Furman Greenbelt Sustainable Living Community

Multifamily housing includes housing where multiple separate housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several buildings within one complex, a common example being apartment buildings and duplexes. By providing installation of solar batteries to affordable multifamily housing, energy bills would decline as much as 99 percent. For example, in Seattle, apartments are numerous in which they make up nearly 40 percent of occupied housing, and renters make up over 50 percent of the city’s residents. (Stats provided by IREC). Though the city of Seattle is known for advocating for sustainability and climate action, there are very few sustainable options for residents of multifamily housing to access the usage of clean energy. Seattle’s energy policies that are already in place have been beneficial to residents by providing available access to clean, efficient, and renewable energy resources, but these current programs are largely in favor of single-family homeowners. “There are two potential paths to enable greater solar access for renters and multifamily residents, and low-to-moderate income communities: (1) on-site shared solar, via an arrangement that allows energy generation credits from a single solar system to be shared virtually among multiple tenant accounts; and (2) off-site/remote shared solar, which allows multiple dispersed customers to share the economic benefits of a single renewable energy system and receive credits on their utility bills for the electricity generated by that common system,” (IREC).

 

California is widely known to act fast on providing sustainable options, such as solar systems in housing.  The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved of a new Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program for low-income apartment tenants in December of 2017. Before SOMAH, property owners would pay for the electricity being used in the complex’s common areas, but not in the individual units. The solar photovoltaic systems that were introduced to these properties are normally only used to offset electricity in these areas in which the property owners receive the savings, leaving nothing for the tenants. The implantation of the SOMAH project will now strive to benefit the tenants, as well as continue to benefit the property owners, by offsetting the tenants’ individual utility bill as well.

Now it’s a win-win for both tenants and property owners! Though these solar systems owners will be eligible to receive a 30% Federal Incentive Tax Credit with the purchase of this system, property owners are required to sign a contract to assure tenants that no additional costs for the system will be their responsibility, which means that increased rents, adjustments to utility allowances, etc. will not be allowed. In addition, low-income tenants will receive credits on utility bills through tariffs, more specifically virtual net metering (VNEM) tariffs.

Respectively, this program will create jobs that promote economic development in underprivileged areas, with the condition that program service provides must provide these job opportunities to the residents of that disadvantaged community.

-Rachel Knight

Sources:

https://solarbuildermag.com/financing/new-program-to-fund-more-multifamily-solar-projects-in-california/

https://irecusa.org/2017/12/new-guide-for-multifamily-solar/

https://irecusa.org/expanding-solar-access-pathways-for-multifamily-housing/

Plastic is already abundant in our daily lives. When I wake up in the morning, I need to use my plastic toothbrush to brush my teeth, use toothpaste from a plastic tube, and comb my hair with a plastic comb. Waking up in the morning requires this large amount of plastic for one individual. How huge would that amount be for one student at Furman University in South Carolina or even the entire United States?

Plastic is the main component of the necessities of daily use, such as candy containers, drink bottles, and to-go meals. Because of its lightness and its convenience, even though this thing was introduced to us in the 20^th century, plastic has become the thing without which we cannot live. However, plastic is damaging our lives now indefinitely since it cannot be disposed of. In other words, once it is produced, it can exist almost forever. Therefore, after it is used, plastic can be everywhere and is going to remain in our landfills or oceans. Even though we can dispose of it in some chemical way, it will create toxic chemicals in our daily lives through the water, air, or something else.

At Furman, there is a new policy about not using plastic straws. This policy is popular everywhere on campus. At the Dining Hall, we cannot find plastic straws anywhere; at the Cafe, we notice that people here recommend paper straws instead of plastic straws. At this point, I would like to talk about the damage from plastic straws to the ocean.

Most plastic straws are hard to recycle because they are too lightweight to be disposed of. There are plenty of plastic straws produced for people’s use. With the fact that just the people in American use over 500 million plastic straws every day, which end up in our oceans (www.strawlessocean.org), this circumstance will pollute the living water area for animals and cause tremendous difficulty for marine life. Not only do plastic straws harm the animals underwater, but also the animals above the sea. When some plastics do get broken up into small pieces, they can be a “meal” for the birds. Birds need to find food and ingest it, but they can mistakenly ingest plastic. These birds’ lives can easily be taken away by this daily intake of plastic straws.

As for plastic straws, they can lead to this kind of damage to the oceans. If we judge plastic things as a whole, how significant will the damage from plastic be for the environment? We need to pay more attention to plastic and try to avoid it.

