Challenge 2050 Solutions Symposium

Solution Symposium ALS2410 CHALLENGE 2050: G L O B A L U N C E R TA I N T Y

Fall 2018

Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention December 5, 2018

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“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

- ALBERT EINSTEIN

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TH E CHALLENGE 2050 PROJECT

About

OUR CHALLENGE By the year 2050, the global human population is projected to exceed 9 billion people. This is our 2050 Challenge. It requires innovative development of interdisciplinary solutions to complex, global challenges.

We need you, our future global leaders, to address the challenges we face as a global community.

ALS 2410 This introductory course explores questions in human well-being and sustainability and builds a foundation for addressing global challenges associated with population growth. Transdisciplinary experts lead diverse and innovative experiences engaging students in discussion-based inquiry, complex adaptive problem solving, and the integration of economic, environmental, food, health, and social systems’ perspectives.

This course also serves as the introduction of the Global Challenge 2050 Certificate curriculum but is open to anyone looking to improve their critical thinking and leadership skills. It provides an overview to the Challenge 2050 Project mission by sampling various topics that contribute to students’ understanding of how to address the world’s complex problems.

Throughout the semester, students are exposed to innovative and cuttingedge topics in areas related to food, economic, environment, social, and health systems.

Students are encouraged to engage in discussion, ask questions about the topics, seek sources of information to answer these questions, and explore how to implement what we have learned in class and outside of class to develop solutions to humanities’ global challenges.

And oh yeah, save the world.

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20-NIFTY PROJECT Working to find a solution that provides students with better education in Alachua County by getting the perspectives of different people in the area and looking at other education systems globally.

A N D R E A D A U TA N T

SOPHIE DE JONG

Andrea Dautant is a third-year agricultural education and communications major with a specialization in communication and leadership development. She took this course after being introduced to the Challenge 2050 program during her first semester within the AEC major. Andrea thought Challenge 2050 was a unique way to share innovative ideas to improve the issues the world is facing. She sees this course as an opportunity to learn about different issues and the perspectives surrounding them. This class is not only an opportunity to learn more but for Andrea to grow as an individual and gain the tools she’ll need to make an impact in the world.

Sophie de Jong is a third-year Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience major with a minor in Statistics. She took this course after having lived in Sri Lanka, Asia for eight weeks over the summer, where she saw many of the issues that have been discussed throughout the Challenge 2050 course. This inspired her to solve some of these issues that are closer to home, which is why she enrolled in this course this semester in hopes to impact tangible change in her community.

SASHA OTTESEN

J A C K R AY

Sasha Ottesen is a second-year Theater major with a minor in Business at the University of Florida. Inspired by experiencing complex issues secondhand in local communities throughout Peru and different parts of Russia, she has taken this international perspective and decided to implement them in this class because she is very passionate about doing whatever she can to grow more as an individual that strives to not only hope to make the world a better place, but to take the opportunity to apply active strategies and leadership skills. She is also taking this class in order to complete the Global Change and Leadership certificate program/Challenge 2050 Challenge.

Jack Ray is a second-year general business major. He chose to enroll in the Challenge 2050 course after seeing one of its professors present to an organization he was previously involved with. Jack has a passion for accessible, effective education that can cultivate a new generation of leaders. It is his hope that he can formulate a plan to help young students find their own passions through investigating the economic practices behind the education system(s).

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ISSUE BRIEF Overcrowding and underfunding of public schools have become a prominent issue, nationwide. In Alachua County, there has been an increase in overcrowded classrooms and underfunded schools with elementary schools experiencing the biggest impact.

Overcrowding and underfunding have been proven to have negative impacts on students and teachers alike. Students must deal with deficiencies in the classroom that affect their ability to learn, while teacher’s effectiveness and performance is impacted, which ultimately inhibits student learning. Overall, these issues have caused an achievement gap among students, particularly between the east and west side elementary schools. In the last 15 years, for example, the achievement gap regarding reading performance has widened and is continuing to increase (Sebris & Rosier, 2016). There are disparities among students who live in a lower versus a higher socioeconomic status. The overcrowding and underfunding issues are linked and have major impacts on the quality of education the students receive.

Overcrowding is an issue that educators have dealt with since the late nineteenthcentury (Welsh, et al., 2012). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2000), “overcrowding occurs when the number of students enrolled in the school is larger than the number of students the school is designed to accommodate,”.

Projections also show that total enrollment of students in public schools will increase to 52.1 million, by fall of 2027 (NCES, 2018). The schools’ “carrying” capacity will continue to be expanded as time progresses. In Alachua County, overcrowding is district-wide. According to an article posted on WUFT, over the past three years, Alachua County has seen an increase of about 1,700 new students (Jarro, 2017).

The Education Department’s school plant survey shows that Alachua County has a need for new schools to accommodate the influx of new students (Strange, 2016).

In Alachua, 16 of the 20 elementary schools in Alachua are at or above 95 percent capacity and 12 of those schools are 100 percent full (Jarro,2017). Schools are having to increase classroom sizes and/or add portable classrooms to the school premises.

Overcrowding is correlated with influencing student learning (Earthman, 2002). There are factors like temperature, the acoustics of a classroom, and the age of the building.

The students typically experience lower achievement levels because the building is not conducive to their success (Earthman, 2002). Overcrowded classrooms also affect the students’ ability to focus because of both the “invasion of personal space and feelings of being crowded,” (May, n.d.). Students also lack individualized attention they would receive if class sizes were smaller and do not have the benefit of using supplementary equipment, like computer stations, to enrich their learning (May, n.d.).

Underfunding is another factor that impacts students’ ability to learn. Even though “...states are responsible for 44 percent of total education funding in the U.S….”

(Lynch, 2016), many schools have experienced a decline in funding due to the Great Recession. In Alachua, the public-school system has lost about 169 million dollars’

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worth of funding because of a cut made in property taxes (Jarro, 2017). The funding for public schools typically comes from property taxes. Florida also made a cut when it came to the funding from the Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO). Eileen Roy, Alachua County School Board Member for District 2, said that the funds from PECO used to be given fully to public schools (Jarro, 2017). For three years, charter schools received the funds and in 2015, the state divided the money evenly among the public schools and the charter schools. This posed an issue because there are more public schools than charter schools, so the charter schools ultimately receive more of the funds (Jarro, 2017). The consistent lack of funding going to public schools has led to pushing off building new schools and repairing neglected one. This continues to fuel the cycle of overcrowding and the negative impact on student education. Minority groups are hit the hardest by the underfunding because “students… not only suffer from lack of resources at home, but their schools must scrape by on the minimum,” (Lynch, 2016). According to Lynch (2016), Title I schools funding has decreased since 2010 affecting the educational opportunities available to students.

The achievement gap in Alachua is distinct, with major differences seen among the east and west side of the county as well as differences in race. In Alachua County, there have been about 75 new residential

developments approved and about five are in the eastern side of the county (Jarro, 2017). The west side is typically more developed because it is “high and dry” while the east side has a lot of wetlands (Jarro,2017). The west side typically has a more competitive market because the eastern side was developed with the intent of being at a lower price point. This is where a clear distinction is seen among socioeconomic status. Title I schools, typically found in high-poverty areas, have been “shortchanged because school districts across the country are inequitably distributing their state and local funds,” (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). Title I schools are meant to provide extra resources to help low-income students and without funds, they are not able to. Then, there is also a major divide among African American and white students. “Alachua County has the largest racial achievement gap… of all Florida school districts,” (“Achievement Gap”, 2018). According to a study done by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), there has been an increase of “isolated schools”, a school where most of the students are of the same race or class (GAO, 2016).

The overall mentality needs to change; steps need to be taken to integrate schools, equitably distribute funds to all schools, and find ways to lower class sizes in order to see a decrease in the achievement gap.

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SOLUTION SKETCH There are many facets that one must look at when they are proposing a solution to solve the underfunding and overcrowding of Alachua County Elementary schools. This is cause for concern due to the disadvantage that is places on students from a lower socioeconomic status by not being able to provide the resources that they need. This creates a notion deemed the “achievement gap” which is the large gap in education between children from the west side of the city and those from the east side. This also results in racial discrimination of education as well, since those from the east side are typically black students. Since these students from lower socioeconomic standings typically do not have an overwhelming support system at home, they rely on external support from a school system. However, the students in the east side of Gainesville are not receiving this external support due to the lack of funding that occurs in the east side. So, this cycle of less than adequate support leads to discrepancies in support and resources for the students in the east side of Alachua County.

According to research conducted by James P. Comer, a child psychiatrist, children need to have all their needs according to Maslow’s hierarchy met before they can learn and grow (Lynch, 2016). These needs are not typically met in schools in the east side of Gainesville, which is why children of lower incomes suffer.

Schools need to be able to create an environment that meets the needs of the child’s physiological environment, safety, and social interaction. In order to meet these needs, we propose a solution for closing the achievement gap in Alachua County is to establish a Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) on the east side of the county. By establishing many of the already existing characteristics of KIPP schools such as having open enrollment, setting high expectations and providing students with individualized learning plans we hope to close the achievement gap that is perpetuated by the overcrowding and underfunding of public schools.

The KIPP schools are “tuition-free, public charter schools open to all students,” (“KIPP”, 2018). This is effective because it allows for students of different backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses enter the system. The establishment of the KIPP school would be beneficial because the population on the east side is often on the lower socioeconomic scale. The east side of Alachua was originally marketed to be on a lower price point and the Title I schools in the area are not receiving the necessary funding to

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provide students with a quality education (Lynch,2016). The KIPP schools operate under a “No Excuses Method,” meaning that the students’ have extended school days and school years (Miron, et. al., 2010). They place high achieving expectations on students and put an emphasis on involvement. In terms of underfunding in Alachua public schools, “minority students are usually hit the hardest by underfunding because the students suffer from a lack of resources at home and schools scrape by on the minimum,” (Lynch, 2016). The extended time in school, “helps students catch up to their peers, acquire essential academic knowledge and skills, and become prepared for college and career choices,” (“KIPP: Approach”, 2018).

The KIPP schools also provide a safe environment for students where they feel both physically safe and free to express their opinions. According to an article published by the University of San Diego (2018) “...one major issue contributing to disadvantaged kids’ lower achievement level in school has to do with their life outside of school. Often times their families are in turmoil or are scraping to get by.” The KIPP schools provide minimal distractions and ensures students are excited to attend school. The changing of mentality is a major component of closing the achievement gap.

The major roadblocks of KIPP includes the approval process and difficulty of maintaining a work and life balance for teachers.

Although the desire for space and growth is a prioritized with the Knowledge Is Power Program, teachers are often overworked due to “teacher visits to student homes, mandatory summer school, a requirement for students to call teachers at night if they had homework questions and an elaborate system of student sanctions and rewards, including a year-end trip to some other part of the country” in order to produce high test scores and promote inclusivity (Matthews, 2006). Although there may be a lack of cultural understanding, efficiency, and unclear designation of task ownership, the motivation behind the cause outweighs the extra time effort.

It has been shown that a school’s test scores have steadily improved with this program, especially for schools located in predominantly poor communities. However, most of the resources needed to initiate the steady enactment of public charter schools include financial support. Given that County Referenda 2, also known as the “half-cent tax”, was recently

passed, the schools within Alachua county will enjoy a steady inflow of money that can be allocated to reparations “as well as technology upgrades including Chromebooks and SMART Boards; however, it cannot be used to pay teachers or other district staff” (Byrne, 2018).

While this will increase the “quality of living” within these schools, extra funds are still needed in order to compensate teachers for the extra amount of work that KIPP entails. There is an incredible duality of the flourishing community at the University of Florida versus the near- defunct primary schools of Alachua county. Since the relationship between UF and its surrounding community is one of such dichotomy, we believe that the university should allocate

some of its funds into the surrounding area in order to create more a fluid atmosphere. Education is the antidote to ignorance, and the university would benefit by being located in an educationally prosperous environment. This could be achieved by establishing a student run organization that promotes education by raising money for the non-profit KIPP schools. This way, the UF students that attend school in Alachua County will adopt a culture of care and passion for the education of the children that are in the community in which they attend university.

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AVEA AVEA’s mission is to raise awareness for environmental issues. In this project, we explore ways to solve the problem of deforestation in Brazil due to agricultural advances. By inspiring change in agriculture techniques, we hope to better protect our world’s rainforests.

VICTORIA FORTIER

ANSLEE GREGOIRE

Victoria Fortier is a third-year student at the University of Florida. She is a part of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications and is majoring in journalism. After earning her degree, Victoria hopes to work in the magazine industry to research lifestyle issues and write positive feature articles. She joined the online magazine company Society 19 in 2016 to further develop such skills.

Anslee Gregoire is a first-year B.S. student studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Florida.

Anslee earned her High School Diploma from Niceville High School. Anslee joined the AIAA in 2018 and is involved in Design Build Fly at the University of Florida.

She is currently working on completing the Challenge 2050 certificate program.

E M I LY M C N U LT Y

ARMANDE PEMBELE

Emily McNulty is a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida studying Microbiology and Cell Science on a pre-medicine track. She is currently part of a research team at the university in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences under the department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences. To keep fit, Emily enjoys going to the gym and going to practice for club competitive cheerleading. They are measuring the effect of mealkits on household wellness and habits for low income families. When Emily is not busy, you can find her at the beach in her home town Fort Myers, Florida.

My name is Armande. I am from France and my parents are from DRC. I am studying Political Science in my Home University in Paris. I am doing my third year at University of Florida in order to get my bachelor’s degree. I would like to work in International Affairs or in the Social entrepreneurship area. One of my favorite mottos is “Be the change you want to see in the World” by Gandhi

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ISSUE BRIEF With a surface area of more than six million square kilometers, the Amazonian forest is the largest area of tropical old-growth forest on the planet. However, its area tends to decrease due to its deforestation which is now a global issue. Although the forest spread over 9 South American countries, with Brazil owning 63% of the total forest on its territory, the survival of Amazon concerns the entire world population because the forest captures and stores a significant amount of CO2 released into the Earth’s atmosphere. Between 2015 and 2016, an average of 859 trees were destroyed in the forest according to the non-governmental environmental organization Greenpeace. Other alarming figures demonstrate the seriousness and impact of deforestation: From 2001 and 2016, the Peruvian Amazon lost 1,97 million hectares of land and, in other words, 123 000 hectares lost each year. The Amazon is now the forest most threatened by deforestation and yet, the forest is a significant wealth.

On the environmental level, in addition of being a real stock of CO2 by capturing the equivalent of 8300 lbs of CO2 per second, Amazonian forest has a biodiversity that is unique in the World. More than half of the World’s terrestrial animal and plant species are concentrated in the forest : There are almost 40 000 plant species, 430 mammal species, 1300 bird species, 380 reptile species, 426 amphibian species and about 3000 fish species… However, deforestation threatens this ecological heritage. It should be noted that deforestation destroys 137 species every day!

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that occur on their territory and are often mistreated while they are taking place. Some indigenous are killed by woodcutters for the exploitation of their land. Therefore, some tribes are forced to leave the jungle, which disrupts the social organization of these tribes because they are not used to live outside the forest, in urbanized and industrialized societies.

For all these reasons, deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is an international emergency. Although the annual rate of deforestation has decreased since 2004, the size of the forest continues to decrease significantly. Without the application of concrete measures to limit deforestation, 40% of the Amazonian forest will have disappeared by 2050 according to Brazilian scientists. They have reached this conclusion by observing the current practices, some of which are done illegally. In addition, several areas are protected within the forest but it is not enough to ensure the preservation of the forest and the species. For several years, Brazilian government expressed its willingness to regulate deforestation in order to have control over it and limit negative effects. However, the recent election of Jair Bolsonaro, the new Brazilian president, may have consequences for the future of the Amazon because he has expressed his desire to intensify forest exploitation by industries.

