The
Trail Volume 13
Photography by Marissa Guzik
Rutgers University Department of Human Ecology
A Message to Our Readers‌ Since the beginning of this new decade and especially now, over these last few months, we have been faced with tremendous challenges and tragedies that, for many of us, may have seemed unimaginable and continue to be unfathomable. The coronavirus (or COVID19) took its toll on Wuhan, China first and eventually spread its deadly wings globally. Each country has been disproportionately affected by its grip, however, over the recent months, the United States was deemed to have the most recorded cases and, tragically, the highest death toll. As of writing this message, the U.S. has already surpassed 100,000 deaths and currently holds 1,873,803 recorded cases and 106,876 deaths out of the 6,515,796 globally recorded cases and 387,298 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Here at home and along the Northern East Coast, we have been hit the hardest, with New Jersey being second only to our neighbor, New York, for the highest recorded cases and deaths in the nation. This has undoubtedly brought about challenges, hardships, and unfortunate tragedies unique to each of us. One of these challenges that us students and faculty of Rutgers University share is our transition to remote learning and the suspension of most on campus activities, including research and graduation ceremonies. This sudden adaption to online learning has undoubtedly caused new stresses and obstacles to learning and academia, including the publishing of this very issue. To our graduating seniors, we want to take this chance to say congratulations and to wish you well in all your future endeavors, and although you may not have been able to have a traditional graduation ceremony, you should be proud of all that you have accomplished at your time here at Rutgers. We would also like to recognize the recent tragedy of the killing and death of George Floyd, and the call to action and call for change that this heinous act has charged nationwide. Many disturbing videos and images of violence and brutality have been highlighted in the news from the current protests and our history. While it is hard to see these events unfold, it is hopeful to see the images of unity and people of all backgrounds coming together and even some police walking arm-in-arm with the peaceful protest efforts nation and world wide. As a student run newsletter, we
understand the importance of covering these events to have the voices of the people heard, and we want to show our support for the peaceful protests that are demanding change and for equality and justice to prevail. These times have not been easy, and as we all start to come out of our "quarantine shells�, we hope you all have a safe and wonderful summer! We hope you enjoy this unique Trail issue, as it is a collection of the semester's worth of articles and work, organized into sections based on the month that they were written. As always we appreciate any feedback and comments you would like to share with us, so feel free to contact us at epibtrailrutgers@gmail.com. We will end this message with a fitting quote:
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." -Martin Luther King Jr. Sincerely, Marissa, Micah and the Trail Staff
The Trail Staff… President: Micah Gartenberg Head Graphic Designer: Marissa Guzik Authors:
Editors:
Simone Allison
Micah Gartenberg (lead)
Gayatri Anguloori
Natalia Binkowski (lead)
Natalia Binkowski
Rebecca Bright
Jamie Cohen
Felicia Paradiso
Sarah Ekẹnẹzar
Maia Scheffler
Anna Forsman
Sucheta Gandhi
Designers:
Micah Gartenberg
Marissa Guzik (lead)
Marissa Guzik
Sarah Ekẹnẹzar
Ana Leah Long
Christina Gonzalve
Rebecca McGrath
Carina Hawryluk
Felicia Paradiso
Alexandra Haris
Angelica Rojas
Maia Scheffler
Naajia Shakir
Special Thanks to Natalia Binkowski, Sarah Ekẹnẹzar, Sucheta Gandhi, Carina Hawryluk, Alexandra Haris, and Naajia Shakir for all their help throughout the publishing process! And thanks to all our talented Trail staff for making this volume possible!
Table of Contents February… A Serious Series of Volcanic Eruptions. Ana Leah Long …………………………… 2 Australian Fires Lead to Further Interest into Indigenous Land Use. Simone Allison ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Appreciating Environmental Art. Maia Scheffler ………………………………………….. 6 Poetry. Anna Forsman………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Clothing Production & Its Environmental Impacts. Sucheta Gandhi ……….11 BAGS! What Kind should you be using? Natalia Binkowski ………………………..14
Buyers Beware! Jamie Cohen ………………………………………………………………………………. 16 Perennial Progress & Potential. Micah Gartenberg ……………………………………… 19 How does Climate Change affect Agriculture? Naajia Shakir ………………… 22 Service & Environmentalism in Costa Rica. Rebecca McGrath ……………… 25 Strategies of the Climate Change and Civil Rights Movements. Felicia Paradiso ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 28 The Green Soldiers of Yeli Village. Sarah Ekẹnẹzar …………………………………… 30 R U COOL? Marissa Guzik ……………………………………………………………………………………… 33 A Global Health Practicum in Tanzania. Gayatri Anguloori …….……………….. 37 Coronavirus in China. Angelica Rojas ……………………………………………………………….. 41 Trail Mix. Sarah Ekẹnẹzar ……………………………………………………………………………………… 44 * Tip: For quick access to an article click on the title of the article.
March… Just the Facts: Special Edition “Coronavirus 2019.” Marissa Guzik………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 46 COVID-19: A Blessing in Disguise for Mother Earth. Ana Leah Long …… 51 Babies’ Stroll Down Air Pollution Lane. Maia Scheffler ……………………………. 54 Why Climate Change is Not a “Popular” Topic in Urban Communities. Naajia Shakir ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 57 Sugary Cereal. Sucheta Gandhi ………………………………………………………………………….. 60 Speaking Up for Silence. Sarah Ekẹnẹzar ……………………………………………………… 63 Poetry. Anna Forsman ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 67
Green Technology. Rebecca McGrath ……………………………………………………………….. 69 Interning at TERRACYCLE. Natalia Binkowski ………………………………………………. 72 Pushing Plastic Out of Jersey City. Gayatri Anguloori ……..………………………… 74 Where do our Clothes come from? Jamie Cohen …...………………………………….. 77 Addressing Climate Anxiety through Art and Action. Felicia Paradiso …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 82 Understanding the Philosophy of Ecofeminism. Simone Allison ………….. 85
Trail Mix. Sarah Ekẹnẹzar ……………………………………………………………………………………… 87
May… Senior Bio: Ana Leah Long…………………………………………………………………………………….. 89 Senior Bio: Maia Scheffler ……………………………………………………………………………………... 91 Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining. Sarah Ekẹnẹzar ………………………………………. 93 How Comedic Television helps to Develop Science Communication. Jamie Cohen ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 97 The Truth behind the “Murder Hornets” in America. Angelica Rojas …. 101 Food Issues in Micronesia. Sucheta Gandhi .……………………………………………….. 104 Traffic. Naajia Shakir ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 106 Environmental Documentaries to Watch while in Quarantine. Rebecca McGrath …………..………………………………………………………….………………… 108 “Tiger King” and Exotic Animal Ownership. Felicia Paradiso …………………. 112 The Perfect Vegan Sandwich to eat while in quarantine. Natalia Binkowski …………………………………………………...……..…………………………… 114 Reflection on Life in Isolation. Simone Allison ..………………………………………….. 116 Poetry. Anna Forsman ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 118 Blue Monarch in the Summer. Gayatri Anguloori ……….……………………………… 120
Trail Mix. Alexandria Haris …………………………………………………………………………………… 121
February. “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor" - Desmond Tutu
Vol. 13 | February
A Serious Series of Volcanic Eruptions By: Ana Leah Long The effects of climate change can be experienced in a multitude of ways, some of which include extreme temperatures, excess precipitation and droughts, increased sea level, and extreme weather events and natural disasters. Some of the most recent events include increased volcanic activity, which can largely be attributed to a warming planet as a result of human -induced climate change, according to a recent study published in the journal Geology. As of recent months, there have been a series of volcanic eruptions around the world, ranging from the White Island/Whakaari Volcano in New Zealand to the most recent Taal volcanic eruption in the Philippines that began on January 12, 2020. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) issued a Level 4 Alert, which meant that “a hazardous explosive eruption [was] possible within hours to days.” Many citizens within the area were ordered to evacuate and take necessary precautions, resulting in the untimely suspension of classes, work schedules, and flights. One particular citizen includes my very own mother, Anna Charfauros, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing as she was present in the Philippines during the time of the eruption.
What steps did you take during the disaster to protect yourself ? “I was trying my best to cover my face so as to not inhale the ashes. As the ashes got heavier, I knew that evacuation was coming. I did not have much time to react or think, so I gathered my most important valuables and important documents and I sought safety along with my loved ones.”
References Jeremy Berke. “Powerful Volcanic Eruptions Will Likely Get More Frequent in the Future, Scientists Say.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 23 Jan. 2018, www.businessinsider.com/ volcano-eruptions-increase-japan-philippineswarming-climate-glacial-retreat-2018-1. 1
“Taal Alert Level 4 up after Phreatic Eruption.” Manila Bulletin News, https:// news.mb.com.ph/2020/01/12/taal-alert-level-4 -up-after-phreatic-eruption/ 2
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What was the experience like after the disaster? “After this volcanic eruption, the experience was devastating, especially if one has to run away from his or her home while being covered with ashes as you go along ... Life gets to a halt. You go to the evacuation centers and live a life together with the other victims. You live on rations and donations from volunteers. I felt a strange sense of community while being surrounded by other victims, but the nearby towns and villages were almost like ghost towns. Life really becomes unpredictable as to what will happen to your tomorrow. I couldn’t help but think about the people who lived near/around the volcano and how their lives have changed entirely as a result of just one event.”
What did you learn from this experience? “I had just visited the volcano a few weeks prior to the eruption and seeing how fast things can change makes me realize that nothing is certain in life. I tried not to lose hope—to pick up the pieces and just move forward. We must all learn to respect nature as it cannot be taken for granted.”
What this natural disaster reveals to us is that climate change is indeed an imminent threat to humanity, and the effects will only continue to operate as a positive feedback loop in nature, only catalyzing the speed at which more extreme events may occur. For example, while volcanic activity on a larger scale may only last for a short period of time, the enormous outpour of ash and other gases can have an effect on climate patterns for years. The aerosol particles released from a volcanic eruption can linger in our stratosphere for up to four years, which can absorb terrestrial radiation while scattering incoming solar radiation, an effect known as “radiative forcing.” As a result of this phenomenon, the Earth’s radiative balance can be altered along with circulation patterns in our atmosphere, thus furthering the likeliness and severity of future weather events and natural disasters. It is for this reason that the exigency to act on climate change is now as time is of the essence.
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Australian Fires Lead to Further Interest into Indigenous Land Use By Simone Allison
A
s the first month of the new decade comes to a close, the bushfires in Australia continue to rage on. Estimates are that 33 people and around one billion animals have been killed, with 27.2 million acres of land destroyed (BBC News). One of the many factors adding to the strength of the Australian bushfires are the masses of underbrush and leaf litter that cover the southeast. While the country does schedule hazard burns to get rid of the excess detritus, it repeatedly piles up, which has led to the large range of fires. As questions are raised about what could have been done to prevent the fires, the significance of lost Aboriginal ways of life and proper land management are once again being brought to the fore.
Australian Wildfire Scene
Controlled burning at Red Moon Sanctuary, Redmond Western
One of the suggested preventative measures is that of indigenous fire management. Rather than creating large, indiscriminate fires aimed at completely destroying the underbrush, this ancient practice relies on a more comprehensive view of the ecosystem (Betigeri). Indigenous fire management takes into account the seasons, the sprouting times of plants, when they drop their seeds, and even the mating schedules of animals. Unlike Western hazard burns that may encourage the further growth of the plants they aim to cut off, indigenous burns are so small that they do not have this same opportunity. Desperate to prevent future fires, both civilians and local Australian governments are becoming more interested in these methods.
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Revelations about pre-colonial land management and use are becoming more common. These narratives that were once erased by colonizing forces are now teaching us new concepts that change our preconceived notions about what we consider to be “natural” or “untouched.” While most of us have some level of knowledge about pre-colonial indigenous culture, the connection between how the ways they shaped the Earth and its current state is often lost. For example, a paper published in PLOS One hypothesized that sites in South Carolina with heavy Native American land use later became early settlements for white South Carolinians (Coughlan and Nelson). The natives in these areas cultivated fruit and nut bearing trees, managed successional fields for varied agriculture, and managed canebrakes. These canebrakes, plots along floodplains where primarily river cane (Arundina gigantea ssp. gigantea) grew and were especially important to the lives of the native people. Cane was a ubiquitous material used for houses, quivers, basketry, and other goods. The floodplains where it grew were hunting grounds for deer, turkey, and timber rattlesnakes (Hall). The researchers found that after the indigenous peoples were vacated from the area, European settlers were able to use the same cultivated land for their own agricultural purposes. While some of these settlements across the country faded into obscurity or were absorbed into larger settlements, others were the building blocks of the modern
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towns and cities we live in today. These discoveries reveal more than just how the habits of indigenous peoples have shaped our lives today. They also
A depiction of a Wichita Village with agriculture, 1850
reveal that we are more similar than we that we seem. Humans, regardless of motive seem to have similar driving desires: we want plentiful food, access to water and transport, and safety. The ways we use the Earth unites us.
Works Cited BBC News. “Australia Fires: A Visual Guide to the Bushfire Crisis.” BBC News, BBC, 31 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-australia50951043. Betigeri, Aarti. “Why Australia Is Using Indigenous Experts to Fight Bushfires.” Time, Time, 14 Jan.2020,time.com/5764521australiabushfiresi ndigenous-fire-practices/. Coughlan, Michael R., and Donald R. Nelson. “Influences of Native American Land Use on the Colonial Euro-American Settlement of the South Carolina Piedmont.” Plos One, vol. 13, no. 3,2018,doi:10.1371journal.pone.0195036. Hall, John C. “Canebrakes.” Encyclopedia of Ala bama, 17 Aug. 2007, www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h1279.
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Appreciating Environmental Art By: Maia Scheffler Photography by Andy Goldsworthy
“We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something that is separate from us. So when we say we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.” -Andy Goldsworthy
A
fter reading through different resources, it is interesting to note that many authoritative entities in the world of definitions define art as a noun, a thing created by and through human action. But as I sit here writing this article, I am looking out in front of me with the sun beaming, reflecting off of the blue water like sparkly stained glass, as the strong wind pushes at the bay, and it is a true masterpiece. The natural environment that surrounds us every day is art in itself. This feeling that I have and the personal connection I
feel to my natural surroundings right now is the untaught reaction that environmental artists are trying to create through their work. The main accomplishment these artists are trying to attain is emphasizing the feeling of connectivity between the viewer and the natural environment they inhabit. As the growing concerns about environmental degradation have risen all around the world, environmental art has become more popular. Since the start of humanity’s ability to communicate, “primitive
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man illustrated streaks of rain and lightning on the interior walls of their cave homes, artists have always been entranced with depicting our natural environment…In the 20th century, alongside rising global concerns surrounding the state of the environment's health, and our impact as humans upon it, many artists started creating works in collaboration with the physical world to draw attention to ecological issues as well our relationship and contribution to them” (“Environmental Art Movement”). Environmental artists create an integrative approach to addressing environmentalist concern and action through incorporating art in their activism. A key idea of the environmental art movement is changing the way we think about the site of artistic production, all while switching u p t h e traditionally applied art mediums and still respecting t h e
surrounding environment. Land art or earth art, being the prominent employed artistic style here, “is art that is made directly in the landscape, sculpting the land itself into earthworks or making structures in the landscape using natural materials such as rocks or twigs” (Tate). The creators’ intention considers the individual impact these artists can have on nature and shows the artist actively choosing to not sacrifice the environment’s health in order to create their work (“Environmental Art Movement”). This ideal is important to the environmental art movement because over the past decades of society ignoring the bulk of ongoing catastrophe, many other professions and organizations have had the exact opposite intention and thoughtfulness in regard to disturbing the n a t u r a l environment. Recently, there has been a g r o w i n g interest from museums to “inspire artistic Photography by Andy Goldsworthy
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appreciation and a desire to respond to environmental challenges” (Tugend). Their efforts involve moving away from land art and into more elaborate/ high-tech built exhibitions, endeavors unlike the more renowned environmental artists’.
www.theartstory.org/ movement/environmental -art/.
Innovative artists across the globe are making people wonder if this type of art can help save the planet. Andy Goldsworthy is a notable British sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist, who uses site-specific land art made from natural materials found in the surrounding environment. This artist creates his installations in/ around nature out of rocks, ice, leaves, or branches, then photographically documents how the transient installations change and wither over time. “It’s not about art,” Goldsworthy explains. “It’s just about life and the need to understand that a lot of things in life do not last” (Taggart).
Tate.
Taggart, Emma. “6 Environmental Artists Who Celebrate Nature and Promote Positive Social Change.” My Modern Met, 5 Dec.
2018, mymodernmet.com/environmental -art/. “Land Art – Art Term.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/l/land-art.
Tugend, Alina. “Can Art Help Save the Planet?” The New York Times, The
New York Times, 12 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/arts/artclimate-change.html.
