fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
The HIYP syndrome
By: Shivani Rao
Tags: Covid 19, Social Media, Mental Health, Environment, Environmental Issues

Recently I saw a picture of the London Heathrow airport when the commuters had to wait for long hours because of the delay caused by the second corona wave in the UK. There was something really disturbing about that photo. Everybody had their heads down, staring at their phones. I’d like to call it the HIYP syndrome, Head-In-Your-Phone. Not that disturbing, you think? Only if we were to look up and see what we have done to ourselves. This makes me question if we somehow unknowingly got ourselves in this inescapable situation.

The human body has something has a self-healing mechanism. A remarkable feature of our body to heal itself. Our body is known to cure diseases from the common cold to cancer, using this mechanism. Then why do we need medications at all? Well, we overwork our bodies, exploit the mechanism, and the efficiency of the system collapses. And nature is no different than the human body. It is magical to think how everything in nature has its own mechanism, everything goes by the book. There are rules. And I’m sure each one of us has violated all of them at some point in our lives. We’ve done damage to the extent that humans are needed to be shut in their houses for Mumbaikars to be able to see the actual sky and not layers of dust in space. During the whole course of this pandemic, there has been a 500% decrease in sewage, and industrial effluents in rivers, dissolved oxygen levels rose to 79%, so you’ll now be able to see some fishes in the rivers, and the wildlife got a chance to reclaim their land. These statistics are from research on the “indirect impacts of corona” published at sciencedirect.com. The article quotes this line: “Although coronavirus vaccine is not available, coronavirus itself is earth’s vaccine and us humans are the virus”

One of the commuters at the airport recorded the whole scene of people waiting and I’m afraid she’ll post it on her Instagram story with #save_earth #coronasucks, and then go back to Netflix. Maybe if we look up from our phones to see where we’ve come, and what we’ve done to ourselves, we’ll tear up to realize how desperate the earth was for a repair. It is high time we give up the HIYP supremacy to hold our heads up.
Past 10 days the nights are bit chill not by scary dreams, the cold weather
By: Suryanarayanan K
Tags: Cold Weather, Globalwarning, Environmental Issues

Past 10 days the nights are bit chill not by scary dreams, the cold weather

Warm cloths were dusted, sanitised (new term) and 🌞 dried to wear

The funny part is - year by year, season per season, everyone remark on decrease in night temperature during winter and increase in heat during summer days

Few talk on global warming, deforestation, increase in pollution level and creating concrete jungles

But how many of them really contribute to address these issues is altogether a different scenario

Of the 1300 + residents in our gated community, hardly 30 persons use the gymnasium

If such is the concern for one's physical fitness, to imagine on the concern for global welfare ?

Looks like everything ultimately turns into chat topic and fade away with that

Ofcourse there's an increase in these awareness with the younger generation and their contributions are bringing a change for good

Many socially responsible organisations and groups across the 🌍 are actively addressing these issues in association with the experts in the respective verticals

I on my part, try and encourage the children to understand and respect Mother Nature by sharing my outdoor camping activity experiences

Hope the future generations go beyond just chatting and share the responsibility to bring back Mother Earth to Her past Glorious Times :)

How cold is weather around your place ?
We need to fight forest fires when they aren’t burning
By: Moore Charitable
Tags: Forest Fires, Forestry, Forest, Controlled Burn, Environmental Issues

In an op-ed for The Hill, “We need to fight forest fires when they aren’t burning,” Moore Charitable Foundation Chairman Louis Bacon and New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich lay out a new approach to forest health and wildfire mitigation. Public education, removing excess growth and building a conservation corps of forest health workers will help lower the danger and duration of wildfires that have done immense damage to the American West.

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Empowering Consumers Through Carbon Labeling
By: Handshake Partners
Tags: Consumerism, Carbon Footprint, Sustainability, Social Impact, Environmental Issues

Recent studies have shown that across all generations, consumers expect retailers and brands to become more sustainable.

Many consumers, especially those who are considered Gen Z and Millennials are even willing to spend more money on a product they believe is sustainable. But it can be difficult to know which choice is the best choice when it comes to reducing your environmental impact. That’s why some companies are choosing to increase their transparency and empower their consumers through carbon labeling.

