ENVR 3850 - Sustainable Manitoba - Journal 2 Questions

1.     What does reconciliation mean to you? What is the role of reconciliation in sustainability?

Reconciliation to me, as it relates to sustainability, means making peace with the world—a realization where the focus is on compromise, and where feelings are mutual and reciprocal. Not everyone thinks and feels the same way you do. There will always be an opposition. The dialectic between man and nature is riddled with the back and forth idea of supremacy. Whenever I hear the work reconcile and reconciliation, I often think about a divorced or married couple putting their differences aside for the sake of their children. They make a truce with each other for the benefit of their children’s well-being. So when we think about the role of reconciliation in sustainability, I like to think of it as a truce as well—for the well-being of the Earth. People have to accept and acknowledge the differences in cultures and find ways how we can all benefit. It is cultural relativism with a goal to further enrich all our lives around the world, and not just those of the few.

2.     Look at Environmental Art. Add environmental art to your journal (your own or from others). What does the piece mean to you?

When I look at art that is transient and impermanent, I think how lucky it is to be seeing it for a brief glimpse before it erodes over time. To me, imitation of nature—what Plato and Aristotle have wrote extensively about—is not a false depiction of the world; in many ways, it can be more beautiful. When we see Monet’s Water Lillies or Van Gogh’s Starry Night, I like to envision the beauty they saw and think about their inspiration to paint it. When I see these great paintings I think that there is no greater muse than nature.

I don’t know much about environmental art. You read stories every once in a while about artists using recycled products, but I never paid it any attention. When I saw Vik Muniz’s Wasteland for the first time, it made me appreciate the impact that art can have on communities.

Five Floating Isles by Ichi Ikeda

I like this piece because of the interconnectedness of the continents, because although they are all separate, they are still together. I imagine the vantage point needed in order to glimpse this view is from way up above, as if seeing down on the world altogether for the first time. The tranquil beauty of the water, the green vegetation and desert-like properties on the land, make the spherical ring around the islands evoke the idea of a global community. Because the rings are so close to each other, the islands are not disjointed but connected. No man is an island in the Five Floating Isles.

3.     Select a favourite recipe and add it to your journal. Discuss why you like this recipe and where it comes from.

I was looking for an easy recipe for lazy days when I need a quick meal and did not have the time to prep anything. That led me to a google search looking for stir fry and slow cooker recipes. I settled on finding a pre-made stir fry sauce where I can just fry some frozen vegetables and meat, and add a stir fry sauce for a quick fix. Here is the recipe I found:

INGREDIENTS

·      ¼ c light soy sauce (Note 1)

·      ¼ c all purpose soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) (Note 1)

·      ½ c oyster sauce (sub with hoisin for vegan)

·      ¼ c Chinese wine (or sherry)

·      ¼ c cornstarch / cornflour

·      1 tbsp sugar

·      2 tbsp sesame oil

·      1 tbsp ground white pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Combine ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Store in fridge and shake before use.

Amount to Use:

1.    Stir Fry: I use 3 tbsp Stir Fry Sauce + 6 tbsp water to make a stir frying for 2 people using around 5 cups of uncooked ingredients (proteins + vegetables).

2.    Noodles: I use 3 tbsp of the Stir Fry sauce + 5 - 6 tbsp water to make a noodle stir fry for 2 people using around 7 cups of the combined stir fry uncooked (vegetables - packed, proteins + noodles - if using).

3.    By weight (Noodles & Stir Fry): Around 3 tbsp Stir Fry Sauce per 1 lb / 500g of combined ingredients (proteins + vegetables + noodles if using) plus ⅓ cup water.

It really is an easy recipe to make, and the shelf life in the fridge is great. Having a delicious and ready-at-hand stir fry sauce is great in preparing a quick meal that takes 5-7 minutes of your time.

4.     Write your own 10 principles for creating sustainable landscapes. List each principle and describe in 1 sentence.

1.     Water is worth its price in gold – In an era where water scarcity and pollution is a serious threat, preserving water systems is a principle everyone should adhere to.

