support as more people become aware of their ecological footprints

WASTEFUL

The issue of climate change has been one of increasing importance in mainstream media over the past few decades. However, in recent years, a new emphasis has been placed on the situation. Images of sea levels rising, polar bears stranded on melting ice caps and smog billowing from industrial centers have been seen through scenes on TV, in the classroom and online.

It can be daunting to come to terms with the fact that the planet is changing, and that it is in danger, but it is critically important that those with the resources to make a difference try to in any way they can.

Blocking out the static of politics aside, it is important to learn the facts about climate change. Knowing the basic terms used to describe climate change will help facilitate discussion about ways to create change.

CLIMATE VOCABULARY

Climate change is the term which describes a change in global or regional patterns, according to NASA. For centuries scientists have tracked the periods of warming and cooling which the planet has undergone. Climatologists identify five distinct periods, according to History.com. These periods allowed for agricultural development, the movement of people and animals around the globe and other historically significant events in the development of the planet as it is known today.

Many people speculate that recent climate trends reflect another period of natural warming and that human activity has nothing to do with climate change. Only 52 percent of Americans believe that climate change is caused by human activities, according to a Yale Climate Communication study from 2016.

However, Earth-orbiting satellites, ice cores in the Arctic and other new technologies have enabled scientists to collect data which reveals the truth. In 1900, approximately 500 million metric tons of carbon were emitted, compared to in 2014 nearly 10 thousand-million metric tons were emitted, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This number is only increasing. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning that once it is released it becomes trapped in the atmosphere which in turn warms the Earth.

A second important term to know is ecological footprint. An ecological footprint reflects the impact a person or community has on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources, according to the Global Footprint Network. Someone’s ecological footprint is influenced by the clothes they buy, their diet, their commute and the sustainability of their home. The average American’s ecological footprint is 8.6 global hectares per capita, according to the Global Footprint Network. If every person on the planet lived like the average American, it would take 8.6 Earths to sustain the Earth’s population indefinitely.

“Every time I give the Ecological Footprint quiz people are just astounded because Sion and the United States in general doesn’t realize how big our footprint is,” science teacher Kaci Flippo said. “We don’t realize how much it takes to ship our food in, ship our oil in and even just the fact that all the products we use come from so many different places.”

Climate change is being talked about - and debated - more than ever as people consider the ways their actions influence the planet and the changes they can adapt to in order to help save it.

THINKING BY CO-PHOTO EDITOR MADISEN HANE, EDITORIAL EDITOR CECILIA MOHÁCSI AND REPORTER SYDNEY SAN AGUSTIN

Ecological footprints reveal important trends about the ways human activities influence the planet. Tracking this data reveals staggering truths about the toll the developed world takes on the planet’s resources. The average Australian’s footprint is 9.3 GHA and the average Saudi Arabian’s footprint is 5.6 GHA. It is clear that millions of people live well beyond the capacity of the Earth’s ability to renew its resources. This is a factor contributing to climate change.

Finally, a third important term to know is sustainability. Sustainability is the ability for the Earth to replenish its natural resources as all living beings naturally deplete these resources, according to the EPA. Sustainability is the principle that guides environmentalism and attitudes towards environmentalism. The ultimate goal of sustainability is to balance human use of resources with their natural ability to renew them. Achieving healthy sustainability is what will help reverse the effects of climate change.

WASTING AWAY

Throwing something in the trash might not seem like a big deal, but when everyone in the world keeps throwing things away, it begins to add up. Most of the population’s waste comes from food, water, clothing and plastic, according to the EPA. Globally, people throw out 1.3 tons of food every year. This is about one third of the food produced around the world. The United States alone wastes over $160 billion in food a year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

“Agriculture is horrible for the environment, animals, and biodiversity in general but obviously it has to be done to feed humanity,” environmental science teacher Amy Vandenbrul said. “I think about all of these issues when I see students mindlessly throwing away an entire apple after lunch or when a full lunch is mindlessly left in my classroom and goes to waste. After all of the environmental damage that was caused to grow that apple, pig, or cow we simply throw it away. Other humans are literally starving to death and here I sit observing dozens get thrown away on a daily basis.”

