Furman Greenbelt Sustainable Living Community

As part of the Greenbelt course’s recent lifestyle project I experimented with vegetarianism. Although through the end of the experiment I did not continue with vegetarianism–I did rediscover a permanent staple in my diet: Sweet potato. This particular root vegetable is worthy of our collective adoration for a number of reasons I wish to relate. First, the sweet potato is part of an elite and mysterious group of transpacific edible flora. In fact, there is some anthropological evidence suggesting the sweet potato made the 5000 mile (8000 kilometer) trek from the Andes to the Highlands of New Guinea hundreds of years before Columbus’s voyage, probably by way of Polynesian sailors who (maybe) used the hardy vegetable for sustenance on these long voyages (Doucleff 2019).

“The sweet potato made three independent trips to Southeast Asia. The Polynesians probably introduced it in 1100 A.D. (red). While the Spanish (blue) and Portuguese (yellow) brought other varieties from the Americas around 1500” (Doucleff 2019).

From this evidence–and our own experience–we learn solutions to deeply situated problems of sustainability. That is, how do we reconcile, on the fronts of production and transportation, the simultaneous health crises of overconsumption, overnutrition, malnutrition, and undernutrition. Bovell-Benjamin writes, “Currently, in some developed countries, overnutrition rather than undernutrition presents a major public health challenge. However, from a global perspective, undernutrition, food insecurity issues, droughts, and limited agricultural technologies are major problems. In developing countries, many farmers are highly dependent on root and tuber crops, as contributing, if not principal, sources of food, nutrition, and cash income… The sweet potato… is high yielding and drought tolerant, with wide adaptability to various climates and farming systems.” Moreover, “the roots, leaves, and shoots [of sweet potatoes] are all edible” (Bovell‐Benjamin 2007). Sweet potato is filling enough to prevent its own overconsumption, and nutritionally dense enough to serve as a cheap staple in the diets of millions of people. Cartabiano et al. succinctly note: “Sweet potatoes are a convenient food to be used as a nutritional supplement in the diet of vulnerable people” (2022).

Furthermore, Afzal et al. recommend increased sweet potato production in order to encourage a variety of sustainable development goals. Goals, which importantly, seek to protect some of the most vulnerable people on the planet: [S]weet potato can contribute positively to reducing poverty by creating sustainable income generation opportunities for small farmers. This is due to its profitability, potential for biofuel production as a result of its high starch content, the selling of vines due to their high multiplication rate, low production costs due to low input requirements, and the potential for high yields” (Afzal et al. 2021). Afzal et al. goes on to note that studies of farmers in Uganda, Malawi, and Nigeria demonstrate the success of sweet potato production in increasing income for struggling farmers. Which further increases their access to food, clothing, medication, and education.

Afzal (2021) and Cartabiano (2022) both go on to note how incredibly understudied (and underappreciated) sweet potato is by academia and consumers. For me, I appreciate sweet potatoes for their decadence and sweetness. As individuals dedicated to sustainability, I think it is important that we find sustainable activities, hobbies, and foods that that feel decadent, relaxing, and fulfilling, that don’t also feel sacrificial and laborious.

With the development of technology, it has quickly grown harder and harder to refuse the temptations of products that can distract us from our human experience. Every December I am excited to see my Spotify Wrapped, which tells me how many minutes out of the year I have been trying to tune out the outside world. The past few years, I have listened to music for more than 100,000 minutes out of the year, which is equivalent to 70 days. While I love listening to music, I can’t help but wonder how many conversations or thoughts I could be having without headphones in my ears. I remember vividly listening to music during most high school and middle school classes. Globally, average time spent a week listening to music rose by nearly 10% to 21 hours a week (Yahoo). Music is often enjoyed more at lower lengths of listening, the absence of sound is just as important to the listening experience as the music is itself.

While it is hard to argue that listening to music is “bad”, it is easy to recognize how technology, more specifically, our smartphones have had a detrimental effect on our sense of community. Just walking around campus, half of the people walking around are staring at their phones. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who’s on their phone and you ask them a question and they never respond? It is infuriating. This behavior is normalized in today’s society and is likely a byproduct from the Covid lockdown and simply years being dependent on phones.

The Japanese term yutori is “a state with sufficiency and ease” and many Japanese citizens practice yutori by practicing efficient time management to ensure they will have time to show up early to wherever they are going. Once they get there, they simply grow accustomed to their surroundings and feel a deeper connection to the setting. While the average person spends 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone, the Japanese spend less than half of this number. This is one thing that is lost in younger generations’ culture. Everyone is constantly stimulated by different forms of technology and this makes me wonder exactly what both the negative effects could be and what we could be missing. (Yamashita) (Exploding topics)

General awareness and lack of stimulation tie in directly with sustainability solutions. A large driver of consumption is convenience and not having to think twice before discarding an item. A lack of awareness also contributes to a disconnection to the natural world: not only the appreciation of beautiful landscapes but also the everyday rhythms of nature like the sun setting, birds singing, or the wind blowing. These things can appear unimportant to the human experience but so much is lost in constantly hindering your senses.

Getting caught up in technology allows us to forget the basic human experience and that all we truly need is food, water, and shelter. A minimalistic approach should always be taken when possible to discourage waste and tie in a deep passion for sustainability and environmental issues. In a world where we are inventing VR masks to deprive of us all of our natural senses, we must remember what it means to truly be a human living in the world.

 

Sources:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/time-spent-listening-music-continues-000100578.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMI3_n30mHtAFigdvTyr4iRybs92AXNVLHzUQbIYgEWJFn1lp3LBJIN1Taui53-q7dC5f-bkadyb9aWXaVpwmaXP1lrgvzsYQC19Pqm-bwPaUspmCkffj2kknclPtrH8_3Nyv_eJl0LMonj7OhrfUinfY8cmabNj9mdvLO6JrIjA

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1468-5884.00180#:~:text=Accord%2D%20ing%20to%20the%20Japanese,such%20as%20finance%20and%20time.

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/smartphone-usage-stats

When I am told to talk about sustainability, typically, I take the cynical route. Everything’s bad, the government is irredeemable – I don’t regret this, and I think other people should follow suit. But my cynicism isn’t without hope! It is precisely because I have such a shining image of what people can be that I am so critical of the current state of things. My deep despair doesn’t leave me immobilized, but rather pushes me to do all I can to change the world – often to the detriment of my health. But that’s beside the point! I’d like to show you all what keeps me going.
Best case scenario, what does sustainable living look like? Close your eyes and let’s imagine… let’s say, we have all of the big problems solved. The world’s wealthiest, responsible for the vast majority of the world’s environmental degradation (Wiedemann et al. 2020) are taken care of – or at least their wealth is. PPM CO2 is slowly decreasing, and the global average temperature, around 1.4 degrees celsius, is falling with it. Material throughput, a good proxy for ecological pressure, (Hickel et al. 2022), has plummeted, and the remaining economic activity that exists is used to meet needs within the limits of the planet.
The first thing you notice is that you are working less – a lot less. In order to reduce material throughput and carbon emissions, we need to work less. And if we reduce working hours and implement a job-sharing program, a job guarantee with a living wage, and universal services, then we can work less while not sacrificing, or even improving our economic well being (Hickel 2021). If there’s less stuff to do, we have more people to do less stuff – we just have to all share the jobs leftover, and as long as all the work is used to meet people’s needs, then we should be better off than we were before. So, from our perspective, sustainable living isn’t about what you can do, but what you don’t do.
And we can take this lesson with us even today, if you’re willing to open your eyes to our sad world for a second. It’s not about what product you buy, it’s not about what hip green label is on the package – it matters that you don’t buy. And what or how much you do and don’t buy is determined what the thing you buy is made for. If it’s made to meet your needs reliably for a long period of time, then buy it, sure! But if it’s made to sell en masse, then maybe think twice. Before you know it, it’ll break, and the “need” it was made to meet will get you itching to buy it again. If we understand material throughput as the problem, then the issue shifts from how you buy to how much you buy. Imagine a world where our things last longer – is that so radical? Of course, entropy exists, but nowhere in the laws of thermodynamics does it say that our iPhones have to be outmoded every four years. Nowhere in the laws of thermodynamics does it say that if the monitor on your car malfunctions you have to get an entire new car. And the laws of thermodynamics definitely don’t say that single-use anything should come before reusable goods. If things are made to be better, longer lasting, and to meet our needs effectively, then we help ourselves and the planet at the same time. But – this undermines the profit motive. Best-sellers are fragile and addictive – business models that create scarcity win the market. This dynamic is best seen in the tragedy of the Instant-Pot, the product that failed because it was too good, too long lasting, and thus too unprofitable (Mull 2023).
This is why a utopian, sustainable future can be difficult to comprehend for us in our late-stage capitalist lives. A sustainable future is a decommodified future. A sustainable future isn’t a future where we all work the right jobs and buy the right things, but a future where we work less, buy less, and live more because of it.
 

Wiedmann, T., Lenzen, M., Keyßer, L. T., & Steinberger, J. K. (2020). Scientists’ warning on affluence. Nature communications, 11(1), 3107.
Hickel, J., O’Neill, D. W., Fanning, A. L., & Zoomkawala, H. (2022). National responsibility for ecological breakdown: a fair-shares assessment of resource use, 1970–2017. The Lancet Planetary Health, 6(4), e342-e349.
Hickel, J. (2021). What does degrowth mean? A few points of clarification. Globalizations, 18(7), 1105-1111.
Mull, A. (2023, June 14). The Instant Pot Failed Because It Was a Good Product. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/06/instant-pot-bankrupt-private-equity/674414/

 

Sea glass, with its smooth, frosted, and vibrant appearance never ceases to capture the attention beach goers. You would never think this mysterious beauty was once discarded trash. The “trash” in this case would be glass of any kind; bottles, jars, windows perhaps, etc. Before the environmental movements in the 1960’s, trash dumps were often left exposed to the elements. As much of this trash was left near different types of bodies of water glass (amongst other things) would be carried away. After this, glass would undergo an incredible transformation from natural causes. Waves would sweep away glass fragments as they would slide and roll against the gritty sand underwater. This action caused the sharp edges to become round and soft and eventually creates that clear or frosted look. The environmental impact of sea glass is a double edged sword as it has both positive and negative effects. One the one hand, sea glass can contribute to other litter found on or around beach areas. It can also be seen as a pollutant because the different glass particles can break down into nano or micro-sized glass/materials. The size of these particles can easily get mixed in with our water and food cycle. This can possibly start a movement through the food chain so to speak. The micro particles could contaminate the soil ecosystem, effecting plant life. Then that can contribute to having an impact on different sea creatures which could eventually make its way to be human food. That being said, there currently seems to be a decline in sea glass, as single use plastic materials are starting to take over. There has been a boom in single use plastics an alternative to using glass bottles or other glass materials. This might cause a “shortage” or make it harder to find sea glass in the future which can lead to yet another environmental impact with micro plastics. That being said, there are some positive sides to sea glass. The biggest one being glass can always be recycled! Sea glass serves as a natural, recycled material, creating a wide variety of different uses for it. You will find that sea glass tends to be most popular in the production of jewelry. When jewelers choose to use sea glass they are replacing using new, raw material, that would probably be more harmful towards the environment. This can also reduce the demand for other raw materials such as metals and gemstones. Another use for sea glass can be for decoration or even used in landscaping projects to replace pebbles, gravel, dirt, etc. This also helps reduce the need for raw materials that are not considered recyclable. Sea glass can be have a lot of different uses depending on how it is managed and or used for. Overall, although it has its negative aspects, the positives seem to outweigh them as sea glass is a beautiful recycled material that people love to pick up and keep for themselves, which in turn helps pick up litter!

Citations:

Weeden, L. (2023, September 28). Sea glass, a treasure formed from trash, is on the decline as single-use plastic takes over. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/sea-glass-a-treasure-formed-from-trash-is-on-the-decline-as-single-use-plastic-takes-over-212666

What is the Environmental Impact of Sea Glass? (n.d.). Dejavudesigns.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024, from https://dejavudesigns.com/learn-about-sea-glass/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-sea-glass/

Kumari, S., Agarwal, S., & Khan, S. (2022). Micro/nano glass pollution as an emerging pollutant in near future. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 6, 100063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100063

 

For years I had wondered what the 5¢ or 10¢ on the back of the label on cans and bottles meant and why only certain states would be listed next to it. The dots started connecting when I would visit my family in Michigan and at least once during the trip, my cousins and I would make an errand run to the nearest bottle return with trash bags full of empty cans and bottles in the trunk of the car. For every empty can or bottle returned, my cousins would get ten cents, motivating them to collect empty beverage containers around the house after gatherings and stashing them away to make some cash later. Upon asking questions as to why they did this here and not where I’m from, I discovered that it was a program put in place to motivate Michiganders to recycle. 

This kind of monetary incentive encourages the citizens of Michigan to recycle their bottles and reduce littering. There can be many different kinds of incentives in the world of sustainability (fees, taxes, etc) to motivate people and companies to follow sustainable practices. This specific incentive is put in place through the Bottle Deposit Law and was first implemented in Oregon in 1971. Its purpose was to reduce the amount of litter in the state and is still used today to encourage more people to recycle. Right now, only ten out of the fifty US states participate in the Bottle Deposit Law (Michigan, Maine, Oregon, Vermont, California, Hawaii, New York, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Connecticut), but Washington might be soon joining the list. It has been proven that this incentive drastically improves the amount of bottles/cans that get recycled in Bottle Deposit states versus non-Bottle Deposit states. The states with the law have a 60% beverage recycle rate while the rest only have a 24% beverage recycle rate. Not to mention, the growth of deposit centers increases job opportunities for those living in that area.

After working in Michigan last summer, I quickly got into the habit of keeping my empty soda cans and kombucha bottles hoping to get some extra cash for returning them. Upon returning to South Carolina, I had an unfortunate realization that I no longer have the incentive to take those empty cans to a bottle returns and neither did people in most of the states in the US. Of course, I still recycle, but I know that the culture around recycling in my hometown is much different than it is in Michigan. It’s not only about the incentives, but also the convenience factor that encourages people to recycle. Bottle return centers are abundant in the states that have the Bottle Deposit Law, but for many states that don’t have it, recycling can be a hassle specifically on college campuses. Furman’s campus doesn’t have many options for where to go to recycle, but in the Greenbelt community, both cabins have their own recycling bins outside of it and a recycling drop off by the farm entrance. After experiencing the difference in a Bottle Deposit state versus South Carolina, it is certainly something that should be implemented in every state to increase individuals’ recycling habits.

Sources:

https://statecapitallobbyist.com/environment/state-bottle-bills-2023-update/

https://www.container-recycling.org/index.php/issues/bottle-bills#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20states,only%20reach%20about%2024%25%3F

https://www.csrwire.com/reports/724196/report-ranks-50-us-states-recycling-performance-assesses-impact-deposit-return

     Bees are essential to the environment. Bees especially are important pollinators because they visit a variety of plants, they are not picky. They pollinate frequently because of the nectar provided by plants that has nutrients for them and their hive. Other pollinators are vital as well, bees just contribute quite a lot to the pollination game (Smithsonian Gardens). 

     The impacts of bees are beneficial to humans as well. They help the environment thrive which helps us survive. The plants they pollinate act as carbon sinks that keep our atmosphere cleaner. Without pollination, it would be much harder to reproduce for plants, and the air would be considerably worse. An article in science direct writes that “around 35% of global crop production is dependent upon animal pollinators.” They keep agriculture afloat. As for beekeeping, the honey produced benefits the economy by harvesting and selling honey. 

     While beekeeping is beneficial to humans, there is often a question about benefits to the bees. In an article in Meadowia, Katie Piercy writes “most beekeepers aim to leave enough honey within the hive that the bees can still survive the winter, which is why bees store the honey in the first place. Many also give the bees sugar substitutes if the honey remaining is not enough to get the colony through this period.” I have talked with other beekeepers who tell me that the honey is more of a byproduct to the bees, so harvesting it (while ethically leaving enough for them) does not harm them. Many beekeepers use smoke to calm down the hive before inspecting, but this also does not harm them. A student at Furman, who has taught me a lot about the practice, said that the smoke sends a signal to the bees to protect the hive from fire. This calms them down so that they are not as aggressive and does not cause them harm. 

     Furman started my beekeeping journey. I have been interested in bees for many years, but I was not able to connect with any hives until I came here. I did not have much time in my senior year of high school, when I got serious about wanting to do beekeeping. I also did not want to take on the responsibility when I knew I would be leaving soon for college. Before moving in, I found out that there is a Bee and Pollinator Club on campus and got very excited about the opportunity to work with bees up close. My first hive work experience was in the spring of 2023 with the club and from there I just continued to grow my interest. The summer of 2023, I worked with a local beekeeper in my hometown of Athens, GA and learned much more about the process. When I came back to Furman this school year, I became the president of the Bee Club and things have started to run smoothly. The Bee Club is all about education and then practice in the actual hives, and I am learning along with the members. Without being here at Furman, I would not have the opportunity to work with bees so closely, something I have been looking forward to for a long time. Living in the Greenbelt is especially helpful because I am close to the storage area in the garage, and I have convenient parking so that I can drive to the hives at the solar farm when necessary. Once I live on my own, I would love to own bees, once I know more about how to do so and am able to. 

 

Works Cited 

The Why, What, When, Where, Who, How of Pollination. Smithsonian Gardens. (2021, October 25). https://gardens.si.edu/gardens/pollinator-garden/why-what-when-where-who-how-pollination/ 

Sillman, Jani, et al. “Contribution of Honeybees towards the Net Environmental Benefits of Food.” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 756, Jan. 2021. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libproxy.furman.edu/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143880. 

Piercy, K. (2023, August 1). Is Beekeeping Cruel? Does it Harm Bees?. Meadowia.com: Celebrating Meadows & Wildlife. https://meadowia.com/is-beekeeping-cruel-does-it-harm-bees/ 

The concept of ethical consumption is becoming increasingly popular, especially among younger generations. In the context of sustainability, there has been a push for more ethical materials used with the end goal being to cease the proliferation of harmful waste. However, while younger generations move quickly, corporate marketing is always just behind them. In order to ease the minds of their targets, companies employ tactics known as greenwashing. Essentially, products are advertised as environmentally friendly using fallacious and misleading information about their production. A prime example of this is in fragrances. They often boast about characteristics such as ‘natural fragrances’. Not only is this label potentially misleading, but is generally confusing to the average patron and does not actually delve into what constitutes as natural. This also does not exclude them from using unsustainable chemicals such as hydrofluorocarbons, which have been shown to damage the ozone layer.

Very often marketing is used by corporations to co-opt movements with good intentions. Frankly, I do not believe enough is done to prevent this from taking place. These companies are consistently able to do this within the bounds of the law, and as such there are new methods being implemented to prevent it. As of January 1st, 2024, the state of California has adopted an ‘anti-greenwashing’ measure. Essentially, it does work to regulate the voluntary carbon market as well as requiring more transparency between companies and patrons about the products being produced and consumed. This is certainly a step in the right direction, although, based on its description, it would need patrons to take a more active approach in researching the companies they engage with. In that regard, I believe more can be done to push this information out so that customers can make more informed decisions and put less of the onus on them. Overall, the goal should be to disallow corporations from misleading their markets, and this new law should definitely help with that. I hope that this is the beginning of a chain reaction across the United States and abroad to increase transparency, and hold corporations more accountable for what they produce.

 

Sources:

January. 2024. “New California Anti-Greenwashing Law Goes Live on January 1, 2024 – What You Need to Know If You Make Certain ‘Green’ Claims | Perspectives & Events | Mayer Brown.” Mayerbrown.com. 2024. https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/perspectives-events/publications/2023/12/new-california-antigreenwashing-law-goes-live-on-january-1-2024–what-you-need-to-know-if-you-make-certain-green-claims#:~:text=The%20new%20%E2%80%9Canti%2Dgreenwashing%E2%80%9D,claims%20and%20the%20use%20of.

