This Class Opened My Eyes

This semester was really challenging for me. I switched my major to Environmental Studies at the beginning of summer semester so this semester I needed to be in some pretty intense classes to catch up with the program. On top of that I went from being an almost entirely online student to a daily commuter to campus from Kentucky. So needless to say, I am really looking forward to our winter break!

I am really glad I made the decision to take this course because I learned a surprising amount of information about things that are extremely relevant to my present and future. Learning about how zip codes dictate our health, how the consumerist cycle is wrecking our lives and our planet, and how greenwashing has tricked us into buying into the system without even realizing it has all taught me to see things differently, and to be more self-aware of my choices on a daily basis.

Being in this class has really had a positive impact on my semester too. I actually looked forward to coming to lecture every week! Also this class forced me to watch Before the Flood, which I actually avoided watching when it came out because I didn’t want to be depressed. I’m really glad to have seen it because as depressing as climate change is, some of the information actually gave me hope. Hearing that Obama changed his mind about same-sex marriage because thats what the people demanded, makes me think maybe the outlook on climate change in our government can be the same way, someday. The scientist in the last scene gave me hope as well. If he can be optimistic, so can I.

Can One Person Make a Difference?

 

After watching Before the Flood last week, the days that followed seemed bleak and hopeless at best. It truly seemed like the future was set in stone and we have no chance to make a difference. But then I remembered President Obama changed his mind about same-sex marriage, because the people essentially demanded him to. I want to believe that climate change with Donald Trump has the potential to turn out the same way. It won’t happen right away, but I have faith that hard and true science will prevail.

Aside from this, I believe that one person can make a positive difference. One person alone will not stop the ice caps from melting. Enough people banding together might though. This lead me to read up on exactly how can an individual make a difference and heres what I found.

• We all know now that eating less meat is a simple and effective way to help save our planet, even just one day a week makes a difference! If everyone in the US ate vegan for one day a week its the same as taking 7.6 million cars off of the road. Just some food for thought (sorry I love puns couldn’t help myself).

Meat Eaters Guide

• Getting involved! Signing petitions and contacting local government officials, even getting involved with businesses that lack in the sustainability department matters. Especially if you can get a family member or friend to join you. Theres an abundance of petitions to sign and each one is a very simple, straightforward process that take no more than 2 minutes to complete.

We The People
www.change.org
Care2

• Donating is also a great thing you can do. If you find yourself thinking maybe you don’t really need anything this holiday season, gift donations to National Resource Defense Council helps. Even $10 matters. Also, its tax deductible!

NRDC Donations

• The biggest thing for me, and I think for a lot of my fellow classmates is staying positive and keeping our eyes on the prize. If you like me are in college for Environmental Studies, we are doing the absolute best we can to make a real tangible difference whether it be with water treatment, clean energy, research, farming etc. And as always, getting involved on campus is our best way to make a difference right here in our city and on our campus.

What Can You Do?
Top 10 Green Jobs
UC Sustainability

Green Eggs and…Beef?

Over the past few weeks we have been really diving into what constitutes green washing and why we should be aware of it. Something we have yet to cover though in this arena is the greenwashing of meat and animal products.

The first part of this I want to address is with brands of eggs that are free-range, pasture-raised and cage free. Their is no regulation over these terms. Now aside from that, the terms are misleading. They all sound the same right? Well, free-range actually just means the chickens can “have access” to pasture, and access constitutes literally a hole in a wall that they may not even fit out of, just that they have access to look outside qualifies them for this tier of labeling. Cage-free just means they quite literally don’t live in cages, but they still have inhumane conditions, living with only 1-2 ft of space per chicken, indoors for their entire lives. Pasture-raised is the only decent term in this which states they must have outdoor conditions for some portion of their lives, but since there are no standards in place, we don’t know as consumers how long or how often they are outdoors.

Grass-fed meat gives us the impression that it is not contributing to factory farming which is to blame for loads of methane in the atmosphere as well as endless amounts of grain which takes up space to grow. But grass-fed meat unless it is raised and purchased locally, is not a viable alternative for the environment to survive through. The animals that are grass-fed are being raised in places like the amazon, which means rainforests are destroyed at a constant rate all so that cattle can graze there, be slaughtered and then be shipped to us which is another contributing factor to climate change. Organic meat is no better. The meat and dairy industry has found a way to reach people who used to be vegetarian by pretending to be concerned with animal welfare and our environment, but like all greenwashing schemes, it is a facade. Locally-raised eggs, meat and dairy are the only somewhat-sustainable options for our planet.

