Month: April 2021

By: Annaliese White

Living in the Greenbelt Resident Community has given me so much insight into new sustainability practices and habits, it has taught me how to eat “Greener” and to love nature in all of its forms. One of my favorite past times while living in the Greenbelt has been picking some of the Wild Flowers that have grown in our backyard, as it has given me much joy having fresh, beautiful flowers all around our cabin. Through the teachings of my fellow Greenbelt residents, I have come to learn just how unsustainable green lawns are. Before being apart of this program, I never gave too much thought about the sustainability of most people’s lawns, as it never occurred to me that it could be harming the environment!

Not only are lawns expensive and can be a lot of upkeep work, but there are various aspects that go into taking care of a lawn that are pollute the environment. For example, the burning of gasoline in lawn mowers, toxic pesticides and fertilizer which pollute the water sources, and the vast quantity of water that is wasted by sprinklers. The gasoline burned in the lawn mowers contribute to the greenhouse gases, which is hurting our atmosphere. Another harmful effect of so many homeowners planting grass lawns is that it causes other forest life, like weeds and many other plants to be ripped out of the ground, reducing their populations.

One of the main benefits of having a wildflower garden or meadow instead of a grassy lawn is that wildflowers are easier to care for and do not require the consistent watering or maintenance that green lawns need. Having a wildflower garden also increases biodiversity and allows for other species of plants and flowers to flourish. Also, having a meadow can attract wildlife such as deer to your yard which would allow them to feed without worrying about any external threats. Overall the benefits of having a wildflower garden greatly outweigh the pros and cons of having a grass lawn, which is why more homeowners should make the switch to a wildflower garden or meadow!

 

Sources:

https://www.americanmeadows.com/replace-lawn-with-wildflowers

https://conservationtools.org/guides/151-from-lawn-to-meadow

http://www.gogreen.org/blog/the-environmental-impact-of-lawns

 

 

By: Sydney McManus

Throughout the 2020-21 Academic Year, I have been faced with many opportunities to grow and learn as a member of a sustainable community. I have grown not only as a member of Greenbelt and the community that has been established here, but also through academics, club involvement, and my Shi Institute Fellowship. From learning about sustainable living through Greenbelt classes, reading books about the pressing issues of modern consumption and production in my Environmental Health course, and recognizing and promoting global initiatives through fellowship events and more, I have continued to find that sustainability is so much more than shorter showers, making a switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet, or anything else we often associate with the stigma of sustainability. Sustainability is pervasive in all sectors of our lives but embodies consideration beyond ourselves, a concept that often gets away from us.

 

Coming to Furman just one, almost two, short years ago, sustainability was not on my radar, yet here I am a couple of years later, enthralled with the idea of sustainability, living in a community which not only includes the best housing on Furman’s campus, but also a group of individuals who appreciate the idea of a focus beyond ourselves, directing that focus toward a global awareness and consideration of the wellbeing of all people, animals, and the environment, something that recently has come to my attention to be known as “One Health.”

 

One Health is defined by the CDC, which we are all too familiar with in light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, as “a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach—working at the local, regional, national, and global levels—with the goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Throughout the past two semesters, I have had the opportunity to apply sustainability to my life and education leading me in the direction of “One Health” without even realizing it.

 

Through conscious thought devoted to the impact I am having on the environment and my greater community; I regularly reflect on how my actions are impacting those around me who may not have the luxury of focusing on anything beyond survival. From disproportionate environmental burdens associated with issues of environmental justice and concepts like the Tragedy of the Commons a concept that embodies the idea that people behave in a way that pursues their own interest, desire, and need without consideration of wide-spread needs and long-term effects (Hardin, 1968), I have begun to truly learn and further develop my recognition of the scope of sustainability.

 

I could talk for days about all the things I have learned within Greenbelt, from my community members who have become my friends, and through my classes the past two semesters, but I will spare us all the lengthy discussion that comes with the excitement that is invoked when I think about the scope and growth to come from sustainability focus and initiatives. But with the end of the semester, and my time in the Greenbelt I will share this, find a community that encourages and grows with you, find an aspect of sustainability that excites you, and always think beyond your own four walls and remember as Greta Thunberg said, “Homo Sapiens have not yet failed. Yes, we are failing, but there is still time to turn everything around. We can still fix this. We still have everything in our own hands.” (Thunberg, 2021)

 

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, April 16). One Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/index.html.

