Furman Greenbelt Sustainable Living Community

Pollinator Bees Need to be Protected if We Want Our Planet to Survive

       Bees may seem small, but the impact they have on the ecosystem is enormous. Bees account for the survival of 80% of all plants on Earth. Their pollinating skills are what allow plants to repopulate in such efficient ways that cover vast swaths of land. Bees support the agricultural system greatly by pollinating crops such as nuts, fruits, and vegetables. The pollination process plays a significant role in the survival of 100 types of crops. The pollination process is demonstrated in the diagram below.

Without the help of the bee’s crops and livestock would suffer and die out slowly. This means that we humans would not have our main source of meat or vegetables. Bees are responsible for increasing the crop yield of around 90 crops by at least 30%. Without this abundance of food, the number of accessible crops would decrease causing the prices of the crops left to skyrocket.

     If bees became extinct, the human race would soon follow. Bees have been declared the most invaluable species by the annual Earthwatch debate in 2008. Without bees, the majority of human food sources would die out. Our access to many necessary medicines would also become limited as the plants that are used as ingredients start to become endangered. We also use cotton, one of the main crops that benefitted from bee pollination, in many aspects of our lives including bandages and clothing. The loss of bees would throw the whole ecosystem out of balance resulting in many species of plants and animals becoming extinct. Carnivores and Omnivores alike would starve resulting in a mass extinction event. While there are other pollinators, bees make up the majority of the work because there are over 20,000 species of bees working at pollinating the world. 

There are many threats to the survival of bees, but the most prevalent are pesticides, parasites,  habitat loss, and lack of genetic diversity. To begin, Bees are typically kept in captivity on farmland. This land is heavily coated in pesticides containing harsh chemicals that are harmful to the life of the bees. Bees are especially affected because they travel from plant to plant to pollinate which exposes them to pesticides. Secondly, bees are vulnerable to habitat loss due to climate change, deforestation, and farmers deciding to stop taking care of bees. Bees construct an elaborate hive that is designed to benefit a bee’s lifestyle. Losing these homes causes bees to become vulnerable to outside threats that they would typically be protected from inside a hive.

The next threat bees face is the lack of genetic diversity. Bees in the wild are able to intermingle and create subspecies, but bees in captivity are all very genetically similar. Due to the high levels of bee populations living in captivity, many hives have been interbreeding for years which results in a high genetic similarity amongst the bees. This is a threat to their survival because if a disease comes through, the genetically similar bees will all have the same level of vulnerability where the genetically diverse hives will have a higher chance of survival. Finally, bees are susceptible to parasites, especially one known as a Varroa Destructor. This parasite is depicted in the diagram below. The parasite attaches itself to the larvae of the bee before the larvae’s cove is sealed over with beeswax. The parasite lays eggs and feeds on the larvae until the larvae becomes a pupa and breaks through the seal. This pupa is now a bee that is infected with the Varroa Destructor and soon dies. The destructor continues this cycle until the whole hive is suffering and on the brink of death.

While bees face many threats, there are ways that we can combat their endangerment. One easy way to help out bees is by building a garden full of pollinator plants. This will provide a safe space for the bees to pollinate and live. These gardens will provide an abundance of nutritious food sources for the bees. If you want to be even more involved in providing a safe space for bees, you could add a little bee house to your garden. A few types of bee homes are pictured below.  The main qualification for a bee house is to have small tube-like structures for a bee to make their home in. These structures are typically made out of wood. A second way to help out the bees is by actively reducing chemical uses while landscaping and gardening. An uncontaminated ecosystem will thrive without the threat of dying from chemicals. The biodiversity will increase which will, in turn, allow more pollination to happen. Finally, you can create a bee bath for the bees to land in and drink after a hard day’s work of pollinating. To do so you can fill a birdbath or bowl with a shallow amount of water. You will need to place pebbles or rocks in the water for the bees to land on so they will not drown. If you want to spice it up a bit you could add some sugar to the water to energize the bees, but this may also attract unwanted visitors like ants or flies.

