This past weekend, I decided to do an art project by building a plant stand from scratch with my uncle Kirk. The process took a grand total of four days to complete, but it was well worth it to have a new piece of furniture. After designing the plant stand, we both decided to use reclaimed wood that Kirk had gathered over the past couple of years. Using the reclaimed wood was seen as a way to decrease deforestation and reduce landfill waste that had accumulated over time (Elemental Green).
The reclaimed wood we used does not contain as many harmful toxins that can enter the atmosphere as normal store-bought wood. Similarly, reclaimed wood is more durable in accordance to the Janka hardness scale than regular wood because it is used from older grown trees instead of more recently grown trees (Elemental Green). Another benefit of using reclaimed wood is that the wood looks aged, which is a bonus for someone, such as myself, who likes the antique aesthetic!
After the plant stand was cut into each of its separate pieces, Kirk and I stained the wood and let it dry for about 24 hours. The stain color I used was called espresso, which is a dark brown color. To also reduce the use of emitting toxic chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), we used an environmentally friendly brand called ECOS Paints. Their paint stains use non-toxic chemicals so that people with health problems can be physically and environmentally safe. VOCs are similar to what is typically in paint stains that cause health problems and emission of petroleum air pollution, so using ECOS Paints was more sustainable to use on the reclaimed wood (ECOS Paints).
The most tedious process of making the plant stand was coating the stained wood four times with water based polyurethane, which is a more environmentally safe way to make the plant stand waterproof and have a shiny appearance. Water based polyurethane is better than oil based polyurethane because it does not emit high amounts of VOCs either. The oil based substance releases petroleum based carcinogens into the atmosphere, which yet again, causes severe health defects (Gemini Floor Services). On the other hand, oil based polyurethane is a very flammable substance, hence why the water based polyurethane is a better route to making a sufficiently waterproof plant stand. The water based polyurethane is a more durable substance because its compound has a “greater resistance to abrasion” (Gemini Floor Services). The water based polyurethane also dries faster than the oil based polyurethane because using more layers of thin coats is a more efficient way to assemble any piece of furniture quicker while releasing less chemicals into the air. Overall, the process of creating the plant stand with my uncle was a very enjoyable process while also being sustainable!
“Today, zip code is still the most potent predictor of an individual’s health and well-being” (Environmental Health News). In the 1900s, white people discriminated against BIPOC from purchasing houses in their white neighborhoods. This led to segregated neighborhoods. Landfills and highways directly through these neighborhoods, homeless shelters leading to increased pollution in groundwater and low air quality resulting in poor school systems and healthcare systems. This is an example of environmental injustice.
What is environmental justice? How can the environment be just or unjust?
Environmental injustice is when some communities have a higher level of environmental risk than other communities in society. Environmental injustice occurs when some communities have more environmental burdens due to racial and socioeconomic injustices. BIPOC neighborhoods faced increased risk of poor health from the polluted air and water resulting in a greater risk of environmental injustice. According to Scientific America, “environmental justice concerns are more prominent along race/ethnicity lines, rather than measures of poverty.” Environmental justice is still a huge problem because people of color are disproportionately affected by increased exposure to toxic chemicals, lead poisoning, unsafe workplaces, water contamination and climate change. This is expanded by not having access to healthcare, lack of good jobs, and increased crime.
In BIPOC neighborhoods, health is drastically affected due to environmental hazards. There is a great example of this from the movie Erin Brockovich (highly recommend watching this!) based on a real life story where a small town lived near a plant and they used a hazardous chemical, Chromium 6 that seeped into the town’s groundwater. This BIPOC community began having major health problems and took years to find out that it was related to the plant’s use of chromium 6 and years to get compensation. This is an example of the environmental injustice this BIPOC community faced from a big corporation that would have not happened in a big city full of wealthy residents.
Environmental injustice is relevant inside and outside of the United States. I recently learned that at the end of World War II, the industrial age ramped up and we began producing more waste and we needed someplace to ship it off too. Most of the waste ended up being shipped off to South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Third World nations accept the waste in exchange of money. This has been deemed “garbage imperialism” or “toxic colonialism.” This leaves these nations having a larger environmental risk, environmental injustice, due to waste polluting groundwater, and having a toxic environment.
