Month: April 2020

Small Changes—Big Difference
Claire Maybin

Living in the Greenbelt this past year has encouraged me to make more sustainable choices in my everyday life. Now, the challenge is taking the habits that became norms in the Greenbelt and continuing them while at home and wherever we each may live next. It is not likely that everyone in the word will become a vegetarian, or commit to zero waste, or strive to live a carbon neutral life, but there are small changes that everyone can do that cumulatively can make a big difference. Many of these initiatives that revolve around emissions, pollution, waste, etc., are trying to address huge systems that are interconnected and often difficult to present solutions. Waste, for instance, is not simply the discards of individual mass consumption it also comprises the waste generated at each phase of production, in mines or fields, in factories and shops, all of which far exceed consumer waste—and a few small changes can decrease that supply chain and production chain, reducing waste, and the products you choose can also decrease your waste footprint.

One initiative I have been particularly fond of embracing has been sustainable beauty products! I have recently started using a shampoo bar from lush, replacing large clunky plastic containers with this small little coffee infused bar. Lush, a cosmetic brand, pride themselves in their handmade products that are sourced ethically and are offered without any plastic packaging. Their shampoo bars are concentrated shampoo so a little goes a long way; one bar could equal up to three bottles of liquid shampoo. This is just a small change but think about the huge difference it would make if everyone used bar shampoos! Second, I ditched the liquid body wash and liquid hand soap, and both were replaced with good old fashion bar soap. My favorite has been Red Clay Soap from a local goat farm in the Traveler’s Rest area. This sweet soap contains up to 25% goat milk in each bar. The great thing about goat milk is that it is loaded with natural acids, vitamins and minerals making it the perfect exfoliator and moisturizer. Again, a simple switch but one that cumulatively makes a significant difference. Bar soaps and bar shampoos use little to no packaging and do not contain harmful chemicals that other liquid alternatives may. One small step towards less waste, a successful step towards sustainability.

Goat Milk Soap, Handmade Goat Milk Soap. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.redclaysoap.com/

Lush Shampoo Bars. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.lushusa.com/hair/shampoo-bars/

Murray, R. (2002). Zero waste. London: Greenpeace Environmental Trust.

By: Rebecca Hearn

As we are all staying home during this time, many people have been finding unique ways to stay entertained. People have been doing puzzles, organizing their rooms, and even dyeing their hair. Another thing people have been doing to fill up their time at home is to tie dye their clothes. While you can order synthetic dye kits off of the internet, you can also dye your clothes with regular household foods and food scraps. Natural dyes are an awesome new hobby to discover while practicing social distancing at home, and it is a hobby that I have learned a lot about lately. Natural dye is a more sustainable option than synthetic dyes because you are using natural materials, and often food scraps, that you would otherwise just be composting, like avocado pits (which create a beautiful pink dye). Creating dyes from food is a creative way to upcycle and be sustainable and it can leave you with a beautiful product that you can be proud to say you created.

There are many tutorials on natural dyes that provide helpful visuals and information. Rather than repeating their instructions, I want to point you towards the information I found most helpful and provide the tips that I learned in my own journey of using natural dyes.

The first thing I learned was that natural fibers hold color much better. My best and most vibrant color pay off came from using cotton.

I also learned to take instructions seriously when they tell you to treat your fabric with Alum or sodium bicarbonate. These can easily be found in most houses or ordered, but using it really does make a difference in the pay off you get.

Additionally, the methods of doing this are not going to give you a typical tie dye pattern, so don’t expect a widely colorful spiral. But, you can bunch your fabric together and secure it with rubber bands to get some variety and added texture.

Most importantly, be patient, some parts of this process may seem tedious, and they might not make sense, but for the best results you should take your time. What else is there to do!

tutorials and resources for natural dyes:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fImpanUPjS8

Natural Colors

2. http://www.allnaturaldyeing.com/natural-dye-colors/

3. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-naturally-dye-using-foods

 

 

By Charlotte Moore

A few weeks ago, my family and I took a trip to New York City.  While we were there, we visited the Guggenheim Museum, where we were lucky to experience the “Countryside, The Future” exhibit that told the stories of rural innovations across the globe.  One of these particularly struck me: the Dutch concept of pixel farming. As a member of a peculiar subset of the human family who happens to adore math, I was struck by its attempt to combine Cartesian models with agriculture.

So, what is pixel farming?  Simply put, it is a solution to the problems created by agricultural monocultures.  When one crop is grown across thousands of neighboring acres, it creates more than a handful of problems.  The single crop attracts only a few species of insects, and thus pesticides and insecticides must be used. The crop depletes the soil, and the area’s biodiversity decays rapidly.  Cultivating these massive plots contributes to CO2 emissions and both air and water pollution.  

Pixel farming combats all these adverse effects.  A pixel farm looks like exactly what it sounds like: a grid of pixels, each representing a different crop.  At Campus Almwerk, the world’s first pixel farm, in the Netherlands, the nine-hectare farm is divided into 2 foot-by-2 foot plots.  Each plot is planted with a different crop, and its placement in the field is deliberately considered through analysis of other nearby crops and their root systems, soil preferences, and growth patterns.  The arrangement of plots is designed to test how the intimate proximity of different crops affects the crops’ interaction and the ecological balance of the farm.

