We repeatedly hear the term “global warming”. The very subject usually produces arguments by some that it truly exists and by others that it is a myth. Proponents of the argument for global warming identify melting glaciers, rising sea levels, dying cloud forests and changing habits of wildlife as proof that global warming is occurring. Antagonists of this concept cite historical cyclical temperature changes and the resulting wind and storm patterns as proof that global warming is a myth. In fact, the average global temperatures and concentrations of carbon dioxide have fluctuated cyclically for hundreds of thousands of years. These fluctuations occur with the Earth’s changing positions relative to the sun.
During prior cycles, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere were balanced by GHGs that were naturally absorbed by the land and water. This balance enabled human civilization to develop in a consistent climate. There were periods of interruptions to this balance—volcanic eruptions that emitted particles, which cooled the Earth’s surface and El Nino, which has its own short and predictable cycles. Something different is happening now and is occurring on a large, consistently measured level. Humans have increased the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at a level 33 percent higher since the industrial revolution. Historically, changes of this magnitude resulted over thousands of years. They now are occurring at this rate over mere decades. Such a rapid rise in greenhouse gases pose unique challenges to life, forcing many living things to be able to adapt.
While environmentalists use the term “global warming”, scientists refer to this phenomenon as “climate change”. As the Earth’s temperature climbs, wind and ocean currents travel in patterns that cool some areas while warming others. Additionally, the amounts of snowfalls and rainfalls are impacted. Global warming or climate change is of concern because it produces extreme weather, ranging from severe storms to extended droughts. This, in turn, poses challenges for all living creatures in terms of food supply, water supply, and threat to life from severe conditions.
We can control the emission of greenhouse gases through green living. To save our planet, let’s live green, be green.
NASA has issued a press release stating that in less than a week, the amount of thawed surface ice in Greenland skyrocketed from 40 percent to 97 percent. Normally, Greenland experiences approximately a 50 percent surface ice sheet melt during the summer. The presence of this new increased level of thawing was discovered by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. From satellite views, pictures show that it covers nearly all of Greenland’s surface ice cover and is larger than any measurements over the past 30 years. Upon questioning these results, NASA received confirmation from three independent sources, namely, from scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as from the University of Georgia at Athens and the City University of New York.
Mindful of the ongoing debate between climatologists and environmental scientists versus many conservative thinkers and politicians that “global warming” is a myth, NASA’s cryosphere manager, Tom Wagner, states that this phenomenon may be due, in part, to natural variations. On this subject, he points to this year’s unusual weather pattern over Greenland, described as an “unusually strong ridge of warm air”. However, Mr. Wagner notes that this case is “clearly thinning around the periphery, changing Greenland’s overall ice mass”. He states that warming ocean water is eating away the ice.
It appears that the Arctic, in general, is changing due to warmer temperatures. Recent notation was made of an iceberg the size of Manhattan that tore off of the Petermann Glacier in Greenland. Several studies suggest the major role that humans play in ocean warming and point to the fact that several regions of the world, especially the United States east coast, are more vulnerable than other areas to sea level rise. These occurrences appear to be human-induced and offer proof of the harm we are doing to the planet by not adhering to environmentally friendly practices. We need to heed the call of scientists and environmentalists to protect the earth for future generations. Let’s live green, be green!
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced an award of $40 million to the state of Maryland to upgrade its public transportation system. The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) will use this money, along with $13 million in state funds to replace the bus yard and buildings at the Kirk Avenue facility. This bus yard is a major hub for the transit administration. It has 351 employees and provides a storage and maintenance site for 175 buses that serves 16 routes, transporting more than a million passengers per week.
This upgrade is long overdue. In 2004, The Johns Hopkins Center for Urban Environmental Health conducted a study in the area, and the results of readings indicated that noise levels in that vicinity exceeded the limit set by Baltimore’s health ordinances. Additionally, air samples indicated that the “two-week average exposure to diesel exhaust and other combustion was slightly above the federal safety threshold for a full year’s exposure”.
This new facility will provide the technology necessary to maintain energy-efficient buses. The building will be more environmentally friendly, cutting operating costs. The project will provide off-street parking, which will enhance the surrounding neighborhoods in terms of reduced traffic congestion and aesthetics. This upgrade stimulates the economy by providing for construction jobs and for positions to help maintain the “green” buses.
This project is part of a $787 million package to repair and modernize the transit infrastructure nationwide. It definitely is a positive step in the direction to live green, be green.
Colleges and Universities are, at their core, geared toward cultivating and transforming young individuals into tomorrow’s leaders. What is frequently glossed over however is that once these men and women are in a position of power, how will they use it? Business Schools in particular focus too much on bottom lines and balance sheets rather than the growing trend of Corporate Social Responsibility. While leaders are being cultivated, they are not necessarily being provoked to think in terms of sustainability and the green movement.
