Recap: Greener Days Style

Well folks, its about that time. We've been blogging for the past 4 or 5 weeks and giving you our take for becoming a greener planet. We were the ones that got ourselves into this hole and we're the ones that have to do our part to prevent anything else from happening. We have tried to have specific topics of weeks that we emphasize how we go green with a specific topic.We have covered Water usage, Electricity, Trash and Resource Depletion. These topics have been our own that we have come up with to try and put our little twist on to make a different effort to go green in these ways and prevent more harm against the Earth.

We have learned that this is crucial to our environment. Going green has been very positive, but we need more people to be involved. We have learned with Dr. Stasz, this book entitled Eaarth by Bill McKibben that the Earth is a ticking time bomb that is waiting to explode and vanish. He also goes on to say that this planet we live on, currently is not the same Earth, but a totally different place. We think that there is hope and we will be able to bring change to our environment. Throughout these 5 weeks, we have been going away from the normal advertisements of going green and doing our own thing. We want to take the initiative and be creative with ways to turn the environment green. We want to show the facts about these topics to give people the real world perspective of how bad our environment truly is. We hope that we were able to convince you on going green and doing your part to helping this Earth become a better place for our future. Adios, Goodbye, Ciao, it's been real. Thanks for following us on the journey!

B. L. J.= Greener days gang!

Plenty of Fish in the Sea? Think Again.

Plenty of Fish in the Sea? Think Again.

When you think about environmental issues such as the depletion of our natural resources, what comes to mind? Oil, minerals, and our planet’s forests probably come to mind first, but what about are other natural resources that are being depleted? Have you ever heard the phrase “there’s plenty of fish in the sea”? Well due to extensive overfishing of our earths, that is not necessarily the case anymore.

            Overfishing is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves and it is rapidly causing aquatic species to become depleted, endangered or even extinct. At the moment, the fisheries for the most sought after species like orange roughy, Chilean sea bass, and bluefin tuna have collapsed to that point that the species are now on the endangered species list. Did you know that more than 70 percent of the worlds fisheries are “fully exploited”, “over exploited” or “significantly depleted”? In addition, the techniques to get these and other highly fished species across the globe are destructive due to their being unselective practices and using gear that often captures and/or kills non-target species while in the process destroying marine habitats on the sea floor. For example, bycatch and discards are unwanted marine species caught while fishing for another species and are often thrown back dead after capture. These practices are highly disruptive to the food chain which also affects species that are not directly affected by fishermens nets or dredge nets by removing their source of food or their habitat which causes them to compete with other species for food and protection.

            But what is causing this obscene amount of overfishing in the past few years? Two words people: supply and demand. Fish and shellfish make up one of the most diverse and delicious sources of food for the human population and now that it is readily available in grocery stores and at relatively low costs compared to past generations, there is an even greater demand for fish and shellfish than ever before. However, seeing as the majority of the population is not willing to sacrifice their fish-fry Fridays for the sake of replenishing our oceans, what else can be done to stop the depletion of our oceans natural fisheries and the destruction of our marine ecosystems? According to National Geographic, “Many scientists say most fish populations could be restored with aggressive fishery management, better enforcement of laws governing catches, and increased use of aquaculture (the farming of aquatic organisms in order to cultivate new populations of species under controlled condition where they are most likely to thrive).” In other words, fisheries need now more than ever to abide by safe catch limits by placing controls on bycatch and to avoid fishing in parts of habitats that are important to the creation of new species such as spawning and nursing grounds. But there are still doubts whether even these measures will be successful as illegal fishing and unsustainable harvesting are still major issues in the fishing industry. Now while the majority of the population are not commercial fishermen, as a n individual you can try to prevent overfishing from continuing to occur by being informed on the subject and passing along the word, and knowing what you eat and how it is being fished from the sea. Well thats all for now folks, but we hope to see you and all the fish in Greener Days!