Moreover, on the health level, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest is likely to have serious impacts on the health system since more than a quarter of the pharmaceutical products prescribed in the United States are derived from plants in tropical forests. One quarter of prescription drugs come from plants found in the rainforest and 1,400 of these have been found to have anticancer properties.

Destruction to the Amazon Rainforest comes with many negative impacts. Direct environmental impacts of cutting down trees include loss of biodiversity, effects the water cycle, and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Tropical rainforests are one of the endangered ecosystems in the world and houses at least 10% of the world’s known biodiversity (About the Amazon, n.d), which includes both plants and animals. Not only does cutting down trees result in loss of habitat, but the burning process can destroy plant species and loss of trees creates conditions that harm the environment and plants and animals are not accustomed to living in.

Furthermore, on the social level, deforestation threatens the environment of indigenous peoples living in the forest. There are about 50 Autochthon Amazonian tribes living in the jungle nowadays. They are not consulted for deforestation operations

Due to creating pathways for transport, there are more species susceptible to “edge effects” since the plants and animals are adjusted to condition deeps inside the Amazon, taking away the canopy of the trees and exposing the species to different

TH E CHALLENGE 2050 PROJECT

conditions like more light, higher temperatures, and lower humidity (Loss of biodiversity (including genetic diversity), n.d).

This makes plant species have to adapt to these conditions which are the opposite as from being deep into the rainforest underneath the canopy. If plants cannot adapt to the new conditions fast enough they may die out or they may just be restricted to parts of the deep forest that are undisturbed.

Biologist and Amazon Rainforest researcher William Laurence found “edge effects” don’t just disrupt the plants at the immediate edge, but trees and plants as far as 300 meters into the forest felt the effects also. So, instead of clearing just an immediate path, even more, trees will die out in the process.

This clearing and loss of habitat force animals to move to other parts of the forest which increases competition between the animals for food and resources since there is less land. This in effect can turn to animals dying, or in extreme cases become extinct altogether. Biodiversity is important because each animal and plant species has a role to play in maintaining the environment around them. Also, a lot of our medicine is derived from plants, many of these species hold the keys for cures to diseases we don’t know exists yet.

Rainforests are fragile environments that are self-efficient with the way the function. It is estimated that a tenth of the water the planet’s land vegetation recycles each day is by the Amazon rainforest (Pearce, 2018). Trees and plants are great contributors to the reason behind why the Amazon receives so much rain because they transpire, evaporate water from plant leaves. In turn, if there are fewer plants and tree, there will be less transpiration which is linked to less rainfall. A study

by Michael Wolosin and Nancy Harris published a study for the World Resources Institute concerning the latest science of the effects of large-scale deforestation, they concluded that the effects can disrupt the water cycle which in turn can “threaten agriculture both locally and half a world away” (Wolosin & Harris, 2018). Overall, the water cycle, as like many other natural cycles, is a delicate process that can be disrupted by minor changes that will lead to major effects.

The Amazon Rainforest is also known as the “lungs of the world” because trees are nature’s way of regulating the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, a dangerous greenhouse gas that traps heat, thus warming the air. Since trees have this amazing duty to regulate the air they are able to store the carbon dioxide, thus when they are cut down the process emits the carbon dioxide back into the air. Plus, the use of machinery, burning, and transportation of wood in order to cut down the trees adds even more greenhouse gases into the air. The process of deforestation accounts for 25% of the total greenhouse gas production (Bennett, n.d). Now the Amazon is considered a sink for carbon dioxide because the plants and trees store the gas, however, major deforestation is turning the Amazon into a major source of carbon dioxide instead (Climate Change in the Amazon, n.d).

Not only does deforestation have an environmental impact on the Amazon, but it also has a social impact. The Amazon is home to over 400 tribes of indigenous people who live in reserves in the forest, the most protected regions (Survival International, n.d). Illegally, loggers and “garimperos”, miners,

exploit the reserved land. Despite their complaints and claims to the government by using Google maps technology, the government has not reciprocated (www.ipsnews.net). This land is very special to the indigenous people because their home in the Amazon is their “life and wisdom” stated Almir Narayamoga Suruí, a leader of the Suruí tribe (Osava, n.d). Overall, the Amazon rainforest is of great value to the indigenous people who live there, therefore is it more protected and respected in their care.

Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest results in these major problems. To find solutions to discontinue deforestation, we must take a look at the roots of the problem. Some leading indirect causes of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil are agriculture and the extraction of resources.

Making room for cattle ranching is one of the leading causes of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, it is estimated that cattle ranching accounts for 70% of deforestation in the Amazon (Sarma, 2013). Brazil is the largest exporter of cattle in the world, as their dominance occurred, deforestation rates increased. As discussed earlier deforestation attributes to an increase in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Cattle ranching contributes to climate change as well but has an even more negative impact because cows release methane, which is 23 times more effective on climate change than carbon dioxide (Are cows the cause of global warming?, n.d). Overall, deforested regions are replaced by cattle ranches that are even worse producers of greenhouse gases that have a large effect on climate change. Brazil is also the number one world producer of soybeans. When you think of soybeans you may consider tofu, however, 80% of soy from the Amazon is going to be animal feed (Global Forest Atlas, n.d).

In conclusion, the cultivation of soybeans feeds Brazil’s growing beef industry.

The extraction of natural resources also plays a large role in deforestation of the Amazon. The rainforest is full of many valuable natural resources like gold and diamonds, rushing water, and wood. Large-scale mining operations cut down trees in the forest and break at riverbanks to dig out gold and other precious minerals. Infrastructure is built through the rainforest to make transportation easier. Other infrastructures like hydroelectric dams are built for power, the Amazon currently has 140 built or under construction with propositions to build more (University of Texas at Austin, 2017). Although dams provide a renewable energy resource, they contribute to erosion, runoff pollution, and trap sediment (University of Texas at Austin, 2017). Lastly, logging takes place in the forest to accommodate Brazil’s timber industry. However, illegal logging in the Amazon is becoming more popular. Illegal logging has dangerous implications because it is not a sustainable practice since many loggers do not replant trees or harvest them correctly (Logging in the Amazon, n.d).

Overall, we see the impacts that the destruction of the Amazon rainforest greatly contributes negatively to the environment and has social implications. Deforestation makes room for more agriculture production this in turn helps stimulate Brazil’s economy, but at a high cost that will be difficult to repay if we don’t find solutions to inhibit these detrimental impacts.

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SOLUTION SKETCH The best immediate, short term solution to end deforestation of the Amazon involves investing in technology to make production of beef a more sustainable process. As the number one cause of deforestation of the Amazon[1], making livestock production more efficient would mean less land is required for it, reducing deforestation rates. Investing in technology could include any technology such as genetically modified grain that fattens up cattle quickly. However, the best investment for the solution would be investing in lab grown meat.

Lab grown meat requires no land use, eliminating the need to clear away sections of the rainforest. Livestock emit methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas, which contributes to climate change[2]. Lab grown meat would end the need for raising livestock, reducing the emissions significantly. Additionally, growing meat within labs could be done in the local area, reducing emissions and costs from transporting meat. There are lots of benefits to transitioning to the more sustainable process of growing meat in labs.[3] The main issue with producing lab grown meat currently is that the price to produce it is too high. Scientists are working on ways to lower the price, but by investing in this the process will be sped up and affordable, lab grown meat could be in the near future.[4] There could be potential roadblocks that scientists are not aware of. It is possible that there is no way to reduce the price of lab grown meat to an affordable rate. This would be a major problem for the solution, but even if the cost can never reach an affordable rate, investing in this is still important because the knowledge acquired from the research is valuable. In the future when the population size increases dramatically and we potentially run out of land to grow food on, lab grown foods could be what saves humanity from mass starvation.

Investing in lab grown meat, which is a more sustainable process and will reduce deforestation of the Amazon, is a beneficial short-term solution. This solution allows for society to continue eating meat, but in a more sustainable way. It will also reduce deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. However, it is likely that when the population grows and society continues to demand finite natural resources, a new reason for deforestation will emerge and deforestation rates will only rise again. Land is limited and people have seemed to have no qualms with cutting down forests in the past for the purpose of land use. This is bound to happen to the rainforest. This is why investing in technology to make meat production more sustainable is only a

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short-term solution. A long-term solution would need to address the root cause of why the Amazon rainforest is being cut down.

Ultimately, the root of the problem comes down to economics.

The Brazilian population needs a way to make money and ensure they have jobs and they look to harvesting the natural resources of the rainforest to do so. Harvesting the land area and natural resources of the rainforest allows Brazil to make money because of the demand for products like beef, soy, and paper.

If the economic benefits and drive behind cutting down the rainforest disappears, there will be no incentive for it to continue happening. This is why the best long-term solution is to decrease the economic demand for beef, soy, and paper products, the main causes of deforestation of the Amazon. How does one do this? The solution involves wide-scale education and awareness efforts to motivate society to live more sustainably.

The first step in motivating society to live more sustainably is awareness. Most people might not know that their food choices directly impact the environment.

Even just changing the preconceived notion that deforestation is mainly for paper products and not agriculture could make a difference in how society treats the situation. Motivating society to make behavioral and habitual changes is a daunting challenge that requires advanced knowledge of psychological factors that could cause people to not want to live sustainably.

Knowing the psychology of the situation is important. For example, people respond better to a suggestion if they feel as if their opinions on the matter are being heard.[5] This could potentially be used when implementing the solution as a survey at the end of the education process asking how people think we should solve this problem. Even strategies such as appealing to health to get people to give up eating beef would be beneficial.

Health can be a better motivator for change than passion for the environment.[6] Cutting out beef, paper products, and soy also needs to be made easy. There are already many alternatives available, but easier access to these alternatives is beneficial.

The psychology of it is that people will do what is easiest and most convenient.[7] Not only would this solution involve educating and making people aware of how their habits impact the rainforest, but also it would include efforts to make people have an emotional connection to the Earth. This allows for people to have an

emotional motive to avoid harming the Earth as much as possible.

Appealing to their values, morals, and emotions can ensure people will not end their sustainable habits after just a short period of time. It is important that the education and awareness efforts make a substantial impact that will remain within societal values for generations. If a campaign of this scale can change the habits of society to be more sustainable, the next generation will be taught these habits and it will be passed down as a part of the culture.

This solution is the best solution for the long-term because it resolves the root cause for deforestation: human exploitation of resources.

Any other solution, such as international funding given to Brazil if they reduce deforestation, only works for the short-term. Other countries will only want to donate money to stop deforestation when it is an issue. As soon as deforestation rates are drastically lowered, countries will no longer see the need to donate substantial amounts to Brazil.

Once Brazil no longer has the economic incentive to stop cutting down the rainforest, and instead has incentive to begin again, the cycle will start all over again. This can be seen in the past. In the beginning of the twenty first century, there were tremendous efforts to stop Brazil from

cutting down the rainforest. The whole world began to focus on the Amazon and gave the issue lots of attention. By 2012, deforestation rates fell by 84%. This short-term spurt of attention on the Amazon was working. With deforestation rates at a low point, the world entered an illusion that deforestation was under control and not as much effort was required anymore to protect it. By 2016, it was found that deforestation rates had gone back up.[8] This is now a problem again.

This time the world needs to solve the issue with a long-term solution that will not result in a resurgence of deforestation rates.

With education and awareness efforts, a society-wide problem can be solved. If society can be motivated to live more sustainably, there will not be another surge in deforestation rates because there will not be an economic demand and incentive for Brazil to clear the rainforest.

The drive behind exploiting natural resources, the root cause for deforestation, will have been resolved.

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BETTER WATERS The purpose of Better Waters is to tackle both the current and long-term issues surrounding systemic global ocean pollution. The large-scope solution to these issues involves advocating for support of ocean cleanup projects such as “Wilson� and for decreasing waste products derived from the wide use of plastic.

The small-scope solution involved educating the public on reducing beach pollution and encouraging proper waste disposal.

JAMIE BREITBART

CHRISTINA MARTIN Christina Martin is a freshman majoring in Animal Science at the University of Florida who is originally from Jacksonville, Florida. Her reasons for deciding to attend UF include the incredible veterinary program that the school has and because of the amount of volunteer opportunities that UF provides to students.

Christina has a big heart for animals and wants to protect all species of animals from the threats they face. This correlates to ocean pollution through the negative impacts on sea life that pollution causes, and she wants to combat this threat and protect the lives of those who cannot fight back against pollution on their own. Christina’s values include empathy, compassion, and respect for the earth and all its inhabitants.

SAMANTHA VICTORES Samantha Victores is a freshman majoring in Plant Science focused in Sustainable Crop Production at the University of Florida. She is originally from Weston, Florida and decided to come to the University of Florida for the great opportunities in sustainability and agriculture. Her values include a focus on the power of an individual-- she is vegan and believes every single person can have an impact to create a better world.

Samantha cares so much about oceanic pollution because oceans are a vital aspect of the Earth-- if the oceans die, so do humans. As an environmentalist, she is very passionate about sustaining the health of the ocean ecosystem.

Jamie Breitbart is a sophomore studying public relations at the University of Florida. She is originally from Davie, Florida, and decided to attend UF for its prestigious journalism school and beautiful architecture. Since childhood, Jamie has loved the beach. She takes frequent trips in her hometown to Ft. Lauderdale beach for sunrises, snorkeling, shelling and relaxation. She cares greatly about ocean pollution because she has watched the beach change as she has grown up. She feels connected to the oceans and all that inhabit them. Jamie understands the importance of ending ocean pollution because of its wildly negative impact on our environment. Her values include freedom, happiness and the drive to make the world a better place. Jamie hopes to spend her life working for a nonprofit company that aims to build a better tomorrow.

R O O S H E E PAT E L Rooshee Patel is a senior information systems and operations management major at the University of Florida from Winter Haven, Florida, who derives his passion for combating water pollution from the numerous lakes in his home county. As a resident of a county with over 500 freshwater lakes, he is motivated to curtail and end the invasion of pollution and negligence present in the aquatic ecosystem back home. Rooshee’s values are comprised of diligence, a love for innovation, and a respect for leaving a netpositive legacy. Ultimately, he would like to work for a venture capital fund to advocate for seed funding for startups with products or services related to improving the world of tomorrow.

KAROLINA ZAKARKAITE Karolina Zakarkaite is a sophomore majoring in Plant Science at UF who is originally from St. Petersburg, Florida. Her reason for attending UF was the amazing agricultural and environmental projects offered at the University. She is passionate about all forms of environmental conservation and preservation and wants to build a career on these values and passions.

Ocean pollution is a major concern of Karolina’s due to her passion for the environment. The oceans are brimming with garbage and pollutants from anthropogenic origins and are degrading the quality of the ocean environment thus change must occur in the present to sustain an viable environment for the future. Karolina is trying her best to combat these growing issues one step at a time.

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ISSUE BRIEF At Better Waters, we aim to tackle the wide-ranging issue of oceanic plastic pollution.

As plastic continues being used and disposed of, it builds up in the world’s oceans, disrupting marine ecosystems and harming the wildlife.

What about plastic made it such a rapidly used material? Plastic is light weight and durable, so less of it can be used to have the same strength as other materials (Cózar, et al., 2014). Additionally, they are cheap to produce and use. Azzarello & Vleet, 1987 found that the main issue with so much plastic in the ocean is “they float, are nonbiodegradable, and only slowly degrade upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation” (p.

296). Due to their cheap cost, wide uses, and inability to be broken down, plastics have now become an epidemic in our oceans.

There are two types of plastic pollutions—user-plastics, from consumer and fishery sources, and industrial plastics from factories (Azzarello & Vleet, 1987). At Better Waters, we aim to focus on how pollution can be tackled at a consumer level, so this section will focus on user-plastics.

