Green Observer Spring 2018 Issue

The Green Observer Magazine

SPRING 2018 VOLUME 6. ISSUE III

The Green Observer Magazine

READ GREEN LIVE GREEN

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The Green Observer Magazine

LETTER FROM THE EDITROS

W e a re d elighted to pre s ent you our

W e would lik e to say a hug e thank yo u to

S p ri n g 2 0 1 8 I ss ue ! In this iss ue , we tur n our

the dedicated memb er s of the Gr een Ob ser ver,

fo c u s i n w a rd and cove r the Champaign- Ur b ana

the staff of the Univ er sity YMCA , and most o f

co mmu n i t y; you will find ar ticle s about a p ar t -

all, you! To all our r eader s, r etur ning and n ew,

n e rs h i p b e t w e e n a local farmer and S tarb uck s,

we hop e this issue of the Gr een Ob ser v er im -

gr e e n g re e k l i f e, eco- frie nd ly che mistry labs, and

p lor es you to lear n mor e ab out your commu n it y

l o c a l a l t e rn a t i ves to fas t- fas hion. Re ad on to un -

and find the b est way you can mak e an impac t .

cov e r t h e i n c onvenie nt truth about recycling and l ig h t e n u p w i t h a satire on tirele s s- environm ental

A lways with lov e,

o p t i mi s m. We h ope this iss ue shine s light on the

Emily and Sarah

ch a n g e a n d i mp act happe ning in your own b ack ya rd ; w e h op e it re mind s you of the little thing s you c a n d o, eve ryd ay, to make a d iffer ence.

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The Green Observer Magazine

N CO 6-7

BREAKING NEWS

10-11

8-9

WHY WASTE WHILE WASTED

12-13

FA S T FA S H I O N FOILES

14

T

C O N S E R VAT I O N & DISPLACEMENT

A LT S .

T O FA S T FA S H I O N

17

16

GIY: MOSAIC P L AT E

15 F I N D I N G

DARK IN THE LIGHT

GREENER LABS

MEET THE GO TEAM

4

LAURA SCHULTZ

AYDA ASADNEJAD

NOAH SIMON

Copy Editor

Web Master

Fundraising Chair

ABBI PSTRZOCH Art Chair

The Green Observer Magazine

EN 19

A TROPICAL GREENHOUSE IN A T E M P E R AT E C L I M AT E

GOING GREEN OR GOING GREEK

COMMON GROUNDS FOOD CO-OP

TS

W E H AV E DROUGHT TO WAKE UP

24-25

26-27

20-21

28-29

22-23

50 Y E A R S 0F LIGHT & LOV E

AN I N C O N V E N I E N T 30-31 W H AT D O E S T H E TRUTH ABOUT ENVIRONMENT RECYCLING THINK OF YOUR PA I N T S

HUSSAIN KURAWADWALA

ELISE SNYDER

MATTHEW MARTINEZ

DONNA DIMITROVA

YMCA liason

Treasurer and Social Media Chair

Distribution Chair

Layout Editor

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WS NE ING WS G NE BRBRREBRBRBREAEAAKEAEAEAKIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE BRBRBRBRBREAEAEAEAEAKIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE KIN WS G NE BRBRBRBREAEAEAEAKIN WS G NE KIN G NE KIN WS KIN G NEWS The Green Observer Magazine

S AT I R E P I E C E: TAIYA TKACHUK

N E W I N FA L L I B L E WAY T O C O M B AT T H E G LO B A L E N V I R O N M E N TA L C R I S I S

Released just last week, groundbreaking research

by an important, award-winning committee of environmental sustainability experts proposes a revolutionary new approach to cope with the global environmental crisis: optimism. According to researchers working on Project Stop the Frowning Unilateralism, or Project STFU, many sectors of society, including politics, the media, and schools, are forcing people to look at the environmental crisis through only one lens: an extremely negative one. They argue that topics like global climate change, environmental degradation, and air pollution are often portrayed in an overly pessimistic way, causing individuals to develop a sad and unbeneficial worldview. Instead, members of Project STFU say that we must shift our focus towards a “glass-half-full” mentality, as simple optimism is the key to dealing with complex environmental sustainability issues.

In order to transition to an improved state of a

society-wide optimistic mentality, people must begin to view different aspects of the environmental crisis as positive occurrences. According to Project STFU CEO Yora B. Lind, this will “help us achieve balance with our world and within ourselves.” Here are a few examples of how scientists involved in the project say people can switch their mindsets on some of the most widely discussed environmental topics:

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PRINT BY ANDREW HARLAN

The Green Observer Magazine

C L I M A TE C H A N GE F O S SIL F U ELS

Instead of thinking of global climate change as

While the media is often too focused on the pollu-

“irreversibly destructive,” scientist Noah More recommends

tion and rising temperatures that fossil fuels cause, the posi-

thinking of it as a “new opportunity.” With increasing temper-

tive social effects of fossil fuel burning is a rarely discussed

atures across the world, there will be more prime real estate

topic. In the case of a possible energy crisis in the near fu-

with lake and oceanfront views, as well as a longer season for

ture where we will run out of fossil fuels, scientist Wyra Lik-

aquatic recreational sports. Dr. More states that “common in-

this says that the payoff for people socially will be amazing.

stances of extreme weather events will add variety to every-

Dr. Likthis mentions that “less screen time and more one-

day life while helping you save electricity by cutting down on

on-one interaction with family and friends will have drasti-

fan usage and switching over to natural high-speed winds.”

cally positive effects on an individual’s well-being, and it can help people secure social ties as well as form new, meaningful relationships without technology acting as a barrier.”

P OLLU TIO N

What all Project STFU scientists point to is that

people shifting their mentalities to be more optimistic is the most, if not the only, important aspect to solve the looming environmental crisis. Project founder Dr. Lind

Many people are not aware of the fact that hu-

also makes a point that “if you are an activist and are look-

mans have created a new layer of earth made up entirely of

ing for even more active ways to contribute to the cause,

trash.This layer is called the technosphere, and it is made

some things you can also consider doing are recycling ev-

up of things like plastic toy packaging, milk cartons, plas-

erything you own, petting animals to increase biodiversity,

tic bottles, and even parts of broken buildings. Scientist

donating tap water if you have an excess, and even having

Weeral Doomad states that “this new layer is not something

a baby to increase the world’s population of world-savers.”

to be pessimistic about, as it proves our contribution to

Yet, as research shows, the most important thing society

nature as a human race.” He continues on to say that “pro-

has to do is to start looking at the glass as being half full.

duced purely through human innovation, the technosphere demonstrates that global production efforts do not go to waste, but instead help give back to mother earth by giving her more land—a truly remarkable feat of our generation.”

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The Green Observer Magazine

WH Y WASTE WHILE WH ILE WASTED? MAISEY SCHMIDT

“FEAR NOT, ALCOHOL ENTHUSIASTS, FOR WE HAVE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO THINK AND DRINK GREEN”

Living on a college campus, we stu-

According to Mother Jones, alcohol

dents often need a little something to take

manufacturers in the US contribute the

the edge off. Many of us partake in frat

equivalent of 1.9 million households in

parties, bars, or a simple a drink at home

greenhouse gases. With the imminent im-

when trying to combat the stress of col-

pacts of climate change staring us in the

lege. But is alcohol more damaging to the

face, we are forced to wonder—how can

environment than we realized?

we help to reduce our carbon footprint?

T H E U GLY T R UTH !

