WINTER 2020
The Green Observer R E A D
G R E E N .
L I V E
G R E E N .
Editor's Letter
Dear Observers, We are writing to you with peace this winter season. Since our last issue, we have lived through a number of monumental changes. The United States faces a new administration, which will be responsible for tackling the defining issues of our time. As the COVID-19 pandemic surges around the world, systemic injustices become ever more prominent, and the climate crisis magnifies in intensity, we are often left feeling trapped in our own environments of isolation and divisiveness. Yet, we hope that our collection of stories and art remind you of the elements that unify us as human beings coexisting on one Earth.
In this edition of the Green Observer, we will present tales of inspiration and information on how you can make a meaningful difference. As a global community, we have the power to protect our environment and discover our own strength and resilience through collective action. "The environment, after all, is where we all meet, where we all have a mutual interest. It is one thing that all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become." -Lady Bird Johnson
TAIYA TKACHUK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Meet Our Staff
TAIYA TKACHUK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
SHALLON MALFEO SOCIAL CHAIR
ANTONIO CISNEROS YMCA BOARD REP
ZOE HUSPEN
ARIANA PALERMO
GRACE GUDWIEN TREASURER
VERONICA CASEY
LAUREN UMBRIGHT
EMMA RODER
LUCY QUINN ART CHAIR
ALEXANDRA SCHNEEBERGER
JESSICA FITZPATRICK
JOE LEHMAN
Table of Contents 5
7
9
HELPING OUR FEATHERED
A GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY
WINTER WALKS
FRIENDS THROUGH WINTER
WITHIN THE BEAUTY WORLD
- ANTONIO CISNEROS
- JESSICA FITZPATRICK
- ZOE HUSPEN
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11
15
GREEN IT YOURSELF:
THE WORLD’S FIRST
BEEKEPING CLUB UIUC
ORANGE GARLAND
SUSTAINABLE CITY
- LAUREN UMBRIGHT
- TAIYA TKACHUK
- LAUREN UMBRIGHT
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18
19
HOUSE PLANTS = A MORE
COSMIC CASTLE
CAPITALISM IS UNSUSTAINABLE
POSITIVE OUTLOOK
- LUCY QUINN
- SHALLON MALFEO
- ARIANA PALERMO 21
23
27
BIRDS, LAWYERS, AND
THE SUCCULENT SAVIOR
FIGHTING FOOD INSECURITY
ACCIDENTS:
- VERONICA CASEY
THROUGH SUSTAINABLE
THE MIGRATORY BIRD ACT
FARMING
TREATY AND THE APA
- GRACE GUDWIEN
- JOE LEHMAN
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Helping Our Feathered Friends Through Winter JESSICA FITZPATRICK
As we dive into winter’s snowy days and chilly nights, we find ourselves bracing for the cold weather by bundling up and hitting the comfort food. Our neighborhood birds are in the same boat! Whether they are staying in town for the winter or passing through on their migration, they are focused on meeting their needs. All living things need three crucial things for survival: food, water, and shelter. Birds are no exception. To help them through winter, I have compiled a few tips to make your yard a welcoming refuge in a harsh, icy landscape.
Food The best way to provide food through the winter is to
If you do not have a garden or do not have food-bearing
plant native shrubs and trees that produce berries, nuts,
plants, there are other ways you can provide food. Setting
or seeds. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources
out bird feeders is a great way to provide for birds when
has compiled a handy list of native trees and shrubs as
food resources are scarce. An added bonus is getting to
well as the type of food each provides. Choosing native
watch your visitors enjoy the feeders throughout the year.
plant species is important because they will be best
Backyard birds are a fun way to challenge your bird
adapted to the climate and provide the best resources to
identification skills as migratory birds pass through and
local wildlife. By planting a few of these food-bearing
local birds change their plumage! Providing caloric foods
plants, you can feed birds and local wildlife through winter
like sunflower seeds and suet gives birds the energy they
and into spring.
need to survive the winter. It is important to routinely clean your bird feeders in order to protect birds from spreading
When tending to your garden, it can be tempting to cut
diseases to each other and to avoid a build-up of moldy or
back all dead vegetation, collect seeds, and clean up
soiled seeds. You can clean your feeder with a bottlebrush
every last leaf. Sometimes less is more. Reigning in your
and 10% solution of non-chlorinated bleach. Rinse and air
yard work can help provide much needed resources to our
dry before refilling with food.
local wildlife. Leaving seed heads on flowers like the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) or Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) can provide natural beauty and texture in your garden as well as food for birds. Keeping some leaves on the ground provides foraging opportunities for birds that dig through the leaves and debris for worms and other larvae.