2.     Don’t waste what you throw away – Finding alternative uses for things you throw out, or finding the right avenues to recycle products is a great way to prevent excess waste.

3.     Green is good – Flora and fauna are great to ensure biodiversity, and utilizing green spaces is great way to connect to nature—even in urban settings.

4.     Work with the land, not against it – Some people may feel the need to clear cut parts of land to make room for other projects, but sustainable-minded people feel the need to incorporate the building into the land and not the other way around.

5.     Social spaces should be incorporated – Sustainable landscapes should find ways to share place and not exclude people from using it, instead, being a close-knit community who share the same goals.

6.     Consider the impacts – New building projects should consider the damage to biodiversity and outline any threats in environmental impact assessments.

7.     Live within your means – Bigger is not always better, and many do not need the space they demand

8.     Build up, not down – With increasing urban sprawl from suburbs, expanding up and not out creates more close-knit communities.

9.     Food is magical – Gardens are wonderful places where a sustainable source of food can be grown, and they should be incorporated when applicable.

10.  Think of how you get around – Sustainable landscapes should incorporate active transportation to eliminate more vehicles on the road which contribute to the burning of fossil fuels.

5.     We watched the film This Changes Everything last class. Did it change your perspective on the issue of climate change? Why or why not?

It seems like every year we hear more and more about the threats of climate change in the world. Multiple films have been made since Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth espousing the incremental rise of global temperatures. At this point, I am immune to all the bad news in regard to climate change. Videos like This Changes Everything only repeat what we already know, and what we have come to expect from films like these. It’s not to say that these films are not important. The more limelight we give to these issues, and the more we educate the youth that these issues will be prevalent for them in their coming years, the more we are able to curb, at least, some effects of man-made climate change. Can new technologies prevent the unbearable from occurring? Can we somehow rise above these challenges and put up a fight to save the Earth? It will depend on how we decide to tackle the issue—how we can change our tune and perspective. This is the one part I liked about This Changes Everything, that is a story that is optimistic and does not play to the fear-mongering approach applied by many documentaries in the same vein.

ENVR 3850 - Sustainable Manitoba Journal Questions

1.     How do you define sustainability?

People often associate frugality with the word cheap; I, however, often associate frugality with sustainability. What does it mean to be sustainable and what is sustainability?

For me it means not buying what you want but buying what you need. It means finding out what is important to you, specifically, because what I find important other people do not. It, however, does not mean being excessively frugal or living an ascetic lifestyle with nothing but the bare essentials; it means living within your means and ridding yourself of a lifestyle that produces excessive waste. It means cherishing what you have and not what you don’t. It means being a steward of the world and leaving it a better place than when you found it.

I do not hold any contempt for people who choose to live differently. What irks me the most is not acknowledging that there is a problem. There is a very serious issue with the amount of carbon we are putting into the air, the urban sprawl of giant suburban homes, and even the food we eat. People need to realize that there are consequences to these actions. People need to understand that not all resources are renewable and that conservation is the key. When we finally understand that, when we realize we are one and in this together, only then can we begin to live in a sustainable world. If only more people thought like Carl Sagan . . .

2.     Reflect on your time in nature as a child.

In the 90’s, I remember riding my bike with my brother and cousins down to Omands Creek and fishing for tadpoles. Sometimes I would go by myself and I would sit there listening to the wildlife around me.

     

We used to take those same tadpoles and place them in our aquarium at home. It was fun watching them grow into tiny little frogs. Throughout my life, I’ve housed a variety of different animals as pets: from frogs, fish, turtles, snakes, hamsters, and dogs, I have always had a creepy, crawly, or cuddly companion to call my own. My pets were always my connection to nature.

The love for the outdoors was instilled in me from an early age, from all those times going fishing with my father to our family vacation camping out in Badlands National Park. Being outdoors always gave me time to reflect, and hearing the sound of nature—the rushing currents, the chirping of the birds—always gave me a sense of connection to the world. Interspersed throughout my childhood were the times stayed inside playing video games and watching TV, but the moments where I was outside are inexpressibly the fondest.

3.     How do you feel about your possessions? What are the possible social problems with disparity between rich and poor as resources diminish?