With so many different types of liquor,

a year switched to being boxed it would

is little to do about the production, you

beer, and wine to choose from, it’s impor-

reduce gas emissions by two million tons,

can still buy smart. While cans have their

tant to consider the environmental impact

or the equivalent to retiring 400,000 cars.

own negative impact on the environment,

of each drink. In what specific ways are

Boxes are easily recyclable and eliminate

they are recycled at higher rates than beer

our favorite liquors killing our planet?

the weight load when shipping. And if

bottles, making them a better choice. The

you worry about the waste of the plastic

best news for the college-age consumer is

bag inside the box, it can be reused as a

that kegs have the best of both worlds: a

camping pillow or even to water flowers!

lot of beer without all the packaging. Keep

The largest impact of wine is not

its production but its shipping. One of the best ways to reduce this strenuous carbon consuming process is buying wines that

8

Beer is quite wasteful in its

practicing those keg stands!

are more local to your area—those on the

production for a few different reasons.

Lastly, liquor is a nightmare

East Coast are okay to indulge in French

Colorado-based brewery New Belgium

from an environmental standpoint, far

wines, whereas those toward the West

did a study in 2008 which found they

worse than wine or beer. However, not

should stick to the California blends.

produced the most greenhouse gases

all liquors are created equal. Topping the

Another way to enjoy vino without the

because of their refrigeration process.

list for worst environmental effects are

waste is a college favorite—boxed wines.

The Guardian also reported that beer uses

vodka and gin, since they are distilled

The New York Times reported that if the

five to ten times the amount of water

down to 95% ethanol, which requires a lot

majority of wine that were produced in

than is produced as beer. Though there

of energy through heating its equipment.

BRANDS PLEAS E!

The Green Observer Magazine

So where is the sil ver lining Though for those some co of us wh m panies h o like a s game, th ave step tiff drink e best w ped up ? e c o n s their ec umers ca informati o-friendly n do is b on, it is e e b s sential to rand sav the envir vy. With pick the onment this b ra o n n d y s that be o ur next li you start st suppo quor run ed! rt . Here a re a few to get

BEER:

LIQUOR:

WINE:

New Belgium: Boasting its organic

Vodka:

French Rabbit: Made out of envi-

title, this beer company reduces its carbon emissions by producing solar energy on-site while diverting its waste from landfills.

Bell’s: Aiming to help the environment, Bell’s uses local grains and large fans to reduce the impact of air conditioning.

Square One is certified organic and boasts a one-time distillation process!

Rum: DonQ reuses its waste water in it’s irrigation process and compost the rest.

ronmentally friendly boxed packages, this brand aims to reduce, reuse, and recycle. They also work with American Forests, a forest conservation group, to plant more trees!

Kendall-Jackson: Not only are they sustainably certified, but consume less water, more solar power,

Whiskey;

and more renewable energy than

Maker’s Mark uses locally sourced

most

grain and four hundred acres of land that they don’t use for their crops has been deemed a forest preserve.

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The Green Observer Magazine

The donation bin is the second place

o ne w e e k , a n d then re turned two wee ks lat -

unwanted clothes can end up. P e op l e d ona t e

e r to f i n d e n t i re ly ne w me rchand is e? If you

clothes with the b elief that their donation

h av e , i t i s b e c a u se of the curre nt phenome -

is g oing to help p eop le or communities that

non of f a st f a shion. Technology has enabled

ne e d t he m . Large fast fashion retailers such as

companies to roll out low cost, up-to-the-

Zara and H&M even give discounts as incentives

minute trends which has erased the concept

forpeople to donate clothes before they shop.

of seasonal shopping and created a demand

Many customers believe that donating clothes

for massive amounts of clothing. This allows

helps solve the issue of the high volume pro-

cons u me rs to kee p up with quickly chang -

duction; and while donating clothes is often

i n g t re n d s a n d not bre ak the bank d oing

more environmentally friendly than throwing

i t . I n ord e r to prod uce s o much clothing,

them away, there are still other negative

bot h q u a l i t y a nd working cond itions have

consequences from this model. The r e alit y

ta k e n a h i t , h arming many communitie s

is only ab out 20% of clothing donations

a n d t h e e n v i ronme nt in the proces s .

to secondhand shop s actually g o on the shelv es, accor ding to Fashionista. A lot of

On e of the main is s ue s is that

these g ar ments ar e not donated to p eop le

th e se c l ot h e s don’ t me rely d is appear whe n

in need, instead they ar e b roug ht wholesale

th e y g e t tos s e d to make room for the next

for low p r ices and then ship p ed out so they

i t i t e m. Th e y u sually end up in one of two

can b e sold in other p ar ts of the wor ld.

pl a c e s ; t h e f i rst is the trash. In America

a l on e , p e op l e t hrow away about 13 million

to n s of t e x t i l e s every year. While a lot of

cities in developing nations being sold to the

th e se i t e ms c ou ld be re us ed in some way,

local p eop les, who ar e just as eag er to own

most w i l l w i n d up in a land fill. M a n y f a s t

tr endy p ieces as the or ig inal owner s. These

fashion retailers use cheaper synthetic

clothes often wear out quick ly and fill

fabrics such as polyester to make their

dump s in ar eas that typ ically alr eady hav e

g a r m e n t s . This has a large environmental

a lar g e r efuse-disp osal p rob lem. Owing to

impact because most synthetic fabrics do

the cheap p r ices, local textile industr ies,

not biodegrade and the dyes used to color

tailor s, and seamstr esses cannot comp ete

these fabrics are typically insoluble in water

e conom ically. These small businesses of t e n

and sometimes even toxic. In Bangladesh,

suffer and close as a r esult which in tur n

the second largest expor ter of clothing in

p ushes mor e p eop le to continue to b uy

the world, factories dump toxic water waste

secondhand clothes.

into canals and streams which has decimat-

inter ested in fig hting b ack to p rotect their

ed the fish population and is ruining aquatic

own industr ies that ar e thr eatened b y fast

ecosyst e ms . This is jus t one example of the

fashion. For examp le, In 2016 the East

ma n y w a ys t h a t the prod uction and d ispos -

A fr ican Community, an inter g ov er nmental

a l p ra c t i c e s i n h e rent in the se high prod uc -

p anel of fiv e A fr ican countr ies, p rop osed

ti on re t a i l me t h od s affect the e nvironment.

a b an on the imp or t of secondhand clothes

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These clothes often wind up in large

Some countr ies ar e

FAS T FAS HIO N FOL IES

H av e you ever be e n to a retail s tore

P E TO R R LU I N LO -S P E TO W E

The Green Observer Magazine

FA ST FA SH IO N FO LI ES

and shoes to be enacted by 2019. However,

else to source their products. The 2013 Rana

despite actions like these, fast fashion still

Plaza Building Collapse in Bangladesh is just

continues to be a problem around the world.

one example. Despite workers’ concerns of

Lastly the people that make this disposable

the building’s cracking walls and unstable

clothing are not treated well. These workers

foundation, the management ignored these

are among the lowest paid workers in the

problems which lead to a building-wide col-

world and struggle to survive on what they

lapse, killing over 1,130 workers. In these

earn. Not only do these workers earn low

ways and others, fast fashion producers

wages, but they also have to operate in poor

transfer the social, economical, and envi-

working conditions. Factory fires and building

ronmental burden of fast fashion to other

collapses are common because management

countries and communities while giving their

has to keep their costs and wages competi-

customers the impression that their ac-

tive or else companies will turn somewhere

tions are having a positive impact globally.

“I N A M E R I C A A LO N E, P E O P L E T H R O W AWAY A B O U T 13 M I L L I O N TONS OF TEXTILES E V E RY Y E A R.”

COLLAGE BY DONNA DIMITROVA

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The Green Observer Magazine

ALTERNATIVES TO FAST F A S H I O N

MEGHAN SEL

Fa sh ion is an outlet for pe rsonal

e x p re s si on and a form of ar t and it may b e u n re a l i s t ic to as k consumers to avoid t h e f a s t f a shion ind us try altoge the r, b ut s ma l l i mp rove me nts can make a d ifference.

H e re a re a fe w ways to stop suppor ting f a s t f a s h i on (and s ave s ome money to o!)

