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allyklapak · 5 years ago

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You are what you eat: Unsustainable

Food and water are two of the most fundamental needs of mankind. In order to adequately fulfill this vital need, the land and the water sources which accommodate these must receive proper care. However, unsustainable human practices constantly jeopardize the health of these biomes which consequently poses a great risk for the existing ecosystems and they habitant, including humanity. The agriculture and aquaculture industries are largely exploited for economic benefit and are strong examples of short term gain that results in sometimes irreversible environmental ramifications. While the more imminent repercussions are already evident in the dwindling populations of many important sea creatures and flora variety, an expanded analysis of the interconnected nature between life and the environment demonstrated the negative effects humanity will face.

While the majority of the ocean and its depth remain vastly unknown to mankind, the areas we have touched have greatly perished under our hand. The degradation faced by these aquatic ecosystems can be directly attributed to mankind's unsustainable habits. To put the scale of this issue into perspective, according to ecologist Douglass J. McCauley, "'oceans are facing a major extinction event."[^1] The situation must be in a dire state to warrant such designation as an extinction event. Developing a comprehensive view of all of the issues at hand, should lead to a widespread desire for action and reform that is necessary to inspire true change and potentially reverse the demise of all sustaining life beneath the water.

Humans have both a direct and indirect impact on the ecosystems of the oceans. Through inland pollution and unsustainable practice in coastal areas, the collateral pollution and climate change touch aquatic life. Pollution can directly run off into water, pouring in harmful chemicals and solid waste. As stated by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), "80% of all ocean pollution… comes from land-based coastal activities."[^2] This statistic directly ascribes the blame for the toxic waste dropped into the oceans to the large populations that inhabit coastal areas. Species that perish often abundantly include algae, which then subsequently must be decomposed, but the process in which this accomplished spends oxygen that is then being deprived from marine life. [^2] Additionally, humanity's unregulated CO2 emissions have sparked a period of climate change, slowly rising atmospheric and subsequently water temperature. Many aquatic organisms are not suited for these warmer climates and therefore die off when they cannot adapt. [^3] For example, coral reefs suffer coral bleaching g when these temperatures force them to expel algae, making these important ecosystems vulnerable to collapse. [^4] Humans also may inadvertently harm sea life through accidentally introducing invasive species to ecosystems such as lionfish. Boats that traverse across the world may unleash harmful microbes and organisms that they had bred or been stored in their ballasts.[^2] This accidental harm can be blamed for "about two-thirds of all fish extinctions in the United States since 1900 and have cause huge economic loss" according t the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [^2]. This exemplifies the massive adverse impact mankind has without even knowing. Propagating this data is imperative to encourage more careful practices to attempt to cut back the impact we make. It is ludicrous that we know the harm that can be done yet often turn a blind eye to it for the sake of profit. This sentiment is equally counterintuitive as the long term economic expense of widespread ocean extinction will drastically outweigh the temporary gains. These aquatic ecosystems are destroyed by the chain reaction of detrimental human activity on land.

The intentional abuse of aquatic life by the fishing industry has also become an issue of great urgency to be addressed during this time were the onset of a mass extinction is in our midst. The fishing industry varies in importance from place to place due to the unique role it plays in different cultures. However, the rise of unsustainable practices are widespread. The root issue exists in the recurring human habit of consuming more than is available at a rate which does not allow adequate time for natural replenishing. In this case, this principle manifests itself in overfishing. There exist fishers to accommodate the commercial demand for fish but man's increased fish print has resulted in, "87% of the world's commercial fisheries have been fully exploited or overfished." [^5] The mass quantities of fish caught by innovative strategies such as trawling, purse-seine fishing, long-lining, and drift-net fishing, have wiped out significant populations inhabiting both the deep and shallow ecosystems of the sea. [^5] This has jeopardized the populations of important predators that maintain order and filter out natural waste such as sharks. [^6] Through decreasing biodiversity, the integrity of an ecosystem is compromised which poses adverse effects to all of the inhabitants and therefore may harm human health and economic interests. Those choosing to cash in on large fishing hauls to not consider the problematic commercial extinction that will ensue when the types of fish that are commonly aught and sold are depleted to the point of extinction and create a whole in the market where no profit can be made. [^5] Although the financial security of this destructive industry is not f utmost concern, this is an important position to underscore as the industry may only be motivated to act if their wallets are at stake.

It is vital that more sustainable practices are adopted for the sake of the population s of the world that rely on fish as their primary source of food, for the life that exists within, and to avoid the negative natural phenomena that would be emerge. The threat is not exclusive to the ocean but also targets freshwater sources and wetlands. It is more complicated to implement legislative protection in oceans due to the uncertain nature of jurisdiction.[^7] The UN has issued various regulations over the years to create reserves and sanctuaries as protective measures, but preventative measures are key as the complicated biodiversity beneath the sea is very difficult to restore artificially. [^7] Nature's resilience is remarkable but it must be given adequate time to heal. The aftermath of marine mass extinction is too alarming to go unheeded. Governments should utilize this common threat on common water as a unifying factor and should cooperatively pass strict law and policy to restrain sales of illegally caught fish and implement regulations on practices that over fish or emit unsustainable amounts of CO2.

While fish primarily feeds those on the coast, majority of the world depends on agriculture for the bulk of their food. The economically driven world of agriculture ultimately harms the land and human habitats which consequently threatens posterity of all people, especially those of low-income. In order to satisfy the demands for a surplus of food, modern nations have utilized developments in irrigation, fertilization, and pesticides to implement industrialized agriculture.[^8] Monocultures are often promoted as they yield high output of a essential crops and facilitate genetic engineering to manipulate produce.[^9] The cost of this practice includes extreme water waste which in turn can over-saturate topsoil as well as encourages the use of toxic pesticides. These pesticides were created with the intention of fending off disease carrying pests, but have adversely bred insects with greater resistance to the chemicals and can be dangerous to human health when consumed. [^10] Organic practices are more sustainable as they use more natural processes and reserves certain legal criteria to be used to market products, which the term natural does not. [^11] Mass farming nonetheless harms the land it exists on as it is often over-tilled and topsoil loses its integrity.[^12] Polluted, eroded, and chemically imbalanced topsoil will not support plant growth.[^12] This point is pertinent as land unfit for plants will become land unfit for humans. If agricultural lands are not cared for, humans will wither starve or suffocate due to the inability to produce adequate food or oxygen providing plants. A daunting thought that alls on the innovators of the world to engineer a new sustainable system to support our planet and its habitants.

Finally, the meat industry encompasses its own array of environmental catastrophes due to harmful and exceedingly wasteful practices to meet the superfluous demand for poultry, beef, and pork in the nation.[^13] Factory farms expends exorbitant amounts of energy and water to feed and slaughter the animals within. [^13] Time means money in business so those in the meat industry have devised a way to grow their livestock in a timely fashion in order to have a greater rate of profit. The chemicals fed to the animals are ultimately consumed by humans and also make the manure produced unusable for fertilizer and sheer waste. [^13] The CO2 emitted by the animals themselves as well as the factories that breed them are catastrophic for the atmosphere and climate. [^13] In additional to the environmental issues, the cruel practices this industry is infamous for should be enough to institute much stricter regulation. It is not so much to ask humans to cut down on their meat intake and while I note the importance of protein in a diet, even small restrictions can make a world of difference to motivate action.

The ethical considerations of this industry imbalance are disconcerting. Malnutrition is an issue that plagues a significant population of the world on a daily basis.[^14] Wealthy nations often trade sustainable practice for high crop yield and therefore high profit. Powerful nations are able to invest in technological advancement which enable these unsustainable systems. It is not right that those that do the least harm suffer the most. We could use or technology and influence to solve the issue of world hunger, but human greed has exacerbated the threat of famine and malnutrition across the world in a sickening way. Through understanding where our food comes form, we may endorse more sustainable practices in our own practices and in fighting for greater change. This is a matter that takes place in the home and if approached with persistence and unity may reach much further.

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Discussion Question: It is often promoted that many people doing many things can make a whole world of difference. In this case can cutting out meat really make such a large impact in industries will continue to produce large amounts and the issue is rooted in the ethics of human's flexibility or restrictions in diet?