What exactly is the source of plastic pollution in the oceans? Better Waters has researched this topic to a great extent. The first issue and reasoning for plastic being so rampant in the ocean is a result of inadequate waste disposal strategies. Over half of the oceanic plastic pollution comes from only five developing countries that lack the ability to dispose of plastic properly (Beachapedia Staff, 2018). The inability to have the resources and infrastructure to correctly recycle or dispose of plastic is a large contributor to the issue of oceanic pollution.

The fishing industry has debatably the largest impact on oceanic plastic pollution.

When the fishing industry made the switch from biodegradable plant plastics in their materials to the new and durable synthetic plastic, the pollution from this industry only got worse (Azzarello & Vleet, 1987). “Ghost gear” is the materials used by fisheries that are abandoned or lost. According to the World Animal Protection, 2018, “ghost gear accounts for 10% of all the debris accumulating in our oceans and is a major threat to marine wildlife” and “about 640,000 tons of ghost gear are added to our oceans every year” (p. 13). This is a huge contributor to oceanic pollution, and many are not aware of the large impact fishing has on the ecosystem. For example, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the largest collection of floating trash in the ocean, is 46% abandoned fishing gear—almost half (Parker, 2018). Ghost gear is the cause of millions of injuries and deaths to oceanic species, including endangered ones (World Animal Protection, 2018). The plastic left from fishing is not only toxic to the fish but also are a huge choking hazard for marine animals. The plastic fishing nets and other plastic materials that are discarded in the fishing industry account for a considerable part of oceanic pollution.

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What are the effects on the oceanic ecosystem? The largest issue of plastic pollution in the ocean is the fact that marine life will ingest the plastic, not knowing it is something that shouldn’t be consumed.

“To a sea turtle, a floating plastic bag looks like a jellyfish. And plastic pellets… look like fish eggs to seabirds” (Amaral, 1995, pg. 1). These common mistakes for animals leave them injured or dead, disrupting their natural lifetimes. Anything that harms a species’ population will have a domino effect on the entire ecosystem, for the balance is upset.

may drown, suffer impaired ability to catch food or avoid predators, incur wounds and infections from the abrasive or cutting action” (Laist, 1987, pg. 320), and more. Pollution such as the plastic rings holding aluminum cans or plastic straws can be wrapped around or lodged into a marine animal, choking or extremely hurting it. With populations decreasing due to overfishing, climate change, and more, plastic killing the marine life on Earth is just one more huge issue destroying the planet.

There is also a detrimental effect of plastic pollution on humans. A vast majority of plastic in the oceans are microplastics, which are smaller than one centimeter in diameter. According to Cózar, et al., 2014, “as the size of the plastic fragments declines, they can be ingested by a wider range of organisms” (pg. 1). These microplastics, and possible new nano plastics, are rampant in the ocean, and they are being ingested by plenty of marine animals. “Once plastics have been consumed, laboratory tests show that chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants and metals on their surface can desorb (leach out) and transfer into the guts and tissues of marine organisms” (Seltenrich, 2016, pg. 3). When humans consume marine animals, it works just the same as bioaccumulation in the natural environment, becoming a negative impact on human health, not just oceanic health.

Marine animals also can get caught up in the plastic debris, such as leftover nets from the fishing industry. “Once entangled, the animal

Overall, plastic pollution in the oceans is a complex and extensive issue that Better Waters is aiming to solve from a consumer mindset.

Another reason for plastic being so excessive in the ocean is due to the wide availability of plastic packaging and materials and the subsequent disposal in the trash rather than recycling bin. According to Casson, 2017, “we’ve produced plastic as heavy as 1 billion elephants since the 1950s” and “just 9% of this plastic has been recycled” (pg. 1).

People use plastic for its convenience—a pre-cut vegetable in a plastic container is easier to use than buying a vegetable and cutting it up yourself. The convenience and widespread availability of plastic has made it a huge issue. When no one is recycling the plastic, it ends up in the oceans, hurting the ecosystem. “Even when it’s in landfills, plastic is at risk of blowing away and ending up in rivers or oceans” (Casson, 2017, pg. 1). By just using plastic, it runs the risk of entering the oceanic ecosystem and becoming pollution.

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SOLUTION SKETCH The goal of Better Waters is to decrease the current amount of waste in our oceans and educate the public of how to decrease waste by teaching environmental conservation. With funded projects like Wilson as a treatment solution, and education of the public to be aware of the issues on health and destruction of ecosystems plastics cause as a preventative solution. Better Waters stands by these solutions to enact global change by 2050.

Development of our treatment solution will need the cooperation of multiple organizations for visible change. Better Waters needs skilled engineers to design plastic collecting rigs to catch and collect the garbage effectively while also being careful to not injure any marine life, similar to that of the Wilson project. Our efforts will specifically target the Pacific Garbage Patch to begin, due to the largest concentration of plastics in our ocean.

The cleanup will take years to complete but launching our efforts as soon possible is vital to meet our goals. To kickstart our project we need funding from companies or investors that are concerned about the state of our oceans and are willing to work with us to end plastic pollution in our oceans within a few decades. Implementing ocean cleanup devices will need research on the best models that can be used for plastic cleanup.

Implementation of the final device will require trial and error to discover the best device suited to clean up larger plastics before they degrade to become microplastics. Our efforts for such projects could be stalled due to lack of funding to continue research or prototype builds.

Our preventative solution is education of the public on the dangers and methods of phasing plastics out of their daily lives.

Plastic use has gotten out of control as nearly all packaging is made out of plastic. The fact is that consumer plastics are ruining vital ecosystems, health of people, costing our economies about $13 billion yearly as plastics continue to damage marine ecosystems. Earth is 75% water making the oceans highly susceptible to any and all garbage that doesn’t make it to landfills. Plastic is not biodegradable and takes hundreds to thousands of years to break down. This reason alone is why Better Waters aims to educate the public about the dangers of plastics and how our marine ecosystems are being damaged rapidly because of it. Better Waters plans to establish a curriculum beginning with elementary aged students and ending with with high school students. Education of children is vital

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because teaching younger generations of the dangers caused by plastics is good precedent to lead into a society of individuals that are aware of how we as people destroy the environment.

To implement our educational efforts we need to begin on a small scale. To begin we would teach conservation efforts on the local level to anyone interested in reducing their plastic waste.

Teaching at the local level will be an educational effort for Better Waters as well because we will see what educational methods work the best before moving on to the next level which would be state teaching and then national education. However, wanting this environmental curriculum implemented by our organization will be difficult to reach the national level. Beginning on the local level is essential so that communities are become aware of the positive effects our curriculum will have on ocean environments and our health. Its evident that the process of approving our plans for education will be difficult given the state of our government in the United States. Trump has been known to not be the biggest believer that humans are the cause of climate change, according to CNN. Better Waters believes that our curriculum will have large amounts of supporters by the time our curriculum has spread far enough and reached the state level.

Education of environmental awareness of oceanic plastics and funding for active cleanup efforts are the solution to collecting plastic from our oceans because these solutions tackle the cause of the plastic pollution at the source. Active cleanup efforts like Wilson tackle plastic pollution by directly removing it from the ocean. Education of the public informs individuals of how to reduce, reuse, and recycle while teaching ways to conserve and find alternatives to plastics. Our approach tackles two systems that are related and benefit from one another. Due to this our solution is highly effective at reducing ocean plastic by 2050 because we believe awareness of the environment is vital to create lasting change amongst society.

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CARBON NEUTRALIZERS To make the University of Florida’s campus a healthier and more sustainable environment by carbon neutralizing transportation.

REBECCA ARMSTRONG

AG A P E A S S E FA My name is Agape Assefa. I am a student at the University of Florida who is passionate and eager to learn and to ultimately pursue a career in the public health and health professional field as an infectious disease specialist. I hope to make an impact in the healthcare field by implementing innovative invention to prevent the top leading cause of death in the United States and Globally.

GRACE MAKLEY I’m Grace Makley, I’m a junior at the University of Florida, I am working on a double-major in Sustainability and Sociology, plus a certificate in Global Leadership and Change. Combined, these three study areas will give me ways to use my creativity, empathy for others, and strategic thinking ability to build a community consensus behind responsible environmental stewardship — using digital, physical, and creative means to do so.

My name is Rebecca Armstrong, I am a second year marketing student at the University of Florida.

My involvement in organizations on campus, such as the Freshman Leadership Council, has made me passionate about leadership, education, and sustainable business. My passions fuel me to live a life filled with meaning, and I hope to pursue a career that allows me to do so.

S AV A N N A H G A R D N E R My name is Savannah Gardner. I am a first year student at the University of Florida, who is very grateful to be at this profound institution, obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Communications and Leadership Development. I hold an inborn fondness for agricultural, and I want to spend my life advocating for this monumental cause in whatever way plausible

E M I LY R O O D My name is Emily Rood and I am a third-year student at The University of Florida pursuing a bachelors of science in Plant Science with a specialization in Sustainable Crop Production. I have a passion for sustainable agriculture and I hope to pursue a career in viticulture. I also want to use my education and voice as an outlet to encourage others to think about where their food comes from and how it affects the environment.

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ISSUE BRIEF It is no question that there has been an increase in the release of harmful greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), in recent years; but to what extent have these emissions increased? And what effects are they having on our health and our environment? Carbon dioxide is a gas that is essential for life on Earth, however, atmospheric CO2 at large amounts can have deadly effects. To give some perspective, here is how carbon rates have increase over the past centuries; from the end of the last ice age to the 19th century the average parts per million (ppm) was 280. After the second half of the 20th century the rate of growth was no longer stable, but heavily increasing. One of the most pivotal experiments regarding CO2 levels was undertaken at the Mauna Loa Observatory, located in Hawaii in the 1950’s. The measurement taken at the observatory was 315ppm, and by 2008 the measurement was 385ppm.

This increase in carbon dioxide levels has led some scientist to believe that levels of atmospheric CO2 could be as high as 1,000 ppm by 2100 (Theilmann 2014). These drastic increases are due to the increase of human activities involving the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. So, what does this mean for our environment?

While, CO2 might not be the most abundant greenhouse gas, its contributions to the warming of our atmosphere are the greatest because of its persistence. Our emissions of CO2 now, will affect the several generations to come. The greenhouse effect, which is a naturally occurring cycle, is the reason that CO2 levels effect the planet. When solar radiation reaches earth’s surface some is redirected back into the atmosphere as infrared radiation, the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of the radiation, causing the earth to warm. If it were not for this process, earth would be too cold to inhabit, however, our activities are intensifying this process. As humans burn more fossil fuels, more CO2 is released into the atmosphere, and more heat is being trapped, therefore warming earth’s surface even more than the natural process (Schwartz, 2018). This warming is the reason for the many consequences related to CO2 emissions.

The implications associated with atmospheric warming, due to rising CO2 levels, include precipitation changes and sea level rising. While these consequences may be related to the environment, our society must deal with them as well. The warming of the atmosphere is linked to the change in precipitation patterns. A study shows that the steady increase in temperature can cause long-term decrease in rainfall, especially in the dry subtropical regions (Plattner, Knutti, Friedlingstein 2018).

There are large societal consequences related to the decrease in rainfall, such as the impact on agricultural practices. Without significant rainfall many farms are unable to produce the yield needed to support farmers and communities, thus effecting the economy and the well-being of many individuals. Sea level rise is another issue linked to the warming of the atmosphere. The melting of ice caps along with the expansion of water (because of the higher temperatures), are causing sea level to rise at a scary

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pace. One study suggests that by 2100 there could be as much as a 1-2m rise in sea level. While this number may not seem large, its effects will be detrimental. Coastlines and islands could be completed submerged, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to relocate (Plattner, Knutti, Friedlingstein 2018). These implications give just a brief insight to the future of our world if nothing is done to combat rising CO2 emissions.

As of 2015 the United States, preceding China, is the world’s second largest contributor to carbon emissions. Within the United states, the state of Florida is the fourth largest producer of CO2 emissions. In the transportation sector in Florida in 2015, 104.8 million metric tons of

CO2 were emitted, and in the electric power sector there were 107.6 million metric tons emitted. Fuels totals averaged 235.2 million metric tons, with petroleum products leading at 109.2 million metric tons (U.S Energy Information Administration, 2016).

In order to make change, initiatives need to be taken at a local level in order to reach state, national, and hopefully a global level.

The numbers presented above are frightening, society needs to acknowledge the issue of CO2 emissions and the severe consequences that they bring.

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SOLUTION SKETCH Our world is currently undergoing changes in the climate due to carbon emissions polluting our atmosphere. To conquer this wicked problem, local communities must take action to resolve this pressing issue. The University of Florida needs to accept this call for action and take this challenge to become a carbon neutral environment. There are currently only a few carbon neutral colleges in the entire United States and the University of Florida is not one of them. To take direct action to transform our local community at the University of Florida to a carbon neutral state, a carbon tax needs to be attached to the cost of a parking decal on campus to offset the personal carbon footprint of students.

Foremost, this carbon fee will be added onto the price of a parking decal for all students who choose to drive personal vehicles and scooters to campus. To calculate this specific cost of a students carbon footprint our team used a carbon calculator from We Are Neutral. After consulting an expert working for We Are Neutral we rounded a total of 10 miles a day into an online calculator. This carbon calculator estimated that the cost of a student driving about 10 miles to and from campus each day will need to pay $15 a year to offset their carbon emissions.

We rounded the cost to $15 to subsidize any other cost to our environment that carbon emissions are contributing to. This will ensure that all students that are polluting the atmosphere are also helping to contributing to this monumental task.

Furthermore, the current cost of a student parking decal according to the University of Florida Transportation and Parking services is $160 annually. This fee can also be paid $80 per semester, $35 monthly, or $15 weekly (Transportation and Parking Services). The carbon fee would make the new cost $175 annually, $90 per semester, $40 monthly, or $22 weekly. This is a very realistic solution with feasible costs that most students driving personal vehicles at the University of Florida should be able to afford.

This specific carbon tax will be presented to the Dean of the University of Florida to get one step closer to activation. After approval from the Dean of the University our team will fulfill all paperwork and requirements to get this tax enacted to start bringing about change. Our partnership with the University of Florida Transportation and Parking Services will also come into play to get this tax enacted. This department will be the one

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that actually takes our proposition and enacts the carbon fee to offset carbon emissions here at the University of Florida.

The next step in this process will be to transfer the funds to a reputable source to start transforming our campus into a carbon neutral environment. The company we have selected is We Are Neutral. This company has already left its mark on numerous communities by planting 47,300 longleaf pines, performing 914 energy upgrades, having 878 volunteers educate others, 86, 928 light bulbs have been replaced, 948 low-flow showerheads have been installed, 1,890 aerators exchanged, and 6,486 man-hours donated (We Are Neutral). Each of these tasks has helped battle carbon reduction and offset projects in local communities.

The money collected from the carbon fee here at the University of Florida will be transferred directly to We Are Neutral to start neutralizing the carbon output on campus. This partnership will be a critical step in the process to send the University of Florida on its way to becoming completely carbon neutral. We Are Neutral will help plant local forests, install more energy efficient light bulbs, and supply volunteers to further change the environment on campus.

Specific resources needed to make this carbon tax happen include partnerships with UF Coalition, Department of transportation, the University of Florida Transportation and Parking services and We are Neutral. Each one of these agencies are critical to obtain proper authority and documentation to get this fee enacted so we can start changing the world. We also need the partnership and support of these agencies to push for this tax to be properly enacted. We will also need to raise awareness around campus for this fee so that students are aware of the reason for this additional cost so that there is not much protest. To raise awareness flyers and other small information sheets will be needed as resources to ensure the success of this solution.

Another resource needed to make this change possible is simply an opportunity. Our team needs to present this solution to the Dean of the University of Florida to allow our voice to be heard.

This is a monumental task and we cannot conquer it alone. We need the authority and proper procedure to get this carbon tax enacted as soon as possible.

