Highbrow Magazine - environment https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/environment en After Maui Fires, Human Health Risks Linger https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/24103-after-maui-fires-human-health-risks-linger <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 08/16/2023 - 14:00</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1maui.jpg?itok=4spkmZJN"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1maui.jpg?itok=4spkmZJN" width="480" height="311" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">People returning to what remains of the beach-side town of Lahaina, Hawaii, and other Maui communities after one of the nation’s deadliest wildfire disasters face more dangers, beyond the 2,700 buildings destroyed or damaged and dozens of lives lost. The fires also left lingering health risks for humans and wildlife.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">When fires spread through communities, as we’ve seen more often in recent years, they burn structures that contain treated wood, plastics, paints and hazardous household wastes. They can burn vehicles and melt plastic water pipes. All of these items release toxic gases and particles.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Many airborne pollutants fall to the ground, and when debris or dust is stirred up, hazardous particles can enter the air, where people can easily breathe them in.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Chemicals can also contaminate water supplies. On Aug. 11, 2023, Maui County issued an “unsafe water” alert for areas of Lahaina and Upper Kula that were affected by wildfires, warning residents to use only bottled water for drinking and cooking, and not rely on boiling tap water because of the risk of harmful chemicals.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">As an environmental engineer, I work with colleagues to help communities respond to and recover from wildfires and other disasters, including the Marshall Fire in Boulder County, Colorado, and the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, California. Lahaina and other Maui communities face similar risks ahead.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2maui.jpg" style="height:440px; width:660px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Chemical hazards in fire debris</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Residents returning to their burned neighborhoods will likely find themselves surrounded by hazards. Some are obvious, such as broken glass, nails and damaged natural gas containers. Broken power lines and gas lines may be live or leaking.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Less obvious are the chemical hazards that can reach well beyond the fire zone.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Black smoke from a fire is a sign of incomplete combustion that can produce thousands of chemicals when wood and plastics burn.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Chemicals like benzene, lead, asbestos and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are common in ash, runoff and sometimes water systems after fires.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Exposure to high levels of chemicals can sometimes cause immediate harm, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, rashes and respiratory issues. For these reasons it is critical to protect people, especially children and people with health conditions, from exposure.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">State health officials recommended that residents wear close-toed shoes, N95 respirators, chemical resistant gloves and other protective equipment while looking through property debris.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">When disaster debris is eventually removed by professionals, the contractors will be wearing Tyvek suits and possibly respirators to protect their health.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3maui.jpg" style="height:434px; width:660px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Buildings that didn’t burn can still have hazards</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Even buildings deemed structurally safe may have pollutants that make them unsafe for human health.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Particles and vapors can enter buildings through cracks, doors, windows and other portals. Some of these pollutants settle onto surfaces, while others penetrate fabrics, stick to walls and enter air ducts.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Often buildings must be professionally cleaned or decontaminated by wildfire remediation companies. Cleaning surfaces and ducts, replacing air filters and installing HEPA filters can also help.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Drinking water is another serious concern after urban fires.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Wildfires can make the plumbing outside or inside the building itself unsafe in a couple of ways. Loss of water pressure can allow pollutants to enter pipes. Maui County cited this risk in issuing its “unsafe water” alert on Aug. 11. When plastic pipes heat up, they can also decompose and then directly leach chemicals into water.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">My colleagues and I have documented benzene levels that exceeded hazardous limits for drinking water after several previous fires. PAHs can also be present, as our research has shown.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">These and other chemicals pose an immediate health risk to water users, even if the water smells fine. Simple water flushing can fail to remove severe contamination. Proper inspections and testing in buildings and for private wells and larger water systems are important.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Outside, the ground can also become contaminated in a fire. Once the debris is removed, testing is necessary to ensure that the soil where people will replant their gardens, yards and fruit trees is free of hazardous chemicals and safe for humans and pets.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4maui.jpg" style="height:440px; width:660px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><em>Photo credit: <a href="https://depositphotos.com/stock-photography.html">Depositphotos.com</a></em></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Protecting waterways and aquatic life</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">During firefighting and clean-up, and when it rains, pollutants can wash into waterways and end up in the ocean.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Lahaina stretches along Maui’s west coast and has long been a popular site for seeing sea turtles and other marine life. That sea life may now be at risk from pollutants from burned coastal buildings and runoff. The fire burned to the shoreline, destroying boats, docks and other vehicles, some of which sank.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Debris and sunken boats will need to be removed from the nearshore waters to protect corals. Similar to wildfires near lakes, rivers and streams, water testing will be necessary.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Communities can avoid more harmful runoff during the cleanup process by placing pollution-control barriers near storm drains, around properties and near waterways. These can help intercept pollutants flowing toward the ocean.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5maui.jpg" style="height:440px; width:660px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><em>Photo credit: <a href="https://depositphotos.com/stock-photography.html">Depositphotos.com</a></em></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>What happens to all the debris?</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">How to safely dispose of all the debris as the community is cleaned up and recovers is another question.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">After the 2021 Marshall Fire in Colorado, where about 1,200 structures were destroyed, the cleanup generated 300,000 tons of waste. In Maui, debris may have to be taken off the island for disposal.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif">Cleanup and recovery from a disaster of this magnitude takes years. In the process, I recommend residents reach out to public health departments for advice to help them stay healthy and safe.</span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/6maui.jpg" style="height:375px; width:560px" typeof="foaf:Image" /></p> <p><em>Photo credit: <a href="https://depositphotos.com/stock-photography.html">Depositphotos.com</a></em></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>This article was updated Aug. 13, 2023, with new damage estimates from Maui County officials.</em></strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Author Bio:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong><em>Andrew J. Whelton is Professor of Civil, Environmental and Ecological Engineering, and Director of the Healthy Plumbing Consortium and Center for Plumbing Safety at Purdue University.</em></strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>This article was originally published in <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-maui-fires-human-health-risks-linger-in-the-air-water-and-even-surviving-buildings-211404" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">the Conversation</a>. It’s republished here with permission under a <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Creative Commons license</a>.