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/the-truth-about-grassfed-beef/

http://otter.org.au/greenwash/

Natural Lies

In this blog I wanted to write about green washing. We talked about in class how companies have started using this avenue of marketing to reach environmentally geared consumers. I was intrigued as to how exactly companies go about this.
The first thing I found was the most commonly overused phrase in green washing is “natural”. This is because there is absolutely no regulation over this term. It is easy to think natural, chemical-free, organic, healthy etc. are all synonymous terms but they aren’t. Only things labeled USDA organic have any set of standers actually applied to them. So whenever I see products that say “Natural!” on them now, with a green box and a picture of leaves on it, all I really see is “Lies!”

In the video posted below they briefly go on to describe that when products are green-washed, they usually lead the consumer to a website (which no one has time to look into) or even worse, don’t list any description of what the product does that really better for the environment at all.

What’s In a Label?

Something more interesting I learned, was that when things are labeled as organic, more than likely its not because the company truly cares about the consumers, its because that company gets a tax break. So leading us back to the discussion on stuff that’s “for a cause” but it’s really just covering up a problem that shouldn’t exist in the first place, green washing and organic labeling does the same thing. Organic products and natural pesticides should be the industry stranded, not specialty items. We live in an age of technology that I believe is more than capable of making companies beyond able to make organic and environmentally friendly products and still turn a profit.

Now on a positive note I want to change gears and say something here about companies that are doing good things for the planet. Over at least the past 15 years there has been a huge controversy over the use of palm oil and the massive amounts of deforestation it has caused. I looked into this because I was really 100% sure that green washing invalidated any claims from companies that said they were using sustainable oil sources, but as it turns out most of the claims are true! I used this really helpful iPhone app called Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping and it is SUPER helpful to see if you’re buying a brand that using responsible sources for their palm oil! So maybe with enough people being a voice for our planet, all hope is not lost.

 

Our Obsession with Stuff

Last week, we watched the Story of Stuff. It explained to us the process of how our material possessions come to be and the flaws within the system. It really got me think, why exactly are we so crazy about shopping and endlessly buying more and more things?

One reason, is like the video showed, we have this never ended source telling us we need to consume more things and not only that, but we also need to keep up with the latest trends of buying the newest, fastest, and best version of something we already have that’s working perfectly fine. After class I saw the new Macbooks that came out and funnily enough I thought to myself “Woah I want a touch bar!” but then, another thought came into mind which was “Why?”

This lead me to  my next article reference which overall states that we use consumption as a way to promote our self-image or somehow change how other people view us as individuals. Having the newest technology makes us look ahead of the curve. As though, we are some how the most advanced and willing to spend whatever amount we need to have the best of the best. Its all about status. Additionally, in class Dr. Sastry mentioned driving an SUV and the fact that most people driving SUV’s never use them to their full capacity. He also mentioned the whole idea of green lifestyle geared consumerism. I myself am 100% guilty of this! I felt like such an idiot for falling into this trap. I have bought countless pairs of Toms, I buy products that give back to charity ALL the time, oh and I drive s Subaru Forester (SUV). It really blew my mind how targeted I have been my entire life as a consumer.

All of this thinking about consumerism and endless amounts of things brought me to ask Dr. Sastry, if consumerism is so terrible, how do we break the cycle? Does donating to goodwill solve any problem? He essentially told me that good will is better than throwing the stuff out straight away, but it still aides in the cycle of donations covering up a problem rather than pointing out how widespread poverty is which forces people to buy things at Goodwill in the first place. So I decided I’m really going to try my absolute hardest to pair down what I have by giving it to friends or family who would have a use for said clothing item or object and if that doesn’t cover everything, I’m going to either try to  sell clothes on Poshmark or last resort, donate them. Once I’ve only kept what I need to be comfortable, I’m going to challenge myself to go 30 days without buying anything. The only exception my be Christmas presents, but even with those things I’ll either buy used, or make presents. How do you guys feel about this? Did watching that video have an effect on you and how you spend money? Also if you have any good ideas for handmade Christmas presents please let me know because all I can think of is cookies or muffins!

Carly Dovale

http://www.alternet.org/story/145997/our_obsession_with_stuff_is_trashing_the_planet,_our_communities_and_our_health

http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schor-overspent.html

Animals in America

In class the other day the topic of animal cruelty came up and I wanted to expand on something Dr. Sastry mentioned, the idea of people adhering to ideologies about animal rights. It is really interesting to me how human beings pick and choose which animals they care about. Why does a dolphin matter more than a pig? I’d even go as far as to say why do people care more about puppies that are abused than they do baby cows in a factory farm?

Today after class I happened to see this article about how owners are getting upset over a new study that determined dogs dreams about their owners. People are actually crying and emotionally moved by the idea that dogs have dreams just like we do. So naturally I look at the comment sections and one of the first comments I see is saying basically pigs are smarter than dogs, which is true, so what on earth do you think they dream about while awaiting slaughter? Pretty hard to comprehend for me personally.