This solution is very ambitious and it will likely take a long time

to be enacted into the school system. Also, there will likely be lots of politics involved with this solution from start to finish. However, this struggle will be worth it in the end when we are able to combat the hazards of carbon emissions. Another obstacle our team will face in the future is the absence of some of our team members because they will be graduating soon. The quicker we begin equalizing our emissions in the atmosphere, the sooner change will begin to surface.

Another issue we will likely face is backlash from students who will be directly impacted by this carbon tax. It is common that taxes are often thought of as a negative expense. This is a huge roadblock as students will not necessarily be thrilled at the idea of paying more money to solve a problem they are creating. However, by making the tax affordable and realistic all students will be able to afford these changes. However, through awareness and education students will hopefully be able to see the reason for this additional fee. Another roadblock we could face is denial from the proper authority. It is

unknown to our team whether or not a proposition such as this has ever been presented. Due to this obstacle, we are unaware of what the future holds however we are very optimistic about the future and are willing to take whatever steps necessary to obtain this.

This solution is the answer to the current carbon issue we are facing here at the University of Florida and abroad. Though a $15 carbon fee seems minor, it will help neutralize each person’s individual carbon footprint and contribute to energy changes campus wide.

The University of Florida needs to make these changes as quickly as possible to change our current habitat on campus and rise among the first carbon neutral colleges in the United States. This solution will serve as a beneficiary to our environment as well as the current ranking of The University of Florida. More importantly, each individual will have the opportunity to act responsibly to fix their personal carbon emissions. This solution is the way to a better and brighter future here at the University of Florida and eventually across the entire globe.

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GATOR INNOVATORS The issue that we are focusing on is air pollution in China. Specifically, we want to look at the health and environmental implication that air pollution is having on not only China, but the whole world.

N O A H A LT E N B A C H

E M I LY A R N O L D

Noah Altenbach is a freshman Religion major on a premedical track at the University of Florida. In five years he hopes to have been accepted to medical school. What makes his blood boil is negativity, and what fires him up is the desire to succeed for the future. What gets him up in the morning is food and coffee. Currently, he also plays for the UF Men’s Club Lacrosse Team.

Emily Arnold is a freshman at the University of Florida studying industrial engineering. She plans on either pursuing her MBA or attending law school after her undergrad and sees herself doing one of those in the next five years. Something that makes her blood boil is people only thinking about themselves. What gets her up in the morning is either her music or her dog. Emily gets fired up by people that aren’t afraid to stand for what is right. If she could choose anywhere to go on vacation, she would pick the Bahamas.

C A R L O S P I E D R A H I TA

SABRINA SALGUEIRO

Carlos Piedrahita is a senior at the University of Florida. He is currently studying marketing but is also getting a combined degree in the Masters of International Business program. One of his fun facts is that he was an extra in the major motion picture, 2 Fast 2 Furious. In 5 years, he hopes to be working on his MBA at a top ten business school in the country.

Something that makes his blood boil is when people are selfish, especially unnecessarily. The one thing that gets him up in the morning is the thought of going to the gym and being healthy.

Sabrina Salgueiro is a fourth year Biology major at the University of Florida. She is pre-dent and is currently applying to dental schools. In five years, she hopes to see herself graduated from dental school and running her own dental clinic. Something that makes her blood boil is when people are mean. What gets her up in the morning is her dog that she has here at the UF with her, Nala. Sabrina is fired up when people do random acts of kindness. Right now, she would go on vacation to the Florida Keys, her favorite vacation spot.

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ISSUE BRIEF As China continues its unprecedented growth and development, it has cost them immense damages to its environment and the public health (Matus, Nam, Selin, Lamsal, Reiley, and Paltsev, 2012). Their rapid expansion has been largely driven by their use of fossil fuels, which have led to rapid increases in air pollution and greenhouse gases (Kan, Chen, and Tong, 2012). Air pollution in China has not only become a large environmental problem but a health problem as well because they are so dependent on coal energy and have poor emission management (Wang and Mauzerall, 2006). Currently, coal accounts for 75% of its energy sources which has made it into the worst air pollution problem in the world (Kan, Chen, and Hong, 2009). In 2012, China consumed 1.63 billion tonnes of coal, accounting for 50% of the world’s total coal consumption (Chen, Wang, Ma, and Zhang, 2013).

Some of this increase in coal usage is due to the increase in vehicles and chemical and petrochemical industries (Chen et al., 2013). These have lead to a rise in their emission of air pollution and carbon dioxide (Chen et al., 2013). This coal releases sulphur oxides and chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere which move eastwards to neighboring countries (Liu and Diamond, 2005). Because their air pollution problems can and do affect other countries around the world, it is important that changes be made for the sake of the world. China is the largest populated country in the world whose rapidly growing economy has led to one of the most severe environmental problems that are only getting worse (Liu and Diamond, 2005). It has been estimated that the health cost associated with air pollution in urban areas of China is between 157 and 520 billion Chinese yuan (about 22 to 75 billion US dollars) (Kan et al., 2009).

Since the 1970s, the death rate due to lung cancer has been greatly increasing and is currently the leading cause of death from malignant tumors in China (Chen, Wang, Ma, and Zhang, 2013). It is estimated that 1.2 million people in China died as a result of air pollution in 2010 (Chen et al., 2013).

Controlling air pollution in China is difficult because there are so many different sources of air pollution (Chen et al., 2013). But, it is important that actions be taken now so that air quality in China and around the world does not get any worse. Air pollution can also lead to a depletion in the ozone layer which is accelerating the effects of climate change. China has been found to be the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world (Kan et al., 2012). The Chinese Government has started to make strides to improve the air quality, protect the climate, and decrease health risks due to air pollution (Chen et al., 2013). But China cannot tackle their problem of air pollution alone.

Air pollution which has been accelerating climate change can not only have an effect on the environment but on human health as well (Chen et al., 2013). So, if China were to decrease the amounts of pollutants it releases from the combustion of fossil fuels and the resulting air pollution, it would not only have beneficial health benefits (from

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the improvement of air quality), but also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Chen et al., 2013). Considerations of the health implications of air pollution and climate change will help China to move towards a more sustainable future (Chen et al., 2013). But it is not only China’s duty, but our duty to decrease the air pollution in China. Their air pollution is not only affecting them but everyone around the world.

If air pollution in China continues to increase at this pace, there will be severe consequences, to the environment and to human health.

We need to start reversing the effects that air pollution is having on our world, if not, there might not be a world to live in for the future generations.

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SOLUTION SKETCH Our solution to the rising air pollution issue in China, which has vast implications, is to implement government regulations over carbon emissions as well as regulations over the infrastructure and requirements for buildings, especially in urban areas.

The solution to the air pollution in China will be varied across the different regions, as explained in the proposed solutions section, and therefore will require both regulation by the Chinese government as well as action from organizations, companies, and individuals throughout the country. Regulations have been used in China to control emissions, however stricter regulations through the use of an ETS (emissions trading system), with a maximum limit, would be required to limit the greenhouse gas emissions especially in the industrious companies throughout China. These regulations would need to cap the emissions allowed by companies, organizations, and even buildings to combat the pollution in China. These are already used some places, however with the ability to trade allowances (ICAO), such as from low emitting companies to higher emitting ones. This must be watched as well to safely control the maximum amount that one company or industry can use.

Attached to these regulations should be penalties for those companies or industries that exceed the amount of emissions that they have been allocated. For increments of 10% of excess there should be increasing fines that must be paid, and, with the current state of companies that do not comply with the environmental regulations, the potential for their factories, plants, or other structures to be shut down should also be a serious option once the maximum limit is surpassed by 150%. This will create an incentive for companies to keep their emissions down, or to face serious penalties for their contribution to the pollution.

This aspect of the solution would require government action, as well as officials to enforce these regulations. Part of the issue currently is the central government in China and their lack of presence throughout the country to enforce their regulations.

Therefore, facilities would be required to be built to house government officials to regularly inspect companies and industries in different areas of the countries. This is a potential roadblock, as it has proven to be in recent years for China with the lack of enforcement that has been seen. Along with this is the great deal of funding for the facilities, offices, and staff

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to carry out the responsibilities of regulating the large and vast industries in China. The process of doing this would take time, funding, and staff, however it would provide a system of regulation that is extremely more effective than what is being done now and would actually cause actions to reduce the 70% of companies that do not meet the standards set for environmental impact in air pollution.

The additional aspect of our solution focuses on the infrastructure of China as well as that of companies and their facilities. Even with regulations, China will still experience tremendous amount of emissions with the large quantity of production that is conducted in the country. Therefore, while regulations will slow this down, they won’t stop it or help the current state of the atmosphere in the country or around it.

With this in mind, sustainable structures can be implemented to combat this issue and coincide with the previously mentioned processes.

There has been an introduction of environmentally-friendly buildings that work to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen in high quantities (Galeon, 2017). There are plans to implement a couple of these buildings in Nanjing, China, such as similar ones seen in Italy and Switzerland (Galeon, 2017).

While these buildings are being constructed, they are not widely incorporated, especially in China. If China were to implement stricter regulations, as new facilities are constructed, they could be designed to follow this design of incorporating shrubbery and trees to create examples for environmentally friendly buildings that work to counteract emissions that they produce or of the producers around them.

Where these buildings come in to play with the use of regulations, discussed previously, is by requiring new buildings that are constructed by industrious or large companies to follow this style to combat the emissions of greenhouse gasses.

By doing this, not only are emissions being lowered, but also directly countered with the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen through these breathing buildings. This is a tall task, but if regulations are made to implement at least some percentage of carbon exchange relative to the environmental impact of the building, then the reward is well worth it and will pay off for the environment over time. The state of air quality is terrible in China, such as in Nanjing where the air quality is at 167 on the

air quality index and over 100 is unhealthy and 60 being moderate (Galeon, 2017). As for already constructed buildings, depending on their size and availability, regulations and programs can be implemented to create sustainable aspects of the structures, such as rooftop gardens, to create greener surface area that is being taken away by these urban areas. This too will require government intervention and probably organizational assistance to carry out the costly renovations and constructions that are necessary for these projects.

Our solution would require plenty of time and financial backing to be implemented successfully and on such a wide scale. However, this is necessary and also places fairly equal responsibility upon the government as well as companies to make this happen. Roadblocks will be faced, mainly on the financial side of things. Threatening to shut down facilities or even companies based upon these regulations would hurt the Chinese economy which may not be the most favorable concept for the government, however when considering the health risks derived from the pollution of the emissions all over China, the government must realize the necessity to provide a cleaner environment and more sustainable practices around the country. The air pollution is so bad that, according to Greenpeace on phys.org, “the average level of PM2.5 particulates – small enough to deeply penetrate the lungs – in the 366 cities monitored was more than five times the maximum recommended by the World Health

Organization (WHO)”. This is unacceptable and will only get worse unless the government steps in to more effectively regulate the emissions throughout the country.

This is why our solution is the solution proper for addressing this major in China. The pollution is terribly out of control and will continue on this unhealthy path unless some entity stops the companies and industries that are worried about economics and are causing the issue, and that would be the government. It cannot be expected for businesses to put money willingly into large projects by creating or renovating structures to implement plant life, or for them to change their processes, and likely slow their efficiency in their industry, in order to cut back emissions. This justifies the heavily regulated system our solution provides. The government must work with these industries to revamp urban life and infrastructure in China.

The realization of the environmental and health impacts must be known and conveyed in order to get this done and these issues are severe enough to warrant restrictions, regulations, and behavioral changes to initiate action to change the state of air quality in China.

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IMPACTORS We the Impactors believe in empowering people with the means to make their community’s drinking water safe and lead-free.

LAUREN CALKA

SARAH LOTTMAN

Hi, my name is Lauren and I want to make an impact. I am a senior majoring in Sustainability and the Built Environment, minoring in Landscape Architecture and Sociology, and earning a certificate in Challenge 2050: Global Leadership and Change.

I have an interdisciplinary academic portfolio that has strategically placed me at the intersection of design and social phenomenon. I am passionate about discovering communities and their narratives, visualizing and tending to complex processes, and creating radical agendas to sustain public good.

Hi, my name is Sarah and I want to make an impact. I am a junior majoring in Political Science and Economics with a minor in Philosophy, and a certificate in Challenge 2050 | Global Leadership and Change . I plan to continue my education and go to law school to become a lawyer and hopefully someday a judge. I am very passionate about the environment and helping make a serious change to save our planet.

Because of this passion I am thinking about going into environmental law and hoping to make real and lasting changes to save and protect our environment.

ANNA RABIL

G AV E N S I M O N

Hi, my name is Anna Rabil, and I want to make an impact. I am a senior in the College of Public Health.

I am passionate about global health, specifically topics pertaining to malnutrition, climate change, and agricultural empowerment, especially in SubSaharan Africa and Central Asia. I hope to continue my education with a Masters in Global Health followed by a career in policy and development efforts for a governmental organization or an international NGO.

Hi, my name is Gaven and I want to make an impact.

I am a freshman majoring in Sustainability studies. I am passionate in building a new era of people who are conscious of their environmental impact. I believe I am a part of an era of change and that’s why I believe studying Sustainability is very important and crucial.

After my undergraduate degree I would like to further my education in graduate school and focus on big cities living sustainable. I hope to continue on with the challenge 2050 and to receive the certificate next fall.

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ISSUE BRIEF Clean and safe drinking water, free from toxins and contaminants, is assumed to be a basic right to life in the United States. As a significantly developed country and leading world power, should Americans have to doubt the quality of their drinking water? The issue of American water quality brings to light some critical questions. Do Americans know where their water comes from? Should they? Whose job is it to make sure that the water is safe to drink? If there is an issue, does the local or federal government fix it? Lead corrosion from America’s aging pipeline infrastructure is contaminating the drinking water of communities all around America. What should we do?

Four years ago, national attention was turned to Flint, Michigan as the city’s water crisis became public news; America’s corroding water infrastructure had finally been brought into the limelight, as it began to infect an entire city without the resources to fix it. Waves of terror were sent around the country as Americans began to doubt the safety of their own community’s drinking water.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), no amount of lead in the body is considered safe. By this designation, lead is toxic, and humans need to avoid it at all costs. Lead-based paint was once used to cover walls in homes across the country, but in 1978, the US banned the use of leadbased paint after recognizing its harmful effects on humans, especially children. During this same time, lead was being used in the construction of water service lines everywhere. It’s understood durability rationalized its use for lasting infrastructure that was to be put into the ground. But in 2018, years and years later, these pipes are beginning to corrode, and loose fractions of lead are contaminating the water; the same water that is being consumed by millions of households across the country (ParksRamage, 2018).

To make matters worse, there is little initiative to correct the issue. Much of this lack of action is due to an unclear understanding of whose hands this problem falls into. The federal government thinks it should be left up to the local municipalities, while the local municipalities feel inadequately equipped and want the federal government to handle it. This results in a complete lack of oversight of the problem, leaving space for the allowance of bad practices and violations by those who should be instead spearheading the problem. Because lead contamination is an intimidating problem, water utility companies will intentionally fail to properly test water for lead, report contamination to residents, or treat the water properly to simply avoid dealing with the issue. Other bad practices include selectively testing homes that are unlikely to have high levels of lead, asking residents to “pre-flush” their taps, and taking water samples “slowly,” which reduces lead levels. Likewise, the EPA, aware of the flawed and questionable testing methods, has yet to take steps to overhaul the system (Ganim, 2016).

Lead contamination in drinking water is a public health crisis that deserves to be eradicated from communities everywhere. It will be no easy fix, requiring the coordination of stakeholders across all levels, but one that through careful management, can be solved.

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SOLUTION SKETCH Resolving the issue of lead contamination in America’s drinking water is a task that is rife with complexity, and like many other complicated issues, has no silver bullet solution. The way our country tends to deal with disaster is not sustainable; simple reaction to crisis can only provide a temporary fix, ultimately sending the nation into a frenzy when the next catastrophe strikes. A problem as serious as lead contamination deserves a concise comprehensive plan, one that informs local communities on how mitigate the issue, providing residents with water that is safe to drink in a quick and efficient manner. Our team has identified the fundamental obstacle to solving our country’s lead contamination problem to be the lack of coordination among federal, local, and private entities.