Miller Jr, G. Tyler. Living in the environment: an introduction to environmental science. No. Ed. 19. Cengage Learning, 2017. 255

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berniesandersniece · 5 years ago

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Saving Biodiversity: Our Role in Halting Species Extinction and Ecosystem Degradation (Revised)

Olivia Johnson

Severe soil erosion caused by deforestation and overgrazing.1

When evaluating the earth’s current environmental crises, it is evident that humans are the key player in causing ocean acidification, habitat destruction, water and air pollution, rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and the many other problems we force upon the planet’s species and ecosystems. Chapter 9 of Living in the Environment discusses these issues and what must be done to reverse and repair them, specifically regarding species and ecosystem services. The text begins by examining honeybees and their role in one of the earth’s most important ecosystem services: pollination. Since 1980, human activities have caused a dramatic decrease in their populations, especially as our own species’s population rapidly increases; however, bees are not the only species currently under threat from humans. Species are becoming extinct at least 1,000 times faster than the historical rate, which is about one species per year for every one million species on earth.2 This alarmingly high rate has led researchers to believe that the earth is currently experiencing its sixth mass extinction, which will likely severely impair vital ecosystem services and wipe out at least 20-50% of all species on earth within our lifetime. Researchers working on the Living Planet Index, created by the London Zoological Society and the World Wildlife Federation state, “Given the pace and scale of change, we can no longer exclude the possibility of reaching critical tipping points that could abruptly and irreversibly change living conditions on earth.”3 The great diversity of species on earth provide ecosystem and economic services that sustain not only humans, but all other residents of our planet. It is evident that we must try to sustain these wild species, not only because we benefit greatly from them, but also because they too have a right to live on the earth.

A critically endangered white northern rhinoceros killed by a poacher in South Africa.4

The acronym HIPPCO is useful when considering how our harmful actions are currently accelerating species extinction and the degradation of ecosystem services. Consisting of Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Population growth, Pollution, Climate change, and Overexploitation, HIPPCO explains how humans are directly causing the current unnatural rate of species extinction. According to the text, establishing and enforcing national environmental laws and creating and protecting wildlife sanctuaries could provide a solution to sustaining these species. By following the precautionary principle and taking preventative measures to protect the environment instead of constantly cleaning up the messes we have created, we may hope to restore ecosystems and slow the current species extinction rate.

Ways you can prevent extinction of wild species.5

Chapter 10 of Living in the Environment continues the conversation about our role in sustaining biodiversity by discussing ecosystems and the services they provide, specifically terrestrial ecosystems. In the past 8,000 years, human activities have wiped out over 50% of earth’s forests. United Nations environmental bodies have commented on this massive destruction of natural capital, stating, “Unless radical and creative action is taken to conserve the earth’s biodiversity, many local and regional ecosystems that help to support human lives and livelihoods are at risk of collapsing.”6 Currently, unsustainable deforestation and climate change are the primary threats to forest ecosystems, which provide many vital ecosystem services, including reducing soil erosion, purifying air and water, removing carbon from the atmosphere, and supporting energy flow and chemical cycling. These services amount to an estimated minimum of $125 trillion every year, a value far greater than the value of wood and other raw materials they provide. By emphasizing this great economic value, we may hope to better manage and sustain forests without which we could not live. Several steps to achieve this goal include halting government subsidies that encourage deforestation, protecting old-growth forests, improving the management of forest fires, reducing the demand for harvested trees, and planting trees to reestablish forests.7

Map of biological hotspots.8

Forests are not the only ecosystems being severely degraded by human activities. Grasslands, which cover one fourth of the earth’s land surface, are under threat from overgrazing, development, and climate change. Like forests, grasslands provide numerous important ecosystem services including soil formation, erosion control, chemical cycling, and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. The text emphasizes protecting biodiversity hotspots found within these ecosystems is especially important. These pertain to areas, such as Madagascar, rich in highly endangered species found nowhere else on earth that are now extremely threatened by human activities. Only around six percent of the earth’s land is strictly protected from the destructive touch of humanity, which is incredibly concerning as our world continues to sink into environmental collapse.

Ways to protect tropical forests.9

Something I found particularly interesting in Chapter 9 of Living in the Environment was the emphasis placed on invasive species as a global threat to species extinction and environmental degradation. Humans are to blame for introducing nonnative species that end up severely impairing their host ecosystems, but what we fail to realize is that in some ways we are currently acting similarly to an invasive species ourselves. Our population has surged and reaches almost every corner of the world, and with that has brought death and destruction to many species and ecosystems. We currently deplete natural capital at an alarming and unsustainable rate, leaving little to no resources for other species whom we share the earth with. The text states, “A problem can occur when an introduced species does not face the natural predators, competitors, parasites, viruses, bacteria, or fungi that controlled its populations in its native habitat. This can allow some nonnative species to outcompete populations of many native species for food, disrupt ecosystem services, transmit new diseases, and lead to economic losses.”10 Although humans are not necessarily a nonnative species, we are currently behaving as such because we have no natural predator containing our populations and maintaining our resource consumption.

Florence Reed, founder of Sustainable Harvest International.11 235

When considering solutions to this global consumption and destruction epidemic, I believe Florence Reed’s efforts to establish sustainable farming practices serves as a perfect example on how to provide a lasting and impactful solution to these environmental problems we have caused. Inspired by her experience working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama and witnessing agriculture-motivated deforestation on a large scale, Reed founded Sustainable Harvest International in 1997 to educate farmers in developing nations on sustainable agricultural practices. Unlike some aid programs, this does not create a dependence on wealthier nations for resources, but instead empowers and raises people out of poverty. Once taught these growing techniques, farmers can then share them with others, and also earn extra income by selling the surplus of their crop yields. Establishing these types of sustainable practices that encourage consumption of locally produced goods not only stimulates local economies, but also decreases the dependence on other nations for foods that involve highly unsustainable growing, manufacturing, and shipping measures.

Question: In Chapter 10 of Living in the Environment, the text addressed the problem of overgrazing and its threat to grassland ecosystems, but did not mention the key factor driving this destruction. Is the failure by this text and the general public to confront the meat industry and its role in deforestation and ecological degradation only worsening our current environmental crises?

1Miller, G. Tyler. Living in the Environment. S.I.: Cengage Learning, 2020, 228.

2Miller, 193.

3Beats, Geo. “Global Wildlife Population Declined By 50% In Last 40 Years - Video Dailymotion.” Dailymotion. Dailymotion, September 30, 2014. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26ybub.

4Miller, 207.

5Miller, 216.

6Miller, 222.

7Miller, 231.

8Miller, 245.

9Miller, 235.

10Miller, 200.

11Miller, 235.

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fgcu2020 · 5 years ago

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blog 2

Urban or suburban sprawl is when there is uncontrol expansion of urban or suburban areas which is being seen in Florida as we speak. 7 cities show up on the Sierra Club’s list which is not a good thing at all. This list saying that there has to be better development control. If there isn’t better development control, then parts of Florida can look like a megalopolis like the one from New York to Washington D.C. The way the state of Florida dealing with sprawl is buying land so it can protect land that is environmentally sensitive from developers trying to make more sprawl. Sprawl is become a major issue in Orange county that developers are getting close to nearby counties showing how bad the sprawl has gotten which has caused the county to discuss charging fees which are basically taxes. In the city of Fort Lauderdale sprawl has caused the development to reach the edge of the highly sensitive ecosystem of the Everglades that has a water supply. Here in Southwest Florida the population has exploded between 2010 and 2020 in that from what I’ve seen they are clearing away nature in the Golden Gate Estates and making new homes and that will get to the point of creating problems because it’s getting closer to the Everglades itself.

Sprawl has a lot more negative consequences but there is another side of the coin when it comes to this argument. One of them will be that since the land is less expensive people are able to afford bigger homes with a lot more land than the people near the city. Another good consequence of sprawl will be that with having more space for the family and that the population is less densely populated people can feel more that they belong in the area they live in. Those benefits to having a house and having more room has its own sense of consequences. The environment suffers in this because of the city gets more spread out there will be a loss of undeveloped land due the construction of roads and buildings. The positive of being in a city like New York is that you are encouraged to walk or take the train to work while the negative of sprawl in the suburban and rural areas will be more cars are being used which is causing more Co2 pollution to go up in the air due to the distances they have to travel for school, work , church, and parks in the city.

