Environmental Council Newsletter - Issue #2 | "Recrudescence"

APRIL NEWSLETTER

R E C R U D E S C E N C E

OPPORTUNITIES IN CRISIS

RECRUDESCENCE

Crises create opportunities. As we go through these turbulent times, sustainability continues to be of utmost importance, playing extensive roles in our daily life. This newsletter, our commitment to transparency and change, highlights our deliverance to all aspects of student life. Planning has continued to advance, just as carbon emissions have dropped by 10% every year. Similarly, our progress and operations have continued apace as the Council moves forward, continuing to deliver our utmost for the community.

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Issue 2 | March 2020

NOTICE INDUCTION PROGRAM Continuing with our mission to empower students to deliver change, the Council is pioneering an induction programme for Year 11 students. Recent events have curtailed the capacity for the Council’s recruitment and transformation processes, yet the Council is still continuing to reach out to prospective future leaders to pursue sustainability in our school and beyond.

The induction program is a low-commitment program for students to learn more about the Council and internal processes and understand more about operations across the Council. This will prepare you for a more formal introduction to the Council after your exams in Year 12. This program will dramatically enhance your chances of gaining a position, especially potential leadership ones, whilst allowing you to secure potential CAS activity chances and granting you a chance to make a change to our school and beyond.

If you have any questions about this program, or would like to know more about recruitment in the council, please email secretariat@googlegroups.com.

Environmental Council

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Florence Wong

NEWS UPDATE

February’s latest environmental news

CORONAVIRUS COULD SLOW tain Institute.“Any sound business will EFFORTS TO CUT AIRLINES’ prioritize their existing liabilities and GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS payroll over voluntary investments in future sustainable aviation fuel volPLUMER. ume.”Oil prices have also been falling New York Times.

March 6, 2020.

sharply, which helps airlines because fuel is one of their biggest expenses.

However, lower prices could also deter airlines from investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft, which could also be a setback to long-term efforts to rein in airline emissions.

The coronavirus outbreak is pushing the world’s airlines towards a financial crisis — and that is beginning to complicate efforts to lower airlines’ greenhouse emissions, which had “Environmental groups said that the been rising rapidly in recent years. outbreak shouldn’t be used as an exAirline revenue worldwide is now procuse to weaken programs designed to jected to fall at least 11 percent this address aviation emissions (Tabuchi).” year, according to the International Air If airlines do scale back their climate Transport Association. The collapse in efforts, that could pose a problem for passenger traffic is expected to be parfuture efforts to restrain aviation emisticularly severe in countries hit hardest sions, since analysts expect that air by the outbreak, including China, Italy travel is expected to rebound strongly and Iran. A preliminary analysis by the if coronavirus fears eventually subside.

Environmental Defense Fund found That said, it’s tough to predict the futhat, at the high end, airlines may have ture, and Murphy has raised the posto purchase up to 20 percent more sibility that as companies become accredits than they were expecting to customed to teleconferencing during over the next three years, depending the crisis, they might also reconsider on how much air travel declines and their long-term reliance on air travel. rebounds.

“In Europe, we already saw people opting not to fly, it’s possible that this Overall, air travel accounts for becrisis could accelerate some of those tween 2 percent and 3 percent of globtrends going forward,” Murphy conal carbon dioxide emissions. But the cludes. industry is experiencing rapid growth, with emissions expected to triple by --2050 owing to the rapid expansion of air travel worldwide, propelled by a HUNGRY RATS THREATEN CHERproliferation of low-cost airlines and a booming tourism industry catering to RY BLOSSOMS. a growing middle class. The expected long-term surge in emissions has led South China Morning Post. governments and environmentalists March 9, 2020. to focus on air travel as the next frontier for climate action. In Europe, the The much-anticipated cherry blossom Swedish climate activist Greta Thun- season in two of Japan’s most southern islands is under threat from an unberg has helped popularize the idea. expected predator – indigenous rats The crisis will“definitely affect airline that are on the brink of starvation. The climate actions,”said Adam Klauber, Ryukyu long-haired rats are only found a technical advisor at the Rocky Moun- on the southern islands of Amami-Os-

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Issue 2 | March 2020

hima and Tokunoshima, and typically feed on acorns.

“This year, however, the critically endangered rats are feasting on the blossoms of the cherry trees as soon as they appear (Ryall).”The rats are dying out from a decline in acorns, deforestation and development of the islands.

The destruction of the blossoms by the rats may ruin some hanami festivities, where observers admire the cherry blossoms, but a growing number of trees are threatened by a variety of predators in recent years. One of them is Aromia bungii, commonly known as the red-necked longhorn beetle with a preference for peach and cherry trees; it is native to China, Mongolia and other parts of mainland Asia, and are thought to have entered Japan from cargoes of timber.

To date, hundreds of cherry trees have been damaged in Tokyo as well as the prefectures of Saitama, Gunma, Tokushima, Tochigi and Osaka. An expert warns that the crisis is so acute that Japan’s renowned cherry trees could suffer extinction.

EUROPE EXPERIENCES EXCEPTIONALLY WARM WINTER. BBC. March 5, 2020.

Winter is defined as the months of December, January, and February. The Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that the record-breaking increases in temperature were particularly evident in the north and east regions of Europe.

Last month was also the second hottest February on record, globally, and was cooler by only 0.1˚C, as compared with the high of 2016. The C3S reports that mild conditions this winter resulted in several significant consequences across Europe, including“difficulties for reindeer herding in northern Sweden, failure of the ice-wine harvest in Germany, and having to import snow for sporting events in Sweden and Russia”.

The European winter of 2019/20 is, by far, the warmest recorded from 1979 onwards.

Environmental Council

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Sylvia Chan

EATING GREEN?

