Every Action Counts

This episode features the guest host Pranet Commar. Vinisha and Pranet discuss various diets' impact on the environment. The highest deterring factor to reduce meat consumption is the deliciousness of meat, least was people who have little concern for climate change. The highest encouraging factors included conserving earth’s resources, least was the alternative plant-based meats. Because of erosion and weather patterns, agricultural farming can increase the plant biodiversity, and nutrients within the soil, but requires pesticides. Meat production requires lots of clean water, which is scarce in some areas, so these dry regions grow crops instead. These water withdrawals increase salinity and decrease the productivity of plants. Food production increases with the population, resulting in the decline of land availability. Trees are cut down to make room for livestock farms, meat industry futhers deforestation with soil erosion. We have to limit food loss, but it is sometimes inevitable on farms, and because of cosmetic imperfections and misjudging our food needs. Sustainable diets include vegetarians, lacto vegetarians, pesco pollo vegetarians, pescatarians, flexitarians and vegans. Your dietary needs meet your nutritional needs, your individual needs based on whatever diet you follow and religious needs. Dietary changes could significantly reduce carbon emission and free up land. 

To acquire more information, refer to these sources:

 https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/how-does-eating-meat-harm-the-environment/ 

https://populationeducation.org/industrialized-meat-production-and-land-degradation-3-reasons-to-shift-to-a-plant-based-diet/ 

https://www.earthshare.org/how-does-your-diet-impact-the-environment/ 

https://www.insider.com/nestle-water-scarcity-meat-consumption-cable-2016-4 

https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/eatgreenfs_feb2010.pdf 

Time Stamps: 2:20 - What is a mixed method approach? 

2:58 - Deterring and encouraging factors to reduce meat consumption 

5:24 - Increasing human ecological footprints 

10:38 - Benefits of having a plant based diet in terms of land & water ways 

12:20 - Agricultural farming 

14:03 - Pollution from cattle 

15:08 - Heath problems associated with Vegan/ Vegetarian diet 

17:35 - Meat based diet impact on the water supply 

20:01 - Water withdrawal 

20:43 - How has the need for farming changed overtime? 

23:23 - Soil Erosion

 26:13 - Deforestation plays a role in meat based products and effects of agriculture 

27:45 - Food waste 

37:19 - Sustainable diets that are great for us and the environment 

44:14 - How is reducing the amount of food bought at the store beneficial to the environment and your wallet? 

46:00 - Facts and statistics 

49:05 - What does it mean to eat according towards your needs? 

51:10 - Carbon Footprint, Farmer’s market vs Bigger corporations

 56:06 - Plastic Statistics

In this episode, Vinisha and Shannen talk about the annual Eco Night, the flagship of the EAC at MTHS. Eco Night is an event that showcases local youth progress in sustainable research and experimentation, projects, and various innovative ideas with sustainable solutions. Students from grades 4 through 12 have the opportunity to participate in this event to bring in environmentalism across the board. This episode of Every Action Counts features guest speakers from the Participant Relations Committee, the Technology Committee, and the Environmental Careers Panel Committee. They discuss their roles in carrying out Eco Night, as well as their experiences in the process. Come to the speaker panel on April 16th from 6:30-7:15 pm to learn from and ask questions to the 5 guest panelists by signing up here through the forms linked below! 

Environmental Careers Panel Registration: https://tinyurl.com/AttendECPanel21 

Environmental Careers Panel Question Form: https://tinyurl.com/PanelistQuestions21

In this episode, Vinisha and Shannen discuss fast fashion and it’s effects, along with Jiya Joshi, the Fast Fashion co-chair at MTHS EAC. Fast fashion is when companies copy runway designs and mass produce them in a short amount of time. However, these clothes wear out easily and their production is terrible for the environment. Fast fashion clothing production uses cheap synthetic fibers, which take hundreds of years of years to biodegrade, and most of the synthetic textiles that wind up in the ocean come from the production of these clothes. Despite having so many terrible effects, companies continue to use fast fashion because they are able to get cheap labor, since labor laws are loosely enforced in many places, and companies can make more profit. In sweatshops, which are fast fashion factories, millions of women and children are abused and have to work in unsafe areas. After the Industrial Revolution, inventions were available that sped up clothing production and people wanted more clothing, which is how fast fashion began gaining importance. Make sure to stay to the end to find out ways that you can be more mindful about the terrible effects of fast fashion and reduce your contribution to this huge issue. 

To learn more, refer to these sources: 

https://www.blankstyle.com/articles/clothing-and-textiles-industrial-revolution

 https://fashionista.com/2016/06/what-is-fast-fashion 

https://jiyajoshi101.wixsite.com/mysite-4

In this episode, Vinisha and Shannen delve into the subject of how the media often negatively portrays certain animals and how these misconceptions came to be. One animal explored in this episode are chimpanzees, who appear in different forms in media often for comical purposes. Chimpanzees’ representations as animals who seem human-like arguably harm conservation efforts and aid in convincing people that chimps are suitable as household pets. Furthermore, vultures are portrayed to appear to be villainous and savage creatures that eagerly wait for the death of their prey. However, often people fail to realize that vultures play a crucial role in maintaining environmental health by preventing the accumulation of death animals everywhere. This also helps us as humans as it prevents the spread of disease from deceased animals. The chimpanzee and culture are just two of many animals whose negative portrayals in mainstream media are discussed and investigated in this episode. Give this episode a listen to further understand how when many people hold a negative untrue perception of an animal, there may be environmental consequences. 