A transformation needs to occur so that students are not only cultivated to lead, but lead in areas of and in thoughts of sustainability. The benefits of provoking individuals to make decisions with sustainability in mind have far reaching effects beyond the environment as young people have the ability to reach a massive audience quickly. The sustainability movement was fostered with the environment as its focus, but it does not mean students with other interests cannot benefit. For example, entrepreneurial students looking to start a restaurant can use ideas of sustainability to grow their own herbs and use waste leftover from uneaten food as compost to aid the soil in which the herbs grow. The key is to provoke students to make decisions, in whatever field they may be interested in, with sustainability in mind. Taking this step to integrate thoughts of sustainability within the curriculum will allow our generation, and future generations to not only live green, but be green.
While browsing the Internet this morning, I discovered an interesting article on the impact of the food industry on the environment. This article features commentary by Arlin Wasserman, Chair of the Sustainable Business Leadership Council at the Culinary Institute of America. Wasserman acknowledges the food industry’s inability to show environmental improvement, its lack of transparency, and the failure of some leading companies to alter the status quo. He states that these issues create an incongruence with both the younger generation and the overall population, who are becoming more enlightened regarding the need to grow and harvest food in a more soundly manner.
This article lists some very relevant statistics regarding the agricultural industry:
- Farming and ranching accounts for 40% of arable land in the world.
- Farming and ranching uses 30% to 70% of fresh water.
- Approximately 50% of greenhouse emissions can be attributed to farming and ranching.
- Second only to oil, coffee is one of the most valuable legally traded commodities worldwide.
- Half of the food produced globally is wasted due to improper harvesting and storage.
A major concern voiced by Wasserman is the change that has taken place regarding consumers’ relationship with food consumption and preparation. We now rely on restaurants, carryouts and delicatessens for the majority of our meals. This phenomenon results in fewer people even knowing how to cook or being informed about the sources of food or the ingredients used in meal preparations.
With his work with the Culinary Institute of Art, Mr. Wasserman aims to address problems with the food industry. This organization strives to implement better decisionmaking about health, selection of food and our relationship and impact on the environment . Hopefully, with the help of emerging associations such as Culinary Institute of Art, we can live green, be green.
We all are aware of the breaking environmental news regarding current drought conditions in the United States. Presently, more than half of the United States is suffering from the worst drought conditions since the Dust Bowls, the last of which occurred 50 years ago. We are witnessing wilted crops, particularly corn, dried-out, cracked soil and devastating forest fires caused by parched woodlands. It is important to note that the current drought levels have not reached those of the Dust Bowl where 63% of the country experienced severe drought; however, today’s statistics do place this occurrence in the top 10% for the past century.
Comparisons of statistics for severe droughts in the 1930’s and 1950s have resulted in some assumptions, especially by some politicians and talking heads that the current drought is not caused by global warming. One such argument notes that carbon emissions were lower in the 30s than they are today, so the problem must have been due to some other natural occurrence. Tree-ring data often have been cited to suggest that North American droughts are part of a natural cycle tied to La Nina events. Environmental scientists now are compiling compelling evidence that rising temperatures are making droughts more common, and this phenomenon is less likely attributable to natural causes.
The primary focus now must be on measures to address the problems of climate change. John Antler of Montana State University has published a paper, which proposes that the government shift policies to adapt to climate change, i.e., providing subsidies for crops such as corn and soy to prevent adaptation by locking in current farming patterns. (http://www.rff.org/news/features/pages/climate-change-forcing-farmers-to-adapt.aspx) Tom Philpott recommends a stronger push towards organic farming. Recent research concludes that while organic farming yields smaller crop production, the organic farming process holds retains more water and performs better during droughts (http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2012/07/what-organic-ag-teaches-us-about-feeding-ourselves-while-planet-heats).
Currently, the United States has not been impacted as severely as many other nations by drought and destruction of food supply. However, we see the effects of droughts in terms of increasing prices for food and increasing disasters, such as forest fires and parched land. Droughts are becoming difficult to avoid, and steps must be taken immediately to protect our land, population and food sources. Our very existence depends on this. To save our world, let’s live green, be green.
The Palmer Drought Severity Index mid-century. A reading of -4 or below is considered extreme drought. (Source: National Center for Atmospheric Research).
Living green virtually applies to all areas of our existence, with the root of this effort lying in our concerns for good health. With the status of our health the driving concern for smart living, it naturally follows that we should work to protect the environment and our food sources. Just as the neglect and abuse of our bodies has been a gradual process, so will a turnaround in bad habits to reverse this situation be gradual also.
I found an interesting article on organic intelligence, which promotes teaching children how to live smart. Written by Lloyd Glauberman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, this writing first acknowledges the slow moving pandemic of obesity, especially in children, and its medical consequences. The author admonishes that this problem needs to be solved literally at the beginning of life. Dr. Glauberman explains how infants respond to internal cues, such as hunger, by crying when needing to be fed and turning the head away when satiated. However, as we age, we are bombarded with so much external stimulation that our internal cues become desensitized and amnesic.
