Furman Greenbelt Sustainable Living Community

There are multiple reasons as to why I decided to focus my blog on sustainable transportation. My interest in the subject was originally piqued when me and two fellow Greenbelters, Evan Hucke and Campbell Lomel, embarked on our yearlong Greenbelt Cookbook project. I have no skill in the cooking department, so my work centered around driving to grocery stores around the Greenville/Travelers Rest area, in order to see which locations were of the highest quality, cheapest, and most accessible. That made me wonder: is what I’m doing actually sustainable? Every one of us sustainability-minded folk has that existential crisis. It’s just part of learning about what possible mistakes you’re making in your quest to live more sustainably. It’s no secret that the United States’ infrastructure system has been built to be car-dependent, and I had actually been interested in looking into that for a while. Most of us have to use a car to complete many activities throughout the day, such as going grocery shopping. This is especially true for those of us living on a college campus. Anyways, that’s a lot of reasoning behind just one of the causes of me writing about sustainable transportation. Phew! The other reason is because my car has since broken down, and it is currently under repair at a shop. Let’s jump right in!

 

Living without using a car at college is not new to me. In fact, I had chosen to use my car minimally as part of my Lifestyle Change project earlier in the semester. I just didn’t expect that part of the challenge to become my actual life. Gone is the luxury of being able to drive anywhere on campus because I don’t feel like leaving my cabin earlier to walk. The prospect of going on a Cookout run, even, is a distant memory. Since I’ve lost my car, I’ve been forced to think a lot more about what sustainable alternatives (or just any alternatives) are.

 

Walking

Walking is sort of a no-brainer here. It will always be the most sustainable mode of transportation, and we as humans have relied on that for millennia. While walking might take the longest time to get from Point A to Point B, that leaves other opportunities to be explored. Walking gives me more time to enjoy the outdoors or listen to music while on the go. Many Furman students and campus visitors alike enjoy going on a lake walk. I know this for a fact as I see someone walking nearly every time I leave Greenbelt. According to healthline.com, walking has many physical and mental health benefits, including burning calories, boosting immune function, and clearing your head.

Bicycle

Another common sustainable alternative is to go about by bicycle. Obviously, biking everywhere is easier than walking in terms of accessibility. Most people probably wouldn’t want to spend the entire day walking to Swamp Rabbit Cafe, as an example, but it is quite enjoyable to bike there. It is also relatively easy to learn to ride a bicycle. Although a bike can be difficult to maintain, it is still a strong sustainable alternative to driving. Biking, just like every other sustainable alternative to driving, is a great choice because no nonrenewable are burned and it reduces air pollution, per biofriendlyplanet.com.

Skateboard

My personal favorite alternative to driving: skateboarding. Essentially a scooter with no handlebars, a good longboard can take me from Greenbelt to Plyler Hall in just five minutes– going uphill. Skateboarding is not as accessible as riding a bicycle, but it requires less maintenance. It is also the least safe mode of transportation of the three; going on a steep downhill on a skateboard is not recommended. For those that are just starting out on a board, I would suggest wearing a helmet and/or knee and shoulder pads. According to sustainability-times.com, “manufacturing skateboards uses fewer materials than manufacturing bikes, and if its techniques are mastered, skateboarding can be faster than commuting on a bicycle.”

 

So, which of these three alternatives is the best? That’s the best part of it, you can decide– or even come up with another alternative! I have not been able to drive for a while, and the thought of driving to the music building or to get dinner is in the rearview mirror. Get out there and see which sustainable alternative to driving is the best for you!

 

Works Cited

Walking

Biking

Skateboarding

When hearing about pollution, one typically thinks about air, water, and land. However, there are other types that are impactful and not as talked about. One of these types is light pollution. Although artificial light has been a great and impactful invention, we produce a lot of waste.  The misuse of artificial light impacts the environment both directly and indirectly. This has impacts on the environment, economy, and ecosystems.

Light pollution can be divided into four components. First there is glare which is “excessive brightness that causes visual discomfort” (darksky). There is also skyglow: “brightening of the night sky over inhabited areas” (darksky). Another aspect is light trespass which is “light falling where it is not intended or need” (darksky). Last, there is clutter, which is “bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources” (darksky). These four types combine to make it harder to see the night sky. This impacts not only humans, but wildlife.

