Fall Insider 2018

CONTENTS

Saltman Quarterly

Volume 6 | Fall 2018

Lab Grown Meat pg 2

Each generation has an obligation to ensure the well-being of generations to come. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of how sustainable our actions are so that we can conserve the earth’s resources. Keeping concepts such as sustainable consumerism and production in mind is essential when considering one of the largest industries in the world: the meat industry.

Continued on the next page...

Illustration by Varsha Rajesh | SQ Staff Illustrator

Sunscreen and Coral Reefs pg 3

Paper Alternatives pg 4

PETRI PORK:

I

LAB-GROWN MEAT

n 2017, a survey by Harris Poll reported that 33% of Americans opt for a vegetarian or vegan meal when eating out at restaurants. Besides the ethical consideration of animal welfare, the predominant reason for this increasing change in lifestyle is a rise in consumer awareness of the health, environmental, and animal welfare concerns associated with the meat industry. Vast acres of forests are being cut down to make room for grazing pastures and an excessive amount of water is required to produce and process meat. These factors have sparked consumer concerns regarding the negative impact that the meat-producing industry has on the planet. According to a study done by Dr. Veronique De Sy in 2015, the beef industry caused 71% of all deforestation in South America alone.

Several studies by J. Poore of Oxford University have demonstrated that a plantbased diet has a significantly lower impact on the climate than a meat-based diet.

However, since this industry is one of the highest contributors to many countries’ economies and a research group, based out of the Netherlands, estimated that about 78.2% of the world’s population follows a meat-based diet, it is necessary to look

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for alternative and sustainable methods of meat production.

With the intention to keep the nutritive value of meat intact but eliminate the aforementioned concerns related to the meat production industry, scientists have developed an alternative. Lab-grown meat refers to meat that is grown in a cell plate from a few cells obtained from actual animals. Simply put, tissues, stemcells or myocytes taken from an animal are allowed to reproduce inside a tank supplied with a nutrient medium. The nutrient broth is prepared to resemble the internal conditions of the animal’s body so that the stem cells can be manipulated to differentiate into fat cells and muscle cells. As the cells reproduce, they connect to form muscle fibers. A bundle of these muscle fibers generates the meat that is finally able to be consumed. In fact, this type of food is considered so viable that several companies such as Just Meat and Los Angeles- based Beyond Meat already plan to introduce lab-grown chicken meat in restaurants by the end of 2018.

The idea of lab-grown meat seems pretty advantageous. It has the potential to satisfy consumer demand for meat while eliminating the negative environmental impacts of the meat production industry, as well as solving most issues related to ethics and animal welfare. However, there are a few challenges that developers need to overcome before this idea can enter the mainstream market. In his book Meat Planet: Artificial Flesh and Futures of Food, journalist Benjamin Wurgraft says that the first challenge is the cost of preparing an allergenfree, macronutrient hormone medium for the cells to grow in. A second challenge is potential consumer resistance to labgrown meat since it may be considered unnatural, synthetic or simply

Sneha Ganguly | SQ Staff Writer Cristina Corral | Illustrator

disgusting. A common concern is that lab-grown meat will not be able to provide the nutritive value or the taste of original meat. Naysayers claim that just like genetically modified foods, it is unethical to consume meat produced synthetically when it has been provided in abundance in nature. In spite of this resistance, a 2018 survey demonstrated that 60% of vegans showed a positive response to the idea of lab-grown meat.

Lab-grown meat is a revolutionary concept that could drastically reduce animal mistreatment and slaughter.

Moreover, findings by Jimma University’s Haimanot Tassew suggest that the high rate of contamination at the slaughterhouses is responsible for the inception of food-borne diseases.

Growing meat in a closed vessel in a sterile environment removes most chances for pathogens to cultivate. Thus, lab-grown meat assures pathogen-free, antibioticfree meat that is healthy for consumers.