Works Cited: “Enviro nmenta l Art Mo vement Overview.” The Art Story,
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Clothing Production Its Environmental Impacts By: Sucheta Gandhi First, cotton is planted, grown, and later picked from cotton farms by laborers in the United States, China, or India. Self-driving machines harvest the cotton crops and separate the cotton balls from the seeds. The cotton lint is then pressed into 225kilogram bales. The cotton plants require a huge quantity of water and pesticides. The production of the average t-shirt requires 2,700 liters of water, which is enough to fill more than 30 bathtubs. Cotton uses more insecticides and pesticides than any other crop in the world. These pesticides are harmful to the health of the field workers and s u r r o u n d i n g ecosystems and contain carcinogens. Organic cotton is grown
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without pesticides and insecticides, but it only makes up less than 1% of the vast amount of cotton produced. Textile mills ship the cotton bales to a spinning facility, usually in China or India where machines blend, card, comb, pull, stretch, and twist the cotton into balls of yarn. The balls of yarn are then sent to the mill, where huge circular knitting machines weave them into sheets of rough, grayish fabric treated with heat and chemicals until the fabric becomes soft and white. The fabric then is dipped into commercial bleach and dyes which make up the coloring in textiles. These coloring agents may contain carcinogens, lead, c a dm i um , c h r om i u m a n d mercury. Other toxic chemicals are released in rivers or oceans and cause contamination. After
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the finished cloth travels to Bangladesh, Turkey, India, or China, human labor is required to stitch the cloth into t-shirts. The workers sewing the clothes often face poor, unsafe working conditions and low pay. The manufactured clothes are then sent to high-income countries to be sold by train, truck, or ship. This transportation process gives carbon an enormous carbon footprint. If more countries produced their own clothing domestically, there would be less of a need for long distance transportation and the consequent carbon footprints would be smaller. Fast fashion and an increase in the public’s willingness to buy clothing correlates with the frequent use of social media to promote clothing trends. “Annually on average, every American purchased 64 garments and spent $907.54 in 2013, an 11.5% and 60% increase respectively over 1991 levels,” (ClarkeSather, 1). This frequent increase in spending in the United States is harmful to the environment because
it requires the faster production of clothing. “The process of growing, picking and preparing cotton to make it onto wearable clothing takes a lot of labor, time, and energy. The fashion industry itself is responsible for 10% of the world's carbon emissions,” (McFall-Johnsen, 1). The dramatic shift in clothing consumption over the last twenty
years, driven by large corporations and the trend of fast fashion, has cost the environment, the health of farmers, and driven questionable human labor practices. Although the process of making clothing, dying the fabric and transporting it to various stores and factories around the world is harmful to the environment and to workers in
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textile factories, there are a few potential solutions to the issues presented by the environmental cost of clothing production. Shopping second hand in thrift stores and buying organic cotton reduces these harmful impacts. Instead of throwing away old clothes, donating, recycling, or reusing the fabrics as clothing rags are viable options. Additionally,
wearing clothes for a longer amount of time, instead of buying new clothes repeatedly would help to reduce the carbon footprint of fast fashion.
Works Cited Chang, Angel, director. The Life Cycle of a t-Shirt. Y o u T u b e , Y o u T u b e , 2 0 1 7 , www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiSYoeqb_VY. Clarke -Sather,
Abigail, and Kelly Cobb. “Onshoring Fashion: Worker Sustainability Impacts of Global and Local Apparel Production.” Journal of Cleaner Production, Elsevier, 11 Sept. 2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0959652618327872. Kelly, and Abigail Clarke. “Onshoring Fashion: Worker Sustainability Impacts of Global and Local Apparel Production.” Sciencedirect.com, 2018, reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/ S 0 9 5 9 6 5 2 6 1 8 3 2 7 8 7 2 ? token=96388AC2CFC2ED193CEA70E7A476F5F17 EC842A9CF32B29313C1F63BA0CD6C611B8924AC 16B14B8BA04ACA27464FB53F.
McFall-Johnsen, Morgan. “The Fashion Industry Emits More Carbon than International Flights and Maritime Shipping Combined. Here Are the Biggest Ways It Impacts the Planet.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 21 Oct. 2019, www.businessinsider.com/fast -fashionenvironmental-impact-pollution-emissions-wastew a t e r - 2 0 1 9 - 1 0 .
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By Natalia Binkowski Most of us have been told over and over how horrible plastic bags are for the environment. Plastic bag bans have been popping up around the country, here and there. Many people have been attempting to be eco-friendly and walk around grocery stores with their reusable cotton bags, thinking it is the best option for the environment. These people might not be aware that cotton bags can actually be worse than plastic bags. But to understand this, they must know about the differences between the environmental impacts of plastic (high density polyethylene), paper, and cotton/polypropylene (common reusable) bags on the earth. Plastic bags became standard in U.S. grocery stores about 40 years ago, which also meant that they were showing up more and more in landfills, oceans, rivers, streets everywhere (Rosalsky). America goes through hundreds of billions of these bags every year, and they can be recycled, but rarely are (Thompson). Recently, however, people have been more conscious when it comes to plastic disposable bags, which in turn leads to more regulation on them. When California banned these plastic bags in 2016, there was a study done by economist Rebecca Taylor, where for six months, she spent weekends observing and analyzing stores’ sales data. What she found was that although there was a lot of plastic eliminated, it came back even bigger - in the form of trash bags. People that tended to reuse grocery bags for other things started buying more trash bags, since they still needed bags - but trash bags are thicker and actually use up even more plastic, so the situation became worse (Rosalsky). In addition, there was an increase in paper waste, since people turned to paper bags as an “ecofriendlier� alternative. Although it seemed like banning plastic bags was going to help the environment, it ended up hurting more than helping. How can this be, though? How can paper bags be worse than plastic ones? An even more mind-boggling question - how can traditional reusable bags be worse? These are haunting questions to those that religiously take paper bags over plastic at
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Vol. 13 | February supermarkets, or those that constantly buy reusable bags when they forget their own bags at home. We have been conditioned into thinking that plastic bags are extremely destructive and the worst possible way of carrying your new purchases out of the store. In reality, every type of bag has its own environmental impacts and characteristics. We have to start considering all aspects, such as energy use, natural resource use, transportation, impacts on human health, lifespan of the actual product, pollution, emissions, how the product will be disposed of in order to truly determine the full costs and effects (Evans). This way, we can make an educated decision about what we could do that will make a positive difference on the earth. To put things into perspective, studies have shown that in order to be more environmentally friendly than a disposable plastic bag, you would need to use a paper bag about four times, a polypropylene bag 14 times, and a cotton bag 173 times (Evans)! This shows that plastic bags can be just as good, or even better in certain ways, than other bags. It also shows how much more education there should be about environmental issues, and how the things we consume are affecting the earth. People become so biased towards certain ideas that they don’t see the harm in them. Ultimately, the point of this article is that the more you reuse any bag, the better it is for the earth. And maybe after reading you might be thinking, is using no bag the real solution? It might be, but that’s not very realistic for a lot of people. The next best thing is to be conscious about how we use and dispose of the bags we are currently using. If your only option is to use a plastic bag, then use it, but don’t throw it out after - try reusing it as much as you can. Or, if you want to buy a reusable bag, do it, but try not to keep buying them. Instead, try to be consistent and actually use it every time you go grocery shopping. This, over time, will bring the environmental impact of the bag down - which is what many people are aiming for in the first place. If we reuse the bags we have, then the demand for the creation of more bags goes down. Overall, the key is to take care of the bags you already own, and to not take/buy more than you need! This is how progress can be made. Works Cited Evans, Posted byDavid. “Reusable vs. Disposable Bags: What's Better for The Environment?” Plastic EDU, 26 Dec. 2019, plastic.education/reusable-vs-disposable-bags-whats-better-for-the-environment/. Rosalsky,
Greg.
“Are
Plastic
Bag
Bans
Garbage?”
NPR,
NPR,
9
Apr.
2019,
www.npr.org/sections/
money/2019/04/09/711181385/are-plastic-bag-bans-garbage. Thompson, Claire. “Paper, Plastic or Reusable?” STANFORD Magazine, Sept. 2017, stanfordmag.org/contents/paperplastic-or-reusable.
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Buyers Beware! By: Jamie Cohen
Th
e year is 2020, and the sustainable fashion movement is continuing to grow. New styles and trends are emerging, and more companies are investing in sustainability, yet not everything is perfect, and fast fashion is still major in the industry. There is not one true definition of sustainable fashion. Based on GreenStrategy.com, “Sustainable fashion is…partly about producing clothes, shoes and accessories in environmentally and socio-economically sustainable manners, but also about more sustainable patterns of consumption and use, which necessitate shifts in individual attitudes and behaviour” (“WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?”). Sustainable fashion should meet several objectives that focus on every aspect of fashion from creation to sales. Therefore, the social, environmental, and
economic costs of fashion are considered in sustainability. Although sustainable fashion is becoming a bigger trend as the years progress, some clothing companies may simply be greenwashing in order to stay on trend and make sales.
Clothing companies and stores are arguably the major players in the fashion industry, and therefore, there is a significant chance of them greenwashing to stay in the competitive industry. According to Will Kenton from Investopedia.com, “Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company's products are more environmentally sound”. Greenwashing is a marketing technique that manipulates the buyer into thinking a product is following environmental standards in order to stay in the market and be a
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top competitor. Since sustainable fashion has been becoming a bigger trend, greenwashing tends to occur more often, and one way that consumers can know if they are being fooled is through an online report card. At websites like betterworldshopper.org, you can see grades given to companies for their environmental compliance in different categories. The grade scale is like a school grade scale: A+ being the best and F being the worst. Once you choose the category of clothing, you can see a variety of companies that either meet or do not meet environmental standards. For example,
environmentally sustainable and others that are not and only use greenwashing as a marketing tool. Brand names are important to fashion, not only in terms of the clothing, but in terms of the consumer, and therefore understanding the background information of these companies is a key point for consumers trying to make a sustainable difference.
In conclusion, it is important for consumers to do individual research to see if clothing companies are greenwashing to stay within the competitive market. With websites such as betterworldshopper.org, consumers have the ability to see the sustainability grades of major clothing companies. However, it is also important to some companies that are seen as rememb er th a t th e environmental leaders with an A+ rating internet can sometimes be are Patagonia and Eileen Fisher, while misleading in the companies that are the worst in this i nforma ti on th at it category with an F rating are Walmart presents. Therefore, these and Ralph Lauren (“Home Page�). report card sites help identify a potential problem and allow for These types of grades can help more research by the consumer consumers differentiate between before deciding. The bottom line companies that are is that in order to be sustainable,
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work needs to be done. Navigating sustainable fashion is not an easy task to try to follow in everyday life, but if people strive towards achieving this goal and do the necessary research, then people can live more sustainably through their clothing choices.
Bibliography “Home Page.” Better World S h o p p e r , betterworldshopper.org/.
Kenton, Will. “What You Should K n o w A b o u t G r e e n w a s h i n g . ” Investopedia, Investopedia, 1 8 N o v . 2 0 1 9 , w ww.i n ves to p edi a .c o m/ terms/g/greenwashing.asp. “WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?” Green Strategy Sustainable and Circular Fashion C o n s u l t i n g , www.greenstrategy.se/ sustainable-fashion/what-issustainable-fashion/.
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Perennial Progress & Potential By: Micah Gartenberg
P
lant species around the world vary in lifespan and in the ways that they reproduce. These unique, expressed traits can be found across agricultural systems and in native plant ecosystems. Common plant life cycles can be grouped into three categories: annuals, biennials, and perennials. ‘Annuals’ refer to plants that complete a full life cycle from the germination of the seeds into reproductive stages and dissemination of their own seeds within a single growing season. ‘Biennial’ plants require two growing seasons to germinate, develop, and disseminate. ‘Perennial’ plants live for more than two years and develop from seeds into plants that can regulate hormonal and reproductive function over the course of
several growing seasons. Perennial plants in temperate climates rely on unique adaptations for survival through changing seasonal temperature and varying climatic conditions. Some examples include overwintering or self-irrigation on either extreme end of the seasonal spectrum. Overwintering refers to the capability of some plants to survive through harsh winter conditions to bloom again come springtime. Self-irrigation refers to the ability of other plants to regulate water consumption in relation to amount of available water resources. Both behaviors, overwintering and self-irrigation, allow for survival in more variable and extreme conditions than many other species can withstand. Humans have long recognized the compatibility of these hardy species within production agriculture. One interesting species that has recently earned recognition for selfirrigation is Desert Rhubarb or Rheum Palestinum. One study by
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Vol. 13 | February commodity crops. Here at Rutgers University, one perennial crop undergoing innovative breeding and trials are hazelnuts. Dr. Thomas Molnar of the Plant Biology department has collected plant material from around the world in order to breed several hazelnut cultivars that are resistant to Eastern Filbert Blight, a disease that constrains hazelnut production in the United States within small regions of the Pacific Northwest.
Rheum Palestinum “Desert Rhubarb”
Lev-Yadun from Haifa University suggests that the leaf shape of this species may have evolved to collect and funnel water into the soil as needed for irrigation (Lev-Yadun). A plant that has high capacity for water storage can survive with less rainfall or irrigation in an agricultural setting.
These new cultivars will allow for commercial production of hazelnuts on the east coast. Hazelnuts are an example of a perennial crop that requires less water, minimal tillage, and only a few years before the trees are producing nuts (Molnar). Some agriculturalists suggest that low input crops could reduce environmental impacts of agriculture in the modern day. Plant species from the Sphagnum genus play an important role in agricultural production. Historically, peat bogs and uplands were drained and converted into conventional agricultural use. In a more modern context, sphagnum is cultivated and harvested to create propagation media for growers. Some point out that if grown and harvested in ecological harmony with the environment, sphagnum moss can be seen as a sustainable agricultural field (Temmink et al.). Increasing carbon storage capacity, the restoration of wetlands, and
In an agricultural context, perennials can help in soil conservation because they require less tillage and cultivation of the surface. Examples of perennials that require less intrusive surface practices can include fruit and nut trees, cacti, fungi, and mosses, among other plant cultivars. Many of these crops or native plants require less water than other Polytrichum commune “Common Hair Moss”
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Vol. 13 | February the production of peat moss open up cultivation of these species as a worthwhile project. Perennials in tropical climates also exhibit interesting seasonal and lifecycle behaviors. One species of cacti, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, grows in many parts of the world and has unique nomenclature in various locations. This distinctive species produces a beautiful and exotic flower that blooms one night a year. This aesthetic and peculiar behavior showcases the ability of this species ability to finetune allocation of nutrients, hormones, and moisture. While some of these adaptations may seem nifty or fascinating, they also allow plants to survive in a more diverse array of conditions. Scientists suggest that plants with these unique adaptations are more prepared for the impending impacts of climate change (University of Queensland). These plants will survive in native ecosystems, agricultural systems, and other various settings that test the limits of their evolutionary abilities.
Works Cited Lev-Yadun, Simcha, et al. “Rheum Palaestinum (desert Rhubarb), a Self-Irrigating Desert Plant.” Naturwissenschaften, vol. 96, no. 3, Springer-Verlag, Mar. 2009, pp. 393–97, doi: 10.1007/s00114008-0472-y. Molnar, Thomas. “Hazelnut Research and Breeding at Rutgers.” Hazelnut Research and Breeding: Rutgers Licensing and Technology: Agricultural Products, Rutgers University, 2019, agproducts.rutgers.edu/hazelnuts/. Snyder, Betty G. “Flowers That Go Bloom in the Night. (Epiphyllum Oxypetalum).” Modern Maturity, vol. 26, American Association of Retired Persons, Oct. 1983. Temmink, R., van Djik, G., Hensgens, G. et al. “Sphagnum Farming in a Eutrophic World: The Importance of Optimal Nutrient Stoichiometry.” Ecological Engineering, vol. 98, no. C, Elsevier B.V, Jan. 2017, pp. 196–205, doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.10.069. University of Queensland. "'Rule breaking' plants may be climate change survivors." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 February 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2020/02/200210091157.ht m>.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
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How Does Climate Change Affect Agriculture? Naajia Shakir
In
recent events, the world has been struck by many environmental catastrophes that were caused by climate change, including the wildfires in Australia and California and hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. They have destroyed homes, forests, and killed thousands of animals and peoples. These occurrences made me wonder how climate change is also affecting agriculture and farmland. During my time working at a farm, I had countless e x p e r i e nc e of watering plant beds with a multitude of c a n s t hroughout the day/over the course of
weeks, because the weather was so hot outside. Sometimes, it would be so hot that even though I may have watered the plants, their soil would become dry and brittle about two hours later. This may seem normal, but it was seen in the past years that every current decade has been recorded as the hottest decade in history. In Western America, many farmers and ranchers have suffered from farm and land loss due to wildfires. Even if farmers are not affected directly, they are still impacted by the smoke and ashes from the fires closest to them (Simmons). People would have to leave their farms and go home until the air was clear again - wasted time from not working at the farm would eventually affect a farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; crop production. The United States De par tment of Agriculture also stated that with the increase of carbon dioxide in the
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atmosphere, temperatures continue to rise (Shepherd).
will
Other than wildfires, hurricanes also devastate food production by ruining farmland. For instance, many farmers in Georgia were impacted horribly by Hurricane Michael. With the increased loss of food production from hurricanes and other natural disasters, not only are farmers losing their wealth, but the economy is also losing money. Food production and agriculture, especially conventional farming, are huge assets in the A m e r i c a n e c o n o my. T h o u g h vegetables resulting from conventional farming may be encased in GMO pesticides and other chemicals, crops like corn have many different uses. Corn is often used for ethanol, corn syrup in processed foods, and even livestock feed (“Corn Facts”).