</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><strong>Image Sources:</strong></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>--<a href="https://depositphotos.com/stock-photography.html" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Depositphotos</a></em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>--U.S. Coast Guard Hawaii Pacific District 14 (<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2023_Maui_fires_-_Lahaina_damage_via_Coast_Guard.jpg" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Wikimedia.org</a>, Creative Commons)</em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>--U.S. Civil Air Patrol (<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maui-fire-1.jpg" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Wikipedia.org</a>, Creative Commons)</em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:18px"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><em>--U.S. Coast Guard Hawaii Pacific District 14 (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2023_Maui_fires_-_Lahaina_damage_via_Coast_Guard_2.jpg" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">Wikipedia.org</a>, Creative Commons)</em></span></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/maui-fires" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">maui fires</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lahaina" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">lahaina</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/maui" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">maui</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hawaii" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hawaii</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">climate change</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/marine-life" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">marine life</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/climate-disaster" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">climate disaster</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wild-fires" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wild fires</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Andrew J. Whelton</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">In Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 16 Aug 2023 18:00:59 +0000 tara 12049 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/24103-after-maui-fires-human-health-risks-linger#comments The Art of Sustainable Travel https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10072-art-sustainable-travel <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/travel" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Travel</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 07/29/2019 - 08:41</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1sustainabletravel.jpg?itok=jIXD_WHn"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1sustainabletravel.jpg?itok=jIXD_WHn" width="480" height="361" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>Living an eco-friendly lifestyle is a growing trend among people of all ages. This extends beyond the home and work, with many people hoping to embrace sustainable travel while they satisfy their wanderlust.</p> <p> </p> <p>Green-minded travelers are exploring destinations while minimizing their environmental impact. One strong indicator of a city that supports green travel, dining and shopping is the availability of charging stations for electric cars. The number of these communities is growing rapidly.</p> <p> </p> <p>This is good news because, despite a growing interest in driving electric, concerns about the availability of charging locations are holding people back from making the switch to clean, high-performing electric cars. Even though 48 percent of Northeasterners report seeing more charging stations in their area over the past year, 83 percent say there are not currently enough charging locations, according to a recent study conducted by Drive Change. Drive Electric. The problem is most people don’t know how to recognize the many stations already in downtown areas.</p> <p> </p> <p>This has inspired <a href="https://driveelectricus.com/destination-electric/">Destination Electric</a>, a new program supported by seven Northeast states that is teaming up with local business owners who want to demonstrate their support for electric cars. All Destination Electric businesses are located a close walk from charging, and a recognizable storefront decal, much like the visible rating guides found at many restaurants and retailers, alerts their customers that they could be charging while they visit. By highlighting the many cafes, ice cream shops, bookstores and other businesses that are electric car-friendly, the new program helps people to realize that charging stations are available to support driving electric right now.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2sustainabletravel.jpg" style="height:315px; width:634px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Must-see destinations that support sustainable travel and participate in the Destination Electric movement are:</p> <p> </p> <p>1. Madison and New Haven, CT</p> <p> </p> <p>2. Provincetown and Northampton, MA</p> <p> </p> <p>3. Portsmith and Dover, NH</p> <p> </p> <p>4. Princetown and Jersey City, NJ</p> <p> </p> <p>5. Hudson Valley, NY</p> <p> </p> <p>6. Newport and Providence, RI</p> <p> </p> <p>7. Stowe and White River Junction, VT</p> <p> </p> <p>To learn more about the businesses that are participating in the campaign, visit driveelectricus.com/destination-electric. To be inspired by incredible images for your next green travel trip, visit <a href="http://www.instagram.com/driveelectricus">www.instagram.com/driveelectricus</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p>While planning your trip to these destinations, consider some of these additional tips for simple sustainable travel:</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Eco-friendly accommodations</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Look for hotels that boast green efforts, such as the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis, Mass. From using green cleaning supplies to utilizing energy-efficient lighting, more hotels are taking eco-friendly steps and will typically advertise these to guests on the website. If not, simply call to inquire. Not finding any options? One easy way to live greener at any hotel is to skip the daily maid service. By not having your towels and sheets changed out daily, you help save water and energy.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Shop locally</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Make time to check out local markets and small businesses, like Commodities Natural Market in Stowe, Vt., R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn., and Anchor Bend Glassworks in Newport, RI. Not only will you get a true taste of the local culture, you'll meet some residents and feel at home. Plus, because these markets and shops often offer locally made products and specialty foods, you'll be helping to cut down on emissions from having to move goods from across the country or even from overseas.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Eat at independent restaurants</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Similarly, check out the independent restaurant scene when bellies grumble. Look for restaurants that source food locally, like Buttermilk Falls Inn nestled in New York’s Hudson Valley offering a farm-to-table restaurant, an organic kitchen garden and orchard. You'll get a true taste of farm-grown fruits and vegetables that have often been picked that very same day. Need some snacks for your hotel? Check out a downtown farmers market to pick up some goodies.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3sustainabletravel.jpg" style="height:418px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Stock your car right</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>You'll want some tasty treats for the road, but that doesn't mean you need to resort to prepackaged junk food. Instead, pack supplies in reusable containers and cloth bags for easy access, and wash and use them again later in your trip. What's more, bring a reusable water bottle for each person in your crew so you can fill up and stay hydrated without the plastic waste.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Relax when you arrive</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>After a long trip, unwind upon arrival by visiting spas and fitness studios that promote healthy living, balance and relaxation. Check out Tranquility Den Spa in Princeton, NJ, Barre &amp; Soul in Portsmouth, NH, or The Bodhi Spa in Newport, RI.</p> <p> </p> <p>Traveling green is a wonderful way to explore new places and contribute to supporting a sustainable planet. With more destinations embracing eco-friendly practices — including having readily available electric car chargers — you can feel good about your travel choice.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>© 2016 Brandpoint - All Rights Reserved.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Image Sources:</strong></p> <p><strong><em>Daniel Case, </em></strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Hudson_Valley/Selected_picture/11#/media/File:Bog_Brook_Reservoir.jpg"><strong><em>Wikipedia.org</em></strong></a><strong><em> (Creative Commons)       </em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Alex Grichenko, </em></strong><a href="http://www.publicdomainfiles.com/show_file.php?id=13943277619967"><strong><em>Publicdomainfiles.com</em></strong></a><strong><em> (Creative Commons)</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Mike Goad</em></strong><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/farmers-market-table-tomatoes-3777781/"><strong><em>, Pixabay</em></strong></a><strong><em> (Creative Commons)</em></strong></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sustainable-travel" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sustainable travel</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/sustainable-living" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">sustainable living</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/green-living" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">green living</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">climate change</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/massachusetts" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">massachusetts</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/vermont" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">vermont</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-jersey" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new jersey</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/hudson-valley" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">hudson valley</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/new-england" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">new england</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">BPT</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 29 Jul 2019 12:41:20 +0000 tara 8874 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10072-art-sustainable-travel#comments Save the Bees, Save the Planet https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10014-save-bees-save-planet <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 06/14/2019 - 10:08</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/3bees_us_dept_of_agriculture_-_cc.jpg?itok=Ou-byaou"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/3bees_us_dept_of_agriculture_-_cc.jpg?itok=Ou-byaou" width="480" height="320" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>Bees are a vital part of both the world’s ecosystem and human commerce. They produce honey and wax, which are used in countless human products, and pollinate hundreds of crop species. Over the last few years, however, the population of bees has been decreasing in many places.   In 2015, the UN released a report stating that 37 percent of bee species are in decline, many of which are facing extinction.  Although it will take years for their numbers to fully recover, there are a number of things that individuals can do at home to help bees bounce back. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Leave Some Weed for the Bees</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Most gardeners take a number of necessary steps to weed their lawns.  While some weeds are nuisances and disrupt the growth of ornamental species, many are a source of pollen and nectar for bees.  Bees are major pollinators for close to 100 crop species and are therefore necessary for human survival.  Without bees, much of the world’s agricultural systems would collapse, resulting in starvation for many.  However, it can be difficult for bees to find adequate food as a result of modern farming practices.  Many commercial crops do not produce pollen and nectar, which can lead to malnutrition in areas devoid of flowering plants.</p> <p> </p> <p>There is a simple way to help supplement a hungry bee’s diet: allowing weeds to grow.  Thirty-seven different species of bees feast on white clover and dandelions, some of the most common weeds found in North America.  Wildflowers are another popular dining spot for bees, and can be an attractive addition to a garden.  While the best way to help bees and other pollinators flourish is to have a meadow rather than a lawn, those who prefer a tidy yard can still make an impact.  For the meticulous gardener who cannot stand the thought of having weeds, consider allowing a small wild patch to grow in an unused portion of the yard. Supplement that with native plants in the well-manicured section of the garden to create a smorgasbord for the local bee population.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/4bees_dwight_sipler_-wikimedia_commons.jpg" style="height:469px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Homes For Wayward Bees</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Bees are responsible for pollinating more than just crops for human consumption.  A study by the University of California concluded that honey bees account for one-eighth of all pollination of non-agricultural crops across the globe.  In short, bees make life possible for an incalculable number of ecosystems. </p> <p> </p> <p>As has been widely reported, bee populations are in decline.  To help regenerate their numbers, those living in rural areas could consider beekeeping.  This has the added benefit of giving local agriculture a dedicated bee population, so that crops may thrive.  In fact, beekeeping is even possible in urban areas -- although neighbors may be less than thrilled in, say, an apartment complex.</p> <p> </p> <p>Beekeeping can be a rather time-consuming hobby, but fortunately, not all bees require such high levels of maintenance.  Many non-honey-producing species of bees burrow underground, so helping them prosper can be as simple as leaving a few bare patches of dirt in sunny parts of the yard. While bare dirt is not ideal for many, these patches will invite different ground-dwelling bees to set up, giving them a safe home.  Those who wish to be a bit more hands-on can build “bee hotels” to draw in a diverse array of bees.  When setting up a bee hotel, it is important to remember that bees can pick up different parasites and infections like any other animal.  Once one colony of bees have cleared out of an existing structure, be sure to take the hotel apart and give it a thorough cleaning before another colony moves in to prevent the spread of disease.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/5bees_kyrylko-pixabay.jpg" style="height:625px; width:573px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>A Hydrated Bee Is A Busy Bee</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Whether it’s a full colony relocating or a single bee searching for pollen, bees on the go need water.  Without adequate access to water, bees will become sluggish and unable to pollinate. Adding a small water dish to a garden can give a thirsty bee the energy it needs to continue pollinating.  Due to their small size, however, care should be taken to ensure that the bees can hydrate themselves without drowning. An overturned frisbee works well, but those with aesthetics in mind can use a bird bath with small sticks or moss added as a landing pad. </p> <p> </p> <p>Bees make human life possible.  Although it would be ideal if everyone could keep a bee colony in their backyard, anyone can make a difference by making a few adjustments in their home gardens.  By simply allowing weeds to grow and leaving out water, gardeners of any skill level can make a difference. With enough people getting involved, bee populations will again thrive, ensuring both their success and ours.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Jennifer Vickers is a contributing writer at</em> Highbrow Magazine.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> <p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/bees" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">bees</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/beekeeping" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">beekeeping</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/eco-stystem" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">eco stystem</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/bee-colony" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">bee colony</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/save-planet" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">save the planet</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Jennifer Vickers</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (Creative Commons); Dwight Sipler (Wikipedia Commons); Kyrylko (Pixabay-Creative Commons) </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 14 Jun 2019 14:08:43 +0000 tara 8784 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/10014-save-bees-save-planet#comments The Rise of Organic, Eco-Friendly Housing Designs https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/9849-rise-organic-eco-friendly-housing-designs <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 02/24/2019 - 14:21</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1ecofriendly.jpg?itok=zPvDIrNE"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1ecofriendly.jpg?itok=zPvDIrNE" width="480" height="279" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>With as many as <a href="https://www.offthegridnews.com/financial/you-wont-believe-how-many-americans-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck/" target="_blank">43 percent of American households</a> unable to pay their bills if they had to go just one month without a paycheck, it may come as no surprise that more people are looking for alternative ways to survive in the current economic climate. Investigating alternative designs of home construction that are independent of power and water supplies has seen a growing interest in cities across America. The rise of the conscious consumer has never been so popular with trends of eco-friendly and <a href="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/6872-conscious-consumerism-trending-organic-and-hypoallergenic-designs" target="_blank">organic designs or products dominating the market</a>, and the housing industry is catching up fast with the generation of sustainable and unique homes.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Manufactured House Design</strong></p> <p>Architectural companies are leading the way to creatively build manufactured and mobile homes that are built to be waste-conscious and low in energy, such as the Desert House Prototype or the Holy Cross Project designed after Hurricane Katrina. This type of sustainable home can be as low as $35 per square foot, and the idea of customizing a basic design to personal tastes has become a great advantage to homeowners. With the combination of an increase in demand and the <a href="https://reversemortgagealert.org/manufactured-homes/" target="_blank">broadening of financial help for purchases</a> by way of loans or reverse mortgages, particularly for those already having capital, this makes for great <a href="https://jorgefontan.com/sustainable-house-design-21-ideas/" target="_blank">energy-efficient options for sustainable house design</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/2ecofriendly.jpg" style="height:356px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Green Roof Sustainability</strong></p> <p>When there is a need to save money on energy costs, the concept of a green roof such as designs seen across New York City over the last decade (even the Empire State Building has one) has seen a huge rise. Designing a living roof or wall can often be the most innovative and efficient insulators in keeping buildings cool in the summer and warm during winter. In some cases, they can even be structured to cover an existing roof, as long as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/26/realestate/the-living-roof-takes-root.html" target="_blank">logistics of installing a green roof</a> are taken into consideration. </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Vehicle or Wagon Conversions</strong></p> <p>Converting an old bus, train wagon or even an airplane is growing in popularity with architecture firms and creative types. One of the <em>Inhabitat</em> magazine writers, Michelle Kennedy Logan, lives and works out of an old school bus with her family. The versatility and economic benefits are abundant, and 'skoolies' can often be bought for a few thousand dollars. These are one of a kind, and can be designed to an individual's creative specifications that also <a href="https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/15-ideas-for-sustainable-living.php" target="_blank">encompass green-living concepts</a>, such as using wind turbines, solar panels and recyclable materials.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/3ecofriendly.jpg" style="height:361px; width:625px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Earthships</strong></p> <p>The key elements of building an earthship are based on using old car tires and the rammed earth method, whereby the tires replace the more traditional materials of wood or brick, and are then stacked with a damp mixture of earth, sand and clay to form a constructional design which is entirely individual. They are extremely eco-friendly and incorporate ideas of saving water and energy. Earthships first originated in New Mexico, but Colorado probably has the most concentration of earthships in the US mainly due to its sunny climate for solar power.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Straw Bale Housing</strong></p> <p>Straw bale homes are relatively easy to incorporate beautiful, sculptured elements of elegant curves and window seats into the design. There are numerous advantages of a straw bale home: not only are they insulative and low in energy since they’re made from an agricultural waste product, but they’re also an affordable housing option. Combined with mud plaster and a timber structure, they have been around for centuries and in particular, during the late 1890s, <a href="https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/construction/green/straw-bale-house.htm" target="_blank">settlers from New England</a> built houses, schools and churches from straw bales.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Cob Housing</strong></p> <p>If you’re keen in building a sustainable home but don’t want to spend a small fortune to achieve a unique and green building, then a cob house could be the solution. <a href="https://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/natural-building/cob-building-basics-zm0z13onzrob" target="_blank">A mixture of sand, clay and straw</a>, it is similar to adobe, except for using a higher percentage of straw. A cob house isn’t considered a typical home given that the versatile clay can be sculpted to any specified design. People have been building cob homes for as long as they have been farming and provided it’s built on a solid foundation with a solid roof, its durability will last hundreds of years. </p> <p> </p> <p>As our desire to create and live in alternative housing increases, so does our awareness of reducing our environmental impact, and opting for sustainable and energy-saving homes will go a long way to reduce our carbon footprint. Furthermore, a green and unique construction, made from natural resources such as cob, bamboo, wood, straw or recycled products, goes a long way to making homes more affordable, particularly when these efforts are gaining in popularity and becoming more mainstream.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Author Bio:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong><em>Jennifer Vickers is a contributing writer at </em>Highbrow Magazine.</strong></p> <p>       </p> <p><strong>For Highbrow Magazine</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/housing-designs" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">housing designs</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/eco-friendly-housing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">eco-friendly housing</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/green-roofs" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">green roofs</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/earthship" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">earthship</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/desert-house" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">desert house</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/holy-cross-project" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">holy cross project</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/architecture" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">architecture</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Jennifer Vickers</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Google Images; Wikipedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 24 Feb 2019 19:21:27 +0000 tara 8567 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/9849-rise-organic-eco-friendly-housing-designs#comments Surprising Facts About the Carbon Footprint of Your Favorite Foods https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/9207-surprising-facts-about-carbon-footprint-your-favorite-foods <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Sun, 06/17/2018 - 15:32</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1organicfoods.jpg?itok=_gJZp4D5"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1organicfoods.jpg?itok=_gJZp4D5" width="480" height="300" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>This article was originally published in </strong><a href="http://www.climatechangenews.com/2018/06/13/7-surprising-things-carbon-footprint-food/"><strong>ClimateChangeNews.</strong></a><strong> Republished with permission.</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Everything we buy has a carbon footprint and food is no exception.</p> <p> </p> <p>Yearly, we produce 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from crop and livestock production.</p> <p> </p> <p>From seed to mouth, it can be easy to forget how much in terms of production goes into our food. So here’s a couple of things you may not already know about the carbon footprint of your favorite dishes.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>1. Sandwich fillers</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Chicken isn’t the most carbon-intensive meat, but it may come as a surprise to know that some of our favorite veggies have an equally poor carbon record.</p> <p> </p> <p>Researchers from the University of Manchester recently calculated the carbon footprint of ingredients in British sandwiches. For sandwich eaters, cutting out tomatoes from a classic BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) may be better for the environment.</p> <p> </p> <p>Natural gas and electricity are used for the heating and lighting of greenhouses for tomatoes in the UK, contributing to their high carbon footprint. A 2009 report by the WWF found that in the UK, tomato, pepper, and cucumber production is worse for the environment than chicken and turkey.</p> <p> </p> <p><br /> <img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/1sandwich.jpg" style="height:405px; width:541px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>2. Tofu of us consider everything</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Demand for soy is driving deforestation, but think again before you put all the blame onto tofu eaters or the vegan movement. Around 70 percent of the global soy production is fed directly to livestock.</p> <p> </p> <p>Beef racks up to 105kg of Co2e per 100g, while tofu produces less than 3.5kg. Trying to feed all those cows has meant that the expansion in soy has led to deforestation and the decline in other valuable ecosystems that store carbon. The Cerrado, a savanna ecoregion of Brazil, has lost half of its natural vegetation to soybean plantations.</p> <p> </p> <p>One study found that deforestation related to soy production in Brazil is responsible for 29 percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>3. Something fishy about that</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Maybe not strictly carbon-footprint-related, but microplastics, tiny pieces ranging from 5 millimeters down to 100 nanometers in diameter, are everywhere and a recent article from the World Economic Forum suggested that they have been found in a range of foods from fish to honey, chicken, and beer.</p> <p> </p> <p>Besides polluting seas and oceans, microplastics are swallowed by fish and other marine creatures and enter our system when we eat seafood. Land animals also consume microplastics, although, unlike with fish, we tend not to eat their digestive systems.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/1burger.jpg" style="height:379px; width:568px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>4. Organic isn’t always better</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Organic food has an image of health and sustainability but is not necessarily better for the climate than non-organic food. One study published in Environmental Research Letters found exactly that in June 2017.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Organic systems require 25 to 110 percent more land use, use 15 percent less energy, and have 37 percent higher eutrophication potential than conventional systems per unit of food,” the study found. “In addition, organic and conventional systems did not significantly differ in their greenhouse gas emissions or acidification potential.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>5. Bleeding burgers</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>There are a variety of reasons why someone would consider going vegetarian, with studies suggesting that going vegetarian “can cut your carbon footprint in half.” While some vegetarians may miss the flavor of meat, we can’t be certain how many miss being reminded that that’s what they’re eating.</p> <p> </p> <p>Now, vegetarians and vegans can treat themselves to a meatless patty that literally bleeds… beetroot juice. Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and Naturli are some of the companies working on bringing meat-free ‘bleeding’ burgers to the mass market.</p> <p> </p> <p>These burgers are either grown in labs or made from ingredients such as mushrooms, wheat, nuts, coconut oil, beetroot and soy, and have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than the animal-based original.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>6. Wheat for it</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Most of the emissions from staples such as bread come from the fertilizer used to grow wheat. A 2017 study found that ammonium nitrate fertilizer accounts for 43 percent of all the greenhouse gas emissions in the production process of a loaf of bread.</p> <p> </p> <p>But can different types of bread be better or worse for the environment (besides being better or worse for your body)? Cereals used in bread, such as oats and barley, have smaller carbon footprints than typical wheat used in white loaves, as well as rye.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>7. One way isn’t the best way</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Blanket agricultural production doesn’t work across the world, and it’s important to consider local ecosystems when looking at how best to produce food with the lowest carbon footprint.</p> <p> </p> <p>A vegetarian typically has a smaller carbon footprint than a meat-eater but the plant-based diet isn’t practical everywhere, especially for those who live in dry or cold places that cannot support the growth of most vegetable crops.</p> <p> </p> <p>Although approximately 1,799 gallons of water is needed per pound to raise a cow, the amount of water needed in order to successfully farm in desert-like climates can be huge and is currently unsustainable. Even though it may be better for the climate to be vegetarian, for some, that just isn’t sustainable.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>This article was originally published in </strong><a href="http://www.climatechangenews.com/2018/06/13/7-surprising-things-carbon-footprint-food/"><strong>ClimateChangeNews.</strong></a><strong> Republished with permission.</strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/carbon-footprint" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">carbon footprint</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/food" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Food</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/vegetarians" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">vegetarians</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/vegans" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">vegans</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/eating-beef" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">eating beef</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/red-meat" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">red meat</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Soila Apparicio</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Google Images; Wikipedia Commons</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Sun, 17 Jun 2018 19:32:37 +0000 tara 8101 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/9207-surprising-facts-about-carbon-footprint-your-favorite-foods#comments Facing Severe Drought, Californians Support Cutbacks https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4174-facing-sever-drought-californians-support-cutbacks <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 07/28/2014 - 11:14</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1drought%20%28maron%20Pixabay%29.jpg?itok=WAuHFlGm"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1drought%20%28maron%20Pixabay%29.jpg?itok=WAuHFlGm" width="480" height="327" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/07/facing-severe-drought-californians-support-mandatory-cutbacks.php">New America Media:</a></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><br /> SAN FRANCISCO -- Californians rank the drought as their number-one environmental concern, according to a new statewide <a href="http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=1110">survey</a>. The poll by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) found three out of four residents favor mandatory curbs on water use. <br /> <br /> “They want the local district to do something -- mandatory reductions -- and they want the state government to do something,” said Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO. “They recognize that it is a problem and the most important issue.”<br /> <br /> California is in its third year of drought, with more than 80 percent of the state in <a href="http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA">extreme and exceptional drought</a>, and conditions are expected to worsen this summer.<br /> <br /> The poll found that 54 percent of state residents believe water supply is a big problem. Central Valley residents are most likely to hold this view (63 percent), while 44 percent of Los Angeles residents and 55 percent of Bay Area residents agree.<br /> <br /> Whites are more likely (62 percent) than Asians, blacks, or Latinos (46 percent each) to hold this view.<br /> <br /> Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency in January, calling on residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 20 percent. But on the whole, the response has been lackluster. A recent <a href="http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/workshops_results.shtml">survey</a> by the State Water Resources Control Board found statewide water use has actually increased slightly, according to <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/State-water-board-expected-to-OK-500-a-day-fines-5623907.php">news reports</a>.<br /> <br /> Last week, state water officials announced fines of up to $500 for water wasters, and for the first time since the 1970s are calling for conservation gains through mandatory cutbacks to be overseen by local water districts. <br /> <br /> The poll of 1,705 people was fielded July 8-15, when the state water board announced it was considering mandatory restrictions. With a high level of concern over the drought, surveyed residents expressed strong support for greater conservation efforts.<br /> <br /> Three out of four Californians say they strongly favor their local water district making it mandatory for residents to use less water. Support was even stronger among Latinos (82 percent) and Asians (79 percent), compared to whites (70 percent) and blacks (69 percent).<br /> <br /> Irma Muñoz, president and founder of Mujeres de la Tierra, a community-based environmental organization based in Los Angeles, says the water board’s move reinforces that the drought is real and that everyone needs to take some action.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/californiamap.jpg" style="height:625px; width:537px" /><br />  </p> <p>Muñoz says that in some parts of Los Angeles, one can still encounter “lush lawns, lavish fountains, and swimming pools,” lessening the reality of the water supply problem for some people she’s surveyed about the drought.<br /> <br /> “People …are still conserving water, even though they don’t believe there’s a drought, they believe it is important to conserve,” she said, adding that they also want to lower their water bill. <br /> <br /> In March, PPIC polled state residents about their efforts to reduce water use. The March poll found that Latinos (65 percent) were most likely to say they had done a lot to reduce water use, followed by blacks (58 percent), whites (57 percent) and Asians (33 percent). About 58 percent of Asians said they had done a little to reduce water use, while 29 percent of Latinos, 26 percent of blacks and 34 percent of whites said that.<br /> <br /> Turning to water policy, the July poll asked about an $11 billion water bond to pay for state water projects that state legislators are considering putting on the November 2014 ballot. Lawmakers are expected to take up the water bond when they return from July recess. <br /> <br /> About 60 percent of Californians would vote for the $11 billion water bond, with higher levels of support among Asians (75 percent), Latinos (69 percent) and blacks (66 percent), compared to whites (50 percent).<br /> <br /> “I do think it is one of the essential elements [of addressing the drought and securing the water supply],” said Lester Snow, executive director of the California Water Foundation. “Passing a bond in November doesn’t do anything for the drought this summer, but we need to prepare for the next drought.”<br /> <br /> The water bond would fund projects to store water during wet years and wastewater recycling projects in a drought, Snow says, which can have a big effect on reducing the impact of the next drought.<br /> <br /> Currently, he says, the state collectively discharges well over one million acre-feet of water into the ocean, which could instead be reclaimed to irrigate golf courses or parks, for example.<br /> <br /> Water policy needs to also address more sustainable use of groundwater, Snow says, adding that two water-related bills on groundwater monitoring are in play in this legislative session.<br /> <br /> With a high level of attention on the drought, Snow says, “now would be the time, if the state put the bond on the ballot.” </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/07/facing-severe-drought-californians-support-mandatory-cutbacks.php">New America Media</a></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/drouhgt" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">drouhgt</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/california" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">California</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/california-drought" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">california drought</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/weather" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">weather</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">climate change</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/water-loss" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">water loss</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/lack-water" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">lack of water</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ngoc Nguyen</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Marion (Pixabay); Google Images</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 28 Jul 2014 15:14:07 +0000 tara 5011 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/4174-facing-sever-drought-californians-support-cutbacks#comments Voters Want Environmental Protection, But Do Their Lawmakers? https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3990-voters-want-environmental-protection-do-their-lawmakers <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Fri, 05/16/2014 - 10:05</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumenvironment%20%28Takver%29.jpg?itok=BpdCdnsj"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/mediumenvironment%20%28Takver%29.jpg?itok=BpdCdnsj" width="480" height="334" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p><strong>From our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/05/ethnic-voters-want-environmental-protections-but-do-their-lawmakers.php">New America Media</a>: </strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Ethnic minorities in California strongly favor environmental protections, yet their elected representatives -- for the most part – don’t share the same values.<br /> <br /> New America Media analyzed the environmental voting records of Asian, African American and Latino legislators, using a <a href="http://www.ecovote.org/scorecard">2014 scorecard</a> by the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) that assigns an overall score to all state legislators based on how they voted on dozens of key environmental bills during the 2013 legislative year.<br /> <br /> NAM found that <a href="http://latinocaucus.legislature.ca.gov/">Latino</a> and <a href="http://blackcaucus.legislature.ca.gov/">Black Legislative Caucuses</a> -- made up entirely of Democrats -- are more pro-business than their Asian and white Democratic counterparts in the state legislature. After heavy lobbying by industry, more moderate Latino and African-American lawmakers shot down or abstained on pro-environment bills more often than Asian Democratic lawmakers. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/apilegcaucus/">Asian and Pacific-Islander (API) Caucus</a> members earned the highest environmental scores of any group, including whites: senators in the API caucus received a perfect score of 100 percent, while assembly members in that caucus averaged a score of 96 percent.<br /> <br /> Among senators only, the Black Caucus had the lowest environmental score on average (75 percent), whereas senate members of the Latino Caucus averaged 85 percent. White Democratic senators received a score of 95 percent.<br /> <br /> In the assembly, Asian and African-American lawmakers received scores of 96 and 92 percent, respectively, scoring better than their white Democratic counterparts (85 percent).<br /> <br /> Overall, the environmental scores of ethnic caucus members were higher than the average for all legislators, which hovered in the mid-60s, but they were lower than the rankings for Democratic senators (90 percent) and assembly members (87 percent) as a whole.<br /> <br /> Jena Price, a lobbyist for CLCV, says the Latino Caucus is being targeted by industry groups because of its sheer size and the presence of many first and second-term assembly members who haven’t “secured their position in their voting record.”<br /> <br /> “Industry is going to put money into the districts and the members they are going to be most likely to sway, and it’s been seen that a lot of Latino members -- especially down in Southern California -- are voting the way of the business interests and the money,” said Price, adding that many of them call themselves “business Dems, not moderate Dems, although they are synonymous with one another.”<br /> <br /> New America Media also looked at donations made to ethnic caucus members, and then looked at how those legislators voted on two key environmental bills last year.<br /> <br /> In 2013, nearly a dozen bills were introduced to regulate the controversial oil extraction technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” One of those, SB 4 – it was considered weak by some environmental groups -- was backed by the ethnic caucuses and ultimately signed into law. But two other bills that were supported by the CLCV and which focused on groundwater monitoring related to fracking -- AB 669 being one of them -- did not receive enough votes to pass the Assembly.<br /> <br /> Using online campaign finance databases created by <a href="http://maplight.org/california">Maplight</a>, a nonpartisan organization that sheds light on money and politics, NAM <a href="http://maplight.org/california/bill/2013-ab-669/1423739/total-contributions?party%5bD%5d=D&amp;party%5bR%5d=R&amp;party%5bI%5d=I&amp;vote%5bAYE%5d=AYE&amp;vote%5bNOE%5d=NOE&amp;vote%5bNV%5d=NV&amp;voted_with%5bwith%5d=with&amp;voted_with%5bnot-with%5d=not-with&amp;custom_from=01%2F01%2F2011&amp;custom_to=12%2F31%2F2012&amp;politicians=1700-1381-1376-1398-1722-1691-1388-1704-1332-1333-1694-1703-1712-1720-1719-2050&amp;state=&amp;all_pols=0&amp;uid=53133&amp;interests-support=JE300&amp;interests-oppose=E1160&amp;from=01-01-2011&amp;to=12-31-2012&amp;source=pacs-nonpacs&amp;campaign=">analyzed the ethnic caucus votes on AB 669. </a><br /> <br /> We found that the <a href="http://maplt.org/QFAbVq">API Caucus received substantial donations</a> from environmental groups, and nearly all of their members voted “yes.” Only one member, Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), did not vote. Environmental groups gave much less money to the <a href="http://maplight.org/california/bill/2013-ab-669/1423739/total-contributions?party%5bD%5d=D&amp;party%5bR%5d=R&amp;party%5bI%5d=I&amp;vote%5bAYE%5d=AYE&amp;vote%5bNOE%5d=NOE&amp;vote%5bNV%5d=NV&amp;voted_with%5bwith%5d=with&amp;voted_with%5bnot-with%5d=not-with&amp;custom_from=01%2F01%2F2011&amp;custom_to=12%2F31%2F2012&amp;politicians=1700-1381-1376-1398-1722-1691-1388-1704-1332-1333-1694-1703-1712-1720-1719-2050&amp;state=&amp;all_pols=0&amp;uid=53133&amp;interests-support=JE300&amp;interests-oppose=E1160&amp;from=01-01-2011&amp;to=12-31-2012&amp;source=pacs-nonpacs&amp;campaign=">Latino</a> and <a href="http://maplt.org/1jOJGtR">Black Caucus</a> -- both groups, however, received much more oil money than their API counterparts -- and far fewer of the members of those caucuses voted “yes” on AB 669, compared to the API Caucus. <br /> <br /> On the SB 669 vote, six members in the Latino Caucus and three in the Black Caucus abstained, in some cases, after having received hefty donations from the oil industry. <br /> <br /> Nile Malloy, Northern California Director for Communities for a Better Environment, a statewide environmental justice organization, said the influence of industry – not just oil or energy, but also labor – is very clear. <br /> <br /> “You see the influence of lobbying in terms of decisions,” he said. “[It should be a] no-brainer to say ‘no’ to fracking, but there’s a force that says ‘yes,’ because it creates jobs.”</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/3climatechange%20%28Zanthia%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="height:388px; width:650px" /><br /> <br /> The ethnic caucus votes on a proposed plastic bag phase-out last year (SB 405) were similarly split, with Asian lawmakers voting in favor of the bill, while their Latino and Black counterparts cast more “no” votes or abstained.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://maplt.org/1gRDorp">Asian</a>, <a href="http://maplt.org/1hptD2S">African American</a> and <a href="http://maplt.org/1hptVqD">Latino</a> senators received donations from both environmental and industry groups. Although Asian lawmakers received hefty amounts of industry money, they voted “yes” on SB 405. Senator Rod Wright, the sole vote from the Black Caucus, abstained after receiving just under $10,000 from the bill’s supporters and nearly five times as much from opposition groups. Latino Caucus members who voted against the bill received nearly five times as much from industry groups than those who supported the bill.<br /> <br /> CLCV’s Price says the low average score for Black Democratic senators, which includes just two members, doesn’t give an accurate representation. Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) has reintroduced a fracking moratorium bill, which Price says, aligns with the desire for clean air and water among her constituents. Mitchell received a perfect score on CLCV’s 2014 scorecard. One of her colleagues in the Senate, Rod Wright, received a score of 50 percent.<br /> <br /> “Mr. Rod Wright is a perfect example of someone who is… certainly part of that moderate caucus, and he took a lot of his money and a lot of his pointers from industry,” Price said.<br /> <br /> While the Latino and Black Caucuses lean more toward pro-business interests, the API Caucus is “very green,” says Mari Rose Taruc, state organizing director for the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. Still, Taruc says she’d like to see more Asian lawmakers carry progressive environmental legislation.<br /> <br /> “They will vote well on environmental issues, but they aren’t the ones carrying the bills,” she said. “It takes more leadership and risk to put out a bill.”</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/05/ethnic-voters-want-environmental-protections-but-do-their-lawmakers.php">New America Media</a></strong></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/black-caucuses" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">black caucuses</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/latino-legislators" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">latino legislators</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/black-politicians" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">black politicians</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/asian-politicians" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">asian politicians</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/ethnic-lawmakers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">ethnic lawmakers</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/envirornmental-votes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">envirornmental votes</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environmental-record" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environmental record</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/saving-environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">saving the environment</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">climate change</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ngoc Nguyen</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Takver (Flickr); Zanthia (Flickr)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Fri, 16 May 2014 14:05:51 +0000 tara 4728 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3990-voters-want-environmental-protection-do-their-lawmakers#comments Communities of Color Face Greater Exposure to Pollution https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3948-communities-color-face-greater-exposure-pollution <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Wed, 04/30/2014 - 10:34</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1pollution.jpg?itok=iS1kjiKS"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1pollution.jpg?itok=iS1kjiKS" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>From <a href="http://www.afro.com/sections/news/Health/story.htm?storyid=82441&amp;utm_source=Saturday+News+Wrap-up+E-Blast%2C+April+26%2C+2014&amp;utm_campaign=sat+eblast&amp;utm_medium=email">Afro.com</a> and republished by our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/04/study-african-american-exposure-to-greater-pollution-than-whites.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p> </p> <p>Communities of color across the United States are exposed to disproportionately high rates of pollution, according to engineering and environmental researchers at the University of Minnesota (UM) released in time for Earth Week.</p> <p> </p> <p>Researchers looked at the variations in pollution exposure across race, income, education attainment and other categories, and found race to be the dominant determining factor.</p> <p> </p> <p>The study, titled National patterns in environmental injustice and inequality: Outdoor NO2 air pollution in the United States, found that African Americans and other minorities breathe in air with 38 percent more noxious nitrogen dioxide than Whites because of their close proximity to power plants and the inhalation of vehicle exhaust.</p> <p> </p> <p>Lower-income Americans and those with lower education attainment also were exposed at higher rates than their richer and more educated counterparts, respectively.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We were quite shocked to find such a large disparity between Whites and nonWhites related to air pollution,” said Julian Marshall, a civil engineering associate professor in the University of Minnesota’s (UM) College of Science and Engineering and co-author of the study, in a statement.</p> <p> </p> <p>The researcher said they were equally surprised that the disparity occurred in most of the U.S. While other studies have examined disparities in exposures to environmental risks, including air pollution, at a city, state and regional level, the Minnesota researchers say their study is the first to use satellite observations, measurements by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and maps of land uses to explore disparities in exposure to air pollution for the U.S. nationwide.</p> <p> </p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/2pollution.jpg" style="height:439px; width:525px" /></p> <p> </p> <p>Nitrogen dioxide is one of the toxic pollutants monitored and regulated by EPA and causes respiratory ailments. Thus, the health implications of the disparities in exposure found in the UM study could be substantial, researchers claim. For example, the study estimates that if non-Whites breathed the lower nitrogen dioxide levels experienced by Whites, it would prevent 7,000 deaths from heart disease alone among minorities each year.</p> <p> </p> <p>Researchers believe the study could be a resource for monitoring and evaluating other areas of environmental disparity.</p> <p> </p> <p>“Our study,” Marshall said, “provides a great baseline to track over time on important issues of environmental injustice and inequality in our country.”</p> <p> </p> <p>“National patterns in environmental injustice and inequality” was published in the April 15 issue of PLOS ONE, a leading peer-reviewed scientific journal.</p> <p> </p> <p>From <a href="http://www.afro.com/sections/news/Health/story.htm?storyid=82441&amp;utm_source=Saturday+News+Wrap-up+E-Blast%2C+April+26%2C+2014&amp;utm_campaign=sat+eblast&amp;utm_medium=email">Afro.com</a></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/pollution" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">pollution</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/minorities" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">minorities</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/communities-color" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">communities of color</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/whites" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">whites</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/fumes" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">fumes</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/exhaust" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">exhaust</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Staff</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Wed, 30 Apr 2014 14:34:32 +0000 tara 4649 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3948-communities-color-face-greater-exposure-pollution#comments Environmental Victories of 2013 https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3416-environmental-victories <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Mon, 01/06/2014 - 10:18</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2trees%20%28pavelahmed%20flickr%29.jpg?itok=HEnmO9lq"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2trees%20%28pavelahmed%20flickr%29.jpg?itok=HEnmO9lq" width="480" height="322" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p> </p> <p>From <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/">Indian Country Today</a> and our content partner <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2014/01/ten-environmental-victories-and-triumphs-of-2013.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p> </p> <p>With all the talk of rising temperatures, acidifying oceans and melting polar ice, it is hard to see the healthy trees for the forest, as it were. Yes, the emerald ash borer and the mountain pine beetle are making inroads, and extreme weather is becoming the norm. But it’s important, too, to note the environmental triumphs and victories that tribes either helped engineer or benefited from, or both.</p> <p> </p> <p>Native peoples reintroduced fading species, restored habitats and stopped big industry in its tracks.</p> <p> </p> <p>Several species began coming back, many of them thanks to the efforts of tribal programs. Northwest tribes were pleased to see a record return of Chinook salmon to the Columbia River. A healthy wolf population flourished in Yellowstone National Park, strengthening the wildlife web around it. Here are some of the more notable wins, and the tribes involved in making them happen.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>1. Pushing Back Against Mega-Loads</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The Nez Perce had been trying to stop mega-loads from traversing a federally designated scenic highway through their territory for years. In 2013, a judge finally said, “Enough.” The football-field-sized pieces of equipment destined for the Alberta oil sands up in Canada are no longer permitted to trundle within 50 feet of the Nez Perce creation site. Although the battle has now moved to Oregon and the Umatilla Tribe, this was a big win for the Nez Perce and sacred places.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/1fish%20%28USFWS%20Pacific%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="height:334px; width:640px" /></p> <p><strong>2. The Return of the Salmon</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Build the habitat—or take out the obstacles—and they will come. Northwest tribes were exultant as more than a million Chinook salmon made their way back up the Columbia River to spawn, a record.</p> <p> </p> <p>Of course, there is still much work to be done—in fact, many habitat-restoration efforts seem to be compromised as fast as they can be put into place—but just the sight of so many fish returning was enough to keep hope alive.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>3. Black-Footed Ferret Rebounds</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Last August we noted the return of the black-footed ferret, thanks largely to the efforts of the tribes who hosted their reintroduction by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Lower Brule Sioux, Cheyenne River Sioux, and Rosebud Sioux, all in South Dakota, plus the Northern Cheyenne and Fort Belknap reservations in Montana and a deeded ranch in Arizona managed by the Navajo all hosted the nearly extinct animal when it was released into the wild. Last seen, they were starting to reproduce. Could thriving be far behind?</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>4. White Sturgeon Stages Comeback</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho is keeping this endangered species, which has been around since the dinosaurs roamed, from going extinct by breeding them in a fishery.</p> <p> </p> <p>Hatchery workers spend days every month in spring catching these huge fish, taking them to the hatchery and holding them until the females are ready to spawn. They then collect the eggs and return the adult fish to the Kootenai River.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/1cougar%20%28forestwander.com%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="height:367px; width:550px" /></p> <p><strong>5. Air Spawning Keeps Steelhead Trout Alive</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Without impediments, this sea-going trout can spawn twice, spending the intervening time in the ocean. But slack water reservoirs and numerous dams have caused less than 2 percent of kelts to survive the return trip. Enter the Yakama, Warm Springs, Colville and Nez Perce tribes, which have launched innovative programs to take steelhead trout and store them during the time they would normally live in the ocean, then re-release them when it comes time to spawn. It’s a one-of-a-kind program to save this threatened species that only Indian tribes are engaged in. Although the notion of “recycling” a fish might seem outlandish, that is in essence what they are doing.</p> <p> </p> <p>Over in their corner, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe celebrated the return of another ancient trout species, the lahontan cutthroat. This one was in fact thought to be extinct, <em>The New York Times</em> reported in April, until fish with the same DNA was found in a creek near Pyramid Lake in Nevada. The tribe got to work, and by summer, tribal members were finding 20-pounders.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>6. Cougars Swarm Turtle Island</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Be they known as pumas (Inca), cougars, mountain lions, catamounts or panthers, this feisty kitty has “re-colonized the Black Hills of South Dakota, the North Dakota Badlands and the Pine Ridge country of northwestern Nebraska,” <em>The New York Times</em> reported in June. More recently, <em>National Geographic</em> called it one of the more remarkable animal comebacks on record.</p> <p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/1eagle%20%28PaulWaggener%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="height:428px; width:640px" /></p> <p><strong>7. Big Oil Admits Defeat in the Chukchi Sea</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>For now, at least, offshore drilling has been suspended in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska, after a series of mishaps showed three oil companies that they were woefully unprepared for emergency response, given the extreme weather.</p> <p> </p> <p>Royal Dutch Shell started the trend by nixing its 2013 Arctic offshore drilling plans altogether because of equipment problems, the company announced last February 27. About a week later, Norwegian conglomerate Statoil said it would hold off on drilling until at least 2014. Most recently, ConocoPhillips announced on April 10 that it was suspending its plans to drill exploratory wells off Alaska’s Arctic coast in 2014. Though Alaska Natives did not directly engineer this, it was a victory for them and other environmental stewards.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>8. Bison Gets Its Day</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The bison finally got its day—the first Saturday in November, to be exact, when the first official National Bison Day was decreed.</p> <p> </p> <p>Earlier in the year, back in August, the first genetically pure bison in a century were released onto the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>9. Eagle Killing Doesn't Pay</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>In November, Duke Energy Renewables Inc. was not only fined millions but also pleaded guilty to criminal charges for killing eagles with its wind turbines. In doing so, Duke became the first wind-power company to ever be found criminally liable under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Although Duke’s earnings dwarf the fine, the plea and fine combo marked a milestone.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>10. Wolves Prove Their Worth</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>The resurgence of the wolf population in Yellowstone National Park has benefited everything around it, researchers ascertained last summer. The wolves eat the elk, which then do not eat the berries, which then leaves more food for grizzlies, wrote the team from the universities of Oregon and Washington State in the Journal of Animal Ecology.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/">Indian Country Today</a></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/indians" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Indians</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/native-americans" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Native Americans</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/wolves" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">wolves</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/bald-eagles" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">bald eagles</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/salmon" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">salmon</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/saving-environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">saving the environment</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/going-green" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">going green</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/saving-trees" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">saving trees</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/oceans" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">oceans</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/trees" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">trees</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/nature" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">nature</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">ICT Staff</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">PavelAhmed (Flickr); USFWS (Flickr); Paul Waggener (Flickr); CindyLou Photos (Flickr)</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Mon, 06 Jan 2014 15:18:29 +0000 tara 4065 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3416-environmental-victories#comments The New Crop of Green Republicans https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3165-new-crop-green-republicans <div class="field field-name-field-cat field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news-features" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">News &amp; Features</a></div></div></div><span class="submitted-by">Submitted by tara on Tue, 11/05/2013 - 09:46</span><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1greenrepublicans.jpg?itok=FbQwssaH"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1greenrepublicans.jpg?itok=FbQwssaH" width="480" height="268" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>  </p> <p> From our content partner, <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2013/11/could-california-get-a-new-crop-of-green-republicans.php">New America Media</a>:</p> <p>  </p> <p> A new environmental scorecard of California legislators reveals an emerging trend – an uptick in the scores for Republicans, bolstered by a new crop of moderates.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The 2013 scorecard by the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) ranks state lawmakers on a scale of zero to 100 percent based on their voting record on key environmental bills in the last session.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The scorecard, released last Wednesday, shows that average scores for Republicans have steadily grown in the last few years. The average score for GOP Assembly members nearly doubled to 15 percent, while that of Senate Republicans more than tripled to 10 percent, compared to the previous year. Still, average scores for GOP legislators were far below that of their Democratic counterparts, which ranged from 87 to 90 percent.</p> <p>  </p> <p> The State Senate average was 66 percent, and the State Assembly average was 64 percent. Gov. Jerry Brown scored 89 percent, according to this year’s scorecard.</p> <p>  </p> <p> David Allgood, CLCV political director, said the top-two primary system, approved by California voters in 2010, has allowed more moderate Republicans to be viable in state politics.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Allgood, who has been an environmental lobbyist with the nonpartisan organization for more than 20 years, says that going forward, he expects to “see better scores from Republicans, because there is a much greater opportunity for Republicans to be less ‘ideologically rigid.’”</p> <p>  </p> <p> Under the system being used today, candidates of all political leanings appear on the same primary ballot. The two candidates who receive the most votes face off in November, regardless of their political party affiliation. Under this system, voters in some districts could find themselves choosing between two Democrats or two Republicans, which could spur candidates to move to the center to attract more votes.</p> <p>  </p> <p> In addition, Allgood said, decline-to-state voters can select candidates in any party in the primary -- and they tend to bolster the environmental voting bloc, similar to Democrats.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Bill Allayaud, director of government affairs in California for the Environmental Working Group, agrees that the top-two primary system introduces a new dynamic into state politics, but he says it’s too early to tell if there’s a trend.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Allayaud said he’s cautious, pointing out that the political shift could also result in more moderate Democrats.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/1trees%20%28PavelAhmed%20Flickr%29.jpg" style="width: 640px; height: 429px;" /></p> <p>  </p> <p> The scorecard released this week does show a slight drop in the environmental scores of freshman Democrats this year compared to non-freshman lawmakers, from 87 to 83. Although it is a small change, the scores for Assembly Democrats has declined seven percentage points since 2010.</p> <p>  </p> <p> A group of “business Democrats,” who are more moderate is growing, and now calling themselves the “new Democrats,” Allayaud said, and they support a less progressive agenda.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Allayaud says he’s optimistic that another key change – a longer lifetime maximum of 12 years in the State Legislature – will also boost pro-environmental votes. Assembly members are up for re-election every two years, and Senators every four years.</p> <p>  </p> <p> “We hope to see legislators feel safe about re-election and less beholden to campaign contributors,” he said, adding that lawmakers can vote for measures that benefit their constituents, such as greater protections for clean air and water.</p> <p>  </p> <p> With a record number of freshmen Assembly members this year – half of the Assembly are new – CLCV’s Allgood says, the longer legislative terms gives them more time to learn about environmental issues.</p> <p>  </p> <p> There’s always a steep learning curve for new lawmakers, says Allgood, and by the time they are acclimated, they have to leave office. He says the longer terms should give them more time to understand  the importance of the environment to their constituents.</p> <p>  </p> <p> With nearly a dozen bills related to fracking introduced at the beginning of the session, the scorecard identified fracking as one of the biggest environmental issues in California last year. Gov. Brown signed SB 4, a bill that contains some of the strongest fracking regulations in the nation. The governor also signed into law several other priority bills, including a ban on lead ammunition, bills expanding consumer access to renewable energy programs, and a bill that curbs flame retardants in building insulation.</p> <p>  </p> <p> But the scorecard also noted a record amount of money spent by an oil industry group -- $2.3 million in the first six months of the year was spent by Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) – to lobby lawmakers and defeat legislation that would have called for more regulations on the industry. Their investment seems to have paid off. Of the 11 bills proposing regulations on fracking, only one passed – and although it is stronger than regulations in other parts of the country, some environmental groups say it is a very diluted bill compared to other legislation that was proposed.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Meanwhile, Allgood notes that the scorecard “raises more questions than answers.” We know how lawmakers are voting, but we don’t know their reasons -- or whether the uptick in the scores among freshmen GOP signals a change in the way they view environmental issues.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2013/11/could-california-get-a-new-crop-of-green-republicans.php">New America Media</a></p> <p>  </p> <p> <em><strong>Photos: New America Media; Pavel Ahmed (Flickr).</strong></em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/going-green" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">going green</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/green-party" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">green party</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/greening-america" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">greening of america</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/republicans" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Republicans</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/environment" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">environment</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">climate change</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/green-politics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">green politics</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Ngoc Nguyen</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-pop field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Popular:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">not popular</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-photographer field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Photographer:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">New America Media</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-bot field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Bottom Slider:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Out Slider</div></div></div> Tue, 05 Nov 2013 14:46:29 +0000 tara 3797 at https://www.highbrowmagazine.com https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/3165-new-crop-green-republicans#comments