Sources:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/overfishing/

http://overfishing.org/pages/what_can_I_do_to_help.php

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-overfishing/

           

Farming in the Works

Farming in the Works:

Are you proud to be an American? It seems that recently The United States has been spotlighted for issues that have not always represented our country in the best of light. From government issues and immigration laws to global trading policy and infrastructure, our country has been ridiculed and a source of controversy to other countries all over the world. However, have you ever stopped to think about what parts of American life are admired by other countries? If we have anything to be proud of it is our film industry and our agriculture industry. While the film industry provides pleasure and entertainment, our American agriculture industry provides a necessity to not only Americans but also people all over the world. That necessity is food.

Our American agriculture is noted worldwide for its high productivity, quality, and efficiency in delivering goods to the consumer. With over 2.2 million farms covering an area of over 922 million acres, American agriculture is a large industry that shoulders the job of feeding the country. From small organic farms to large commercial farms, farmers and ranchers are constantly trying to find ways to increase crop or meat yield and create new ways to manage pests. While the majority of our farmers and ranchers go about their business with the upmost of morals concerning their impact on the environment, there are still other measures that can be taken to further reduce their impact on the environment while not sacrificing the health and efficiency of their products…….

Agriculture and farming is such a vital part of our society and well-being and yet the majority of the population knows little to nothing about the subject. Therefore The Greener Days crew would like to make y’all more knowledgeable about the link between American agriculture and its impact on the environment. We would then like you to use this knowledge to challenge our farmers and ranchers to do better by the environment while still producing the best quality of crops and/ or meat. Do you think this sounds too harsh? Think again- these people are made of the toughest breed and if they can battle elements such as the rain and sun, they will welcome your claims with open arms.

So, next time you go to the supermarket to buy some corn, steak, and potatoes for that perfect hearty American meal, consider where these products came from and how their production impacted the environment. Do a little research on the companies from which you usually buy and see how they manage their livestock grazing, for example. Overgrazing can expose soils, increase erosion, and reduce the filtration of sediment necessary for building stream banks, wet meadows, and floodplains. If farmers and ranchers are adjusting their herds grazing intensity, keeping their livestock out of sensitive areas, and revegetating rangeland and pastureland, they are doing their upmost to reduce their impacts of grazing on water and land quality. In addition to grazing, pay attention to how farmers and ranchers manage pests. Are these farms using toxic pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide formulas that after entering water through direct application, runoff, or wind transport cause contamination, kill fish and wildlife, poison food sources for animals, and destroy the habitats of aquatic organisms? Or are the farms and ranches you buy produce and meat from managing their pests by Integrated Pest Management techniques that are low impact and catered specifically to each plot of land or livestock herd? How are these farms and ranches managing irrigation? By irrigating their crops and watering their livestock through timed practices that are designed specifically with the needs of the certain product, farmers and ranchers can avoid wasting water and by not overwatering crops, agricultural runoff can be decreased or prevented because the soil is able to absorb all the water.

Managing livestock grazing, pesticide use, and irrigation techniques are only three daily practices that farmers and ranchers can improve or change to reduce their impact on the environment while still feeding our bellies. By looking at labels and packaging and researching what farms and ranches across the country are doing to be more green, we are able to commend those that are practicing more environmentally safe agriculture services and challenge those farms that are not to rise to our standards while at the same time still thanking them for all that they do for us.

Sources:

http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/outreach/point6.cfm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_the_United_States

Caution!! Oil Consumption Is At An All-time High!

           In the 21^st century, there are two major problems that are plaguing our earth: overpopulation of the developing world and overconsumption in the developed world. It is all about resources. There are either too many people consuming few resources or a few people consuming too many resources. Any way you look at, the earth does not have enough resources to go around. Resource depletion occurs when all of the natural resources in an area, both renewable and non-renewable have been exhausted. Human beings currently use resources far more quickly than they can be replenished. There are many of the earth’s resources that have crept into the red zone of scarcity, but one that we need to turn our attention to at the moment is oil.

