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A common assumption is that our ancient homo sapient ancestors survived solely off red meats and fruit, with maybe some bird meat every once in a while. However in reality, most of the meat we consumed came from bodies of water! Researchers are now finding out that fish was an important source of protein that was available year round and contributed to a significant portion of our diet. This has carried into the 21st century where around 10-12% of the world’s population depends on fish as a source of nutrients, and over 50% consume seafood as some portion of their diet. Needless to say fish is an important factor in our lifestyles and offers a wide variety of shapes, colors, and flavors to choose from.

The best ways to cook a fish!

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/282/how-to-cook-fish.html

Fish is an excellent source of oils and fats that are actually good for you! Many scientists may make claims like, “Never eat oil, never eat fatty acids, never eat sodium”, when in reality these forms of nutrients are crucial to our survival. The fats and oils in fish are different from those found in a candy bar and can help your heart function better, eyesight improve, and lifespan to increase.

Fishing is such an important cog in our dietary world, and as a result is a very popular form of meat. Across the globe, countries use large nets to physically scoop as many fish out of the water as humanely possible. Our ancestors fish in sustainable practices on smaller scales such as traditional pole fishing and spear fishing which allowed time for the fish populations to replenish. However during the advent of the industrial revolution, fishing practices have been enhanced and it seems we have flew too close to the sun. Large nets, electroshock methods, and by-trawling have dramatically decreased fish populations and led to a seafood crisis.

Click the link to learn about by-trawling. A horrible thing for fish populations but an interesting form of human innovation.

Bottom trawling

These forms of fishing may end up being the achilles’ heel of our oceans. These methods are so efficient that populations don’t have enough time to recover and reproduce. In some areas, over 75% of fish populations were either killed or fished out of the water. What this implies is that while for now we may have plenty of fish to consume, this will not be the case forever. Fishing is a very environmentally friendly form of protein and without it, we’d be force to create more pig, chicken, and beef farms. Not only are these forms of meat more unhealthy when consumed frequently, long-term but also produce way more carbon and methane which can help global warming.

Instead of blindly fishing the oceans clean of fish, we should establish more regulations on how much a country can fish and through which methods. Forms of fishing like individual pole fishing, and sustainable troll fishing can help the issue.

View the rest of the list here. https://mindseteco.co/sustainable-fishing-methods/

Fishing is a touchy issue because without these unsustainable forms of aquaculture we would struggle to feed large portions of our population. However relying on these methods will be destructive to our future diet and planet. We need to work together now to fix the issue before the threat becomes imminent.

 

 

 

Global carbon emissions released from every corner of the globe contribute towards global warming. Agriculture production, factories, and other forms of emissions account for a large majority of our carbon footprint. One of the largest forms of carbon emissions come from transportation. If your family can afford a car when you turn 16, most families typically own 2-3 cars. Though technology such as electric vehicles have helped to reduce the footprint of cars, they aren’t as widespread today as they will be in 10-20 years. Click the link to learn more about electric vehicles.

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-all-electric-cars-work

Currently, in the U.S alone roughly 250 million gas-powered cars are in operation and being driven, while worldwide statistics suggest over 1 billion of cars are on the roads. It’s estimated that 6 billion metric tons of Carbon are created through these combustion engines and contribute significantly towards global warming. However, many alternative modes of transportation exist. Trains, buses, and bicycles are great forms of transportation that emit little to no carbon emissions per person. Trains and buses tend to be centralized in urban environments, but bikes can be bought and used by anyone that’s willing to purchase one! Bikes are certainly used as a means of transportation, but they’re also a great way to exercise and build cardio. Running can be a struggle sometimes and be taxing on the body, but biking offers an easier, yet difficult in its own right, form of exercise. Unlike cars, bikes are significantly more safe, and result in very few injuries every year. Not only are bikes efficient, and healthy, but they release zero emissions. The only thing you’ll be emitting is sweat and endorphins. See 50 reasons why biking is fun!

50 Reasons Why Biking is So Much Fun!

Even within the world of biking, electric alternatives exist. Bikes can be expensive and the option of “Renting” a bike through a company is very enticing. Across campus, Spin bikes allow students that may rarely use a bike or can’t afford one access to a means of transportation.

https://www.spin.app

Cars and commercial vehicles dominate urban areas, and can occupy large areas of land, which could otherwise be used for important purposes. Bikes are easier to store and use less room when riding. Bike lanes are becoming more prevalent in cities and towns across the country, as more people begin biking for fun and transportation purposes.

As our society enters a new age where climate change will play a larger role in our day to day lives, it’s important to start adapting too and accepting solutions to problems we may face. Bikes are great solution to an issue that is so common in developed countries. For many people, long distances may be hard to traverse on a small bike, and the weather may not permit stepping outside of shelter. Whoever moving forward, if you need to small a short trip to get groceries or simply need the excursuses, strongly consider biking as an alternative to driving. The earth will thank you, your body will thank you, and your pockets won’t be drained from buying gas every week.

 

When discussing climate change and global warming, experts and the general public alike focus on threats such as rising sea levels, hotter weather, and melting ice caps. Although these threats certainly are menacing, they’re very hard to see with your own eyes and rely on years of data to understand first hand. You won’t wake up one morning and suddenly see the ocean rise 12 feet. However, a disaster  that every single person on the planet has dealt with is plastic pollution. On the beach, in parks, in sewers, etc plastic can be found littering the ground almost everywhere, even on the bottom of the ocean, where humans rarely visit. Plastic is made of various chemicals that form the equation (C₂H₄)_n. Visit the link to learn about the various types of plastics used in industrial manufacturing!

https://byjus.com/chemistry/types-of-plastic/

These types of plastics are extremely durable and take over 1,000 years to break down. Even then, only breaking down into micro plastics that will last for thousands of more years. These plastics are beneficial to society in so many ways and a wonder of science, yet the impacts they’ve had on the ecosystem and biosphere as a whole are immense.

`Aside from the impacts these plastics have on humans, which we’ll get too later, plastics pose an enormous threat to marine and terrestrial animals. Humans use plastics in almost everything we use, such as; cups, wrappers, tools, boxes, etc. If you can think of a product, humans have “plasticized it”. These colorful and oddly shaped plastics look similar to the meals fish, squirrels, and other animals eat on a daily basis, and are then ingested inside of their bodies. Plastics can’t break down easily and thus the animal dies. This trend has continued across the world for decades, and is responsible for thousands of extinctions. Click the link below for further information on the impacts plastics have on wildlife.

https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2019/June-July/Conservation/Ocean-Plastic

Not only are animals impacted by plastic, but humans are as well. Aside from them being an eyesore and clogging up cities and small towns alike, these plastics find a way into our bodies as well. Plastics that end up in the food we eat such as; fish, water, and other marine animals are digested by humans and are broken down inside our bodies. Everything except for the plastic. How much plastic do you digest a year?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/youre-literally-eating-microplastics-how-you-can-cut-down-exposure-to-them/2019/10/04/22ebdfb6-e17a-11e9-8dc8-498eabc129a0_story.html

Turns out humans digest a lot of plastic, and it’s affecting our health in monumental ways. Plastic digestion has been linked to increased cancer rates, and   can even effect babies in the womb negatively.

Pollution is often forgotten when experts and civilians argue about the impacts of climate change, but poses an equal, if not greater threat. Remember to recycle, and pick up trash whenever you see it laying around. If it doesn’t end up in the can, it’ll end up in you. Organize clean up projects in your area with the link below and be the change you want to see in the world!

https://www.plasticoceanproject.org/organize-a-cleanup.html

Welcome to the Big Green Blog! As our society develops and innovates, the effects of poverty are lessened, more people across the globe have access to western medicine and clean water, and the internet gains more active users per month at an exponential rate. All of these products of innovation have improved the lives of billions of people around the globe, and allowed humans in 2nd and 3rd world countries to live like the average American. Despite the wonders that accompany our society evolving, there are many downsides that don’t receive as much media attention and are cast onto the next generation for them to deal with.

Innovation has led to increased global temperatures and rising oceans that are the byproduct of carbon pumped into the atmosphere by the megatons. Plastic and other trash have begun to crowd landfills and leak into the environment, turning forests and seas into toxic waste lands devoid of life. Along with these issues more extreme weather, frequent wildfires, and polluted water/air will be commonplace moving forward. Since about the 1960s scientists and the government have been aware of the threats human caused climate change present. For years both sides of the aisle worked to inform the general public about the dangers of global warming, but recently, the issue has become a matter of which party you affiliate with. Each president presents a new plan to combat climate change, some new and promising, while other platforms seek to completely disregard the issue and pump even more carbon into the atmosphere. Without any real change, our children and grandchildren will grow up in a world more of less similar to movies such as Mad Max and Water World.

Its undeniable humans have impacted the environment on a global scale. A common argument against human caused climate change is that the Earth has natural cycles that fluctuate temperature based on the time period. However, currently the climate should be cooling down, rather than heating up at the rate it currently is. Without making a difference individually and as a united planet, we will be forced to deal with the worst the planet has to offer. You won’t wake up one day and be living in the Sahara but as we grow older there will be less snow days off, more extreme hurricanes, and a lot more sweating.

This blog is designed to help motivate, inform, and encourage readers to help prevent climate change one step at a time. Some posts will educate about the dangers and causes of global warming, while others may describe simple ways to help make a difference. At times tackling the monster that is climate change can seem impossible. Motivating the entire planet to work towards one goal is extremely hard, and might not even be possible. However, I choose to have a more optimistic view and believe that while my impacts on the planet may be unnoticeable, unless you try to make the world a better place nothing will change. Living a more sustainable life will make you happier, more fulfilled, and more appreciative of the wonders that the environment provides. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to change, it’s not.” -Lorax

Here Are Some Links to Understand Climate Change and Your Own Carbon Footprint!

1. https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/
2. https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/
3. https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/live_more_sustainably.html

 

Leave questions in the comment section below, or write three ways you try to be sustainable in your life!