1

B e a s mar t s hoppe r and as k “D o I r e a l l y n e ed this ? ”: Mos t of the time, the

a n sw e r i s no! L earning to value quality ov e r q u a n t i ty is an impor tant component to d e c l i n e the nee d for d ispos able cl oth i n g . B u yi n g quality clothing that can b e w orn f or a longe r time than one s e ason c a n h e l p d ecreas e the amount of clothing

Leo Pellegrini

t h a t e n d s u p in the tras h or in s econd hand ma rk e t s a ro und the world . L e ss is m or e!

2

2/24/18

Su p p or t local thrift s hops and s econd h a n d sh ops : Thrift shops are a fantastic

w a y to p u rc has e clothing and avoid the fast f a s h i on i n dus try. S hopping s econd - hand is e xc i t i n g b e caus e they have unique pie ces of -

12

3

Par ticip ate in clothing swap s: Stu d en t s for Env ironmental Concer ns, a studen t o r -

t e n f ou n d n owhe re else. They allow for mor e

g anization at the Univ er sity of Illinois, h o st s

f re e d om to personalize clothing since they

a year ly clothing swap dur ing Ear th W eek ev-

a re of t e n l e s s e xpens ive and more allowing of

er y year at the YMCA . Par ticip ants b rin g in

ri sk s . Tu torials for e mbroid e ry, ad d ing p atch -

clothing they no long er use and ar e a b le to

e s , c h a n g i n g he mline s , and othe r techniques

swap clothing with the other p ar ticip ants. On e

to t ra n sf orm clothes can be found o nline.

p er son’s trash is another p er son’s tr ea su re!

The Green Observer Magazine

4

Pa y a t te ntion to materials: Clothes that a re ma de of natural fibers such as hemp ,

5

Utilize clothing r esale web sites an d ap p s lik e Poshmar k , Dep op , and Thr edu p : Wh en

l i n e n , c ot to n, silk, and wool typically k eep

look ing for a sp ecific item, r esale ap p s an d

t h e i r q u a l i ty longer than clothes mad e from

web sites can assist to find p ar ticu lar c lo t h -

s yn t h e t i c f ibers and they biod e grad e much

ing items. Search functions for size s, c o lo rs ,

f a s t e r. Fol low care instructions and mak e

and b rands mak e these sites easier t h an t h rif t

s ma l l re p a i r s whe n nece ss ary can help clothes

shop s to find sp ecific items. Ev en m ak e so m e

s t a y i n b etter cond ition and las t long er.

extra cash b y p osting used clothes f o r s ale!

Maddie Dolinsky

Dirk Molek

2/24/18

6

R e n t c lothing for s pe cial events from

2/24/18

7

Sup p or t Ethical and Sustainab le B ran d s : Doing r esearch ab out the b rand o f c lo t h-

Clothing

ing you p urchase from is imp or tant. Su p p o r t in g

re n t a l s l i k e Rent the Runway are a g r eat

b rands that ar e eco-fr iendly and ensu re b asic

a l t e rn a t i v e to get ite ms for s pe cial oc -

human r ig hts for their wor k er s is impo r t an t to

c a s i on s ! P ick out a clothing item for an

r esist the fast fashion industr y and st an d u p

ev e n t , w e a r it, and then return it. This will

for ethical p ractices. Many of thes e b ran d s

s av e n ot only close t s pace but als o money!

such as Patag onia, Ev er lane, Lev i’s, an d Peo -

Th e s e r v i c e als o d oe s away with the wor r y

p le Tr ee hav e r easonab le p r ices with o u t c u t -

a b ou t b e i n g s ee n in the s ame clothe s twice!

ting their wor k er s or the env ironmen t sh o r t .

re n t a l s hops and we bs ite s :

13

CO NS ER VA TIO N

The Green Observer Magazine

AND

DISPLACEMENT

There is a renewed zeal to conserve natural

In the late 19th century, John Muir’s philoso-

spaces both globally and in the United States. Recent

phy of preservation began to gain traction. “The Father

lawsuits filed against the Trump administration over the

of the National Parks” insisted on the need to conserve

massive acreage reduction of Bears Ears and Grand

natural spaces.

Staircase-Escalante National Monuments strongly in-

breaking, he was one of the first to insist that people

dicate this. The UN’s commitment to preserving 17%

and nature were separate and incompatible entities.

of land by 2020 reveals a world fervently attempting

Prior to this, another starkly contrasting view prevailed.

to right the wrongs of past exploitation. It is a noble

George Catlin was an artist and writer who spent a

and worthy cause, but the philosophy of conservation

great deal of time traveling the Great Planes capturing

has been and is still being abused. Land conserva-

the people of the area in the form of beautiful portraits.

tion has too often led to the mass displacement of

He insisted that indigenous people were an integral

indigenous peoples.

part of the landscapes they inhabited.

To correct the human cost,

Though this wasn’t at all ground-

Conservation

it’s necessary that we take a critical look at how and

of landscapes, he argued, should include the people

why conservation efforts result so often in suffering.

who have traditionally inhabited them. As Westward

When we think of a crown jewel national park

like Glacier, we imagine vast uninhabited boreal forest. An austere and primeval landscape touched only

expansion accelerated in the mid to late nineteenth century, racist sentiment towards indigenous people grew.

Johnson v. M’Intosh (1823) was a landmark

by the changing hand of time. The issue is that this

Supreme Court case resulting in a decision by Chief Jus-

area in Montana’s Rocky Mountains was home to many

tice John Marshall, which expressed that Native Ameri-

for years before conservation was ever a thought. The

cans had no right to the land that they had occupied pri-

Siksikaitsitapi lived in and around the Glacier region

or to European ‘discovery’. This decision also gave the

for centuries prior to American colonization. Upon the

United States the power to designate new public lands

park’s establishment, they were forced from their homes.

made up of that which was seized from indigenous peo-

Pristine wilderness, provided a convenient yet manufac-

ples. This case provided the legal foundations for both

tured idea to erase their long and culturally significant

the national park system and the reservation system.

presence. The culmination of years of racist legislation and a foundational philosophy steeped in falsities, the

MATTHEW MARTINEZ

National Park System that we know today was born.

CHECK US OUT ONLINE: www.GreenObserver.net www.facebook.com/TheGreenObserver www.instagram.com/TheGreenObserver all sources can be found on website above 14

P H OTO

BY M A RGA

RET GO

LDEN

The Green Observer Magazine

FINDING DARK IN THE LIGHT

On cloudy nights, a faint orange glow overtakes

the night sky, leaving only a few of the brightest stars visible. On clear nights, a couple hundred stars might come out. Where did the rest of the night sky go?

Light pollution comes from an excess of arti-

ficial lighting, both indoors and outdoors. Streetlights, sporting venues, factories, offices, and homes are all major sources of light pollution. Light pollution’s effects are most clearly seen in cities due to the large concentration of artificial light. This light overpowers stars on clear nights and reflects off clouds on overcast nights, producing an effect known as “skyglow”.

The excess light results in glare and clutter that negatively affects all life.

“LUCKILY, LIGHT POLLUTION IS AN SIMPLE PROBLEM TO SOLVE.” LAURA WHIPPLE

The harmful effects of light pollution aren’t

always obvious but have consequences nonetheless.

Artificial light can interfere with plant photosynthesis by increasing water loss from the plant. The worst effects of light pollution hurt wildlife more than anything else. Blinded birds often fly into buildings and are killed upon impact. Baby sea turtles mistake the glow of street lights for the reflection of the moon off of the ocean. In their confusion, they never make it to the water and eventually die from dehydration or predation.

The issue only exists as long as excess light

finds its way into the night sky. Streetlights are a major cause of light pollution, but a shield modification to lights can prevent light from interfering with the night sky. Reducing the number of lights, or simply turning

On top of these harmful effects, light pollu-

off lights, are two other simple yet effective fixes. For

tion disrupts the human mind and body. Artificial light

the light sources that cannot be eliminated, different

interferes with natural sleep cycles, and sleep depri-

types of light bulbs reduce the impact of light pollution.

vation can eventually lead to health issues such as

While light pollution will never be totally eradicated, im-

obesity and depression. Glare from night ime lighting

plementing these solutions and spreading awareness

limits one’s ability to see properly. On top of these

of this issue has the potential to dramatically reduce

health effects, part of the Milky Way should be visible

the impact of this type of pollution. When that happens,

from Earth, but most people go their entire lives never

people around the world will once again see the night

laying eyes on this part of their home.

sky as it was meant to be seen.

