Happy Earth Day, collegiettes™!
Understanding current environmental issues is the first step to becoming an eco-conscious collegiette™. By making small lifestyle changes, you can make a big impact on the environment and build a foundation for an eco-friendly future. In honor of Earth Day, here are five environmental issues you may not be familiar with, and what you can do to prevent or help the situation:
Destructive Livestock Industry
Our current methods of meat production are incredibly damaging to the environment. The livestock industry produces 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions, consumes massive amounts of water, and contributes to large-scale land degradation. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, if every American adopted a vegetarian diet one day per week, it would save the same amount of carbon emissions as produced by 8 million cars. It would also save 100 billion gallons of water, 70 million gallons of gas, and 1.5 billion pounds of crops that would otherwise be fed to livestock.
What you can do: Eat veggies! There’s no need to give up meat altogether, but adding a few vegetarian meals to your weekly menu is good for you and the planet. Check out www.meatlessmonday.com for vegetarian recipes and further information on the benefits of substituting veggies and grains for meat—just one day a week!
The Pacific Trash Vortex
The world’s largest “landfill” occupies an area the size of Texas—in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Just north of Hawaii, the circulating accumulation of garbage consists primarily of plastic. About six pounds of plastic per one pound of natural plankton float among other garbage and chemical sludge, trapping fish, marine mammals, and birds.
What you can do: Avoid plastic! Roughly 10% of the plastic produced each year ends up in the ocean. Reusable shopping bags and BPA-free water bottles can effectively replace their wasteful plastic counterparts.
Global Collapse of Fish Stock
Worldwide, more than 2.6 billion people depend on fish to survive, but destructive fishing practices, global warming, and environmental degradation are rapidly depleting the amount and variety of fish in our oceans. If we continue to overfish at the current rate, we’ll be headed toward global collapse of all species currently fished by 2048.
What you can do: Be mindful of seafood! Check out the recommendations at www.montereybayaquarium.org/seafoodwatch. There are regional pocket guides that will help you make ocean-friendly seafood choices. When shopping for seafood, look for sustainable seafood labels such as the Marine Stewardship Council or Friend of the Sea labels on seafood products.
Water Shortages
Our dwindling water reserve has become a global crisis, considering that less than 1% of the worldwide fresh water supply is drinkable. Sadly, only about 1 in 8 humans have access to safe drinking water, while Americans use approximately 100 gallons of water each day. If we continue this wasteful trend, at least 36 states will face local, regional, or state water shortages by 2013, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
What you can do: Conserve! Limit your time in the shower and turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth. Make sure to select water- and energy-saving cycles for the washing machine and the dishwasher, and only wash full loads of laundry and dishes. Invest in low-flow showerheads and get leaky faucets fixed to save water and money! You can also visit www.charitywater.org for more information and to help out with the global water crisis.
Colony Collapse Disorder
Honeybees are responsible for pollinating about one third of U.S. crops, from fruits and vegetables to nuts and legumes. In late 2006, a large number of honeybee colonies suddenly disappeared, confounding beekeepers and scientists alike. Since then, colonies have been disappearing at an alarming rate, while the cause remains unknown. We are so greatly dependent on these precious pollinators that we can’t afford to take honeybees for granted!
What you can do: Spread the word! Since researchers have yet to determine the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, there are no definitive steps toward a solution. You can, however, spread the word about the disappearance of honeybees: visit www.helpthehoneybees.com to learn more about Häagen-Dazs’ efforts to help the cause. You can raise awareness and spread the word about Colony Collapse Disorder by following @Pollinators, @HelpSaveBees, and @helpthebees on Twitter for tips, information, and advances in honeybee research.
Sources
www.charitywater.org
www.edf.org
www.epa.gov
www.greenpeace.org
www.helpthehoneybees.com
www.huffingtonpost.com
www.meatlessmonday.com
www.montereybayaquarium.org
www.water.org
www.webecoist.com
Images from earthday2011.com