Veganism may have unforeseen consequences on the environment.

Not long ago, the internet blew up from 1995, with the consumption per over the Vegan movement: Vegan capita rate being 7.1 pounds of the poblog posts skyrocketed to internation- tassium-rich fruit in 2015. al fame; Vegan chefs and influencers garnered the spotlight; Vegan threads Such a market boom has prompted paraded photos of drool-worthy dish- many increased attempts to farm the es, trumpeting its great taste, nutri- crop and cash in on this fad. However, tional benefit and moral righteous- the high water requirements of avocaness. Many bold claims have led to the do farming coupled with the increased movement’s popularity: it is ethical, it frequency and severity of droughts is trendy, it is healthy. But one decla- globally means that most farmland is ration above the rest has been thrown unsuitable for its cultivation. The rearound so often that the entire move- sulting price bubble soared to an exment of Veganism has become practi- tent whereupon cartels in Mexico becally synonymous with environmental gan dealing in avocados, forming the activism: the claim that Veganism is ‘blood avocado’trade. Farmers have good for the environment. reported entire fields’worth stolen by opportunities as a direct consequence From its infamous roots as a deroga- of the avocado craze. tory term against Vegetarians back in 1944, the label ‘Vegan’ has recent- But, surely, Veganism is different? ly evolved to be worn as a badge of pride, rather than seen as an insult. The practice of Veganism removes anWith the increased awareness of a cli- imal-based produce from one’s diet, mate crisis, many have hopped upon aiming to lessen the environmental the Veganism bandwagon in an effort impact of an individual on the environto make a difference - with dramatic ment. Practitioners of the diet replace consequences. animal-based produce with plantbased substitutes, particularly pulses, In 2017, the popularity surrounding which are competent substitutes for avocados climaxed, with the fruit be- the protein found in meats. The argucoming an icon of the youth. ment is sound: livestock farming contributes to 18% of global greenhouse It started with a snarky remark from gas emissions, uses 30% of the world’s Australian millionaire Tim Gurner on land and costs us the capacity to feed how millennials had an unhealthy ob- upwards of 3.5 billion more people ussession with the green, pear-shaped ing crops. Thus, completely removing fruit. What resulted was an explosion consumption of all animal products in interest beyond the wildest dreams must certainly be good. of avocado farmers.

Unfortunately, this is not the case; Today, the #avocado on Instagram has the environmental impact of replacsurpassed 10.5 million posts, and an ing animal-based produce with plantavocado shortage gripping much of based foods is likely higher than that the western world has caused prices to of consuming meat. A study conductskyrocket. In some cases, prices have ed by scientists at the Carnegie Mellon doubled or even tripled compared to University highlighted the fact that the past several years. Notably, the lettuce, a popular vegetable, is three USDA recorded in 2015 that avoca- times more harmful than bacon in do consumption had increased 443% terms of greenhouse gas emissions per

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Issue Issue 2 2 || March March 2020 2020

calorie, as the process of growing lettuce is deeply resource-draining and water-intensive. Similarly, other vegetables such as eggplants, celery and cucumbers also require more resources per calorie than chicken or pork.

Furthermore, most vegans seem to forget the environmental impacts of consuming food products, including vegan products, that have a high carbon footprint. In terms of the environment, eating meat products from a local farm is less detrimental than the consumption of quinoa grown in Ecuador, or cocoa butter from Peru.

This is not to say that cutting our meat consumption will not help the environment - far from it. Many credible studies have called for a dramatic reduction in human meat consumption. The problem arises from the engagement in a practice without an understanding of the fundamental basis, objectives and rationale behind a movement.

In theory, a Vegan diet seems to solve many of our most pressing problems: how to remain healthy, how to protect the environment and how to keep up with the times. Yet only one of the three can truly be achieved when one does not take the time to carefully consider their actions. One must consider the practicalities of the Vegan diet for their own situation: whether they can access locally sourced Vegan produce, whether this will have a negative impact on their physical and mental health, even whether they can afford such a lifestyle. The ideals of Veganism are truly noble - yet, if corrupted by eager influencers and trend-riders, it may well be nothing more than a cringe-inducing footnote in social media history a decade from now, leaving in its dust a cause that could truly have changed the lives of many, for the better.

Environmental Council

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COUNCIL ACHIEVEMENTS OF TERM 2 Hay Wong, Sylvia Chan

Since the last newsletter, the council would like to announce new initiatives, such as the formation of the Junior Environmental Council, supervised by capable members of the Environmental Council, as well as the implementation of a Tetra-Pak recycling system.

There has also been a significant increase in discussion on the ESF Sustainable Strategy, leading to the introduction of the Sustainable Strategy to the staff and fruitful discussions regarding Key Performance Indicators.

Internally, the council has introduced short meetings every Friday during first break to facilitate discussion in an informal environment, and implemented a system of rotating representative groups from different departments to help build understanding and promote leadership skills.

The Catering Committee has expanded meal variety, with the introduction of chef specials, and introduced the environmentally-conscious‘Beyond Meat’, while increasing vegetarian options. Additionally, a feedback form for direct communication with Chartwells, a dollar rebate scheme for bringing a mug, the removal of plastic bottled water, and preliminary schemes to reduce cutlery waste have also been implemented.

The Environmental Council looks forward to long-term trips across the Greater Bay Area, increased plant-related activities, the renovation of the canteen, and the introduction of a comprehensive sustainability education platform in the coming future.

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Issue 2 | March 2020

CREDITS Editorial Team: Sylvia Chan Florence Wong

Design and Typesetting Team: Jaclyn Solomon Yui Hang Cheng Publication: Yui Hang Cheng

Passages and Logistics: Yin Wai Kwong, Hay Wong

Environmental Council

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