From my perspective, bioplastics could be the solution to preventing plastic pollution. Plastic is too difficult to dispose of. If we can use the “disposed plastic,” which can retain the convenience and lightness of plastic, then we can be less concerned about the pollution. Today, I want to introduce the more eco-friendly polylactic acid (PLA) or Crystallized Poly Lactic Acid (CPLA). This thing can be disposed of in factories. Compared to plastic, PLA is more eco-friendly, for it is renewable and is processed from the starch of plants such as sugar cane, corn, etc. making it sustainable to the environment. The same as plastic, this material can be used for packaging, crockery, cutlery, bowls, and also for straws. The most important thing is that PLA does not produce toxic garbage for the landfills and oceans, and it can break down into natural elements.

In short, we should stop using plastic in our daily lives. At the same time, I would like to recommend using PLA to take the place of plastic since it can make our planet a better place.

-Yan Yan

source:

1. www.strawlessocean.org

THE QUESTIONS:

Do you ever wonder what the future holds? Have you ever dreamt up a wondrous future involving flying cars and robots? If so have you ever considered the transformation of the tire industry in that case? Would tires still exist? Where would all the tires go that already are on this earth? To answer this big series of questions first one would need to consider some facts.

 

 

THE FACTS:

According to data calculated by worldometers.info, there are approximately 63, million-plus cars produced as of this time of the year and it is expected to rise to probably 65-70 million by the end of just this year. The formal definition of a car is a vehicle that consists of no less than 4 wheels. This means that there need to be well over 252-280 million tires produced per year to supplement the supply of cars being produced. Assuming this number to be true over a ten year period of time, there would be over 680-700 million cars produced and over 2.8 billion tires produced in that ten-year lifespan. But in reality, with all the vehicles that use tires other than cars, such as planes, helicopters, motorcycles, ATVs, Lawn Mowers, bicycles, construction vehicles, and a hefty amount more utility items, 2.8 billion tires in a total of 10 years seems too small. In fact, according to Wikipedia.com, the number of tires produced in a year is calculated to be around 2.5 billion units. This means that for the ten years of producing tires and assuming the value is constant, the total amount of tires produced in 10 years should be about 25 billion units.

Perplexities:

Given some of the facts and calculations above you are probably wondering “why is this depressing?” or “that wasn’t happy”. Well, you are correct, but you should not get sad, for this is not the end of the story. The topic you should focus on is that of the three R’s [Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Trademarks/Bank of America)]. There are many ways in which one can see this ending badly, and tires just being dumped in landfills or burnt (very hazardous). Instead, there are many ways to address the surplus of lone tires that would/could emerge from the future that abandons the tire as it is today.

Option 1: Reduce

There is one quote/demand/solution that could be said under this category “STOP PRODUCTION!!!” or at least something similar. In any case, the main focus of this ‘R’ is to prevent saturation. The world, though rich in resources, can only hold a limited amount of human waste. In order to successfully reduce waste, production would need to stop. However favorable this may seem, one must realize that the tire will need to be slowly phased out, instead of halted completely. The market would need to start transitioning to the new alternative before tires are to begin to disappear. This is the reduction side of the free market society. To look into a consumerist view of tire production reduction, you could ask “well how is the tire going to phase out if nobody buys a new alternative source of transportation?”. In doing this you would be correct to assume it is on the consumer’s job to support, through purchase, the new alternative transportation method. You would ask after this step “who is gonna be willing to buy this alternative?” and the answer to that should be you. Take the initiative and fight the rubber industry, while providing for the future. By buying into the new and underdeveloped form of alternative transportation you do two things: first, you lead by example thus increasing chances others may soon fall behind, and secondly, you have just given incentive to the rubber company to look into the increased demand for that newly bought alternative transport and made them rethink their push for tire production (lowered their production by lowering demand).

Another way to reduce the production of tires is through carpooling. Rather than buying a bunch of modern-day cars for personal use you can lower demand for cars by utilizing all of one car for multiple people to use. And if you have to ask “Is that good?” then yes it is good, because it means fewer cars are being used and thus fewer tires need to be supplied to the market.

More uses of trains and bikes and other alternative transports will be beneficial also because they would use less rubber and reduce the demand for cars and other vehicular transports.

You probably have more questions and those questions are welcomed, however, the main question coming from this is probably something like “well what else is there?” and/or “are there any other options?”.  To answer the question you could focus on the second “R”, Reuse.