Greenhouses are a relatively common way to farm indoors without drastic climate effects. Some greenhouses have the ability to control the climate in certain parts of the building, to keep plants cool and healthy. Farmers may also use hoop houses or high tunnels to extend growing seasons for their plants and keep the soil moist to maintain their nutrients. Hoop houses or high tunnels are huge tents that tower over crop beds to protect them from excessive heat and help circulate the different weather patterns. Another method that is typically used in urban farming is putting hay around the soil and roots of plants. On the farm, I worked and volunteered in
The Solution Climate effects on the planet are usually described as “irreversible” and “inevitable”, but with technological advances, we are still able to adapt and change the way we farm and eat to reduce carbon emissions. In the agricultural field, several farmers use multiple techniques to keep their plants fresh and flourishing.
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“haying the beds”, which was a usual practice for all plant beds. Using hay around plants re gulates the temperature of the soil and holds moisture within the soil when plants are watered, so that the roots are protected during hot summer days.
marshallshepherd/2019/06/2 6/4-reasons-climate-changeimpacts-on-agriculture-matterto-you/amp/. “Corn Facts.” Primary Website, Iowa Corn, www.iowacorn.org/media -page/corn-facts.
The future effects that climate change has on agriculture and the economy may be harrowing, but with bright minds and a passion to help the environment, we will be able to innovate a greater planet for everyone.
Simmons, Daisy. “A Brief Guide to the Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production.” Reliefweb, 20 Sept. 2019, reliefweb.int/ re po r t/ wo r l d/br i ef - gui deimpacts-climate-change-foodproduction.
Works Cited: Shepherd, Marshall. “4 Reasons Climate Change Impacts On Agriculture Matter To You.” Forbes, 26 June 2019, w w w. f o r b e s . c o m / s i t e s /
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Service & Environmentalism in
Costa Rica
By: Rebecca McGrath Photography by: Rebecca McGrath
O
ver winter break, I had the opportunity to go to Costa Rica with the Douglass Residential College’s Global Village program. We went with the travel group Rustic Pathways. The trip was nine days long. We stayed in the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose, and the Bri Bri community. The Bri Bri are an indigenous community in the south of Costa Rica. Their town is called Yorkin, and the only way to get there is by boat. We started the first day in San Jose after a fivehour plane ride. The city of San Jose felt more like home than expected. There were
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places like McDonalds, Walmart, and a Denny’s. We were also staying in a Best Western. After one night in San Jose, we started our journey to the Bri Bri community. We drove south for six hours. During this drive, we went through one of Costa Rica’s national parks. The bus driver and site leaders told us how to spot various animals in the trees. If you would ever like to see a sloth in Costa Rica, look for a tree with most of its leaves at the top. The leaves of this tree look like hands. If you scan the tree lines of Costa Rica, you are bound to see a cool animal.
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After the bus ride, we met our hosts from the Bri Bri on the shore of a river. Here, we loaded our luggage and ourselves in the boats. The boat ride lasted about an hour. The views on the way were amazing. With
over 6,000 species of plants, even during the dry season, the landscape is still lush and vibrant. The river side was completely covered with trees. The boat ride was very relaxing. We eventually ended up on the shores of the Bri Bri community. We hiked uphill for 20 minutes and were immediately greeted by a pack of dogs. In Yorkin, we stayed in a tree house-like structure. And in Yorkin, you are never truly inside, as there are no windows, just open space. The water barely ran in the place we were staying. However, we were lucky enough to have clean, running water
for us to shower in. A while ago, a massive flood in the region caused all the communities to lose running water. Throughout the past few years, the system has been rebuilt. Costa Ricans are very environmentally focused, especially when it comes to their resource use. When we were staying in Yorkin, we realized they did their best to minimize their impact on the environment. They do use resources from the environment, but they know how to avoid overuse. One of the most interesting parts of the trip was the medicinal tour we went on around the garden of the place we were staying. There were so many cool uses for the plants and a lot of beautiful flowers. Our service project was to help the local womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group, led by a woman named Saline, start an Abaca tree farm. Abaca trees have very strong fibers in their leaves that are valuable. The point of starting a farm was to gain more income. We had to hike through thick mud for an hour and half to get to the site while carrying shovels and twenty-pound bags of seeds. Every day of service, we would eat our lunch out of banana leaves, while sitting in the middle of a river. After our service was done, we had planted over 200 seeds. They hope to plant 1,000 in total.
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The community hopes to start sending its children to university. Education in Costa Rica is mandatory until the age of about 17. A lot of the students from the Bri Bri community do not go on to college. This is not uncommon for the indigenous communities in Costa Rica. This is mainly due to the culture shock of leaving home and finances. These Abaca trees are one way for them to start being able to send their children to schools. My experience in Costa Rica was unforgettable and cannot be fully encapsulated in one article. I am extremely grateful that I was able to go on this trip. I got to experience an amazing community and country. I also saw a sloth and many other cool animals in the national park, which was awesome. Costa Rica is a place Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget.
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Strategies of the Climate Change and Civil Rights Movements
I
By Felicia Paradiso
n 2015, in the face of inaction on climate change by the US government, a group of 21 young people currently aged between 12 and 23, filed a lawsuit against the United States (“Juliana v. United States”). The plaintiffs argued that by failing to take action against climate change, the government is violating the Public Trust Doctrine; a principle stating that the government has a responsibility to protect natural resources for public use (“Public Trust Doctrine”). The case has defeated several obstacles in the last five years, including opposition from major fossil fuel companies. Yet, in January a federal appeals court decided against Juliana with the reasoning that requiring the government to cease fossil fuel use is beyond its constitutional power (“Juliana v. United States”; Schwartz). Julia Olson, the lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, criticized the court’s majority opinion that climate action should be sought in other areas of government, stating that “the idea that their only recourse is to go to the very branches of government that are violating their rights when half of them can’t even vote is a preposterous notion” (Schwartz).
In US history, federal courts have sometimes acted as an additional resource for activists when the other branches of government have failed to uphold the rights of marginalized communities. The civil rights movement made the advancements it did, in large part because of public demonstrations of civil disobedience. It also relied heavily on court cases, such as the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which ruled that the existence of institutions that were “separate but equal” violated the Constitution (“Brown v. Board”; “Fighting for Civil Rights”). M a n y
The students and parents who fought for desegregation of schools in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, a case that showed that the courts can be a tool for forcing the government to protect the rights of its people.
environmentalists have hoped that winning court cases can lend a similar governmental legitimacy to the climate change movement, as it did to the civil rights movement. However, if the courts are unwilling to take any action on climate, and young people
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across the globe are unable to formally participate in the political process by voting, how can governments be held accountable for their constant contributions to climate change? Demonstrating their support for the case, Olson intends to appeal the federal court’s decision and continue to fight for the 21 plaintiffs and the thousands of other young people who have filed an amicus brief (“Juliana v. United States”). This issue is urgent, and it cannot be guaranteed that any federal court will rule itself as having the power and the justification to end fossil fuel use in the US. The US government is willing to ignore the urgent action needed, with one lawyer saying that “whatever additions to the global atmosphere that could somehow be attributed to the government over the time it takes to resolve the pending petition are plainly de minimis” (Liptak). The federal government’s message is clear; it has no interest in protecting the future of the nation’s youth, and no problem with ignoring the ways that climate change is
already impacting people’s daily lives, especially people in marginalized communities. As the judicial system reveals itself to be ineffective in demanding climate action from the other governmental branches, environmentalists must turn their focus to identifying strategies that will work more quickly and will rely less on the assistance of traditional institutions of power. If we are to avoid a climate disaster in the near future, one additional lesson that must be taken from the civil rights movement is that constant engagement in conversation and non-violent protest has immense power by itself to transform a nation.
Youth climate activists at a protest in North Bay, CA, in 2019.
W OR K S CITE D “Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1).” Oyez, www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483. “Fighting for Civil Rights in the Courts.” NPR, NPR, 15 Oct. 2007, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15290714. “Juliana v. United States.” Our Children's Trust, Our Children's Trust, www.ourchildrenstrust.org/juliana-v-us. Liptak, Adam. “Supreme Court Lets Youths' Case Demanding Climate Action Proceed.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Nov. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/11/02/us/politics/supreme-court-youth-climate-case.html? action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article. “Public Trust Doctrine.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/wex/public_trust_doctrine. Schwartz, John. “Court Quashes Youth Climate Change Case Against Government.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/17/climate/juliana-climate-case.html?searchResultPosition=8.
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The Green Soldiers of Yeli Village Sarah Ekẹnẹzar Many people often set resolutions at the start of the new year to encourage themselves to become better people physically, mentally, emotionally, or a combination of the three. Several years ago, friends Jia Wenqi and Jia Haixia took on a resolution of planting trees, which seems ordinary, but actually they planted an entire forest of trees. What is even more surprising to most people is the fact that they accomplished this feat with physical disabilities. The two men were born and raised in Yeli Village in Hebei Province, China. At the young age of three, Wenqi touched a live power line, was severely electrocuted, and lost both of his arms (GoPro). Haixia was born with congenital cataracts, which made him blind in his left eye as a young child, and in 2000, a tragic explosion at the quarry he worked at left him blind in his right eye (New China TV) . He contemplated ending his life after the workplace accident and despaired often. To comfort his best
friend during that trying time, Wenqi said, “I’ll be your eyes, and you’ll be my hands” (GoPro). As Haixia could no longer work, the two thought of productive ways to pass time and earn money, and a few years after Haixa was blinded, they started planting trees to supplement the welfare payments they received (Visser and Chen). As time went on, the friends reflected on how the environment in Yeli was healthier when they were younger, with clear skies and animals flocking around. Haixia became very critical of the troubles that came with excessive industrialization. “China’s industry has boomed in recent decades...[but] it’s caused a slew of environmental
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[issues], including woeful air quality, polluted waterways and mysterious mass animal deaths” (Visser and Chen). Industrial pollution and dust from the newly built quarries are carried through the air and fall into the rivers, killing much of the aquatic life. Wenqi finally said, “We can’t just be sitting around, useless to society… Being alive means having a purpose” (GoPro). Their new goal was to restore the beauty of Yeli. Tired of the seemingly bleak situation in their village, they were determined to revive it and offset the effects of air pollution by planting trees. Initially, they planted twigs cut from trees since they couldn’t afford new saplings. Although they were limited financially, they felt like they were being rewarded spiritually for their work. “They’re like green soldiers. They’re guarding our beautiful village,” said a villager (Great Big Story). As team,
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a
they each supplement what the other is physically lacking. Wenqi leads Haixia to and from their tree plot, but the area they chose to plant in is separated from them by a river with no bridge. So, for more than 15 years, Wenqi has been carrying his friend on his back across the river to do their planting work along the riverbank (New China TV). After being guided to the trees, Haixia climbs the tree with a boost from Wenqi to cut twigs from branches with a sickle. Wenqi uses his feet to break off twigs from the branches Haixia cuts and places them in the ground. During their first year, they planted 800 saplings. A grand total of 2 saplings survived into the following summer with the harsh conditions (New China TV). Most people would understandably give up then, but the two friends were serious about their mission. Haixia said, “In the past, this was a wasteland. Nothing but cobblestones and sand. We planted all the trees for the environment and future generations” (Great Big Story). They decided to change their method and thought it would be best to create an irrigation system. The painstaking work of
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digging through the earth to make a path for the water was worth it in the end. With a steady supply of water, the trees started to grow larger and healthier. Haixia says, “I can feel they are growing every year. They are like our children. We won’t cut them down or sell them for money” (New China TV). With growing popularity, the two attracted the attention of some locals who were willing to donate saplings and physical labor. After seeing their incredible progress, the Yeli director granted them more than 100 acres in the hills for more tree plots. “Even after we’re gone, [people] will see that a blind man and an armless man have left them a forest” (GoPro). As of today, the friends have planted over 10,000 trees in their village and saw a return in some bird species that were thought to be permanently gone. At times like these, when people are sometimes eager to sow seeds of
discord, it is especially important to form more friendships like that of Wenqi and Haixia and sow seeds of compassion for nature and for other people. Works Cited GoPro. “GoPro: A Blind Man and His Armless Friend Plant a Forest in China.” Youtube, 23 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch? v=Mx6hBgNNacE. Great Big Story. “The Friends Who Planted 10,000 Trees.” Youtube, 4 May 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2cqQA_zsKY. New China TV. “Armless Man and Blind Friend Plant over 10,000 Trees.” Youtube, 8 Apr. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch? v=V88eOuVZrEY. Visser, Nick, and Kelly Chen. “Blind Man And His Friend With No Arms Work As One To Plant A Forest.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 24 June 2016, www.huffpost.com/entry/10000-treesplanted-inchina_n_576b6268e4b09926ce5dcb15.
The local ducks returned with their planting efforts!
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R U COOL?
Vol. 13 | February
By: Marissa Guzik
One of the main reasons behind my decision in choosing to attend Rutgers University was the multitude of research opportunities available for students, graduate students and undergraduates alike. However, Rutgers is a la rg e u n i ve rs it y promoting a substantial amount of different research projects; finding a lab or a study to get involved with can be an intimidating task. Projects can be overlooked, drowned out, or only known in a particular department. With this in mind, I thought I would share my research experience working with the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL) research group and give some insight on one of the many research opportunities at Rutgers.
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Over the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to work with the RUCOOL team, a part of the marine science department, and learn more about gliders, along with their evolving roles in the marine sciences. The oceans are largely unexplored with more than 80% being uncharted (“How much of”). During oceanographer Paul Snelgrove’s TED talk, he further highlighted how little is known in particular with the seafloor: “We know more about the surface of the Moon and about Mars than we do about [the deep sea floor], despite the fact that we have yet to extract a gram of food, a breath of oxygen or a drop of water from those bodies.” One of the focuses of the RUCOOL’s research is to improve on this deficit of knowledge and obtain a better understanding of the oceans. This is done by deploying gliders to collect data, especially in environments that prove dangerous or risky for people to go collect, such as in hurricanes. This data is then uploaded to their website for public access, including other researchers that will use
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the data to further develop their own research projects.
Gliders are a new and developing technology that have opened the door for exploration into the uncharted and provided a new way for scientists to obtain substantial amounts of data across vast distances and depths. For example, gliders can be customized to attach different sensors depending on the data one wants to collect. Some of these sensors include: CTD (records temperature, salinity, and depth), turbidity, chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen, waves, and pH (currently being tested and developed). They can also be programmed and designed to dive to depths up to 2,000 meters, as well as to travel prolonged distances. For instance, one glider was deployed as a part of the challenger mission (a mission set by the RUCOOL to cover the same route as HMS Challengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underwater) and
traveled across the North Atlantic from New Jersey to Spain (Strandskov). Through these deployments, the gliders can continuously record and send data back to the marine science department, providing a vast amount of entries and data from each dive and climb made. For these reasons, these gliders that were originally developed here at Rutgers have now been adopted and incorporated by other universities, organizations, and the Navy in an effort to better understand our oceans. Over the summer, I was involved in a week-long training course that was sponsored by the Marine Technology Society and RUCOOL with other undergraduates and graduates from different universities. Many of the concepts that were taught were completely new to me and provided a challenge to understand and learn. However, throughout the process, I became more familiar and comfortable with the concepts. I was able to acquire new important skills and knowledge, such as coding and MATLAB, that have and will continue to help
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Ballasting the glider so its buoyancy is neutral
me in my academic career. While at this training course, I was able to learn how to program and command the glider, as well as get them ready for deployment by ballasting them for the specific water density, calibrating the compasses, and taking them apart to reattach or prepare them. On the second to last day of
rest of the summer as I helped the RUCOOL team in preparing and deploying different gliders set for various missions. In the fall of 2019, my work with the RUCOOL team then turned into a research project, where I was able to work with collected data from previous glider missions. I used this data and combined it with whelk data collected by graduate student Sarah
Calibrating the gliderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internal compass the training course, after spending the previous days coding and preparing the glider, we took a boat out to Sandy Hook area and deployed the glider for a test run and were able to collect our own data. This training and newly acquired knowledge and skills were then applied over the
Borsetti to further analyze and understand the distribution of whelk and the influence of the cold pool that develops over the summer with the heavily stratified layers. I did this by plotting various graphs, which incorporated the skills developed from the training course over the summer and throughout the semester.