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Water
Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Clean water can be difficult to find when everything is
Looking for a creative way to repurpose your Christmas
frozen and dry. Not only do birds need clean water for
tree after the holidays? Set it outside against your fence
drinking, but they also require regular bathing to maintain
or house and birds will use it for cover through winter
their down feathers that keep them warm. Providing a bird
and into early spring. To up the ante in benefits and
bath in your yard is a great way to help birds meet these
festiveness, you can decorate your tree with edible
needs. Clean the bird bath as needed and ensure that it
ornaments like a pinecone smeared with peanut butter
remains filled throughout the season.
and birdseed. Following these tips will help our local birds and wildlife through the winter as well as provide you with
Shelter
opportunities to get in touch with your local wildlife.
The best shelter you can provide in your yard is native trees and shrubs. They provide leafy cover and small cavities for the birds, protecting them from the elements and predators. Native conifers like the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), or Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) are great choices as they keep their foliage year-round. Ground cover is another way to create shelter. A brush pile with branches and leaves provides cover for birds as well
as
other
wildlife
such
as
rabbits,
turtles,
salamanders, and insects. As an added bonus, the leaves protect plant roots from low temperatures and the decomposed leaf debris can be used next year to fertilize your garden. If you do not have a garden or you have already completed your yard work for the year, roost boxes are another way to provide shelter. There are many DIYs online if you are feeling crafty. Otherwise, you can purchase them online.
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A Guide to Sustainability Within the Beauty World ZOE HUSPEN
The beauty industry has attempted to promote "sustainable beauty" as the concept of sustainability has risen to popularity in many sectors. The cosmetic industry produces about 120 billion units of packaging globally each year, and the shipping industry alone contributes over 1 billion tons of CO2 a year. The beauty industry is a contributor to consider in the current climate change crisis. Sustainable beauty is also difficult to define because many cosmetics brands have different definitions of what sustainability means, which dictates the specific labeling they choose to put on their packaging. I have compiled a couple tips to make navigating the world of sustainable beauty a bit easier. 1. Consider buying a reusable makeup remover if you wear makeup. For years, I removed my makeup every day with a makeup wipe. Around 7.6 billion pounds of facial wipes end up in landfills each year, but there is an alternative to this wasteful item. I purchased the Makeup Eraser brand makeup remover cloth, and I have not used a makeup wipe since. All you have to do is wet the cloth and it will remove all of your makeup for the day, and you can throw it in with your other laundry to make it good as new. These makeup removers can last for years while also being a more affordable option than constantly repurchasing makeup wipes.
2. Properly dispose of your makeup products. Only 9% of plastics actually end up being recycled in the U.S., so make sure that you remove any makeup residue when you are recycling a product to avoid it being contaminated. Some brands like Kiehls have trade-in programs for a discount, and other brands like the Body Shop, Pantene, and Dove are starting to offer limited programs where customers can recycle or refill their products from the brand. I would suggest a quick Internet search to see if your empty item can be brought back or mailed to the store you bought it from.
Image source
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3. Learn the meanings behind the different labels companies put on their makeup. Companies strive for the cruelty-free certification from Leaping Bunny because that means they are pledging to not test their product on animals. They can only label their products as "cruelty-free" instead of the Leaping Bunny certification if they have production in China because animal testing occurs there. Brands can also become B-corp certified, but it's rare because there is a rigorous testing process using the UN's benchmarks for sustainable development to determine if a brand can obtain certification. There are many labels a company can use to call itself "eco-friendly" or "ecoforward", but the story goes further than the label. The most straightforward certification to look out for is the Leaping Bunny because you know that there is no animal testing occuring.
Although the benchmarks for sustainable beauty can be complicated, it is promising to see that more and more companies are starting to value sustainability as a part of their brand. The cosmetic industry still has a long way to go, but it is important for us as consumers to be aware of what we are buying in order to create positive changes.
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Winter Walks ANTONIO CISNEROS
Outside the warmth, the cozy, the comfortable We walk beneath the bones of giants Amongst glacial winds and frigid earth, our roots are far less able. This graveyard tells a story of selfless souls who now stand silent Yet eager for the moment, the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, to blossom and be grateful I keep these memories of seasons passed clutched close against my heart Warming me in ways that make chocolate fall apart The vibrant greens of spring and kaleidoscopic shades of autumn Are present in the moment when my skin begins to numb These Winters tether my existence to the renewal of the frost
Green It Yourself: Orange Garland
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TAIYA TKACHUK
MATERIALS Looking for a way to spruce up your home for the Holidays? As citrus begins to come into the season, dried orange garlands are perfectly simple and sustainable decorations!