Option 2: Reuse

People always come up with ways to reuse materials. With products coming in and out of the market at alarming rates, and the tire industry expanding production, you might yourself ask “how am I going to reuse what I have now when I can just throw out this old thing (whatever it is) and get a new one for cheap?”. To this, one could answer by saying “well you could turn your item (in this case a tire) into a multitude of other useful tools.” There are many ways to recycle tires because tires are non-biodegradable and thus could not mix well into the soil, however, it can be meshed and mangled with a little, in order to create, in some cases, pretty unique and useful items for use in everyday life.

Some examples of reused tires can be seen below:

1. Tire Swing – simple chain, or string, attached to a tire and hung on a tree, could be perfect for any backyard. Whether a child uses it to swing on or a dog uses it to jump through, a tire swing would be an excellent alternative use for the previously useless tire
2. Tire Chairs – whether camping or hanging out in the backyard one can use almost anything like a place to sit. Tires, though packaged with a large hole in the center could provide enough space for one to sit on. Though most car tires might not work
3. Tire Impact Barriers – Stacking bricks is one thing, stacking thick rubber tires is another. Using tires as a barrier for cars is a very useful thing. It is used in many forms of European and offroad racing already. It could be used as cones to some who are taking driving lessons as well
4. Tire Excercise – Using tires to run through, lift with, or push on in the gym is a great way to reuse the tires. It really gives it a whole new purpose

The final comment on this section that you might be making to yourself is “this is a small list of ideas.” The use of tire rubber is up to the user. If the owner does not want to convert it personally, they can definitely donate or sell it to a person or organization that does find creative uses for the tire rubber so that the impact stays the same it just has before. A very simple one that was not mentioned above is literal reuse and maybe getting the best use out of a tire. Try to upkeep it so that you do not keep replacing tires because doing so would increase capital demand and thus increase supply.

Option 3: Recycle

Third and final “R”, Recycle is the most interesting. It involves not just repurposing the tire, but reshaping it and distorting it. The recycled tire is similar to the reuse of the tire, but it has more to do with changing its form completely. There are many instances of tires being used for alternative reasons and here are a few:

1. Soles of Shoes – Though not entirely thought of as common, one might think of using tires to supplement the soles of shoes
2. Alternative Fuel – According to a Wikipedia article on tire recycling, tires can be ground up and used for fuel. Making them a perfect example of using old items and incorporating them into new methods
3. Speed Bumps – Tires can be used in portable speed bumps. This is effective at two things. Allowing cars to slow down, thus avoiding the risk of hitting an animal (humans included), and allows for that portability for placement to be effective
4. Garden Hose – Though most people do not think of gardening their lawn with a tire, they very well might be. A tire’s ability to be broken down allows for its rubber to be repurposed for making a gardening hose
5. Floor Mats – Floor mats are also items to which a tire could be transformed into
6. Frisbee – The tire rubber could be used and compressed into a smoother and flatter disk. This disk could then be used to throw as it is now officially a frisbee
7. Ball – Tire Rubber could be converted into balls, for fetch, for a catch or for other activities that involve balls
8. As a water seal – tire rubber is very durable and able to keep water and liquid out. Using layers of tire rubber as a water seal on certain leaks could be beneficial
9. Many more – the tire’s rubber is very usable in many fields of manufacturing and use and thus can serve many purposes outside of the ones mentioned above.

The Do Not of Recycling Tires:

1. Bonfire – Do not use old tires as kindling for the fire/in a bonfire at all, unless in an industrial factory suitable for that kind of thing. The fumes and chemical makeup of the tire put it at risk of harming you and others. As a Wikipedia page about “tire fires” mentions, the smoke from burning tires contains “cyanide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and products of butadiene and styrene. (Wiki, Tire Fire)

Result:

The end result you may ask is what? More rubberized products and fewer tires. Well in part this is true, at least to an extent literally. But in a broader context, it means less incentive to produce tires and more incentive to find alternatives to tire production and use. By finding alternative uses to tires, you and society can make a difference. Your contribution and possible cleanup could keep the ecosystems safe as well as keep the free market moving along to a better future.

Conclusion:

The tire industry is like a child, inefficient at most things, stubborn, and growing fast. But it is also like a child in that it learns and evolves into an older wiser being. With efforts to curb tire production through means of supply and demand alterations as well as through the three ‘R’s you can help create a brighter tomorrow and a better future.

 

 

• Matthew Sides

Sources:

http://www.worldometers.info/cars/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_recycling

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_fire

https://trademarks.justia.com/864/78/reduce-reuse-86478880.html

https://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/13_sep2018-so-s-what-flying-cars-are-180969917/

http://mentalfloss.com/article/24845/what-seven-million-tires-look

http://mutiarakopi.blogspot.com/2018/09/building-brighter-future.html

Within the last few years, there has been a rise in support for electric cars as a green option for transportation, but many people think that simply using an electric car is being eco-friendly. This viewpoint is a dangerous one because it avoids the science behind electric cars and makes these cars seem more like a trend than an actual attempt to be environmentally conscious. There have been more than 325,000 preorders for the Model 3 Tesla car, now it is nearly impossible to tell whether or not people are buying vehicles like this to be eco-friendly or simply because it is a trend to own a car like this. The danger comes with the fact that people who buy these vehicles tend to only look at the surface reasons that electric cars are considered eco-friendly and not the full picture (Beillo).

“Electric cars are only as good as the electricity that charges them (Beillo).”

This concept is very important in understanding the impact that electric cars truly have on the environment. When switching to an electric car you are to a degree switching from exhaust pipe emissions to a power plant emissions. At the end of the day, the car still needs to be powered by some type of energy and for many people, the energy that goes into their electric cars come from places that range from less to even more environmentally damaging. If you are interested in getting an electric car and want it to do something a little more than just look pretty, it is important to do research on where the energy that will be powering your car is coming from. Some places such as Norway will provide you with an extremely clean power source for your brand new car. “Norway is probably the closest thing you’ll get to a true zero-emissions vehicle—because the European country draws almost all of its electricity from hydro power plants (Efstathiou and Merrill).” The emissions that your car is responsible for depends on your country’s power sources, but it is important to remember that even in countries like China, where an electric vehicle is responsible for about double the emissions that an electric car in the United States is, still is cleaner than the average gasoline-powered car. So when looking at the newest electric car remember that just using an electric vehicle doesn’t mean you can be doing more for the environment.

2.

Another part of electric vehicles that people tend to overlook is the damage that the batteries cause to the environment. The Bloomberg article talks about how the production of the batteries that go into these electric vehicles. Much like the power it is important to know where the battery in your care is going to come from, most come from “China, Thailand, Germany and Poland” and these countries tend to rely on non renewable energy (Bloomberg). The problem is these batteries could use so much dirty energy that it would take numerous years for the electric car to be worth it in an environmental sense. It is very important to remember that depending on where these cars are made and how they are charged they might not be that much cleaner than the average car. It is important to note that these cars aren’t moving from diesel energy to no energy, but instead to other (possibly nonrenewable) energy sources. Next time you are looking for a vehicle and you choose an electric car, remember that your environmental action isn’t done and that there are still ways to produce less of a footprint.

-George Antash
Sources:

1. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/new-research-punctures-electric-cars-greenhouse-gas-claims/articleshow/66268635.cms
2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-28/how-green-is-your-electric-car
3. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/electric-cars-are-not-necessarily-clean/

Biking is not just an engaging activity you use to teach your kid how to balance. Bikes show they have a variety of benefits, ranging from health benefits by providing riders with a fun, simple way to get in their daily essential exercise to economic benefits like saving major moolah on gas and car repair costs. These little two-wheeled powerhouses also have the ability to combat the dire effects of global warming that are ever-so-prevalent in today’s consumeristic society.

How, might you ask? It’s as easy as 1-2-3. No, literally.

1. No fuel is required for biking.

2. The amount of energy used to manufacture a bike is exponentially less compared to that of a car.

3. Bicycles do not need toxic batteries/ motor oil.

Wait, so how does that translate to decreasing global warming? In short, the release of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) into the air traps solar energy in the atmosphere, raising global temperatures. Global warming (or climate change, however you want to call it) occurs naturally, but humans and their expenditure of resources also play a significant role. No, we cannot reverse the effects of global warming, nor can we stop it, but we do have the power to slow our expenditure!

Here’s a fun fact: you can help save your planet for only a 10 mile ROUND TRIP commute 5 days per week for a year! Just check out the average amount of CO2 emissions such a small trip cost our dear environment in the table below.

1

Now to put America’s CO2 emissions in perspective: on average, one American citizen produces three times as much CO2 emissions as a person in (the relatively, but not exorbitantly bike-friendly) France. Pretty sad, huh?

So, what can we do about it? Sure, we are seeing a natural shift as the majority of bike riders in the U.S. are students, and we can only hope they continue to inspire future generations, but there are other ways to be proactive. If you look at the infrastructure in major cities like Portland, commonly referred to as America’s biking capital, compared to cities like Detroit, the amount of cyclists dwindles substantially. The availability of resources— or lack thereof— discourages bike usage. Social norms also impose a disadvantage to cycling popularity. While biking is more normalized and a huge part of the culture in Europe, it is not reciprocated here in the U.S.

For more shocking biking factoids, visit: http://peopleforbikes.org/our-work/statistics/statistics-category/?cat=environmental-statistics#bicycling-the-environment

Krissy Gear

Sources:

1. https://youcanbikethere.com/environmental-benefits/

In the Spring of 2015, my father and I took an overcrowded bus to the Florida Keys. We were with my first and his maybe hundredth dive group hailing from Atlanta headed south with the intention of diving at some of the most beautiful coral reefs the United States offers, the various reefs surrounding the southernmost island in the Keys, Key Largo. The first few minutes in the water are always nerve-racking, at least for me. Floating with nothing below you but what appears to be an azure abyss is nothing less than extremely unsettling. However, after our DiveMaster beckoned my father and I deeper into this alien world, what lay at the bottom of the ocean slowly came into view. Beautiful, cascading formations of exotic colors and shapes filled our eyes. Fish, large and small, darted in and out of the sprawling caves in an attempt to avoid our group’s obnoxious bubbles and awkward movements. I can only owe our awkwardness to the sheer sense of awe instilled in us by the unbelievably gorgeous landscape before our group. We spent the next hour floating above and exploring this underwater city. It wasn’t until after we had moved past the most beautiful corals that I began to realize something.

Most of the corals were dead.

Bleached white, or covered in their own rotting tissue, over half of the corals we came upon were either already dead or quickly fading away. To see such beauty literally melting away into nothing was heartbreaking. These areas of dead corals hosted almost no fish, with the exception of a few bottom feeders. I remember vividly stopping in the water and just looking at it all. Behind me was a bustling metropolis of an unbelievably complex and beautiful underwater ecosystem, and not ten feet away from it was a graveyard.

After the dive, I had asked the DiveMaster what was happening to the reefs, why they were all dying if not already dead. His reply was unsatisfying, something along the lines of a “natural order of things”, but I knew that wasn’t true. I decided to do a little digging, and figured out that corals have been in a state of decay for since the 1980s.

Contributing Factors

One would assume that the factors causing coral populations to be endangered like fishing or the digging of canals are the only things affecting the coral population, but most of the blame points to ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is the theory that “the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from humankind’s industrial and agricultural activities has increased the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere. The ocean absorbs about a quarter of the CO₂ we release into the atmosphere every year, so as atmospheric CO₂ levels increase, so do the levels in the ocean” (PMEL/NOAA). This seems like a relatively mild problem, but the ocean’s rapidly changing CO₂ levels are “changing the chemistry of the seawater” and creating an environment in which corals cannot survive (PMEL/NOAA). When a living thing’s habitat is threatened, it has two options: move or die. Unfortunately, coral cannot move, so the latter is the only option. The following image represents a healthy coral (left) versus a bleached coral (right). There are few reefs around the world where you will not see bleached corals.

What’s Happening

The deaths of most corals around the world is due to bleaching, a process in which, due to surrounding water being too warm, corals “will expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues causing the coral to turn completely white. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead. Corals can survive a bleaching event, but they are under more stress and are subject to mortality” (NOAA). These high levels of stress in corals post-bleach is basically death’s door for corals. Their massive impact on underwater ecosystems, and therefore extremely high responsibility to keep the ecosystem functioning efficiently prove too much for the corals under stress to perform, and they die. Additional factors besides the change of seawater chemistry due to pollution include rising water temperatures (which is also arguably a product of increased CO₂ emissions), overexposure to sunlight, and low tides.  The following graphic assists in understanding of the process of coral bleaching.

The Consequences

There are various consequences to the death of corals across the globe. Firstly, we lose beautiful underwater landscapes that contribute to the tourism industry in countless countries which enjoy the economic benefits of reefs. Tourism with regard to reefs is a $375 billion industry, and as more of them die off, these countries – some of which rely heavily on the economic benefits of tourism – will suffer. On a more environmental note, however, thousands of fish species rely on reefs for shelter, food, and breeding. Taking away this shelter allows for weaker species to be either hunted to extinction by predators, or die by starvation (oceana). Geographically, corals also serve a purpose. Their immense size helps to break waves and keep nearby coasts safe from high tides or destructive waves. So, if the corals die off, the nearby coasts are absolutely at risk of some pretty extensive water damage (oceana). Lastly, when the reefs die, fish must abandon them in order to find more shelter and food sources, this exodus affects local fishermen and coastal peoples who rely on the reefs for food and economy (oceana).

What can we do?

The best way to combat coral bleaching and death has been put forth time and again for thousands of environmental issues. This solution of course is the phasing out of fossil fuels that produce CO₂ emissions. Unfortunately, I don’t see this change coming anytime soon. The ofssil fuel industry is simply too integral in the world’s economy. Doing away with this industry as a whole would jeopardize millions. Thousands would be jobless, many cities and towns (and even some countries) would lose their primary source of income, and who knows what kinds of political drama it would produce. The only thing we can do if this industry isn’t going to go away would be to advocate for more sustainable methods of energy like solar or wind power. Across the US, we are seeing more and more solar and wind farms, but they are extremely expensive, and unfortunately people tend to cling to what is familiar (and cheap, for that matter), so in the immediate future I can’t see any massive change coming to our society as far as renewable energy goes.

As depressing as it is, I think we should all take the time and effort to appreciate reefs while we still can.

 

Sources

https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Acidification

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach.html

At a glance: Coral reefs are dying. Here’s why

 

-Noah Barnes

Organically grown foods are often touted as being superior to conventionally grown foods in nearly every aspect.  They are popularly considered to be better for your health and to practice more sustainable growing methods that are healthier for the environment than conventional farming methods.  Organic farmers use naturally based fertilizers and pesticides to grow crops, replacing synthetic ones that may be more toxic to the environment and to humans.  Weeds are also controlled naturally through methods such as crop rotation instead of using herbicides.

However, agriculture consists of a series of trade-offs, and all parts of a farm are interconnected.  Fertilizers and pesticides are used by conventional farms to insure that each parcel of land is used to its maximum potential.  Conventional farms are extremely efficient with land use, growing the most crops with the smallest input of other resources possible.  This decreases the resources required per kilogram of product to grow crops because less water, land, and fertilizer are used to feed weeds and pests.  Organic farms, however, must compensate for not using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides by using larger tracts of land and larger amounts of natural fertilizers.  By over fertilizing, pollutants may run into water systems, leading to algal blooms.  Dedicating additional land to farming destroys the ecosystems and habitats that organic farming methods are supposed to protect.

It is also important to note that although organic food producers use fewer and less ecotoxic pesticides, they still use naturally derived ones.  Without any pesticides, crop yields would decrease drastically.  Naturally derived pesticides are thought to be less harmful to humans, but some have been found to be dangerous.

Organic and conventional farming methods have essentially similar impacts on the environment.  The additional synthetic herbicides and pesticides used by conventional farms are balanced by additional land and fertilizer use by organic farms.  If one is looking to buy eco-friendly farm products, one must work harder than simply buying organically grown produce.  In some areas, such as India and China, lack of technology and regulation means that organically grown methods have an ecological edge over conventional methods.  However, in the US and Europe, the increasing use of genetically modified organisms further reduces the need for synthetic chemicals when growing conventional food and may be more ecologically friendly.  We will all have to do our part in researching environmentally friendly food sources if we want to make a difference.

Hayden Braun

Sources:

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2016/07/25/organic-vs-conventional-farming-lower-environmental-impact/

Organic Foods: What is Organic Food and What are the Benefits?

https://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Bulletins/Transitioning-to-Organic-Production/Text-Version/What-is-Organic-Farming

What is Minimalism?

Minimalism, as a lifestyle trend, is a relatively new lifestyle trend which gained its popularity mostly via the documentary by Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn, titled appropriately, “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.”

According to Ryan and Joshua, minimalism is “a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives” (Nicodemus). In many ways, it is a response to the unchecked consumerism prevalent in today’s society. Many of us, especially in developed nations like the US, have way too-big houses with way-too many, low-quality things in them. The minimalist approach asks people to question these objects and things in their lives and consider whether they bring value or happiness.

But why question this?

It’s as simple as two words: opportunity cost. The objects we own incur an opportunity cost of both money and time because using and maintain them takes money and time that could be used to do or buy something else (Jonathan Vieker).

The Trend of #Minimalism

Minimalism has become somewhat of a trendy “fad” now. People love posting on various social medias, bragging about the amount of stuff they *don’t* own. Some people even go to the extremes-giving up their personal homes, college diplomas, and any other possessions which can’t all fit in one stylish Scandinavian backpack. Many also buy into it because it is a more sustainable lifestyle. Having less things and investing in handmade, naturally sourced products reduces the environmental impact of your life. From tiny houses to white walls with one piece of furniture, minimalism has become a house decor trend too. It’s all about the aesthetic.

The items minimalisms do spend their money on and decide add value to their lives are often handmade, made out of raw materials, and aggressively simplistic (Chayka).

The Downside to Minimalism

Here’s the truth: the only people who can practice minimalism are people who can afford it 

Wealth allows for risk taking, and living as a strict minimalist is definitely a risk. As Chelsea Fagan puts it in her article, “Minimalism: another boring product wealthy people can buy”, minimalism “allows you to take on some of the desirable aspects and morality of poverty without ever having to be poor.” If you are already living in a sparse home, you cannot afford to declutter. When you’re just trying to meet your basic needs, you are not considering what things add happiness or value to your life; you are considering what things keep your life going. When you have money, you can afford to have less and to make the objects you do have more aesthetically pleasing. It takes a lot to be a minimalist: social capital, a safety net, and access to the internet (Chayka).

“These people are still conspicuously consuming in mind-boggling ways, they’re just filtering it through the convenient prism of simplicity, and that allows their million-dollar wardrobes to somehow be aspirational” (Fagan)

Looking at your life and questioning whether the items you own add value and happiness to your life is not inherently a bad thing. In fact, questioning in life is extremely important. Buying more ethical, aesthetically pleasing items is not inherently bad either. Being a #minimalist can actually be a good thing. But as a society, we must recognize the limitations and inequalities to the minimalism trend instead of perpetuating unrealistic ideals.

-Nataley Williams

References:

Chayka, K. (2016, July 26). The Oppressive Gospel of ‘Minimalism’. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/magazine/the-oppressive-gospel-of-minimalism.html

Fagan, C. (2017, March 04). Minimalism: Another boring product wealthy people can buy. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/mar/04/minimalism-conspicuous-consumption-class

Jonathan Vieker, ViekerMusician, J., Edgar, J., R., Shaw, J., Bolle, M., . . . D. (2018, August 17). The Problem with Minimalism. Retrieved from https://jonathanvieker.com/problem-with-minimalism/

Nicodemus, R. (2015, July 12). Minimalism: An Elevator Pitch. Retrieved from https://www.theminimalists.com/pitch/

 

 

West Nile virus is a mosquito-transmitted disease. Most people infected with the West Nile virus rarely develop any signs or symptoms. However, in some cases, this virus can create life threating illnesses such as brain or spinal cord damage. Mild symptoms tend to go away; however, severe symptoms such as sudden weaknesses or severe headaches require immediate attention.[1] The West Nile Virus occurs during mosquito season which is typical during the summer and early fall. Many people in the United States have been affected by the West Nile virus, yet there are no vaccines to prevent or medication to treat this disease. Studies have shown that 1 out of 5 people who are infected develop fever and other symptoms. However, 1 out of 150 infected people develops a serious illness. About 1 out of 10 people who develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system die.[2] If you are infected with this disease there is an extremely small chance that you will experience symptoms. If you are older and have certain diseases such as hypertension, cancer, and kidney disease it can increase your risk of getting the West Nile virus.[3] However, recent studies have shown that global warming can contribute to more cases of the West Nile virus.

 

 

Mosquito-borne diseases have been on the rise due to global warming. The higher temperatures, humidity, and rainfall linked to climate change have increased outbreaks of the West Nile Virus. A survey has connected the West Nile Virus to warming weather patterns and increasing rainfall. With global warming temperature and rainfall are projected to increase. With the temperature and precipitations being the determinant factor for the West Nile Virus, the changes will increase the disease in the future. According to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, they have found that the warmer temperatures had the greatest effect on humans contracting the disease. Higher humidity, temperature, and rainfall are all tied up with the increased rate of the West Nile Virus. Warmer weather helps spread the West Nile Virus because it allows the mosquitos to live longer and also increase the length of the mosquito season. Higher temperature also let mosquitos reach biting age sooner which will speed up the spread of the virus. Not only will there be more mosquitos carrying the West Nile Virus but they will also carry more copies of the West Nile virus making them more likely to infect humans. Another study has shown that a single rainstorm of only two inches could increase infection by 33 percent. The increase of rainfall can increase humidity which will stimulate mosquitoes to bite. An increase of 0.75 inches of rainfall raises the number of infections by five percent. With global warming worsening as the years go on it is important to take precaution and always apply repellent when you are heading outdoors.[4]

 

 

 

Due to the fact that there is a rare chance of developing severe symptoms many do not take this virus seriously. As of September 2018, in Greenville County, a resident was confirmed dead due to the West Nile Virus. The Department of Health and Environmental Control has confirmed seven human cases of West Nile in the upstate. At least five areas in South Carolina have reported being affected which include Greenville country, Boiling Springs, Greenwood, and Columbia. [5] It is important as a community to help promote the use of insect repellent and encourage others to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outdoors to prevent the risk of developing the virus. The symptoms of developing a serious illness are very slim but it is always better to be safe than sorry.