Lab-grown meat is possibly the future of sustainable consumerism and despite facing resistance, it could potentially be the key to a healthier and more sustainable future.

Editor-in-Chief: Sharada Saraf Executive Editor: Tushara Govind Head Production Editor: Dominique Sy UTS Production Editor: Arya Natarajan Production Team: Varsha Rajesh, Laura Zhang, Zarina Gallardo, Khulan Hoshartsaga Online Editors: Lauren Brumage, Liam Huber SQ Features Editor: Samreen Haque UTS Features Editor: Ashni Vora Staff Writers: Vickie Kuo, Gayathri Kalla, Sneha Ganguly Staff Illustrators: Vicky Hoznek, Varsha Rajesh, Cristina Corral Head Advisers: James Cooke, Ph.D Assistant Teaching Professor of Neurobiology Hermila Torres Manager, do/bio Center

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SQ INSIDER

A TOURISM TRAGEDY

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The Great Barrier Reef is dying. Yes, half of the largest living organism on our planet was declared dead in an August 2018 article by National Geographic, due to ever-rising ocean temperatures and sequential coral-bleaching events. Smithsonian Ocean cites human activity as the largest threat to coral reef health; destructive fishing methods, pollution, changes in ocean temperature and chemistry, and invasive species are all taking a huge toll. Research from the past few years has drawn attention to yet another human-driven factor that may be causing problems for corals: sunscreen.

Coral are marine invertebrates that play an invaluable role in underwater ecosystems around the world, supporting thousands of species of fish, plants, and other ocean inhabitants. Colonies of coral polyps cluster to form coral reefs, which are immensely important, as Queensland Museum lists: they protect coastlines, provide shelter for underwater organisms, act as potential sources for drugs for human diseases, and more. They maintain these responsibilities via their delicate, symbiotic relationship with the photosynthetic algae living inside them. The algae receive shelter and protection from the coral and in return provide energy, oxygen, and waste removal for their host. When faced with environmental stresses, however, corals respond by “bleaching,” during which they eject the algae they house, leaving them without any means of intaking energy.

Such a severe response has been observed in corals subjected to just a few degrees of change in water temperature, emphasizing

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exactly how sensitive corals and their algae are to environmental stressors.

In light of the tenuous nature of this relationship, it’s almost unsurprising to see how badly corals are reacting to rising levels of oxybenzone, one of the chemicals in many sunscreens that was recently determined to be extremely harmful to corals. A recent TIME magazine article summarizing the research states that “Oxybenzone has toxic effects on young coral that cause endocrine disruption, DNA damage, and death of coral… [and exacerbates] coral bleaching, a process by which coral reject symbiotic organisms and lose their color”.

The main study, C. A. Downs et al., 2015, was inspired by an unidentified Virgin Islander, who was concerned about the visible “sheen” on the water produced from sunscreen lotions. Downs and his team took the question to the lab and discovered some particularly alarming numbers: upon treating cells of multiple coral species with varying concentrations of oxybenzone, they found that toxicity was occurring at 62 parts per trillion. TIME draws the analogy of “a drop of water in an Olympic swimming pool” being enough to start causing DNA damage, skeletal ossification, and increased rates of coral bleaching.

Compare that amount to what VICE’s number of 21.9 million annual tourists to the Great Barrier Reef alone, all slathered in sunscreen and slipping into what were once pristine ocean waters.

Given this new information, governments and organizations around the world are trying to find ways to protect our coral reefs. The most drastic measure was taken

Gayathri Kalla | Online Staff Writer Vicky Hoznek | Illustrator

by the Hawaiian state government, which signed off on a January 1, 2021 deadline to eliminate the use of dangerous sunscreens, particularly ones with oxybenzone and octinoxate, which is another commonly used chemical with bleaching effects similar to those of oxybenzone. This ban encompasses many popular brands of sunscreen, including Banana Boat and Coppertone. However, such a ban could increase skin cancer rates by limiting the use of confirmedly effective sunscreens.

