Sustainability - Issue 2

SUSTAINABILITY VOL. 02 | AUGUST 2020 NLCS JEJU ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SOCIETY

CONTENTS 02 AUGUST ENVIRONMENT CALENDAR 03 THE GREEN NEW DEAL 05 WHY PLASTIC WASTE IS AN IDEAL BUILDING MATERIAL 07 WHAT TRUMP'S PROPOSED NEPA ROLLBACK COULD MEAN FOR THE CLIMATE 08 MAKE IT LAST SUSTAINABLE FASHION 09 VERTICAL GARDENS?

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AUGUST ENVIRONMENT CALENDAR

August 10 World Lion Day :Â World Lion Day is a day to celebrate the conservation and sustainable solutions to protect and save the global wild lion populations from extinction August 12 World Elephant Day : World Elephant Day is dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world's elephants August 15 National Honey Bee Day : National Honey Bee Day is an awareness day to celebrate honey bees and recognize their contribution to humans' everyday lives as a means of protecting this critical species August 30 International Whale Shark Day : International Whale Shark Day is all about celebrating colossal creatures and encouraging marine conservation efforts aimed at whale shark species 02

THE GREEN NEW DEAL JANICE SEUNGMIN YOO These days, climate change has emerged as a global challenge. The causes of climate change include high greenhouse gas emissions, anthropogenic heat, and the overexploitation of natural resources.

Humans have the responsibility to protect the environment, but we are rather the main contributor to the destruction of nature. Therefore, a number of states and communities are trying to come up with solutions that can resolve or reduce climate change. One of the solutions for climate change is the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal is a congressional resolution that outlines a grand plan for tackling climate change and aims to avoid climate catastrophe.

The Green New Deal is prevalent in a number of states including the U.S, UK, and South Korea. First introduced by the Democrats, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Edward J.Markey of Massachusetts, in the United States, their proposal requests the federal government to withdraw the U.S from fossil fuels and curb plant-warming greenhouse gas emissions across the economy.

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The essential goal of the Green New deal is to form a world that has net-zero emissions by 2050. In other words, as much carbon dioxide would have to be absorbed as released into the atmosphere. Thus, not only claims the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but also asserts that the government should create high-paying jobs and ensure that clean air, water and sufficient food supply are basic human rights. To achieve these goals, the deal envisions sourcing 100 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable and zero-emissions power, upgrading every building in the U.S to become more environmentally friendly and mend the nation’s transportation system by investing in electric vehicles and high-speed trail.

On the other hand, the problem is that the cost of the deal is too expensive. President Trump claimed it would cost $100 trillion to proceed with the deal. Although supporters of the Green New Deal say climate change could be equally costly to the American economy, it is impossible to investigate such a great amount of money from tax. Therefore, the Green New Deal is evoking a lot of political debates regarding the possibility and effectiveness of it.

Bibliography Friedman, L. (2019). What Is the Green New Deal? A Climate Proposal, Explained. The New York Times. [online] 21 Feb. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/climate /green-new-deal-questions-answers.html. the Guardian. (2020). Could a green new deal turn South Korea from climate villain to model? [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/ma y/23/could-a-green-new-deal-turn-southkorea-from-climate-villain-to-model [Accessed 23 Aug. 2020].

Meigs, J.B. (2020). Four energy solutions that are smarter than the disastrous Green New Deal. [online] New York Post. Available at: https://nypost.com/2020/08/22/four-newsolutions-smarter-than-the-disastrous-greennew-deal/ [Accessed 23 Aug. 2020].

Like the Green New Deal, there are diverse solutions aimed to avoid climate change, but the possibility of it is being constantly questioned. It is inevitable that industries and workers have to utilize natural resources such as fossil fuel in order to continue their company and make profit.

Thus, it is the key to find an effective solution against climate change that can conserve the environment and have no effect on the current industries.

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WHY PLASTIC WASTE IS AN IDEAL BUILDING MATERIAL MINSEO CHA

The disposal of plastics is a highly visible global problem - from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, plastic waste seems inescapable.

Plastics are indestructible in natural conditions, and yet they are discarded worldwide on a massive scale: the world produces nearly 360 million tons of plastics annually. The environment cannot address their disposal at a speed fast enough to prevent harm to living things.

This has led to a consensus that plastics are an unsustainable material. While it is true that plastic waste is a grave problem, they don’t necessarily have to be. The main issue is with our economic model, not with the plastic itself as a material, since it often assumes endless

economic growth without considering the planet’s exhaustible resources. There are various ways to set plastics on a different lifecycle, and turning disused plastics into a reliable and sustainable building material is one of them.

The belief that plastic recycling is severely restricted and that only a few types can be recycled is prevalent in our society. However, all polymers are, technologically, 100 per cent recyclable. Plastics are strong, durable, lightweight, easy to mould, waterproof, and recyclable - all key properties for construction materials. So what if all this plastic waste could be converted into building materials?

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Fig. 1. Example prototype for plastic bricks that are strong and durable enough to be used in construction

Some developers in housing projects use plastic waste to manufacture raw materials for construction products: they grind the selected plastic waste into flakes, place into a mould, melt once it is in a plasma state, and apply pressure.

Houses built with this waste material cost less than those made of concrete. Moreover, the material can resist 3.5 kg per m2 of load as compared to 2.5 kg per m2 or load by traditional building materials. In India, plastic waste has been used for constructing over 1000 km of roads in 11 states. Plastic road surfacing is becoming increasingly popular in the country as it makes roads sturdier, more heat resistant, and more economical.

The construction industry is a backbone of every nation and a major contributor to its economy.