15

The Green Observer Magazine

GREEN IT YOURSELF As a college kid in 2018, you probably have old CD’s laying around your apar t ment collecting dust. Now that Spotify has every High School Musical song available with a click of a button, what’s the point of holding onto your old CD al-

SARAH COLEMAN

bums? This simple upcycling project will preser ve the nostalgia of your dweeby, p repubescent middle school years while creating a personalized piece of ar t.

What You’ll Need: • Glue • CD’s • Plate • Scissors

1.

St a r t of f by cutting up your CD ’s into s i mp l e g e ome tric s hapes, ke e ping in mind t h a t t h e s e shape s will eve ntually hav e to

f i t tog e t h e r.

2.

Star t gluing the pieces together onto the

3.

Let the glue dry and voila! Hang-up your

plate until the entire plate is filed.

work

of

ar t

and

decorate

your

dorm

room or give it to your roommate as a ‘sorry to clogged the toilet again’ gift!

* Keep in mind you can r eally use any objec t to cr eate your b eautiful mosaic! I chose an o ld p late that I rar ely used b ut you could use an o ld b ir d feeder, a flower p ot, or a frame for a m irro r.

16

The Green Observer Magazine

GREENING THE LABS AT UIUC

ABBI PSTRZOCH

Th i s p a st se me ster, I had the ple as ure of inter v iew -

ty-p ercent decr ease in lab orator y waste to be ex ac t ) .

i n g D r. J os é A nd ino, a chemis try profe ss or at the

In or der to advance towar ds this g oal, they h ave b e -

Un i v e rsi t y of I l l i nois with an interest in env ironmen -

g un to minimize the amount of chemicals u t iliz ed in

ta l c on s e r va t i on. While D r. And ino’s line of wor k

each exercise. W hether it b e r ep lacing chemic als w it h

i s n ot sp e c i f i c ally orie nte d toward pre ser v ing our

Kool-A id (imp lemented b y P rofessor Don D eC o st e) ,

pl a n e t ’s e c os ys tems and natural re s ources, he un -

or r emov ing lab s that include toxic comp ou n d s alto -

de r s t a n d s a c oncept that many people have troub le

g ether, str ides ar e b eing made to cut out sub s t an c es

gra s p i n g : t h e i de a that we all have the ability (and

that thr eaten env ironmental health. In add it io n , a

r e s p on s i b i l i t y) to behave s us tainably. Be liev e it or

lab g lov e r ecycling p rog ram has b een implem en t ed

n o t , e c o- f ri e n d l y practice s can be integrated into

b y the chemistr y Senior Tech Lab Sp ecialis t , Se -

a l l f i e l d s of w or k; you d on’ t have to be an env iron-

r enity Desmond. Rather than b eing trashed af t er a

m en t a l sc i e n t i st to care about and bette r th e health

sing le use, the used-g lov es ar e sent to a c o m p an y

o f ou r e a r t h . Following this notion, D r. A ndino is

that g iv es them a second life as stationar y m at erials.

w ork i n g to c om bine the concepts of s cientific expe ri me n t a t i on and environmental sus tainab ility b y i n c orp ora t i n g “ Gre e n Che mis try” into UIUC lab s.

“THE PLANET DOES NOT NEED TO BE DESTROYED IN ORDER TO LEARN FROM AND UNDERSTAND IT ”.

C h e mi st s cond uct e xperiments to b etter un de r s t a n d t h e e ar th and its proce ss e s; howev er, as Dr. A n d i n o p u t p er fe ctly in our inter view, th e p lanet

Professor

A n d in o

d u rin g

a

lec t u re

do e s n ot n e e d to be d e s troyed in ord er to lear n from

a n d u n d e rs t a n d it. But, let’s be hone st, this is easier

Dur ing the inter v iew, P rofessor A ndino p oin t ed o u t

sa i d t h a n d on e . Anyone who has ever bee n enrolled

the p rog r ess that has b een made b y chemist s as t h ey

i n a UI UC c h e mistry lab knows that each activ -

hav e b ecome mor e env ironmentally awar e. At o n e

i ty re q u i re s a multitud e of supplies, res ul ting in a

p oint in time, hazar dous waste p roducts were c are -

m u l t i t u d e of w a s te prod ucts. L atex glove s , Kimtech

lessly disp osed of down the drain, and their in c o m -

w i p e s , ma s s e s of paper towe ls, and j ugs of p oten -

p atib ility with life was ev ident in the env iro n m en t al

ti a l l y h a z a rd ou s che micals are j ust a fe w p roduced

deg radation that followed. W hile many str id es h ave

o n t h e d a i l y. Th i s is where the proce s s of “g r eening ”

b een made to r educe the env ironmental f o o t p rin t

ch e mi s t ry c ome s in. Re d uce, reuse, recycle: r educe

of lab orator y exp er iments since then, there is st ill

th e ov e ra l l s u p p lies used , reuse materials when it’s

much imp rov ement to b e made. Luck ily t h ere are

sa f e to d o s o, and recycle ce r tain was te p roducts.

p eop le lik e Dr. A ndino, who ar e p assionat e ab o u t

For t w o ye a rs, Profes sor And ino and his co lleag ues

exp er imentation and sustainab ility, and are w o rk -

h av e b e e n w ork ing to create a gre e ne r lab manual,

ing har d to cr eate a b etter futur e. Thank s to t h em ,

th e i r l on g - t e rm goal being an overall d e crease in the

lab orator ies will continue to b e p laces of s c ien t if ic

w a s t e t h a t i s p ro d uced in laboratory exe rcises (a fif -

discov er y - just at less of an env ironment al c o st .

17

The Green Observer Magazine

EXLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT O N LY AT : W W W. G R E E N O B S E R V E R . N E T

Flyi ng high on good vibes with the Champa ign County Audubon Society Do you like birds and nature? Do you want to become more active in wildlife and habitat conservation? Do you want to know more about the wonders of our local ecosystems? If so, the Champaign County Audubon Society (CCAS) might

be the place for you. I sat down with the president, Sara Johnson, for a Q&A about the organization and how students can get involved:

By Alida Flamingh

Whose a tree hugger? The environmental stances of Illinois 2018 primary candidates In case you missed the campaign ads all over social media and cable TV, the Illinois primary elections just happened. Although the state primaries are not as glamorous as something like the presidential election, they are just as important when it comes to making an impact on your

community. Here you will find summaries of the primary candidates’ stances the environment, climate change, green energy, etc. Stay informed and get out the vote, Green Observers!

By Elise Snyder

Does your hamburger contribute to climate change?

In this day and age, it seems that socalled “fad diets” are becoming more and more popular, especially among millennials and young adults. Aside from all of the more extreme diets – such as the grapefruit only diet or taking shots of apple cider vinegar to boost metabolism – there is a rising market for vegetarian and vegan 18

diets across our population. Most of these fad diets are not based upon actual scientific evidence. However, veganism and vegetarianism are two diets that have been shown to benefit both your personal health and the health of our environment.