Deploying glider off the coast of Sandy Hook, NJ for a test mission
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Although it may seem daunting to start searching for different projects and labs to get involved in, as well as reaching out to the professors and coordinators, being able to be involved and experience the different opportunities available is well worth it. The new skills I acquired have helped and continue to help me as I progress in my academic career, and I hope to continue to build off these skills and experiences to become further involved with research.
Work Cited Snelgrove, Paul, director. A Census of the Ocean. TED, TED Talks, 2011, www.ted.com/talks/ paul_snelgrove_a_census_of_the_ocean#t-73898. Strandskov, Nilsen. “Support Challenger.” Challenger Glider Mission - Support, Rutgers School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, 2016, challenger.marine.rutgers.edu/2014-08-04-16-51-31. “How Much of the Ocean Have We Explored?” NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , 1 Jan. 2009, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/exploration.html.
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A Global Health Practicum in Tanzania By Gayatri Anguloori
I
n the fall of 2019, I felt like I was going through a rut where I was lacking inspiration and purpose in my academic, professional, and personal life. Here I was in New Brunswick, New Jersey, taking on every day class by class, from one scheduled task to another. My life felt calculated and predictable, and there was nothing that I could see or do that would pop the concentrated bubble surrounding me in my young, American life. I decided that I needed to make a drastic change in my life and dyeing my hair red was just not enough. Sometimes the best things in life happen on a whim. They arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t events that are pre-planned or extensively anticipated, but just happenstances. My trip to Tanzania
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was just this. Back in the fall, I had applied to a health practicum in Tanzania that was hosted by Rutgers Global Health and the Rutgers Nursing School, and I was lucky enough to be accepted into the program with a scholarship. On the first day of the new decade, I was off, star-eyed, on a plane to Africa.
When my group and I arrived at Arusha, near Kilimanjaro, we immediately absorbed the beautiful flora that surrounded us, courtesy of a fruitful wet season. The first area we stayed in was in the vicinity of some of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic national parks and was a hot spot for biodiversity and tourism. However, our main stay was a sixhour drive away in Dodoma, the new capital city. With the good judgment of
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our wonderful safari guides, Makuru and Livingstone, all 12 of us Jersey girls were off to the center of the country. As we made our way over, I observed the transition from lush rainforest and grassland to dry brush and cacti. The Dodoma region was in a high, arid, desert
An image of the HIV CTC clinic in the Dodoma Regional Hospital
environment, and we immediately observed the resource scarcity and selective pressures this environment had to offer.
My wonderful professor on the trip, Dr. Suzanne Willard, has been involved with the University of Dodoma and its Nursing School for several years now. Dr. Willard has worked
tirelessly with the teaching staff in the School of Health Sciences at the university to foster a fruitful relationship between Rutgers and the University of Dodoma (UDOM). With the permission of UDOM, my peers and I were able to spend a week and a half doing observational clinical rotations in the Benjamin Mkapa National Hospital and the Dodoma Regional Hospital. We were all given the opportunity to learn about the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of care, the division of labor, and the health care system. The Dodoma Regional hospital presented the greatest contrast to the typical American hospital, and all nine of us students were stunned at the stark differences, as well as the unique health issues the population had to battle in this region of the country. At the regional hospital, we initially rotated through the maternal ward and neonatal ICU, where many women from rural areas come to give birth. The majority of women in the
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maternal ward brought Our next set of rotations their own basin with a involved following medical stack of cotton sheets that they residents and nurses around in had to lay down themselves on the pediatric ICU and their beds when it was time for malnutrition ward, the latter them to deliver their child. These being something none of us had women were strong and resilient any comparative experience and seemed to conceal their pain with. During my day in the through their contractions and pediatric ICU, I learned that deliveries. One about threeof the most fourths of the astonishing patients had aspects of the bacterial maternity meningitis, ward was that and a large mothers would fraction of be up and patients walking to suffered from post-partum pneumonia, without sickle cell assistance anemia, and after their preventable deliveries, and diseases such A bed in the maternity ward in continued to as mumps. the Dodoma Regional Hospital conceal their One of our biggest extreme pain. An takeaways at the additional contrast was that hospital was that the medical registered nurses and midwives professionals in Tanzania performed most of the deliveries watched their patients, whereas in the clinical setting as medical in the US, our doctors and nurses residents watched and learned watch the monitors. In every from them, and not OB-GYNs, ward, doctors and nurses like in the United States.
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used innovative techniques to provide care for their patients. In pediatrics, we observed medical residents count IV drips with the saline bag in one hand and a phone timer in another. In maternity, we saw an OB-GYN use a fetascope, a conical tool that is used to feel and listen to a fetus in the womb, rather than an ultrasound machine. In the malnutrition ward, we learned that it was the lack of nutritional education that prompted parents to make poor dietary decisions for their children, such as ending breastfeeding early and feeding children high starch meals instead.
United States, but also helped me understand the ability of humans to survive, progress, and innovate in times of extreme resource scarcity. The people in Tanzania were kind and resilient and loved their country dearly, and my group and I felt extremely saddened when it was time to end our journey. As residents of the United States, it is easy to forget our privilege and our dependence on technology, but in Tanzania where humans continue to fight to keep their communities healthy against all odds, I was reminded of these things .
My experience in Tanzania not only opened my eyes to the state of advanced medicine in the
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Coronavirus in China
BY ANGELICA ROJAS
T
he rising effect of the Coronavirus has been an immensely detrimental disease, impacting nations worldwide. The deadly virus has hit populated countries such as Germany, Japan, Turkey, Taiwan, Vietnam, and especially China. Unfortunately, China (one of the most populated countries in the world) has been the most affected country by the quick spread of the virus.
the common cold or flu including a cough, runny nose, sore throat, and fever, body aches, diarrhea or vomiting. In severe cases, it may lead to strong symptoms of pneumonia. Coronavirus is spread through physical contact with an infected person. On average, the disease may grow and infect within about 14 days. The name of the virus comes from the
The Coronavirus is a mixture of viruses well-known for carrying strains that are deadly to humans and animals. The symptoms of the Coronavirus are like
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 2019, the virus spread among several Chinese cities in which many people became infected by strain. Currently, there are over 7,700 cases in China with 170 reported deathsâ&#x20AC;?
originated in China has then become an epidemic around the world.
A more recent strain can be classified as the Wuhan Coronavirus (2019nCoV), which has led to many deaths in humans that lived in the Chinese city of Wuhan. There are 8,098 people with the Coronavirus worldwide and 774 people who were killed by it. It has been highly recommended to wear disposable face masks, gloves, and gowns to prevent (The New York Times) the spread of infection. Interestingly enough, there are health workers who wear special masks that are fitted to Latin word, Corona, which means seal and filter out 95% of particles with crown due to the crown-like spikes on a diameter of .03 microns. the exterior. It can be classified in seven different forms that infect To avoid this virus, people must wash humans; two of which are SARS and their hands various times daily, protect MERs, Middle East Respiratory themselves with disposable equipment, Syndrome - first found in Saudi and avoid anyone with the disease. As Arabia, eventually spreading to 16 of right now, there is no treatment or vaccine for the disease. There is a drug countries. company, Regeneron, in the works The first case of the Coronavirus in for finding a treatment China is known to be called (ScienceAlert). the severe acute respiratory Any traveling made into syndrome (Sars-CoV), the cities infected by the which was discovered virus, especially in the province of Wuhan, have been Guangdong in cancelled. 195 2002. There were American citizens and reportedly 5,327 cases government employees of SARs and 349 deaths were evacuated out of in China during the Wuhan to avoid infection. outbreak that lasted until Many other countries have 2003. The virus that evacuated Wuhan, including Table of Contents
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Japan, France, South Korea, Canada, Russia, and Germany. Big sports competitions have been postponed until the pandemic has diminished in the amount of people infected. Companies in China have used the virus to their advantage – for example, one reported company was fined for charging almost six times the amount for a face mask than the standard price. Face masks have become so in demand that many websites have delays on shipment (Edwards and Miller 50).
Works Cited Edwards, Erika, and Sara G. Miller. “What Is the Coronavirus Disease and Is There a Coronavirus Vaccine?” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 11 Feb. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/ health/health-news/what-newcoronavirus-n1119081. ScienceAlert. “What Is a Coronavirus?” ScienceAlert, www.sciencealert.com/ coronavirus. The New York Times. “More Than 7,700 Cases of Coronavirus Recorded Worldwide.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 Jan. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/ world/asia/coronaviruschina.html.
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The Trail Mix WORD SEARCH
MAZE
PYT ISREV ID
START
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“We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges.” Tim Berners-Lee
~WORD BOX~ DISTANCE
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DIVERSITY FOG
TEXTILES
PANDEMIC PLASTIC Table of Contents
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March. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeatedâ&#x20AC;? -Maya Angelou
Vol. 13 | March
Just The
24 : MARCH : 2020
Facts: Special Edition
“Coronavirus 2019” By: Marissa Guzik
W
ith all the headlines and global panic reaching new heights in recent weeks in response to the increasing spread of the coronavirus, it can feel like an information overload. New stories and cases involving the coronavirus are constantly being released as this global issue evolves. As of March 11, 2020, the novel coronavirus has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), meaning it has infected people across various countries and continents or worldwide spread. These recent developments have had a global impact and disrupted our daily lives, including university shutdowns/ digital
conversions experienced here at Rutgers, and supply shortages. These lifestyle changes and disruptions combined with the alarming h ea dlin e s ca n increase our fear and confusion. H o w e v e r , knowledge is power, and understanding some of the background of this virus, as well as preventative measures that can be taken to protect ourselves and loved ones, is important and can be used to quell some of our fear and panic. The topics and information surrounding the coronavirus are vast, diverse and still developing, keeping this in mind, this article serves as a general “brochure” of sorts to provide a brief overview of the virus, as well as some preventative measures that can be used to protect not only ourselves but our loved ones and community as a whole. It is important to note that this is a new and developing situation where not much is known about the true nature of this novel coronavirus, and as more testing progresses the situation continues to rapidly evolve. This means as of writing this article the points presented may not be consistent with or hold true (or truly deemed as “fact” yet) as time goes on and new discoveries are made.
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Terminology The official name for the virus is “SARSCoV-2,” and is a type of betacoronavirus, similar to MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV and sharing origins in bats. This virus can, in humans, cause the illness known as “coronavirus disease 2019” (aka “COVID19”) (CDC). Dissecting the terminology behind the name of the virus, “SARS” is the abbreviation for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome meaning an infection of the lungs, and “CoV” refers to the family of viruses known as the coronaviruses (named for their “crown-like spikes on their surface”) that are responsible for respiratory infections, such as the common cold and pneumonia (CDC and NFID).
Lethality
According to the WHO, a total of 372,757 cases with 16,231 deaths in 195 countries/territories have been reported starting from January 22, 2020. Of these countries/territories, the top three with the largest number of cases are China (81747), Italy (63927), and the United States (42164) respectively, and 3,283; 6,077; and 544 (reported by the CDC) deaths in China, Italy, and the United States respectively.
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The mortality rate for COVID19 was earlier reported to be 2% by the WHO, however, earlier this month this rate increased to about 3-4% which is comparably larger than the 0.1% for the seasonal flu (TIME and WHO). Those who are carriers for the virus or infected have are likely to spread the disease to about 2 to 2.5 other people (the reproductive number for the disease) according to the WHO. Those that are at high risk for infection and adverse reactions/critical cases include those who are 65 and older, people in nursing homes, women who are pregnant, and those with compromised immune systems. The severity of cases reported, however, the majority (80%) exhibited only mild symptoms or even asymptomatic.
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With the increased spread it is important to have testing available, as well as processing laboratories, to get an accurate count of those infected in order to match the supplies and help that is needed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;As of the evening of March 22, the total number of public health laboratories that have completed verification and are offering testing is 91. This includes one or more public health laboratories (PHL) in 50 states plus DC, Guam and Puerto Ricoâ&#x20AC;? (CDC). Here at Rutgers, work is being done by Dr. David Alland and his team to create a more rapid test for the COVID19 to diagnosis people faster (Marza).
Testing
Since this is a type of respiratory infection, it can be more easily transmitted from person-to-person contact. Unlike the flu, the incubation time after exposure for COVID19 can vary from 2 to 14 days. Here is a list of different preventative measures that can be taken and have already been implemented/heavily suggested nationwide from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Table of Contents
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Social Distancing This is one of the most important measures that is being implemented across states and different countries. COVID19 can be transmitted through close contact with “respiratory droplets,” such as sneezes, coughs and talking, and breathing in/contacting these droplets can cause infection. Isolating and distancing ourselves for a period of time breaks the bridge of transmission and can then help stop the spread of the virus especially to those more vulnerable to it.
Six-Feet
Personal Hygiene Washing our hands for at least 20 seconds with soap to properly destroy and rinse the remnants down the sink is important in preventing infection. A neat video demonstrating the science behind the effectiveness of soap https://youtu.be/LKVUarhtvE. Hand sanitizers can also be used; however, they need to be at least 60% alcohol to be effective. In addition to keeping our hands cleans, we need to stop touching our faces with non-disinfected hands, since the virus can enter and travel through our bodies via the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Cleaning/Sanitizing Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that we come in contact with daily, such as phones and desks.
The symptoms associated with the coronavirus follow very similarly with the common cold and flu, including runny nose, headache, sore throat, cough, and fever. Also associated with COVID19 is shortness of breath, trouble breathing, and chest pain, all included in emergency warming signs listed under the CDC and need for medical attention (CDC). If you feel you or someone that you know has contacted COVID19 and is in need of medical attention, it is important to isolate yourself and call your doctor before heading over to a hospital. (For more on this visit the CDC’s website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
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Can spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus? With this rise in global panic, the many uncertainties concerning COVID19 has generated a lot of “buzz” and myths that should be addressed. In response to these, the World Health Organization (WHO), has created a section dedicated to addressing some of these myths. Here are a few of the different myths addressed on their website (for the full list visit https:// www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel -coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth -busters) :
“No. Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such chemicals can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes (ie. eyes, mouth). Beware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendation.”
Works Cited Can pets at home spread the new coronavirus (2019 -nCOV)?
“At present there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus. However, it is always a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after contact with pets.
Can pets at home spread the new coronavirus (2019 -nCOV)?
“To date there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (2019-nCOV). However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care.”
“Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-Situation Report – 46.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 6 Mar. 2020, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/ situation-reports/20200306 -sitrep-46-covid-19.pdf? sfvrsn=96b04adf_2 “Coronavirus.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2020, https://www.who.int/emergencies/ diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 “Coronaviruses.” National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, 19 Mar. 2020, https://www.nfid.org/infectious-diseases/coronaviruses/ Marza, Mike, and Wabc. “Coronavirus News: Rutgers University Researchers Working on Rapid Coronavirus Test That Returns Results within 45 Minutes.” ABC7 New York, Eyewitness News, 24 Mar. 2020, https://abc7ny.com/health/rutgers-researchersworking-on-rapid-45-minute-covid-19-test/6044013/ “Myth Busters.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2020, https://www.who.int/emergencies/ diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/mythbusters “Situation Summary.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21 Mar. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019 -ncov/ summary.html
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COVID-19: A Blessing in Disguise for Mother Earth By: Ana Leah Long
I
t is no mistake that COVID-19 has devastated hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. The impact of the disease has been felt across the world as the coronavirus has ultimately changed how we all live our daily lives. The world is preparing for what could be an indefinite amount of social distancing; taking a look at how this disease has affected life in the United States reveals the severity of this crisis. Across the 50 states, we have seen political leaders call for the ban of dining in bars and restaurants, the closure of recreational centers like movie theaters, gyms, parks and nightclubs, imposed curfews, travel restrictions, the banning of large gatherings for the next eight weeks, the closure of all public, private, and parochial schools, the immediate transition of in-person instruction to online for universities, and the closure of all non-essential recreational and entertainment businesses, to name a few. While such drastic measures are
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necessary to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, thousands of working Americans have been impacted as many are now out of work as a result of the inability to work from home alongside businesses closing indefinitely. As the outbreak forces the cancellation of trips, businesses, and large gatherings alike, economic damage is enclosing across the country as a result. While it appears as though life as we know it is reaching the brink of societal collapse, it is important to recognize that maybe there exists a larger purpose for this outbreak that humanity has not yet come to terms with. Countries across the globe that have been placed under strict lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus are
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experiencing unexpected benefits. This global outbreak is contributing to a decrease in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in certain countries, some of which include Italy and China—two countries that were hit hard by the disease. It is evident that Italy’s efforts to contain the coronavirus resulted in the absence of boat traffic in some of the city’s most widely-used waterways, thus resulting in murky canals turning clear with fish even visible now in the water below, as seen by the image to the left provided by TheHill. With the lack of tourism and cruise ships in the canal, wildlife that has typically kept away from the Venice canal appears to have returned, as there have been sightings of fish, swans, and even dolphins, according to TheHill. Additionally, as the coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China and rapidly spread into other regions, the
Chinese government had no choice but to enforce a lockdown, quarantining nearly 11 million people in Wuhan. Industrial operations within this region came to a stop, while travel restrictions saw the immediate halt of air, rail, and road traffic to prevent the spread of the disease. As a result of these restrictions alongside many others, there has been a 25% drop in China's carbon dioxide emissions over four weeks beginning in late January, according to Lauri Myllyvirta, an analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Finland. Levels of nitrogen
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dioxide have drastically dropped in China with the coronavirus quarantine, as evidenced by the satellite observation to the left, released by NASA. Factories have remained shut since the quarantine was in effect, resulting in drastic decreases in air pollution over China’s skies, which have been undeniably clearer. Observations show that extreme social-distancing measures taken by the United States will also likely have a positive effect on air pollution at the city level. As we continue to quarantine ourselves and practice social distancing to slow the spread of the coronavirus, let us all take the time to recognize that nature is hitting a much-needed reset button during this time. Amidst all the chaos and uncertainty, one thing is certain: the rapid decrease in human activity has been shown to have a positive impact on Earth. While we take this time to practice altruism, love, and positivity in order to heal ourselves from the fear of uncertainty, we are in the midst of several improvements in nature. Such is the very proof that the human race does, in fact, have the power to work together and transition to a sustainable future for the best of all living beings on Earth.