Carbon labeling, or carbon emissions labeling, shows how much carbon dioxide is emitted as a result of a product’s manufacturing, transport, and disposal. These values are expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2e). For example, Oatly’s oat milk has a carbon footprint of 0.31 kg CO 2e per kg. This number takes into account the carbon emissions from the farms, factories, packaging, and transport of the oat milk. Seeing this value, when compared to cow’s milk, which on average produces 1.58 kg CO 2 e per kg helps climate-conscious consumers make decisions about which product has a lesser negative impact on the environment.

In September of this year, Just Salad became the first U.S. restaurant chain to carbon label its menu. Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer of Just Salad shared that “a calorie label simply isn’t enough anymore-we need to know how our food choices affect our well-being at a planetary level.” She continued: “Our new carbon labels will provide that insight, helping guests make more holistic choices that take climate change into account.” Panera Bread has since followed suit by creating a “Cool Food Meal” badge to indicate items on their menu with a carbon footprint of fewer than 5.38 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

And while food consumption accounts for about a quarter of the planet’s carbon emissions, carbon labeling is not limited to just food and beverages. Allbirds, most popularly known for their sneakers, carbon labels each of their products as part of their plan to eliminate their carbon footprint by measuring, reducing, and offsetting.

These brands are hoping that others will join them in their cause. Oatly’s website even goes as far as to say that they “believe consumer empowerment should be a law, if not a human right.” Providing consumers with information creates a system of transparency and accountability and allows them to make conscious decisions about how they spend their money. As the age-old adage goes, “knowledge is power.”
Plastics, once viewed as a miraculous product, are now proving to be a huge environmental problem
By: Maria Rattray
Tags: Plastic Pollution, Plastic, Ecosystem, Oceans, Environmental Issues

Plastics, once viewed as a miraculous product, are now proving to be a huge environmental problem

It’s taken a long time for many of us to accept that the ever-so-convenient plastic, the Tupperware, the storage boxes, the children’s toys, the cryovac wrapping used for meat products, the bodies of most domestic machinery, plastic wrap, the tools to cook with, the wipe-clean plates for children and, the computer I am currently working on, are now seen as out-of-control, environmental hazards.

To imagine a world without this convenient, durable material is almost impossible!

It’s why, largely by stealth, it has become a fundamentally convenient part of everyday living.

The notion of reverting to wrapping up lunches in paper just doesn’t stack up any more.

And how much crockery would we have to replace were our children to eat from china?

But what price might we be paying for this convenience?

To read the rest of the article, please click on the link below.
Climate Change is a Health Crisis — Let’s Treat It Like One
Tags: Health, Air Pollution, Coronavirus, Environmental Justice, Environmental Issues

Image from Pexels (Anna)

The coronavirus pandemic is the crisis that will define this generation. Unfortunately, this is not the last global crisis that our generation will face. Another crisis has been occurring for decades, a slow but steady advance of destruction involving natural disasters, rising sea levels, and species extinctions. This crisis is climate change.

Although we often hear about the need to reverse climate change to protect our planet, we don’t realize that by restoring our environment we are saving ourselves. Climate change is as much of a health crisis as the pandemic, but the damage occurs so insidiously that no one blinks twice. Did you know that more than 250, 000 people die prematurely each year from the effects of climate change? Air pollution is one of the worst culprits. Particulate pollution can enter the bloodstream and disrupt normal organ function and even cause cognitive disorders like dementia. It should be no surprise to us that living in a toxic environment will slowly poison our bodies.

Like the coronavirus pandemic, the effects of climate change disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, those living in poverty, and people of color. According to a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, African Americans and Latinos breathe in about 40 percent more particulate matter pollution from cars, trucks, and buses than white people. And this is only in my home state of California. Those who work in factories and on farms are exposed to exaggerated amounts of pollution, and families struggling to pay rent cannot afford to treat diseases caused by unclear air or move out of unsafe living areas.

We might not have personally felt the reality of climate change yet, but it’s already here. And, like the coronavirus, the situation can go from bad to worse more quickly than we imagined. First, the virus was in the news, statistics were alarming but occurring in far-away countries, removed from our daily lives. And then — seemingly from one day to the next — it arrived in our own backyard.

