diet. However, reducetarianism is still inclusive of vegans, vegetarians, and anyone else who reduces the amount of animal products in their diet. With less meat and more fruits and veggies, reducetarians live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Reducetarians set manageable and actionable goals to gradually eat fewer animal products. Eating less meat is good for the well-being of animals and the environment. The simple act of reducing meat intake can transform an individual’s health and the planet. Red Meat I have chosen to cut red meat out of my diet. I found it very difficult to cut chicken entirely out of my diet for health and convenience reasons. However, stopping eating red meat has many health benefits such as weight loss, decreased blood pressure, more energy, heart health, and better digestion. The environmental causes Raising animals for food requires massive amounts of land, feed, energy, and water, and causes immense animal suffering. A staggering 51 percent or more of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture, according to a report published by the Worldwatch Institute. Each year the livestock sector produces 59 million tons of cattle and buffalo meat globally and 11 million tons of meat from sheep and goats. Americans eat 270 pounds of meat per person per year, on average, in comparison to other countries’ per person average of around four pounds. So choosing alternative sources of protein can reduce this damage significantly, for a better future for the next generation and a healthier future for an aging population. Also, ethically it is hard for me to look at a cow or a pig, a mammal, and be okay with eating it. Perhaps, I justify eating a chicken more easily because of a birds distance from mammals and human species. Questions: If Americans knew the reality of where their food is coming from, would they eat the same? How can we implement reduceatarianism in more Americans diets? How much does eliminating cow and cow products from your diet reduce environmental impacts? Word Count: 1127 The Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico from algal blooms. Aquatic Biodiversity The deep ocean bottom is the largest unexplored area of the earth. There is estimated to be millions of species living in the ocean that humans have yet to be identified by humans. These estimates are derived from island biogeography. Sample areas are surveyed for species, and the quantity of unidentified species in a given area can be multiplied to provide larger estimates. Estimates suggest that scientists only know about 1-2% of the species in the ocean and about 5% of terrestrial species. Despite the vastness of the Earth’s bodies of water, aquatic habitats have been diminishing at a rapid rate due to the treat of anthropogenic effects, rising water temperatures and carbon dioxide levels from climate change, invasive species, and rising populations. Coastal zones are greatly threatened and are one of the most important providers of economic ecological services. The increase of carbon dioxide in the environment from industrialization and pollution results in increased levels of carbon dioxide in the ocean as well. The increased levels of carbon dioxide result in ocean acidification. Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico Red tides caused by algal blooms and decomposition of algae has greatly altered aquatic habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. Chemical fertilizers runoff ends up in the mouth of the Mississippi River accelerating eutrophication. Chemical fertilizers have become necessary for industrial agriculture. 1,150,000 metric tons of nitrogen pollution traveled to the Gulf of Mexico. The Toledo Algae Bloom in 2014 left the area without clean healthy drinking waters in Toledo and thousands of communities throughout the United States. Food distributers need to establish more sustainable practices. Policies need to establish more limitations on agricultural runoff. Additionally, stricter water content standards and properly mapping out hotspots and zones at risks will be helpful in addressing the issues of runoff and eutrophication. The runoff from the Mississippi River and its tributaries is destroying habitats displacing aquatic species further out, creating invasive species elsewhere. The eutrophication has cost the tourism and seafood industry greatly. The Hypoxia Task Force through the EPA is working on strategies to fix issues in the tributaries. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System is working with this task force at the local watershed level. A tributary is a river or stream that flows into a larger body of water. Watersheds are all of the land that affects a body of water with runoff. Runoff occurs when precipitation flows over impervious sediments; only bad when other pollutants comes with it. Soil, Agriculture, and Food Developed countries used industrial farms, where a single farm will feed many people. Because of industrial agriculture, developed countries are overfed. Less developed countries use subsistence agriculture, where a single family may provide food for just themselves. Subsistence farming in developing countries results in many countries with a lack of food security. Future food production is projected to be limited. Industrial agriculture harms biodiversity. Monoculture inhibits genetic biodiversity. Industrial farming decreases soil fertility and increases erosion. Soil can become overly saturated with salt. Water is greatly wasted in industrial agriculture. Pesticides diminish air and water quality. Nitrates in the water and pesticide residue harms human health as well. Industrial agriculture also greatly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Indoor vertical farming system of varies species of greens. Vertical Farming
Vertical farming addressed the issue of feeding urban areas with large consumption demand and lack of agricultural land space. Vertical farming allows for agricultural production in the cityscape. Vertical farming is farming indoors, using hydroponics eliminating fertilizers. Tall buildings will consist of floors of greenhouses, limiting agricultural space. Vertical farming is close-looped agriculture with no pollution or runoff. Implementing vertical farming could drive cities to becoming sustainable, balanced ecosystems. Vertical farms also minimize cost and energy consumption from food transportation. The transportation of food also contributes to carbon emissions. 1,300 miles is the average travel of where food is grown versus where it is consumed. All of the energy could be derived from the sun through transparent infrastructure. Additional energy for pumping could be harvested from the sun as well through solar panels. Hydroponics systems makes nutrient cycling easier. Crops can also grow year-round in any environment because of the climate controlled conditions, which will increase production and crop yield. None of the harmful effects exhibited in industrial agriculture are present in hydroponics. Vertical farms have a relatively small physical and ecological footprint. No more degrading forests or grasslands for croplands, and existing industrial agricultural land can be returned to nature. Vertical farming have high initial costs because of real estate costs in cities. Hydroponics Many vertical farming systems propose to use hydroponics. In our class discussion, we talked about how easy hydroponics is to maintain. I would most certainly agree with that, as in eighth grade my classmates and I successfully grew crops using hydroponics. As part of my eighth grade science curriculum my class endeavored growing either tomatoes, peppers, or beans. My classmates and I would grow the plants using different mediums and methods to determine the best and most efficient way to produce plants. Our class would grow our plant selection in soil, perlite, and hydroton. The growing method used to produce plants in the perlite and hydroton would be hydroponics. Hydroponics is the method of growing plants without soil. Instead of nutrients in the soil, plants thrive on a nutrient solution, which contains the minerals that the plants need. So, rather than searching throughout the soil for minerals, your plants are able to get nutrients easily, directly from the nutrient solution. Grow media -- such as gravel, peat, vermiculite, Perlite, coco, old rubber tires, rockwool or expanded clay aggregates -- is often used to support the plants and their root systems and perhaps to hold moisture around the roots. The growing medium is not a source of nutrients in itself. My original hypothesis was that hydroponics would yield better plants. Hydroponics initially requires less effort. My teacher created a large self-watering hydroponic system for our plants to dwell in. The plants were nurtured with a solution consisting of water and “Miracle Grow”. The Miracle Grow contains nutrient supplements of Ammonium Sulfate, Potassium Chloride, Urea, Urea Phosphate, Boric Acid, Copper Sulfate, Iron EDTA, Manganese EDTA, Sodium, and Zinc Sulfate. Dispersing one solution through out the system also made managing pH levels easier. The plants have immediate access to water so I assumed they would grow quicker. I had also believed that hydroton would serve as a better growing medium then soil. Hydroton eliminates weeds and soil-born pests and diseases. Therefore I had hypothesized that hydroponics would be a more efficient growing method and yield better plants. Questions: What are the main limitations to implementing vertical farming? How can we make tower gardens more accessible to urban citizens? Could Fordham implement vertical farming in the owned abandoned buildings off campus? Should hydroponics be required in early level biology education? Word Count: 1154 |
AuthorI am a senior at Fordham University, studying Economics, Environmental Studies, and Sustainable Business. My research interests include dune and plant ecology, coastal management, conservation, and climate change. CategoriesArchives |