I live on the bare essentials. The last two years I have made many changes to my lifestyle in order to live more sustainably; that means downsizing to a smaller apartment, taking alternative means of transportation, and selling a lot of my possessions that I no longer needed nor enjoyed.

           

I do not define my life by possessions—and of course everybody is proud of that one thing they have, but the best of something for me is not one I can directly flaunt or people see. I drive a beater of car, not because I have to but because it made no sense for me buying something when the older vehicle ran perfectly fine as it did. I don’t make impulsive and expensive purchases without thinking long and hard whether I need it (it’s amazing how much you realize you don’t need something when you’ve had a chance to think about it for a couple weeks).

           

My recent trip to San Francisco shed a lot of light to the wage gap that is becoming prevalent in the world. Apparently nowhere else in the world is the disparity between rich and poor more evident than in San Francisco. The standard of living in San Francisco has essentially driven out the poor as the cost of homes command an exorbitant price. People place value on material possessions, and the diminishing natural resources can play a huge role in social issues. Can there be a war one day for water? Will the rich have the right to it first? These issues are beyond me, but it isn’t difficult to arrive at an answer when it becomes an issue of morality. As fewer and fewer resources are available, it is possible that there would be a major reform of some kind—but only time will tell.

4.     Sustainable Happiness Chart – Name a Time and Activity that Contributed to Happiness

On a Sunday morning in early fall, I place the key in the ignition of my Yamaha and ride down River Road towards Lockport. During the brief fifteen minutes it takes to get from the start of River Road to the end in Lockport, I am lost in the surroundings of the environment as the road meanders along river giving me the odd sensation of being truly free.

Some people may not understand it. Motorcycles are death traps, remember? I have never had more fun and felt connected with man, machine, and nature then when I take those two wheels and careen down the side of the highway. All along the journey, the environment surrounds me as I concentrate on the road in front of me. I usually stop at Lockport to see the dam cascading with water and to hear the thunderous sounds of the waves. I take the time to enjoy the weather, to see people do the same, and it gives me happiness that knows no bounds.

Although the 689cc engine is powered by fossil fuels, I try to make allowances to curb my effect on the world in order to enjoy days like these. There is something compelling that I cannot explain until you try it yourself, and see the world and the beauty it has to offer when you are on two wheels.

5.     Find or write poetry about our spiritual connection to the earth?             

"i thank You God for most this amazing" by e.e. cummings

i thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth

day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any—lifted from the no

of all nothing—human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

I am not a religious person, but this poem by e.e. cummings has always stuck with me since my freshman year of university. It makes me appreciate the beauty of nature—something that is greater than ourselves. It is a poem of joy, of happiness, of celebration of love and everything that is alive. Enjoy!

Blog Questions

What are your primary concerns about the oceans? What, if anything, do you plan to do about it?

My primary concerns are mostly drawn from the impact of overfishing and the collapse of global fisheries. Seeing that a majority of people rely on the oceans as a source of food and nourishment, the destruction caused by the exploitation of natural resources seems to be of grave concern. Pollution in the oceans and the impact from rising global temperatures are also alarming as we do not currently know the extent and severity these factors have for life on Earth.

I am not sure what can be done to stop the destruction of the ocean that does not require dramatic changes to the practices we currently implement as a society. The least that can be done is to set up reserves for particularly vulnerable places in the oceans, and draft laws that regulate global fisheries. On an individual level, it might be necessary to raise these issues and have educated and rational discussions with people who might not be aware of the environmental degradation caused by overfishing and pollution. It might cause some people to evaluate what they are placing in themselves and the price paid to provide it to them.

Jeremy Jackson: “How we Wrecked the Ocean,” a TED Talk

Jeremy Jackson started out in Chesapeake Bay—diving in the winter which eventually led him to his calling as a coral reef ecologist. He made his way to Jamaica, where beautiful reefs adorned the coast of the West Indies. But something is peculiar when you look at pictures of those reefs from the 60s and 70s: there were no fish in the pictures.