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Works Cited Srikanth, Anagha. “As Italy Quarantines over Coronavirus, Swans Appear in Venice Canals, Dolphins Swim up Playfully.” TheHill, 19 Mar. 2020, https://thehill.com/changing-america/ 1
sustainability/environment/488286-italyscoronavirus-lockdown-shows-what-nature 2
Chow, Denise. “Coronavirus Shutdowns Have Unintended Climate Benefits.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 18 Mar. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/ coronavirus-shutdowns-have-unintendedclimate-benefits-n1161921. 3
Chow, Denise. “Coronavirus Shutdowns Have Unintended Climate Benefits.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 18 Mar. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/ coronavirus-shutdowns-have-unintendedclimate-benefits-n1161921.
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Babies’ Stroll Down Air Pollution Lane By: Maia Scheffler
W
hat do a hazmat-suit-wearing ice cream man, a little girl walking a ferret in a tutu on the bike path, and a young parent pushing their baby in an uncovered pram, have in common? They are all visually alarming scenes that I have witnessed in my hometown during the COVID-19 quarantine. You would be shocked too if you knew about the alarming levels of toxic air pollution exposure that kids in uncovered prams experience. The effects of this exposure could seriously threaten a child's biological processes during the early years of development. The World Health Organization lists that, “children inhale more air per unit of body weight than adults” and “their bodies are less able to metabolize, detoxify, and excrete the toxicants contained in air pollution”, as two of the top reasons to protect babies and children from air pollution (WHO).
About three years ago, experts from the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) at the University of Surrey, did a review of factors surrounding the air pollution exposure to in-pram babies. Dr Prashant Kumar, lead researcher, said at the time, "research has shown that young children are far more susceptible to pollution than adults, due to their immature and developing systems and lower body weight...These findings provide an insight for families who walk to and from nursery/primary schools with young children” (Downey). They highlighted that these babies can experience up to a 60% larger amount of exposure to pollution versus adults, as well as how the breathing height of the babies in-pram lies where the concentrations are usually the greatest (Sharma, 2018). GCARE experts continued this research and conducted a study that showed babies in-pram are on-average
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exposed to 44% higher fine particle concentrations than their adults, no matter the pushchair type (single pushchairs facing the road, single pushchair facing the adult or double pushchairs facing the road). Findings also revealed the bottom seat of a double pram exposes a child to 72% more particle number concentration (PNC) than the top seat. Lastly, the highest levels of exposure for babies in-pram
electron microscope for GCARE “revealed traces of brake wear, tyre wear and resuspended dust minerals with the predominance of brake and tyre wear emissions at baby height compared with a relatively larger share of earth crust elements at adult height” (Sharma, 2020). Using a pram cover can reduce fine and coarse particles by up to 39% and 43%, respectively. That is eliminating almost half of the particulate exposure
were found to be during the morning and afternoon hours, which are consistent with the timing of society’s mass drives to/from school and to/from work (Sharma, 2020).
with just a stroller cover. Further exploration on the matter has been deemed necessary in order to advance technological innovation for filtration systems in the babies’ breathing zone.
For all of the concerned caretakers reading this, the strongest mitigation strategy to combat these exposure issues is pram protection via covers. During their analysis, a scanning
It is more important than ever to stay aware and educated during these times, while everyone is sheltered at home for the COVID-19 quarantine. Families all over the country have discovered
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innovative ways to utilize their newfound family-bonding time. Whereas they’ve also re-ignited the flame of love for mundane outdoor walks and movie binging nights. If walks or runs with the baby stroller are your go-to activity, don’t forget to grab your pram cover before you go!
Works Cited Downey, Andrea. “Mums...you Must Do This One Simple Thing to Protect Your Baby from the Deadly Effects of Air Pollution.” The Sun, The Sun, 15 Aug. 2018, www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/3059076/ ways-mums-protect-babies-air- pollution/.
Strategies.” Environment International, Pergamon, 8 Apr. 2020, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S0160412019345593?via=ihub.
University of Surrey. "Babies in popular low-riding pushchairs are exposed to alarming levels of toxic air pollutants." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 Apr. 2020, www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2020/04/200408145801.htm. WHO. “Children and Air Pollution.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/airpollution/news-andevents/how-air-pollution-is-destroying our-health/children-and-air-pollution.
Hagelin, Rebecca. “Quarantine Shows Value of Spending More Time with Your Family.” The Washington Times, The Washington Times, 29 Mar. 2020, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/ mar/29/coronavirus-quarantine-showsvalue-spending-more-t/.
Sharma, Ashish, and Prashant Kumar. “A Review of Factors Surrounding the Air Pollution Exposure to in-Pram Babies and Mitigation Strategies.” Environment International, Pergamon, 10 Aug. 2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S0160412018306585.
Sharma,
Ashish, and Prashant Kumar. “Quantification of Air Pollution Exposure to in-Pram Babies and Mitigation
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Why Climate Change is Not a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Popularâ&#x20AC;? Topic
in Urban Communities By: Naajia Shakir
Th
roughout the history of popular climate change movements and protests, it has been known to not be entirely inclusive to people of color. Although there have been efforts to push environmental issues in urban communities into the spotlight, they haven't always been successful â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at least not until the issue got worse or something really horrible happened. For instance, the water issue in Flint, Michigan didn't go viral on social media until people were facing detrimental health problems from the water they were receiving. Even today, they still do not have clean water and continue to use water bottles as their main source
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of water. Like Flint, other urban areas in America are being pushed aside without their voices being heard, only to continue living in places that are filled with multiple environmental problems. During the several years that I have resided in Camden, New Jersey, I have experienced this firsthand. Riding down Highway 676 before entering the city, people are greeted with a huge pink plastic factory that emits clouds of smoke into the sky. This is only one of the many buildings that contribute to the air pollution in Camden. Other contributing facilities in the area are warehouses. When workers unload everything from trucks, it is a common practice to have the engine running while idling in the parking lot. This
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the resources, time, or the voice to address these problems. So, non-profit organizations in these cities try to take it one step at a time and focus on food insecurity first because well, you really are what you eat.
releases gas and toxins into the air. Cars do the same thing, but trucks are bigger and use more fuel when traveling and idling in place, thus they use gas faster. Air pollution in Camden is now normal. There have been times when I have gone outside and smelled roasted cocoa from the cocoa factory, which isn't very pleasant. Other times, my friends, myself, and my family members who live in Camden have struggled with breathing. Growing up, almost every child I knew in Camden had asthma. Others, including my younger sister, were faced with other medical breathing issues. Although we were used to this, I always hated the fact that there was so much pollution in my city and that weird smells were ignored. I bring up this point, contrary to popular opinion, that individuals in urban communities do care about the climate change movement and want to fight for a better earth. However, many do not have
Within urban areas, there are corner stores with cigarette advertisements plastered on their walls outside and the food that they sell is often junk food. Just by observation, one can notice that most fast-food restaurants are located within urban communities. These communities also have very few grocery stores to support denizens' healthy food choices. Knowing this is a huge issue for urban areas, environmental and social justice advocates are fighting for more accessible grocery stores and for the implementation of urban farms so that community members have options to better their lives and live healthier. Overall, those who live in urban areas like my hometown, are all for climate change movements and
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Works Cited protests because they are the ones mostly affected. However, due to the lack of resources and privilege, urban communities have to take their fight against climate change slowly. First and foremost, they need to focus on the problems that directly impact them most before anything else. Individuals like myself are willing and eager to see that change.
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Winchester, Hank, and Amber Ainsworth. “6 Years Later: Where Things Stand in the Flint Water Crisis.” ClickonDetroit, WDIV ClickOnDetroit, 24 Apr. 2020, www.clickondetroit.com/ consumer/help-mehank/2020/04/24/6-years-later-where -things-stand-in-the-flint-water-crisis/.
“Government of Canada / Gouvernement Du Canada.” Government of Canada, Government of Canada / Gouvernement Du Canada, 20 Sept. 2016, www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/efficiency/ communities-infrastructure/transportation/cars -light-trucks/idling/4415.
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g Su ary Cereal By: Sucheta Gandhi
T
he
production
of sugary cereals has
themselves
increased
rather than
within the past few years, as
their
a result of the decline in cereal sales.
“While cereal
over the past five years to around $9
children, adults are buying the product
billion in 2017, according to Mintel, a
more
consumer research firm” (Scott 1).
especially millennials who are eating it
Cereal makers started to come out
as a snack or as a dessert” (Scott 2).
with
as
Therefore, advertisements for sugary
Cheerios, with added protein, and
cereals should be targeted to adults
Frosted Flakes, with less sugar; sales
and millennials as a dessert or snack
of the healthy cereals did not increase
as opposed to children to eat for
as producers expected. As a result,
breakfast.
cereal manufacturing companies have
encouraged to eat healthy alternatives,
been increasing the production of
such as plain Cheerios with fruit
sugary cereal. Since sugary cereal is
added.
cereals
such
and
typically
sugary
“Cereal sales have declined 11 percent
healthier
is
kids.
more
marketed for
Children
to
themselves,
should
be
not a healthy breakfast option, adults have
been
buying
it
more
for Table of Contents
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Vol. 13 | March
A study was done in which children
vicious cycle of highs and lows, which
attending
a
affect energy levels, concentration, and
randomly
assigned
summer
camp
a
lead to the consumption of other sugary
breakfast that included the choice of
foods,” (The Effects of Eating Sugary
one of three high sugar cereals or low
Cereals 1). The increased consumption
sugar cereals. The results of the
of sugary cereals for breakfast causes
experiment concluded that children in
the “unstable fluctuation in blood sugar
the
condition
levels and is correlated with weight
consumed slightly more than one
gain and several diseases,” (“The
serving of cereal, while the children in
Effects of Eating Sugary Cereals” 1).
the high sugar condition consumed
Consuming breakfast foods with less
significantly more than one serving.
refined sugar may be beneficial to the
“Compared with serving low sugar
mental and physical health of children.
cereals, high sugar cereals increase
Therefore, it is important to pay
children’s total sugar consumption and
attention to the ingredients of the foods
reduce the overall nutritional quality of
eaten.
their
73).
Breakfast cereals are typically made
Furthermore, high levels of sugar
using a few steps. First, grains are
consumption in the morning causes
processed into fine flour and cooked.
blood sugar to spike and then drop,
Next,
signaling to the brain that more sugar is
ingredients like sugar, cocoa and water.
needed. “Ultimately, this can lead to a
Extrusion is a process that shapes the
low
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sugar
breakfast,”
to
were
cereal
receive
(Harris
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the
flour
is
mixed
with
Vol. 13 | March
cereal using a machine, which is the
Work Cited
next step in the process. Before the cereal is dried, it may be coated with
Alexander, Wesley Scott. “SiOWfa16:
chocolate or frosting. After the cereal is
Science in Our World: Certainty and
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many ingredients added,” (Breakfast
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basics. CBS News. “Why Cereal Companies Are Returning to Sugar.” CBS News,
vegetables, Greek yogurt with nuts and
CBS Interactive, 9 Apr. 2018,
sliced fruit, and oatmeal with raisins
www.cbsnews.com/news/why-
and nuts.
cereal-companies-are-returning-tosugar/. Harris, Jennifer L. “Effects of Serving High-Sugar Cereals on Children’s Breakfast-Eating
Behavior.”
Pediatrics.aappublications.org, 2010, pediatrics.aappublications.org/ content/ pediatrics/127/1/71.full.pdf.
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The unique melodies of nature have drastically changed as a result of human activity booms in modern times. Many places in nature once had a special symphony of sounds ranging from rushing tides to the buzzing of different i n sect s pec ies . P eo ple generally had a greater appreciation for the sound of silence in earlier periods and took great lengths to ensure this. For example, chariots in ancient Rome could only be on the road at specific times to control the clattering of their wheels on stone roads, a noise that often upset citizens (Goines & Hagler 287). The normal sounds of nature were once clearly perceptible within the large orchestra of
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nature, but now they are suppressed by louder sounds from human society. For most people living in the city, hearing the honking from cars on the street or the ground-shaking music from insensitive neighbors can be very annoying. Yet, these sounds are heard so often that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve essentially commonplace and a part of daily life. As a result, not too many mainstream conversations are centered around excessive noise. Additionally, many of the amenities and technologies that people have today are the result of mass industrialization and w i d e - s c a l e
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transportation, and most people are understandably not willing to sacrifice the luxuries that come from these activities. Unfortunately, these anthropogenic, or humancaused sounds have been found to be “physically harmful or distracting to humans or wildlife and are considered noise pollution...” (Francis et. al 1415). Like other forms of pollution, noise can cause serious damage if left unchecked and harm the quality of life for future generations. Even at relatively low levels, noises are “perceived subconsciously as a danger signal...during sleep… [and] the body reacts to noise with a “fight or flight” response, with resultant nervous, hormonal, and vascular changes that have far r e a c h i n g
consequences” (Goines & Hagler 287). Unlike some of the other senses that can be idle, hearing is constant, which is why it needs to be valued more. Unnatural noises are also linked to declines in different animal populations, with birds being significantly affected (Francis et. al 1415). Habitats that formerly provided for every basic need are now unforgiving for animals with a low noise tolerance. The excessive noise has affected different animals’ abilities to sense nearby predators and has consequently harmed the reproductive success in various species (Francis et. al 1415). Regular exposure to anthropogenic sounds can also disrupt sleep patterns in most organisms and result in “mood changes, decrements in performance, and other long-term effects on
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health and wellbeingâ&#x20AC;? (Goines & Hagler 290). Back in 1974, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that around 100 million Americans resided in communities where noise levels exceeded those that were generally known to be safe (Goines & Hagler 287). However, the Office of Noise Abatement and Control, whose purpose was to protect the public from dangerous noise levels, lost its federal funding in 1982 (Goines & Hagler 290). Although there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much assistance from the
federal level, some individuals have adopted the noble goal of restoring the uninhibited sounds of nature. Whether they wish to escape the noise of city life or help ecosystems thrive, their work is picking up steam. Gordon Hempton is one of those individuals. He is a sound tracker who regularly travels around the world in search of vanishing sounds and considers the sound of silence to be the most endangered sound of all (Great Big Story). On Earth Day in 2005, he hiked along the Hoh River Valley in Washington state to experience some moments of peace (Great Big Story). Even after walking three miles into the valley, Hempton still heard the distinct noises from the parking lot a distance away (Great Big Story). He became encouraged to find a quieter spot by following the trail made in the dirt by elk nearby. Eventually, he came across a
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spot in the valley that is one of the last remaining locations in the United States that serve as “havens of silence” (Great Big Story). Hempton lamented that “within ten years, it’s likely that there will be no quiet places left unless we take action” (Great Big Story). That is why he valiantly defends this one-square inch of silence through regular “quiet and noise monitoring” (Great Big Story). Whenever he discovers a “noisemaker,” he writes them a letter requesting their silence, which has been impressively effective over the years. The constant reminder of the potential impact the loss of silence could have on wildlife is his driving force to continue. His story, albeit a unique one, is v e r y wholesome and a guide to follow.
