By COLIN BARRINGTON There may not be a single resource on our planet that provides a more substantial contribution to the daily maintenance and survival of all living organisms than water. Its uses are nearly endless, and without it, the world as we know it might more closely resemble the barren wastelands of Mars. But how often does the average person think about the importance of water? Most likely, the answer is very little. Regardless, water plays an enormously important role in our everyday lives. About 71 % of the Earth is covered in water. Of this, 96% is held in the world’s oceans, unusable to most terrestrial organisms (USGS). The composition of the human body is over 60% water on average. Our bodies use water for a multitude of purposes internally and externally. An average adult needs between two and a half and three liters of water daily; while we can go weeks without food if necessary, our bodies will begin to shut down after only a few days without water (USGS). This then begs the question, if water is so important to us, why do we so often abuse and pollute the small amounts of it that are available for our use and consumption? In Wisconsin, we have a great abundance of water resources at our disposal. Thousands of miles of rivers and streams and millions of acres of lakes and ponds are at a Wisconsinite’s disposal. But Wisconsin, though better than some, is not drastically different from many other areas of the world when it comes to how we treat our supply of water. Of the 25% of Wisconsin’s rivers and streams that have been assessed, 40% were labeled as impaired. These impairments range from sediment, to mercury, to multiple strains of bacteria and pathogens and everything in between (EPA). Every day, thousands of tons of garbage, refuse, road salt, and other chemicals are dumped into our state’s waterways. Even so, this water is what the public relies on for drinking water. What can be done to prevent further deterioration of our world’s waterways? The answer starts with you and me. Our daily habits have a tremendous effect on how much water is consumed and subsequently, polluted. Do you take long showers, consume a lot of non-local food, toss scraps of trash on the ground, or frequently salt your sidewalk at the first sign of snow? If so, you are, perhaps unknowingly, drastically increasing the amount of water you pollute or waste daily. Many simple steps can be taken as individual members of society to start moving towards a culture of sustainable water usage and stewarship. Only through continued conscious effort can humanity undo the damage it has caused to our water supply and the organisms that inhabit it. It is time we, as a society, own up to our wasteful tendencies and resolve to fix them, so that one day, we may not have to constantly filter and treat our water just to supply our bodies with the resource they need most to survive. References: https://ofmpub.epa.gov/waters10/attains_state.report_control?p_state=WI&p_cycle=2016&p_report_type=A https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
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By LAURA SCHMIT Laura Schmit Deforestation is a prevalent and enduring problem. Forests make up about 30% of the world’s area, and provide habitats to almost 80% of the world’s species. As the world population increases, economic globalization is putting stressful pressures on our environment. While urbanization and logging greatly contribute to deforestation, the greatest losses arise from clearing forests to grow crops to feed and graze livestock, particularly in the tropics. The slash and burn technique is used to clear large areas of forest so that new seeds for crops can be planted. This can be harmful to soil and air quality and detrimental to biodiversity - especially to endangered animals who depend on the vegetation. For years, loggers have been legally and illegally cutting down acres of forest to keep up with the paper market. Besides just cutting down trees for agriculture, deforestation is also occurring to build roads to access areas of forest that may have otherwise been touched. So, we’ll just plant some more trees, what’s the big deal? According to the WWF, forest conversion is usually irreversible. Even if new trees are planted, thousands of species of plants and animals will lose their habitats. Newly planted trees take years to fully grow and reestablish the habitat. Plus, habitat conversion can endanger many of the specialist species who rely on their existing habitat. While planting new trees at the same rate that they are being cut down is certainly one solution, other solutions include stricter environmental regulations and better global trade agreements. Whatever the solution, the time to take action is now - our rainforests could be wiped out in less than a century. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Deforestation/deforestation_update3.php http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/deforestation_causes/forest_conversion/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation/ By BRIDGET ERANGEY The negative effects of animal agriculture and our eating habits that sustain it are more apparent than ever. Although our generation is one of the first to take a stand against the meat industry - Americans today are eating 15% less meat than in previous decades. We need to step up our game in order to see significant progress. Here are some environmental impacts of animal agriculture: Water: The amount of water that goes into beef production is absurd. In the United States, the average person consumed around 58 pounds of beef in 2017. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef, enough to serve two or three people. That means about 145,000 gallons of water were consumed per person on beef alone last year. It is crucial we become more conscious of our water consumption practices. The earth is 71% water, but we don’t have an endless supply. If we continue to abuse it, negative repercussions will be reflected across the planet. Unfortunately, water is not the only aspect we have to worry about. Methane: Cows produce 150 billion gallons of methane per day. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to climate change. The mass production of cows will cause the amount of methane in our atmosphere to increase. Currently, our planet is experiencing imbalance with loads of greenhouse gases being emitted into our atmosphere. Not only is the meat we are eating bad for our environment, it is also negatively impacting our health as well. Antibiotics: Most of the meat consumed is not entirely natural. Approximately 80% of antibiotics sold in the United States are used for livestock. It is crucial to be aware of the food you chose to eat. The issue with animal agriculture seems to be a double-edged sword. Antibiotics unnaturally speed up the growth process of the livestock. When overusing antibiotics it can create "superbugs" which do not leave the livestock. These "superbugs" can cause extreme food poisoning. What can you do? You alone can make a beneficial impact on the well-being of our planet. If everyone on the planet decided to not eat meat or cheese for one day a week, we could significantly reduce animal agriculture's negative impacts. A current trend is meatless Monday. I understand it could be challenging to not eat meat and cheese in the same day. Spread the love, and put the cheese aside on a separate day of the week. You can still eat meat and cheese for the other 5 days of the week. Simple solutions like these make a larger impact on the overall well-being of our planet. This experience could also open doors to try new foods! Challenge yourself to participate and indulge in plant-based options. There are endless affordable (and easy) recipes to discover online, too. You would be stunned at the possibilities food has to offer when you leave your comfort zone. Save the planet and yourself by being aware of what you are putting into your body. References: http://www.earthsave.org/environment/water.htm https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/dining/beef-consumption-emissions.html http://racingextinction.com/challenge-yourself/#interactive-dietA By MITCHELL ODDO The rise of technology has been accompanied by an outpouring of amazing products that help us save time and money on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, many of these convenient products come with unseen consequences. Take the Keurig for example. It has become a staple in most American's houses by replacing coffee pots with an easier, quicker approach. But did you know it is estimated that in 2014, 9 billion Keurig K-cups ended up in the landfill? (Koc). And that was three years ago! Fortunately, there is something we can do to change these numbers. Since the K-Cup is not recyclable because of its contents inside the plastic shell, the U.S. based company Recycle A Cup has created a simple and cheap device as a solution to this problem. Simply load the K-cup into the cutter, twist to cut, and remove the contents of the pod. My favorite part about it is how nothing completely goes to waste - not only can the outer plastic portion be recycled, the leftover contents on the inside can be composted as well. Since the inside of a K-cup only consists of coffee grounds and a filter, it can either be placed into a compost pile, or be thrown into the garbage. Knowing that these leftover materials will not be sticking around for a few hundred years is ensuring! Click the following link to purchase the product from Amazon: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017XLW7I6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Click here to go to the company page: www.recycleacup.com Sources: Koc, Elif. “9 Billion Keurig K-Cups Likely Ended up in Landfills Last Year.” Mashable, Mashable, 7 Mar. 2015, mashable.com/2015/03/07/k-cups-landfill/#yg.rzoKodsqB. By MITCHELL ODDO Did you know that every year in the U.S. alone, 38 billion water bottles end up in the landfill? America's obsession with the plastic water bottle comes as no surprise, as cheap and convenient products are often the most successful in U.S. markets. Only around 23% of the plastic water bottles used in the U.S. are recycled - that's less than a quarter! Here's how you can help:
Sources: "Bottled Water Facts." Ban the Bottle. N.p., n.d. Web. Insider, Business. "You Are Paying 300 Times More for Bottled Water than Tap Water." Slate Magazine. N.p., 12 July 2013. Web. |
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