Our solution seeks to unite the different stakeholders who are connected within this system. Just as there is not a one size fits all solution to this problem, there is similarly not one entity that is solely responsible. Every public health, water quality, economic, and political official must recognize the complexity, severity, and depth of the issue; a coordinated and combined effort will be what it takes to get ahead of this snowballing problem. Lead contamination is a national issue, affecting communities all over the country, therefore it would be completely appropriate for a federal governing agency like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to spearhead it.

Although each case of contamination occurs at the local level, most cities and towns do not have the funding or means to resolve the issue alone. In order to successfully rid communities of their water quality issues, clear oversight must be organized and mandated at the federal level and then disseminated to the local level. Because there is a present lack of oversight from the EPA, there are a series of disconnected and disorganized efforts occurring at the local level. By uniting under one clear plan from the EPA, each and every locality may confidently move towards a more permanent solution to the lead contamination in their communities.

Ultimately, it is most important that the EPA makes it transparent to all of America that it is taking charge of this effort. Consistent engagement between the federal agency and local communities will transform public perception of who is working on solving this issue, and provide both entities a clear and up to date understanding on the condition of the problem.

To start, the EPA must implement federal policy that strictly

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regulates how much lead is in water; not only must it set a public standard, but it also must enforce the law. It is imperative that a norm of accountability to upholding the water standards is established between the federal and local entities. Once a strong relationship is formed, localities will feel more supported and guided in getting the help they need, and refrain from rigging the system to avoid the problem. The EPA must mandate a clear protocol for giving consequences for any entity that violates it. Local governments must abide by this policy, and through strengthened communication, will be strictly monitored. There must be increased water surveillance of private wells as well, which are not regularly checked for safety and effectiveness.

Typically, only municipalities are surveyed regularly by the EPA, leaving countless people across the country who utilize private wells privy to a lack of water quality screenings. By improving the lines of communication between the EPA and local municipalities, proper regulation of pipes and water quality across the country can be strengthened, and our nation can begin planning for disaster, not reacting to it.

While it would be ideal to just implement a solution that provided a plan for future instances of contamination, this issue is upon us now; there are cities and small towns around the country in need of immediate and dramatic improvement to their water and supply systems. In order to sustain long-term improvements, most localities need to replace all of the old, lead pipes with safe alternatives that will prevent any future contaminants from entering or being exposed to the water. Unfortunately, this kind of investment in infrastructure of local communities is extremely costly, and is a very overwhelming project for a town to begin. When the water crisis in Flint, Michigan began, the city was nearing bankruptcy. Because the city couldn’t afford the hefty investment upfront, it cut corners to save the city as much money as possible. As a result, they switched drinking water sources and improperly treated the water, exposing residents of the community to lead and other contaminants (Gross, T., 2018). This is the kind of reaction that the nation needs to avoid. It is true that the likelihood of our nation completing a timely overhaul of all of its pipelines is very unrealistic; America’s federal debt is increasing daily, and if the collective improvements could have been made, they would have happened already. It is far more likely that small improvements to the infrastructure will occur when the need arises. With the contingency of proper fiscal spending, the nation should be able

to incrementally fund individual pipeline improvement projects.

To fix water quality issues immediately, communities can initiate corrosion control. This simply means treating the lead pipes in order to prevent lead from entering the water. While this is only a temporary fix, it will provide communities in desperate need of clean water a solution to their problem immediately (Pontius, F.W., 1993).

Americans deserve to trust that their water is clean and safe to drink.

Solving the issue of lead contamination in America’s drinking water demands a collaborative effort amongst local, state, and federal

entities. This collaboration can only be facilitated through consistent communication and earnest intention in working for the good of the public. This is why the Impactors believe that the improvement of the relationship between the federal government and local municipalities will effectively transform the way lead contamination is mitigated in communities across the country. While there are a number of ways to eradicate lead from our drinking water, it is imperative that we begin solving the issue at the root cause of its trials.

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INSTI-GATORS Our mission: By 2050, the annual amount of plastic that enters our oceans will be reduced by 50%.

ELIZABETH BROWN Elizabeth Brown is a freshman at the University of Florida studying animal sciences and hoping to eventually study veterinary medicine. Her love of wild animals and appreciation for their environment is the reason why she finds the protection of the environment a very important issue. Elizabeth is currently fueling her passion by volunteering at a wildlife conservation foundation in Gainesville.

M A D E LY N K I D D

GARRETT NOONAN

Madelyn Kidd is a sophomore at the University of Florida studying public relations and business administration. Currently, she is working as communications intern for the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. Her love of animals and the outdoors fuels her passion to find ways to help protect the environment. After reading various articles and completing multiple projects about the detrimental effects of plastic pollution, she is determined to help find ways to solve the problem of plastic.

Garrett Noonan is a Junior at the University of Florida studying plant science, sustainable crop production.

Garrett served around the world in the United States Army for more than 13 years and his passion for the ocean came when he became a combat diver and was submerged into the underwater world of our oceans. Seeing the plastic pollution in the world’s seas in person, underwater, has stirred him to action in helping to find a solution to stop the waste from entering waterways and compromising our oceans.

S AV A N N A O G B U R N

ROBERT OVERSTREET

Savanna Ogburn is a senior at the University of Florida studying agricultural education and communication with a specialization in communications and leadership development, and minoring in leadership.

Her eyes were opened to sustainability and water conservation during her time as a corporate communications intern at Orlando Utilities Commission. Her love for the outdoors and science communication drives her passion for educating the public about research regarding natural resources.

Robert Overstreet is a freshman at the University of Florida studying sustainability and political science.

Surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and scuba diving are some of his favorites hobbies. Having lived near the ocean for many years of his life, he is very conscious of the fragility of its ecosystem and has seen firsthand some of the negative effects of plastic pollution. He was president of the environmental club at his high school his senior year, organizing beach cleanups, and awareness projects around this issue.

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ISSUE BRIEF Before plastic was invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt, people used substances such as tortoise shells, ivory, horn and wood to manufacture objects. However, through the production of synthetic polymers, people were soon able to make polymers that were strong, lightweight and cheap. Plastics were initially thought to be a savior to the environment due to the reduced poaching of elephants and turtles. It was so cheap, people began to buy things they didn’t intended to keep, which helped to create the ‘throwaway culture’ that exists nowadays.

People first became aware of the harmful effects of plastic on the environment in the 1960s, and these concerns have grown dramatically ever since. Plastics not only pose a threat to wildlife, particularly in the ocean, but it is estimated that it can take up to 450 years to completely biodegrade. With more than 150,000,000 metric tons of plastic pollution currently in the ocean, and more than 8,000,000 metric tons added every year, plastic poses a threat like never before (Jambek, 2015). For these reasons, the problem of plastic in the ocean is an issue that is important to solve for the sake of the environment and the future of the ocean.

When considering how to go about cleaning up our ocean, one of the first factors to consider is how plastic is getting into our ocean. In the year 2015, approximately 20 percent of plastic being produced was recycled. What happened to the rest of the plastic is very concerning for the environment. The main reasons plastic ends up in the ocean is mismanaged waste, products going down the drain, industrial leakage, and people blatantly throwing trash into the ocean or on the beach. Mismanaged waste is a huge problem because in land sites that aren’t secure are at risk of trash being blown away by the wind and polluting rivers and eventually the ocean. This is something that is easy to fix and would help our ocean tremendously. However, a plastic problem harder to fix is microbeads that are going down the sink and ending up in the ocean. In many different personal care products there are miniscule pieces of plastic that are washing down the drain. Many people have no idea that these are a problem. The last major way plastic is ending up in the ocean is because of industrial leakage. Plastic can end up in the ocean because of the lack of standards in the industrial industry. In the process of creating and transporting plastic and plastic products tiny pieces of plastic escape and end up in the ocean. In the UK, three fourths of the beaches are polluted by plastic pellets that wash up on the beach in thousands every year (Casson).

Another important factor to consider when examining plastic pollution is the presence of gyres, or massive ocean current systems. Gyres are responsible for circulating ocean water across the globe. They act almost like a whirlpool, concentrating the plastic and debris that will be present for years. The most notable concentration of trash is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located off the coast of California.

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It has grown to three times the size of France. There have also been garbage patches discovered in the North Atlantic and the South Pacific. Contrary to popular belief, the garbage patches are mostly comprised of tiny plastics that are not visible to the naked eye, but also contain scattered debris, like fishing gear. Large plastics are much less common because plastic breaks down in sunlight, waves, and extreme weather.

Microplastics are plastic particles that are less than 1/2 of an inch or 5 mm. Many microplastics are degradation of larger plastic items like bottles, food containers, fabrics, and water pipes. The major sources of microplastic pollution is from wastewater from wastewater treatment plants. The more identifiable source is runoff of debris from landfills and urban areas into water bodies. Once in the ocean or other water bodies, microplastics are further spread by wind and currents. The affect all organisms in the food chain, even microscopic algae where they have been shown to inhibit photosynthesis. This is detrimental because algae are the base of the food web in aquatic ecosystems. Accumulation of plastics and plastic toxins pose a great risk for vertebrates that include harmful effects like damage to organs, reduced reproductive fitness, and feeding ability.

Thousands of animals die from ingesting or being stuck in plastic materials. According to the Center for Biological Diversity: “Fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic each year”

(“Ocean Plastics Pollution”). This kind of plastic pollution can produce intestinal injury, and even death. Marine animals can also ingest or get tangled in the plastic which could lead to injury or death of the animal.

Plastics and microplastics accumulate a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants (POP). Their chemical properties cause them to be hydrophobic, consist of carbon, and are toxic to almost all organisms at varying doses. Plastics within the ocean accumulate POPs like DDT up to 1 million times greater than the surrounding seawater. POPs bioaccumulate in tissues of living organisms, in humans and mammals POPs can be transferred through breast milk and the placenta to offspring. Once POPs are built up in an organism, they can affect the reproductive, endocrine, and neurological system, if the degree of exposure is high enough. Populations that are at a higher risk of POPs exposure include those whose diets include a large amount of fish and shellfish, especially indigenous cultures.

What happens to the environment affects everything in the environment. This is the basic principle of ecology, which studies the relationships between organisms, their physical surroundings, and the effects of those relationships. The ocean plays a huge role in our environment and if we let it be destroyed by the influx of plastic pollution, it will affect multiple systems, including environment, food and health.

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SOLUTION SKETCH The goal of our solution is to enact policy that encourages consumers to buy less plastic. We propose a 5% Clean Oceans Tax on all manufacturing and importing of plastic. This tax encompasses the production of plastic and not the use of plastic for consumer goods, such as packaging, clothing, electronics, and household appliances. The Clean Oceans Tax will make it more expensive for companies to use plastic in their products, hopefully prompting them to use a more environmentally friendly material, or raise the price of the product to absorb the increased cost of manufacturing. A more expensive plastic product leads the consumer to be more likely to purchase a product that does not use plastic.

To be certain, there will be widespread consequences for the implementation of the plastic tax, both good and bad. The Insti-Gators are confident that the merits of our solution will far outweigh its shortcomings. We expect that overall health will benefit in the areas where the tax is implemented. Plastic is widely used in processed foods and fast foods. In general, unhealthy foods and beverages are likely to be packaged in plastic. A negative incentive to buy plastic products will make the consumer more likely to buy healthier, more natural foods.

On the other hand, some families in the United States rely on cheaper, more processed foods that are more likely to be packaged in plastic. Moreover, the price of many consumer goods overall will increase. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. A higher cost of plastic goods will create less consumer spending on products with plastic. Companies will recognize this and restore their competitiveness through the use of nonplastic materials such as paper and cardboard. We hope that a five percent tax of the production and importing of plastic will create a small increase in overall prices that will serve as a large economic incentive to use less plastic in all areas of society.

The increased cost of plastic will help to give accountability to consumers and companies for the damage done to our ocean’s ecosystems. We will reduce the amount of plastic that is produced and thereby reduce the amount that ends up in our oceans. Our Clean Oceans campaign will make society more aware of the severity and scope of the problem of plastic pollution and translate the public backing into action against the unnecessary use of plastics.

Plastic is extremely widespread and prevalent, so we recognize the potential for unintended consequences. We will be

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implementing our plan in stages, beginning at the county level and expanding to state and perhaps national level as our movement gains momentum and garners more support.

The money that is raised through the Clean Oceans Tax would be allocated to other endeavors to help prevent plastics from littering the oceans. First, a portion of the money would go towards media projects to raise awareness of the detrimental effects of plastic pollution, as well as research projects to gauge the efficacy of the tax on reducing the consumption of plastic.

Media efforts would include news broadcasts, documentaries, articles, social media posts, virtual reality projects, and other enterprises that would educate the public on how big of a problem plastic is. These projects would allow the public to understand the necessity of the tax and motivate them to want to be a part of the solution to the problem. This is an essential step in the process of persuading the public to accept the Clean Oceans Tax and ultimately allow the government to implement the tax at a larger scale. Not only will these media projects gain the public’s acceptance of the tax, but they will also ideally convince the public to change their behavior in other ways.

Videos such as Sea Turtle with Straw up its Nostril - “NO” TO PLASTIC STRAWS have already gained momentum and inspired people to stop using plastic straws. If more of this type of media could be produced, it is possible that impacts could be seen at a much larger scale.

Money raised from the tax would also be used to fund research projects that could obtain data on the issue. For instance, people are still uncertain about the effects that microplastics could potentially have on human health (Royte, 2018). If we were able to provide concrete data that plastic pollution is significantly impacting human health, people would be more inclined to reduce their consumption of plastic. Additionally, research projects should be undertaken to determine how successful the Clean Oceans Tax on reducing plastic pollution. If data reveals that the tax isn’t making a considerable impact on the problem, it would be better to find a new solution rather than to waste time and money on a solution that isn’t working. For all of these reasons, research would be an important area to fund through money raised by the Clean Oceans Tax. Reducing our use of plastic is not feasible, because of its versatility and scale of use. Therefore, an alternative to plastic is essential if the goal is to reduce plastic use and ultimately

pollution. Money raised through the Clean Oceans Tax can fund research to find an alternative material to plastic. An emerging alternative to plastic is polylactic acid, also known as PLA which is a biodegradable plastic produced from cornstarch. Coca-Cola is a company that has previously created a bottle that contains biomaterials and plans to develop a bottle that is a 100 percent bioplastic and biodegradable (Packaging Gateway). If this tax is implemented, and the money raised can go to research and development, large corporations like Coca-Cola can make a breakthrough with bioplastic and have the opportunity to elicit change in other companies.

Despite the success in finding alternatives, the biggest challenge now is the competing price of conventional plastic and bioplastic and it’s implementations on consumer’s buying choices. Using this tax to not only fund research but eventually make bioplastic more competitive to conventional plastic can further our mission in reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans.

A portion of the tax revenue from the implemented Clean Oceans Tax must go to a regulatory committee that would oversee the implementation and regulation of proper landfill and sanitation practices to prevent plastics from finding their way into the waterways and begin to lower the egregious amount of plastics that are currently finding their way into our oceans. A sanitation committee would be the governing body of a plastic pollution enforcement effort across the taxed area. This effort would have the responsibility of semi-annual and random quality assurance checks on landfills and other sanitation systems to ensure that plastic pollution is not finding its way into our waterways. If the waste management system does not follow the implemented pollution regulations, they would be subject to a fine and a potential close of business operation until the issue was corrected.

This regulation would have the effect of immediately lowering the amount of plastics and pollution flowing into our oceans without waiting for the time it takes for consumers to buy less plastic because of the higher price. Over time, as plastics are slowly phased out of our

society, the sanitation committee could be dissolved as its purpose would slowly become obsolete.