What can I do to combat environmental injustice?
In environmental activism, we need to focus climate justice and racial equity at the center of our discussion. We need to bring those most affected by environmental injustice into these discussions. Lastly, we need to vote for politicians and policies that will advocate for environmental justice for all.
Citations
Environmental Justice Organisations, Liabilities and Trade.” Environmental Justice Organisations Liabilities and Trade, www.ejolt.org/2013/02/environmental-injustice/.
“A Look at Environmental Justice in U.S.A. Today.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 20 Jan. 2014, www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-look-at-environmental-justice-in-usa-today/.
“5 Ways Businesses Can Take Action to Reduce Environmental Racism.” Greenbiz, www.greenbiz.com/article/5-ways-businesses-can-take-action-reduce-environmental-racism.
Ranniger, Gwen. “The Father of Environmental Justice.” EHN, EHN, 26 Feb. 2021, www.ehn.org/environmental-justice-2646185608/the-father-of-environmental-justice.
As I make my way toward the “Pure in Balance” section in the Dining Hall, I’m magnetically drawn to a tempting beef taco casserole and saucy barbeque meatballs. Then, to my surprise, I look at the menu and realize that they’re made with plant-based meat! When I first saw this at the DH last semester, I was a bit skeptical. Sure, I’d had an Impossible burger before, but could the Furman Dining Hall really pull off cooking plant-based meat at a large scale? I decided I’d give it a try, and as I took my first bite of a meatball, I was pleasantly surprised with its likeness to meat. It had the same texture, smokiness, and overall flavor as an animal-based meatball. Coincidentally, a few days later, my mom sent me a podcast on cell-based meat (also known as “clean” meat), which is a new protein alternative currently in the works. I was infatuated with this idea that meat can be created in a lab using animal cells as a more sustainable, cruelty-free alternative to traditional meat. From that point on, I’ve continued to order the plant-based meat at the DH… and wondered if cell-based meat could become as widespread as plant-based meat, or even plant-based milks.
Will cell-based meat become as widespread as plant-based meat? (Shutterstock)
I was still puzzled, and a bit skeptical, about how this “meat clone” could be grown from cells in a lab; it almost sounds like a concept from a sci-fi movie. I learned that cell-based meat is created by producing commodities from muscle or fat cells of animal donors rather than whole organisms. Initial sources of cells are produced by animal donors who are anesthetized while a small section of tissue is removed. In this way, these cells are immortalized and are able to continuously proliferate – in much the same way plants are propagated – so that animal donors don’t have to continue being used. Though plant-based meat (produced from ingredients such as soy, beets, beans, and other grains and vegetables) are already a relatively popular alternative to animal meat, there are notable differences between this iteration and its cell-based sibling. Plant-based meat retains much of the functionality and nutrition of animal protein, but has an altogether different composition than meat, so is less able to mimic flavors and texture. In contrast, cell-based meat is more indistinguishable from traditional meat, as it has been “grown” from the cells of animals and therefore preserves the same composition as animal-based meat (Rubio et al. 2).