Bees are an essential cog in the ecosystem. They are often overlooked and forgotten, but we need to work toward helping them survive. The only way we are going to have a planet to live on is if we keep the bees alive. Practicing sustainable gardening will help to create a safe environment for bees to do their work in. These small chubby bugs may not look like much, but they are necessary to the survival of the majority of the Earth’s living creatures.

Sources Used:

10 Ways to Save the Bees. 2 Dec. 2020, thebeeconservancy.org/10-ways-to-save-the-bees/.

This semester I’m working as the Student Podcast Fellow for the Shi Institute’s Podcast: “Upstate Anecdotes”. I’ve never done anything with podcasting, so I’m super excited to learn the ins and outs of audio storytelling while delivering stories about lesser known sociological and ecological issues around Greenville.

The first project topic I will be researching is the development of Unity Park in Greenville. Unity Park is a 60 ace park being developed west of downtown Greenville, encompassing Mayberry Park and the former Meadowbrook Park. The park is part of the city’s strategic mission to balance Greenville’s downtown development with ample green space, which includes a comprehensive environmental management plan to ensure the park does not interfere with biodiversity and ecosystem processes of the area.

The major environmental initiatives contacts and other stakeholders are pursing involves river restoration and tree planting. Harper General Contractors, the major constructing firm involved in the park’s development, are removing invasive tree species from Reedy River Bank and replacing with native vegetation. Trees on the bank of the Reedy river currently are mostly non-native species- distributed by birds and other animals involved in distributing their seeds. These non-native tees are preventing natural tees, like oaks, magnolias, cede, and sycamore trees, from prospering and participating in regulating the natural riparian ecosystem.  The city has also made a commitment that for every tree removed, two or three will be planted. Having more trees along the bank will also prevent the possibility of bank failure, helping to maintain the aesthetic of the park while protecting species that live in the river.

Some environmental enhancements are also being built for practical purposes of storm protection. Designers are creating a drainage system to reduce floodwaters in the park and surrounding neighborhood of Southernside. The city is constructing landscaped depressions that will be filled with sandy soil and plants to filter runoff before it reaches the river in order to reduce the bank from eroding, improve water quality, and overall recharges the water table. Benches built around the riverbank will also create more surface area for water flow during flood events. The park is also developing the Swamp Rabbit Tail to extend its connectivity throughout the park to provide access from the park into downtown area and back.

The park is set to open in spring of 2022, and I know that I am excited for what the park will be. I love exploring the natural areas around Greenville, maybe this park will add to my inventory of favorite spots!

For more information, check out:

https://www.thestate.com/news/upstate/article247169171.html

https://gsabusiness.com/news/architecture/79758/

https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2018/05/17/greenville-new-park-unity-park-tower-pedestrian-bridge-trail-river/615648002/

Background: The CDC states that COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets (e.g. cough, sneeze, talk). Masks provide a simple barrier to these droplets. Despite the initial aversions/debate to wearing a mask, many states have now implemented mask mandates that require a face covering when leaving one’s residence. Masks are most effective when everyone wears one.

From an article by Mayuri Wijayasundara, she states how face masks may consist of one or more layers, each with different functions:

• an outermost layer, designed to repel liquids such as water
• the innermost layer, which absorbs moisture and allows comfort and breathability
• a non-absorbent middle layer, to filter particles

Trends: Imagine one disposable mask a day per every person in your house. Now think of your place of work or school. Can you imagine the number of masks needed for your state? How about all the masks needed in the country? Finally, the world. That’s just one day of masks. But they all are thrown away and the cycle repeats. All of these masks are discarded from each person’s hands, but they still exist. Whether that be sitting in a landfill or swimming with the fishes or peeking out of the sand like a clue to a treasure.

Increased demand of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been a driver of increases plastic pollution. “According to a study published in Environmental Science and Technology journal, an estimated 194 billion disposable masks and gloves are being used globally every month as a result of the coronavirus pandemic” (Disposable Face Masks are Damaging the Environment 2020).

Additionally, masks have become a fashion statement and diversified to become another necessary piece of apparel. Masks are a way for companies to market and promote their support for masks. The rising trend has also increased sales for homemade masks. I have seen masks that cost 3$ all the way to $50. While masks are becoming normalized, another sector shifting is individual consumption to more take-out and online ordering. “The global plastic packaging market size is projected to grow from USD 909.2 billion in 2019 to 1012.6 billion by 2021 due to pandemic response” (Adyel 2020). What does this projection mean for the environment?

Environmental Impact: Most of the masks in the U.S. are made out of polypropylene-based plastic-or related forms of plastic such as polystyrene, polycarbonate, or polyethylene. “These synthetic fibers are designed to resist liquids and do not biodegrade in the environment once discarded” (From the Editors of E). They instead break down into microplastics or extremely small pieces of plastic. This can also be applied to reusable masks. Despite the longer life span, most reusable masks are made from synthetic fibers like nylon or polyester which also do not biodegrade. “Disposable plastic masks that end up in the oceans could take up to 450 years to decompose (Written by Reuters Staff 2020).

Potential solutions: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) encourages people to “snip the straps” after use of a disposable mask to prevent animals getting tangled up in them (Parkinson 2020). It is important to note your purchase has an impact. It can be overwhelming the amount of choices when searching for a mask. It is understandable how buying a box of 50 disposable masks can be the simplest and least stressful.  There are biodegradable masks that are made from cotton, bamboo, or hemp that can work as alternatives to single-use plastic ones for those not in the healthcare industry. Images below taken from The Good Trade website  are three different companies that source responsibly. Some companies also donate masks with each purchase. If this latter option is viable, I urge the investment in a sustainably made mask. While they might be more costly, in the long term, they will do more help than harm.

Conclusion: This is an example of how one action can have a huge effect when you add everything up. COVID-19 has changed everyone’s life. As we adapt to this, it is essential we make choices for those who cannot. Nature and wildlife play a huge role in Earth’s services and on an individual level, what type of mask you get and how you dispose of your mask can make a positive (or negative) difference. This article is not saying risk your health and others. However, hopefully it has brought awareness to alternatives for those not in healthcare and able to afford a more sustainable option.

Works Cited

Adyel, Tanveer M. “Accumulation of Plastic Waste during COVID-19.” Science, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 11 Sept. 2020, science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6509/1314.

Covid-19: Considerations for Wearing Masks. www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html.

Disposable Face Masks Are Damaging the Environment. It’s Time to Kiss Them Goodbye, Once and for All. 13 Nov. 2020, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/face-masks-coronavirus-environment-climate-change-b1721922.html.

From the Editors of E – The Environmental Magazine. “EarthTalk: What’s the Environmental Impact of Single-Use Masks, Gloves Now in Use Because of COVID-19?” Mail, 25 Oct. 2020, www.wvgazettemail.com/earthtalk-whats-the-environmental-impact-of-single-use-masks-gloves-now-in-use-because-of/article_2634bcfc-6567-5995-a65b-c73ee11eeffe.html.

“15 Sustainable Brands Making Face Masks For Social Distancing.” The Good Trade, The Good    Trade, 13 Jan. 2021, www.thegoodtrade.com/features/reusable-face-masks.

Parkinson, Justin. “Coronavirus: Disposable Masks ‘Causing Enormous Plastic Waste’.” BBC

News, BBC, 13 Sept. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-54057799.

Wijayasundara, Mayuri. “Millions of Face Masks Are Being Thrown Away during COVID-19. Here’s How to Choose the Best One for the Planet.” The Conversation, 14 Jan. 2021, theconversation.com/millions-of-face-masks-are-being-thrown-away-during-covid-19-heres-how-to-choose-the-best-one-for-the-planet-147787.

Written by Reuters Staff. “This French Firm Is Making Biodegradable Face Masks Using Hemp.” World Economic Forum, 18 Sep 2020. www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/09/hemp-france-face-masks-coronavirus-covid-pandemic/.

By: Lia Paw

A lot of people believe that animal agriculture is bad for the environment, so they urge people to be vegetarians. But meat is not the only thing, that can destroy generational resources. Avocados are included.

These delicious looking fruits, which contain 73% water, 15% fat, 8.5% carbohydrates, mostly fibres and 2% protein, are one of the highest demanding products in our world. Due to the demands, it becomes multibillion-dollar industrial products.