-Tiffany Mendez

[1] “West Nile Virus,” Mayo Clinic, January 03, 2018,

[2]“West Nile Virus,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, August 02, 2017

[3] West Nile Virus,” Mayo Clinic, January 03, 2018,

 

[4] Gammon, “Global Warming May Lead to More West Nile Virus,” Scientific American, March 20, 2009

[5] Emily Bohatch, “SC Sees First West Nile Virus Death in 2018,” Thestate.com

References:

Bohatch, Emily. “SC Sees First West Nile Virus Death in 2018.” Thestate. Accessed September 28, 2018. https://www.thestate.com/news/state/south-carolina/article218185280.html.

Gammon. “Global Warming May Lead to More West Nile Virus.” Scientific American. March 20, 2009. Accessed September 28, 2018. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/west-nile-virus-global-warming/.

“West Nile Virus.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. August 02, 2017. Accessed September 28, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/symptoms/index.html.

“West Nile Virus.” Mayo Clinic. January 03, 2018. Accessed September 28, 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/west-nile-virus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350320.

Pictures:https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/08/officials_confirm_first_human_case_of_west_nile_vi.html

https://grist.org/climate-energy/wanna-get-west-nile-virus-climate-change-will-help/

https://www.123rf.com/photo_16608092_west-nile-virus-word-cloud-mosquito-standing-water-graphic-illustration-isolated-on-white-background.html

 

 

 

Over the past week, the Furman Greenbelt began a project called the Lifestyle Project. We have each been challenged to select three categories in which to be aware of our behaviors and habits in relation to sustainability. For example, my three chosen categories are reducing my water and electricity usage by half, eating vegetarian a few days a week, and to produce no waste that would end up in a landfill. As I have worked on these 3 categories (though I have slipped up several times), I have become much more aware of my everyday habits in and outside of my selected categories. I have found myself thinking about sustainability throughout the day and asking myself questions about the consequences my actions have on the environment and our resources. As a former music major and a student still heavily involved in the music department, I have found myself thinking a lot about the high percentages of paper usage in the music world due to sheet music, drill sheets in the marching band, etc. 

     Due to strict copyright laws on musical scores, I often find myself having to purchase an entire book of music just to be able to access a single piece. As we are learning new pieces of music, we typically have to make copies to give to our lesson teachers and accompanists. In large ensembles, single pieces or books of music must be purchased in large numbers or copied in large numbers so that everyone in the ensemble has music. In addition to the large amounts of paper it takes to make musical scores, students and faculty typically make sheet music orders online, which means we also use up resources in packaging and shipping. 

      Not only do we go through lots of paper learning our music, we also use a lot in advertising for performances. Despite how much advertising is done online these days through email, social media, etc., it is typical to see lots of paper flyers hanging in various places on campus and around town. When attending performances, audience members receive paper tickets and paper programs. These examples are just a few out of many instances in which lots of paper is used in the music world both in and outside of Furman. 

      So what can we do?! One year ago, Florida State University’s marching band implemented a program in which the 400 or so band members learn their marching drills through an app on their smart phones instead of sheets of paper. Before this new system, they were said to use around 200,000 sheets of paper each year. Learning drills through the app on their phones is estimated to save save eighty five to ninety percent of their paper usage. Another way to reduce paper usage for musicians is through iPads. Many musicians are beginning to purchase iPads in which they can upload all their music and place on their stands instead of paper music. This not only saves paper, but money as well. Most pieces of music can be found or purchased in PDF format online and downloaded directly into your app of choice for reading music. The use of the iPad saves money, paper, and is much easier to transport than regular sheet music. While there are more ways to cut down on paper usage in music to be discovered, these two are a great start. In the future, I hope that musicians around Furman will begin to consider the amount of paper they use on a daily basis and challenge themselves to find ways to reduce it.

-Katie Crockford

Sources:

https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/09/27/florida-state-marching-band-paperless-music-green

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/musicians-embrace-the-ipad-leave-sheet-music-at-home/243726/