Some coral reef-friendly sunscreens, with active ingredients like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, do already exist. Furthermore, interesting new research has led to developments that may help mitigate this problem, including products like algae-derived sunscreens and oxybenzone-absorbing beads. Both ideas, discussed in Smithsonian Magazine, are safe for corals, and the latter option could reduce levels of sunscreen chemicals in the oceans.

Corals are an important part of our ecosystems and our lives, and to hurt them while protecting ourselves will undoubtedly lead to bigger, more daunting ecological problems in our future. Governments and organizations are moving towards making better choices for our environment, and scientists around the world are already at work to find better alternatives for people to protect their skin without harming marine life. Our combined efforts to preserve and protect our marine ecosystems will enable us to enjoy the benefits and beauty of coral reefs for generations to come.

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SQ INSIDER

ALTERNATIVES FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

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Vickie Kuo | Under the Scope Staff Writer

espite the modern shift towards mass digitization, society consumes 400 million metric tons per year, and that number continues to rise according to Statista. In fact, because of its successful productions, the global paper industry is a long-standing industrial titan, able to exercise enormous financial influence that aids the economies of several nations.

However, its environmental impact proves to be damaging and perhaps even more costly. The current rate of paper production and consumption has far-reaching effects on carbon dioxide emission, species endangerment and water waste—producing a single sheet of paper consumes more than three gallons of water, a staggering amount that quickly adds up, according to the Water Footprint Network.

Fortunately, increasing concern from consumers is drawing attention to the adverse impacts of high paper

consumption and its potential alternatives.

Some alternatives rely on growing plant species that are more conducive to sustainable consumption. The most recent alternative, hemp, is environmentally sustainable because of its durability and ability to be reused; however, the production of hemp paper is expensive relative to its counterparts, like bamboo.

Bamboo remains the most popular alternative because it grows rapidly, even in poor soil conditions.

Other alternatives rely on recycling.

Fabric, agri-pulp, mineral, and plastic are examples of alternatives that prevent further waste and allow for a semisustainable system. Agri-pulp is pulp made from recycled agricultural waste that includes a wide range of crops and post-consumer waste paper. Using it as a paper alternative prevents agricultural waste from going to a landfill and greatly reduces carbon dioxide emissions by

eliminating the need to burn the waste according to research done by the Resource Conservation Alliance. In general, Green America, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a socially just and environmentally sustainable society, says that these alternatives slow deforestation and can save almost half of the water used during paper production. Nevertheless, their manufacturing processes require high energy usage and depend on population participation in recycling initiatives, and population reliance can greatly vary and ultimately prove to be unsustainable.

With their respective benefits but also considerable drawbacks, these paper alternatives have yet to be popularized.

Still, environmentalists and researchers refuse to give up, as many are pursuing a mix of the current alternatives while others are using biotechnology to test completely new alternatives. Perhaps the perfect paper alternative is on the horizon.

HIGH RATE OF PAPER PRODUCTION HAS LED TO

AMERICANS USE AN AVERAGE OF

700

CHEAPEST

WATER WASTE CO2 EMISSIONS DEFORESTATION

POUNDS OF PAPER PER YEAR MOST SIMILAR TO PAPER

KENAF

COST: $1.45/sheet DESCRIPTION: thin, white, similar to paper BENEFITS: production is low energy and low cost DISADVANTAGE: expensive retail, industry remains in its infancy

Design by Laura Zhang

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COST: $0.02/sheet DESCRIPTION: popular crop alternative BENEFITS: fastest growing, hardy plant DISADVANTAGE: difficult to process

BAMBOO

MOST DURABLE

COST: $0.21/sheet DESCRIPTION: made from resins and inorganic fillers BENEFITS: can be reused or preserved for longer DISADVANTAGE: high production cost, nonbiodegrable, relies on public’s desire to recycle

PLASTIC

sustainability (out of 5 stars) =

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