We unfortunately can’t stop from growing or expanding our cities, but there are other ways we can make urban sprawl a positive for the neighborhood or a town near you. Starting with being educated on what sprawl is. People have to be educated on how and why urban sprawl affects them. Without education on how it affects them and their community, no one will ever know. With the education of this knowledge it would prevent thoughtless development. Next you will have to get the community in which urban sprawl can or will take place involved. With the communities support you can make a difference, by voicing concerns that development of sprawl has, the saying “it takes a village,” really applies here. If sprawl was to happen in your community, finding ways that the new development can make living there sustainable that benefit not only the owner but also the society. Community and family owned business can be replaced with those new expansions being made. Also, with expansion the developers can take in the concerns of the community and plan according to these concerns.

One of the most recommended ways to make sprawl a positive, is to make the buildings that are being developed into mixed-use buildings. Mixed-use is a building that you would commonly see in major cities like New York, Atlanta, etc., with these buildings you will be able to have a business which the people in the area can go to such as a doctors office. Also a place where they would be able to live, then a store in which food can be purchased. With a mixed-use building you will be able to condense the surplus of unnecessary buildings. Lastly, finding ways in which the buildings you are developing can also be used for sustainable living. Such as implementing solar panels to the buildings where sprawl is occurring so there is a reduction in the use of electricity in that area. Making sure the area in which development is being made is growth friendly. Which means you can add plants, fruits, etc, for a more eco-friendly community. Sprawl can have a negative affect to the community but if there are policies, community involvement, and education on what sprawl is then it wouldn’t have to have a negative effect.

Urban sprawl not only affects us here in Florida, but it also affects other countries as well. In certain countries such as Australia where there is a lot of land and a need for a car to get around emits more air pollution then what is necessary. In such countries as Australia urban sprawl is even worse due to the habitats in which construction is destroying. This doesn’t have just an effect on humans, but the living conditions of the animals. As Urban sprawl continues to grow, it runs the risk of affecting climate change, health and infrastructure. We as the people of not only our community but of the world, need to take a more affect approach and get involved in our communities, make people aware what urban sprawl is. It doesn’t have to be something that happens overnight, but major changes have to take place, to help out our planet. Never stop making it a concern, because it doesn’t just concern you, it concerns everyone. I would like to continue to have this planet thriving even as I get older, also for my future grandkids, and to do that it takes you to help.Don’t wait to be the change.

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habistore · 4 months ago

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Habitat for humanity surplus store

Looking for incredible bargains while supporting a great cause? At HabiStore, our Habitat for Humanity surplus store, you'll find unbeatable deals on building materials and home essentials. Each purchase helps build homes and strengthen communities. Shop with us and turn your home projects into a powerful act of generosity!

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zellytaylorphotography · 4 years ago

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Environmental Ezine Research, Themes

Recycling “ Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products”

I am a very big advocate of Recycling. Recycling means that most of our household waste will avoid the landfills, and will instead be turned into new products. According to the website ‘recyclingbins.co.uk’, on average there is 26million tonnes of household waste created each year in the UK, and of that figure, only 12million tonnes of that waste is recycled. The British Government set a goal of having 50% of household waste recycled by 2020. This goal has failed at only 43% of our waste currently being recycled.

Climate Change

“Climate change is a change in the usual weather found in a place. This could be a change in how much rain a place usually gets in a year. Or it could be a change in a place's usual temperature for a month or season.”

We are currently living with the very real consequences of climate change. The most recent example in the news being the deep freeze that was experienced in Texas, which resulted in many households loosing power and water for long periods of time. Our Summers are getting hotter and our Winters are getting colder. This can have a great effect on our habitats, and alter the ecological balances which allow plants and animals to grow and thrive. The Polar Icecaps are melting at an alarming rate, causing sea levels to rise.

Poverty

“Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living“

People living in poverty are more likely to have a wide range of health problems, both mental and physical.

They don’t have enough money to pay for good nutritious meals, and there have been instances of many parents living in poverty opting to skip meals entirely just to make sure they have enough to feed their children. Food is usually the first thing that families start cutting back on when they begin to fall into poverty.

They can’t afford to pay the fuel bills and rent for their housing, and housing is generally in a poor state of repair. Even with housing benefits, the rising costs of renting housing make it difficult to stay out of rent arrears. Even if one person in the household has a job, they are generally not meeting a real living wage.

For people living in poverty, they have to account for every penny leaving their purses and there is never enough to cover the expenses of social activities and events, which can lead to feeling social isolation. Friends and Family may see this as them withdrawing and not wanting to engage.

Children born into poverty are more likely to experience bullying in school, due to the type of clothing they’re having to wear, or the lack of up to date technology. Their education suffers due to a poor mental state, they don’t achieve good grades, they struggle to get into higher education, and in turn they struggle to find or maintain any work late in life. And it becomes a vicious cycle where their own children as born into poverty as a result.

Fast Fashion

“Fast fashion makes shopping for clothes more affordable, but it comes at an environmental cost.“

“Fast Fashion” is a term used to refer to the cheap and rapid production of clothing, often sold at low prices, created purely to mimic and capitalise on rapidly changing catwalk trends.

Fashion Production currently accounts for 10% of humanities carbon emissions, and consumes 1.5 trillion litres of water annually. 85% of all textiles end up in landfill, and because these textiles are so cheaply made, they are non-biodegradable and will remain in these landfills for years to come. Textile dying is a huge source of pollution of sources, as leftover water from the dying process are dumped into streams and rivers. Even washing these “fast fashion” garments results in water pollution from micro plastic particles being released into the oceans.

Food Waste “It’s all too easy to ignore the rotten fruits and vegetables that line our bins. But the truth is, our actions cause a reaction. Wasting food has ethical and financial implications as well as causing enormous environmental issues.”

In the UK, we waste on average 7 million tonnes of edible food each year. This food waste makes it’s way into landfills, where it will produce harmful methane gas as it decomposes. Food waste doesn’t just happen in the home, it can start as far back as the crops that farmers produce for these products. Farmer plant more crops than needed to account for any potential adverse weather condition, and are often left with a surplus if these weather conditions have been favourable to them.

Food Waste is a huge source of water waste, as water is needed to grow and cultivate crops, and feed live stock It is also a source of fuel waste, as oils and fossil fuels are required to harvest, transport, store and cook all this food. The consumption of this fuel also contribute to the greenhouse effect with the release of harmful gasses.

#inspiration

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holytheoristtastemaker · 5 years ago

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Could the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic further consolidate surveillance capitalist practices and enterprises? Author Shoshana Zuboff warns Computer Weekly it is possible When the dot com bubble burst in April 2000, the business environment of Silicon Valley went into a tailspin. Startups with massive valuations were suddenly shuttered, while shell-shocked venture capitalists began to panic about whether they would see returns on their investments in surviving businesses.

One such enterprise was Google, which was incorporated just two years before, and where revenues at the time primarily depended on licensing deals for web services.

Initially, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin vehemently opposed the idea of advertising funded search engines, which they condemned as “inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of consumers”.

Shoshana Zuboff, author of The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power and a professor emerita at Harvard Business School, argues it was only when the bubble burst and pressure from investors began to mount that Google discovered its servers were full of behaviourally rich data.

“The data was considered just waste material. It was only in the heat of emergency they discovered these digital traces, which they had thought were worthless, were actually full of rich predictive signals,” Zuboff tells Computer Weekly.

Previously, data was only used to improve the quality of search results, but anything beyond the data needed for these improvements constituted a “surplus”, which signalled to Google how people were behaving.

This behavioural data surplus could then be used for targeting advertising to individual users, and allowed Google to make increasingly accurate predictions about how its users would behave.

This, in turn, improved the profitability of adverts for both Google and its business customers.

“It was on the back of those data streams – data that we did not even know that we were producing, and we did not know that they were taking – that they could create a trillion-dollar empire,” says Zuboff.