The fruit is harvested in Chile, Mexico, and California. The profits from these fruits have made many industries, business corporations, and investors to go to the extreme of producing and selling them on a large market scale. And the consequences are the suffering of carbon footprint, deforestation, droughts, business instability and many more.

In Mexico and Chile, many lands are used to grow and produce avocado. The water used to maintain the good quality of these fruits is also intense. It takes 18 gallons of water to produce one avocado. Two small avocados in a packet have a CO2 footprint of 846.36 grams (almost twice the amount of a kilo of bananas). The energy used to preserve the avocados during shipping is highly intense.  The increase in avocado production has had negative impacts on local food security as the global demand is causing prices to rise, which makes it hard for some people to purchase.

Since avocado is made up of 73% water and requires a lot of water to grow,  the water exported within the fruit is lost to the local ecosystem where the fruit is grown. With the global temperature rising and water becoming limited, this has impacted the local communities who do not have access or authority on the use of water.

Avocado production has also started violence in the region where the fruit is grown, as the profits for these fruits are very high. There are a lot of incidents, where farmers are kidnapped, threatened, asked to give profits made from avocado production in Mexico.

In conclusion, although Avocado is a healthy and sustainability superfood compared to meat, it has serious environmental consequences. Fruit, meat, or vegetable, whatever it may be, it is very important to understand that going to the extreme always have high risks. When it is good to eat avocados, it is again important to remember the impacts it has on humanity.

Source: Netflix: Rotten (Episode 2)

Source: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-11-20/mexico-cartel-violence-avocados

Source: https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/why-our-love-for-avocados-is-not-sustainable/

By: Annaliese White

Look around the DH, and you will notice that the majority of the drinks offered are in plastic bottles. I am just as guilty as the next person, as I often raid the DH and grab numerous bottles of apple juice, chocolate milk, and gatorade. Although I am usually conscious enough to recycle them, not all people think before they throw away their plastic bottles. Next time before you go to throw away a plastic bottle, realize this: it takes over 400 years for that plastic bottle to break down in a landfill. That means that the plastic bottle in your hand, if you decided to throw it in the trash instead of recycling it, would lay in a landfill for over 400 years. Think of all those plastic bottles just taking up space and polluting the environment! In fact, a recent statistic in National Geographic estimates that only about 9% of all plastic produced ends up being recycled. This means that nearly 91% of plastic is left to fill up landfills. Instead of getting the drinks in the plastic bottles at the DH, try and use a reusable water bottle. However, if you do end up using a plastic bottle, remember the right way to recycle it, as some places may not accept plastic that is not recycled correctly. 

Remember these steps when you go to recycle a plastic bottle:

1. Empty out the bottle of any excess liquids and rinse it out
2. Check with your local county to see if they allow the caps to be recycled with the bottle. (In Greenville you are allowed to leave the lid on recyclable plastics)
3. Check the number of Plastic on your bottle, 1 & 2 are recycled in Greenville. Although Greenville does accept 1-7 plastics, 3-7 once reaching the processing plant are usually sent to the landfills.
4. If you can, try and break down the bottle to reduce space in the recycling bin!

Although recycling might seem like a small choice, the outcomes of that choice hold a great importance. From that recycled plastic, items such as t-shirts, carpet, sleeping bags, pens, notebooks, and a lot more can be made from recycled material instead of using new raw materials! In fact, using the recycled plastic instead of new materials saves 66% of the energy that would have been used if the product were made from all new materials. Instead of laying in a landfill for centuries, wouldn’t you want that plastic bottle to continue on and have a new purpose?

Sources:

“How to Recycle Plastic Bottles & Jugs.” Earth 911, 13 June 2019, earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-plastic-jugs-bottles/. 

LaFleur, Elizabeth. “Recycling in Greenville: You’re Doing It Wrong. Here’s How to Do It Right.” The Greenville News, 29 Aug. 2019, www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/08/26/recycling-greenville-sc-stop-doing-wrong-do-right-heres-how/1931140001/. 

Parker, Laura. “A Whopping 91 Percent of Plastic Isn’t Recycled.” National Geographic Society, 1 July 2019, www.nationalgeographic.org/article/whopping-91-percent-plastic-isnt-recycled/. 