Hardin, G. (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science, 162(3859), 1243–1248. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.162.3859.1243

Thunberg, G. (2021). No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference. Random House UK.

By Annika Patterson

As Furman students, one of the many advantages of our gorgeous campus are the thriving populations of animals that cohabit with us. Whether in reference to the ducks and fish in the lake, the squirrels and birds in the trees and the hundreds of insects that illicit a variety of reactions, all of these lives are so precious and each gives back to our ecosystem in ways we seldom acknowledge. 

Biodiversity is a topic that is close to my own heart as I have always loved and cared for animals. In the courses I have taken at Furman I have had the opportunity to learn even more about the terrible ways climate change has already, and will continue to affect our earth’s biodiversity. The Planetary boundaries, a term familiar to any fellow students of sustainability classes here at Furman, are a scientific-based framework for the analysis of the risk that humans are contributing to at which some point will destabilize the entirety of the earth system. Basically, a measurable scale in which we can determine the long term effects humans production and consumption are having on different systems of the earth, and boundaries in which we have established to try and avoid crossing to avoid this. As we are standing currently on this scale, globally we have more than crossed the planetary boundary for biodiversity loss. The boundary was set at less than 10 extinctions per million species year and in the holocene alone we can track a loss of 10-100 extinctions per million species year, a loss that resembles mass extinctions in millennia past.

The planetary boundaries are all connected in balancing each other out and further pushing each other towards a tipping point. This is shown in how species richness, a measurable subsection of biodiversity that is simply the number of different species, is important for the maintenance of the biosphere. The diversity of a number of species helps balance out ecosystems and provides a necessary resilience.

An example of nature and how it usually balances itself, and our reliance on such, is the disaster that is the Furman lake. A man made lake from the foundation of this location back in the 80s, it has been slowly deteriorating ever since. Constant projects over the years have aimed to restore the lake to a less sediment filled pool for disease has thus far been unachievable. The Furman lake is small in comparison to the majority of lakes i’ve visited in my life, and those naturally made lakes (whether or not a dam has been added) have been majorly self sustaining in the bacterial level up to the birds that fish there. This is no coincidence, nature is a self sustaining system and left alone it has the opportunity to flourish. 

While leaving our communities wildlife alone isn’t an easy feat in a city like Greenville, programs for conservation and clean up are important for taking back the blows humanity has made against them. It is important as an individual to make large scale change in advocating for and voting in favor of programs that will preserve our local biodiversity and on a small scale doing what you can in your own neighborhood. Protecting the environment of a single animal can have impacts on the ecosystem we can’t predict, so do your part!

 

Sources

-https://greenvillejournal.com/op-ed/letter-to-the-editor-we-must-preserve-biodiversity/

-https://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/lpr_living_planet_report_2016.pdf

-https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/cas-biodiversity/why-is-biodiversity-important-ca/biodiversity-and-ecosystem-funct/v/biodiversity-ecosystems-and-ecological-networks?modal=1

 

People often like taking care of plants for various reasons. Take me and my army of plants for example. They make my room more vibrant and I assume the responsibility of taking care of them. Others may have plants instead of pets. Then there are other that may say they do not have a “green thumb” or are just not cut out for having plants, but that is not true. Anyone can have a healthy plant if they do a little bit of research first and are willing to water them.

Choosing an indoor plant

When choosing an indoor plant, there are a few basic things to take into consideration:

• How much water does this plant need?
• How much sunlight does this plant need?
• What is the average temperature this plant thrives in?
• Is the plant poisonous to pets?

These are the main four components I always reference when choosing a plant. To go into more detail about each label, here is a picture to show the differences in the types of sunlight a plant needs and what I do for watering. If you feel confident about this part, feel free to skip to the next section.

Determining the amount of water

This part can be confusing as it is sometimes hard to know the exact amount of water a plant needs. It can also be difficult to always give a plant the same amount of water. I personally use ice cubes as a way to measure the amount of water I am giving to a plant. If a plant shows sign of underwatering, add another ice cube next time it is watered. If a plant shows signs of overwatering, decrease the number of ice cubes. It is important to say that a plant will not die immediately from overwatering it or underwatering as long as the amount of water is adjusted.

Signs of overwatering or underwatering

Overwatering

• Leaves will turn a yellow or whitish color and some leaves may fall off the plant. The leaves will not shrivel up before falling off.