Key differences between CBM and PBM (Rubio et al. 5)
In researching more about cell-based meat, I was amazed to discover its sustainability as an alternative to animal – or even plant-based – meat. Throughout my time at Furman, whether through Eco Reps or a sustainability class, I’ve learned how detrimental animal farming is to the planet, as well as to animal and human health. One of the most destructive aspects of the livestock industry is the amount of greenhouse gas it produces. Methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas with high global warming potential, is produced by livestock – specifically cattle that consume grain-based foods (Garnett et al. 71). The livestock sector is also a major contributor to the production of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that makes up 30% of the ruminant emissions total (Garnett et al. 72). But global warming due to excess greenhouse gas emissions isn’t the only issue linked to animal farming. This industry is responsible for the spread of foodborne illnesses to humans, as well as infectious and zoonotic diseases, like COVID-19. Such pathogens spread through factory farms and meatpacking plants, due to the fact that animals are processed as raw material input for meat production in notoriously unsanitary conditions (Rubio et al. 1). There’s also a conspicuous animal welfare issue within the livestock industry, with billions of animals killed or suffering due to our appetite for animal meat (Rubio et al. 2). However, cell-based meat will eliminate almost all of these issues. According to the journal article “Plant-based and cell-based approaches to meat production” published by Rubio et al., “The first relevant LCA published in 2011 estimated CBM would involve lower energy consumption (7–45%), greenhouse gas emissions (78–96%), land use (99%), and water use (82–96%) compared to ABM” (Rubio et al. 7). Moreover, with cell-based meat production, it’s almost impossible to spread foodborne illnesses or diseases because cell proliferation requires extremely sterile conditions, preventing contamination of pathogens (Rubio et al. 6). And, since the cells of the animal donors are able to be genetically immortalized, there’s no need for widespread slaughter. Cell-based meat will nearly eliminate the animal suffering, spread of foodborne and zoonotic disease, and most of the environmental issues caused by animal-based meat.
Comparison of sustainability of ABM, CBM, and PBM (Rubio et al. 6)
It’s theorized that cell-based meat could reach a larger scale of animal-based meat-eaters than plant-based meat has, since the taste and texture of cell-based meat is extremely similar to that of animal-based meat; there simply wouldn’t be as much for meat-eaters to “give up” in terms of what they enjoy about meat. In fact, studies show that even if cell-based meat was quite a bit more expensive than animal-based meat, there’d still be a relatively large market for it. Recently, a Netherlands consumer acceptance survey was conducted, showing that 58% of interviewees were willing to pay 37% more for cell-based beef compared to animal-based beef (Rubio et al. 3). If this is the case, how close are we to commercializing cell-based meat and producing it at large-scale? Currently, a ramped-up supply of cell-based meat is disrupted by high production costs and a lack of fundamental knowledge on the costs, nutritional value, and sensory properties of these cell-cultured tissues (Rubio et al. 9). Despite these hurdles, there has been some movement toward getting cell-based meat into production. It’s been decided that in the U.S., cell-based meat will be regulated by the FDA, which will regulate cell storage, isolation, and growth, and the USDA, which will oversee these products for the rest of the commercialization process (Rubio et al. 4). In its push for cell-based meat to become a wide scale protein alternative, The Good Food Institute operates as an international nonprofit sharing knowledge and research with the public and working across the supply chain and within public and private sectors to further a mission of promoting alternative proteins. They focus on the science of PBM and CBM, advocate fair policy and public funding to offer solutions to government issues, and find market opportunities and tailored guidance for producing and selling these plant-based and cell-based products (The Good Food Institute). With organizations like GFI and its mobilization of some of the nation’s leading meat producers to reimagine and retool, it’s possible that we could see cell-based protein alternatives being pushed into markets, perhaps becoming as widespread as plant-based meat, in the very near future.
Cell-based meat is a demonstrably sustainable alternative to animal-based meat in that it will decrease environmental, human health, and animal welfare issues. But what is equally exciting is the promise that it could crack open a brand new field requiring the emergence of innovative companies (think meat “breweries”!) and related career opportunities across the world (The Good Food Institute). Cell-based meat may not completely eliminate animal-based meat production. However, the demand for factory-farmed, lower quality meat could be filled by cell-based meat, while animal-based meat made sustainably on a small-scale could become the core of the demand for higher quality meat (Rubio et al. 9). So, rather than wiping out animal-based meat completely, cell-based meat could be offered in tandem with its traditional brethren, satisfying both vegans and carnivores alike.
Sources:
Garnett, Tara, and Cecile Godde. “Grazed and Confused?” Food Climate Research Network, Environmental Change Institute, 2017.
Rubio, N. R., Xiang, N., & Kaplan, D. L. (2020). Plant-based and cell-based approaches to meat production. Nature Communications, 11(1), 1-11. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-20061-y
The Good Food Institute. (2021, February 16). Retrieved March 02, 2021, from https://gfi.org/