“The problem is that all this knowledge is about us, but it is not for us. It’s used to fabricate predictions of our behaviour that are sold to business customers”

Shoshana Zuboff, author and professor

“You take something from someone without their knowledge, claim you own it, and then use it to become unprecedentedly wealthy; lay that out for a child and they would say, ‘Oh, you mean they stole it’,” she says. “This is the original sin that made surveillance capitalism possible. The economics depend upon keeping data flowing. That’s why they don’t care if an ad, article or video is true or false, as long as it engages users and keeps their data supply chains full.”

Zuboff adds that we are now in a situation where surveillance capitalist enterprises, including Google, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and others, are sitting on “configurations of knowledge about individuals, groups and society that are unprecedented in human history”.

“The problem is that all this knowledge is about us, but it is not for us. It’s used to fabricate predictions of our behaviour that are sold to business customers. This began with online targeted ad markets, but now has migrated throughout the ‘normal’ economy,” she says.

“Instead of democratisation of knowledge, we have extreme asymmetry of knowledge. We thought we would now have access to proprietary knowledge, but just the opposite has happened – proprietary knowledge, owned and operated by these companies, now has complete access to us, without resistance or friction, because we don't even know it’s happening.”

It is this logic – the claiming of human experience as free raw material for translation into behavioural data, and in turn its commodification into ‘behavioural products’ to be sold in ‘predictive futures markets’ – that Zuboff says constitutes surveillance capitalism.

Far from being a passive development, Zuboff describes the practice of surveillance capitalism as “a direct assault on human autonomy”.

“That knowledge turns into power, just as in engineering monitoring capabilities lead to actuation capabilities – the more I know about you, the more I can intervene with your behaviour and shape it in ways that make it more predictable. These interventions are subtle and designed to bypass your awareness. It also means that this growing power is completely unaccountable,” she says, adding that without awareness, which is the basis of human autonomy, people cannot have meaningful agency or choice.

“If you don’t have autonomy and agency and so forth, forget about democracy. Surveillance capitalism is an economic logic that is fundamentally anti-democratic, both at the level of the individual and the larger societal framework – as democracy is weakened, surveillance capitalists aim to fill the void with their own form of ‘computational governance’ in which we are ruled by algorithms under the aegis of private capital.”

‘Business as usual’ for surveillance capitalists

Now, as the world grapples with a global pandemic and people are spending more time than ever living and working in the digital milieu, surveillance capitalists are poised to further expand their supply chains in what Zuboff calls an “extraordinary boon doggle”.

“While it is a crisis for all of us, it is something like business as usual for surveillance capitalists, in the sense that it is an opportunity to, possibly, significantly enhance their behavioural data supply chains,” she says, adding that Google has long been looking to establish a beachhead in health data (see box: Google’s push for health data), mainly through various partnerships and acquisitions.

Google’s push for health data

Google has previously landed in hot water over the transfer of medical data when, in 2017, the transfer of 1.6 million patient records from the Royal Free Hospital in London to its artificial intelligence firm DeepMind Health was found to have an “inappropriate legal basis”.

In November 2019, it was also reported by the Wall Street Journal that the personal medical data of more than 50 million Americans was being transferred from Ascension, the US’s second largest healthcare provider, to Google, where staff could easily access the full set of personal details.

The report noted that Amazon, Apple and Microsoft were also “aggressively pushing into healthcare”, though they were yet to strike deals of the same scale.

Even as recently as January 2020 it came to light that Google offered Cerner, a health data company responsible for one of the largest collections of global patient data, around $250m in discounts and incentives to store its data on Google servers.

However, the company backed out as it was not convinced that Google would not try to commercialise the data at some point down the line, as Facebook ended up doing with the WhatsApp data it had pledged to keep separate.

“For a company like Google, creating contact-tracing applications in partnership with Apple or the many other ways in which it wants to lend its resources for disease tracking and containment, the great likelihood is that these become institutionalised as new supply chains for Google,” says Zuboff, adding that a company’s past activity is a good indicator of how it will behave in the future.

“We know that the surveillance capitalist’s already historic lobbying machine has been out there using this crisis to try and consolidate huge gains for these companies, including trying to get California to postpone enforcement of its new state-wide privacy rules until 2021,” she says.

“We’ve even seen former Google CEO Eric Schmidt quoted as saying the coronavirus pandemic will make big tech even bigger. He’s not saying maybe, he’s saying it will – they are confident about this.”

Surveillance capitalism’s second state of exceptionalism

While the economic logic represented by surveillance capitalism was born in the first few months of the new millennium, Zuboff argues it was not until after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that it really started to take root.

At this point, elected officials, who only months before were discussing how to regulate the emerging internet sector, became very interested in allowing private companies such as Google to develop these still early surveillance capabilities.

“There were some comprehensive proposals for federal privacy legislation. All of that changed with 9/11, ‘total information awareness’ became the new obsession,” says Zuboff.

“The idea was we’ll let these surveillance capabilities develop in the young internet companies because we're going to need them and, at least in the United States, you can do things in a private company outside of constitutional constraints, whereas even our intelligence agencies ultimately are held to account by our Constitution and the rule of law, as much as they may try to play with that boundary.”

Zuboff dubs the shared interests of governments and private companies in these information-intensive surveillance capabilities an “elective affinity”. The development of this affinity was aided by the specific historical conditions of the dot com bubble and 9/11, which provided a “state of exception” for the new market form of surveillance capitalism to grow and evolve.

“Both institutions craved certainty and were determined to fulfil that craving in their respective domains at any price,” Zuboff writes in the book. “These elective affinities sustained surveillance exceptionalism and contributed to the fertile habitat in which the surveillance capitalism mutation would be nurtured to prosperity.”

Now, the “boon doggle” of Covid-19 represents a second state of exception for surveillance capitalists.

In mid-March for example, the UK’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, invited more than 30 technology companies – including Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, DeepMind and controversial surveillance-as-a-service firm Palantir – to Downing Street in an attempt to commandeer their resources in the fight against Covid-19.

Leading scientists in the UK also urged these companies to “invest in society” by sharing their data with government and researchers.

“Digital data from billions of mobile phones and footprints from web searches and social media remain largely inaccessible to researchers and governments. These data could support community surveillance, contact tracing, social mobilisation, health promotion, communication with the public and evaluation of public health interventions,” they wrote.

On 26 March, the BBC reported that Amazon, Microsoft, Palantir and Faculty (the artificial intelligence firm hired by Vote Leave) had already struck deals with the NHS to pull together its disparate data and the data its partners hold.

On top of this, a notice from health secretary Matt Hancock, which was signed on 20 March but has only become public since 1 April, provides legal backing for the NHS to set aside its duty of confidentiality in data-sharing arrangements.

Dubbed the Covid-19 Purpose, the new data-sharing agreement means NHS organisations and GPs can share any and all patient data with any organisation they like, so long as it’s for the purpose of fighting the coronavirus outbreak.

“We’re at an impasse now – we’re meeting this crisis at a time when we don’t have all the pieces in place that would allow us to trust such technology application and their complete dedication to public health objectives, because they remain in the unregulated, lawless space of private surveillance capital,” says Zuboff.

“We’re dependent on their word to say, ‘Of course we won’t collect more than is required for public health, of course we won’t use the data to identify people, of course we’re going to delete it when we’re past the pandemic’, so we’re back to self-regulation when we already know self-regulation doesn’t work – just in the same way Facebook bought WhatsApp and said [it would] keep it a separate company.”

According to research by digital security firm Surfshark, 60% of contact-tracing apps around the globe are unclear about what they track, do not provide terms and conditions upfront, or use intrusive methods, such as surveillance camera footage, to keep tabs on users.

Only four in ten were also identified as being developed by, or with the help of, non-governmental bodies or private companies.

Therefore, while surveillance capitalists have been busy expanding their supply chains, governments have been expanding their own surveillance apparatus too.

The expansion of state surveillance

For example, in the UK, the emergency Coronavirus Act relaxed restrictions on mass surveillance in the Investigator Powers Act 2016 and expanded police detainment powers.

Of the UK’s 43 police forces, at least 26 have also set up dedicated online portals so people can report those breaking lockdown rules.