           

            In the 1950’s, M. King Herbert came up with the concept of Peak Oil.  According to M. Kin Herbert, “All oil fields are observed to peak and decline in output; the same process happens with entire nations. Global oil production will peak at some point as well, after which a steady decline in global oil production will occur”. With populations increasing and economic growth of developing countries, the demand for oil will increase as well and there will be less for consumption. Some negative effects of Peak Oil consumption are:

•          increased costs for the production of goods and services
•          inflation
•          unemployment
•          reduced demand for products other than oil
•          lower capital investment

Forecasts have predicted the timing of Peak Oil consumption to occur from now until 2030. With the wide range and uncertainty of surrounding the forecast of Peak Oil consumption, we need to take action on lowering oil the consumption of oil before it is too late.

           

           Luckily, The Oil Depletion Protocol was proposed by Dr. Colin Campbell, a prominent petroleum geologist and founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO), in 1996. This protocol is an international agreement that will enable nations of the world to cooperatively reduce their dependence on oil. By agreeing to the protocol, nations agree to reduce oil imports and exports by a specified amount each year, about 2.6 percent; signatory nations will help mitigate the negative consequences of an over-reliance on cheap oil and help prepare for a global decline in the world’s oil supply. This will produce, in effect, a global rationing system. If the entire world adopted the Protocol, global consumption of oil would decline by almost 3 percent per annum, thus stabilizing prices, preserving the resource base, and reducing competition for remaining supplies. It is time to take action now, before it’s too late.

To Read The Oil Depletion Protocol by Dr. Colin Campbell Go To: http://richardheinberg.com/odp/theprotocol

T.Y.G.

Taking Root: Stopping Resource Depletion and Moving Forward towards Living a Greener Lifestyle

"Taking Root." What do you think of when you hear that phrase? To me I immediately picture taking something by force and acting upon it. It's a very aggressive phrase if you stop and think about it. "Taking Root" is not for the faint of heart. It's for those who have the courage to seize it. The past few weeks, I've been challenging myself to "take root" and change my lifestyle by going green. As of today, May 3, 2012 at 11:20 AM, I am proud to say that I've been "Taking Root" in my daily life. It is far from easy, so I think that it's okay to share it with the world.

Thinking about the phrase "Taking Root" from a different perspective, it is also a mental challenge and not just physical. I've been battling my inner demons over going with the flow with the social norm and taking the easy path versus stepping out of my comfort zone and not giving a crap over what anyone thinks. I am also proud to say that I took the tough path. Know when I think of "going green," I don't just shrug it off and put it off for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I've been slowly and surely adopting greener habits, which are now ingrained into my conscious. There's no way I'm going back to the way I was before.

Throwing the "status quo" out of the window and taking the rocky road were some of the themes we explored in Global class today. We watched part of a documentary called, wait for it.... Taking Root. It followed the journey of the Nobel Peace Prize winning Kenyan named Wangari Maathai. She founded the the Green Belt Movement, a grassroots non-governmental organization based in Nairobi, Kenya that focuses on how environmental conservation can help develop communities and create peace. And you want to know how the women involved in the movement did that? By planting trees. Yes, I kid you not. By helping to empower Kenyan women, the Green Belt Movement fights deforestation and helps build economic development that can help these women. Since the movement started in 1977, over 40 million trees have been planted. 


However, Wangari and the Kenyan women could not simply just plant a tree. They had to fight against Colonialism and the power struggle that was going on in Kenya in the time, along with the crucial fact that women were supposed to be submissive in society. But Wangari did not take no for an answer. She defied the status quo that had ruled the country for hundreds of years while not taking an easy path to get solutions.

Wangari Maathai "took root." Wangari Maathai took action. Wangari Maathai did not ignore the problem. Wangari Maathai fought to find a solution.


For this last week of blogging, my group wanted to focus on resource depletion. Well the way to stop resource  depletion is for YOU, YES YOU READING THIS, to "take root." I'm far from being perfect at it, but after 5 weeks, I can say that I am taking root. The tides are changing.