And it has had drastic results.  Campus Almwerk has seen an increase in biodiversity and a 50% increase in crop yield.  The variety of crops attracts a diverse insect population that eliminates the need for insecticides, reducing the farm’s contribution to water pollution.  Planting similar crops apart from one another has also dramatically dampened the spread of disease among crop varieties. All these benefits lead to only one natural conclusion: is this the future of agriculture?

What is even more interesting and revolutionary about Campus Almwerk is its digitization.  The plots are planted, weeded, and harvested by an autonomous robot that controls the entire process.  Through onboard data analytics, it can adapt plots as needed. Additionally, the robot allows local consumers who have bought a plot to view their crops like a real-time, real-life version of FarmVille.

Although I find pixel farming incredibly fascinating and am interested in seeing how it affects farming going forward, I can’t help but wonder how it is affecting humankind’s relationship with the natural world.  On one hand, pixel farming appears to be a return to the sporadic nature of wild plant growth. After all, it is increasing variety and biodiversity and reducing the ecological impact of the farm. However, it also appears to be a meticulous attempt to control nature, to force it to work for humans instead of allowing it to act of its own volition, removing its surprises and spontaneity.  Maybe that’s not a bad thing, or maybe it is. I suppose it’s for humanity as a whole to decide. Going forward, how are we going to change our natural world? More importantly, will we allow it to change us?

 

 

Engwerda, Jan. “Pixel Farming: ‘Plots’ of 10 by 10 Centimeters.” Future Farming, Future Farming, 3 Feb. 2020.

Koekkoek, Arend. Pixel Farming: Farming in a digital era. July 2018. PowerPoint Presentation.

“Rem Koolhaas and AMO Explore Radical Change in the World’s Nonurban Territories in the Guggenheim Exhibition Countryside, The Future.”  Guggenheim Museum, February 2020.

Ryan Singer

Butterflies are essential insects as both predator and prey within the food chain. Bats and birds rely on the adult butterflies as well as caterpillars as a food source. Butterflies eat a variety of plants and nectar. Besides being food for other animals, the butterfly eats a variety of insects. As a caterpillar, they eat aphids. They are important components of a thriving ecosystem.

Pollinating flowers, especially red or yellow ones with a strong scent, is an important role that butterflies play within the ecosystem. Several plant species rely on the butterfly for pollination, like milkweed. Pollen collects on the body as the butterfly is feeding on nectar and is transferred from plant to plant as it moves from flower to flower.

Scientists monitor butterflies as indicators of climate change. Certain butterflies have shifted their distribution further north and to higher elevations as a result of an increase in temperature. Declining populations as a result of climate change, affects birds, other insects, and small mammals when they lose their food source and must eat less desirable or less available species. In addition to indicating climate change, butterflies are sensitive to habitat destruction and can be an indicator of the future effects of habitat loss on other animals.

We as a society can accommodate the butterfly’s habitat loss by creating gardens within our own yards to attract butterflies. Providing sunny areas for butterflies to warm up and bask and a shallow water source such as a birdbath will help combat the loss of natural habitats. The following list of plants is an excellent selection of butterfly attractors.

Butterfly bush, Phlox, Bluestar, Coneflower, Pot Marigolds, Black-Eyed Susan, Blazing Star, Heliotrope, Lavender, Swamp Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, Flossflower, Chocolate Cosmos, Agapanthus, Aster, Salvia, Sea Holly, Hollyhocks, Sunflower, Sedum, Goldenrod, Allium, Joe-Pye Weed, Cardinal Flower, Penta, and Lantana.

Planting a variety of these in several locations throughout your yard will encourage butterflies to move in permanently. They need nectar as well as warmth and room to fly. Research the planting zone you live in and use native species that provide food for the caterpillar stage of its life cycle. If you do not have a yard, window boxes or potted plants on a patio will still provide butterflies a place to thrive. Even leaving fallen fruit on the ground or on top of the compost heap will provide butterflies with the necessary sugar they crave in late summer.

Leave an area of the yard “wild” to provide larvae with the grasses and weeds they need to grow. Furthermore, avoid pesticides that are harmful to butterflies. Plants bought from the garden center may also have been treated. Try to buy organic plants instead. Create a shelter for butterflies by planting larger leaf species such as trees and shrubs. When the weather turns from sunny to stormy, they will have a place to hide.

Landscaping with native plants is a sustainable practice that requires fewer resources. Native plants are better adapted to their climate and are natural hosts to butterflies. Butterfly gardens provide colorful flowers that draw the interest of humans which result is a greater awareness of the environment and a better understanding of our role in preserving natural habitats.

 

Sources:

https://sciencing.com/plants-animals-germany-6775765.html

https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/flowers/butterfly-garden-flowers-pictures

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/gardeners-guide-to-butterflies.html

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/benefits-butterfly-gardens-environment-50693.html