            The reefs of Discovery Bay in Jamaica were the most studied reefs in the last twenty years. What scientists learn most about coral reefs “was based on these reefs without any fish.” Where it was generally accepted that hurricanes may destroy coral reefs, the prediction of Jackson and what would happen just happened to be wrong. Overfishing was the culprit. When natural disasters used to occur, coral ecosystems tend to eventually recover; however, overfishing, pollution, and climate change have now hindered these natural processes—interacting in ways that prevent recovery.

            Industrial fisheries use drag nets that scrape the sea floor to catch and endanger habitats—so it is not only fish which are disappearing. Corals are destroyed by this practice, like the “area of the ocean floor that has been transformed from forest to level mud.” Looking for a perspective, the destruction equates to as if “the entire area of all the forests that have been cut down on all of the earth in the history of humanity”—and we have managed to this in a relatively short time.

Pollution from oil spills and plastic waste also play a pivotal role to the destruction of marine life. Invasive species and nutrient loading exacerbate the destruction. Run-off from fertilizers find their way into waterways. Red tides or toxic blooms are becoming more commonplace.

            In regards to climate change, the warming of earth’s ocean systems will have a deleterious impact for marine life. The warming of polar ice caps and rising levels would not only have a consequence for life in the oceans but for the life on land as well. Coral bleaching is an effect of algae unable to produce sugars which the corals thrive on when ocean temperatures rise.

            The most frightening aspect of these scenarios is that “each thing doesn’t happen in a vacuum.” Instead, positive feedback loops exacerbate the situation at hand. How oceanic life can survive will depend on how humanity moves forward in these undertakings. Physical, chemical, and oceanographic changes are occurring, and unless we change the way we think, and set priorities that include all life on earth, we might see an end to the current ways of living. Jackson implores us to set aside our greed and need for growth—because it is not about the fish, or pollution, or even climate change, it is about how we see ourselves and the example we want to set for generations to come.

Reflections

Jeremy Jackson’s TED Talk incorporated many visuals that demonstrate the plight of marine ecosystems—in particular, the effect our practices have on coral reefs. The extent of humanity’s overfishing has severely depleted the functioning ability of once pristine places on earth such as Discovery Bay in Jamaica. The pollution incurred by mankind is nothing to scoff at, and the loss of biodiversity because of this pollution is weakening natural ecosystems around the world. Mankind has shaped the landscape of Earth on an unprecedented level. We may have a general idea of the consequences we face, but the severity seems unfathomable at times. It is through educating people on the destruction of our oceans that stands the hope we may be able to change our actions in a sustainable way. 

A Summary of Boris Worm’s “Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services

The impact of marine ecosystems influenced by human nature has been severely crippled over the past years. Loss of species and their populations are visible evidence that this is occurring, yet there are plenty of unknown consequences as well. What Boris Worm set out to do was see how biodiversity is affected from the long-term practice of global fisheries: they found that “resource collapse increased and recovery potential, stability, and water quality decreased exponentially with declining diversity.” On the other hand, restoring biodiversity seemed to increase productivity; therefore, Worm’s conclusion is that the loss of biodiversity in marine ecosystems is exacerbating the inability of the ocean to provide food, quality water, and recovery from ecological disasters. However, these trends can still prevented.

Research done on land animals tend to suggest the same thing: a richer biodiversity enhances the productivity and stability of ecosystems. The vast expanse of oceans makes it particularly difficult to forecast the scope of our impact on marine ecosystems. Because many people are dependent on water systems as a means of survival, changing the landscape can have deleterious effects on these communities. These effects stem from the practice of “exploitation, pollution, and habitat destruction, or indirectly through climate change and related perturbations of ocean biogeochemistry.” The loss of coral reefs, estuaries and ocean fish communities are a result of these practices.

Biodiversity enhances ecosystems in many ways: they provide stability, resistance to disturbances in habitats, and provide mixed diets to species that prolong survival such as growth and fecundity. The research on biodiversity reports “positive linkages between biodiversity, productivity, and stability across trophic levels in marine ecosystems.”