Wasting food not only wastes the actual food itself but all the resources that go into putting it on a plate. Land, water, fertilizers, labor and transportation all contribute to the final product. To cut back on wasting food, the Natural Resource Defense Council recommends that the average consumer changes her mindset when it comes to buying and eating food. The NRDC suggests eating items in the refrigerator that are about to go bad, even if this means having breakfast for dinner and vice versa. They also recommend planning out meals and freezing food that’s about to go bad. One in eight Americans struggle to put food on the table, according to the NRDC. With 40 percent of food going to waste in the United States, it is clear that food waste reflects not only an environmental problem but a socio-economic crisis in this

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country, too. “We do have a lot of food waste. One of the reasons is because we tend to over pack our lunches and over fill our plates,” Flippo said. “People want the options but just end up throwing everything else away because it’s too much. We could try sharing more or taking only what we can eat.” Similarly to food waste, there is waste involved in the clothing industry. Huge amounts of space are required to produce clothing in factories and to store products in warehouses. In the United States over 16 million tons of clothing waste is produced every year. Of this, a mere 2.62 million tons is recycled, according to the EPA. This discrepancy of waste has become known as “fast fashion.” Think Forever 21, H&M and Target; these companies put an emphasis on producing “ Look at your products that are cheap and trendy life critically so that they reach and examine the consumer before competitors. Because where waste of the low cost of these is created clothes, people are more inclined to throw and actually them away and buy do something more. about it. ” - senior Emma Cosner “We buy from stores that use sweatshop labor where children and adults are working in unsafe conditions with a salary that they are unable to support themselves or their family on,” senior Emma Cosner said. “Thinking about the item’s product life is cycle is crucial. We have to consider the production of fabrics, transportation, labor and pollution that went into making it.” Cotton is the most common fiber used to

BEFORE NOON...

A look at some of the daily choices students make which influence their ecological footprint. (171 student responses) make clothing, according to the World Research Institute. It requires 1,700 liters of water to create one cotton shirt. This is equivalent to two and a half years of drinking water for one person, according to the WRI.

Clothing made of synthetic materials require less water and land than cotton, but more greenhouse gases are produced. For example, a cotton shirt produces 4.6 pounds of carbon while a polyester shirt produces 12.1 pounds, according to the WRI.

“Fast fashion has a huge ecological footprint. People don’t realize what goes into making clothing ‘cheap, trendy and convenient’ and the amount of damage that occurs to the earth when you throw these clothing items away,” senior Morgan Hickman said.

PLASTIC WORLD

Globally, 300 millions tons of plastic are produced every year according to the New York Times. The waste that is produced from this plastic consumes the world’s landfills and oceans.

Plastic is everywhere- from wrappers on candy bars to the microplastics found in cosmetics. Because plastic is found in everything, it gets thrown away all the time. Plastic does not decompose well because it is made of materials which were meant to last forever. However, 33 percent of the world’s plastic is used only once before it is thrown away, according to the Plastic Pollution Coalition. This is called single-use plastic. “Our plastic consumption is way out of hand in the first place. Numerous pollutants are generated during plastic production and our landfills are filling up rapidly,” Vandenbrul said. “Recycling is a problem because it is very energy intensive in the first place, but also because much of what we think will be recycled isn’t.” Straws, disposable silverware, plastic bags, styrofoam take out boxes, plastic water bottles and more are all forms of single-use plastic that people use on a regular basis. These items, after only being used once, will end up either in a landfill Landfill or the ocean. In Forest both places this is Transportation a problem because Crop Land plastic isn’t Grazing Land biodegradable- it Built-up Land only gets broken Fishing Grounds down into smaller and smaller pieces and ends up spoiling food chains, water sources, wildlife and ecosystems.

“Single use plastic defies all principles of sustainability. Anyone can reduce their single use plastic. It’s easy to look at pictures of overflowing landfills and feel sad, but true testament to valuing the health of the earth must be translated through your actions,” Cosner said. “Look at your life critically and examine where waste is created and actually do something about it. Conscious consumerism is not only important but paramount if we want to leave the next generation with a surviving planet.”

Over 12.7 million metric tons of plastic debris ends up in the oceans, according to ScienceMag. org. This plastic endangers fish, sea turtles and seabirds who often mistake it for floating food. Plastic is not digestible, which is why approximately 1 million seabirds die from plastic ingestion every year, according to OceanCrusaders.

Use Tupperware containers to pack lunch 122

7:20 A.M.

Drink from a reusable water bottle 159 10:30 A.M.

6:30 A.M.

82 Shower seven or more times per week

7:15 A.M.