There are various roadblocks we could encounter during the implementation of our idea. Our main problem will be trying to find lawmakers willing to pass the taxes we want. We need to deal with large companies who might have a lot of power with lawmakers.

Lawmakers care a lot about money and some companies who produce plastics could have their favor. So, it might be hard to try and find agreeable lawmakers, especially considering that the economy could suffer a major hit from taxing plastics. Another problem we could encounter is lawmakers taking the money generated from these taxes and using it for their own personal agenda. Our plan includes using this money to fund a new replacement for plastic that is just as cheap.

So, if they took the money, even if plastic production decreased, we would not have a permanent solution to the problem. The people might also be disagreeable. Our plan included having surveys that showed that the people cared about the ocean being polluted.

However, if the people show different results, this would make it even harder to try and gain the lawmakers favor in concerns to taxing plastic. The way we were hoping to gain favor of the lawmakers is by showing them positive results generated by taxing a county and then a state. However, our whole plan could be derailed if the county does not generate enough profit or plastic production does not increase enough. This is why it is extremely important that we pick a county in the beginning that will actually make a noticeable difference that we can show to lawmakers. Moreover, our idea is to tax the imports and that is a lot more complicated since it involves other countries.

This could present a problem concerning other countries. Lawmakers might not want to agitate other countries by placing taxes on their imports. This could generate a trade war if enough countries got angry about a tax on plastics. Our plan has many different aspects that could go wrong, however, if implemented very carefully then it could be the beginning of the end of plastics.

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LAVA “We - even we here - hold the power, and bear the responsibility.�

This immortal quote by Abraham Lincoln is the guiding force of Team LAVA. Our work is centered around the concept that the individual has the capacity to help change the world, and even more so, that we are all bound by a duty to contribute.

Looking into our plans, these ideas will be the driving force behind our success as we seek to unite people under our principles of adventure, compassion and community. LAVA exists to light the fire in everyone we work with.

ARIEL ELLIS

LAUREN CLENDENING Lauren Clendening is a third-year student at the University of Florida, currently double majoring in international studies, with a focus in the Middle East, and political science. She was born and raised in Florida, but never had plans to stay there. After finishing her degree, she plans to work for the State Department to fulfill her dream of moving to the Middle East to strengthen the education access for women. Combining her passion for policy, culture and language, and education, Lauren plans to move from one dream job to the next, which is working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Ariel Ellis is a second year biology major on the premedical track. She was born and raised in Winter Haven, Florida, and received an Associate of Arts degree from Polk State College. What lights her fire, and generally gets her out of bed every morning, is helping others. Ariel is continuously working towards a future career in medicine, and hopes to one day open her own low-income clinic for pediatrics. She grew up surrounded by poverty in her city, and has witnessed, first-hand, the effects it can have on the health of the homeless community. Ariel feel that it is her duty to make sure people have access to healthcare, and that mothers and fathers can take their children to see a physician and not worry about being able to afford the visit. Everyone deserves to be healthy, no matter their walk of life.

VA N E S S A L I C A

A R I R O S E M B L AT

Vanessa Lica is a first year student at the University of Florida exploring a major in international studies.

She is fascinated by other cultures and languages and plans to learn more about the Spanish language and culture through a minor in Spanish. She was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Learning about and communicating with people around the world lights her fire. She is interested in learning more about global relations and the dialogue and interactions between different nations.

Ari Rosemblat is a Plant Science major with a focus in Sustainable Crop Production. He was born in Argentina but grew up in Miami after moving to Florida at 4 years old. Ari’s mission is structured around the fact that there’s so much about the world and the systems currently in place that are subject to change in our lifetimes, that it’s up to the youngest generations to make sure we can adapt to those changes accordingly. That’s primarily the reason why Ari studies sustainable agricultural practices that are not only efficient in their production, but dynamic and adjustable to the inevitable changes that will shake up the world – specifically agriculture – really hard.

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ISSUE BRIEF Improper waste management by individuals in rapidly growing areas is creating an abundance of trash of great detriment to health and the environment. Many developing countries lack waste management systems and are left to dispose of their own trash improperly. With a lack of organized trash collection and disposal systems, trash ends up strewn around cities’ land and waterways. With current massive urban growth around the world and the future majority of the population expected to live in cities, trash will invade urban centers without proper disposal. By 2050, the United Nation estimates that about 68% of the human population will be living in urban areas (United Nations, 2018). Developing countries are currently industrializing, growing their populations, and creating populous urban centers, resulting in increased consumption. Increasing numbers of people and consumption, in turn, creates more trash littered through the cities. These developing areas are switching from locally produced food and products to importing electronics and consumer goods that create material and chemical waste.

The developing country of India is littered with trash mounds invading the cities.

Mumbai, India, rates number five on megacities creating the most waste (Adler, 2016).

India’s current waste management system, governed by The Municipal Solid Wastes Rules, gives specific rules pertaining to trash disposal, segregation, and collection, however most of them are not abided by. Reports pertaining to Indian trash show that “only about 82% of it is collected and only 28% of that is treated” (Pradhan, 2018).

Africa also has many rapidly growing urban centers that are grappled with the challenge of what to do with the massive increases in trash. African countries are unprepared for waste’s growing presence. Traditionally, in places like Lagos, Nigeria, trash was drove outside of town and dumped as an easy fix (Sieff, 2017). Now with the population tripled in size, the previous disposal method has backfired and left the expanded city with trash mounds scattered throughout. These developing countries, for so long, have neglected trash disposal and educating their citizens on proper trash management that they are now left with a growing challenge to face.

Besides taking up valuable space, huge trash deposits create detrimental health and environmental problems that are already being observed. In Africa, deadly diseases have been flaring up due to massive increases in trash and poor sanitation. Epidemics of malaria, yellow fever, Lassa fever, and other potentially deadly diseases have been reported due to improper garbage disposal (Sieff, 2017). The trash also releases dangerous toxins into the air, water, and land. Landfills are susceptible to fires release carbon dioxide and pollute the air for nearby cities (Adler, 2016). With the increase in trash, people have even begun living in or near landfills, putting themselves at risk for a variety of health issues. With limited space and opportunities, many are left creating makeshift shelters near trash fills and even scrounging for re-sellable items in the landfills.

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The lack of consistent access to wholesome, nutritionally-valuable food is the single most important risk factor for illness and death, especially in developing countries. Diets in the populations of developing regions, namely in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, are oftentimes deficient in proteins and carbohydrates leading to protein-energy malnutrition as well as certain micronutrientdeficiencies (Muller & Krawinkel, 2005). Rural areas experience recurring poor diet and as a result, spread of infectious disease that leads to a cyclical worsening of overall health conditions.

Malnutrition-associated ailments accounts for approximately half of all deaths in young children. In fact, children and women should be at the forefront of how we approach aiding developing regions since malnutrition and poor health in childhood oftentimes leads to irreparable damage to physical and mental health and leads to lower incomes for those who survive to adulthood. Malnourished mothers tend to give birth to low-birth-weight babies that are exponentially more susceptible to disease and death than well-

nourished counterparts (Blössner & de Onis, 2005). It is important to highlight that the underlying cause of malnutrition is poverty – there is oftentimes an inescapable vicious cycle of poverty, malnutrition, and disease that plagues poorer developing regions.

Although the facts surrounding poverty’s association with malnutrition are grim and unfortunate to say the least, there is some good news. Projections indicate a drop of almost half in the proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions, from 23.3 percent in 1990–1992 to 12.9 per cent in 2014–2016. (United Nations, 2015) Intravenous measures that aim to provide “food subsidy/ supplementation, income generation, nutritional education, and maternal support” have proved effective in the prevention of malnutrition and its horrendous effects on human welfare (Muller & Krawinkel, 2005).

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SOLUTION SKETCH Team LAVA wants to work in less developed countries to implement a system that would simultaneously clean up the environment and give genetically enhanced seeds to farmers.

This project begins with choosing a site where this system would be most effective. With a candidate in mind, there will then begin an analysis of the exact dimensions of farmable land and the issues that this land has, such as pests, location, environment, or a hostile climate. A key aspect of the projects is that the seeds will provide enhanced nutrients in their produce. The other half of this project requires a recipient for recyclable goods. To link these aspects together, the government will receive the seeds from a lab and put out a request for recyclable goods in exchange for these seeds. The government will be able to sell the recycling to a country that is purchasing it. The money made from recycling will go through LAVA pay the labs for the seeds.

The impact this solution could have is multi-faceted. First, the program would encourage environmental cleanup. Theoretically, thousands of pounds of trash could be taken out of landfills and be recycled. Second, there would be a boom in agriculture production, which will add a significant source of income to the population along with adequate food. Third, Team LAVA not only wants to end food insecurity, but end malnutrition. Overall, the sustainability of this plan necessitates that it will be culturally positive. In every way, we seek to understand and anticipate local action and reaction. We want to inform the public and let locals work for themselves to establish food security.

This plan is bold, and we will need robust resources to put our plan into effect. Ideally, this project necessitates a country with governmental capacity to orchestrate a nation-wide implementation of this system, farmable land, and overwhelming amounts of recyclable trash, such as glass, old technology, metals and other such material that can recycle for a profit.

The recyclables will be sold to another country that has these resources that will be able to dispose of them in a clean way instead of valuable goods ending up in a landfill or burned in an unmanaged setting.

Before the plan is finalized, the analysis that needs to be done for the land will need to be completed by multiple private labs that will determine what type of seeds will be best for this area.

These labs will also be our connection to GMO seeds. Multiple partners will be necessary to account for the amount of seeds that we will need for implementation.

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Once the area and seeds have been determined, the correct political connections to introduce this idea will be integral.

In order to sell the proposal, a team of experts to inform the officials of the process will be necessary. This team will also aid in the implementation of the program to help track data and facilitate any addition resources that will be needed. On the ground, we will implement two different teams: One will go in before the plan is made public to gage preconceptions to government and foreign aid, the use of GMOs, and overall local notions on environmental and health issues. This feedback will be implemented into the general design of the plan and adjustments will be made as needed. If we encounter any backlash to these ideas, the second team will come into play.

This team will be in charge of informing the local population of the true effects that GMOs play in health. In order for this information to be trusted by the public, the team will select key members of the local population to establish a connection with.

They will act as a liaison to the public so that the information will be regarded as trustworthy and also to modify the dissemination of information according to cultural needs.

For a plan this in depth that requires this many powerful players, there are potential roadblocks to our plan. The most obvious of these is that we will not be able to locate all the necessary players for our plan, that they will be too expensive, or not willing to implement the program. These are obstacles that any large-scale project might encounter. More specific to our idea is the backlash that may come from the use of genetically engineered seeds. There have been recorded instances of GMO farms being destroyed by the locals that were fearful of the use of GMOs (McGrath, 2013). With the use of GMOs also comes the potential of environmental harm. According to Dr. Thiele, the potential of genetic pollution comes from GMO plants crossbreeding with non-GMO plants. He stressed the fragility of the ecosystem, and that this effect could range on the scale from harmless to devastating. Apart from the public, the government officials could also have reservations about this plan. Beyond the shared issues of GMOs, there is the economic aspect that could keep them from giving the support that is crucial for the project.

If recycling material does not turn a profit, there is an incentive that is missing from the project. There is also the possibility that the land itself, as well as the government, will not be able to sustain the influx of farmers that may occur. This has to do with

the additional need for farmable land, as well as increased use of water and the infrastructure these additions will necessitate.

After illustrating the potential roadblocks, it is important to note that the original plan accounts for these issues. In a rebuttal to them, first, there are many suppliers and states that are more than adequate for this program. GMOs have been in use for a few decades and are popular enough that there is no shortage of labs that supply them.

The use of GMOs is admittedly the most problematic part of the plan. As stated previously, however, we have anticipated this and that is why we have designated three teams to inform the public on the facts on GMOs. These teams will be made up by professionals, such as anthropologists, geologists, cultural experts, and so on, that can construe the totality of the plan and explain the possible benefits. Of course, there will always be people we cannot convince, but the majority should be able to come on board. Even more so, this education will not come from a directly foreign entity, which has historically not been well received in many areas. The use of liaisons will be imperative. Combatting the potential of economic unviability of recycling, the additional benefits of this program have large environmental, economic, social and health benefits.

Cleaning up the environment and removing trash from landfills will be hugely important. This can clear land for better use and keep water and land clean from trash that negatively affects health.

The influx of food in the market has multiple benefits. There will be economic growth within the local economy and potentially in the national economy as well. Depending on the amount of food and farmers, this could boost exports of certain products. The health benefit of this includes a variety in diet to give more nutrients. The overall benefit of good food leads to healthier people and a rise in food security. Malnutrition is linked to 45 percent of childhood deaths. These children are more susceptible to different illnesses that are curable and can be prevented. Furthermore, children who are malnourished are behind in their physical and cognitive development, which will follow them, and likely their children, for the rest of their lives (Gates, 2017). In terms of economic benefits that can be experienced nationally, the World Health Organization found that good health “is linked to economic growth through higher labor productivity, demographic changes and educational attainment� (Economist Intelligence).

GMOs allow for multiple benefits as well. They are able to grow in less than adequate climate conditions, providing security in unstable times.

There will be less of a use for pesticides, which damage the health of the environment and the people.

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MANC MANC works to increase access to nutritious food in food deserts located in the United States.

MARIA CARDEI

NINA ALBINO Nina is a senior at the University of Florida but originally from Sunrise, FL. She is majoring in Sustainability Studies but feels that it is more a lifestyle than a major which is why she has enrolled in ALS2410. Her experience in solving global issues has largely been academic based through learning different facets of issues either through courses, human interaction, internships, and personal research.

She aspires to work with The Walt Disney Company in a way that helps them become more sustainable either by reducing their carbon footprint, using more renewable energy, or working with philanthropic organizations teaming up with the Disney Conservation Fund. Nina’s focus on sustainability is broad to not narrow the choices she has in helping to sustain the environment.

CHAD HUSTED Chad is a junior at the University of Florida. He is from Naples, Florida. He is majoring in family, youth, and community sciences. Chad is taking ALS2410 because he hopes that it will broaden his global perspective, making him a more informed and effective citizen.

He has been increasing his impact on solving global issues over the past year by learning more practical information through his major specific classes and by mentoring younger students. His approach to solving global issues focuses on investing in the few, that will impact the masses. He believes that this is the most effective way to create lasting global change; focusing on and addressing the motivations of individuals.

Chad’s future career goal is to purse a life in the Christian ministry field. He hopes to either become a missionary pilot, pastor, a spiritual leader, or a combination of the three.

Maria Cardei is a student at the University of Florida, originally from Boca Raton, Florida. She graduated second in her high school class after completing a vigorous medical sciences program where she was exposed to different facets of the medical field and learned how to research. She is currently taking a very unique class offered at the University of Florida, ALS2410, where she is learning to address the global challenges that face the world and will be pertinent in 2050. Maria is simultaneously working as a part time pharmacy technician at Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

At the University of Florida, she is currently a first year student planning to major in Biomedical Engineering.

Maria hopes to one day become a Pharmacogeneticist and develop customized drug therapies to maximize health benefits of pharmaceuticals by tailoring them to patients’ individual biology. Maria believes this will solve a major issue in the medical field.

ASHLINN QUIGLEY Ashlinn Quigley is an exchange student from the University of Aberdeen and is currently in her second year towards completing her bachelor’s degree in environmental science. She is of half German, half Irish descent. Before starting her studies in the UK, she did a six-month internship at the ministry of the environment in Hannover, Germany. This she followed up by volunteering in Costa Rica for ten weeks helping out in a primary school in Puerto Viejo, which focused on environmental education and a cloud forest reserve called “Cloudbridge” in San Gerardo de Rivas, which was conducting research of the ecosystem as well as reforesting areas of the reserve, which had been converted to cattle grazing rangeland. She aspires to continue educating herself on pressing global matters and using the valuable experiences she’s gained to one day work in a transnational government or non-governmental organization focusing on solving environmental and social issues. To complement her studies Ashlinn is taking the ALS2410 course as she thinks addressing global challenges from an interdisciplinary approach is the most effective way of solving pressing issues connected to population growth.