For coastal ecosystems, a decline of species strongly correlated with the onset of industrialization, and as predicted, ecosystems were able to survive with an increased richness in species and was conclusively more stable. When coastal ecosystems are unable to filter water and increase water quality, there were increases in pollution, algal blooms, and oxygen depletion; as a result, the survival of native species (and at times compromised by invasive ones) were declining.

In large marine ecosystems, the rate of global fisheries have collapsed by 29% since 2003 defined by the recorded maximum. As with current trends from the research above, collapses occurred more frequently in areas which were not rich in biodiversity. In areas where species richness was abundant, these ecosystems tend to be more robust and less susceptible to overexploitation.

The issue is whether these trends can be reversed. The implementation of reserves and closures have been used on regional and local scales. The question is whether it can be replicated on a larger scale. Reserves and closures have reversed some aspects of declining biodiversity and were associated with “large increases in fisheries productivity.” Ecosystems tend to stabilize although not significantly in many cases. Results vary from place to place, but some of the data suggests that it is still possible to recoup some losses in biodiversity from these areas. This trend towards a less biodiverse world has many implications: Worm’s findings demonstrate that “the elimination of local adapted populations and species not only impairs the ability of marine ecosystems to feed a growing human population but also sabotages their stability and recovery potential in a rapidly changing marine environment.” Our efforts must prove prudent if we are to live in a sustainable world, and that begins by rethinking the life of marine ecosystems.

What can we do to prevent a catastrophic decline in ocean fisheries by the mid-21^st century?

In order to prevent a catastrophic decline of ocean fisheries, we must act now. Part of this action includes restoring the biodiversity in our oceans through sustainable practices in fisheries management. We must also be able to control the level of pollutants entering our ecosystems, and maintain the marine habitats necessary for life. The creation of marine reserves can also help curb and prevent a decline in ocean fisheries. If we are successful in our ventures in being sustainable when it comes to marine ecosystems, we might be able to address growing concerns of food security and water quality for habitats conducive to the proliferation of life.

Worm, Boris. “Impacts of Biodiversity Loss on Ocean Ecosystem Services.” Sources: Selection in

                Environmental Studies. Ed. Thomas Easton. United States, 2014. 92-95.

A Summary of Robert D. Bullard’s “Environmental Justice for All”

Environmental movements often reflect the idealist aspirations of upper middle class whites, but seldom are the poor represented. Sometimes they fail to take into account the needs of the poor and the scope of racial oppression when discussing environmental burdens. In this article, Bullard describes the history of the environmental movement, environmental racism, and call for the action of government to inflict change.

People frequently see media coverage of impoverished African American communities serving as dumping grounds for pollutants and other hazardous waste; and before, the people in these communities will watch helplessly as industry, manufacturers, and even the city throw waste in their backyards. But as early as 1968, the inception and concept of environmental justice provided a means for citizens to speak out and rally against corporations and demand government set forth laws. In 1991 environmental activists marched down Washington D.C. for a summit to “bring national attention to pollution problems threatening low-income and minority communities.”

The protest was simple: put forth the notion that working class and minority communities receive less environmental protection that white or affluent communities. It involved expanding the definition of “environment” to include a social aspect as well as the physical and natural ones. In essence, the “movement changed the way environmentalism is practiced in the United States and, ultimately, worldwide.” The cry for environmental justice lead to two dozen policy papers displaying “powerful environmental and health disparities between people of color and whites”–a movement that falls under the umbrella of civil rights.

The first lawsuit filed using civil rights law, in the vein of environmental justice, was Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management, Inc. in 1979. The issue regards Houston’s landfills and incinerators which were located in predominantly black neighborhoods, “even though Blacks made up only 25 percent of the city’s population.” Although they were ineffective to halt dumping in the landfill, the plaintiffs did manage to enforce waste regulations for the city and state. The environmental justice movement, however, shot into national attention when Warren County, N.C. was selected as a site to dispose of toxic waste. The decision brought forth many protests that lead to over 500 arrests, “marking the first time any Americans had been jailed protesting the placement of waste facility.”