2 NAVEL ORANGES STRING OR RIBBON BAKING SHEET
Oranges have been a part of winter holiday tradition since the
KNIFE
19th century, and there's no mystery to why they stay popular
CUTTING BOARD
today. This easy craft is affordable, beautiful, and biodegradable! Now, let's walk through the steps of making your own unique garland:
1. Gather all your materials and begin by slicing your navel oranges. Use your knife to cut the oranges into slices approximately 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick. 2. Lay out your orange slices and blot both sides with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
3. Lay out your oranges on a baking tray and bake at 250° F for about 2 hours, flipping the slices every 30 minutes. 4. Let the oranges cool and proceed to cut 2 small holes at the top of each slice, about 2 cm apart. 5. Weave your string or ribbon through the holes you made in the oranges and cut the garland to your desired length.
SCISSORS PAPER TOWL TAPE 6. Hang your garland! Do not worry if your oranges are still slightly damp, as they will fully air-dry within the next several days. Feel free to add additional decorations to your garland like cranberries or pine needle!
The World’s First Sustainable City How forward thinking and innovative design transformed one of Brazil’s ordinary cities into a model of sustainability LAUREN UMBRIGHT Curitiba, Brazil had its beginnings as any other city. As the population grew, city officials had ideas of following in the footsteps of other big brazilian cities in hopes to sustain population growth and attract tourists. While the city seems to be ahead of most of the world in terms of sustainability, its innovative design can be attributed mainly to its three-term 1971 mayor and architect Jamie Lerner, who affirmed that “cities needed to be rediscovered as instruments of change”. Lerner demonstrated this belief through his innovation and development in transportation, waste management, and urban development sectors.
Transportation In the 1960s Curitiba was faced with rapid population growth. Plans were laid to allow for more cars throughout the city, as that was the mode of transportation to be prioritized. Though in 1971, when Jamie Lerner took office, his approach to developing the city and succeeding as a society were innovative, and his ideas smartly balanced economic, societal, and environmental factors. By 1991, The Bus Rapid Transport System (BRT) was in full operation.
The size and design of the busses are dependent upon their individual routes. Larger buses and smaller busses run in areas with more and less demand for transport respectively. The goal of this decision was to not have empty busses wasting energy in the city. Bus companies are paid by distance as opposed to the number of passengers, allowing this system to work fairly.
This above ground bus system carries the same amount of people and at the same rate as a subway system, but is astronomically cheaper. A standard bus can transport about 1,000 riders per day. Express bus lanes increase this amount to 2,000 riders per day. Articulated busses (busses with one axle) adds another thousand daily passengers, and this number is increased to 4,000 passengers per day with Curitiba’s use of biarticulated busses (busses with two axles). The city has five central roads that allow access into and out of Curitiba. Each road has dual-direction lanes solely for public transport. This design allows for very efficient travel times and less congestion for bus routes and car lanes. Color-coded busses alert passengers of bus direction and amount of stops.
Figure 1. shows how feeder busses from outside of the city connect to express busses, which allow for transfer onto interdistrict or direct busses at points marked with an x.
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12 One fare is required independent of how many times an individual transfers between stations. “Transfers would occur within the already paid sections of the bus terminals so there is no confusion with who has and hasn’t paid”. This single-fare system increases efficiency and reduces financial stress in riders, especially low income riders, who might alternatively be discouraged from using the public transportation system.
Searching for continual improvement, in 2009, Curitiba began development of the Green line, which runs solely on biodiesel fuel (fuel made from plants or animals) and reduces carbon and smoke emissions even further than their already efficient system.
After the development of the rapid transit system, a key detail to the public transportation process was refined; boarding stations. Bus tube stations were developed, which allowed riders to pay for their bus tickets prior to boarding the bus. The tubes included designation locations for getting on and off the bus at alternate ends of the tube, allowing for a more orderly transition between stations. A key design feature of these tubes is that they are on a raised platform that is at the same level as the bus, meaning that handicaped riders or individuals with strollers and the like can easily board the bus. All of these features of the bus tubes expertly facilitate a transportation system with little delays attributed to getting on and off the bus.
Curitiba’s citizens separate their trash into two separate bins, either organic or inorganic waste, which is then taken to waste management plants to be separated and recycled. The city has a 70% recycling rate, meaning only 30% of their trash ends up in landfills; to benchmark this statistic, residents in the City of Chicago recycle less than 9% of their waste, sending over 91% of their waste to landfills.
A demonstration of Lerner's prioritization of people and community over cars and “traditional” development is seen by his creation of a pedestrian only road in the center of the city, Rua das Flores. As Lerner expected, the shop owners along what was to be the pedestrian only street were furious with the city's plans, certain that the prohibition of cars along their storefronts would doom their businesses. It is for this reason why Mayor Lerner insisted that the construction be completed in 48 hours, so that store owners could not file court orders to stop the construction. Completed in 72 hours, the malllike area became a hub for Curitiba’s citizens, and the shops along the pedestrian-only road flourished. 75% of curitibano commuters use the bus system daily, resulting in the fact that the city “has 25% less congestion than the average Brazilian city, and uses 30% less fuel”. According to the Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Platform of the United Nations,” the per capita income loss due to severe congestion is ~11 and 7 times lower than in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, respectively.
Waste Management
What makes Curitiba’s recycling so impressive is not only the rate at which they do it, but the structure of their system. A notable aspect of Curitiba’s recycling program is that their recycling plants employ individuals who are combatting homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction, giving them an alternative purpose and a way to participate in the positive change their community is creating. Another socially beneficial idea was the implementation of the Green Exchange, a program that allows citizens to exchange bags of trash and recyclables for bus tickets and food vouchers, incentivising curitibanos to help their city become more environmentally friendly. The city purchases the food needed in this transaction from local farmers, supporting the local economy. While any citizen can exchange their “trash” for these benefits, it was targeted at and most widely used by poorer individuals to improve their quality of life. This idea arose from a problem: low income areas had roads that were too small for garbage trucks to reach. The Green Exchange solved the waste problem in these areas and then some. Not only did it motivate individuals living in these low income areas to collect and properly dispose of waste the city couldn’t reach, but it also saved the city from having to spend money on developing those roads, as the exchange program also stimulated use of the bus system.
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Takeaways There are a multitude of benefits of the Green Exchange, such as less garbage trucks needed, reducing the city’s spending and carbon expenditure, increased amounts of proper waste disposal, reducing stress on landfills as well as amount of vermin, disease, and litter, and less imported materials required, also reducing Curitiba’s carbon expenditure. One aspect of Curitiba’s waste-management success is the education of its citizens from a young age. The Green Exchange is one example of how citizens and youth of Curitiba are taught to see trash as a resource, and to treat it as such. In schools, young children can bring plastic in to be recycled, and receive a christmas toy made of that recycled plastic later in the year. There is a huge emphasis on citizen responsibility and participation in the betterment of life quality and environment. Just how seriously Curitiba considers education in their city’s betterment can be seen by their introduction of free environmental education. In 1991 Curitiba created the Universidade Livre do Meio Ambiente, which “was born out of the belief that the quality of life in the 21st century will be directly proportional to people’s understanding of their relationship to the environment” (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, 2002:19). There are free courses that inform citizens about the environmental programs the city has implemented to address problems over the past few decades, for example. Courses like this give curitibanos a sense of ownership, pride, and identity. Furthermore, the university targets the needs and interests of their classes’ participants. “When there is a group of taxi drivers, educators focus on issues such as the reasons for implementing the public transportation in Curitiba” which attempts to turn any bitterness with the inevitable losses to taxi drivers due to the success of the cities bus systems with a sense of understanding. By providing so many opportunities for education, and for citizens to be directly involved in the city’s efforts for improvement, Curitiba has made sustainability a social movement. The power to make their lives better is in their own hands, a powerful and underestimated tool for positive change.
As much as one might be inclined to take all of the designs created by Lerner and apply them to their own city, it is important to keep in mind that each city is unique in its climate, topography, needs, budgets, culture, etcetera, and that one system cannot be applied to every city seamlessly. Despite these differences, Curitiba has demonstrated that positive and impactful change is possible, and if the exact models cannot be applied everywhere, the concepts of design and mode of thinking can. As seen in many of Curitiba’s system models, no one decision is independent; a city is a complex system that involves many interdependent pieces. But one thing we can learn from Lerner about the approach to improve cities is not to try to turn a city into a “well-oiled machine”, but rather view it as an ecosystem that blends into the environment as harmoniously as possible. All of Lerner’s models involved simplicity, inclusivity, and many “win-win” relationships between the city and its inhabitants, where incentives to do the city good had numerous positive impacts. Lerner gave citizens the opportunity to feel empowered and to participate and create positive change, while helping themselves in return. I encourage you to see what your city is doing to strive towards sustainability, or where your city needs to improve or innovate.
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For more information on what makes a city sustainable, please visit: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainabl ecities/ For a visual and comprehensive overview of the materials in this article, please view: https://youtu.be/r4sumpEqnlY
Beekeping Club UIUC LAUREN UMBRIGHT
A freshman this year, I was lucky to come across UIUC’s beekeeping club. Led by Senior club president Danny Ferriss, the beekeeping club houses 4 hives at the Sustainable Student Farms located on the corner of Windsor and Lincoln. I got the chance to interview Danny about the club, bees, and how you can get involved! How did you get started in beekeeping? Where did your interest begin? My uncle keeps beehives at my grandma's house so every time I came to visit I would check out the bees. When I first started attending the University I was interested in experiencing more beekeeping, so I decided to start the club. What does a typical meeting look like for the club? We have classroom meetings (zoom this year) every other week where we talk about beekeeping topics. Some past meetings have been about queen rearing, hive maintenance, and honey harvesting. On the off weeks we visit the hives, where we check on the health of the colonies and determine if we need to take any action to support the bees better. We also have some social events peppered throughout the year, like baking with honey events or boba tea runs. What types of bees does the club harvest the honey from? The beekeeping club and the vast majority of beekeepers keep European honey bees, scientific name Apis mellifera. The species is broken up into over 30 subspecies, of which we have Italian bees and Carniolan bees. How do the bees survive the winter season? Bees build up their hive and food stores throughout the warm seasons. Once it gets cold out the bees will huddle up in their hive and subsist off of their stored food until Spring comes again and the cycle restarts. Throughout the Winter the bees will cluster into a ball in the colony and vibrate their wing muscles to generate warmth. They can keep the interior of the cluster above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. What do you think about the relationship between beekeeping and sustainability? Beekeeping and sustainability are very deeply intertwined. Unsustainable land usage can destroy biodiversity in an area, and with a dearth of pollen sources bees will be unable to make honey and sustain their hive. Irresponsible pesticide usage can also result in poisoning the bees. What are some of the positive impacts of bees, both to the environment and to humans? Bees are great pollinators. Pollination helps plants reproduce, which is extremely important for environmental stability. Many food crops also heavily depend on bees for pollination. Some of these include blueberries, cherries, and almonds.
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16 What is something about bees that you think not many people know? Commercial beekeepers will rent out their colonies for pollination services. Every year more than 1.5 million hives are shipped to California to pollinate the almond trees. I know you are very knowledgeable about the world of bees, can you spit any cool bee facts for us? There are more than 20,000 species of bees. What kind of people/ experience levels join the club? There are members that were terrified of bees that came to try to get over that fear. We have some members that already have years of experience upon joining. There are a wide variety of majors represented in the club. We encourage anyone with even a passing interest in beekeeping to stop by and see how they enjoy the club. And how can anyone who is interested in joining the Beekeeping club get involved? You can email me at ferriss2@illinois.edu with any questions, and I can add you to the email list if you so desire. People can join at any time of the year as well. Can you give us a rundown of the honey harvesting process? Near the beginning of fall we will ensure that the hives have enough honey to make it through the winter without the need for feeding them. At that point, we will take off the extra boxes of honey and brush any bees into the remaining hive. We then take the frames full of honey out, slice the wax cappings off, and place the frames in a honey spinner. This will centrifuge all the honey out of the frames, leaving the clean and intact beeswax cells for the bees to reuse next year. We then filter and bottle the honey for sale. We also refine the beeswax to use in lip balm. How many pounds of honey did you harvest this season? From how many hives? (approx how many bees is that?) We harvested 100 lbs of honey from 4 hives. A strong hive can have 30,000 to 60,000 bees, so a good estimate for us would be 200,00 bees. If there is one thing you could tell people about beekeeping (or the club), what would it be? The beekeeping club has welcoming members, is free to join, and provides all safety gear for hive visits. We love seeing new faces so feel free to drop in at a meeting! Keep up with the Beekeeping Club through social media! Twitter and Instagram: @beesatuiuc
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House Plants = A More Positive Outlook ARIANA PALERMO
Having house plants can have many more benefits than just creating a beautiful and lively indoor space. Many believe that having plants in your indoor spaces not only purifies the air, but can have a direct impact on mental health. Being active and connected to nature is essential for a healthy mindset along with lifestyle, so it isn’t surprising that having a small taste of nature around you often could make a big difference. Being around plants can be associated with a calm atmosphere, which decreases anxiety along with depression. Interestingly enough it has also been discovered that being in the presence of plants in the workplace or at home can increase memory capabilities and expand one's attentiveness. Caring for a plant becomes a routine as well, which can be helpful to those who may be struggling with feelings of worthlessness or depression. Having this routine can also remind one to make a healthy routine to care for their mind and body as well. Plants are beautiful and unique and many feel they can be more easily creative when their workspace has living plants.
A List of Benefits - Decreased stress - Decreased anxiety and depression - More attentive - Provides oxygen and purifies the air - Healthy routine
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Cosmic Castle LUCY QUINN
Capitalism is Unsustainable
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SHALLON MALFEO
Ever wondered what the future will look like? Can
It’s no wonder that we’re more caught up in what we
we continue our current lifestyles while also
have rather than where it came from. Here in the US,
promoting a healthy environment? What kinds of
capitalism has created a disconnect between the
adaptations will we have to make as a result of
manufacturing of a good and the final product. We
climate
to
don’t really know what’s in our foods and skincare
consume my brain as I started noticing the
products for example; ingredients and nutrition
connections (or lack thereof) between our daily
statements are filled with long words and chemicals
choices and the influences of our style of
we can’t pronounce. At the same time, we can have
government.
virtually anything shipped right to our front doors.
change?