So my message for you is to go forth and take root in your community. It is time for you to join me in conserving what we take for granted, natural resources. Times are changing for the better, so stand up and go forth and implement that change! Don't worry, you won't be alone. I'll be taking the journey with you.

Until the next time we meet.

S.P. 

Save our Air

Have you ever stopped to think about trees? And I mean really think about them? I will be the first to admit that I never really did. Now, however, I am forcing myself to do so. Most people really believe that the world could ever run out of trees, and while it is somewhat of crazy thought, at the rate we are cutting them down, we are starting to really make a dent. And think about the consequences of losing all of these trees. Not only are we taking away the beauty that mother earth has provided us, but we are also taking away our oxygen.  Now I don’t know about you, but the last time I checked, I couldn’t last for very long without oxygen.

So here we are, cutting down all these trees and slowly extinguishing the valuable air that we breathe. And for what? Some overly large buildings that we don’t need; but that is not what I am here to talk about because, lets be honest, we personally probably can’t do to much to change that. Instead, what I am here to talk about is paper. I discussed a couple of weeks ago how astonished I was about the amount of paper we go through. But lets think about it this way, one person estimated that a single pine tree (what it seems most paper is made of) can produce 80,500 sheets of paper. That may seem like a very large number, but think about all of those large corporations that print out hundred page manuals, or all of the books you read. In retrospect, that number is probably much smaller than everyone thinks it is. Multiple trees are most likely gone through each year because we as a society has this obsessive need to print out every little bit of information on a piece of paper.

Now here is my second question. If we are a world of technology and are always advancing, why do we still feel the need to print everything out? People love the Internet, and their e-mails, so why not put them to good use? Classrooms should become 100% paper-free, everything turned in electronically. Those large corporations, instead of printing out a workers manual for every employee, shoot it too them in an email. When we buy a new gadget, have the instructions on a disk to pop in your computer instead of those booklets that no one really understand anyway. The books that we read, instead read them on those kindles that everyone is raving about.

Next time you reach for that print button, seriously think to yourself, is there any other way for me to accomplish my goal besides printing. Do this, make the right decision, and you would be helping to save one of our planets most precious resources. One that saves our lives everyday.

A.M.Y. 

It's not all about ME

I’m a water waster, I will admit it.  After I come back for a run there is nothing I want to do more than to jump in the shower with all my clothes on.  I do have slightly more self control than that, but still I spend a lot of time post work out in the shower.  I start the water cold to cool off, and then slowly turn it up till the hot water is soothing my sore muscles; the whole time not doing anything but standing in the stream of the water.  In reality I could probably be in and out of the shower in four minutes, but I stand around relaxing instead, knowing I have enough time to do so before my next class.  Does it occur to me that people may be parched in some foreign country, or that some take baths in rivers? No the only thing I am thinking about is myself; and that way of thinking cannot go on any longer.

In the eighteen hundreds people used to take baths all in the same tub with the same water.  The people bathing would take turns starting with the males and go in decreasing age order, then switching gender and repeating the process.  This was a very simple way in which they were able to conserve water.  Nowadays we know that this was not very sanitary, so I am not suggesting we do this now but there are other ways to help conserve water.  For example, whenever my family is headed out of the house my sister and I always brush our teeth first.  Instead of us both separately turning on the water we could both stick our toothbrushes under the faucet simultaneously.   This may only be a small amount of water but over time those little bits of water will amount to something larger.  Also as mentioned earlier in the blog the toilets here at Elon have a two way flush as a way of conserving water.  And they are so powerful that I rarely find the need to ever push it down.  I can assure you even saving the tiniest amount will make a difference.  I know you frequently hear people saying turn off the water when you brush your teeth and wash your face, but have you ever really done it? And would it hurt you to turn it off? Probably not.  Changing the planet and conserving its resources are things we need to work on as a whole globe, and its time to stop only thinking about our wants and needs. WE NEED TO BE IN THIS TOGETHER, because if the planet goes down so do all of us.  So in order to change I have to remember it’s not all about me.

TC