Why is that human beings, especially within America seem to go above and beyond for their personal pets and the thought of someone harming their dog is hard to imagine without getting upset, but we turn a blind eye to factory farmed animals left and right, acting as though, those animals just aren’t important to us whatsoever because just like the anthropocentric ideology of nature being for humans to just exploit, farm animals are beneath humans and therefore have no value other than for us to consume and use as we see fit. It doesn’t make sense to me.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/breaking-news-dogs-could-be-dreaming-ab-you-rn?utm_term=.elPglpBVX#.sc0XMWvw8

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3122303/Move-Lassie-IQ-tests-reveal-pigs-outsmart-dogs-chimpanzees.html

Is Social Media the new frontier?

Long gone are the days of newspapers and cable tv newscasts being the preferred outlet for readers. As some of you saw on Sunday evening, Presidential Nominee Donald Trump stated “Twitter happens to be a modern-day form of communication. You can like it or not like it. I’m not unproud of it.” This brings to question something I have considered for quite some time now which is, how reliable is social media to convey information that we consume and ultimately lead our lives by?

We’ve all seen articles that stem from some obscure source but seem totally credible, when in all actuality they are absolutely not. I remember earlier this year I saw a Facebook post of an article on some obscure new American journalist website saying Bill Murray was running for president. Well, I wanted to believe in my heart of hearts that was true, so I of course shared the glorious news with my friends. My dream was short lived because I found out later that day that alas, it was a hoax. Whats interesting about this is, other people who I shared with totally believed this to be true just as I did.

News from social media can come from a multitude of sources. Peers, businesses, professionals, journalists’ etc. So how are we supposed to differentiate between what is and is not reputable? Posting information to Twitter, or to Facebook, doesn’t guarantee that it is reliable. It could very well be nothing more than someones opinion or in my case, someone else’s wishful thinking.

Now when I look to social media now for news, I always double-check my sources before I believe anything to be true. I will look to see if the article, or even just the paraphrasing in question has been repeatedly posted by multiple media correspondents. Since we no longer have bonafide information being verified before its printed, we now really have to do our own digging to be sure that the knowledge we acquire is actually valid and sometimes includes real, concrete data or background history. Social media can be great to reach vast amounts of people in so many different areas of the world, but it can go both ways as to whether its spreading the truth, or lies. We have to take it upon ourselves to be the mediators.

Carly Dovale

http://abcnews.com.co/actor-bill-murray-announces-2016-presidential-run/

rBGH and Beyond by Carly Dovale

In class last week we discussed the case where two reporters for Fox News discovered research that had been hidden from the public about the ill effects of rBGH in dairy products. This story was shocking because it was very clear that the media is extremely invested in personal interest and affairs, mostly involving high salaries in exchange for leaving their audience in the dark about anything and everything that may negatively impact the people writing the checks.
We also briefly discussed the sugar cane industry paying of Harvard research scientist to keep things hush-hush about the connections of sugar to cancer. Its not a new concept whatsoever. These two cases are just a few of most likely hundreds, if not thousands of health-related issues being more about profit than the negative impacts on the people said issues will hurt in the future. As mentioned in some previous blog posts, Cowspiracy is a very informative documentary showing clear connections, over and over again, between certain types of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, etc. and consumption of animal products. Not only are these connections documented and researched multiple times over, but what is also clear is the wide-web of lies and coverups that have kept the truth far away from the public eye. They go into detail in this documentary as well as others I have seen (Forks Over Knives, Vegucated) on how milk keeps osteoporosis at bay due to large amounts of calcium. But in fact, it has been proven that too much calcium (like the amount promoted in milk ads) actually jump starts osteoporosis in women. Media personal has been paid off multiple times to keep this information away from people, specifically because the Milk Industry, FDA, Agricultural Industry, etc. will lose money due to the fact that people don’t want to consume products that cause them harm.
So with all of the lies being told to us and spread like wild fire, someone asked, “Who can we trust?”. The answer will probably always remain unclear, at least until the FDA is either overturned or becomes more interested in public health than personal financial growth. But there are resources out there for people who want an alternative perspective on what is healthy. One well-known author who has written multiple books on what the human diet should really be about is Michael Pollen. He goes into detail about what the human evolution has done in terms of digestion and what our ideal diet should and should not include, as well as what the industry wants us to believe and why we shouldn’t. Another great resource is cookbooks. Books that have an emphasis on plant-based diets, as well as magazines like Vegetarian Cooking and Whole Living share alternative options that are feasible on a weekly basis. You really have to be your own advocate when deciding to care about your health. Its not always easy but knowledge is power and when you have awareness, you know what to look out for.