With the incorporation of organic intelligence modeling starting at the preschool level, we can teach children to recognize and label internal cues. A curriculum that teaches and reinforces nutritional value, food quality versus quantity and the need to maintain a healthy body weight and image can be introduced in all academic curricula. Parents can reinforce these concepts at home through conversation and in family participation in snack selection and meal planning and preparation.
Organic intelligence is a simple concept to understand. It is based on a theory of “mindfulness” as opposed to “mindlessness”. As a foundation for a “healthy personal ecology”, organic intelligence teaches us to live green, be green.
We all realize the importance of a healthy diet. Nevertheless, we often find it difficult to incorporate “green” diets into our lives because face it—that plate of salad and skinless chicken breast does not look as appetizing as that juicy burger with the melted cheese and other topping on that huge toasted bun.
With a little research and creativity, it is possible to prepare “green” food that appears appetizing, and most importantly, tastes good. A great place to start is with recipes influenced by Asian, Latino and Mediterranean cuisine. Try planning a meal with the vegetables as the centerpiece. And then add meat. Avoid just boiling vegetables and pay attention to enhancing the flavor of these items by adding seasonings and color with the use of varieties of peppers. Also be mindful that the serving size of vegetables and whole grains should be larger than the serving of meat.
When planning meals, purchase fresh and lean cuts of meat. Incorporate heart-healthy seafood into your diet. Learn healthy cooking techniques and avoid frying meats and seafood as much as possible. If you grill meat, avoid over-charring as this cooking method releases toxins Try marinating meats with seasonings and juices to enhance the flavor. Be mindful that the reduction of the use of salt goes a long way to improve the heart.
During your time browsing online, pay attention to the many websites available with healthy recipes and cooking tips, along with meal planners. While shopping, take advantage of the newsletters and meal planners available in most grocery stores.
Summertime, with its bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables, is a great time to experiment with “green” dieting. This is an excellent opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint. Let’s live green, be green.
Every business in today’s world, big and small alike, is practically forced to partake in some form of information technology services in order to remain relevant and survive. I have used some form of IT services, I have worked in related fields, and I know many people who work in IT services, some of whom I call dear friends. What I did not know, however, was that there were ways in which these services can be delivered as eco-friendly. Did you?
Companies like SHI International – headquartered in Somerset, NJ, with branches across Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Hong Kong – are working hard to provide their green IT services to corporate customers, without harming the environment or their customers’ budgets. SHI works alongside its customers, going so far as to ensure that, within appropriate territories, their customers’ sites operate under adequate conditions to be eligible for incentives from willing utility providers.
SHI even goes so far as to operate in an eco-friendly manner. Within all their restrooms, a visitor will find green soaps and recycled paper products. The company attempts to reuse all shipping materials, provided they can withstand the trip. Timers operate facility lighting across their plants. These small steps are very admirable among businesses and are too often overlooked, even with today’s understanding of their significance. Bravo.
Everyday we hear about the problems of climate change. Over the past 12 months, we have witnessed the warmest temperatures recorded over a sustained period time and raging wildfires that have destroyed thousands of acres of land and the homes, lives and possessions of so many hard-working citizens. Our communities are now inundated with garbage and landfills full of discarded electronics and junk that will never decompose. Increasingly, we are faced with higher taxes and penalties imposed by municipalities to address the problems of aging sewage and water-flow treatment plants no longer able to support the increasing demand on these systems. Now we have been blindsided by the announcement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that rising acid levels in the ocean pose a major threat to coral reefs. Dubbed “the osteoporosis of the sea,” this phenomenon threatens everything from “food security to tourism and livelihoods”.
As the oceans absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the acidity of the water is increased. Scientists are concerned about the effect of the higher acidity on sea life, particularly reefs, because the growing acidity negatively impacts the formation of coral skeletons, which ultimately will lead to deterioration of the reefs. Previously, scientists assumed that the carbon dioxide absorbed by the water would be diluted as the shallow and deeper waters mixed. Unfortunately, the majority of the carbon dioxide and its subsequent chemical changes have remained in the surface waters.
These higher acidity levels have impacted sea life in a very harsh and sometimes unpredictable manner. For example, they have posed a major threat to oyster populations because the acid slows the growth of their shells. Study results also reference the deleterious effect on clown fish and other sea life. One experiment in particular has shown that the increased acid levels have dulled the sense of smell of some sea life, resulting in these creatures swimming towards predators, as opposed to away from them.
The reduction of carbon emissions has become a matter of urgency to ensure the viability of both land and sea. Our waters are a source of food, entertainment and livelihood for our planet’s occupations. To protect them, let’s live green, be green.