By Ella Lisk

The Green Observer Magazine

A T R O P I C A L GREENHOUSE IN A TEMPERATE CL IMIMAT AT E ELISE SNYDER

The budding trees and fresh flowers of

Maintaining a tropical greenhouse in

spring are drawing nearer, but at this time

a temperate climate doesn’t come without

of year Central Illinois is still a barren land

challenges. If the heat goes out, greenhouse

of dead grass and empty corn fields. Un-

workers have to make sure emergency heat-

less, that is, you happen to be walking by

ers are turned on to keep the plants from

the Plant Biology greenhouses on South

freezing. “I’ve spent many a two o’clock here

Dorner Drive and catch a glimpse of lush

trying to keep greenhouses warm,” says Deb-

greenery through the massive glass

bie Black, the greenhouse manager. Insect

windows of the tropical conservatory.

pests also thrive in the warm, rich green-

From their first step through the conservatory doors, visitors are greeted by warm air and the classic wet soil smell that accompanies any indoor plant. The 2,000 square-foot room features soaring glass walls, a small pond, and a brick path that emulates the experience of walking

house environment and can be difficult to control. However, the biggest challenge the greenhouse faces is lack of funding and resources — Black has been forced to get rid of plants the greenhouse can no longer afford to keep because of recent budget cuts.

Despite these financial roadbumps, the

under a tropical canopy. In addition to

conservatory is open for the public to enjoy

tropical plants, there are desert and temper-

from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through

ate plant rooms available for exploration.

Friday, and it remains a great place to com-

One of the most intriguing plant varieties

mune with nature in any season. In Black’s

in the tropical conservatory are the cycads,

words, “It’s just a nice place to come and vis-

which are nearing their 100th anniversary as

it, and a unique opportunity to see a tropical

part of the Plant Biology collections. Down

rainforest that you won’t get anywhere else.”

the hall in the desert room visitors can also find the Wollemi pine, which is native only to a single canyon in Australia and is one of the most primitive trees known to science.

More information about the greenhouse found on their website: www.life.illinois.edu/plantbio/greenhouse/

19

The Green Observer Magazine

WE HAVE DROUGHT TO WAKE UP KRISH SAXENA

For ye a rs , s cientis ts have warned ab out

city; however, a third of the population lives in

d e p l e t i n g w a t er re s ource s and the d ras ti c ef -

slums, having no access to a car. Distribution to

fe c t s of p ol i t i c al inaction. None of us ne e ds to

these people as well as the sick and elderly will

b e l e c t u re d on how impor tant wate r is to life;

be a challenge. As water shifts from basic neces-

g re a t c i v i l i z a t i ons prospe red around rive rs lik e

sity to a prized commodity, the threat of disease,

th e N i l e a n d I n d us , and the combination of coal

sanitation system failure, and anarchy looms.

an d st e a m h e rald ed in the ind ustrial revolu tion.

I n A me ri c a , t h e illusion of ple nty and unre s t r ict -

e d p u b l i c c on su mption continues to push us to -

cord of economizing on its water use, popula-

wa rd t h e t i p p i ng point. In rece nt years , sev eral

tion increase coupled with “unexpected” onset

s t u d i e s h av e shown that consumption o f r e -

of the 300-year drought caught the politicians

s ou rc e s h a s c o nsis tently outpace d population

off-guard. Cape Town relies majorly on the

g row t h .

inte rac tion

Threewaterskloof reservoir, which is completely

c ou p l e d w i t h i ncreas ing vulnerability of natural

reliant on seasonal precipitation. Political di-

s yst e ms d u e to climate change has cre ated a

visions hindered implementation of projects

s t re s s on re s o urce s and le ft our future in the

that might have diversified Cape Town’s water

b a l a n c e . C i t i e s across the world are on edg e.

sources and built resilience into existing in-

frastructure. The responsibility for allocating

20

I n c re ased

human- nature

Although the city has an excellent re-

Cape Town, South Africa, home to the

funds rests on the federal government, run by

Threewaterskloof Dam and the world’s largest

the African National Congress which also holds

reservoir, faces the prospect of becoming the

power in all but one province. Often, leaders

first city in the world to run out of tap water. A

jostle to take undue credit for implementing big-

little over three years ago, before the onset of

budget projects; but the game of politics usu-

the drought, the reservoir was close to 90% ca-

ally is about hindering the opposition. Readers

pacity. Mismanagement and inaction since then

might recognize these inefficiencies in politics

have brought that down to twenty percent; with

from their own experiences here in America.

supply cut-off at thir teen percent. With supply

Slow progress on the technological front is also

predicted to run out by April, Cape Town’s four

responsible for the larger issue of long-term

million residents are panic-buying water bottles

forecasting. Scientists are still unable to ac-

and bracing themselves to make long walks to

curately praedict droughts reliably monthsin

collect water. The government has planned to

advance due to the buffet of variables involved,

hand out free water at 200 locations across the

such as soil moisture and topography. This

The Green Observer Magazine

fur ther highlights the mismanagem ent of the situation, as several important projects in Cape Town were pushed back. The former is an issue that will be resolved with improvementa s in models aided by collection of high quality data on global weather drivers and identifying strong correlations, say, between El Nino/La Nina and droughts in Cape Town.

There are 2.5 billion people lacking access to quality drinking water for at least one month per year, a number expected to double by 2050. More than fifty percent of the global population lives in urban areas, a quar ter of which do not have access to piped municipal water. During the California drought, water that had not seen daylight for 20,000 years was pumped out, and towns like East Por ter ville completely exhausted their groundwater resources. As temperatures increase, so does demand from the agricultural sector due to increased evapotranspi ration from crops. As cities expand, authorities struggle to develop basic utili ties to maintain safe living standards as witnessed during the Sao Paulo drought. The situation in Brazil was salvaged when the rains returned just in time. Panic-pumpin g groundwater, reactionary drafting of mit igating projects, and disease follow the onset of drought. The end result? Bringing in more water to satisfy the unquenchabl e thirst for consumption of more and more resources. When conser va tion methods take root, more people move in only for the same situation to repeat at the onset of the next drought.

Rarely are long-term holistic measures formulated.

“INCRE ASING UNCERT AINTY IN SPATIA L AND TEMPO RAL VARIAB ILITY OF WATER IS CHANG ING LIVES ACROS S THE WORLD �

In these times of uncer tainty, it is imperative to rethink our strategies. In the Murray-Darlin g basin in Australia, reallocation between ag ricultural and domestic use through water markets, has promoted more efficient use of available water resources, while mini mizing externalities . Public interest groups and NGOs need to drive public par ticipation in a bottom-up approach to galvanize suppor t for tough policies. While rainwater har vesting, and adoption of ancient techniques such as drip irrigation should not be completely disregarded, investment in new research such as as energy-

efficient desalination techniques, and a smar t grid -to monitor real-time water flows through natural and urban infrastructur e- and manage water markets are some novel ideas wor th consider considering.

21

The Green Observer Magazine

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF LIGHT AND LOVE MARGARET GOLDEN

On a c a mp u s w ith ove r 40, 000 people, it is easy to

in the fall of my fr eshman year. I attended a Veg an

g e t l ost i n t h e crowd and fe e l is olated , esp ecially

Fusion nig ht dinner, which ar e dinner s that f eat u re

w h e n you a re ne w to the are a. When I fir st came

differ ent cultural dishes from around the world , w it h

to UI UC my f re s hman ye ar, one of my greatest con -

another v eg an I had met in the dining hall. ( Th ey/

c e rn s w a s t h e isolation I might face be cause of my

She is now one of my dear est fr iends). That n ig h t at

c h oi c e to p ra ctice a vegan d iet. Be caus e p ractic -

dinner, I felt mor e at home than I had any other p lac e

i n g v e g a n i s m is s o rare , I was afraid that my diet

on camp us, and all fear of isolation disap p eared .

c h oi c e w ou l d d ras tically se t me apar t from other s.