Artificial lighting creates a lot of waste and harm; economically, environmentally, and is even dangerous to health. Poorly managed outdoor lighting wastes about $10 per U.S. citizen. In regard to the environment, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted to power outdoor lighting is the same as 3 million passenger cars (darksky). Along with need massive amounts of carbon dioxide, artificial light messes up body patterns in animals and humans. This includes the circadian rhythm which helps regulate our sleeping pattern. “An increasing amount of light at night lower melatonin production, which results in sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, stress, anxiety, and other health problems” (natgeo). Light pollution blocks moonlight which hinders the migratory patterns of birds, sea turtles, and other animals. This causes them to lose sense of direction and possibly die.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using certain lightbulbs also have an impact on energy efficiency and sustainability. There are three main types of light bulbs: incandescent, CFL (Compact Fluorescent), and LED (Light-emitting Diodes). Incandescent bulbs are the most wasteful, in fact, generating heat is “90% of their output” (onecommunityglobal). This heat can also heat up one’s residence, increasing the air conditioning bill (as well as greenhouse gas emissions).  CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 10,000 hours (10 times longer). However, they are not the most efficient light bulb. That title belongs to the LEDs. They can last 50,000 hours and emit little (if any) heat. The only downside is that they can be more expensive ($5, vs. $2 and $1 in CFLs and LEDs, respectively).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the cabins, we have several amenities in order to limit light usage and pollution. The bathrooms have special sun lights so that we do not have to turn any artificial lighting on until at night. They do a great job of lighting up the room, so that it even works in the evening. We also have LED-strips around the common area, so that we do not have to use the other lights at night. However, there are some issues with artificial lighting and living in a dorm. Since we do not pay the electricity bill, students may be prone to leaving their lights on without a care. These are indoor lights so they do not severely impact light pollution, but this still burns fossil fuels, wastes money, and can contribute to some light pollution. I usually turn off my own lights in my room, but I can be guilty of not turning lights off in the common area. However, I have gotten better about it. If there is no one in the common area and I am leaving it, I will make sure to turn the main lights off.

Light pollution is a lesser known but harmful detriment to the environment. It directly harms human health, natural habitats, and stops us from enjoying the beauty of the night sky. Indirectly, too much light usage uses up more fossil fuels and drives up energy costs. By making sure to use sustainable light bulbs, improving natural lighting, and turning off lights when not in use, humans can live a healthier and more sustainable life.

LED Light Bulbs: Comparison Charts | Eartheasy Guides & Articles

Light Bulb Buying Guide: How to Choose LEDs, CFLs – Even WiFi Smart Lights | HGTV

Light Pollution | National Geographic Society

Light Pollution: The Overuse & Misuse of Artificial Light at Night – JMU

Light Pollution Wastes Energy and Money – International Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org)

Most Sustainable Lightbulbs & Light Bulb Companies Research & Savings (onecommunityglobal.org)

By Georgia Whiteside

This set of photography is titled Plastic’s Chokehold and features different images of nature entangled by sheets of thin plastic.

Photographs by Georgia Whiteside

These images are intended to be an emotional, visual, representation of the American Chemical Society ‘s Article Degradation Rates of Plastics in the Environment written by Ali Chamas, Hyunjin Moon, Jiajia Zheng, Yang Qiu, Tarnuma Tabassum, Jun Hee Jang, Mahdi Abu-Omar, Susannah L. Scott, and Sangwon Suh.

Their specific data can be found below:

“Figure 8. Specific surface degradation rates for various plastics, in μm year–1. Vertical columns represent different environmental conditions (L, landfill/compost/soil; M, marine; B, biological; S, sunlight) and plastics types (represented by their resin identification codes). Plastics type 7, “others”, corresponds to various nominally biodegradable plastics. The range and average value for plastics types 1–6 are shown on the right as lines and squares, respectively, as well as for biodegradable “others”. Data points representing degradation rates that were unmeasurably slow are shown on the x-axis. Gray columns represent combinations for which no data were found.” Feb 3, 2020. (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b06635)

 

To summarize this article there are varying points at which plastic is unsustained in our environment and chemically unable to break down.  Leaving varying chemical compounds littered in nature.  These images are intended to invoke the feeling of disbelief and struggle accosted with this fact. That there is a constant power dynamic between the compounds we find in our environment and the compounds we it litter with. And how one is suffocating the other. These images are a struggle that needs a harsh light shown on it. My hope is that the juxtaposition shows just how incompatible these two forces are, and why they should not be so intertwined. As one corrodes and suffocates the other, we must do our best to prevent further harm done by litter in our environment and advocate for change.