Additional resources:

 https://www.thejournal.ie/monkey-actors-misleading-viewers-3801817-Jan2018/ 

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0026048 

https://www.peta.org/features/great-apes-used-tv-movies-ads/ 

https://www.4vultures.org/why-are-vultures-important/ 

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150713-the-truth-about-vultures

 https://www.4vultures.org/how-do-vultures-contribute-to-our-environment/

In this episode Vinisha and Shannen talk about the ever so dangerous air pollution. Air pollution occurs when particles and gasses are present at a high concentration in the air. Like other forms of pollution, air pollution is extremely dangerous not only for its effect on air quality but for its domino effect as well. Air pollution leads to unhealthy livestock and unhealthy crops, which is a problem when it comes to food shortage. Not only this, but air pollution is also very harmful to the human lung long term, which will ultimately lead to many health problems. The most devastating facts when it comes to air pollution is that it's cause is oriented around human behavior. The burning of fossil fuels, the heavy usage of cars, and even furnaces all have a great impact on air pollution. due to it being human-caused, the ending of air pollution begins at the individual level. Even something as small as using public transportation can make big waves in terms of the effects and severity of air pollution on a personal and global scale. 

To learn more about air pollution, its causes, impacts, and what you can do to make a change please visit; 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/pollution-made-the-pandemic-worse-but-lockdowns-clean-the-sky/ 

https://www.insider.com/before-after-photos-show-less-air-pollution-during-pandemic-lockdown 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/climate/coronavirus-clean-air.html

 https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/air-pollution-current-and-future-challenges 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/pollution-made-the-pandemic-worse-but-lockdowns-clean-the-sky/ 

https://www.harcresearch.org/feature/Effects_of_Pandemic_on_Air_Quality 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720323378 https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk03kjpB2E8bogR68iOjMxIzNt7-nqg%3A1596741867208&ei=61gsX6efDIbJtQab1peYCw&q=air+pollution+before+and+after+pandemic&oq=air+pollution+before+the+pande&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgYIABAWEB46BAgAEEc6BAgAEEM6BQgAEJECOgIIADoHCAAQFBCHAjoICCEQFhAdEB5Q6ARYryRgny9oAHABeACAAbMBiAHwE5IBBDAuMTeYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6wAEB&sclient=psy-ab 

https://www.insider.com/before-after-photos-show-less-air-pollution-during-pandemic-lockdown 

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-07-05/Before-and-after-Air-quality-amid-COVID-19-pandemic-RSriPIvBSM/index.html

 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/climate/coronavirus-clean-air.html

 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-photos-decline-air-pollution-lockdown/

 https://www.monroe.k12.nj.us/Page/1115 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/14/5067

 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/4047 https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/10/1613 

https://www.nic.org.uk/pieces/could-post-pandemic-britain-be-a-breath-of-fresh-air/

 http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/delivery?sid=602f8d5c-b37a-4552-9d5a-7723a6c4e762%40pdc-v-sessmgr02&vid=1&ReturnUrl=http%3a%2f%2fweb.b.ebscohost.com%2fehost%2fdetail%2fdetail%3fvid%3d0%26sid%3d602f8d5c-b37a-4552-9d5a-7723a6c4e762%2540pdc-v-sessmgr02%26bdata%3dJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%253d%253d 

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/11/6/630 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution/#close 

https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/air-pollution-current-and-future-challenges 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-dual-effects-of-covid-19-lockdowns-on-air-quality 

https://airquality.gsfc.nasa.gov/slider/northeast-2020

Bees, insects famous for the delicious honey they produce but feared because of the excruciating pain caused by their stinger. Moreover, they are complex organisms that have organized and structured colonies with a queen, drone and workers each having a specific role to play. Being misunderstood species, many people don't realize their importance. Not only do these primary pollinators sustain the world, they are also vital to the human population itself. As nature's workers they also play an important role in the human economy. Bees are responsible for pollinating nearly 85% of all food crops for humans. In regards to their value to our economy, researchers conclude that bees contribute around $3,250 to crop production per hectare per year, which is $4.2 Trillion added to the global economy. For what they are worth it would be expected for them to be the most treasured species in the world, but that's far from true. Due to our actions, we are killing organisms that we entirely depend on. Without bees, our harvests will be limited and also lead to environmental collapse. To learn more tune in to our 2nd episode “The Importance of Bees,” where Vinisha and Shannen with our guest speaker, Chris Gliwa, a senior from Princeton who is the Leader of Princeton bee team & a suburban beekeeper, will delve deeper into the importance and profile of these magnificent creatures. 

To learn more about the importance of bees in the environment and what you can do to help, refer to these sources: 

https://www.soilassociation.org/organic-living/bee-organic/why-are-bees-in-danger/ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Apis_mellifera/ 

https://bees.techno-science.ca/english/bees/pollination/default.php https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/why-do-we-need-bees 

https://www.wired.com/2015/09/royal-jelly-isnt-makes-queen-bee-queen-bee/ https://agdev.anr.udel.edu/maarec/honey-bee-biology/the-colony-and-its-organization/ 

https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/insects/where-do-bees-live/ 

http://www.honeybeecentre.com/learn-about-honeybees#.XzSAni1q2hA 

https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/big-features/world-bee-day-honeybees-vital-often-misunderstood 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/would-we-starve-without-bees/zkf292p https://ucnrs.org/role-honey-bees-ecosystem-pollination/