 

Nations, United. 2023. “Greenwashing – the Deceptive Tactics behind Environmental Claims | United Nations.” United Nations. United Nations. 2023. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/greenwashing.

 

“Reducing Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Use and Emissions in the Federal Sector through SNAP | US EPA.” 2014. US EPA. December 9, 2014. https://www.epa.gov/snap/reducing-hydrofluorocarbon-hfc-use-and-emissions-federal-sector-through-snap#:~:text=Hydrofluorocarbons%20(HFCs)%20are%20greenhouse%20gases,fire%20extinguishing%20systems%2C%20and%20aerosols..

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The fashion industry is part of everyone’s daily lives, whether we consider it daily or not. For the past few years, I have greatly considered how fashion plays in my life and what that means for my own personal goals to live a more sustainable life. I found myself following trends, buying cheap and trendy clothes, and getting new clothes on a monthly basis. For me, I had not only an interest in fashion but also found myself constantly consuming media feeding me new trends. With the social pressures of college many students want to feel as if they fit in, and fashion plays a large role in how we present ourselves. However, what does that mean for our footprint, and how do we change for a more sustainable future?

In order to improve my carbon footprint, I first had to address how I thought about fast fashion. Breaking away from fast fashion was key to me finding a more sustainable path, and considering how what I buy and consume contributes to the huge sustainability problem of waste. At first I struggled to recognize fast fashion as opposed to my personal style, and I discovered it’s truly more about the individual garment than it is the concept. The best way to figure out if something is fast fashion is considering two factors: (1) versatility and (2) quality. Versatility to me is considering how long I will want to wear this and how often I will wear it. Considering the versatility of a garment combats the overconsumption problem that many of us face. Everyone has been there, where you buy a super cute outfit, and it sits in your closet for months waiting for the ‘perfect occasion’ or ‘perfect outfit’. This is just not a sustainable way to consume, no matter where the garment is sourced from. 

Quality is one of the major contributors to the carbon footprint of clothes. Buying clothes that lose their shape, fall apart, or decline in quality are an easy trap to fall into, and almost always results in far more waste than necessary, around 81.5 lbs per person each year. This is an entirely avoidable problem, if we frame clothes as an investment in quality, rather than a disposable good. We are seeing an epidemic of previously high-quality brands reducing their own quality standards of fabrics. Lululemon is a classic example of a reputable brand that has been swept into the waves of fast fashion. Their leggings are becoming increasingly sheer, and showing signs of increased pilling compared to similar garments made 5 to 10 years earlier, with prices staying in the mid-luxury range. Companies like this can be deceiving, so it’s important to do your research before deciding to purchase. 

Transitioning to slow fashion doesn’t have to be hard, and certainly doesn’t have to be expensive. Consider your clothes a one time investment. First consider why you want something, is it trendy or do you need it? I like to consider if I would have worn it 5 years ago and if I see myself wearing it in 5 years. This does not have to mean keeping your closet simple or basic. Find your own personal style and buy items that suit it. However when choosing items consider the quality, check for loose strings or holes and consider 100% fabrics or synthetic fibers as opposed to fabrics mixed with spandex or polyester that might be less flattering and less durable. Second hand doesn’t mean better if you still continue over consuming, so focus on building your dream closet, not TikTok’s dream closet. Find quality clothes that will stand the test of time, and that you will continue to love for years. 

The fashion industry will not be fixed overnight, as there are a myriad of problems. However, we can each work to reduce our own footprints in order to combat a much larger issue, while changing the narrative in what quality and standards we expect from brands. The industry is fueled by its consumers, and while the weight of all of fashion’s carbon footprint should not rest on our individual shoulders, I have found that each individual can have a small impact on the industry and most importantly those around us. 

Sources:

“Exposing the Truth about Lululemon.” Her Campus | Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z., 17 Feb. 2021, www.hercampus.com/school/western/exposing-truth-about-lululemon/.

Igini, Martina. “10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics.” Earth.Org, 21 Aug. 2023, earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste/.

“The Myth of Sustainable Fashion.” Harvard Business Review, 14 Jan. 2022, hbr.org/2022/01/the-myth-of-sustainable-fashion.

“Slow Fashion: How to Keep Your Favourite Clothes for Ever – from Laundering to Moth-Proofing.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 Aug. 2019, www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/aug/01/slow-fashion-how-to-keep-your-favourite-clothes-for-ever-from-laundering-to-moth-proofing#:~:text=Know%20your%20fabrics&text=If%20you%20have%20two%20identical,cotton%20or%20100%25%20merino%20wool.

 

The fight to end climate change has been on the minds of Americans and people worldwide for decades. Many people are conscious of and support the integration of policies to combat climate change. Pew Research Center found that over half of U.S. adults view climate change as a major threat to the country’s well being. However, things have only gotten worse and change is not happening quick enough despite support. How could this be? I’d like to argue it’s because we have taken the wrong perspective. The fight to end climate change is often framed as follows: We must save the earth for ourselves, for our own survival and prosperity. We are still at the forefront of this battle. It’s not about the earth winning, it’s about us winning. This mindset is harmful because it will never bring about the desired results. In order for real, impactful change to occur, we need to have a personal connection to the earth. Viewing the earth solely as a resource won’t cut it. I believe it’s necessary and possible for our mindset to change. So, what perspective should we hold? Indigenous leaders and thinkers across the United States provide us with some possible answers.

The typical indigenous mind views our relationship to the earth in a much different way than the typical western mind. Emphasis is placed on reciprocity and respect. Indigenous peoples tend to look at nature and our place in it much more holistically. Terms such as “Mother Earth” imply our inherent kinship to the earth.

An important value present in almost all Native American cultures is that of reciprocity. We receive gifts so we must give gifts back. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a Potawatomi professor and author, speaks on this in her book Braiding Sweetgrass. Kimmerer recalls being a child and picking wild strawberries deep in the woods. These strawberries were a gift from the earth. She didn’t have to do anything to receive these strawberries; she only had to find them. Because these strawberries were so freely given to her, it created a relationship between her and the strawberry bush. Every season, she would nurture the bushes and pick weeds to allow space for the bushes to flourish. Year after year their relationship would go like this. This is reciprocity. The plants keep us going so we keep the plants going. This give and receive mindset is necessary in the realm of conservation because it establishes a relationship. In our modern day society we are all too often disconnected from where our products come from, especially our food. Sticking to our strawberry example, when you buy strawberries from the grocery store, no relationship is established. You pay the clerk, say thank you, and move on with your day. The strawberry bush rarely ever crosses our minds. The strawberries are no longer a gift. They are a commodity, and thus no responsibility is owed towards the bush. We have no direct connection to the earth and therefore it’s hard for us to really be invested or care. A formed bond is what makes an exchange significant and meaningful.

Now, it would be unreasonable to ask of us to stop buying our food from the grocery store and instead forage or grow everything. That is not a possibility. I would argue for simple steps, such as learning where our produce comes from when we buy it at the grocery store. Where was this lettuce grown? Who grew it? Under what conditions and in what season was it grown? With a mindset like this we can begin to appreciate and be thankful for how this lettuce ultimately ended up in our hands. We can even go to local farmer’s markets for our produce and interact with the farmers face to face. Although small, this begins to establish in our minds and hearts more of a connection to the earth. This connection fosters our initiative to protect, preserve, and give back to the earth.

 

Another solution to this disconnect is presented to us in a 2020 TEDx talk by Kelsey Leonard, a legal scholar and a member of the Shinnecock nation, who encourages us to ask the question “Who is water?” as opposed to “What is water?” This distinction, she says, opens up the door to personifying water. And she isn’t just talking semantics. Leonard doesn’t want us to simply imagine water as kin (although she does emphasize the significance of this); Rather, she wants it to become a reality. She calls for the legal personhood of water. Legal personhood would allow water to be visible in a court of law and be protected under the law the same as a person would. “It reverses the accepted hierarchy of humanity’s domination over nature,” she claims. If we, as Leonard suggests, hold nature’s wellbeing to the same level of wellbeing we expect for humans, there would be much more concern and protection. All it takes is some reframing in our own minds and in that of the legal system. When we view nature as family rather than a separate entity that we can use at our own discretion, the level of care increases dramatically.

I encourage everyone who reads this to consider how they view the earth. Do you see it merely as an expendable resource or as a life-giving gift worthy of veneration? Furthermore, how might this perspective influence how you view climate change and your own actions towards reversing it? Get outside and experience the beauty of nature. Witness the gifts the earth gives us every single day. Begin to deeply understand our connection to the earth and how vital it is to protect. In the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” The earth has loved us since our existence, it’s time we show some love back. This is the kind of attitude needed in order to save this beautiful planet we call home. 

References:

Kimmer, Robin W. “The Gift of Strawberries.” Braiding Sweetgrass, Milkweed Editions, Minneappolis, MN, 2020, pp. 22–28. 

Tyson, Alec. “What the Data Says about Americans’ Views of Climate Change.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 9 Aug. 2023, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/09/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-climate-change/#:~:text=About%20three%2Dquarters%20of%20Americans,the%20effects%20of%20climate%20change. 

Zomorodi, Manoush, et al. “Kelsey Leonard: What If Lakes and Rivers Had Legal Rights?” NPR, NPR, 7 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/08/07/899837395/kelsey-leonard-what-if-lakes-and-rivers-had-legal-rights. 

In September of this year, it was announced that the Biden-Harris Administration was going to launch the American Climate Corps. This is in an effort to put more than 20,000 young people on career paths to help with clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience. Specific jobs within the corps can include managing forests, helping to cut energy bills for low income families, and restoring coastal wetlands. This is very similar to the Peace Corps, established in the 1960’s, because its goal is to provide help in specific communities, however, the Climate Corps is more direct to climate issues while also helping those in underserved communities. This program was put in place to also help contribute to the Justice40 Initiative. This is a goal to make 40% of benefits from certain federal investments go toward communities most burdened by climate change. While the Climate Corps will lead to progress in addressing the climate crisis, there has been some criticism. The idea was first mentioned by Biden at the beginning of his time in office and has now taken years to finally launch. The organization is also going to be at a smaller scale than what was originally hoped when it was first proposed. That said, this is still a win for addressing the climate crisis and allowing for more people to get involved.

This is a very crucial movement towards a better climate future because it directly involves getting younger generations to be a part of the sustainability movement. Instead of relying on individuals to make changes to their habits, this allows for people to really get involved and make an impact. It’s often hard to find specific programs that people with any kind of skill set can join to help with the climate crisis, but this corps targets young people with any skills ready to help. The organization is making an effort to create a diverse working space. As stated in the Forbes article on the American Climate Corps, “the American Climate Corps would not mirror FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps in all respects, which almost exclusively employed white males and focused on rural communities.” They are prioritizing goals from previous corporations while also improving it.

You could compare the Greenbelt Community to this organization as they both target climate involvement for young people, just on a much smaller scale. Of course, it doesn’t compare on the level of change that is created climate-wise, but keeps similar goals in mind. The Greenbelt also promotes future participation in sustainable programs in addition to personal sustainable improvement. We are able to see how climate involvement works in communities, work on our own contributions, and get educated on sustainable practices. This sets us up well to join programs such as the Climate Corps and spread awareness about the program. While we aren’t necessarily able to join the Climate Corps right now, programs like it and the Peace Corps are great opportunities for people interested in environmental and sustainability issues for after college.

 

About, www.peacecorps.gov/about/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023. 

“Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Launches American Climate Corps to Train Young People in Clean Energy, Conservation, and Climate Resilience Skills, Create Good-Paying Jobs and Tackle the Climate Crisis.” The White House, The United States Government, 20 Sept. 2023, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/20/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-launches-american-climate-corps-to-train-young-people-in-clean-energy-conservation-and-climate-resilience-skills-create-good-paying-jobs-and-tackle-the-clima/. 

“Justice40 Initiative.” The White House, The United States Government, 29 Nov. 2023, www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/. 

Technology, Energy Innovation: Policy and. “The American Climate Corps Will Put Thousands to Work Building a Stronger Country.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 25 Sept. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2023/09/24/the-american-climate-corps-will-put-thousands-to-work-building-a-stronger-country/?sh=db494027cb44.