Although police claim they will only respond to the most serious incidents, and that the primary reason is to take pressure off the 101 non-emergency police number, the portals give these forces access to lots of new data which could be used for controversial “predictive policing” efforts that mainly target poor and racialised communities.

The UK is not alone, however, as governments and public bodies around the world have rushed to adopt new surveillance systems, ranging from dragnet monitoring systems and the collection of real-time location data, to the deployment of facial recognition and thermal cameras.

“In the coming decade, we need to create new democratic institutions, laws and regulatory paradigms that assert democratic governance over surveillance capitalism’s unaccountable power. This is the only way to ensure that data and AI serve society and democracy”

Shoshana Zuboff, author and professor

In France, for example, the Ministry of the Interior put a tender out for the acquisition of some 650 surveillance drones, which would effectively double its current fleet, while in Baltimore in the US, the police department has started testing an aerial photography system capable of tracking the city’s 600,000 inhabitants.

Similar efforts to either digitally or physically survey those suspected of infection or breaking government lockdown rules are in place all over the world, including in Spain, Australia, India, Belgium, Argentina, Russia and China, among many others.

“What we don’t have now is a sufficiently complex set of laws that would allow us to meet these challenges of the digital,” says Zuboff. “In the coming decade, we need to create new democratic institutions, laws and regulatory paradigms that assert democratic governance over surveillance capitalism’s unaccountable power. This is the only way we can ensure that data and artificial intelligence serve society and democracy.”

She adds that it is much easier to expand surveillance powers than it is to curtail them once made, pointing to the fact that US Congress has only just started to roll back elements of the Patriot Act, a sweeping piece of emergency anti-terrorism legislation rushed into law after 9/11 that expanded US surveillance powers, after 20 years.

“Anything that is proposed must come with its own self-destruct measures that are codified in law,” insists Zuboff.

Optimism over despair?

Despite the opportunity Covid-19 represents for surveillance capitalists and the risks posed by increased state surveillance, Zuboff maintains that nothing about the future is inevitable.

“It depends on us. It depends on every single person who reads what you write and the conversations they have within their communities. It depends on the new forms of collective action, social movements, it depends on demanding new laws, new institutions from our elected officials,” she says.

“That’s not going to happen overnight, but this is the decade in which we have to do it.”

Zuboff says a sea change has already occurred over the past few years regarding the business practices of surveillance capitalists, largely thanks to revelations such as those about Cambridge Analytica and other surveillance capitalists, which means we are now having conversations that five to ten years ago would have been impossible.

“In November of last year, Pew Research did a survey in the US, where 81% of Americans said that the cost of private companies’ data collection outweighed the benefits, so there are very significant ways in which we are no longer naïve – people are raising these questions and have substantial misgivings,” she says.

“That suggests we’re at a place in our history where it’s finally the time to invent the laws, the institutional forms, that are going to allow us to approach the digital future in a way that is compatible with democracy.”

Zuboff concludes that the fight against surveillance capitalism is a problem of collective action: “We need new social movements, we need new forms of social solidarity. Lawmakers need to feel our pressure at their backs.

“In the end, we’re not talking about bad people, we’re talking about an economic logic that is solely responsible for trillion-dollar market capitalisations. It has its iron laws. Now that we have begun to understand surveillance capitalism and its real threats to our future, shame on us if we don’t look at that, scrutinise it, and understand what it means for the future if we give them free run.”

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annarbrandt · 6 years ago

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How to Get the Perfect Appliances for Your Home — For Less

When you’re designing your dream kitchen, your focus is probably on the aesthetic details like backsplashes, countertops, cabinets and flooring. But no matter how beautiful the space may be, it still needs to be functional, and you still need to include appliances!

Photos via: Style Blueprint

Since installing inexpensive, basic appliances isn’t likely to match your vision, you’ll need to find stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers and other appliances that are both functional and attractive.

It’s easy to get carried away when choosing appliances, with some high-end models of ovens and refrigerators carrying price tags well over $10,000. Even if you aren’t looking to become the next gourmet cooking superstar, good-quality appliances can still run you well into the thousands of dollars. But don’t fear. You can still have top-of-the-line appliances or find the perfect pieces for your kitchen design without breaking the bank. It might require a little detective work and in some cases some haggling, but it is possible to find the perfect discount appliances without settling.

Buy Used

As with many things, buying appliances second-hand can save you a great deal of money and allow you to get more for your money. Buying used doesn’t mean you have to settle for a stove that only has one working burner, either. By doing some legwork, you can find high-end (read: those $10,000 stoves) for less than half price.

Some of the obvious places to find used appliances are eBay and Craigslist, as well as local marketplaces on social media. Focus on sellers that are located near you since shipping isn’t always practical, and ask plenty of questions about the item before you buy. Keep in mind that a high-end appliance (like a Viking or Wolf range or a Subzero refrigerator) that needs a tune up or a couple of parts might still be a better deal than buying new. Online marketplaces are also a good place to look for inexpensive vintage pieces. Some appliance manufacturers offer replicas of classic models from the past, which is a viable option if you want the look of vintage without having to worry about whether it works or not, but if you want a real stove from the 1920s or –‘30s, you can find them here for surprisingly low prices.

Another option for quality used appliances is a place like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, which might have appliances available on the cheap. The proceeds from sales here go toward building low-income housing. Check your area for companies that do green renovations as well. Some work with local thrift stores or operate their own warehouses to sell appliances and other salvageable pieces from their projects. And finally, don’t overlook surplus and salvage stores. They may not be fancy, but you might be able to find appliances that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford at rock-bottom prices. They might have a ding or a scratch here and there, but to save thousands of dollars, you might be willing to overlook it.

Shop at the Right Time

Although most appliance stores offer specials and sales throughout the year, and you can often find great deals just by shopping around, there are a few times when you have a better chance of scoring deeply discounted items. Most appliance manufacturers roll out new models in the fall, and stores heavily discount the previous models, which typically aren’t any different. Shopping around the end of the year can also reap big rewards, as retailers are even more committed to cleaning out old inventory. If you don’t have a specific brand or model in mind, you can find exceptional bargains on floor models, unsold inventory and even appliances that were purchased and returned. Other times to shop for deals include holiday weekends and Black Friday, when retailers offer deeper discounts.

You can also save big bucks on your appliances by enrolling in a discount program, such as that offered via a home warranty. With a discount card, you can potentially save up to $2,000 on the purchase of new appliances and have peace of mind that you’re covered if they have problems.

Regardless of the cost of your appliances and what brand names they have, carefully evaluate the different options before purchasing. Don’t pay for features you don’t need; just because an appliance has a feature doesn’t mean it’s useful. Be realistic about your needs, and focus on getting the best quality you can afford. When you do, you’ll have both a beautiful kitchen and some extra money in your wallet.

The post How to Get the Perfect Appliances for Your Home — For Less appeared first on BetterDecoratingBible.

How to Get the Perfect Appliances for Your Home — For Less published first on betterdecoratingbible.com

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allyklapak · 5 years ago

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Final Submission (midterm-Present)

You are what you eat: Unsustainable

The Truth is in the Soil

The United States food industry has wreaked havoc on the land, the environment, the economy, and the health and posterity of the public almost undetectably for years. This truth is obscured from the public through crafty legislation, oppressive corporate manipulation, and exploitation our country’s socioeconomic disparity. Often those in the agriculture business are forced to turn to unsustainable practices in order to turn a profit in the increasingly competitive market. Through harmful farming practices, the soil layer that encompasses the planet and fundamentally supports life on Earth, undergoes constant abuse nearing its irreversible tipping point. The importance of soil must be analyzed to underscore the necessity of agricultural reform. The complicated political interconnectedness then raises further questions into the ethicality of corporate practice in other areas of the food industry. Ignorance may seem like bliss, but exposure to these uncomfortable truths is pertinent to wage an informed usurpation in this specialized market.