Sugar industry secretly paid for favorable Harvard research

http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/past-campaigns/about/dairy-breast-cancer/

https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/projects/meatless_monday/resources/meat_consumption.html

The Business of Health within America

Over the past couple of  years a lot of things have changed in my life, but one of the biggest events has been the diagnosis of my fiancé with epilepsy. The scare of epilepsy doesn’t ever really affect you until someone close to you is diagnosed. Now the disease has its own health concerns and life-changing circumstances (no driving, no alcohol, etc.), but luckily there is treatment. The only issue with treatment though, is that it cost money; And not just a few bucks here or there, but it costs a TON of money. His medication alone, which he needs to take every day to avoid having an episode, costs 300 dollars a bottle. My heart goes out to the parents going through this Epi-Pen crisis. What can you do if your policy runs out and you can’t afford the increasing price of a new plan? What if you miss the enrollment period all together?

Healthcare masquerades as a way for people to get treatment, but its really a business. If you can’t afford healthcare you have 2 options: Pay out of pocket or don’t get treatment. Actually you have 3 if you include just incurring debt over your lifetime and having no intention of ever paying it back. Even now with the system of Obamacare in motion, 44 Million Americans go without healthcare every year and I understand why. Not only do policies cost as much as rent, but they’re not always easily obtainable either. Nick tried to enroll more than a few times for medicaid and after 6 months of going to the social services office and phone calls and paper work, before one generous soul informed him that he missed the enrollment period and would not be eligible for enrollment until November. So now we see first hand just how intangible having adequate care actually is.

Now with a vendetta in my mind against the lie of what accessible care was meant to be, I began researching. I figured out that healthcare is designed for the business’ behind the policy. If you can’t afford care, you’re worthless to the company thats pretending to care if you’re sick. And not only that, but in the US we aren’t even getting the best care, as we saw in class. So basically: You can’t afford a plan that you probably have to work very hard to obtain in the first place, and the care you eventually get isn’t even worth it? But wait, theres more! Now with all of that information in your mind, add to it the idea that if you’re healthy, you also don’t mean anything to the business holding your policy. If you’re poor you don’t get care, and if you’re healthy you won’t need treatment so that means: no surgeries, no medication, no copays for visits-which all means no money being spent.
Its pretty sad and depressing that this is the kind of society we are in and nothing is being done about it. I for one would LOVE to move to Japan right about now.

P.S. Something else to chew on: If healthcare is a business, driven by sick people, do you think its a coincident that 5 McDonalds are down the street from neighborhoods occupied by families that can’t afford treatment once they develop diabetes, obesity or cancer?

http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/uninsured.html

Carly Dovale

Zika Virus

For my first blog post I wanted to go back to the discussion that was brought up on the second day of class. This topic was about how the ebola outbreak was portrayed in the media, in contrast with how malaria has been shown, or more accurately, not shown, in the media.
I remember when the ebola outbreak occurred and the craze of people scrambling to figure out where they would go if it traveled north and came to Cincinnati; What would they do for food? What about their kids? How could something like this happen? At first, I’m not going to lie, I was kind of worried. I didn’t understand how exactly the disease affected people, and all I kept hearing was that it was airborne and essentially unavoidable if in nearby air supply. Now, of course, the hysteria faded away and no one even talks about it anymore, kind of like bird flu and mad cow disease. So this now brings me to the newest outbreak: Zika Virus.
I was traveling actually in Florida in August, not in Miami, but not too far from the area and this virus is seriously ALL over the news in Florida, with good reason, the cases are all their as far as I know. But this time around, I wasn’t worried. I didn’t feel that sense of dread and a need to carry around 100 cans of bug spray. I actually only thought about it when it was on the local news. Why not though? We’ve seen it can affect women who aren’t pregnant, and its not curable quite yet, so to anyone else, I should’ve been just as concerned as I was with ebola, especially since I was in the state where its actually somewhat of an issue.
The reason I wasn’t concerned is because shortly before I left I read an article that changed my perspective. The article stated essentially that Zika virus may have been linked to a pesticide that was used in crops grown in South America. Now, I have seen more recently there is debate over whether this report over the virus having a connection with Monsanto or pesticide use is true or not, so I could’ve been totally duped by this possibly false report. But either way, the whole experience has changed my perspective on one thing for sure and that is: Big media.
No matter which you slice it or dice it, our media coverage is completely biased and partial and dare I say, corrupt. Ebola, just like Zika, didn’t have that many cases in the US, and just like Bird Flu, and mad cow disease, these infections were completely sensationalized and I even think possibly used to initiate terror in some communities.  Who can we trust? Whose telling the truth and whose covering it up? And above it all, what are we truly supposed to believe? If we are left to trust stories, and trust doctors, and follow media coverage, where does that leave us when privatized media with public funding says one thing and big media that is basically forced upon us says the other?
Final thought: Bird flu, mad cow disease, ebola, and obviously malaria are still around. Still killing people. Where is the coverage on those topics and why are they no longer relevant?

http://www.ecowatch.com/latin-american-doctors-suggest-monsanto-linked-larvicide-cause-of-micr-1882172860.html

-Carly Dovale