Artist Statement:

I created this work because I wanted to experiment with creating a usable object out of “waste.” I created a tote bag made completely out of fabric scraps left over by a variety of people, including my roommates and myself. Oftentimes, when people alter or “crop” their own clothing, there are pieces of cloth left over that end up in the trash, and ultimately, the landfill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 17 million tons of textile waste end up in a landfill per year (Brown). I wanted to create a bag that was sturdy enough to hold things such as groceries (no plastic bag waste!) and lessens my negative impact on the environment. I also feel that this project is replicable and can be created by anyone. Making a tote bag can also eliminate the need to buy one which saves money and prevents contributions to the negative environmental impacts of producing fashion.

 

Source:

roadrunnerwm.com/blog/textile-waste-environmental-crisis

When you hear “zero-waste” what do you think? Do you assume it’s unattainable or out of your reach? Through this article, I want to explain some small steps you can take in your house, apartment, or dorm to come closer to living a zero-waste lifestyle.

A zero-waste lifestyle is one that promotes reducing the amount of waste we produce, for example, single-use plastic or packaging on food and other products, and instead using products and materials in a way that preserves their value and minimizes their environmental impacts through use until the end of that product’s life cycle. That could mean recycling, composting, down- or up-cycling, but one thing I want to focus on packaging.

Packaging wraps and protects food, beverages, medicines, and cosmetics, and even more packaging is used to ship and store those products. In 2018, only 53.9% of containers and other generated packaging were recycled, and further, 30.5 million tons of packaging were added to landfills (EPA). The following chart shows the waste trends since 1960; notably, there is a downward trend of waste in the landfills since around 1980, however, a larger upward trend of the total tons of waste.

 

(EPA)

 

One way to avoid this in Greenville is shopping locally at farmer’s markets which not only helps you to avoid packaged food, but also encourages consumption of less processed food which is healthier. Similarly, there are bulk food, zero waste, and refill grocery stores in which you can bring your own containers and buy your goods in bulk without waste. For example, in Greenville, South Carolina, Whole Foods and Swamp Rabbit Grocery accommodate these efforts. So now, not only can you bring a reusable bag to pack up your groceries, but you can also bring reusable containers to put your items in!

(Zeeshan).

 

Along with shopping at zero-waste grocery stores in your area, a baby step towards that goal of making grocery shopping more eco-friendly is to look for more sustainable packaging. While the city of Greenville does not recycle glass, it is the next best option in this case. Products with glass packaging are safe to reuse once washed and can be repurposed for future use. Check out what Greenville does and does not recycle at this link!

Another option which has proven highly useful during the pandemic is “Loop” an online store that sells products of partnered brands in durable and reusable packaging to which they will clean and reuse once you finish with the product. Further, they deliver in a reusable and waste-free Loop Tote! While this may sound like a sponsored blog, I am just intrigued myself by this, and it has brands that are very common, like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, etc. (Loop).

While zero-waste may sound daunting, the deeper you search into zero-waste efforts, the more you will find. Baby steps are steps nonetheless, and changing these behaviors in such a drastic could make all the difference for large scale production and environmental impacts.

 

Sources:

“Containers and Packaging: Product-Specific Data.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/containers-and-packaging-product-specific.

“Guide to Recyclables.” Guide to Recyclables | Greenville, SC – Official Website, https://www.greenvillesc.gov/291/Guide-to-Recyclables.

“How It Works.” Loop, https://loopstore.com/how-it-works.

Junaid, Zeeshan. “Zero Waste Grocery Shopping.” Ecocart.io, https://ecocart.io/posts/zero-waste-grocery-shopping.

“Resolutions.” United States Conference of Mayors, 10 July 2019, https://www.usmayors.org/the-conference/resolutions/?category=b83aReso050&meeting=83rd+Annual+Meeting.

“Bulk Food, Zero Waste, and Refill Stores in South Carolina.” Zero Waste California, 29 Feb. 2020, https://zerowastecalifornia.org/2018/12/07/bulk-food-zero-waste-and-refill-stores-in-south-carolina/.

 

 

Sustainability is probably a word you hear all the time, in every sustainable website, class, presentation, and fake corporate ad. Barring the fake corporate ads, every content producer has the right intention. But often the long term sustainable lifestyle teachings are left by the wayside to make room for habits and fun activities that make sustainability easy and empowering. The truth is, real long term sustainability requires more than just habits. It requires a conscious and intentional change of mind. Admittedly, in a more practical sense the best approach to eliminating damage to our planet is to target the big production companies, which is best done by raising awareness about our planet and the need for sustainability.