Yet our response to this pandemic gives me hope for the future of climate change. We have seen what is possible when we work together and take action. In a few months, countries such as China have documented reductions in daily pollution, and the environment has begun to heal itself. Nature is resilient, and so are we. We need to use the same ingenuity and innovation currently used to combat the coronavirus to address the climate change crisis. I hope that our generation will not only be remembered for surviving a global pandemic, but for uniting in the fight to save our common home. Mother Nature has forced us to step back and reconsider what is most important. Let’s use this time wisely and heed her lessons.
Before judging, did we try to understand what’s behind the issues?
By: Jasmine Lin
Tags: Contexte, Environmental Issues

Take my personal experience and a project I did in Bachelor’s for example.

Menstruation used to be a taboo in our culture. Not severely prohibited, but girls, even till now, have to hide their pads or tampons when they wanna get changed.

We are taught to bring them secretly to the toilets. We created some vague names to call this natural phenomenon, like, “the aunty is visiting （大姨媽來了）” or “my ‘that thing’ just came（我那個剛來）”.

In fact, I was lucky to have had been in the class where most students were open-minded and guys didn’t believe what’s shown on ADs on TV that the menstrual blood was blue.

I still remember one girl would take out her pads and ask if any other girls wanted to go with her. Everyone was caring and taking care of the girls who were going through menstrual cramps. I didn’t “learn to normalize” it because I did not have to, thanks to them.

And then I was exposed to tampons in Bachelor’s. When I turned 19 or 20.

Yes, and I wish I had been exposed to them earlier. For the environment purpose, and the comfort.

I was sort of discouraged to use tampons because “it could break the hymen”. Actually, no one “prohibited” me from using them, but the whole environment and the education I received prevented me.

That’s what many girls in Taiwan are taught to believe, and to “hold on to”. I mean, to stick at the belief that the “unbroken” hymen is their worth.

But I really wish someone could have taught me earlier so that I felt less uncomfortable.

So I, with the student group, did the one-week project to teach all students at our university what cloth pads, sanitary napkins, tampons, menstrual cups are, the facts about them in terms of environmental health and female hygiene, how to use them properly, and a pre- and post-questionnaire to assess the change of intentions.

Many boys and girls participated in the event, and significantly more females who had tried tampons were willing to try menstrual cups; while from pads to tampons still required a lot of efforts.

I was in a medical university by the way, meaning that all students studied something related to human health, acquiring the basic knowledge of personal hygiene. But the results weren’t as promising as anticipated.

But does it mean that people care less about the environment so they don’t make an effort?

I reckon it’s an unfair comment if we just conclude it without understanding the contexte（社會脈絡）.

People might not be exposed to the same mentality; even if they were, they might not have access to more eco-friendly products; furthermore, sometimes they could not afford them because those products usually cost more.

And given the fact, I do not see the necessity of judging someone when he/she does not live up to your expectations. (Well, I apply those words just to show that I definitely discourage people to do so.)
Capitalism and the Environment: Introduction
By: Jamie Baranda
Tags: Global Warming, Climate Change, Environmental Issues, Environmental Concerns

Climate change impacts humans in a variety of ways. Important things to our society such as human health, our agriculture, infrastructure, biodiversity, and even our water supply are facing negative impacts, now more than ever, due to climate change. We even see the impacts taking place right now with the heat waves happening in some parts of California. As we’ve seen, heat can increase the risk of wildfires which have negative impacts on both phsyical and mental health. Heat also increases the production of plant based allergens, which is especially not something we need right now amidst a pandemic. There are already so many factors that contribute to worsening human health so imagine how much worse it can get if changes aren’t made? But before changes can be made, we should probably figure out the root of all these problems.

Climate change is something I’ve been interested in for a while, so why not focus these blogs on getting to the bottom of what’s causing it? I startted learning about how human interactions affect the earth in my junior year of high school and almost immediately fell in love with the class. Because of this, when my senior year came around, it felt right to apply as an environmental studies major in all my college applications. Some time has passed and I’m now a freshman in college with plenty of questions to be asked and answered. I’m writing this blog to serve that purpose. I’ve already learned human interactions affect the environment but what exactly is it humans do that’s causing climate change?