Works Cited Francis, C. D. et. al. (2009). Noise Pollution Changes Avian Communities and Species Interactions. Science Direct. Vol 19, Iss. 16. Pp 1415. Retrieved from https:// www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ pii/S0960982209013281 Goines, L & Hagler, L. (2007). Noise Pollution: A Modern Plague. Southern Medical Journal. Pp 287-290. Retrieved fromhttps://www.researchgate.net/ publication/51380004_Noise_Pollution _A_Modern_Plague Great Big Story. (2017). The Man Trying to Save Silence. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jAgCeyW8iTA&t=29s
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Poetry By: Anna Forsman I slip to sleep Cloaked in nostalgia For the days when the waters were low. I sing to see If my daughters will follow My Earth is not the one they will know. Branches alone Silent stances unknown, The sounds I swallow Since my forest is hollow We cannot beg to borrow anymore. We cannot say tomorrow anymore. While delusions shroud our Sun, We lead movements “Just For Fun”
And we don’t show anyone Where to go.
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My dreams bleed into the sky Crossing through particles of light Read right and tell me not to try I drown in gyres triple my size And find a sculpture near the shore Painted once, now her color ignored Traces of truth under a hidden door
Triangular anomalies, apologies adorned
The wind is loud when it tells me of the time I’ve wasted waiting on your expectations crafting infinite explanations
Reasons I should or shouldn’t dye my hair Lights in the dark, now we’ll never go there I miss what I’ve lost and what I’ve never had But these wind chimes are
New to me, Though they feel familiar and break Through to me, Awakening my mind as I fall asleep, Breathing cautiously, I never say things that I don’t believe Table of Contents
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Green Technology By: Rebecca McGrath
S
ometimes in the environmental field good news is hard to come by, especially now in a pandemic. So here are five green technologies that will make a positive impact:
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1.
Biodegradable plastic made from fish scales
British student Lucy Hughes has developed biodegradable plastic out of fish scales. After visiting a fish processing plant, she saw a use for the left over parts of the fish. She developed a biodegradable plastic from the leftover fish parts. The plastic breaks down in about 6 weeks, and can only be used once. Technologies like these can help us break away from single use plastic.
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2.
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Vertical Farming
Plants inside vertical farms are grown hydroponically. This means they are grown without soil. This allows for farming in areas where there simply enough space for traditional farming, like cities. Vertical farming plants actually grow faster than traditional plants. Vertical farms can be up to ten times more productive than traditional farming.
3.
Tidal Generators
These giant underwater fans help generate energy from the oceanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waves. Tidal generators tend to generate more energy than windmills because water is denser than air. Similarly to most other renewable forms of energy, tidal generators are very expensive and their upkeep is costly. The only way for tidal generators to become cheaper is by having renewable energy become mainstream, but that is a whole other issue.
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4.
Biochar
Basically, biochar is coal’s more ecofriendly cousin. Biochar is made up of charcoal and burnt tree scraps. Biochar releases less greenhouse gases than coal, and could be used until the world transitions to renewable energy.
5.
Solar Towers
Solar towers are toweres covered in mirrors to help reflect the sun's rays, thus creating hotter heat waves that come off the tower. Solar towers can still generate energy even at night. Their uses range from boiling water for steam turbines to providing more light for solar panels. Works Cited Hunter. “25 Green Technologies That Could Save Our Planet.” List25, 28 Nov. 2016, list25.com/25-green-technologies-that-could-saveour-planet/3/. Visser, Nick. “10 Green Technologies That Could Help Revolutionize Our Changing Planet.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/green-technology_n_7208264. Matchar, Emily. “This Bioplastic Made From Fish Scales Just Won the James Dyson Award.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 14 Nov. 2019, www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/bioplastic-made-from-fish-scales-just-won-james-dyson-award180973550/.
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Interning at Vol. 13 | March
By: Natalia Binkowski
D
uring the Spring 2020 semester, I interned at TerraCycle headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey. TerraCycle is a waste management company and offers many recycling platforms and programs. Along with two other interns, AJ and Tess, that are actually also a part of the EPIB major here at SEBS, I was a part of the Brand Partnerships team, which works with a variety of different brands to collect and recycle their products and packaging that might be harder to recycle. The team works with many known brands like L’Oreal, Nestle, Colgate, and BIC! When I arrived at TerraCycle on my first day, the thing that stood out to me right away was the bright, colorful graffiti on the exterior of the building. Walking into the building, I realized that the interior was just as quirky. Inside, the walls were painted brightly too, there were lights made of recycled glass bottles, desk dividers made of unusable vinyls - there’s something eye-catching around every corner. Almost all of TerraCycle’s office decor is made up of recycled materials! There are also neat features such as a swap table and recycling bins all over the office. It was awesome that I could bring in almost all of my trash that was harder to recycle and dispose of it in the office bins. It was definitely a unique, pleasant environment to work in.
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As part of the Brand Partnerships team, I did several tasks to help my teammates out. I was taught how to do aging reports (showed how much money certain brands owed), collect and transcribe data, create decks, create case studies, and anything else that came along. To add, throughout my time at TerraCycle I had a semester-long project, which was to create a Launch Process guide. Every time a new brand joins a recycling program, there is a whole process it must go through, and since the company is always evolving, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard for new employees on the Brand Partnerships team to grasp the process. My task of making a Launch Process guide, a step-bystep manual for any new members or people that need a refresher, hopefully will be able to make things a bit easier for the team. All of the information for this process is now stored in one area - a document that I have made. In addition to the work I did, I attended Brand Partnerships studio every Tuesday, which was a weekly meeting where the team caught up and discussed relevant issues. Shadowing meetings was neat too because TerraCycle deals with many big brands that I was already aware of, so getting to be behind the scenes was a one-of-a-kind experience. Overall, interning at TerraCycle was not only a pleasant time, but it was also educational and helpful. I learned and polished up on many professional skills and was able to meet a lot of new, fascinating people. Every time I went into the office, I appreciated being around people that were all quite eco-conscious in a space that was sustainable as well!
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Pushing Plastic
Out of
Jersey City By: Gayatri Anguloori
O
ne of the main topics of conversations regarding pollution has been the extremely harmful amounts of plastics that are present in our environment. Plastic has been deemed a cost effective and easyto-produce packaging material for many goods that we use in our daily lives. However, it is no secret that a large volume of plastic waste has made its way into our aquatic ecosystems over the years, disrupting the health of delicate ecosystems and species. The damage made by plastic has made its way as deep as 36,000 feet underwater, where plastic bags remnants were found
in Marinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trench in the Pacific Ocean. The rise of micro-plastics in our bodies of water poses a threat to both aquatic and human health. In response to this serious issue of water pollution, many states and municipalities around the country have banned one of the main culprits of plastic pollution in our environment: the single use plastic bag. Large metropolitan cities like Los Angeles have banned the single use plastic bag and have seen a 94% reduction in its use. Taking up on the LA model was Jersey City, NJ. Jersey City decided to ban the single use plastic bag across all businesses in the city on June 26th, 2019, under Mayor Steven
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and personally, I have expanded this habit even when I am shopping outside of Jersey City. However, businesses have found some loopholes and one of the main ones is the availability of multi-use plastic bags instead.
Fulopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administration (NJ.com). This municipal decision was one that was monumental as it made Jersey City the first major city in the state of New Jersey to ban single use plastic bags. The initiative falls under the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans to be more environmentally sustainable and is among other improvements such as installment of solar panels on municipal buildings and electrification of the City fleet. As a resident of Jersey City, I have seen a major change in consumer behavior and the way businesses have been operating when it comes to packaging since the law was passed. This ban of single use plastic bags has increased the use of reusable bags
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Retailers have been charging consumers for multi-use bags and have used this as a way out of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plastic bag ban. However, as of March 11th, an ordinance has been in reading in regards to the banning of these reusable plastic bags as well. The new addition to the existing law would put at least a 10 cent fee on paper bags and it would
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put a penalty of $500 on violators of the ban (Insider NJ). The purpose of the plastic bag ban is to decrease the amount of plastic waste the city was contributing to the environment through the use of unnecessary plastic packaging like plastic bags. The multi-use plastic bags that are visibly thicker are said to last over a 100 times longer than the singleuse bags, but studies have shown that these bags fall apart after 10 uses before being thrown away. The purpose of the ban is decrease plastic use, so switching to thicker plastic is counterproductive and not the solution. Jersey City’s decision to pose stricter regulation when it comes to the plastic bag ban is something that is necessary if we want to protect our aquatic ecosystems in the long term.
Works Cited Rosario, Joshua, and Jersey Journal. “Jersey City to Revisit Plastic Bag Ban. Here's What May Change.” Nj, 10 Mar. 2020, www.nj.com/ hudson/2020/03/jersey-cityto-revisit-plastic-bag-banheres-what-maychange.html. “Jersey City Officially Becomes First Large NJ City to Ban Single-Use Plastic Bag on June 28th.” Insider NJ, www.insidernj.com/pressrelease/jersey-city-officiallybecomes-first-large-nj-cityban-single-use-plastic-bagjune-28th/.
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Vol. 13 | March
Where do our Clothes come from? By: Jamie Cohen
I
have previously written several articles about sustainability in the fashion industry, but the truth is that the definition of sustainability in the fashion industry has many sides. One of the most critical, and often overlooked, pieces is the environmental side in terms of textiles and fabrics. The way that our clothes are made, and the fabrics formed to create these clothes are some of the first steps in the sustainability process. The creation of textiles begins with farming practices, which can also be unsustainable. Each
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different type of crop grown to create textiles need a different amount of water, energy, and herbicide, depending on the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; individual practices. Because of this, some crops and materials will be more sustainable than others. As I have mentioned before, consumer awareness is a key part in increasing the amount of sustainable decisions made in fashion. Not only should consumers be aware about stores, but about the textiles being used in what they are wearing. Trying to follow â&#x20AC;&#x153;sustainable fashionâ&#x20AC;? should
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result in knowing about the origins of the materials, creating the textiles, and consumer awareness in knowing what makes up their closet full of clothes. There are many conventional and unconventional crops that go into the creation of textiles for clothing, and some of these textiles are more sustainable than others. One relatively unsustainable material is leather. According to the “FashionUnited” website, “Leather is a messy product; not only referring to its production process but also the fact that animals are killed for their hides just to
turn into vanity products for humans” (Preuss 1). Leather is an unsustainable fabric type that has unfortunately become a huge part of fashion, and in consequence, culture. Leather jackets, trim, purses, wallets, and other articles of clothing are critical pieces in being high in fashion. Yet, animals are raised, using huge amounts of water and land, and then harmed and killed in order to create these fashion items. On the other hand, “FashionUnited” mentions another type of fabric that is similar to leather, but without some of the harmful side effects. “Even pineapples, their leaves to be precise, a byproduct of the pineapple
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are typically only used as food. Therefore, consumer awareness is a key aspect in promoting sustainable fashion.
harvest, can be turned into a natural and non-woven textile known as Pinatex, which is remarkably similar to leather” (Preuss 1). A byproduct of pineapple creates an almost similar type of fabric as leather, but a more sustainable option. In addition, this byproduct has the chance of appearing the same or have the same feel. Yet, one problem with this pineapple by-product could be people’s perceptions. People may not want to wear a pineapple because pineapples
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Consumer behavior plays a critical role in the textile production side of sustainable fashion. An article called “Understanding Fashion Consumers’ Attitude and Behavioral Intention Toward Sustainable Knowledge Sources and Knowledge Types” explains, “most fashion consumers still have limited knowledge or clarification about sustainability” (Kong 1). Sustainability, in terms of how clothes and fabrics are made, is often overlooked in consumer buying habits. One of the main reasons for this is the principle of “out of sight out of mind.”
For most consumers, how clothes look is of main importance, while how the fabrics are created is not. However, there are websites that can help to make
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consumers more conscious of their fabric choices. One website, “Goodonyou,” has different categories of fabrics that help consumers become ‘eco-friendlier’ in their fashion choices. Some of these include natural fibers, such as organic cotton and organic linen, and future technologies such as Tencel, which is made from wood pulp (“What Are the Most Sustainable Fabrics?” 1). Being aware of what fabrics and crops make up clothing are critical components of sustainable fashion. For future innovations, items such as Pinatex and Tencel come from normal,
everyday crops, which is unusual for fabrics. In conclusion, more awareness is necessary for the sustainable fashion trend and hopefully to get sustainable fashion out of its trend status. Sustainable fashion is more than just recycling clothes; it also encompasses the origins of the clothes, which is the environmental side. Products such as leather are energy intensive and come at the expense of animals’ lives, while a more sustainable alternative, like Pinatex, is made out of pineapple by-products. Even
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though this seems as a great solution, consumer awareness and perception are key aspects of making sustainable fashion permanent. Leather usually remains on top of the high fashion markets, and therefore is seen as the more desirable fashion. Yet, I personally have not heard of Pinatex or Tencel, which may be the future of sustainable fashion! Spreading awareness and promoting these ‘eco-friendlier’ practices has a high chance of making the idea of sustainable fashion permanent. Consumer behavior is often hard to change, but with more education and perseverance, it will pay off in the future!
Bibliography Kong, Hyun Min, et al. "Understanding fashion consumers’ attitude and behavioral intention toward sustainable fashion products: Focus on sustainable knowledge sources and knowledge types." Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 7.2 (2016): 103-119. Preuss, Simone. “10 Sustainable Textile Innovations Everyone Should Know.” Fashionunited, Fashionunited, 24 Mar. 2020, ashionunited.uk/news/ business/10-sustainabletextileinnovationseveryone-shouldknow/2018090738711. “What Are the Most Sustainable Fabrics?” Good On You, 5 June 2019,goodonyou.eco/ mostsustainable-fabrics/.
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Addressing Climate Anxiety through Art and Action By Felicia Paradiso
T
he last week of February was Paris Fashion Week, where designers showcased their ideas through clothing and production of a runway show. Demna Gvasalia, the creative director at Balenciaga, used his fall fashion show to depict a dystopia brought about by climate change. Models waded through inches of water on the runway, while fires blazed against an otherwise dark background (Friedman). Fashion’s awareness of its role in the climate crisis has been growing as more designers turn to sustainable design and production processes. However, the industry’s messages about climate change often come without any corresponding action, and the Balenciaga show is a perfect example of that (Friedman). Major brands continue to conduct business as usual, which generally means overproduction of goods that are made through unsustainable and unethical methods.
As a form of art that is present in everyone’s life, fashion has a great capacity to act as a vehicle for change, and so it should continue to make statements about environmental and social issues. However, the Balenciaga show demonstrates the privilege of being able to decide whether or not to care about climate change. Another questionable practice that is available, mostly to the privileged, is the emerging practice of therapy that deals with climate grief and ecoanxiety. In 2017, the American Psychological Association recognized ecoanxiety as a real psychological phenomenon and noted that “the psychological responses to climate change, such as conflict avoidance, fatalism, fear, helplessness, and resignation are growing” (Schlanger). Clearly, anxiety about climate change is not conducive to action because it leads to paralysis more than it does to inspiration. However, some therapies
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that are available, such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;insect elegies,â&#x20AC;? where attendees are brushed with flowers in the dark and stand at an altar of dead bugs, seem to treat ecoanxiety in a questionable way (Bliss). These kinds of group art therapies aim to get people talking about climate change in a way that overcomes the responses of avoidance and fear to inspire real action (Bliss). This is an important task, but again evokes the privilege of being able to turn away from climate change in times of anxiety or uncertainty. Additionally, it brings into discussion the differences in access to any mental health care in high-income and low-income communities. Colette Pichon Battle, who organizes frontline communities along the Gulf Coast, says that the unresolved trauma of Hurricane Katrina has kept many survivors from engaging in climate activism. Many of them no longer feel
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comfortable within their homes and their governments, so they are unable to fully engage in the issue (Rein and Clarke). Addressing mental health is a necessary step to combating climate change, as is illustrated by the behavior of survivors of Hurricane Katrina as well as wealthier people who go to group art therapy sessions to help their anxiety. However, it is crucial that we do not forget about the people who cannot afford to seek care, and those who cannot mentally afford to disengage because they have to focus on survival instead (Rein and Clarke). Art, like the performance at Balenciaga, and the current exhibit on the Anthropocene at the Zimmerli Art Museum, is a very useful tool for communicating the seriousness of climate change and inspiring viewers to care. Unlike the Balenciaga show, however, it needs to be coupled with action (Friedman). Holding funerals for insects in an apartment in Brooklyn seems
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ridiculous, and it might be. However, it is still worth doing as long as it can change participants’ attitudes in the long-term and as long as it is not solely available to those who can afford it (Bliss). Climate activism can often feel hopeless, but if the movement continues to promote compassion and creativity, it can have a real impact on people who face the greatest hardships.