However, if we’re to really recover from where we are today and keep going, we have to actually change how we go about our lives. Recycling, for example, is a largely misunderstood process, and it could be considerably more efficient if we better understood it. Too much of the recycling we assume dissapears from our record actually ends up in landfills, and for lots of reasons. For one, “wishful recycling,” which is the habit of erring on the side of recycling when deciding where your handful goes, puts unfortunate amounts of unrecyclable material into the system, which means there have to be comprehensive ways of removing it, which is costly and lowers efficiency.

Single stream recycling is somewhat to blame. When recycling was all separated at the household level, recycling was actually very efficient and effective, though it wasn’t very widespread. Nowadays, single stream recycling has made collection and involvement skyrocket, though it as a process is embarrasingly ineffective. Non-recyclables thrown in “just in case they are” comprise about 13 percent of all recyclables. Essentially, for every 10 trucks of completely recyclable material, 1 trucks worth is competely landfill bound. Also, glass is almost entirely not recycled. It’s simply not worth it after separating it from the rest of the recyclables. The best way to fix this is to require separation of recyclables, though immediately the problem with that is that most of people recycle because it’s taboo not to, not because they genuinely believe in the necessity of it. And so if it becomes any more difficult to recycle, it just won’t happen on a large enough scale to make it effective. Another big change we need to make is in the production on greenhouse gas emissions.

Or rather, in reducing it. Like I said, a vast majority of the destruction of our environment comes from a very small minority of the biggest companies. This makes it very easy in theory to reduce emissions, because bigger companies are more eager to improve their social image, and thus are very much subject to social opinons. And yet, the problem has not been solved. The truth is, the market works on interest, and interest is a lot harder to change than intention. Companies will say anything and do anything to get you to buy, and lying works. We must be more diligent in holding big corporate empires responsible. and we must be more diligent in how we think about sustainability. It’s more than a diet, it’s a wholesome way of life.

 

 

wamu.org/story/19/02/12/does-your-recycling-actually-get-recycled-yes-maybe-it-depends/

brightly.eco/why-your-favorite-companies-arent-going-green/#:~:text=The%20two%20most%20common%20reasons,just%20don’t%20hold%20water.

Upon divulging I am a math major to unsuspecting passersby, I am most frequently asked “what do you plan to do with that?”  There typically are two possible reasons behind this:  (1) they know the diversity of mathematics and are actually interested to know how I’ll choose to use it or (2) they think I’ll have to be a teacher.  I will be speaking to the first crowd, not because I plan to use the mathematics of sustainability as a career path, but because it is relevant to understand the mathematics behind the science side of sustainability.

This topic can be further broken down into two different sections: the academic/ research side, as well as the personal side applicable to us all.  The academic side is of greater interest to me, in part for the diversity of topics that can be researched, but I will also try and touch on how to use (very simple) math in your daily life.   The most apparent usage would come in terms of climate change, for which SustainabilityMath is a great resource.  Their compilation of calculus and statistics-based concepts provides an easy introduction to how math is being used to better our planet in climate and social justice.  The CODEE journal publication on differential equations does a good job of highlighting the numerous ways that can be accomplished.  From climate change to technology to political science, the use of differential equations and understanding of how change occurs is being utilized to combat social inequity and sustainability.  In addition to descriptive uses where math models real-world problems, it can also be used to increase efficiency.  A famous problem in optimization is known as the traveling salesman problem (TSP).  Given a series of points, what is the shortest distance an individual can travel in order to reach every location and return back to the starting point.   Companies such as Amazon and UPS have interests in such problems as a cost-saving measure, however are also helping with sustainability as cars on a shorter route save emissions.  Whenever you plug a destination into a map app on your phone, it’s helping save gas as compared to you trying to determine the route on your own.  In addition to these purely academic settings, there is also sustainability in the way we teach math, by focusing less on the numbers and problem solving and more on what it can solve.  A blog by the American Mathematical Society explains both these concepts nicely, in addition to better planning regarding the arrangement of academic events that require travel for their participants.

 

 

A few of you, our lovely readers, may be able to use the aforementioned ideas.  Most will not.  Instead, I pose to you that you can use math in your daily life to increase your sustainability.  Since most people hate math, I am not asking you to sit down and “crunch the numbers.”  Instead, for instance, look at how much you can store of a certain product in your residence to decrease how often you need to go out to get it.  It’s even better if you can go to multiple locations in the same trip instead of driving back and forth from your home, and also more convenient!  In general, anything in your life that uses materials or effort of any sort can be better optimized through sustainability.  While I cannot anticipate all these ways, it isn’t too difficult to sit down and think through it!

 

 

https://sustainabilitymath.org/

https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1048&context=codee

Sustainable Mathematics

On the first day of my intro sustainability class this semester, my professor told us how the class may depress us and that if we need to talk about it, she’s always here for us. “We’ll get through this together,” she assured us. This is a part of sustainability we often neglect: the mental toll it can take on us. Ecological grief is “similar to other forms of grief” as Aviva Fialkow writes in her article “Eco-grief: How to cope with the emotional impacts of climate change” (University of Calgary, 2021). These feelings of sadness often arise after forest fires, extreme weather events, pollution, and other forms of environmental degradation (University of Calgary, 2021). There is a similar form of mental distress when it comes to climate known as “eco-anxiety.” There is a bit of a debate on if these phenomena matter or not, with some talking about how there are more important health issues relating to climate change such as heat-related stress or the health consequences of floods and droughts (The BMJ Opinion, 2021). Research on the mental health side of environmental health is fairly new but the evidence collected thus far suggests that the problems associated are very serious. One American study highlights the growing stress associated with climate as a large number of people ages 27 to 45 reported “growing concerns about raising children during a climate apocalypse” (The BMJ Opinion, 2021). I often see jokes on TikTok that the most effective form of birth control is environmental science classes. Turns out, there is some truth in that. One survey conducted in 2020 found that “one in four cited climate change as a factor in why they do not currently have children” (The New York Times, 2021). There is a growing number of people who feel that it is unethical to give birth to children due to the growing concern about climate change. 

People feel shame when they grab an extra bag at the store, sadness when they think of the future, and anxious whenever a news report about how we’ve passed the point of no return. So that raises the question: what can we do about it? Aiva Fialkow offers a few different coping mechanisms. One is that we have to focus on what we have control over and not what we don’t (University of Calgary, 2021). For example, I work at Publix and we have a policy that we have to give customers bags no matter what. It bugs me to no end when I have to bag an order in plastic and then paper. But that isn’t something I have control over: my company makes the rules and as an employee, I have to follow the rules so I shouldn’t feel bad about it. Fialkow also suggests “finding solace in natural spaces” (University of Calgary, 2021). Many people find that tending to a garden or going on a hike not only helps them feel better about their eco-anxiety but also contributes to their well-being overall. As we continue to try to solve the issues of our planet, we need to make sure we aren’t neglecting our feelings so we can effectively reduce damage to the Earth. 

 

https://ucalgary.ca/news/eco-grief-how-cope-emotional-impacts-climate-change

https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/10/06/the-climate-crisis-and-the-rise-of-eco-anxiety/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/20/style/breed-children-climate-change.html

Now that February has begun and cemented the continuation of winter, the Winter Olympics have also begun. Being an event on the world stage with competitors and viewers from every country of the world, the Olympics are a great place to involve new sustainable practices to help set a global standard. Many of the competitions presented in the Olympics are consistently practiced around the world and the sustainable practices for these sports in Olympics can help the way those sports are practiced around the world. In addition, the Olympics are practiced every 2 years, causing a lot of travel and carbon emissions every 2 years in order to present the athletes for their events. Setting a sustainable standard can make the frequent Olympics become a much more sustainable event.

First and foremost, the Olympics themselves have put out a lot of information on how they are being sustainable. The Olympics set forth their own precedent before the Winter Games in Beijing were ever commenced. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) set the goal that every single one of the subsequent Olympic games should all be at the very least carbon neutral. Beijing 2022, according to the IOC, has been and will be carbon neutral. In order to accomplish this, the IOC has made a few executive decisions and changes. First, the summer Olympic games were hosted in Beijing in 2008, meaning that there are still resources and venues that were constructed for the 2008 games that can are being reused for the 2022 games.

Besides reusing the venues that already were standing, both the existing venues and all new venues are being powered entirely by renewable energy. This is the first time that the Olympics have used renewable energy to power their venues. The two main sources of energy for the games are created through solar and wind cultivation. The solar and wind energy is being cultivated at another city outside of Beijing and then transferred to the city through the “Zhangbei flexible direct current grid project.” Outside of providing power to the venues, this energy is used to power 10% of all of Beijing’s electricity.

One aspect about the winter games is that venues and events usually need to be kept cold or at a certain level for snow or ice. This task is usually not easy to accomplish and to achieve the desired temperature usually causes a significant amount of carbon emissions. Beijing is using natural CO2 refrigeration systems in order to maintain the temperature of the venues, cutting down carbon emissions to nearly zero.

 

While Beijing and more specifically, the IOC, is doing a great job at keeping the games this year as sustainable as they can possible achieve currently, there is a larger threat at play. It is estimated that with current carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions that by the end of the century there will not potentially be a Winter Olympic Games anymore. 21 cities have hosted the Olympic games in the past, but by the end of the century, only 1 of those 21 cities is estimated to still be able to host the event. Keeping the games sustainable is important to continue having the event, but more change still needs to come. Unless the world collectively can begin to reduce the emissions being made, the world might lose one of the greatest unifying events of the modern age.

 

Works Cited

Chan, Candice Choi and Kelvin. “Explainer: Olympics Show Complexity of Sustainability Claims.” Phys.org, Phys.org, 11 Feb. 2022, https://phys.org/news/2022-02-olympics-complexity-sustainability.html.

Ioc. “Beijing 2022 Sustainability – All You Need to Know – Olympic News.” International Olympic Committee, IOC, 31 Jan. 2022, https://olympics.com/ioc/news/beijing-2022-sustainability-all-you-need-to-know.

Person, and Steve Keating. “Climate Change Will Limit Choice for Winter Games Hosts, Says Study.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 19 Jan. 2022, https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/climate-change-will-limit-choice-winter-games-hosts-says-study-2022-01-18/.

There isn’t much time left to be said for the year of 2021, so looking forward to 2022, the year will need to be started off on the right foot and that means starting sustainably. In order to do that, the common practices of celebrating the New Year will need to be revisited to see if what we do for New Year’s is up to standard or not.

First we can start with the most common New Year’s practice, setting off fireworks to bring the New Year in with a bang! The act of creating an explosion in the air that releases metal and gasses isn’t necessarily sustainable, especially when those gasses released are common greenhouse gasses such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen which are high contributors to climate change. Even when they are launched from the ground, they impact the environment by releasing sulfur as part of their propellent system. When fireworks explode, they release fine particulate matter into the air around the explosion.  Particle pollutants like the fine particulate matter are a major health risk as well as they’re easily able to get into your lungs and bloodstream, causing damage to those systems. Around celebratory events, the amount of fine particulate matter in the air can be registered up to 2 to 10 times greater than background levels. Even basic sparklers are not great for the planet as they still emit gasses into the air that will cause a higher increase in damage to the atmosphere. Because of all of the risks and damage that comes along with the use of fireworks, they have banned in multiple states and other areas in order to reduce the negative impacts they cause.

So instead of using the regular fireworks to celebrate this New Years, maybe more people can start to implement the use of more eco-friendly fireworks. There are groups who have developed more environmentally friendly fireworks, sparklers and other celebratory pyrotechnics. Some of these fireworks use smokeless charges and some have worked on using sulfur-free propellants. Researchers tracked the use of these eco-friendly fireworks to see exactly how much of a difference they make by seeing the amount of particles left in the air afterwards as well as overall quality of the air in the area they were launched compared to the areas where regular fireworks were launched. The researchers used their research to determine that the use of environmentally friendly fireworks results in a much smaller, shorter-lasting plume from the explosion point. Statistically, they are also better for particle emission resulting in only 15-65% of the fine particulate matter emissions compared to using traditional fireworks. This is a major improvement over regular fireworks, but these emissions are still far over the amount of fine particulate matter that is recommended by the World Health Organization guidelines. It is significantly over the amount due to the large use of fireworks on these holidays.

 

So in conclusion, fireworks in general are never truly good for the environment, but if you are going to set off fireworks this holiday, try to do so with eco-friendly fireworks and set off only a few to reduce the amount of damage you personally do to the environment.

 

Works Cited

“Are Fireworks Bad for the Environment? the Environmental Impact of Fireworks.” Brightly, 6 Dec. 2021, https://brightly.eco/fireworks-environmental-impact/.

EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics.

“How ‘Green’ Are Environmentally Friendly Fireworks?” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 3 Mar. 2021, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210303081403.htm.