There are many contributors to climate change, some examples include greenhouse gas emissions, water waste, and the abundance of trash in landfills releasing methane. All of which I believe can be connected back to consumption and capitalism. It takes energy to produce and ship goods- and packaging usually ends up in the trash. There’s no perfect way to consume sustainably but I do believe changes can be made in order to weaken the impact consumption and capitalism has on our environment. It can be as simple as companies getting rid of wasteful packaging, to consumers making conscious choices when they shop; like utilizing a reusable bag when grocery shopping or opting out of using those little plastic bags at grocery stores for produce.

As long as there’s a demand, goods are always going to be produced. Not only can the production of goods create a bunch of waste but now that we can buy items with a click of a button and get them delivered within 2 days, a bunch of CO2 is being emitted and waste is being built up. Is capitalism one of the main reasons as to why we’re experiencing the negative effects of climate change, and should we as consumers make small changes in our lives in order to help the environment?
#Wiki4climate en 3 ediciones ― número 4
Tags: Wiki4climate, Environmental Comms, Wikipedia, Spanish, Environmental Issues

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We came to Canberra a gazillion years ago.
By: Maria Rattray
Tags: Building Design, Architecture, Canberra, Environmental Issues, Energy Efficiency

We came to Canberra a gazillion years ago. My husband promised me it would only be for two years. Not sure how many times you have to multiply two in order to get to a gazillion, but I know it’s a lot.

There’s much that I hated about Canberra, the cold winters, aye, even for a Scot, but I could live with that. But the home’s architecture? Meh! Anybody can design a box!

Bearing in mind it’s the nation’s capital, you’d think they could have taken some measures to remove the said architecture out of the bowels of ‘ordinary in the extreme’. But they didn’t, and they haven’t!

We had been living in Adelaide, home of delightful bluestone houses, and after much resistance on my part, we came to Canberra and ‘traded up’ to a mid-brown box, also known as a home.

If you’d like to read the rest of this article, please follow the link below.
What is Fire Risk Assessment? and Who can do it?
By: Orbis Environmental
Tags: Fire Safety Equipment, Fire Risk Assessment, Fire Safety, Environmental Issues, Fire

What is a fire risk assessment?

Fire Risk Assessment, in simple words, is a systematic look at your premises and the activities carried out within it. Plus, it also includes identifying fire hazards and who may be affected by the fire. If any serious concern is found, the responsible person may need to take action to reduce the risk from fire.

Completing a fire risk assessment is a legal requirement under Article 9 of the Regulatory Reform. Additionally, it is the first step that will make your premises safe from fire risks. By conducting a fire safety assessment, you can assure yourself of preventing any unfortunate incident caused by acute fire or explosion.

After conducting a fire risk assessment, an expert identifies potential risks and offers appropriate guidelines to follow. Controlling and managing fire risks with utmost attention and care is an essential part of building management.

Fire Risk Assessment service by Orbis Environmental and Safety

Who can conduct a fire risk assessment?

You can consult a licensed and qualified fire safety company that can offer a particular service you are looking for. By hiring a professional, you can stay compliant with the fire safety law.

A fire risk assessment will examine

The chances of fire catching up in your area

The potential danger after the fire accident event

Steps to reduce the risk of fire and its spreading

If there are five occupants or more, the fire risk assessment must be in writing, no matter what size your premises are.

For More Visit: https://orbisenvironmental.com/what-is-a-fire-risk-assessment-and-who-can-do-it/

Stay tuned with us for such new information's.
How to Involve Your Shopware Store in Climate Protection Activity
By: Jane Vishnova
Tags: Ecommerce, Climate Change, Ecommerce Solution, Ecommerce Web Development, Environmental Issues

Protection of the environment, responsible consumption, minimalist lifestyle — all these topics are the order of the day. Both enterprises and customers are facing a paradigm shift. From now on everyone tries to strengthen their accountability with respect to resources.

eCommerce doesn’t remain on the sideline and provides up-to-date technologies to make a real contribution to eco-activities. Let’s find out, how Shopware store owners can take part in it and set a good example to those who still don’t realize the necessity of combating climate change:

Carbon Dioxide Emission Compensation. Speaking about the eCommerce giants eBay, Galazus, Zalando, they offer their buyers to offset carbon dioxide emissions during the checkout process. You may develop such a practice as well and not only to help Mother Nature, but to assert yourself positively and mark your business as not indifferent to what’s happening on the planet; Renewable Energy Usage. Both your online shop performance and the office running consumes electricity. Reach out to your green electricity providers to figure out how it can be possible to consume green energy instead; Prompt Logistics and Rate of Return Decrease. Every return creates one extra eCommerce supply chain that eats up additional resources. The best way is to provide product descriptions as detailed as possible and attach product images of high quality, so this product won’t be overestimated by clients. Not only nature will benefit from it, but your business too. Besides, you could look for eco-friendly shipping service. Why not? Every knock is a boost; Alternative Packaging Material Usage. Recycled materials are currently trending, so it wouldn’t be hard to find sustainable solutions for packaging. In addition, you can also try to reduce parcel’s space; Original Materials Consumption. A lot of people fear plastic like a plague. It’s not a surprise! As surveys say, there are 46 000 pieces of plastic in every square mile of ocean. So original materials are trending too. Its consumption may increase your company eco-friendliness and, thus, attract more eco-friendly clients. Say no to plastic, and you’ll be much happier.

I hope you’ve managed to find some insights and can’t wait to implement these ideas into your business routine. All these steps are must-have as it benefits either environmental well-being or your company blooming.

One more must-have for your company blooming is Shopware eCommerce platform. Learn how to expand your business with Shopware.
BOOK REVIEW: APOCALYPSE NEVER: WHY ENVIRONMENTAL ALARMISM HURTS US ALL
By: Gunther Sotomayor
Tags: Nuclear Power, Environmental Issues, Michael Shellenberger, Book Review

WHY ENVIRONMENTAL ALARMISM HURTS US ALL

Book date: June 30, 2020

My blog

Book at Amazon

In short: It is a good book, very informative and full of notes (1/3 of the book is footnotes and additional information for further reading)

The Author lay ground the basis of his main theme all along with the book: “Power density” and under that paradigm, he argues that the existing discussion of Climate Change and their apocalyptic view is misguided and do not contribute to the real issue behind Climate Change: Poverty

For the author, the real solution to reduce Carbon emissions and delay/eliminate the consequences of Climate Change is the adoption of high power density technology, in this case, Nuclear Power for the developed world or those countries that already have nuclear capabilities (like India & Pakistan)

In the case of developing countries in which poverty is the main cause of climate change and environmental damage, his recommendation is the adoption of the cheapest proven high power density technology available (oil, hydro, natural gas, coal, etc) that allows those countries to industrialize to elevate their economies to escape poverty and eventually reach developing levels to manage nuclear. The author shows via data that even those technologies are not carbon neutral but provide a better answer to climate change and environmental damage as result to give the population an alternative to a very low technology sustenance farming kind of life that is worst for the environment in the long run that any non-carbon neutral existing technology.

The author made a really compelling argument to show and defend his case

Worth reading and a well-recommended book

Warm Regards

Gunther Sotomayor
How do you change the world?
By: Joe Carder
Tags: Recycling, Social Psychology, Positive Psychology, Environmental Issues, Change The World

We first define a theme.

Given how prevalent the issue of littering is, we’ll pick that up as a theme.

Then select a time — December 31st, 1PM

Under normal conditions, people would be busy, stocking up on new years eve supplies on December 31st, making it likely to have maximum possible engagement around 1pm, when last minute shopping would likely peak.

Now we define the action.

Everyone who supports the idea, would vow to pick up 1 piece of trash they didn’t create (along with what they do normally), and put it in a recycling bin.
#Wiki4climate en 3 ediciones ― número 3
Tags: Wiki4climate, Environmental Comms, Wikipedia, Spanish, Environmental Issues

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

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Time To Bank Green Too
By: Nicholas Ho
Tags: Banking, Humanity, Technology, Environment, Environmental Issues

Environment & Personal Finance

Time To Bank Green Too

Climate change has been a tough issue to fully address. But there is a simple step you personally can take towards reducing your carbon footprint. Nicholas Ho Dec 3, 2020·5 min read

2020 has been a year of revelations and learnings for everyone. It’s been a year where the problems of the world have been exposed, from racial injustice and political unrest, horrible pandemic responses and unfortunately, many more unresolved issues worldwide. It’s extremely important to have conversations around these topics but today, I’m talking about climate change.