“Solid Waste, Learn about Recyclables .” Www.GreenvilleCounty.org, Greenville County, www.greenvillecounty.org/solidwaste/LearnAboutRecycling.aspx. 

Izzy Pippen

Food insecurity affects the daily lives of 38 million Americans and 18% of children in America are living in food insecure households (Ladner, 2011). Federal social programs and food banks designed to assist lower income individuals put food on the table help immensely in the short term but are not sustainable systems for reducing food deserts and long-term hunger. In post-industrial America the hunger crisis grows more and more each day. Children rely on breakfast and lunch provided by schools for their only steady meals, and parents sacrifice meals that they may have so that their children can eat. One of the main issues with government and non-profit programs is the lack of fresh high-quality food. Cast-off food, canned donations, and cheap junk food become the only types of food that are accessible (Ladner, 2011; Meenar, 2012). The high concentration of junk food and lack of accessible healthy options in low-income, urban and predominately minority areas increases the risk of nutrition related chronic diseases. I am from Indianapolis, Indiana, and the city has many areas where food deserts are prevalent. I worked directly with urban food systems when I worked for a non-profit called The Patachou Foundation that provides scratch made after school meals to school children in the most in need areas of the city. The foundation farms a small plot of land in the heart of the city that provides thousands of pounds of produce. My interest in and passion for sustainable urban food systems comes from first-hand experience.

Since the 1980’s, local food systems have been posed as a solution to the plethora of problems that have arisen from the commercialized and globalized modern food system. The urban farming movement advocates for a vast variety of causes including “social and economic issues such as health, nutrition and lifestyle, social justice, food security, community and economic development, to environmental issues such as land preservation, environmental conservation, and urban greening,” (Kremer, DeLiberty, & Schreuder, 2012). The urban farming movement is not simply about growing food, but the effects are diverse and widespread. Through the integrated wholistic system of learning, activism, and health urban farming became a catalyst for renewal in communities across the country.

The urban agriculture movement began as a response to the heavy industrialization, high prices, and inaccessibility of fresh produce in urban areas. In discussions on urban agriculture the food that is grown and made accessible is the predominant focus, but having an urban farm or garden also increases community interactions, adds more greenspaces to an area, decreases crime in the area, and fosters positive interactions between people from different walks of life (Ladner, 2011; Reynolds & Cohen, 2016).

One of my idols and inspirations is Devita Davison, founder of Food Lab Detroit and an incredible activist for food justice. Her 2017 TEDTalk on the growing quilt of urban farms across Detroit, Michigan shows the power of the African American community in Detroit and how their entrepreneurship and empathy has created a healthier community. Detroit, once the industrial capital of America has transformed its abandoned land, creating 1,500 farms and gardens across the city.  Detroit is a

great example of urban farming for food security and sustainable development. Case studies in Detroit, MI show an increase in empowerment through urban agriculture in groups of people that are usually marginalized (Lawson & Miller, 2013). This sentiment is echoed in the South Bronx and Madison, WI (Lander, 2011; Reynolds & Cohen, 2016). Working in the dirt with another person doesn’t require a college degree or a shared language. The love and care that is put into community gardens creates a group of people who have a mutual wish for improvement in their community and are willing to enact change. Many of the groups that organized the community gardens also run non-profit and assistance programs (Cohen & Reynolds, 2016; Gu, Paul, Nixon & Duschack, 2012; Lander, 2011). Some groups work to help refugees find stability, some work to create safe spaces for women of color where they can learn safely, and some teach entrepreneurial skills to the youth of the community so that they have the tools that they need to be successful.

Some groups engage in activism, advocating for the groups that make up the community they created through their growing. Not engaging in the capitalist system that is oppressive to minority groups shows the self-sufficiency and the will to enact change that urban farmers have. Reynolds and Cohen describe this resistance, saying, “Producing one’s food in the city can be a strategy for personal and political resistance to many aspects of the conventional food system, from the monopolistic effects of corporate consolidation in US agriculture to the social and environmental ramifications of industrialized farming…” (2016). Guerilla gardening is a term that has been used to describe these urban farms because they work in cohesion with the landscape instead of against it, and it likens the farming to a type of warfare which I believe fits the power of the resistance.