These
questions
began
Children don’t understand how tomatoes grow and
Capitalism can be defined as an economic system
plastic films coat our products. Capitalism has made
in which private persons may own and control
us careless. We’ve created a throw-away world where
property according to their own best interests
our purchases are disposable. Everything from
where the free market serves the needs of society.
fashion to electronics to home decor are made to
In other words, we rely heavily on supply and
last only until the new latest product comes out to
demand to regulate markets and prices effectively.
replace it.
Our
government
takes
on
a
“laissez-faire”
approach, letting things play out on their own and
Let’s take the clothing industry for example. Fast
limiting regulation on businesses. Capitalism also
fashion is the process of producing cheap clothing
places strong emphasis on economic growth and
that takes the latest trends and runway designs and
material worth, meaning that our primary focus is
rushes them into stores, regardless of the quality.
often
productivity
consequences.
instead
of
environmental
According to the Good Trade, this resulted in a challenge of the traditional introduction of new trends on a seasonal basis. Simply put, it’s no longer, “uncommon for fast-fashion retailers to introduce new products multiple times in a single week to stay on-trend.”
The
industry
takes
advantage
of
replication using poor-quality materials in order to tap into what the public believes is the “most fashionable”. This truly alters the planning and seasonal changes that designers worked so hard to create, not to mention declining quality of our clothing items and wastefulness.
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Every year, over 100 billion items of clothing amounting to over $450 billion in textiles are simply thrown away. We consume endlessly while also overproducing. In addition to wastefulness, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that the fast fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon emissions every year. It’s clearly time to change our attitudes and new standards for consumption.
A truly sustainable future will take into account what we’re consuming while also requiring us to give back to our ecosystems. As one of the smartest species to ever exist on Earth, we have a role to play and a job to do. On the one hand we have the power to destroy our environment, but we were also gifted with language and communication allowing us to innovate like never before. It’s possible to change our ways and reframe our view of nature. It starts with different business models and societal values that center around sustainability and care. We must start taking into account the environmental costs and fight corporate pollution. We’ve reached a historical turning point, what we choose to ignore right now will have vast implications in the future. It’s time to take action against the mess we’ve made.
Image source
Birds, Lawyers, and Accidents: The Migratory Bird Act Treaty and the APA JOE LEHMAN
In the early 1900’s, Congress decided that, to protect migrating birds, they would pass a law which would regulate the hunting and killing of those birds. Various states objected to that law. They claimed that Congress’s regulation of birdhunting violated the state’s Tenth Amendment Rights, and courts in both Arkansas and Kansas agreed. Congress, however, felt that these birds “were of great value as a source of food and in destroying insects injurious to vegetation, but were in danger of extermination through lack of adequate protection.” To remedy this lack of protection, and to circumvent what Congress saw as judicial stonewalling, entered into a treaty with Great Britain which required the United States government to enact laws protecting these birds. The state of Missouri, in turn, sued in federal court, raising Tenth Amendment claims similar to those raised in the previous cases. The case made its way to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled that “treaties are declared to be [the Supreme Law of the Land] when made under the authority of the United States.” The Supreme Court let the federal protection for migratory birds (creatively called the Migratory Bird Treaty Act) stand, over the vehement objections of the State of Missouri. Flashing forward to 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are in charge of enforcing the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The enforcement of the MBTA, though, like the enforcement of any other law, ends up in shades of grey. The MBTA prohibits the illegal “taking” of protected birds, but what does “taking” mean?
In February of 2020, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued guidance saying that, to qualify as a criminal “taking” under the MBTA, the killing or capturing of a protected bird must be intentional. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York disagreed with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s interpretation and vacated it. So, to once again override a judicial roadblock, the Fish and Wildlife Service issued an Environmental Impact Statement which looked at the pros and cons of defining “take” to mean all killing and capturing, or only intentional killing and capturing. In their analysis, the Service says that, to exclude accidental or incidental takings from prosecution under the MBTA would be “consistent with the Department’s position, explained in the proposed rule, that the MBTA’s prohibitions apply only to actions directed at migratory birds, their nests, or their eggs.” This decision, however, comes in the twilight of the Trump presidency, with a Biden presidency on the horizon. Does that mean that, come January 20th, 2021, President Biden can sign a document reversing course on this accidental-versusintentional question in MBTA enforcement? Well, the answer is maybe. Unlike the earlier memorandum interpretation which the Southern District of New York vacated, an agency's final regulation is legally binding, and that is what the Department of the Interior is producing – a final regulation excluding accidental “takings” from punishment under the MBTA.