Soil is rarely recognized for the crucial role it plays in supporting the ecosystems of the world. Rarely do humans look down and contemplate the origins of such a vital resource. Soil primarily forms by way of glacial, wind, or water erosion picking up nutrients and mixing the elements to create a paradrill basis for new soil. [15] This new soil often partakes in the cyclical life of plants which provides support for growing specimen then subsequently takes in minerals from the decomposed plant matter after they die. [15] The biodiversity that exists beneath the soil’s surface varies between the broad spectrum of soils types that exist. [15] Depending on the geographical surroundings and age, soil may be characterized in one of many groups including entisol (baby soil), aridsol (desert soil), mollisol, alfisol (forest soil). [15] Evidently, the United States possesses the latter two in greater supply than other parts of the world. [15] However, our ill-fated agricultural practices squander this fortunate advantage we possess. In a broader sense, soil serves as an “Interface between biology and geology”. [15] This remarkable attribute is how soils contribute to the living work in a more profound way than just being dirt beneath out feet. This underground realm is home to a variety of bacteria that facilitate processes such as photosynthesis and chemical breakdown for plants. [15] Not only do these microscopic organisms break down chemicals into a usable form for plants, but they also serve humans through processing chemicals we cannot. [15] For example, life that exists within soil allow for oxidation reduction, mine phosphorus from rocks into the only usable form for humans, and can convert nitrogen into the usable form in the roots of plants. [15] The presence of these microorganisms and their pivotal role in the delicate chemical cycles of our ecosystem prove their invaluable nature. [15] There is no substitute for these indispensable habitants of the soils is we must foster their stable population by protecting the health of the soil in which they exist. Without proper hydration and movement, soils may not breed these necessary living members and the entire system is disrupted.

The pertinence of soil is more evident in the sense of agriculture and food production. To successfully grow a healthy harvest, your seeds must have a healthy soil to grow from. This is a more short-term presentation of the effects of soil quality and provide more influence due to the economic implications that may be associated. Present practices have taking to growing a less diverse assortment of crop in order to fulfill the demand of high output stable crops like corn and wheat. [15] However, this strips the earth of an important biodiversity and has historically contributed to the rise of soil depleting practices for the sake of efficiency. [15] Implementation of fertilizer has enables companies to depend on spraying their land with chemicals to deter pests that may threaten the crop yield. [15] These nitrogen rich fertilizers were engineered subsequent to the Haber and Bosch reactions in regards to WWII bombs. [15] Fertilizers have come to dominate the agricultural practices of the Unites States and often lead to over saturated nitrogen levels in soil which disrupts the natural carbon dioxide breakdown system. [15] The industrialization of farming techniques, known as the Green revolution, enhanced the use of fossil fuels, water, and mechanization in agriculture. [15] Irrigation methods have drowned soil and exacerbated the issue of erosion which has cost farmers 1/3 of their soil. [15] Plowing soil makes the physical erosion of soil worse and does not replicate the benefits of tilling soil. [15] Most importantly, these modern practices do not adhere to the Law of Return which requires humans to return what they have taken in order to maintain a balanced system. [15] Abandonment of this key principle underscores the detrimental influence of capitalism. Farmers will over harvest and be in a nutrient deficit as they are reluctant to return anything back to the Earth. When you take away crop output, the soil loses all of the energy that has been transformed within those crops and the fast turnaround times demanded by the competitive market do not allow for the soil to naturally replenish these important features. This is highly counterintuitive as for the sake of efficiency, stripping the soil of what it needs to produce hearty crops will hurt the farmer in the long Run. Their soil will continue to weaken and more money will be poured into bandage the issues with more fertilizers, chemicals, and machines rather than reverting to return techniques that will actually restore the soil. Less effective soil produces a lower quality crop and traps the farmer into a catch-up cycle that can only end in economic and environmental failure. I volunteered at farm for three summers and saw these concepts applied in real life. The tiny suburban farm had utilized these harmful practices for decades and were finally facing the negative results. The soil was nearly unusable and the property changed hands several times before someone was willing to take on the task of revitalizing the soil to produce a profitable harvest. The summers I volunteered, shocked me as I would see the farm stand import produce as we could not grow our own. As disheartening as this was, this a necessary lesson to be learned and I warn the agricultural industry to make adjustments while they still can to avoid this costly and long period of regrowth.

The greater food industry is riddled with similar environmentally negligent practices with repercussions that hurt not only long-term business interests but also the health and safety of the consumer. A handful of corporations possess a monopoly on agriculture and the meat industry. They are able to use this economic dominance to cut corners, buy the silence of their workers and legislative exemptions for the sake of efficiency. This is most prominent in the meat industry, where the cruel customs of these corporations require animals to be brought up in mass quantity like a factory. Corporations manipulate workers into silence by coercing them into an inescapable debt. [16] This unethical habit of holding someone’s livelihood over their head to force cooperation should be banned through legislation, but often legislatures are in the pockets of the CEOs responsible. [16] I find it disgusting how these companies are able to exacerbate the economic class divides within the United States by oppressing their own workers. Additionally, these companies source impoverished immigrants to do the unethical work they prefer to keep under wraps so that they can use documentation status as a coercive device. [16] Manipulation of society does not end within the company but seeps into the mouths of consumers. By enforcing cheap practices that often exploit the use if easily available crop supplies like corn, companies have modified foods to sell to the American public. [16] Unsustainable methods are cheaper in the short term due to their efficiency so the struggling middle and lower classes face little choice but to opt for these cheap and readily available options rather than spend larger percentages of needed income on healthier alternatives.

Is it murder or suicide? How unsustainable societal and corporate practices threaten our lives.

The downfall of humanity may come by way of a variety of methods, whether that be catastrophic natural disaster, irreversible degradations of vital resources, or widespread disease facilitates by humanities poor practices and unstable political, environmental, and socioeconomic state. Scientists have been engaged in this discourse on the end of the world as we know if for years as our climate imminently reaches its breaking point. However, recently, the rest of the world has been thrown into this realm of petrifying chaos and uncertainty as we as a collective humanity face a pandemic that threatens all that we love. It is more important than ever to understand the connections between human behavior and its potentially adverse effects on our well-being. Through comprehension of the casuistic relationship between our actions and the rise of disease, we can be better prepared to confront or hopefully prevent future outbreaks. Environmentalists have always injected necessary urgency in their pleas for change, but now the world may finally understand this pervasive feeling of impending doom.

Each day, humans take risks both consciously and unconsciously which can be categorizes into five major groups: biological, chemical, natural, cultural, and lifestyle choices.[17] I argue that each of these are in our control to some degree. The world is comprised of an intricate web of cause and effect relationships. Biohazards can be attributed in part to both natural and human activity. These threats cultivate as transmissible or nontransmissible diseases depending on their origin and status as viral or bacterial.[18] Biohazards are particularly dangerous as their ability to spread may threaten lives on an epidemic or even globally, pandemic, scale.[18] Humans play a role in this threat as scientists have ascertained that more than “half of all infectious diseases were originally transmitted to humans from wild or domesticated animals.” [19] Ecological medicine traces these connections to properly assess the parts humans play in these cases.[20] These issues further highlight the issues that arise from the disproportionalities between developed and less developed nations. For example, impoverished peoples are more at risk of consuming bush meat or soiled water that may carry disease and subsequently do not have access to the necessary healthcare for testing and treatments. Those that cannot afford vaccinations are vulnerable to diseases that many modern nations are able to safeguard against. Working to address and limit these disparities is vital to mitigate the threat of contagious diseases. This is more critical than ever as we face a ubiquitous threat of COVID-19 which began through human consumption of a wild animal and has induced mass chaos. The text eerily predicts our current state as it explains how viral disease is “so easily transmitted that and especially potent flu virus could kill millions of people in only a few months.” [21] This is the reality we face. It is important to recognize how pivotal human response is to the course of events that have and will continue to unfold. Humans have the power to contribute to an overall healthier world with less contaminated resources and practicing responsible health practices when possible to therefore decreases the universal threat of disease.