Last month, Feb r uar y of 2018, mar k ed th e 5 0 t h

H ow ev e r, t h a t was not the cas e , thanks to the Red H e rri n g R e st a urant. I firs t went to the Red Her r ing

22

The Green Observer Magazine

a n n i v e rs a ry of the Re d H erring vegetarian r estau -

countless ways. The community and I ar e very

ra n t . Th e R e d H erring is a ve gan res taurant in Ur -

luck y to hav e the Red Her r ing ; Champ aig n-Urb an a

b a n a t h a t s e r ves fre sh, organic, and locally g rown

would not b e the same without it. Thr ee years af -

v e g a n f ood at price s that are as fair and acces -

ter attending my fir st dinner, I am sitting in m y

s i b l e a s p os sible. The re s taurant is hou sed b elow

favor ite b ooth at the Red Her r ing on a cold rain y

t h e C h a n n i ng Murry Found ation, which is a cam -

day, sip p ing soup to stay war m and r eminisc in g

p u s- c ommu nity cente r rooted in Unitarian-Univ er -

on all the g ood food and g ood times I’v e sh ared

s a l i st va l u e s provid ing e d ucational, ar tistic, and

with lov ed ones in this mag ical sp ace. Th e R ed

c u l t u ra l p rograms d es igne d to be rad ically inclu -

Her r ing will always hold a v er y sp ecial p lace in m y

s i v e , soc i a l jus tice- cente red , and spiritu ally aliv e.

hear t. I am eter nally g rateful to it for p rovid in g

Th e re st a u rant s er ves vegan food not because it

me with a lov ing p lace I can always call h o m e.

i s h i p or t rend y, but becaus e the y believ e in liv i n g a c ru e l t y fre e and sus tainable lifestyle filled w i t h a s mu c h love as pos s ible . This is b ecause, i n a d d i t i on to be ing crue lty free , veganism is the most s u st a i nable d ie t one can practice. Each day, a p e rs on w ho e ats a ve gan d iet saves 1,100 g al l on s of w a t er, 45 pound s of grain, 30 sq ft of fore s t e d l a n d , and 20 lbs CO 2 equivalent ( source?).

I n a d d i t i on to se r ving incre d ibly d e licious and n u t ri t i ou s f ood , the atmos phere and ener g y in t h e re s t a u rant is re markable and unlike anything I ’ v e ev e r e x perience d . It is filled with so much l i g h t a n d l ove, primarily thanks to the incr edib le s t a f f w h o always make it fe e l like ho me. They e x t e n d t h e i r outre ach beyond food b y holding e d u c a t i on a l and promotional events for causes t h a t t h e y b elieve in. The staff promote s sustain a b i l i t y i n a l l forms through social j ustice, educa t i on , h u ma n rights , and environmental activ ism.

For a l l of t he se reasons, the Red H e rring stands a s a p i l l a r of peace in the Champaign-Ur b ana c ommu n i t y. O ver the past three ye ars, the Red H e rri n g h a s give n me peace whe n I felt ov erw h e l me d , k e pt me warm when I was co ld, g iv en me c omp a n y whe n I fe lt alone, and always fed me t h e mos t d elicious food whe n was I was hung r y.

Th e 5 0 ye a rs of s e r vice that the Re d H er r ing has p rov i d e d h ave be ne fite d the CU community in

23

The Green Observer Magazine

It’s no se cret that G ree k life her e at the Univ er sity of

I l l i n oi s p l a ys a s ignificant role in many students’ liv es. On our camp u s, t h e re a re 91 total organizations ; 55 of which ar e frater nities and 3 6 s orori t i e s. Acros s the nation, the re ar e ab out nine million memb er s of t h e G re e k community ranging from e ach colleg e camp us to the next.

Tra d i t i on a l l y , when we think of sororities and frater nities, the ter m “ecof ri e n d l y” d oe s n’ t come to mind . H owever, the vast memb er ship of this c ommu n i t y h a s the potential to have a hug ely p ositiv e imp act on the en v i ron me n t , a s long as the right practices and p rog rams ar e set in p lace.

OR

A s me ntioned earlier, mos t people don’t typ ically think of Gr eek

h ou s e s b e i n g par ticularly environmentally fr iendly; the standar d imag e of a ‘ f ra t p a r t y’ that come s to mind is chock -full of p lastic cup s, emp ty b e e r c a n s s t re wn carele ss ly across lawns, and a g eneral sense of waste f u l n e s s. W h i l e it is true that so far the re hasn’t necessar ily b een a strong mov e me n t w i t hin the G ree k community to stray away from this r ep uta t i on , c h a p t e rs can still le ad and make sus tainab le chang es. A s a memb er of a s orori t y m yse lf, I recognize that the r e ar e ster eotyp es of the Gr eek c ommu n i t y. B u t togethe r we can e nact chang es to imp rov e its imag e and ev e n more i mpor tantly, have a positive imp act on the Ear th.

I n my chapter, we re alize d s ustainab ility was an ar ea wher e we

w e re l a c k i n g and therefore, one of my friends decided we should tak e a c t i on b y e s t ablis hing an Environmental Committee for our house. W ith ov e r 5 0 g i rl s living in one house (that also hap p ens to b e near ly 100 ye a rs ol d ) , ou r house was cer tainly putting a r eal strain on the env i ron me n t i n t e r ms of e ne rgy consumption, water usag e, and cr eation of w a s t e . Ou r c om mitte e d ed icated itse lf to imp lementing chang es that aim to re d u c e ou r was tefulne ss ; more spe cifically, we hav e b een focusing on g e t t i n g ri d of our s tyrofoam take - out container s and encourag ing mor e g i rl s to e a t i n sid e of the house , or bring th eir own container s if they wish to t a k e f ood e lsewhe re. Another focus that we ar e str essing is estab lis i n g a sol i d re cycling program for our house. Until now, the only mater ial

24

going greek GOING GREEK going greek going greek going going greek goinggreek greek

The Green Observer Magazine

going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going greek going going greek going greek GOINGgreek GREEN

we have b een allowed to r ecycle is car db oar d/p ap er. Howev er, p last ic is

ELLA LISKIEWIC Z

a far more fr equently used mater ial and is mor e imp or tant to r ecyc le, as it las ts mu ch long er than car db oar d in a landfill. Imp lementing a p last ic re cycling p rog ram for our house is conting ent on g etting r ecycling t ru c k s to pick up our mater ials. In or der to do this, we hav e b een in c o n t ac t with trucking comp anies and hav e b een wor k ing on estab lishing a p ric e.

More id e as that each house can exp lor e include estab lishing ‘lig h t s- o u t ’ times d uring the day in cer tain ar eas of the house, cr eating a c o m p o st s ystem, and fixing outdated heating systems to b ecome mor e ef f ic ien t and sus tainab le.

Aside from my own chap ter, each house can mak e small c h an g -

es in ord er to help decr ease waste. It may seem mundane and overs implified to mak e chang es lik e switching from p lastic to p ap er c u p s, or even e nforcing a time limit on shower s, b ut the fact of the m at t er is that ever y effor t counts. These seeming ly small chang es can ad d u p to an e xtr emely sig nificant imp act if each house on our camp u s w ere to imple ment them. This sentiment is exp r essed b y Jeff Mail es , t h e S ustainability Chair for Sig ma Nu at UC Dav is in 2011. He succe s sf u lly imple me nted a r ecycling p rog ram within his frater nity throug h t h e u se of ince ntiv es. Memb er s would ear n raffle tick ets when comp leting t as k s s uch as trash sor ting , setting up r ecycling b ins b efor e p ar ties, o r c o l lecting recyclab le mater ials. This would g iv e them a chance to win s o m e of the money Mailes would ear n from r ecycling r efunds. Mailes s t res ses that “If we can encourag e ev en one soror ity or frater nity to c reat e a program lik e this, (we could) imp act the community in a p ositive w ay.”

Even if some of the chang es mentioned in this ar ticle see m to

be insignificant on their own, tog ether they, and we, as memb er s o f t h e community, can hav e a hug e imp act on env ironmental sustainab ilit y.

If bus inesses and other or g anizations p r ior itize b ecoming mor e e c o frie nd ly, what is stop p ing Gr eek life from doing the same? W e all h ave a voice and an op p or tunity to mak e sig nificant chang es hap p en, bo t h in our own houses and across camp us.

