Environmentality. with Dr. Brendon Anthony

Three Stories:

1. The Spread of Ghost Forests Along the US Eastern Coast are Contributing to Climate Change 
2. Cleaning up the Air in China, is Showing Negative Warming Effects  
3. Sir David Attenborough’s “A Life on Our Planet” – Now Available on Netflix 

Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200928125113.htm
http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aba136
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200929123715.htm
http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab9e21
Watch the documentary now: https://www.netflix.com/title/80216393 

Three Stories: 

1. Melting Sea Ice Provides Temporary Improvements for a Population of Polar Bears
2. The Arctic Tundra is "Greening"
3. "Kiss The Ground," a New Documentary on Netflix, Shows us the Powerful Hope in Soil - Check it out!

Sources:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200923124642.htm 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200922135742.htm 

https://kisstheground.com/ 

Three Stories This Week: 

1. Artificial Upwelling to Help Prevent Coral Bleaching 
2. Pink Dolphins Thriving During Anthropause 
3. 48 Species Saved from Extinction due to Conservation Efforts 

Sources: 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200916113411.htm
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00720
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/pink-dolphins-hong-kong-coronavirus
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/10/up-to-48-species-saved-from-extinction-by-conservation-efforts-study-finds-aoe 

Hey all, this is the official conclusion to Season One's first ten episodes of Environmentality. I hope you have been enjoying it, learning lots and growing in your love for the natural world. 

I'll be back with Season Two in a few weeks with topics on Sustainable fashion, shopping and coffee! Plus much more! As always feel free to reach out with topics and ideas via Instagram: @brendonanthonyy 

I will continue to bring you news in the meanwhile, except for next week, as I am off to OK to meet my new niece! 

Have a great weekend and I will see you soon!
Stay tuned!

Three Stories:

1. Painting a blade on a wind turbine black reduces avian collisions by 70%
2. Bee venom has been demonstrated to kill breast cancer cells in vitro 
3. The EPA rolls back regulations (again) for coal-fired power plants on wastewater treatment; i.e. more water pollution to come 

Sources:
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/wind-turbines-birds-paint
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/honey-bee-venom-breast-cancer
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200901093412.htm
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/514490-epa-finalizes-rollback-of-power-plant-wastewater-regulations
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/trump-epa-coal-toxic-waste

Music:
Sweet by LiQWYD https://soundcloud.com/liqwyd
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/swxS7Feu-UI

Why I don't eat seafood and how mercury impacts your health and the environment. A lecture from Brendon Anthony. 

In this fourth lecture of Environmentality., Brendon discusses what "biomagnification" and "bioaccumulation" are and how it impacts both human and environmental health.

In short, bioaccumulation integrates toxins into life, such as plants and animals, and biomagnification intensifies the concentration of these toxins as they move up the food chain. As humans are at the top of the food chain, we feel the full force of highly magnified toxins as we eat other apex predators, especially in our oceans such as tuna. These can have negative health consequences. 

Biomagnification also poses a threat to many endangered species that sit at the top of their ecosystem, as toxins become increasingly abundant in their food sources. The ultimate goal is to reduce toxins, metals and pesticides from ever being introduced into the environment, i.e. reduce bioaccumulation and address the source of these emissions. 

The solution? Eat lower on the food chain, eat more plants instead of fish to obtain omega-3s, reduce fossil fuel consumption to prevent heavy pollutants, such as mercury, from emitting into the environment in high concentrations and potentially avoid seafood altogether. 

To learn more about what the EPA has to say about mercury, check out: https://www.epa.gov/mercury 

Three Stories:

1. Being environmentally friendly makes you more date-able
2. 410 species of animals are likely to be susceptible to coronavirus based on genetic evidence
3. Historically healthy coral reefs off the coast of NW Australia are demonstrating signs of bleaching

Sources: 
https://www.greenmatters.com/p/eco-friendly-dating 
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200821161423.htm 
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-53915862  

Why the "How" is more important than the "Cow." A lecture from Brendon Anthony. 

In this third lecture of Environmentality. Brendon addresses one of the hottest topics in climate change and sustainability today, the question of, "should we be eating meat?" and if so, "from why kind of production system?"

In short, the issue with animal agriculture, and in particular the production of beef, is not the cow itself, but the production system it is raised in; in other words, the "how." Industrialized animal agriculture, in it's segregated form, relies heavily on fossil fuels for the transportation of feed and manure, uses lots of antibiotics, maintains low biodiversity on the farm and contributes heavily to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The solution? Producing animals in an integrated fashion on grasslands, where they can be rotated frequently to reduce overgrazing, promote carbon sequestration of grasslands, and to ultimately mimic natural ecosystems. Beef raised in this way is more sustainable, can be more profitable (as inputs decrease in a circular production system) and at times even more productive, as multiple products can be generated on one piece of land (e.g. hay, chicken and beef in Joel Salatin's model at Polyface Farms).

To learn more about the pioneers in regenerative agriculture and holistic management of cattle, check out:
The Savory Institute (Alan Savory): https://savory.global/ 
Joel Salatin and Polyface Farms: http://www.polyfacefarms.com/ 
Michael Pollan's Texts: The Ominvore's Delimma and In Defense of Food
Gabe Brown's Text: Dirt to Soil
Mark Hyman’s Text: Food Fix

To learn more about Brendon's thoughts visit: https://impakter.com/in-defense-of-cows/

Three Stories this week:

1. New studies have embarked to assess the impact of the "Anthropause," the reduction of human activity due to COVID-19, on wildlife

2. The Trump Admin has approved an oil-leasing plan in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Oil

3. Eggs from the last two remaining female Northern White Rhinos (NWR) have been harvested to be fertilized with saved semen from the deceased, last, male NWR, in attempt to save this subspecies from extinction.

Sources:
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/pandemic-stilled-human-activity-what-did-anthropause-mean-wildlife 
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/17/trump-alaska-arctic-wildlife-refuge-drilling 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEC8KxUDjJg/?igshid=k20b42dl1er4 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEKfIQvHwh6/?igshid=153e1ps89ubaj 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CECo-s_B2LG/?igshid=7uwgeppgmkuy 

Sign the Petition Here to Stop Oil Drilling in ANWR:
https://www.change.org/p/no-drilling-in-the-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge/psf/share?source_location=combo_psf&psf_variant=combo&share_intent=1&share_abi=1   

How conflict, disaster relief, development and environmental restoration collide. An interview with Adrienne Stork. 

In this interview of Environmentality., Adrienne Stork, a former United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) official, shares her experience in addressing conflict and natural disasters throughout her time at the organization. Stork showcases the connection between conflict and ecological resources in regions around the globe, and how people and the environment are exploited for money and power. Additionally, she shares about her extensive experience in Haiti, working with farmers and cooperatives to become more resilient in the face of frequent natural disasters.

Stork illuminates on the benefits of soil conservation and mangrove restoration in Haiti, along with the challenges of sustaining eco-tourism there. These are strategies seen to provide reconciliation for both people and planet, by stimulating the economy without the degradation of natural resources, but rather by protecting them.

We also discuss vetiver grass, fisheries and marine protected areas in Haiti, her new endeavors with Rainforest Alliance and how complex issues require holistic solutions.

To learn more about the UNEP, visit: https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/disasters-conflicts 
To connect with Adrienne Stork visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-stork-92171b14/