Underwatering

• Leaves will turn a yellow or whitish color and some leaves may also fall off the plant. These leaves DO shrivel up before falling off. By shriveling up, I mean the leaves will get extremely brittle and/or they may turn brown or lose their color.

 

 

Last minute takeaways on sunlight and water

• Make sure you have the right conditions for a plant to live it. It may take trial and error.
• If a plant is not receiving enough sunlight, the leaves may also fall off the plant, so move it to a brighter place.
• If a plant is receiving too much sunlight, the leaves may turn white at the tips, so move it to a shadier place.

 

 

 

 

Types of Plants to Choose

This is the best part about having plant- getting the choose one!

Home Depot and Lowes often have a good selection of plants. They are fairly healthy and most are fairly easy to grow. I have found most ivy, bamboo, and basic ferns are easy beginner plants. For a list of other plants for beginners, check out these two websites:

• https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/g1285/hard-to-kill-plants/
• https://bloomscape.com/green-living/9-easiest-houseplants-anyone-can-grow/

Plants to Avoid

• If you have any pets, make sure to check if the plant is pet friendly and are not poisonous to pets if ingested. From my experience, some animals (especially cats) enjoy biting leaves.
• For beginners, I recommend avoiding orchids and venus fly traps as they are often hard to keep alive.

 

Sources

-https://wallygro.com/blogs/feature/essential-watering-guide

-https://bloomscape.com/green-living/9-easiest-houseplants-anyone-can-grow/

-https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/g1285/hard-to-kill-plants/

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn1qOBOiPNc

With over 60% of 18+ Americans drinking coffee everyday, it is important that we consume in an ethical and sustainable manner. My own personal coffee recipe is an iced coffee with oat milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon. There are some very easy swaps that can be made in order to make your daily coffee more sustainable!

First the basics: Avoid single use plastics.

On the go:

It can be very convenient to pick up a Starbucks drink, and throw the cup out, but bringing a reusable cup is one easy way to reduce waste at Starbucks. To go coffee cups don’t have to be fancy and expensive either, an old mason jar is a great transport option, as are your daily use cups if you don’t mind not having a lid! 

Buying coffee on the go can often mean bottled drinks. If you must choose these as your drink, try to choose a glass or aluminium container as they are more recyclable.

To avoid even more environmental impacts, make your coffee at home, and you won’t have to buy a fancy new coffee cup or generate waste. 

 

At Home:

One major thing to avoid when making your coffee at home are disposable K-Cups. Tens of billions of these plastic cups have ended up in our landfills. The convenience of a single cup coffee brewer is undeniable, so making the swap to a reusable cup is an easy way to dramatically reduce the waste that you are producing. Another single cup brewing option that is low waste is a reusable pour over. Mine is made of stainless steel and does not require a filter, but others can be ceramic or glass and some need a paper filter. A benefit of this coffee brewing method is that the only waste produced can be composted. If you are a heavy coffee drinker and one cup is not enough, making one large pot of coffee is more sustainable (and convenient). A French press is a great way to make a pot of coffee with little waste, and traditional coffee pots are a classic as well. There are many low waste methods of brewing coffee that you can tailor to your lifestyle.

 

The Beans:

Choosing the coffee itself can feel like a total crapshoot, there are so many options and so many different labels claiming different things. 

At the grocery store, look for fair trade certifications. Many large grocery stores carry local roasting companies and finding woman-owned or black-owned coffee options is becoming easier and easier. Supporting small companies is preferable to choosing a Foldgers, Starbucks, or Dunkin Donuts blend, even though the name is more familiar. 

One way that I ensure I am getting sustainable coffee is to buy beans from my favorite local coffee shops. Many sell the same beans that they use to make their drinks, and baristas can give you plenty of information on it. Independently owned cafés also often have specifically chosen roasting companies that they buy beans from, meaning that more information on the brand should be available. This ensures a delicious cup of coffee, and you are supporting local businesses.

 

The Creamer:

Since black coffee is undeniably an acquired taste, most people opt to add a creamer. Choosing a plant milk over cow’s milk dramatically decreases the environmental impact of one cup of coffee. Flavored coffee creamers are a popular favorite, but tend to be made with unsustainably harvested ingredients like palm oil. An easy way to replace these flavored creamers is to make your own. Infused syrup recipes are all over the internet and can be added to a plant milk of your choice.