Although the measures to convert plastic waste into building materials are not yet widely used and are in the development stage, the possible use of plastics in construction processes can be part of a pathway towards a more sustainable way of living.

Fig. 2. Building blocks made from waste plastic Many entrepreneurs and universities are attempting to do this. Some of the recent developments in turning plastic waste into eco-friendly products have been successful.

For instance, waste plastic bags, which are nonbiodegradable, have been recycled for producing floor and wall tiles with lower flammability and enhanced tensile strength.

MANY BELIEVE THAT PLASTIC RECYCLING IS SEVERELY RESTRICTED AND THAT ONLY A FEW TYPES CAN BE RECYCLED. Â HOWEVER, ALL POLYMERS ARE, TECHNOLOGICALLY, 100 PER CENT RECYCLABLE. 06

WHAT TRUMP'S PROPOSED NEPA ROLLBACK COULD MEAN FOR THE CLIMATE

JODIE CHEN, MICHELLE QIAO LELAND HIGH SCHOOL Environmental regulation by governments across the world is vital to the conservation of our planet. The US produces over 30% of the globe’s environmental waste, while maintaining only around 4% of the total population. Now, with policies overturned, that number may even increase. With the country focused on the rising numbers of COVID-19 patients and racial justice, President Trump signed an executive order revising a 50-year old environmental law, waiving requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. NEPA’s policies state that the federal government is required to consider environmental impacts before implementing public projects; with the law now out of effect, this could have large longterm effects on the environment.

The new “revised” NEPA allows infrastructures to be built faster with shooter environmental reviews.

In return for a quicker process many individual governments can evade a few environmental requirements. The new proposal does not clearly state if environmental reviews include the consideration of effects on greenhouse gas emission or not. The use of vague words in the proposal suggests that the review of effects is an optional step. The executive order also solidified a rule that makes it challenging for the public to block projects that may affect the environment.

In the executive order President Trump writes, “I have focused on reforming and streamlining an outdated regulatory system that has held back our economy with needless paperwork and costly delays. The need for continued progress in this streamlining effort is all the more acute now, due to the ongoing economic crisis.” This new executive order will help benefit the American economy, however there is a possibility that it will leave detrimental effects on our environment.

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MAKE IT LAST SUSTAINABLE FASHION ALISON HYEYUN SONG For instance, dying clothes produces various hazardous chemicals that consequently becomes the waste product for the community water source. Therefore, now fashion brands are coming up with more sustainable methods such as using nature dying products.

Nowadays, our environment on Earth is significantly changing. Massive natural disasters, different weather patterns, and severe global warming is threatening us to death of the ecosystem. People need to be aware of the problems happening on our planet and devise plans and solutions for them: producing clothings in a more eco-friendly way can be one of them.

Sustainable fashion is clothing, shoes, and accessories manufactured and used in the most sustainable manner possible by considering both socio-economic and environmental aspects.

Most clothes we see in our daily lives are cheaply made in factories and intended for short-term use. This is called “fast fashion”. In contrast, sustainable fashion using the eco-friendly and ethical method is referred to as “slow fashion”.

Globally, several brands started tracking how much water they use and cutting back on it.

The biggest goal for slow fashion is to have customers use clothes for longer and buy fewer products. Those products should also create fewer wastes. Some natural fibres such as cotton are sometimes grown by using pesticides and treatments. This is significantly harmful to the workers, farmers, and wildlife. Hence, the producers are turning to materials that use less water compared conventional growing methods, such as organic cotton and linen.

Some companies have also started to modify the whole manufacturing process: they changed their distribution, production, strategies, and marketing practices to increase their sustainability. One Swedish fashion brand carries out the rental system for accessories and clothes. Companies like H&M produces clothes with high quality design, durability, and longlasting style.

More of the fashion companies are now increasingly applying the sustainable fashion method. Steps to make the world a more sustainable place will one day let the earth to recover from the threats that humans pose.

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VERTICAL GARDENS? EVELYN JAYWON YOON A technique known as "vertical gardening" has recently emerged as a trend among gardeners, since it gives inspiration to new heights of creativity towards gardening. Vertical gardening is a technique used to grow plants on a vertically suspended panel by using hydroponics. Structure of vertical gardens can either be freestanding or attached to a wall. Examples of vegetables that can be grown through vertical gardening include beans, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, and eggplants.

While potted plants have the advantage of being placed anywhere, they take up space and require lots of maintenance. One of the most famous and most used ways for space reduction and easier maintenance is using it as an interior design.

Vertical gardens can literally be works of art!

The swooping rows of living plants make for an interesting concept an eye-catcher.

Even though this technique is artificial, a vertical garden provide significant benefits to the environment. First, it creates a microclimate.

It insulates the home from heat, air pollution or noise by being a living natural shield. This can lead to regulating temperature by cooling and shading the area. Microclimate can also be created by adding a vertical structure like a tepee, trellis, pergola, arbor, arch that will provide shade below.

Moreover, Vertical gardens help to reduce the carbon footprint of a building by filtering pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air, which also benefits those living nearby as the quality of the air improves. Exterior wall vertical gardens also help to reduce heat absorption, which can result in significant energy savings in areas where people rely on air-conditioning during the warmer seasons of the year.

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CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Minseo Cha WRITERS Janice Seungmin Yoo Minseo Cha Michelle Qiao Jodie Chen Alison Hyeyun Song Evelyn Jaywon Yoon DESIGNER Minseo Cha CONTACTS If you would like your environment-themed article/artwork/photograph to be shared via Sustainability, please contact the co-chairs: Minseo Cha mscha22@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr Janice Seungmin Yoo smyoo22@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr