For this blog, I would like to address how plastics have made us softer as a group of people. Making us choose between our planet or making things more convenient in our personal lives because of how much we use plastics.  I believe that we would benefit from just focusing on one industry and focusing on its plastic use and then moving on from there. With all this research I have on plastic waste, the food packaging industry became the main topic because of how much plastic it uses compared to other industries. It uses so much unnecessary plastic that […]

Throughout time, farming has been pretty straightforward. You plant seeds, watch them grow, and tend to them accordingly. By “tending” here I mean watering them, keeping pests out, or tilling the soil, you name it. There are many different ways in which people farm, many techniques and technologies farmers incorporate in the growth of their crops, such as: a) The use of fertilizers and pest controls (a method of organic farming) b) Irrigation support, the use of sprinklers or pipes directly next to plants rather than just relying on rainfall C) Weeding/the removal of dead plant matter Permaculture on the […]

Solar cooking is the practice of preparing food using only the energy of the sun. Unlike traditional stoves, solar cookers are designed to take advantage of the sun’s heat to cook meals. For those who would prefer not to use fossil fuels or natural gas, solar cookers offer a convenient and eco-friendly option. It’s for these reasons that a growing number of individuals are switching to solar cooking. Millions of people around the world still use wood or dung as their primary source of fuel for cooking, despite the fact that doing so requires them to travel long distances and […]

By Luke Oliver Trevisani Introduction:  Western society in the present day has made it far too easy for individuals to consume processed foods. With the persistent marketing, the short waiting time, and the low price of processed foods people are attracted to processed foods as a regular eating option. Many individuals are aware that this is unhealthy as opposed to consuming whole organic food, however, few people have the knowledge of why organic food is healthier or the beneficial effects which eating organic foods has on an individual. According to Healthline, research has proven that processed foods have a negative […]

Microplastics. What are microplastics? How are they an issue? Why should we even care about them? These are some of the questions I am going to be answering via my blog. Plastics. According to Harris (2020), “ Synthetic material made up of polymers that can be molded into shapes that are used for everyday activities”. There are numerous types of plastics that I will talk about in this blog, but my main focus today will be on microplastics. Microplastics are extremely dangerous to the ocean, and to us as humans due to their small size and their ability to dissolve. […]

Daniel Hilmer 12/11/2022 About Me Last summer I went on a trip to Flagstaff Arizona. I spent 2 weeks altitude training with some of the nations’ best distance runners. The cool brisk mountain air and the beautiful terrain ran through the Coconino National Forest (a portion of the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest). In one moment I’d be running next to some large ponderosa pine and a couple strides later I’d be next to a little shrub that aspired to be as tall as the older ones. It was then that I began to learn about the logging industry that […]

Abstract: In this blog I will be addressing controversies surrounding the practices of pesticide application and soil tilling in our modern farming systems. There remains much controversy regarding their negative and positive effects on the soil, the overall environment, and human health in particular, which has fueled continuing worldwide debate. I will advocate for the reduction or even elimination of tilling and pesticide practices in modern farming. Tilling disrupts soil structure, water filtration, and reduces microorganisms vitality and the nutrient content in the soil essential to healthy plant growth and development while pesticides kill microorganisms and decrease overall soil health […]

It’s not an individual task Climate change is a bigger and more complicated threat to the human race than nuclear annihilation. In his book, “21 lessons from the 21st century” Yuval Noah Harari, a historian and a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem writes nuclear annihilation will negatively impact the planet and everything on it [10]. On the other hand, climate change has different outcomes for different countries and to some extent independent individuals. Therefore, climate change can only be solved with the solidarity of all human beings. He explains this necessity through an example of a small Pacific […]

I will be addressing the act of removing beef from one’s diet to help reduce the demand for beef, which overall helps mitigate Climate Change. My position is that one should remove beef entirely from their diet, or at least reduce their consumption of beef raised in a feed-lot system. I personally do not consume beef. People might not agree with this lifestyle, they may like having beef in their meals, or do not believe that cows are a large source of methane as a greenhouse gas. I plan to address those concerns with alternate options and compelling evidence. I […]