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ISSUE BRIEF Food deserts in the United States have become a significant issue over time.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food deserts are defined as usually impoverished areas in the country that lack fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy foods (Nutrition Digest, Volume 38, No. 2). Alongside the lack of nutrition, people that live in a food desert do not have the means to travel to grocery stores. Instead, they go to local convenience stores or shops that only stock unhealthy, convenient food options which lead to many health issues. This food is prevalent and easily accessible because the United States government subsidizes food industries, such as the sugar industry, in order to make it cheaper, therefore increasing the amount of cheap, unhealthy foods. It has been found that a total of 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts, proving that this is a real issue that needs to be addressed (Department of Agriculture, n.a.). Nutritious food is vital in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so it is important that it is accessible in every part of the United States. Unfortunately, several places in the country lack this availability, thus creating food deserts that lead to health and societal problems.

Price of food is something that people in food deserts have to think about every time they purchase food. Low-income individuals which account for 13.5 million of people in food deserts, struggle with buying enough food within their budget. For the purposes of this paper, someone is classified as low-income if they make less than $42,000 per year (Fry, Population Reference Bureau 2016). They may make insufficient money to purchase healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, however sometimes make too much to be able to rely on governmental organizations, like SNAP, for food. Physical distance from a market can be an issue as well and people may reside too far from a grocery store. If there are sufficient people in this situation in a region, it would be classified as a food desert. Markets with healthy food will not be located in the more rural areas with a low income population because the members of the community will not have enough money to purchase high end, nutritious foods.

This is significant because the inability to access nourishing food based on income is unfair and can lead to societal degradation along with a number of health problems for future generations.

Many people, especially those living in food deserts, have health issues such as obesity and diabetes due to the consumption of unhealthy food, and those health issues may create other long term problems that could essentially persist and be handed down to following generations unless this issue is resolved. Obesity can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Dennis Raphael, a professor of health policy and management at York, confirms that “what we (researchers) know about Type 2 diabetes is not only are low-income and poor people more likely to get it, but they’re also the ones that, once they get it, are much more likely to suffer complications, that can result in amputations, blindness, or cardiovascular disease� (Health Policy, 2010). Not

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only do low-income individuals generally contract these diseases more often, but they have the most trouble seeking medical attention that is affordable. These physical effects are escalating public health problems with an increasing worldwide prevalence and have become well-known threats to public health. They might persist in the future and could essentially lower life quality and life expectancy over time.

In addition, the food we eat not only has an effect on our productivity and how we perform academically or in the workspace, it also affects our mental health. A study shows that “a food insecurity gradient was found in six mental health outcomes. […] A decrease between 8.1% and 16.0% in the reporting of these mental health outcomes would accrue if those who are currently severely food insecure became food secure“ (Jessiman-Perreault and McIntyre, 2017). As well as affecting people individually, food insecurity has a widespread effect on society not only on mental health care costs but also economic productivity in the case of obesity for instance. Obesity costs America an estimate of 190 billion dollars per year, which is as high as 21% of total US health care costs (Sean Kelly, 2013). US employers are losing 164 billion dollars per year in loss of productivity due to obesity-related issues from employees (Sean Kelly, 2013). These expenses and losses could be significantly reduced by tackling food insecurity as “people living

near full-service grocery stores tend to have healthier diets, including higher intakes of fruits and vegetables and lower levels of obesity” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.a.).

Food insecurity affects children as well. Concerning development in children, food insecurity has a huge impact on children’s academic performance and social skills (Frongillo, Jones, Jyoti, 2005). The importance of these findings cannot be overstated as children are the future of society and difficulties children are faced with in their development will likely be carried into adulthood. Children who live in food deserts are rarely provided with a healthy option, and therefore have no choice but to suffer the consequences.

The health, economic and social impacts of food deserts can be seen as extremely detrimental to an individual, a community, and the United States as a whole. This issue is cyclical, in that it is challenging to resolve and will likely continue through several generations unless stopped. Living in a food desert will likely result in personal health issues, a community sense of social despair, and a national economic burden.

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SOLUTION SKETCH The top solution that was found to best deal with the growing issue of food deserts is a remedy that will need to be implemented all around the country for all around productive results. It has the potential to revolutionize the health, economic,, and social issues that comes with food deserts.

This solution includes a bill that concerns two simple parts, and requires the political support from United States policy makers. The solution to best reduce, and to hopefully one day terminate, the number of food deserts in the United States is to create the More Access to Nutrition in Communities (MANC) 2020 Food Bill. This bill will federally subsidize the production of healthy foods and incentivize grocery stores and healthy food suppliers to open stores in food desert areas. The online map tool called the Food Access Research Atlas (FARA) will be used to display the current locations of America’s most deprived food deserts; grocery stores will then have the recommended option of opening new stores at these locations in order to offer healthy food to disadvantaged communities in exchange for tax incentives. This will overall give Americans the access to affordable, healthy foods they deserve.

The first part of the MANC 2020 Food Bill is for the Department of Agriculture to federally subsidize fruits and vegetables. The more something is subsidized, the more farmers will produce it and therefore it will become cheaper to the public. Subsidizing healthy foods will essentially make them financially accessible.

Currently, a total of $20 billion , which is 80% of the farm subsidies is spent towards corn, soy, grain, and oil crops, while only 0.5% of the USDA’s subsidies is spent towards vegetable, fruit and nut growers (Martinko, 2017). This results in one of the main concerns in food deserts which is that healthy food is significantly more expensive than unhealthy food. If only even one of that twenty billion dollars was being used to subsidize healthy foods, America would have significantly less food deserts. Unhealthy food that is produced from the major subsidized industries by the USDA is consumed by people of food deserts because that is all they can afford, leading to a large number of health, social, and economic issues. According to the Washington Post, “a 1 percent decrease in the 160 million acres of corn and soy translates to an 11 percent increase in the 14 million acres of fruits and vegetables” (Haspel, 2014). This proves the large difference in money being allotted, and that the simple transition in what the money is being used for can create a realistic solution. The MANC 2020 Bill will include the

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same regulations with crop insurance as the current 2014 Farm Bill has, however the amount of money allotted to healthy food subsidies will be the only difference with the money spenditure.

Energy First is another organization that agrees that “the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) says half your diet should be fruits and vegetables, but it doesn’t subsidize the farmers who grow them” (EnergyFirst, na). Subsidizing the healthy foods Americans need should be the first and most immediate goal of the government.

The other part in the MANC 2020 Food Bill to make the more readily available produce accessible to the underserved areas, concerning healthy food options, is to attract more healthy grocery stores to the specific areas. This requires transparency and facts that corporations can rely on and are willing to invest in. The United States Department of Agriculture provides an online tool called the “Food Access Research Atlas”, which is a map of the US that displays areas of low income and low access concerning vehicle availability and supermarket access, making them food deserts (United States Department of Agriculture, 2017). Even though the page states to have been updated on May 18th, 2017, the data that is being used for the map stems from a summary done in 2015 and needs to be updated overall to provide more accurate and reliable information. The MANC 2020 Food Bill will use this tool, not reactively by the government as it has been used, but proactively by grocery store corporations and food suppliers in their search for new store openings. This will tackle the problem food deserts pose far more efficiently. A tax incentive based on annual income would be offered for the first five years of opening a store by the federal government for full service grocery stores to locate in a specified food desert location. Moreover, this solution would need to be implemented across the country and to the same measures in all areas to work and not just function as a pick and choose option by the states.

Currently, some of the states most affected by obesity such as Alabama with a “prevalence of self-reported obesity among […] adults” of 30 - 35% (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018) are among the states that have not introduced healthier food retail legislation (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, n.a.). Therefore, this would need to be a federal government program, funded by the US government and not by individual states. However, a potential roadblock could be the fact that

this would be a highly political solution, which would need strong diplomacy to be enacted. The fact that this is a country-wide problem means that it needs a large-scale solution and one that is able to evolve with the changing situation of food access in the US. The MANC 2020 Food Bill would ensure that this map would become one of the main decision factors for corporations in locating their planned stores, while being updated with current data every half a year to stay up to date and efficiently redirect grocery stores to locations where they are greatly needed. Of course, other aspects play into the decision making of locating new grocery stores but having a tax incentive would make the identified areas far more attractive for potential grocery store openings and would give them an edge over the already wellestablished areas concerning food access. Other businesses such as vending machine suppliers with healthy food options could also be attracted by the precise monetary advantage of being located in areas specified by the FARA. “With the typical American consumers desire for convenience and instant gratification� vending machines offer a great way of providing widespread, easy access to healthy foods (HealthyYOUvending, n.a.). As the vending industry is a growing economy with vending industry sales of 43 billion dollars in 2016 alone, more and more suppliers are interested in varying their supplies and filling more niches of the vending industry and if this were supported financially by the location linked tax incentive, it is very likely that the healthy niche of vending business would receive a great growth burst (HealthyYOUvending, n.a.). After these steps are taken the solution would work its magic by being foremost a tool that can be used over and over again, guiding food supplying business in making profitable decisions and providing more access to full-service grocery stores to underserved communities.

This solution would be able to adapt to the changing landscape of food deserts in the US as the data would be updated each half a year by the Department of Agriculture and would be able to track the process very effectively as with each grocery store added to a food desert the food desert area on the map would shrink according to the distant the grocery store is located to the inhabitants of that area. It also addresses most of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN such as the Goal of Zero Hunger (Goal 2), Good Health and Well-being (Goal 3), Decent Work and Economic Growth (Goal 8) and Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11).

The MANC 2020 Food Bill would be the perfect solution for solving the national issue that is food deserts. This bill would very clearly use one billion of the twenty billion dollars currently used for corn, soy, and grain subsidies for a fruit and vegetables subsidy instead. The United States Department of Agriculture would be required to subsidize in this way by 2020. Until that time, the government will prepare for the change by announcing it to the public and allowing current food growers to prepare. Simultaneously, the bill will use FARA to mark up-to- date specific locations in which food deserts exist, and offer a generous tax incentive based on annual income of the grocery stores.

The stores have to be full service grocery stores and they must be located in a FARA-marked location. This will ensure that grocery stores will be more inclined to be placed in a food desert. This food will then be cheaper, due to subsidies, and will then be able to turn food deserts into food secure places.

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REFERENCES 20-NIFTY PROJECT ISSUE BRIEF Jarro, S. (2017). Alachua County Elementary Schools Need Space and Money. Retrieved from: https://www.wuft.org/news/2017/11/21/ alachua-county-public-schools-at-overcapacity-elementaryschools-most-critical/ Lynch, M. (2016). Poverty and School Funding: Why LowIncome Students Often Suffer. Retrieved from: https://www. theedadvocate.org/poverty-and-school-funding-why-lowincome-students-often-suffer/ May, K. (n.d.). The Effects of an Overcrowded Classroom. Retrieved from: https://classroom.synonym.com/effects-overcrowdedclassroom-7639038.html National Center for Educational Statistics. (2000). Condition of America’s Public School Facilities: 1999. Retrieved from: https:// nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/2000032/index. asp?sectionid=8 Sebris, J. & Rosier, G., (2016). Achievement Gaps Continue to Widen Between West and East Gainesville Elementary Schools. Retrieved from: https://www.wuft.org/news/2016/12/27/achievementgaps-continue-to-widen-between- west-and-east-gainesvilleelementary-schools/ Strange, D. (2016). Alachua County schools ‘bursting at the seams’.

Retrieved from: https://www.gainesville.com/ news/20161023/alachua-county-schools-bursting-at-seams The Homeschool Resource Center. (n.d.). Achievement Gap. Retrieved from: https://homeschoolgainesville.com/ achievement-gap/ U.S. Department of Education. (2011). More Than 40% of LowIncome Schools Don’t Get a Fair Share of State and Local Funds, Department of Education Research Finds. Retrieved from: https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/more-40-low-incomeschools-dont-get-fair-share-state-and-local-funds-departmentUnited States Government Accountability Office. (2016). K-12 Education: Better Use of Information Could Help Agencies Identify Disparities and Address Racial Discrimination. Retrieved from: https://www.gao.gov/assets/680/676745.pdf Welsh, W., Coghlan, E., Fuller, B., Dauter, L. (2012). New Schools, Overcrowding Relief, and Achievement Gains in Los AngelesStrong Returns from a $19.5 Billion Investment. Retrieved from: https://edpolicyinca.org/sites/default/files/pace_pb_08.pdf

SOLUTION SKETCH Byrne, S. (2018). Voters will decide whether to renew half-cent sales tax benefiting Bay District Schools. Retrieved from: https://www. wjhg.com/content/news/Voters-will-decide-whether-to-renewhalf-cent-sales-tax-benefiting-Bay-District-Schools-491829661. html KIPP. (2018). School Environment at KIPP: Safe, Structured, and Nurturing. Retrieved from: https://www.kipp.org/approach/ school-environment/ Lynch, M. (2018). How to Help Low-Income Students Succeed.

Retrieved from: https://www.theedadvocate.org/how-to-helplow-income-students-succeed/ Mathews, J. (2006). High Scores Fail to Clear Obstacles to KIPP Growth. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/30/AR2006013001288. html?noredirect=on Miron, G., Urschel, J. L., Saxton, N. (2011). What Makes KIPP Work?

A Study of Student Characteristics, Attrition and School Finance.

Retrieved from: https://www.scribd.com/document/51998560/ What-Makes-KIPP-Work-A-Study-of-Student-CharacteristicsAttrition-and-School-Finance University of San Diego. (2018). Are Charter Schools Better in Creating Education Equity? Retrieved from: https:// onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/are-charter-schools-better-increating-education-equity/

AVEA ISSUE BRIEF 3) Loss of biodiversity (including genetic diversity). (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www.rainforestconservation. org/rainforest-primer/3-rainforests-in-peril-deforestation/fconsequences-of-deforestation/3-loss-of-biodiversity-includinggenetic-diversity/ About the Amazon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/ about_the_amazon/ Are cows the cause of global warming? (n.d.). Retrieved November

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18, 2018, from https://timeforchange.org/are-cows-cause-ofglobal-warming-meat-methane-CO2 Bennett, L. (2017, April 18). Deforestation and Climate Change.

Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://climate.org/ deforestation-and-climate-change/ Broadbent, E. N., Asner, G. P., Keller, M., Knapp, D. E., Oliveira, P. J., & Silva, J. N. (2008). Forest fragmentation and edge effects from deforestation and selective logging in the Brazilian Amazon.

Biological Conservation,141(7), 1745-1757. doi:10.1016/j. biocon.2008.04.024 Climate change in the Amazon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/ amazon/amazon_threats/climate_change_amazon/ Deforestation affects biodiversity. (2013, May 09). Retrieved from https://deforestationaroundtheworld.wordpress. com/2013/05/09/deforestation-affects-biodiversity/ Global Forest Atlas. (n.d.). Soy Agriculture in the Amazon Basin.

Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://globalforestatlas. yale.edu/amazon/land-use/soy International, S. (n.d.). Amazon Tribes. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.survivalinternational.org/about/amazontribes Logging in the Amazon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/ amazon_threats/other_threats/logging_amazon/ Osava, M. (n.d.). Indigenous People, Guardians of Threatened Forests in Brazil. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from http://www. ipsnews.net/2017/12/indigenous-people-guardians-threatenedforests-brazil/ Pearce, F. (2018, July 24). Rivers in the Sky: How Deforestation Is Affecting Global Water Cycles. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://e360.yale.edu/features/how-deforestationaffecting-global-water-cycles-climate-change Sarma, P. (2013). Beef Production is Killing the Amazon Rainforest. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www. onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/beef-production-iskilling-the-amazon-rainforest/ University of Texas at Austin. (2017, June 14). Hydroelectric dams may jeopardize the Amazon’s future. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://phys.org/news/2017-06-hydroelectricjeopardize-amazon-future.html Wolosin, M., & Harris, N. (2018). Tropical Forests and Climate Change: The Latest Science(pp. 1-13, Working paper). Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/ending-tropicaldeforestation-tropical-forests-climate-change.pdf.