Citations:

Davison, D. (2017. April). How urban agriculture is transforming Detroit [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/devita_davison_how_urban_agriculture_is_transforming_detroit?language=en

Gu, S., Paul, K., Nixon, K., & Duschack, M. (2012). Urban farming and gardening taking roots in inner cities. Acta Horticulturae, (937), 1097–1107.

10.17660/actahortic.2012.937.137

Kremer, P., DeLiberty, T. L., & Schreuder, Y. (2012). Defining local food systems. In Gatrell, J.D., Ross, P.S., Reid, N. & Tamasy, C. (Eds.), Local food systems in old industrial regions: Concepts, spatial context, and local practices, (p.p. 71-93). Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company.

Lander, P. (2011). The urban food revolution: Changing the way we feed cities. British Columbia, Canada: New Society Publishers.

Lawson, L., & Miller, A. (2013). Community gardens and urban agriculture as antithesis to abandonment: Exploring a citizenship-land model. In M. Dewar & J. M. Thomas (Eds.), The City After Abandonment (p.p. 17-40). Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Meenar, M, R. (2012). Feeding the hungry: Analysis of food insecurity in lower income urban communities. In Gatrell, J.D., Ross, P.S., Reid, N., & Tamasy, C. (Eds.), Local food systems in old industrial regions: Concepts, spatial context, and local practices (p.p. 71-93). Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company.

Annika Patterson

Trees are the lungs of our earth, they sustain and increase quality of life, and they filter the air as humans pump harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. A tradition as old as American western expansion is the nationally recognized holiday of Arbor day. Arbor day was first practiced in Nebraska on April 10, 1872 in a statewide effort to make up for a lack of trees in Nebraska’s natural environment. Prizes were offered for planting the most trees properly and on this first Arbor day an estimated 1 million trees were planted. By 1920, 45 states and territories were celebrating the holiday and now it is celebrated in all 50 states. While not always under the Arbor day banner, the general spirit of this holiday is shared all over the globe as communities gather to plant trees for a greener tomorrow. 

This year, the Greenbelt celebrated this incredible holiday in October, as COVID-19 has led to plenty of scheduling issues. The Greenbelt community, with the generous help of TreesUpstate, worked to plant two trees on the lawn near the Belltower. My group, The cabin, worked to plant our wilting cherry tree, Sherry.

I’d say we did a pretty good job.

In our current political and world environment, advocacy for the protection of our trees and the action to plant them is increasingly important. In the United states, under the new commander and chief, 100,000’s of acres of land previously set aside for national parks and under federal protection are being served up for potential development and mining. National Parks services are also facing extreme budget cuts and losing much of their voice in our beautiful parks present and future. Trees and the bountiful ecosystems they host are so very important and deserve our protection. Only through sharing our voices and advocating for these natural spaces will they be preserved. 

Citations

“The Importance of Trees – Learn Value and Benefit of Trees.” SavATree,

www.savatree.com/whytrees.html. 

“History of Arbor Day.” History at Arborday.org,

www.arborday.org/celebrate/history.cfm. 

Hunter, Dana. “The Trump Administration’s Effect on National Parks.” Scientific

American Blog Network, Scientific American, 28 Aug. 2017,

blogs.scientificamerican.com/rosetta-stones/the-trump-administrations-effect-

n-national-parks/.

By Chloe Sandifer-Stech

If you know me, I have always fiercely defended my caffeine addiction. In fact, one of my first concerns living in the Greenbelt was how I was going to get my daily cup of joe now that I was further from the dining hall (flash forward I purchased my very own Keurig, which now my current prize possession). I always said that as long as my caffeine addiction was not hurting me or others, I didn’t see a real problem with it.

However, ever since my Lifestyle Project this semester I’ve been thinking more about the long-term effects of my actions. One of the category’s I chose was to be vegan several days out of the week. I already eat mostly plant-based, but I wanted to challenge myself further to cut out all animal products completely. Changing my eating habits made me think critically about the environmental imprint of my food: Where was it sourced? How much water was used to make this? Were farmers and workers paid fairly? I started to examine my food choices outside of just animal products, which fed my curiosity about the sustainability of coffee.

One lesser-known sustainability concern about coffee is the method it is grown. Beginning in the 1970s, the rising global demand shifted coffee cultivation from traditional shade-grown farms to farms exposed to direct sunlight in order to increase yield and profit. Sun-grown coffee transforms the plantations into monocrop cultures, a practice which significantly weakens the productivity and health of the soil. In response, farmers are required to use additional chemical fertilizers and protect from pests and diseases that are more prevalent from lack of tree cover. Deforestation and fertilizers disrupt the biodiversity and nutrient cycles of the natural ecosystems, and thus farmers often have to clear large areas of forest to keep up with this farming practice. Specifically in Central America, around 2.5 million acres of forest have been lost to sun cultivation due to the $100 billion dollar annual coffee industry.

One of the easiest ways to ensure you are buying sustainably sourced coffee is to look for the Rainforest Alliance certification on packaging. The Rainforest Alliance ensures that coffee farms meet certain social, economic, and environmental criteria. The certification ensures that coffee farms do not pose a significant threat biodiversity, maintain fertile soils and clean waterways, and pay farmers proper wages. So, next time you shop for coffee, look out for the green logo! Some well-known coffee brands that are rainforest alliance certified include Caribou Coffee, Counter Culture Coffee, and Dunkin Donuts. Personal actions also go a long way in reducing the environmental impact of your morning joe. Buying reusable k-cups as well as composting your coffee groups helps to reduce waste and recycle nutrients back into the soil. Coffee addictions are okay, but make it sustainable!

Sources

1. Find Certified Products: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/find-certified?location=330&category=130&product=144&keyword=&page=2
2. How Green is Your Coffee? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/oct/04/green-coffee
3. Sun-grown vs. Shade Grown: How it Impacts the Environment and the Farmers: https://www.dlgcoffee.org/news/2017/4/6/coffee-cultivation-sun-grown-shade-grown-and-how-it-impacts-the-environment-and-the-farmers#:~:text=Beginning%20in%20the%201970’s%20the,ecosystem%20and%20on%20coffee%20quality
4. Coffee and it’s Impact of People, Animals, and the Planet: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/coffee-and-its-impact-on-people-animals-and-the-planet/

Victoria Cruz-Solano

During quarantine, I would spend hours browsing through shein, urban outfitters, and forever 21 looking through endless pages of clothes to buy stuff. Did I really need more clothes? No. But I loved the serotonin kick that I got looking through the clothes, checking out, and receiving my package in the mail. I would see influencers on Instagram do shein hauls making me more inclined to go buy stuff. But I started seeing tiktoks about fast fashion and how most of these common clothing brands partake in this ‘fast fashion industry’. I started researching and learning about fast fashion and realized how many brands are fast fashion brands. 

What is fast fashion? Fast fashion is when clothing is produced quickly to keep up with new trends. Fast fashion is very common because of the extremely low prices. Why spend $35 on a shirt where on clothing websites like Shein and Romwe you can spend $10? Although fast fashion produces very cheap costs for consumers it comes at a cost. Fast fashion brands often exploit workers by paying them very little and having them work in very unsafe conditions. Fast fashion also has a drastic effect on the environment producing microplastic pollution, textile dye pollution, and increased carbon emissions. The fast fashion industry contributes to the ever-growing plastic pollution in the ocean through microplastics. 

Microplastics are from the fibers of your clothing. Surprisingly, most clothes are made with some plastic fibers, microfibers. Microfibers are usually very small and are found in acrylic and polyester clothing. When your clothes are washed once, up to 700,000 fibers can come off and go into the sea. According to Intelligent Living, the United States and Canada produce about 500,000 tons of microplastics from fibers that are deposited into the ocean. That’s the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. The microfibers are now incorporated in the food chain because small fish mistake them for food and they work their way up the food chain where we eventually consume microplastics.

The fast fashion industry also is responsible for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. People are buying more to keep up with trends, and the fast fashion brands are pushing out more clothing to keep up with demands. People bought 60% more clothes in 2014 than 2000 but only keep clothes half as long (McFall-Johnsen). While people are buying more clothing, they are keeping them for a shorter period of time. “The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is dumped or burned in a landfill every second” (McFall-Johnsen).

The fast fashion industry produces cheap clothing to keep up with trends at a huge environmental cost. So what other options are there? Today, there are more options available for people looking to shop elsewhere. There are a number of sustainable clothing brands such as Boden and Patagonia. Many people can’t afford sustainable brands so they are turning to secondhand shopping. There are many second-hand shops available today through online sites such as depop, Poshmark, and mercari, and there are many thrift stores and consignment stores in cities. 

The fast fashion industry provides cheap clothes at an environmental cost. We realize the impact of buying new on the environment and turn towards more environmentally friendly ways.

Citations

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, 2019, www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10. 

Hayes, Adam. “How Fast Fashion Works.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 16 Sept. 2020, www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fast-fashion.asp. 

Steffen, Luana, et al. “’Fast Fashion’ Is Polluting The Oceans With Microfibers.” Intelligent Living, 25 Feb. 2020, www.intelligentliving.co/fast-fashion-is-polluting-the-oceans-with-microfibers/. 

By: Sydney McManus

It wasn’t long after becoming a student at Furman University that I began taking advantage of all the opportunities that I was presented with. I became involved and proactive with my time, committing myself to organizations that would develop my personal and professional skills. As my freshman year progressed into what is now my sophomore year, I found myself being drawn more and more to the idea of sustainability, best defined by Kate Raworth as “ensuring that no one falls short on life’s essentials (from food and housing to healthcare and political voice), while ensuring that collectively we do not overshoot our pressure on Earth’s life-supporting systems, on which we fundamentally depend – such as a stable climate, fertile soils, and a protective ozone layer.”¹

During an on-campus job search my freshman year, I stumbled upon an opportunity at the Shi Center, now Shi Institute. Within two weeks I found myself as a member of the Shi Institute fellows’ program and the Shi Institute family. A family that was supportive, inclusive, and driven; aiming to encourage, enact, and initiate change and sustainability on campus and beyond. I was off to the races learning all I could about sustainability and sharing with others along the way, all with a goal of breaking down a stigma that I, myself, had once bought into.

This year, my sophomore year, I found myself presented with the opportunity to again hold a fellowship position at the Shi Institute and, additionally, the opportunity to live in the Eco-Cabins also known as the Greenbelt…but it gets better, so hang in there!

During a “routine” week (whatever routine now looks like in the face of COVID), I was contacted by another student about organizing an event on behalf of one of the clubs I am in, Furman Creative Collaborative/TEDx. Being the ambitious and overcommitting person I am, I said YES. Now I am sure by now you find yourself wondering why all of this is important, but here it is. IDEAS into ACTIONS!

The event I was organizing came to be called Countdown to Our FUture (yes, FUture is a Furman reference) revolving around the CLIMATE CRISIS, with a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030, and the initiative’s origin coming from TED…….as in TED Talks. I found myself excited to have an opportunity to bring this independently organized TED event to my campus community and the Greenville community and to be so interested and connected with this topic after all the opportunities that I have had the chance to be a part of.

IDEAS into ACTIONS is one of my favorite elements of the events description from TED and something relevant to not only sustainability but life. As stated by TED “Countdown is a global initiative to champion and accelerate solutions to the climate crisis, turning ideas into action.”² The words “ideas into action” resonate so profoundly with me and should with the global community as well. So often our world is faced with challenges, but we never foster the creative minds that will allow the problem-solving ideas to be presented and enacted.

On October 12^th, 2020 Countdown to Our FUture was held with 450 people in virtual attendance. This event lit a spark inside me, and I hope it lit a spark in others as well. I hope nothing more than for the people who attended to have learned and to have been encouraged to turn their ideas into actions! With speakers from around the globe, some of those individuals including actors Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, along with activists such as  Xiye Bastida, Nana Firman, and so many more, the diversity of people involved with this movement is incredible, inspiring, and gives me hope that one day, perhaps, the world can turn all the impactful IDEAS into ACTIONS.

You can visit the link below to watch the full virtual launch of Countdown from TED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dVcn8NjbwY

Sources

1. What on Earth is the Doughnut?… (2020, September 30). Retrieved from https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/
2. Ted. (n.d.). To a better future. Retrieved from https://countdown.ted.com/