While infectious disease carries with it an immediate and all-encompassing threat, human health may also be threatened by toxic threats such as carcinogens, mutagens, and teratogens causing cancers, mutations, and birth defects respectively.[22] The study of these chemicals and their ability to cause injury, known as toxicology, has traced certain connections between adverse health conditions, specific chemicals, and the products in which they are found.[23] Even substances that are negligible in small dosages may become lethal as, “any synthetic or natural chemical can be harmful if ingested or inhaled in a large enough quantity.”[23] Anything in excess may have adverse effects and it is particularly dangerous when the public is unaware of the harmful things they are exposed to, such as pesticides and air pollutants. Human activity comes into play as we are the ones to implement these chemicals into our environment, sometimes inadvertently. Impositions and violations of human health is grossly negligent on the part of companies that oversee the continues use of harmful chemicals. Due to the shortcomings of our self-interested government, public outrage and widespread outcry is the only way to motivate stricter regulations.

Humans threaten the health of our environment and thus ourselves by mishandling of waste. Excessive consumer habits have produced exorbitant accumulation of solid waste labeled either industrial or municipal.[24] The ineffective techniques used to contain waste often leads to pollution of land and water sources. The United States leads in the amount of waste we produce. [25] The specific quantitative estimates of waste are often conveyed through absurd yet accurate visualizations. For example, we use enough water bottles to reach the moon and back 6 times.[25] It is even more concerning that the U.S. is the largest producer of hazardous waste.[26] Our misuse of this waste ultimately adversely impacts ecosystems and the resources we need. There exist many options for disposal of waste but understandably, minimizing waste through reduce, reuse, and recycle practices are the best preventative strategies.[27] Waste management and waste reduction work cooperatively in integrated waste management which combines the efforts to minimize harmful effects.[27] The more detrimental disposal methods include burning and burying waste in often faulty systems which become particularly precarious when dealing with hazardous waste. Companies may detoxify this waste through physical, chemical, biological, phytoremediation, plasma gasification methods, but these may be costly or release toxins into the atmosphere.[28] Storage methods are similarly imperfect and may still lead to subsequent pollution of surrounding land.[28] Government regulation and law is vital for discouraging poor waste management but is often hindered by the clouded economic interests of those in power. Alternatively, promoting recycling practices through innovative new trends can allow this movement of waste reduction to gain traction. Additionally, states can follow suit of others who have instituted incentives to encourage recycling of paper, plastics, and metals. However, the most effective vehicle for change would be a revolutionary drive to reinvent the industry. By implementing more cradle to cradle designs because “the key to shifting from a disposable economy is to design for it.” [29] I believe that this is an achievable goal with framed in respect to economic gain. I understand that hesitation arises from those who do not want to spend more in the short term to save in the long term, but it seems as if the trend to make this switch has become. If each person strove to minimize their waste consumption the issue of waste disposal would be significantly more approachable. It is frustrating that companies will not switch their own designs as it then requires society to put in a discouraging amount of effort to adopt sustainability. This primarily comes from the publics place of blissful ignorance and refusal to take responsibility for the mess we so clearly made.

The way we deal with issues is largely contingent on risk. Things that humans perceive to not be in control of change their perception to the risk and prevent action. Humans underestimate the effect their waste production has on the world state. Every small part counts. Many small actions create a major reaction which is a concept that applies to stopping the sickening of our planet and our bodies. This is particularly important in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. We are seeing how individual action is pertinent to responding to the crisis on hand as each must do their part to mitigate the spread. We must learn from this and apply it to our handling of waste. If each person does their small part, perhaps the ever-growing issue may finally subside or at least become manageable. So may argue that we cannot control the weather, however I believe that every motion by a human hand creates a butterfly effect. We over consumer, waste burning increases, our atmosphere warms and hence the weather is changed. Humanity holds our own delicate lives in our hands and yet our actions may be what destroys us.

We are drowning in threats to our water supply

Water is a fundamental necessity for sustaining life. Fortunately, it seems the world, comprised primarily of water, should be able to easily accommodate human demand for this resource utilized abundantly each day. The accessibility in well developed nations have conditioned the public to take water for granted. However, it is becoming increasingly more obvious that this resource is in immediate danger of failing to support the practices humans so desperately and unwittingly rely on it for. The reality that only a small percent of water on earth is readily usable is important for more people to understand. The lack of awareness plays a key role in accepting unsustainable practices that contribute to large water waste and contributes to dangerous contamination. Pollution and inefficient practice pose large risks to the dwindling supply stored within the water tables below the surface and it is important to assess the part we play in order to pave the way for the change that must be done.

Freshwater is renewable to an extent. It exists in water tables and aquifers within the zone of saturation beneath the Earth’s surface as well as in basins and lakes above ground. [30] The hydrologic cycle replenishes the freshwater supply but is a time-consuming process that can be compromised by natural and ultimately human interference. [30] Our part in warming the atmosphere has accelerated evaporation and our excessive depletion of these water tables had increased the rate of water loss to a point where the natural processes of replenishment cannot successfully compensate. [30] Freshwater scarcity stress indicates how a place’s supply of water compares to the demand. [30] As our unsustainable practices grow, this stress increases and is exacerbated by population growth and increasing water footprints of major nations, primarily in India, the Unites States, and China. [30] The text reflects this as it states, “Because of population growth, rising rates of water use per person, longer dry periods in some areas, and unnecessary water waste, we are likely to be withdrawing 90% of the world’s reliable freshwater runoff by 2025.” [30] Developed nations overuse water because we have honed production systems that require immense amounts of water and have governments that invest in maximized profits over sustainability and efficiency. [30] The agriculture industry is one of the largest culprits of water misuse as cultivating such yields of crop use significant amounts of water which often ends up wasted. [30] The United States in particular wastes significant supplies of water on “cooling electrical plants, irrigation, public water supplies, industry, and livestock.” [30] The discrepancy in water usage between developed nations and less developed nations underscores how the habitants and corporations of the former take advantage of the resources at their disposal in a selfish and irresponsible nature. When it is harder to attain, water is used more sparingly. It is pertinent that the public understand the urgency of this issue. Utilizing freshwater has the potential to be sustainable but if we do not adjust the rates at which we empty our sources, a crisis for water will arise and prove to be catastrophic for the world as a whole.

An increased scarcity of usable freshwater would result in significant, economic, national and global security, public health, and environmental issues. [30] Economically, the inequality of water usage “contributes to limits on food production, rising food prices, and widening gaps between the rich and the poor in some areas.” [30] Additionally, the decrease in accessible water would in turn force countries to adopt more costly methods of pumping remote stores or adopting strategies to purify presently unusable water. The damage to infrastructure cause by sinkholes or land subsidence subsequent to over pumping would be expensive to repair or safeguard against. [30] Lack of water necessary to sustain production practices in manufacturing and agriculture could bestow great economic burden and harsh blow to the market. [30] These resulting land collapses pose additional threat to human life. A global shortage would prompt unrest domestically and internationally as groups would fight for this essential resource. [30] Exploiting the water tables lead to geological instability, but harming surface sources of freshwater would destroy important ecosystems and decrease biodiversity. [30] I believe this issue stems from the inequity of resource distribution and lack of accountability nations take for caring for these resources. Our overuse of water further underscores the socioeconomic disparity around the world as millions cannot access something that we grossly overuse every day. Each person should reassess how they use water in their daily life in order to find places where improvement can be made. The ramifications of such negligence would directly impact every aspect of human life.

In order to fix this issue, there must be a balance of practices that will solve the issue while also not doing harm somewhere else. One possible course of action would be tapping into deep aquifers. However, this solution is somewhat problematic due to the unknown geological consequences of pumping this water which studies have suggested may already be contaminated. [30] Dams are another proposed solution that have come with their own adverse effects in hand with the benefits. While this infrastructure designed to control floods can generate clean electricity and has increased the reliable available runoff, they have also disrupted communities and ecosystems. [30] According to the WWF, “about 1 out of 5 of the world’s freshwater fish and plant species are either extinct or endangered, primarily because dams and water withdrawals have sharply decreased certain river flows.” [30] Desalination has also been proposed to make use of the idle contaminated or salt water we have access to. [30] The resulting issues includes being expensive, utilizing adverse chemicals, and creating waste that couldn’t be disposed of without threatening to pollute freshwater stores. [30] Finally, water transfers are often used in places like California, but this system often results in loss of water, and increased pollution. [30] More sustainable solutions rely on promoting more efficient practices. For example, “making irrigation 10% more efficient would provide all the water necessary for domestic and industrial use in southern California.” [30] This data back my conviction that solving this issue depends more on preventing the problem than finding solutions for the problem. By adopting more conscientious practices and decreasing the global water footprint, these potentially detrimental solutions can be avoided. There are so many ways that individuals can contribute to a lessened water footprint. Simply taking shorter showers, fixing leaks in homes, thrifting rather than supporting the textile industry, and advocating against fracking and inefficient agriculture can make a significant change.