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22 The Fish and Wildlife Service fulfilled its noticeand-comment requirement for rule making, and the new rule enters the federal register, and becomes binding on February 8th, 2021.. So, what can the Biden Administration do if it decides that the MBTA ought to cover accidental takings, but Trump’s Fish and Wildlife Service successfully implements the new rule? Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress could, within 60 days, rescind the Agency’s decision with a joint resolution. This, however, requires a majority in both chambers of Congress – an unlikely prospect if the Republicans keep control of the Senate.
The more likely prospect, especially with an environmental activist like Deb Haaland at the helm of the Department of the Interior, would be for the Fish and Wildlife Service to engage in its own notice-and-comment process: publicly publishing the new rule, allowing at least 30 days for the public to comment on the rule, analyze the responses, then publish the new rule. This would officially change the Agency’s position on the actions covered by the MBTA. It’s interesting how the roles have flipped here: 100 years ago, the Federal government fought tooth and nail to gain control over the protection of migrating birds. Now, the federal government is moving to limit those protections. While any changes by the Biden Administration remain to be seen, perhaps the pendulum will likely be swinging back towards 1920.
AN AMERICAN AVOCET: ONE OF THE BIRDS PROTECTED BY THE MIGRATORY BIRD ACT TREATY
Photo courtesy of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Succulent Savior
23
A TALE BY VERONICA CASEY
Beyond the scope of imagination, a
Round domes carved from stolen stars
spaceship soars across the galaxy. Stars
line the horizon. Their ability to withstand
wave with a solar friendliness and black
the high winds of the desert and their
holes beg for some company. The
desolate appearance earned them the
nonhuman pilot of the spaceship
name, wisdomes. The pilot slinks into its
accelerates through matter as it rushes
own wisdome and sighs in relief for the
toward its home planet. Its dark, scaly
privacy. Nosy, subordinate neighbors look
skin covers long arms and hind legs that
for any reason to convict aliens that
are four times larger than a human. It
disobey the rules. It is nearly impossible,
consumes the space inside of the ship
and not to mention illegal, to hide the
until finally, the ship breaks through the
treasures found from a voyage, but the
atmosphere with a roar.
pilot’s brain was set on treason. Its limbs moved with a mind of their own, like the
The planet’s close proximity to Neptune
robots on planet Earth. Earlier, it felt itself
gives the air a surreal, ultramarine glow.
move automatically and evasively
Dust rises around the vehicle, suffocating
towards the wisdome.
the pilot. It circulates the particles through its skin, always inconvenienced by this attack. A desert wasteland spreads before the pilot with every hue of gray. Green specks permeate the landscape, or so the pilot believes as it recalls the planet’s former condition. It reaches down and filters the dust through its sticky alien fingers, noting the abrasive, sandy texture. The pilot, marked by the soot of the desert, drops down on all fours to cross in hyperspeed, making its way to the station.
24
It opens the knapsack that was strung
For orbits, the pilot cared for the
over its neck and pulls out its trophy. A
succulent like it was an extension of its
black, sticky dust spills over the
own being. When the black dust became
terracotta. It lumps together, unlike the
dry, it poured in liquid from asteroids.
dust of the desert, and clings to the
When the green triangles looked dreary, it
leathery hands of the pilot. It balances the
positioned the succulent under a spot of
edges of the bowl carefully on the floor of
starlight. The tiny plant became a sort of
the wisdome, hoping not to disturb the
companion for the pilot. It felt itself
green triangles emerging from the black
confiding in the waxy triangles,
dust. Green shines in its eyes causing
whispering vibrations and observations
emotional sensors to flare in its brain. It
from within the wisdome. Then, a part of
feels a sense of calm and relaxation as it
the succulent broke free, falling among
stares at the tiny plant. A scratched up
the black dust, away from the main stem.
label on the side reads succulent in English. The pilot mumbles the word in
The pilot scrambles to replace the
vibrations from its head, then quickly
triangle to its previous glory, pushing the
stops its speech in fear of some other
triangle in place with the others but failing
alien listening in.
to connect. It continues this trial and error and much to its dismay, causes another triangle to falter. The pilot scrambles to find adhesive galactic material in its wisdome - anything that could solve the problem. Yet, the triangles remain independent, taunting the motherstem.