25

The Green Observer Magazine

COMMON GROUNDS:

SHELBY JOB

A BRIDGE BETWEEN A CORPORATE COFFEEHOUSE AND SUSTAINABLE FARMING Unlik e most Star b uck s locations, the waste p roduced at the Illini Union Star b uck s has a differ ent destiny. In or der to lessen the excess waste, Reb ecca Seymour, distr ict manag er, star ted the “Common Grounds” p rog ram at the Illini Union location as a p ar tner ship with John McNally, a local sustainab le far mer. The p rog ram for ms a p ar tner ship b etween the Union Star b uck s and McNally in which the student emp loyees at Star b uck s g ather the g rounds in fiv e-g allon b uck ets dur ing the day, typ ically filling two or thr ee b uck ets. McNally g ather s the g rounds a few times a week and transp or ts them to his far m wher e he comp osts them into fer til

26

izer for his crop s.

Illini Union S tarbucks e mp loyees

McNally’s thir ty-acr e far m is cer ti -

g ri nd , bre w, and d ump several p ounds of

fied wildlife hab itat, and he mak es it a

c of fee beans every d ay. Four typ es of

p r ior ity to utilize sustainab le p ractices on

c of fee — blond e, me d ium, d ark, and decaf

his far m. McNally p ractices no-till far m -

roa sts — are bre we d as freque ntly as once

ing which imp rov es long -ter m soil health;

ev e r y eight minutes throughout the day.

uses cov er crop p ing and mulching to

Th i s corporate- mand ate d s che dule p ro -

p rotect his soil from erosion; eliminates

d u c e s large amounts of waste including

the use of synthetic chemicals lik e p esti -

c of fee ground s, coffee filte rs , and excess

cides, her b icides, and fung icides, as well

c of fee which is d is posed of by b eing

as p lastic mulch. In addition to collecting

d u mped d own s ink d rains.

coffee g rounds from Star b uck s, McNally

collects food scrap s from Common Ground

The Green Observer Magazine

Food Co- op and le aves to use in comp ost

Gr eening the Deser t with insp ir ing him to

p rod uction. To d ecreas e foss il fuel con -

adop t a new attitude towar ds natur e and

s u mp tion, McNally also forgoe s using a

introducing him to p er macultur e, which is

t ra c to r and d oes his farming by h and. He

the dev elop ment of sustainab le and self-

a t t ri butes thes e s us tainable prac tices to

sufficient ag r icultural ecosystems.

h i s f arm manage me nt style, which focuses

on f arming in a way that re s pe cts natur e.

p er macultur e I b eg an to b ecome v er y cur i -

A s h e d es cribed his practices , , “ I am not

ous ab out my food,” said McNally “W her e

d ominant ove r nature , I am par t of it.”

does it come from? W ho p roduces it? W ho

“Shor tly after lear ning ab out

handles it? W ho owns it?” Documentar ies led McNally to the tr uth which “filled [him]

“THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING FOR ME TO DO. I HAD TO BECOME A FARMER SO THAT I COULD DEDICATE MY LIFE TO TRANSFORMING THE FOOD SYSTEM ”.

with an unshak ab le r esolv e to chang e our food system”. Ther e was only one thing for me to do. I had to b ecome a far mer so that I could dedicate my life to transfor m ing the food system.”

McNally descr ib ed sev eral p osi -

tiv e asp ects of p er macultur e and localized far ming in r elation to the env ironment. By decr easing the distance b etween far m er s and consumer s, the p etroleum con sump tion and g r eenhouse g as emissions is r educed in tur n. A dditionally, no-till far ming r educes car b on emissions, and

McNally s ays that his views on

v eg etab les g rown in healthier soil ar e

n a t u r e have changed significantly ov er

mor e nutr itious for a healthier commu -

t i me . H e grad uate d in 2007, and shor tly

nity. McNally exp r essed the indiv idual and

a f t e r the Unite d S tate s experienced the

collectiv e b enefits of localized far ming

G re a t Re ce s s ion, the s econd larg est fi -

and p er macultur e to human health as he

n a n c ial cras h in history. “At this p oint in

said, “healthier p eop le ar e hap p ier and

my l i fe I was more inte res ted in p ar tying ,

mor e p roductiv e thus our community will

a n d ove rall I had a very nihilis tic outlook

b ecome mor e v ib rant. Food is the unifying

on ou r world ,” s aid McNally. “My b asic

element of humanity; food is medicine.”

p h i l os ophy at the time was that t he wor ld

i s d o omed , and we are all going to die and

Union Star b uck s and McNally’s far m is

b e f orgotten s o I might as well hav e as

r efr eshing amidst the havoc that mass

mu c h fun as poss ible before I go .” So how

p roduction and the g lob al food industr y

d i d McNally trans ition from this nihilistic

wr eak s on the env ironment and human

p oi n t - of- view to an ecoce ntric ou tlook ?

health.

H e a t tribute s G eoff L awton’s d ocumentar y

The p ar tner ship b etween the Illini

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBI PSTRZOCH

27

r ecycling is not enoug h and that ther e ar e

o f t h e b e st t h i ngs we can d o for the e nvi -

numerous step s we can all tak e to liv e

ro n me n t i s to recycle our plas tics , paper,

mor e sustainab le liv es. Howev er, it is an

ca n s , a n d a n y othe r ite m that we can.

inconv enient tr uth that simp ly r ecycling

Th ou g h h u ma n s have bee n reus ing mate ri -

does not suffice for a far mor e concer n -

a l s f or t h ou s a n ds of years , the Ind us trial

ing r eason — it’s not all that g r eat for the

a n d Te c h n ol og i c al Revolutions complete ly

env ironment. This may b e shock ing to hear,

ch a n g e d t h e w ays and rate s at which we

b ut don’t misunder stand: r ecycling is not

prod u c e , c on s u m e , and d is pose of good s.

necessar ily b ad for the p lanet. So this is

Th e mod e rn re cycling move me nt s tar ted

not to sug g est that we star t tossing our

i n t h e 1 9 7 0 s , w he n s ome e xper ts began

p lastic b ottles and car db oar d b oxes in

to w a rn t h a t t he s pace in our land fills

the trash. But ther e ar e alter nativ e ac -

w ou l d i mmi n e n tly run out. Re cycling, the

tions we can tak e that will r esult a in far

proc e s s of b re aking d own use d prod ucts

mor e

to b e re ma d e i nto ne w one s , then slowly

be c a me a b a s i c te ne t of e nvironmental -

i sm. Th e re a s ons to re cycle have grown

of r ecycling is that for some mater ials, lik e

eve n t h ou g h ou r land fills have n’ t ye t over -

p lastics, it tak es just as much ener g y to

fl ow e d : re d u c e d ne ce ss ity to prod uce more

r emak e them into something new as it does

ra w g ood s , l ow ered carbon emiss ions , and

to p roduce a new p roduct from raw mater i -

o f c ou rse , t h e g ood fe e ling that often ac -

als. A s a r esult, ther e is little or no r educed

comp a n i e s p u t t ing s omething in the re cy-

emission of g r eenhouse g ases in the r ecy -

cl i n g b i n . Th i s “ warm glow” is ofte n s trong

cling p rocess for such p roducts. Ener g y-

e n ou g h t h a t p e o ple are convince d that if

wise, it is a zero-sum g ame. Ther e ar e still

th e y’ re re c yc l i n g, they’ re d oing the utmost

mater ials that r ecycling r esults in net sav -

e n v i ron me n t a l good - and s ome time s , the y

ing s of ener g y and ther efor e mak e p lenty

env ironmentally-fr iendly

The b ig g est env ironmental p itfall

m ig h t f e e l l i k e t h e y d on’ t ne e d to ad opt any

ILLUSTRATION BY ABBI PSTRZOCH 28

outcome.