Water pollution is the other significant threat to our water supply. Pollutants can enter water sources at a single point, point source, or broadly, nonpoint source. [31] This pollution primarily originates from agricultural practices through pesticides and pollution. Waste throw into water cannot be easily broken down whether it is biodegradable or not and regardless requires oxygen and hence depletes oxygen levels that are necessary for certain organisms. [31] Solid waste in water releases chemicals rendering the water dangerous for human consumption. [31] This can create a public health crisis for those that depend on these resources. [31] Less developed countries with poor sewage system must cope with sewage waste contamination which partly contributes to why millions of people get sick from tainted water. [31] In this case, legislative regulation is particularly necessary to ensure the quality of water being consumed by citizens is safe. [31] Legislation is also crucial in preventing municipal waste from contaminating water as this is often something beyond the control of an average person. Water is a driving force of life. In the United States, citizens are ensured the right to life and having access to clean water is essential in providing that right. Perhaps there must be a limit to how much water each person gets or it should cost a due amount to o gain any excess, but nonetheless it is the role of the government to protect its people for harmful pollutants and unsafe conditions.

We must take the right path

With each day, the stability of the Earth under current environmental pressures becomes increasingly perilous. As we approach the breaking points that scientists have cautioned world leaders about for years, it is increasingly clear that the near future will follow one of three paths. We may collapse, adapt, or reinvent. [^32] There is a great deal of uncertainty about the future, especially when considering the current coronavirus crisis and the immense impact that it has had on daily life and every facet of society in such a short amount of time. The looming climate crisis poses a similar threat to the normalcy we are hoping to get back to. If major changes are not consciously made to solve these adverse environmental issues, we remain vulnerable to a possible collapse or remain stuck in an unsustainable system.

The model that most of the world currently functions under is known as the consumer capitalist mode. [^32] It is driven by systematic positive feedback loops that invest money into innovation which capitalist societies depend on. [^32] Innovation is typically connected to a positive connotation. However, by funding a system that deals with energy waste and unsustainable practice by just investing more money into potentially worse band-aid technologies we are just “running to stay ahead” rather than addressing the original inherent issues. [^32] These checks are meant to facilitate adaptation to environmental obstacles and protect the capitalist system. Human resilience and ability to modernize can clearly be seen throughout history. [^32] Over the past five centuries, humanity has undergone change in an exponential fashion. [^32] The progression of man from the invention of fire to the invention of the internet has demonstrated the capacity to make increasingly larger leaps as time marches forward. [^32] Though, such rapid development should be assessed to uncover the environmental repercussions and role in a growing socioeconomic disparity across the world. By reinforcing the capitalist system, an emphasis is placed on turning human life into human capital. [^32] Advancements may allow for improved living conditions and yielded higher life expectancy, the lives of these people have become focused on conforming to a system where time is money and productivity has monetary value. [^32] Humans have been degraded to capital and buy into a system that considers them and this planet to be disposable. In order to persist in this mode, society must find a way to stabilize the unsustainable practice and persistent exponential trends. [^32] According to Lewis and Maslin, “the simultaneous rapid increases in the number of people, level of energy provision, and quantity of information being generated… suggest that our current mode of living is least possible.” [^32] Trying to maintain the system we have will not work. Thus far it has been the very reason there exists so many threats. It is imperative that the public is not blindsided by the dishonest corporations desperately clinging the consumer capitalist mode out of self-interest and greed. We are fed lies that this is the key to a successful and shiny future but there have always been cracks beneath the surface that technology won’t be able to fix forever.

A more probable, but bleak, fate that our world may succumb to is collapse. [^33] The model that we currently cannot continue on forever. The ramifications of our practices will catch up to us and if society finally has this epiphany too late then collapse will be inevitable. Expert estimate a degree and a half to two-degree Celsius increase in atmospheric temperature will prove to be catastrophic.[^33] Many nations of the world are aware of the immanency of this issue and have already started employing changes to decrease their contributions to this global warming. Although it is difficult to project the exact time frame for this climate tipping point and the likelihood of humans adequately responding, many nations have set a goal to try to stay below 1.5 degrees C by reducing emissions to near zero by 2050. [^33] Due to the dense geopolitical tensions surrounding fossil fuels it is difficult to seriously change course away from collapse as nationalized resources and interests may not bend for the greater good. [^33] Agriculture is an industry that has already faced the detriments of a failing climate. Historically farmers have utilized genetic engineering and breeding and technology to adapt to increasing temperatures and growing resistance to pesticides, but it will reach a point where this can go on no longer and the collapse of the food industry will lead to the perishing of many. [^33] We already face inequity in food distribution around the world as millions die of malnutrition each year. These issues of competition for food and clean water and work leads to unrest that brews the perfect storm for mass destruction. Even the pentagon considers this issue to be an “urgent and growing threat” due to the potential violence that may transpire. [^33] Humans are egotistical and uniformed creatures of habit. The lack of willingness to seriously heed the warnings of scientists and satisfaction of living in blissful ignorance will likely lead to the vain pursual of the first option. This course of action can only end in collapse.

The only way for humanity to prevail is the drastic yet necessary measure of adopting a new system. The authors refer define the Anthropocene to be an “epoch where the human component of Earth system is large enough to affect how it functions.” [^33] Humanity’s effects have proven to be detrimental and jeopardize the many interconnected ecosystems and social structures of the world. However, humans have always had the capability to change this doomed fate but are too reluctant and misled to upend the order established by manipulative capitalists. A new system would require a complete switch to alternative and renewable solar and wind energy. [^34] It is difficult to convince the public of the cost effectiveness of this transition due to integral discount rating which makes a larger return further in the future seem less appealing than instantly gratifying short-term profit. [^34] New system would also limit the dependency humanity has on unsustainable practice and increase agency in careers and finances. [^34] A key practice to accomplish this more liberated existence is ensuring a Universal Basic Income. [^34] Ideally, by ensuring this monetary equity across society, the structure of education, work and consumption can me reimagined. [^34] If people all have the necessary means to pursue and education, it is easier for those with a real passion and skill to take these positions and therefore refine the craft that may have been inhibited by the socioeconomic disparity in education. [^34] People can consider their futures without being restricted by worrying about making ends meet. Essentially, this would put an end to the rat race and would allow humans to escape their ties to unsustainable practice or jobs that are not environmentally ethical yet are reluctantly filled by those who need the paycheck to survive. [^34] Additionally, practicing a half earth model would protect invaluable ecosystems by designating an equal amount of space for natural species to flourish. [^34] Reducing humanity’s real estate dominance on earth would force us to reform unsustainable agriculture and actually deal with our problems directly. Abiding by a half earth practice would prevent the degradation of vital ecosystems that science can not recreate. [^34] The best option for the course of humanity is to reinvent our system rather than unsuccessfully trying to hold together the one that is not working.

The web of systems that run our world are delicate and driven by capitalistic interest and concession of the public. If we continue on the path we are on, the temperatures of the earth will rise far about the two-degree cap and in the very near future the fate of collapse will be sealed. The world is experiencing a crisis right now. With lives at a standstill and a sense of normal being completely obliterated, it may be just the opportunity to make these drastic changes necessary for the survival of humanity. The limits are being tested and it has once again been proven that humans can adapt well when given no other option. It is no longer an option, for posterity’s sake we must defy the consumer capitalist model and welcome this new change.

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Koons, Deborah, director. Symphony of the Soil. Youtube, Distribbor, 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntJouJhLM48.

Food, Inc. [Los Angeles, CA] :Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2009.

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Lewis, Simon L., and Mark A. Maslin. Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene. Yale University Press, 2018. Chapter 11, pgs. 369-377

Lewis and Maslin. Ch. 11 pgs. 378-399.

Lewis and Maslin. Ch.11 pgs. 400-415.

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