25
After an agonizing planetal orbit, the pilot
The Neptune sun illuminates a green
wakes for its daily voyage and takes off.
desert. Succulents grow up and out of
Unbeknownst to the pilot, one of the
gray dust, like seaweed flowing under the
green triangles clings to its skin. On the
ocean. The pilot still cares for its trophy
journey from wisdome to spaceship, the
succulent in secret, but it also tends to
triangle breaks free, becoming buried in
the sea of succulents on the planet. The
the desert sand. The triangle settles into
desert dust no longer attacks its skin, but
the dry, gray dust, and just waits. It waits
rather, lays flat like a blanket over the
for one orbit, then two, then 16 orbits
landscape. Neighbors join together
before a miniature succulent grows past
outside the wisdomes, becoming friendly
the dust, towards the light of Neptune.
and open-minded. The pilot’s loneliness shrivels as feelings of peace and warmth
A commotion arises around the green spectacle. The pilot learns of this discovery after a mundane voyage. It is traveling to the station when a pack of aliens, gawking at the green, stops it in its tracks. Fear and danger flush through the pilot’s veins as it curses itself for this blunder. It is ready to be identified for hiding the plant against the rules when an unidentified behavior occurs. The other aliens begin picking off green triangles of their own, then return to the station. Smiling from within, the pilot plucks off a green triangle, wanders off into the wasteland, and tosses the succulent leaf into the unassuming dust.
triumph from the greenery.
26
27
Fighting Food Insecurity Through Sustainable Farming GRACE GUDWIEN
In the midst of the holiday season, families and friends around the world gather around the dinner table to catch up and feast on festive favorites. Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to do this; almost one billion people worldwide face global hunger, or food insecurity. While food insecurity is typically thought of as simply not having enough food to eat, it actually considers both the economic and physical ability of people to travel, purchase, and/or grow food, especially nutritious foods high in either protein or vitamins and minerals. Usually, these protein and nutrient rich foods are harder to obtain than carbohydrates such as corn and wheat. The Peace Corps explains three distinct aspects of food insecurity: food availability, food access, and food utilization. These parts of food insecurity consider having enough food available to eat a sufficient amount, having the resources needed to obtain this available food, and having foods that are nutrient-rich to maintain a healthy diet, respectively.
One example of sustainable agriculture that could help improve food security is the use of cover crops. Cover crops are plants that are grown in fields between growing seasons to help improve the fields’ soil by reducing erosion, aiding in water filtration, adding more organic matter, and protecting against pests. Many plants can be cover crops, including beans, red clover, buckwheat, wheat, and barley. By improving the soil, cover crops can help primary crops grow more efficiently and generate a greater yield, and a greater yield means more food. Also, while cover crops are not typically grown to create a bountiful harvest, some species that are used as cover crops, such as small grains like wheat and rye and legumes including peas and beans, can provide additional food. Another
aspect
of
sustainable
agriculture
to
consider is the storage of harvested crops until they are sold and/or consumed. Even if a region is able to grow a sufficient amount of food for its population, if that region cannot sell these crops
Aware of this massive global issue, the United
before they spoil, the same issue of food insecurity
Nations discussed food insecurity at the 2012
occurs as if the food had not been grown at all. In
Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).
addition, if a certain crop spoils in a region, that
This conference resulted in seventeen Sustainable
crop must now be imported. These imported crops
Development Goals, including the Zero Hunger
will be more expensive due to the travel costs as
Challenge, which hopes to “end hunger, achieve
well as the lack of competition, which further
food security and improved nutrition and promote
impacts already food-insecure and likely financially
sustainable agriculture.” Sometimes not considered
hurting individuals. For example, this problem of
when thinking about combating hunger, improving
food spoilage occurred in Zambia, where potato
sustainable agriculture is a way to lower food
harvests could not be properly stored.
insecurity as well as help the environment. Usually, when more crops are needed, more land – and therefore natural habitats for wildlife – is cleared for fields. If all or any parts of the farming process can be made more sustainable, then more habitats will not be destroyed. Perhaps even some fields could be converted back into natural landscapes – all while improving food security.
28 Luckily, the United States International Development
When looking at ways to improve food security,
Financial Corporation stepped in and helped the
sustainable agriculture is a smart and efficient
Zambian business Buya Bamba construct two cold
concept
storage facilities to hold potatoes grown in Zambia.
addresses the root of the problem; people need
Zambian farmers can now grow their own potatoes
more food, and improving how food is grown
and sell them locally year-round because they can
creates more of it. All food groups involve
be stored in the facilities until they are ready to be
agriculture,
sold and eaten, providing them with an income all
directly or consuming animal products from animals
year.
that ate crops. Food availability improves when a
Also,
by
providing
food
locally,
fewer
to
consider.
whether
amount
of
Sustainable
people
food
are
eating
greater
created because fewer crops are transported across
sustainable
borders.
increased as well when more efficient farming
Food
grown
plants
greenhouse gases are burned and less pollution is
agriculture.
is
agriculture
through
accessibility
is
techniques help farmers grow a wide variety of foods in different areas, and this variety also improves food utilization by offering many different nutrients through multiple kinds of crops. By improving how crops are grown, harvested, and stored, people everywhere can gather around the world’s table to enjoy the food they deserve.