Works Cited Bliss, Laura. “A New Therapy for an Age of 'Climate Grief'.” CityLab, Bloomberg, 5 Feb. 2020, www.citylab.com/ environment/2020/02/climate-anxietygrief-counseling-mental-healthpsychological/605665/.
Friedman, Vanessa. “It's the End of the World as We Know It.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Mar. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/style/ Paris-fashion-week-balenciagavalentino.html. Rein, Marcy, and Jess Clarke. “As the South Goes; Organizing, Healing and Resilience in Gulf Coast Communities.” Reimagine Radio, Aug. 2014, www.reimaginerpe.org/20-1/ pichon-battle. Schlanger, Zoe. “Climate Change Is Causing PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression on a Mass Scale.” Quartz, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2017, qz.com/948909/ecoanxiety-the-american -psychological-association-says-climate -change-is-causing-ptsd-anxiety-anddepression-on-a-mass-scale/.
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Understanding the Philosophy of Ecofeminism By Simone Allison
O
ne of the strengths of the environmental movement has been its recent intersections with the unique issues facing minority groups. Environmental justice movements like the protests of the Dakota Access pipeline and the demonstrations against the dumping of PCBs in Afton, North Carolina. These campaigns exposed the disproportionate effects that climate change and environmental degradation have on people of color. However, many people are ignorant of one of the older intersectional philosophies of environmentalism: ecological feminism.
Dakota Access Pipeline Protest
The term “ecological feminism” was coined by Françoise d’Eaubonne in 1974. While the term itself is very broad and encompasses many other ideas, the thesis behind this philosophy is relatively simple: 1) it analyzes the connections between the domination of women and nature, 2)
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critiques Western, male-dominated views of women and nature, and 3) explores alternatives to the male-controlled status quo (“Feminist Environmental Philosophy”). One way to view this idea is through the lense of the oppressive frameworks of the past. Before we understood the
consequences of our actions, we believed that Ophelia by John Everet Millais nature was a resource that was to be taken from and controlled. In the United States, the idea of “manifest destiny” involved literally and figuratively dominating nature, which was perceived as wild, unruly, and savage. Only after being pruned to human standards did nature become a source of national pride and beauty. It isn’t hard to see how this idea could be tied to the treatment of women. Though modern feminist movements have paved the way for women’s empowerment, much of women’s status in society is based on their objectification through the male gaze. Women who attempt to exist outside of these parameters are, like the wilds of the
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Vol. 13 | March American west, dubbed wild, unruly, and savage. The connection between the domination of women by men and the domination of nature by a patriarchal society doesn’t end within these frameworks. In our society, we tend to view anthropological nature as a female force. Nature, at least in the Western world, has a Romantic, feminine association. The emotion and beauty of it is often counteracted with the rational, mechanical, and increasingly urban modern world. While there was no word to encapsulate these ideas before the 70s, many female environmentalists were focused on the intersection between women’s rights and the environment around them. Putting this philosophy into practice has been relatively limited and oftentimes, contradictory. In 19th century America, when a woman’s domain was over the nutrition and health of her family, many white middleclass women in urban centers campaigned against excessive smoke and soot, which was known to cause bronchitis and pneumonia ( Mann 8). However, the outreach of many of these movements was limited to helping other middle-class, white women.
Later on, these movements began to incorporate and be led by women of color. This began when female community leaders opposed the logic and solutions of mainstream environmental groups (Johnson and Rainey 151). Rather than have ideas imposed on them, these black and brown community leaders were able to use their subjective experiences as women and as people of color in the community to guide their protests and actions. The philosophy of ecofeminism is very broad and relatively recent. This has led to multiple different and contradictory movements. However, the intersection of women’s rights and the environment has gone on long before we had words for it. As we explore theories that involve the intersection between women’s rights, other factors, like race, labor, and capitalism, ecofeminism’s role in the conversation will not be diminished.
Works Cited Mann, Susan A. “Pioneers of U.S. Ecofeminism and Environmental Justice.” Feminist Formations, vol. 23, no. 2, 2011, pp. 1–25., doi:10.1353/ff.2011.0028.
Rainey, Shirley A, and Glenn S Johnson. “Grassroots Activism: an Exploration of Women of Color's Role in the Environmental Justice Movement.” Race, Gender, & Class J, vol. 16, no. 3/4, 2009, pp. 144–173., https://www.jstor.org/stable/41674682?seq=1.
Warren, Karen J. “Feminist Environmental Philosophy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 27 Apr. 2015, plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-environmental/#SecKinPosFemEnvEco.
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The Trail Mix WORD SEARCH DG J Y P R CQ PO YON ND E C S F I THO AWMS I J Q
“Courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
I A I F E MS L T N RY T T N U E E DO
DID YOU KNOW?
UNAE I S NN Z I C UCC T WI C QT
E S IHNM PE OA SU NNAK PT X L NZ UORT ASWO I V ML A E HVE S
Within the last 20 years, almost 75% of the CO2 levels from human activity came from the burning of fossil fuels. The remaining 25% stems from significant land changes like deforestation.
EN MOUN J E N I
(Sciencekidz)
OS O GQRYWH G
HJ C Y XOOX V O KR UK SHE P V Q ~WORD BOX~
HORNET
SILENCE
COMMUNICATION INSECURITY
SUMMER
FOOD
ISOLATION
SUN
HAPPINESS
QUARANTINE
TECHNOLOGY
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May. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreamsâ&#x20AC;? -Eleanor Roosevelt
Vol. 13 | May
Senior Bio:
Ana Leah Long Hello! My name is Ana Leah Long, and I am a senior graduating with a degree in Political Science and General History. I would like to take this moment to not only reflect on my past experiences here at Rutgers but offer some advice for current underclassmen. These past four years have been nothing but a rollercoaster of emotions. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lost friends and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made friends, but most importantly I found myself. As an EOF student, I come from a low socioeconomic background, which conditioned me into thinking that I should strive for a degree that will earn me the highest income possible. Naturally, I thought I would be able to achieve this as a doctor. However, throughout the first two years of my undergraduate career, I found myself overwhelmed and unhappy as my courses did not seem to resonate with me. For months, I struggled internally to choose between money or happiness, but finally I took a leap of faith and switched my major, pursuing a degree that whole heartedly
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resonated with my life-long passions. I realized that my passions revolved around fighting social and racial injustices but ending the corrupt systems that perpetuate these very injustices to begin with. With every political science class that I took, I found myself falling more and more in love with the subject. It paved the path for many career opportunities that I didn't even know existed, and I wouldn’t have ever known about if I never took a leap of faith. To all my undergraduates, I advise you to follow your heart. Don’t compromise your mental and emotional health over something that doesn’t sit right with your soul. Only you know what truly makes you happy, and in this life, happiness is everything. I will leave you all with a quote that I hope will always sit at the back of your minds.
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you’re doing, you will be successful.” -Herman Cain
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Senior Bio:
Maia Scheff ler When I transferred out of Rutgers University, in the spring of 2016, after my freshman year of college, my last Trail Newsletter submission was a poem about EPIB. It was a lyrical goodbye to a place that I cherished dearly, but never thought I’d return to. You can find my poem, “How Do I Love EPIB”, in Volume 8, Issue 6 of the Trail’s archived issues. However, after I took some time away, I returned to Rutgers. That ‘goodbye’ letter was a summation of my first year on Cook Campus. Looking back today, I still agree with that entire poem, and I am so grateful I returned to EPIB, spending these last four years on Cook. Leaving this time, what I’ll cherish most are the memories of the people I met and the knowledge I’ve gained. I’ll remember Kristen
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Goodrich and George Clark and how much they believed in me, and I’ll remember the passion my professors had for their academics, inspiring myself to focus my studies on helping the environment. I am honestly not sure where life will take me next. As I finish my degree this summer and wrap up my last few classes, I hope to be working on Amy Kennedy’s Campaign for Congress. For graduation finalities, I’d like to thank my family and my friends (old and new), for always reminding me of who I am and what I am capable of. Wherever I go, I’ll hold EPIB in my head and my heart. I will miss you, Rutgers!
Check out Maia’s poem!
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Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining By: Sarah Ekẹnẹzar
It
has been a largely uneventful morning for you. You wake up as usual and grudgingly get up to turn on the sink faucet and brush your teeth. Remembering the time is an hour forward because of Daylight Savings, you quickly take a shower afterward. You head out with a tap water-filled bottle since you are about to be late for class and do not have enough time to make ramen.
live off the grid and are disconnected from water systems. Consequently, “10 million people [in Peru] don’t have access to water and sewer service,” says Abel Cruz Gutiérrez, president of the organization Peruanos Sin Agua, or Peruvians Without Water (Great Big Story). For several decades, hundreds of thousands of people in various low-income and remote communities in Peru have lived
You may not have thought about it, but you just made use of two incredible services. Your reliable connection to a water system has ensured your personal hygiene and drinking water supply. Unfortunately, 1 in 10 people currently lack access to safe, piped water, which is a more common issue in developing nations like Peru (BBC). Some residents both near and in Peru’s capital city of Lima
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without running water. This has led to a heavy dependence on trucks to bring in water from other areas (Clean Water Foundation). There have also been discrepancies in the amounts paid for trucks to deliver water. For example, families in central Lima “pay 10 times less for the same amount of water” despite being wealthier on average than people living in the outskirts of the city (Clean Water Foundation). To add insult to injury, there is no consistent water delivery schedule from the trucks to the less affluent areas, and these residents say the water often arrives to their homes © dpa, Georg Ismar, fgj lof
Mr. Gutiérrez
“contaminated and dirty” (Creating Water Foundation). There have also been times when communities have gone without water for days, which is unacceptable, as water is a basic human right. Mr. Gutiérrez has explained that he too grew up in a slum and became dissatisfied with the poor water distribution system in his community. He did extensive research as an adult and spoke with fog net experts to discuss ways to address water insecurity. Since then, he has raised money to build hundreds of fog catchers throughout Peru to help address water-related issues. “Fog harvesting is still at an early stage, with around 150 projects worldwide” (BBC). It requires specific environmental conditions like light winds, constant fogs, and sufficient land to build the nets on, and all of these conditions exist in the mountainous regions of Peru.
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A fog catcher is a “construction of stems made of metal, [nylon], bamboo, or “Guayaquil” wood and a tight-knit mesh of raffia in between them” (YouThinkGreen). It costs $500 to build one, which saves approximately 60% of water-related expenses (YouThinkGreen). The wind carries “microdroplets suspended in the air,” that “get trapped in the mesh netting of the catchers where they condense (Great Big Story). The droplets then fall into a channel due to their heavier weight and travel to a collection tank. Residents can take water as needed at this point (Great Big Story). Most of the money raised to fund Mr. Gutiérrez’s fog catcher projects comes from individual
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donors. Initially, his projects were not invested in by the private sector because of the lack of returns from the poorer residents. Now, between 20,000 and 30,000 Peruvians are making use of a form of this system to meet their basic water needs (Great Big Story). Each fog catcher collects between 50 and 100 gallons of water daily; this water is suitable for livestock, watering plants, bathing, and washing dishes (Great Big Story). Without the fog catchers, the “water would either evaporate or would go back to the ocean” says Mr. Gutiérrez (Great Big Story). Ms. Teresa, another local resident, commented, “We are stealing a bit of the sky that gives us this sacred liquid.” (BBC). The nets allow poorer residents to expand
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upon small-scale urban farming to provide themselves with food and enable them to save money over time. With a new way of thinking and access to the fog catchers, residents have been given more hope for their future, and the future of their descendants. Mr. Gutiérrez stated that he intends on installing filters in the collection tanks to make them suitable for human consumption in the future. He also said, “It gives me a lot of personal satisfaction to know that we can solve the problem and we can help families realize this is a solution for their lack of water” (Great Big Story). Indeed, his perseverance and love for his country have helped change the outcomes for many marginalized communities in Peru.
brings-water-to-the-poor You Think Green. “The “Fog Catcher” Project-Peru.” http://www.youthinkgreen.org/en/ projekte/the-fog-catcher-project/ Great Big Story. (2017). “In Peru, a 'Foggy' Solution to a Water Shortage.” https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ko8tSfBeEzc Clean Water Foundation. (2016). “10.000 liters of water a day from the fog in Lima, Peru.” https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=h8rQ5aHAnuE
Works Cited BBC. (2016). “The fog catcher who brings water to the poor.” https:// www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine -38175202/the-fog-catcher-who-
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How Comedic Television
Helps to Develop
Science Communication By: Jamie Cohen
P
eople watch television for many purposes, such as entertainment and news. Yet, certain types of shows combine both entertainment and news, such as late-night talk shows. Some of the late-night talk show hosts include James Corden, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel just to name a few. These types of media platforms provide entertainment and comedic relief to the audience. However, what may be a surprise to viewers is that these l a t enight shows can be
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perceived as a form of science communication. In other terms, these shows communicate science to a large crowd using different techniques to get their messages across. An important part in obtaining information through the media is understanding and identifying accurate and true information, which often revolves around where information is coming from. One of the ma in spre aders of misinformation is social media. In the article, “Trends in the diffusion of misinformation on social media,” Allcott and others state about social media that, “The diffusion of misinformation through social media is a potential threat to d e mocr a cy and broader
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society” (Allcott 6). Because a plethora of social media sights are available, many people use them as a primary source of information. Yet, there is a possibility that social media sites cater to a person’s specific viewpoint, and therefore individuals will not get all the information necessary to make informed decisions. On the other hand, late night shows have the ability to spread more accurate information. For late night shows, “there is some evidence that satirical news programs can animate and illuminate science issues for the general public in ways that traditional news and even science media do not while a lso empow er ing and activating those who are sympathetic to the comedians’ intended message,” (Feldman 13). One of the main reasons why late-night talk shows are successful is because of their satire and humor. The hosts can say or do what they want to get a reaction, even if their
views on controversial topics are different than what normal forms of mainstream news state. In a sense, these late-night talk show hosts have different freedoms than mainstream news anchors do in communicating different news events. The use of humor and satire can bring a lighter air to dark and depressing issues, which can help with engagement. The use of latenight talk shows as a platform of science communication is also effective because these shows cater to a younger generation. In describing the strong relationship between late night shows and a younger generation, millennials for e x a m p l e , mar ke t ingdi ve.com explains, “GE’s latest cl aims to recrui t millennial employees will be televised---on late n i g h t t a l k shows” (Kirkpa t rick 1). Because a vast portion of the younger generation watches these types of shows, companies and businesses are now advertising during these
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time slots to reach a greater audience. A major successful attribute of late -night talk shows is their ability to draw in a huge audience, in the studio and out. Therefore, if these shows communicate accurate scientific information, then they can be a major platform for science communication. Some examples of late-night talk show hosts that spread environmental awareness are both Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah, when they went against the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s views on climate change and explained what climate change affects, such as droughts (Schwartz 1). Because of their platform, both talk show hosts were able to
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explain the effects of climate change on specific areas using comedy and satire. Even just talking about climate change on their respective shows is a form of science communication to spread environmental awareness. Overall, late night talk shows could potentially be an effective media platform for the introduction to current, scientific, and even controversial events. However, these shows should not be taken word for word. Late night talk shows are a great way to introduce a broader audience to science, yet, like every other form of media, there is a high chance for flaws. Information about climate change and droughts should be given to the public, but there needs to be more depth than time allows for on a talk show. Late night talk shows are a great way to gain
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attention to problems focused in the world today and should be used as an introductory piece. More research is necessary to understand the full effects of environmental problems such as climate change. With the rise of new media, more creative ways in spreading science is important in order to have awareness and potentially make a difference for future generations in terms of the environment.
Works Cited Allcott, Hunt, Matthew Gentzkow, and Chuan Yu. "Trends in the diffusion of misinformation on social media." Research & Politics 6.2 (2019): 2053168019848554. Feldman, Lauren. "Assumptions about science in satirical news and latenight comedy." The Oxford handbook of the science of science communication (2017): 321-332. Kirkpatrick, David. â&#x20AC;&#x153;GE Turns to Late Shows to Reach Millennials.â&#x20AC;? Marketing Dive, 10 Sept. 2015, www.marketingdive.com/news/geturns-to-late-shows-to-reachmillennials/405368/.
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The Truth About the “Murder Hornets” in America
By: Angelica Rojas
What are the “Murder Hornets”? Following the rapid pandemic of the coronavirus, which is still affecting us today, there has been a new talk around the nation. As if the detriments of the COVID-19 were not enough for citizens, businesses, and the economy of the United States, recently there has been a new infestation of overly sized hornets. The fivecentimeter hornets were first spotted near Blaine, Washington in 2019. They are known to have orange and black markings and long stingers and are also called Asian giant hornets because they originate in East Asia and Japan. The Asian giant hornets are the world’s largest wasps, and they may grow as big as two inches in length (Douglas 2). The wasps
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form colonies, which consist of one queen and multiple workers. They fly half a dozen miles or more in search of food, including insects that specifically enjoy eating bees.
Why are they called “Murder Hornets?” For starters, the hornets are infamous for wiping out honeybee colonies. Aside from being a danger to U.S. bees (whose numbers have already been declining), their stingers are a quarter inch long and carry a toxic venom. Each year, 30 to 50 people are killed in Japan due to being stung and poisoned by these Asian hornets. In 2013, 42 people were killed just in the Chinese province alone. The “Murder Hornet” name arose on
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social media when the hornets were recently spotted again in America in 2020. Since there have been two sightings in the Northwest, people have been filled with fear that there may be a future of murders due to an Asian hornet infestation (Douglas 29).
What experts have been saying recently… A common misunderstanding about the Asian hornets in America is that they are spreading and killing citizens. The last half of that statement is false. There has not been a reported death due to being stung by one of these hornets in 2020. In fact, experts are saying to not worry at all about the insect because they target honeybees and kill whole hives
for food. Bug experts say that this rumored talk of hornets is just a hornet “hype” and that the “murder hornet” name needs to be dropped because it is only creating fear in people (Evans 16). The World Health Organization mentioned that mosquitoes are responsible for killing millions of people a year globally. It is interesting how people fear hornets over mosquitoes that spread malaria, dengue fever, and other diseases. These Asian hornets should no longer be feared since researchers and experts are taking care of the few that have been spotted (“Forget Murder Hornets” 3).
What experts have done to prevent future hornets… Chris Looney, an entomologist at the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and researchers have been putting out traps to capture queen
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hornets. By the summer, the team will be setting out hundreds of traps in an attempt to catch queens and worker hornets. Since hornets make hives underground that create heat, Looney and researchers have been working on creating heatsensitive imaging technologies to assist in finding hives. As long as the hornets are controlled within the next couple of years, then there should not be much to fear about a spread in the United States (Evans 23).
“Forget ‘Murder Hornets," Experts Say - This Is the Real ‘Murder Insect.’” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 12 May 2020, www.cbsnews.com/news/ murder-hornet-mosquitodisease-death-millions/.
Main, Douglas. “'Murder Hornets' Have Arrived in the U.S.Here's What You Should Know.” National Geographic, 4 May 2020, www.nationalgeographic.co m/animals/2020/05/asiangiant-hornets-arrive-unitedstates/.
Works Cited Evans, Jonathan. “Experts Dismiss Worry about US 'Murder Hornets' as Hype.” VOA, VOA Voice of America English News, 11 May 2020, https:// learningenglish.voanews.co m/a/experts-dismiss-worryabout-us-murder-hornets-as -hype/5414883.html
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Food Issues in Micronesia By: Sucheta Gandhi
M
icronesia is a country in the Western Pacific Ocean and is composed of more than six hundred islands. “The capital is Palikir on the island of Pohnpei” (Foster 1). The country has a population of 102,000 people. “The country is divided roughly along cultural and linguistic lines into four states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae” (Emets 1). Farming and fishing are common activities among the Micronesian people. Some common foods consumed are breadfruit, taros, coconuts, and bananas. Almost all of the manufactured goods in Micronesia are imported, since they are
not produced on the islands. Countries from which food is imported include: The United States, Guam, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore. The primary export is marine products, such as fish. As the reliance on imported foods increased in Micronesia, it replaced the consumption of traditional local foods. This is problematic because it has led to health issues, such as heart disease and diabetes being more frequent among individuals living in Micronesia, since imported foods
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are not nutritional. As a result, agriculture, fishing, and food production has decreased because imported foods are low priced. “Diets have incorporated more processed and imported foods, because of prestige, accessibility, cost and convenience, at financial, social, environmental and nutritional cost to countries and households” (Connell). The increased dependence on unhealthy processed, imported foods has resulted in negative impacts, such as the increase of non-communicable diseases and the decline in traditional Micronesian foods being produced. This can result in the loss of traditional values that may be important in preserving the culture that originated in Micronesia.
funding for traditional farming methods. “It follows the lack of income (and infrastructure) to secure adequate alternative foods. A number of now well-known factors have posed problems for development in small island states, with a narrow resource base contributing to limited diversity of production and exports that in turn create problems for food security” (Connell 2013). Consequently, food security has worsened in Micronesia in recent decades because of falling food production per capita, a decrease in growth of agricultural production, and the dependence on food imports.
As Micronesia was influenced by other countries such as the United States, people started to stray from their own cultures. “In much of Micronesia, a shift from traditional foods was encouraged by American school lunch programs where elementary school students received rice, tinned meat and fish, noodles and other processed foods, some of which was taken home by students to share with relatives” (Connell 1). Modern food was associated with modern education. Since more imported foods were sent to Micronesia, there was less
Connell, John. “Food Security in the Island Pacific: Is Micronesia as Far Away as Ever?” Pacificcancer.org, 2014, www.pacificcancer.org/pacp-resources/ food-nutrition-physical-activity/FSnCH/ Food%20security%20in%20the%20island% 20Pacific%20-%20Is%20Micronesia%20as% 20far%20away%20as%20ever,%20Reg% 20Environ%20Change%202014.09.28.pdf.
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References
Emets,
Yana. “Speaking About the Hunger in Micronesia Nowadays.” BORGEN, 4 July 2017, www.borgenmagazine.com/imports-hungerin-micronesia/.
Foster, Sophie, and Francis X. Hezel. “Micronesia.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Feb. 2020, www.britannica.com/place/Micronesiarepublic-Pacific-Ocean.
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Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, life has been fast and slow at the same time. With millions of people around the world affected by this virus in multiple ways, life continues to go on. I wrote a poem called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trafficâ&#x20AC;? that depicts how I view the pandemic while being quarantined at home. I hope that our readers enjoy it.
Traffic By Naajia Shakir We are like cars driving down the road Moving fast and slow Once our life was filled with much excitement from traveling Riding through streets, highways, and sometimes being stopped at dead ends But now, our time driving has been halted By not only accidents but a virus, then a global pandemic We are stuck in traffic This time, moving very slow Navigating our ways through dark alleys and around parking lots We have been stopped and forced to stay in our spot Table of Contents
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Forced to think about our mortality, goals, and family And quarantined with a car radio to keep us updated Some are allowed to pass others on the road Due to their emergence and need to keep the world whole Sacrificing the health of their car pieces on this risky highway We thank them for their courage and bravery for they are truly bold
Now, while we wait in traffic and for this pandemic to leave us Make sure to keep your distance between your car and another To remember that this will soon pass And sitting in traffic may be difficult in the present But it will not last forever Our cars will move again, creating a better world than it was then
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Environmental to watch Documentaries While in Quarantine
By: Rebecca McGrath
1.
Chasing Coral (2017)
Directed by Jeff Orlowski, Chasing Coral provides viewers with more than stunning views of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coral reefs. Learn about how scientists track the bleaching of coral reefs and their efforts to save the reefs. This film is about an hour and half, and available for streaming on Netflix.
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2.
Mission Blue (2014)
Mission Blue follows Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer, and educates viewers the biggest threats to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oceans. This film specifically follows Earleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign to have oceans granted the same protection as land. Mission Blue is directed by Robert Nixon and Fisher Stevens. This film is about an hour and half in length, and is available through Netflix.
3.
Plastic Ocean (2016)
While this movie is similar to Mission Blue, A Plastic Ocean fo c u se s o n the ove ra ll environmental effects, particularly on wildlife and farming communities, felt around the world from plastic pollution. A Plastic Ocean is available on Netflix.
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4.
Ice on Fire (2019)
Ice on Fire focuses on the melting of the polar ice caps and the potential devastating effects. This film also looks at the potential solutions to prevent this, and is narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. Ice on Fire is directed by Leila Conners and is available on HBO or Xfinity Stream.
5.
Poisoned (2015)
Water
Poisoned Water follows the Flint Water Crisis, starting with the cause and efforts to fix the water. This NOVA documentary takes a look at the science and people behind fixing the Flint water crisis. Poisoned Water is directed by Llewellyn M. Smith, and available on Netflix.
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6.
Blackfish (2013)
Blackfish follows Tilikum, a performing whale at SeaWorld and takes the viewer into the world of training animals to perform in captivity. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Blackfish shows the horrors of captivity and SeaWorld. This film is available on Netflix and Hulu.
7.
Our Planet (2019)
Our Planet is a nature documentary series on Netflix, similar to Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Planet Earth. The series takes viewers on a journey through different environments and the animals that live in them. Our Planet is eight episodes long, and directed by David Attenborough.
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*
By Felicia Paradiso Watching
Netflix’s “Tiger King” has become
an iconic quarantine pastime, with memes and articles about Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin flooding most social media sites. The directors of the series, Rebecca Chaiklin and Eric Goode, produced it with the goal of raising awareness and inspiring action around protecting tigers in captivity, including passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act in Congress (Brulliard). However, for the series’ ubiquitousness, the conversations it sparks are much more focused on the characters than on conservation (Brulliard; Nuwer). The directors made a conscious decision to “show not tell” the mistreatment of captive animals and the need for regulation and conservation surrounding big cats and roadside zoos. They found long, factual information to be boring and decided instead to highlight the drama between the people in the show (Brulliard). The show certainly raised awareness of Joe Exotic’s zoo and of Big Cat Rescue, but it failed to call for change in any meaningful way.
actions in making the show demonstrate a greater interest in creating a drama. For example, six people featured in the show say that they were paid thousands of dollars to be interviewed, which calls into question the authenticity of interview material (Nuwer). “Tiger King” altogether skips over many important arguments against exotic animal ownership and for tiger conservation. It brings little attention to the genetic defects caused by inbreeding and crossbreeding or to the negative effects of cub petting (Bale). Also, the choice to focus on Carole Baskin undercuts the validity of sanctuaries. Her sanctuary, while still better than a roadside zoo, does allow human interaction with the animals, while effective sanctuaries neither allow nor encourage this (Bale). The show chose Baskin to represent the animal rights side because of her history with Joe Exotic while ignoring sanctuaries that better Tiger in captivity at Carole Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL.
Chaiklin and Goode have expressed that they view “Tiger King” as another Blackfish, which successfully called for an end to many of Seaworld’s cruel practices. However, their * Joe Exotic, aka Tiger King
**
**Carole Baskin
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Vol. 13 | May represent the cause she fights for. A more powerful documentary show would also have characterized Joe Exotic differently. He has emerged as a cultural icon, celebrated even while his cruelty towards both animals and people is put on display (Bulliard). This is another result of the show’s focus on a dramatic narrative rather than an informative one. Chaiklin and Goode have said that they found it difficult to weave facts about tiger care and conservation into their story, but had they not focused on murder allegations, they could still have told an interesting story (Bulliard). Tim Harrison, a founder of Outreach for Animals, declined to be interviewed for “Tiger King” because he predicted its theatricality (Nuwer). However, he does very interesting work in Ohio, where there have been many incidents caused by exotic animals owned as pets (Slater). Across the country, there are people who own exotic pets and operate roadside zoos with exotic animals who could make a far more compelling
case for increased regulations and conservation. Harrison used to own snakes, rhesus monkeys, lions, capuchins, bears, and wolves until he learned about the natural life that he was depriving his beloved animals of. He now works to rescue privately owned exotic animals by bringing them to sanctuaries or, intermediately, helping their owners provide adequate care (Slater). “Tiger King” has the right idea in trying to spark a conversation around exotic animal ownership, but at the end of the day it is little more than a melodramatic and sensationalized series. It fails to adequately deliver on its message of conservation and animal rights by ignoring, through deliberate directorial choices, many of the real consequences of exotic animal ownership. Viewers who are interested in this flimsily attempted message can begin to compensate by choosing to elevate the animals in addition to the characters.
Works Cited Bale, Rachel. “Key Facts That 'Tiger King' Missed About Captive Tigers.” National Geographic, National Geographic, 1 Apr. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/captive-tigers-joe-exotic-tiger-king/. Brulliard, Karin. “How 'Tiger King' Became a Tale More About People Than Big Cats.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Apr. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/04/06/tiger-king-joe-exotic/. Nuwer, Rachel. “Why 'Tiger King' Is Not 'Blackfish' for Big Cats.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/science/tiger-king-joe-exotic-conservation.html. Slater, Lauren. “Wild Obsession.” National Geographic, National Geographic, 20 Sept. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2014/04/exotic-pets/.
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The Perfect Vegan Sandwich to eat while in quarantine By: Natalia Binkowski
E
ver since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and I’ve been cooped up at home, I’ve had a lot more time to start focusing on the food I eat and to start cooking again. I have been vegetarian for about three years now and have wanted to go vegan for a while. For those that aren’t aware, a vegan diet involves abstaining from any types of animal products. I chose to go vegan for the animals, to develop healthier eating habits, and to reduce my carbon footprint. So far, it has been going well, and I’ve been cooking delicious vegan dinners about three times a week. I’ve made various types of meals with meat-alternatives such as tofu, jackfruit, seitan, and tempeh. My favorite meal that I’ve made is pulled barbeque jackfruit sandwiches topped with coleslaw. Jackfruit has a meaty texture to it, even though it is just a fruit. The sandwiches were so yummy and extremely easy to make, and I would like to share the recipe here. This sandwich hits the spot and is perfect to make while stuck at home! Table of Contents
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Ingredients
Step 1-Make the coleslaw
Âź cup of vegan mayonnaise
Add the vegan mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a large bowl and mix with a fork/ whisk until combined. Add the coleslaw blend to the bowl and toss well.
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp brown sugar 4 oz coleslaw blend 1 package jackfruit Âź cup BBQ sauce 2 buns of your choice Slices of dill pickles
Step 2- Prepare the jackfruit Drain, rinse, and shred the jackfruit with clean hands.
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Step 3-Cook the jackfruit Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet (medium-high heat). Add the jackfruit and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, tossing every minute or so, until crispy and brown for about 6 minutes total. Add the BBQ sauce and toss to coat the jackfruit. Once the sauce thickens after about 3 minutes, take the pan off heat.
Photography by Natalia Binkowski
Step 4-Serve Toast buns. Once toasted, layer the jackfruit, coleslaw, and pickles on top. Enjoy!
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Reflection on Life in Isolation
I
By: Simone Allison
t would be underwhelming to say that this past spring semester has been chaotic. When classes were first cut short in mid-March, I truly assumed that we would be back on April 3. That Thursday and Friday, I jokingly said goodbye to my friends and packed a small bag to go home. I was certain that this virus wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be that impactful to anyone I knew. When we were told that we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to return for the rest of the semester, I was at a loss. Trying to find motivation to work on assignments and attend classes became more and more difficult. The routine of waking up, logging into Zoom, and doing homework made weeks of the semester feel like one long day. However, in the world outside of my bedroom window, the days lapsed into nights. Birds chirped and flowers opened as the Earth began to warm. The New York City skyline alternately reflected the light of the sun and glowed with artificial light under the moon. The world outside of my window was a reassuring presence; an uninhabited alternate reality that broke whenever I went to get groceries and was forced back into the apocalyptic existence that we all face.
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It was on an overcast day that I noticed the three bright blue eggs in the center of a flowering bush outside my window. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even noticed the mother robin making the nest, which was so small that her tail feathers poked out of it. For a month after I watched her fly from the bush to the field below and fly back, cawing at any bird who would dare to briefly alight on the bush. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m happy to say that I woke up one day to the chirping of three naked chicks. Seeing them interact with their mother reminded me that life had not come to a complete standstill. Little by little, day by day, the bird had built her nest, and had reaped the benefits of what she had sown. For as long as we are stuck inside, I vow to do the same.
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Poetry
Wishing for truth In the spaces I move through My mind leans aloof I’m not still, I’m resolute
By: Anna Forsman
Witnessing you Through traces of glass Scattered in my path Reflecting me so I ask — I know this chair means nothing But we are balanced in the Sun And photos of our reconciliation With a melody as our medium. So I am stardust And wear the Sun around my neck And I am starstruck When I meet the Self that will come next Because I leave myself behind As I push against these particles of light I read right, you’ll tell me not to try I’ll drown in gyres triple my size
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I pour over the words in the air To find a purpose unattached from my chair I’m unbalanced, I’m not grounded Sometimes I’d rather never care, but we do; So we search through Six storms every three days Counting nines In every window that we replace While I retrace Every vine Intertwined With all of its meaning I’ll align
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We are living in difficult times. It feels as if the planet has come to a standstillâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as if the Earth has stopped spinning on its axis. As we wait cocooned in our homes, we observe a world that is quiet, yet far from calm. I painted this butterfly (with my amateur painting skills) during one of the many days of quarantine. This image depicts the beauty of the world that we can hopefully return to when this storm passes. Just like a caterpillar in its cocoon, I hope we all emerge from this stronger and more beautiful like blue monarchs in the summer. Gayatri Anguloori
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Until Next Time ~