SOLUTION SKETCH [1] Butler, R. (2017, January 26). Amazon Destruction. Retrieved from https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_destruction. html [2] Weller, K. (2010, March 16). New report reveals the environmental and social impact of the ‘livestock revolution’. Retrieved from https://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/march/livestockrevolution-environment-031610.html [3] Power, G. (2018, August 30). The pros and cons of lab-grown meat. Retrieved from https://www.theweek.co.uk/96156/thepros-and-cons-of-lab-grown-meat [4] Schaefer, O. G. (2018, September 14). Lab-Grown Meat. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lab-grownmeat/ [5] Fischhoff, M. (2012, May 22). How to Motivate People Toward Sustainability. Retrieved from https://nbs.net/p/how-tomotivate-people-toward-sustainability-1d9e0fcf-8acb-48b1b4d2-ad0b58395281 [6] What Really Motivates Green Behavior? (2017, February 28).

Retrieved from https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/news/what-reallymotivates-green-behavior/ [7] Ede, S. (2012, June 12). Motivating Sustainable Behaviour.

Retrieved from http://postgrowth.org/motivating-sustainablebehaviour/ [8] Fearnside, P. (2017, April 18). Business as Usual: A Resurgence of Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Retrieved from https:// e360.yale.edu/features/business-as-usual-a-resurgence-ofdeforestation-in-the-brazilian-amazon

BETTER WATERS ISSUE BRIEF Amaral, K. (1995). Plastics in Our Oceans. Retrieved from https://www.whoi.edu/science/B/people/kamaral/plasticsarticle.

TH E CHALLENGE 2050 PROJECT

html Azzarello, M., & Vleet, E. V. (1987). Marine birds and plastic pollution. Marine Ecology Progress Series,37, 295303. doi:10.3354/meps037295 Beachapedia Staff. (2018, November). Beachapedia. Retrieved from http://www.beachapedia.org/Plastic_Pollution_Facts_and_ Figures Casson, L. (2017, August 23). How does plastic end up in the ocean?

Retrieved from https://www.greenpeace.org/newzealand/story/how-does-plastic-end-up-in-the-ocean/ Cózar, A., Echevarria, F., Gonzalez-Gordillo, J. I., Irigoien, X., Ubeda, B., Hernandez-Leon, S., .. Duarte, C. M. (2014). Plastic debris in the open ocean. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,111(28), 10239-10244. doi:10.1073/pnas.1314705111 Laist, D. W. (1987). Overview of the biological effects of lost and discarded plastic debris in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin,18(6), 319-326. doi:10.1016/s0025- 326x(87)80019-x Parker, L. (2018, March 22). The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Isn’t What You Think it Is. Retrieved from https:// news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/great-pacific-garbage- patch-plastics-environment/ Seltenrich, N. (2016). Erratum: “New Link in the Food Chain? Marine Plastic Pollution and Seafood Safety”.

Environmental Health Perspectives,124(7). doi:10.1289/ehp465 World Animal Protection. (2018). Part 1- Ghost Gear. Ghosts Beneath the Waves,13-22.

Retrieved from https://d31j74p4lpxrfp. cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/ca_- _en_files/ghosts_beneath_ the_waves_2018_web_singles.pdf.

SOLUTION SKETCH Diamond, J. (2018, October 15). Trump on climate change: ‘Manmade or not, I mean, there’s something there’. Retrieved November 17, 2018, from https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/15/ politics/trump-climate-change/index.html Kirby, D. (2014, June 30). Ocean Plastic Pollution Costs $13 Billion a Year, and Your Face Scrub Is Part of the Problem.

Retrieved November 17, 2018, from http://www.takepart.com/ article/2014/06/30/ocean-plastic-pollution-costs-13-billionyear-and-your-face-scrub-part-problem Ocean Cleanup. (n.d.). System 001. Retrieved from https://www. theoceancleanup.com/system001/

CARBON NEUTRALIZERS ISSUE BRIEF Plattner, S. S., Knutti, R., & Friedlingstein, P. (2009, February 10).

Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions.

Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/106/6/1704. full Schwartz, S. E. (2018). Resource Letter GECC-2: The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change: The Intensified Greenhouse Effect. American Journal of Physics, (9), 645. https://doi. org/10.1119/1.5045577 Theilmann, J. M. (2014). Carbon dioxide. Retrieved November 12, 2018, from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/ detail/detail?vid=1&sid=d61797ac-649c-4bdf-9876907cf6885ee5@pdc-v sessmgr01&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBl. PWlwLHVpZCZzaXRlPWVkcy1 saXZl#AN=89404313&db=ers U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.).

Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/ environment/emissions/state/

SOLUTION SKETCH (2015-2018). We are Neutral. Weareneutral.com. Retrieved from https://www.weareneutral.com/#intro.

(2018). Transportation and Parking Services. University of Florida.

Retrieved from http://parking.ufl.edu/decals/students/.

GATOR INNOVATORS ISSUE BRIEF Chen, Z., Wang, J. N., Ma, G. X., & Zhang, Y. S. (2013). China tackles the health effects of air pollution. The Lancet, 382(9909), 19591960.

Kan, H., Chen, R., & Tong, S. (2012). Ambient air pollution, climate change, and population health in China. Environment international, 42, 10-19.

Kan, H., Chen, B., & Hong, C. (2009). Health impact of outdoor air pollution in China: currenT knowledge and future research needs.

Environmental health perspectives, 117(5), A187.

Liu, J., & Diamond, J. (2005). China’s environment in a globalizing world. Nature, 435(7046), 1179.

Matus, K., Nam, K. M., Selin, N. E., Lamsal, L. N., Reilly, J. M., & Paltsev, S. (2012). Health damages from air pollution in China.

Global environmental change, 22(1), 55-66.

Wang, X., & Mauzerall, D. L. (2006). Evaluating impacts of air pollution in China on public health: implications for future air pollution and energy policies. Atmospheric Environment, 40(9), 1706-1721.

SOLUTION SKETCH ICAO. Emissions Trading System. Retrieved November 18, 2018, from https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Pages/ EmissionsTrading.aspx Galeon, D. (2017, February 07). Net Neutrality is Under Attack, And You Need to Take Note. Retrieved from https://futurism.com/ net-neutrality-is-transforming-under-the-new-administrationand-we-all-need-to-take-note Most Chinese cities fail air quality standards in 2015: Greenpeace.

(2016, January 20). Retrieved from https://phys.org/ news/2016-01-chinese-cities-air-quality-standards.html Wong, E. (2017, June 14). Nearly 14,000 Companies in China Violate Pollution Rules. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/13/world/asia/chinacompanies-air-pollution-paris-agreement.html

IMPACTORS ISSUE BRIEF Ganim, S. (2016, June 29). 5,300 U.S. water systems are in violation of lead rules. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/28/ us/epa-lead-in-u-s-water-systems/index.html Parks-Ramage, J. (2018, February 05). The American Communities Hit Hardest by the Water Crisis. Retrieved from https://impact. vice.com/en_us/article/wj4qvx/these-us-cities-are-dealing-withthe-worst-drinking-water-problems-nationwide SOLUTION SKETCH Gross, T. (2018, June 25). Pediatrician Who Exposed Flint Water Crisis Shares Her ‘Story Of Resistance’. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript. php?storyId=623126968 Pontius, F. W. (1993). Federal Drinking Water Regulation Update.

Journal - American Water Works Association, 85(2), 42-51. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.1993.tb05936.x

INSTI-GATORS ISSUE BRIEF Casson, L. (n.d.). How does Plastic end up in the Ocean? Retrieved from https://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/story/howdoes-plastic-end-up-in-the-ocean/ FAQs on Plastics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/ faq-on-plastics Harvey, F., & Watts, J. (2018, October 22). Microplastics found in human stools for the first time. Retrieved from https://www. theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/22/microplasticsfound-in-human-stools-for-the-first-time Impact of Plastics on Human Health and Ecosystems. (2010, March 20). Retrieved from https://www.news-medical.net/ news/20100320/Impact-of-plastics-on-human-health-andecosystems.aspx Jambeck, J. R., Geyer, R., Wilcox, C., Siegler, T. R., Perryman, M., Andrady, A., . . . Law, K. L. (2015). Plastic Inputs from Land into the Ocean.

Loria, K. (2018, September 08). The Giant Garbage Vortex in the Pacific Ocean is over twice the size of Texas - here’s what it looks like. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/greatpacific-garbage-patch-view-study-plastic-2018-3 Ocean Plastics Pollution. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www. biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/ The History and Future of Plastics. (2016, December 20). Retrieved from https://www.sciencehistory.org/the-history-and-futureof-plastics Treat, J., & Williams, R. (2018, May 16). We Depend On Plastic.

Now, We’re Drowning in It. Retrieved from https://www. nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planetwaste-pollution-trash-crisis/

SOLUTION SKETCH Biologist, S. T. (2015, August 10). Sea Turtle with Straw up its Nostril “NO” TO PLASTIC STRAWS. Retrieved from https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=4wH878t78bw Coca-Cola’s 100% Plant-Based Bottle. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:// www.packaging-gateway.com/projects/coca-cola-plant-basedbottle/ Royte, E. (2018, May 16). We Know Plastic Is Harming Marine Life.

What About Us? Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic. com/magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-health-pollution-wastemicroplastics/

LAVA ISSUE BRIEF Adler, B. (2016, October 27). Which is the world’s most wasteful city?

Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/oct/27/which-is-theworlds-most-wasteful-city https://www.un.org/development/ desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanizationprospects.html Banerjee, P. (2016, February 07). Gone to waste: How India is drowning in garbage. Retrieved from https:// www.hindustantimes.com/india/india-s-cities-arefaced-with-a-severe-waste-management-crisis/storyvk1Qs9PJT8l1bPLCJKsOTP.html Blössner, M., & De Onis, M. (2005). Malnutrition: Quantifying the health impact at national and local levels. WHO Environmental Burden of Disease Series, 12.

Muller, O., & Krawinkel, M. (2005). Malnutrition and health in developing countries. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 173(3), 279-286.

Pradhan, B. (2018, January 3). Here’s one city turning India’s mountain of trash into cash. Retrieved from http://www.latimes. com/business/la-fi-india-trash-20180103-story.html Sieff, K. (2017, November 21). The world is drowning in evergrowing mounds of garbage. Retrieved from https://www. washingtonpost.com/world/africa/the-world-is-drowning-inever-growing-mounds-of-garbage/2017/11/21/cf22e4bd-17a4473c-89f8-873d48f968cd_story.html?utm_term=.c2a1d415f74a United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs . (2015).

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015. New York: United Nations.

United Nations. (2018, May 16). 68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN | UN DESA Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/ population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html Vidal, J. (2014, October 06). Smelly, contaminated, full of disease: The world’s open dumps are growing | John Vidal. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/ oct/06/smelly-contaminated-disease-worlds-open-dumps

SOLUTION SKETCH Bill, & Gates, M. (2017, February 14). Warren Buffett’s Best Investment. Retrieved from https://www.gatesnotes.com/2017Annual-Letter Economist Intelligence. Public health and its social and economic impact. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://globalhealth.eiu.com/ briefing-paper/section-1-public-health-and-its-social-andeconomic-impact/ McGrath, M. (2013, August 09). ‘Golden rice’ GM trial vandalised in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/ science-environment-23632042

MANC ISSUE BRIEF Carson-DeWitt, R., Frey, R. J., & Atkins, W. A. (2013). Obesity. In B. Narins (Ed.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health (3rd ed., Vol. 4, pp. 2393-2399). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.fla pass.org/ps/i. do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=flap&v=2.1&it =r&id=GALE%7CCX2760400757&asid=ae1cb 82c8a4bfc517701de23db661aa0 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.a.) State Initiatives Supporting Healthier Food Retail: An Overview of the National Landscape, Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/ downloads/Healthier_Food_Retail.pdf Frongillo, Edward A., Jones, J., Sonya., Jyoti, Diana F. (2005)

Food Insecurity Affects School Children’s Academic Performance, Weight Gain, and Social Skills. The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 135, Issue 12, 1 December 2005, Pages 2831–2839, Retrieved from: https://academic.oup.com/jn/ article/135/12/2831/4669915 Fry, R., & Kochhar, R. (2016). Are you in the American middle class? Find out with our income calculator. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2016/05/11/are-you-in-the-american-middle-class/ Gallagher, M (2011). USDA Defines Food Deserts. Nutrition Digest.

Retrieved from http://americannutritionassociation.org/ newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts Jessiman-Perreault, Geneviève and McIntyre, Lyn (2017) The household food insecurity gradient and potential reductions in adverse population mental health outcomes in Canadian adults.

SSM - Population Health-Volume 3, December 2017, Pages 464472 Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S2352827316301410# Kelly, Sean (2013) The global health paradox: Sean Kelly at TEDxColumbiaEngineerinSchool. Retrieved from: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=f2C6eIWt99w Mohney, G (2012). USDA Defines Food Deserts. Nutrition Digest.

Retrieved from http://americannutritionassociation.org/ newsletter/obesity-rates-still-rising Poverty a Leading Cause of Type 2 Diabetes, Studies Say (2010, Nov 23). Diabetes in Control. Retrieved from http://www. diabetesincontrol.com/poverty-a-leading-cause-of-type-2diabetes-studies-say/ United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.

(2015) Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences.

Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/ publications/42711/12716_ap036_1_.pdf

SOLUTION SKETCH Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) Adult Obesity Prevalence Map. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/ data/prevalence-maps.html Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.a.) State Initiatives Supporting Healthier Food Retail: An Overview of the National Landscape, Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/ downloads/Healthier_Food_Retail.pdf Farmbill: Why Don’t Taxpayers Subsidize the Foods that are Better for us? (2014) The Washington Post. Retrieved from: https:// www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/farm-bill-whydont-taxpayers-subsidize-the-foods-that-are-better-forus/2014/02/14/d7642a3c-9434-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story. html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a8b3ab07a5ac Fruits, Vegetables, and Government Subsidies (2014). Energy First. Retrieved from: https://www.energyfirst.com/site/ newsletter/09-20-05-Government-Subsidies.htm HealthyYOUvending (n.a.) The Booming Vending/Automatic Merchandising Industry. Retrieved from: https://www. healthyyouvending.com/opportunity/?keyword=healthy%20 vending&adgroupid=13400687185&adpos=1t1& matchtype=e&device=c&creative=257157472318&gclid= CjwKCAiAlb_fBRBHEiwAzMeEdv6U2kDfxBEKjT-ngncQ2B2mi157OI22a_uy5hnWa9ItNURO0royBoCZiIQAvD_BwE United Nations (n.a.) About the Sustainable Development Goals .

Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ sustainable-development-goals/ United States Department of Agriculture (2017) Food Access Research Atlas. Retrieved from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/dataproducts/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/ Vegetable and Fruit farmers receive hardly any agricultural subsidies (2017) Treehugger. Retrieved from: https://www.treehugger.com/ green-food/vegetable-and-fruit-farmers-receive-hardly-anyagricultural-subsidies.html

2018 SOLUTION SYM POSIUM

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OUR MISSION To equip undergraduate learners with the competencies, behaviors, and attitudes for solving global complex problems through interdisciplinary experiences and application.

OUR VISION Students who are impacted by the Challenge 2050 Project will become confident leaders who think critically and creatively to understand and address the challenges of our world.