Environmental racism was now front and center on the national stage. The landfill, ultimately, went through the political cycle, but the organization of churches, civil rights protestors, youth, and environmental activists melded the black community together. The efforts of Warren County led to studies produced by such groups. Statistical analysis confirmed that “three of every five Black live in communities with abandoned toxic waste sites.” These instances are only the tip of the iceberg in a long line of environmental atrocities borne by minority communities.

Since then there have been many successes led by the environmental justice movements; decisions in cases that resulted in relocation, government intervention, and million dollar court settlements. The Bush administration had curbed some of this progress. New rules governing air pollution have set back the strides made by the environmental justice movement. In these trying times where clean air is a luxury, it seems that standards have become more lenient when they should have become more stringent. Environment justice should be a right for all, and not just for the upper class of society.

What is environmental justice?

Environmental justice are inequitable environment burdens borne by racial minorities and communities and those of low socioeconomic status. These people and communities often are treated unfairly as their environment is compromised by decision makers who may designate their neighborhoods for disposal of waste and pollutants which prove harmful to those living within the area. 

Bullard, Robert D. “Environmental Justice for All.” Sources: Selection in Environmental Studies. Ed.                 Thomas Easton. United States, 2014. 170-172.

A Summary of Colborn, Dumanoski, and Myer’s “Our Stolen Future”

Rachel Carson launched the environmental movement and her message is a “guiding belief among environmentalists, wildlife biologists, and others who recognize two fundamental realities—our shared evolutionary inheritance and our shared environment.” The natural processes that govern our biology, our endocrine system, has been relatively unchanged in our evolution as a species—nearly hundreds of millions of years. Variation among living organisms find ingenious solutions to carry on and pass genes, but the formula remains the same. What makes us unique is miniscule in the grand scheme of things.

We share a common environment with all living things as well as a common ancestor. Although mankind has shaped the environments in ways unimaginable to those in the past, we still rely on natural systems when continuing down our trodden path. They may seem less familiar than the systems of wildlife for an eagle or an otter, but we are “no less deeply implicated in life’s web.”

The exposure in the last half century to persistent chemicals have conveyed this interconnectedness with all living things. All over the world, from the biggest species to the small, we have all, in some way, accumulated a buildup of POPs through our body fat. We partake in a shared contamination, and “there is little reason to expect that humans will in the long term have a separate fate.” There are, however, skeptics, that suggest that results of animal testing do not pose a threat to humans. Although our understanding of cancer is lacking when it comes to the basic mechanisms that induce the disease, we have conclusive data of the mechanisms and actions of hormones.

One example of this is the transferring of chemical substance called diethylstilbestrol (DES) in studies of pregnant women: laboratory experiments have confirmed the existence of DES in the children of women who had consumed the drug during the gestation period. The studies of endocrine disrupters are still in the infancy stage, and as a result, the “extent of the threat is far from complete.” The studies as a whole, however, suggests evidence that we are not immune to the potential harm caused from the persistent pollutants.

In 1991, Theo Colburn and Pete Myers formed a conference of scientists from varying fields ranging from anthropology to zoology, and convened together to present what they know about the effect of pollutants on hormones. Together, the evidence is compelling—and pose a harm to humanity and wildlife. We may very well be paying the consequences from our exposure to these pollutants; to what extent, time will tell. It will be difficult to assess, but the general consensus is that the contamination is evident. The animal studies provide a sort of blueprint to what might happen if we continue down this path of negligence. They act as the canary in the coal mine, risking their lives to alert us of the dangers these pollutants pose.

What effects are environmental hormone mimics known to have on humans?

Because environmental hormone mimics play a role in influencing the endocrine system and the mechanisms and actions of hormones, there is an increasing frequency of genetic abnormalities of children from mothers who may be exposed to these disruptors during the gestation period. Some abnormalities noted in Colburn’s articles are “undescended testicles, extremely small penises, and hypospadias, a defect in which the urethra that carries urine does not extend to the end of the penis.” These disruptors may produce adverse effects that range from developmental, neurological, and reproductive in humans as well as in wildlife. 

Colborn, Theo, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers. “Our Stolen Future.” Sources:                            Selection in Environmental Studies. Ed. Thomas Easton. United States, 2014. 158-160.