105 Pack their lunch in a reusable bag

7:30 A.M. 80 Drive by themselves to school

12:00 P.M. 122 Use plastic utensils in the cafeteria

org. food breaks down, its nutrients are released into

However, the majority of plastic in the ocean the soil which in turn makes the soil more rich is what is known as microplastic. Microplastic and arable, according to the EPA. Not only does are small pieces of plastic which are less than five composting help the soil, it also helps the air by millimeters long, according to the National Ocean reducing methane emissions from landfills caused Service. When ingested, the chemical toxins in by discarded food. microplastic leach into the immune systems of It’s also important to try to reduce waste animals. These pollutants are bioaccumulative, outside of what is put into landfills. Water is wasted which means the amount of toxins magnifies as in huge quantities in agriculture, specifically in one moves up the food chain. This means that even the meat industry. It takes about 2,400 gallons of if an animal doesn’t directly consume plastic, it can water to produce one pound of meat, according still absorb the chemicals simply by eating normal to PETA. To make one day’s worth of meals for prey. a typical meat eater, 4,000 gallons of water are

“We know that this microplastic is in the water needed compared to 300 gallons for a typical and new research shows that it is accumulating in vegan. This doesn’t mean everyone needs to go organisms, including food sources for humans,” vegan overnight, but by simply skipping one Vandenbrul said. “We have created a situation pound of meat one could save more water than where we are even eating our own plastic.” not showering for six months. The doctor’s recommended amount of meat varies with each WAYS TO SAVE individual’s lifestyle and weight, however if each

With all of the environmental problems in the person to were simply eat a safe amount of meat it world, it can seem impossible to actually would be more sustainable. make a change. However, “saving “I am a pescatarian, so I only eat the earth” and becoming more fish and seafood because it’s better mindful of the environment doesn’t have to be a drastic change in one’s life. There are many simple alternatives that 3.74 EARTHS for the environment and I feel like it’s a better alternative than eating meat,” junior Sarah White said. There are also a number of can decrease the ecological Le Journal staff’s average conservation and environmental footprint humankind has one ecological footprint, according to groups working in the Kansas person at a time. footprintcalculator.org City area to help combat some

One way to help reduce of these issues. One such group waste is by thrifting. Buying is the Heartland Conservation second hand items helps to reduce Alliance. the amount of textile waste in the world “At the Heartland Conservation caused by fast fashion. Not only does thrifting Alliance we are a group of diverse stakeholders that repurpose used items, they are usually low priced work to conserve land in urban areas,” Education so they won’t break the bank. and Outreach Coordinator Ayana Curran-Howes

Many thrift stores use their profits to create said. “We want to connect communities to the job opportunities or support charities, so thrifting land and work with our partners to strengthen also gives back to the community. With several the conservation community in Kansas City as a local thrift stores as well as online sites, second whole.” hand shopping is especially accessible. Forty percent of adults globally know little

Savers, a national thrift store chain’s mission or nothing about climate change, according to a statement focuses on reducing waste and uplifting 2015 Washington Post article. Heartland engages communities at the same time. Savers also with more than 15 partners to bring conservation helps more than 120 nonprofit organizations by education to schools around the metro and to reimbursing them for donated goods. facilitate Blue River watershed cleanup efforts.

Instead of constantly buying and throwing “I am surrounded by people a lot older than away plastic bags, plastic utensils and plastic me so I’ve realized not everyone knows everything water bottles, consumers can invest in reusable but that if you put yourself out there and are tupperware and bottles. By making a habit of confident, you are able to articulate your mission being reusable, it is possible to reduce or eliminate and get people engaged and people are more reliance on single use plastic and thus landfills and receptive,” Curran-Howes said. oceans are less affected. The ecological footprint left by today’s

“Some people will grab a plastic fork even common practices is large and complex. Many though there’s a metal one right there just because factors contribute to the impact we leave on the they can. They don’t think about it. That’s one spot planet and it takes time to understand, but with we could really cut down on,” Flippo said. recent environmental movements a new awareness

When addressing food waste, composting has been brought to environmentalism. Small is a simple way to help eliminate filling landfills changes can make a huge difference to the planet while also give back to the environment. As the and ultimately make it a greener place to live in the future.

GO GREEN SCREEN

For more information on specific topics, Le Journal suggests these documentaries available on Netflix.

(Photos from Netflix)

The True Cost

Find out the ethical and environmental issues with fast fashion.

Cowspiracy

The cattle industry is exposed with udder-ly disturbing facts about its impact.

Before The Flood

Leonardo DiCaprio discusses what affects climate change and some possible solutions.

Sustainable

Farmers help pioneer the sustainable food movement in the agriculture industry.

A Plastic Ocean

Learn about the startling amounts of plastic pollution the oceans are drowning in.

Chasing Coral

Light is shed on coral bleaching as it is caused by climate change.