TRUTH NT INCONVENIENT T RUTH ANANANANINCONVENIE TRUTH NT INCONVENIE TRUTH NT INCONVENIE NT INCONVENIE CONVENIENTT TRUTH

a you n g a g e , i t is d rille d into us that one

HU

Many of us may alr eady k now that solely

SC

w e’ v e a l l b e e n t aught, it is to recycle . From

A

mor e eco-fr iendly hab its in their lifestyles.

UR

I f t h e re’s one environmental value

LA

LT Z

The Green Observer Magazine

(ABOUT RECYCLING)

The Green Observer Magazine

of e nvironmental s ense to continue to r e -

consume will limit the amount o f w as t e

cycle , s uch as aluminum and p ap er. But for

we p roduce as well. A new p urp o s e c an

recycle d plastic, the main env ironmental

b e found for almost anything w it h a

bene fits are the lower ed rates at which we

little b it of cr eativ ity — Goog l e an d t h e

e xtract raw materials and fill up landfills.

GO’s Gr een It Your self ar ticl es are a

Instead , we as a s ociety need to mak e ev-

g r eat r esource for r eusing yo u r st u f f !

e ry effor t to red uce the raw mater ials we

cons ume. Eventually they will indeed r un

out, and even thoug h we p rob ab ly hav e

sume something, and there is no way

plenty of space for landfills — they mak e

to effectively reuse it, then it is time

up les s than one te nth of one p ercent of

to recycle it. Recycling is a wonder-

America’s land s pace — ther e is still p lenty

ful concept that is not without some

of pollution that results from imp rop er ly

tangible benefits, but regardless, aside

line d and maintaine d landfills. A b e t t e r

from disposal as garbage, it should be

w a y t o b o t h u s e l e s s ra w m a t e r i a l s a n d

the very last thing we want to do with

lower energy consumption than recycling

our stuff. The less we consume and the

is to focus more on the other two compo-

less we discard, the more sustainable we

n e n t s o f t h e e n v i r o n m e n t a l m a n t ra t h a t

are. It is time we stop glorifying recy-

our elementary school teachers taught

cling and call it what it is: fundamentally

us: reduce and reuse. After all, there is a

u n d e s i ra b l e , b u t s o m e t i m e s n e c e s s a r y .

Finally, if we simply must con-

reason that recycle comes last in the list.

In ord er to do the g r eatest env i -

ronme ntal good when consuming g oods, we

mus t

firs t

reduce.

By

consuming

le s s , by re fraining from b uying thing s we d on’ t really ne e d and b y str iv ing to b uy the things we d o in the least amount of packaging pos sible , less g oods ar e ultimate ly prod uce d . This r esults in the gre ate st red uction of mater ial extraction and e ne rgy expenditur e in p roduction, which will prolong our stock of raw mate rials and re d uce o ur g lob al p ollution.

When we can’ t re d uc e, we can r euse. This e ncompass es utilizing multi-use v er sions of d ispos able prod ucts lik e coffee cup s, s ilve r ware,

and

s hop p ing

b ag s.

Find-

ing ways to re purpo se the mater ials we

FEEDTHETHING.ORG FEEDTHETHING.ORG For recycling information in Champaign, call 217.403.4780 For recycling information in Champaign, call 217.403.4780

29

The Green Observer Magazine

W H A T D O E S TH E E NV IRONME NT T H IN K O F YOUR PAINT S SOWMIYA RAJU

L i v i ng an environmentally friendly and

Some comp anies such as Color s of Nat u re

s u st a i n a b l e life in a world d riven by efficiency and

and Natural Ear th Paint p roduce oil p aints m ad e

a f f ord a b i l i t y comes with a series of challeng es;

from p lant-b ased and mineral-b ased p ig men t s

on e of t h os e is being able to find e co- friendly al -

that ar e entir ely har mless to the env ironm en t

t e rn a t i v e s t he prod ucts we are pas sionat e ab out.

and humans alik e. They also r efrain from us in g

A s s ome on e who has be e n painting since the

ar tificial p r eser vativ es and other chemicals ad -

a g e of e i g h t , ar t supplie s are the one thing some

ditiv es that other commercial p roducer s use to

a r t i s t s c a n never give up. So I set out to learn

p rov ide op acity, water r esistance, or inhib it t h e

about what made them harmful to the environ-

g rowth of mold. A s a solution to the p rob lem o f

ment and the alternatives to various ar t products.

usag e of tur p entine and mineral sp ir its, b ra n d s

such as Color s of Natur e, Gr umb acher, Luk as an d

Oil paints generally comprise of a drying

W insor & Newton sell water miscib le oil p ain t s

oil, a color pigment, and a paint thinning agent. The

which act lik e oil p aints b ut can b e thinned an d

binding oil is usually derived from seeds like flax

washed using water. A nother alter nativ e to u s -

or poppy, which are not toxic or harmful. The color

ing tur p entine is sp ik e lav ender oil, which w as

pigments contain compounds made from elements

used b y famous ar tists such as R e m b r a n d t

such as lead, cobalt, and chromium, which are

a n d Va n E y c k b e f o r e t h e I n d u s t r i a l R e v o lu -

toxic to plants, animals and humans when washed

tion made it cheap er to p roduce to tur p enti n e.

into groundwater or other water bodies. The most

Chelsea Classical Studio sells spike oil in [this

common paint thinner used is turpentine. Turpen-

or that product].as an alternative for turpentine.

tine can not only kill aquatic life when drained into

30

water bodies, but also causes skin, nervous sys-

Unlik e oil p aints, acr ylic p aints ar e p e -

tem, and urinary problems in humans when inhaled

troleum der ivativ es and contain sev eral ing re -

or in contact with skin. Ar tists often use other

dients such as p ig ments, b inder s, filler s, an d

mineral spirits as a substitute for turpentine, but

additiv es. A lthoug h they may b e easy to w ash

mineral spirits are equally toxic. Inhalation of min-

with water, draining them down the sink is n o t

eral spirits can cause breathing difficulties, throat

an env ironmentally fr iendly op tion. Unfo r t u -

swelling and abdominal pains. Turpentine and

nately, finding an alter nativ e to the p etroleu m -

mineral spirits are also used to clean oil paints off

b ased ing r edient in acr ylic p aints would m ak e

brushes and other supplies. In doing so, we release

it similar to water colors or water-miscible oil

t h e se h a rmf ul s olve nts into the e nvironment.

paints. However, if an ar tist has to use acrylic

The Green Observer Magazine

“ THE COLOR PIGMENTS CONTAIN E L E M E N T S S U C H A S L E A D, C O B A LT, A N D CHROMIUM

WHICH ARE TOXIC TO PLANTS, ANIMALS AND HUMANS�

paints, they could consider using colors that do not contain toxic compounds. As opposed to ar tist grade paints, student grade paints generally have

less pigments and are less toxic. Mixing paints at home is also an option —one could try using natural pigments with binders made from starch, casein and linseed oil, and fillers made from powdered chalk.

The ingredients in watercolors include

the color pigments, brightener, and the medium, which contains several other ingredients such as the binder, plasticizer, and filler. Most of the ingredients in water colors are synthetically produced using chemicals in factories although some of the ingredients such as the binder (gum arabic) can be produced naturally using eco-friendly processes. Water colors can be made eco-friendly by using natural pigments and alternatives to the ingredients in the medium, and by not adding the brightener and other chemical additives.

Colors of Nature and GLOB Colors sell environmentally friendly and non-toxic watercolors made from plant-based and mineral based pigments.

M aking the s mallest change s in the sup -

p l i e s w e u se on a d aily bas is can go a long way.

F i n d i n g t he s e more e nvironmentally fr iendly al t e rn a t i v e s to the paints I have be e n us ing all these ye a rs f i n a lly allows me to focus on my p assion for a r t a n d t h e e nvironment without having to cause i mme n s e h arm to one in ord e r to pursue the other.

31

The Green Observer Magazine

The Green Observer is a student publication of the University YMCA 32 A