No singular action can fix any of these issues but for climate change there is an easier path to take action. Simple measures are necessary to get the ball rolling, especially in the face of a monumental obstacle. (I’m not an expert on any of these topics, I’m just relaying my self-education from this past year.)

Photo by Valentin Antonucci from Pexels

We are in a whole heap of a mess.

Mother Nature has potentially reached a point-of-no-return. There are already countless studies presenting the facts and important effects for climate change so I won’t blabber on unnecessarily. NASA’s Climate Change & Global Warming website is a great starting collection of facts & evidence of global warming and the causes of it.

Information about climate change can be daunting at first. The Earth has warmed by 1ºC (2ºF). The Arctic and Antartica have warmed 2.5ºC(4.5ºF) since 1950s. Those numbers don’t seem like a whole lot right? To put these numbers into context, those minuscule average changes have amounted to the Arctic losing around 95% of its oldest ice. Even the smallest of changes can amount to really impactful changes in the environment and climate.

The Earth is in a battle to stay alive right now. We are literally living out the worst-case scenario projections for global warming and it doesn’t look too bright if we continue on the same path. It’s going to take a whole lot to get out of this grave we’ve dug ourselves into in just the past century, but action is being taken.
Lets Talk About Our Balance of Enviroment In The World
Tags: Enviroment, Poverty, Awareness, Wealth, Environmental Issues

These days, we talk a lot about water, soil and air that give us life. We get some data, and we start worrying about the future. I’m sure many of us are well-meaning people who want things to change. We may be aware of our environment, but can we improve it? We have some problems such as air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution. Does sharing these problems on social media accounts or supporting the shared by liking make us strong against these problems? It is important to raise our awareness of the world and what is in it, but it is insufficient. Every individual who gains awareness should take an active role in the army of those who make the world beautiful. I think you should read a little more to understand what I mean, let’s see it together ..

I have been working as an environmental expert for 6 years and during this period we have organized environmental training for thousands of people. We have informed employees from many different sectors on many issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, natural resource problems, and energy problems. If you want to teach someone something, you must have unlimited faith in what you have to say. A sustainable belief. But later, I realized that although I had this belief, the people were not interested in the subjects I was telling. Some people would prove that what I told was true by giving examples from the environment he lived in, some from the events he had experienced, and some from his childhood. I know that many professionals like me have been talking about these issues somewhere. Is it enough ? No. Does it work? No way..

Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

Training people to prevent consumption, to talk about the need not to harm nature, to talk about the need to share the world with plants and animals.. Humanity has more serious problems. Like hunger, housing, health. Actually the main problem is poverty. Poverty exists that due to the existence of wealth. Unfortunately, there has never been a balance between poverty and wealth in this world. But when you look at millions of years, we see that the last 70–80 years have been dramatically awful for the world. Maybe we can say that the rapid in the increase of problems after the 2nd World War has exceeded the graph. Since then, we have been consuming as if the world could endure us. So why? To get richer? To be stronger? Bravo! You did it! Can you survive a few hundred years more than the underdeveloped countries? Whatever happens, the world will beat you too. You have to put aside the advanced egos. Unless everyone can act together, our end will not be different. Don’t be arrogant. These people are poor and have turned their back on our world because of the activities caused by people. And we say to these people ‘’Let’s save our world!’‘.. Unfortunately, our job is very difficult. The world continues to take its revenge on us..
【採訪】好日子：誰說環保會改變我們的生活型態？舒服的步調一步步踏入減塑生活
By: Where Is Janet
Tags: Environmentally Friendly, Lifestyle, Plastic Surgery, Reduceplastic, Environmental Issues

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

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The next generation of sustaniable infrastruture
Tags: Water, Marine, Pollution, Soil Health, Environmental Issues

Plastic has slowly become an integral part of all human requirments .Plastic items such as plastic carrybags ,plastic bottles have replaced everything made up of other material due to the advantages of plastic as Plastics are lightweighted and odourless etc .Plastic waste slowly started causing problems ,pastic waste clogs drains it cause harm to animals as it chokes the animals who eat plastics .Around 420 million tons of plastic produced each year and most of this plastic end up polluting ecosystem around the world , about 75% of plastic is thrown away .The worlds oceans absorbs around 13 million tons of plastic annually, which harms more than 700 aquatic animals .As plastics release highly toxic fumes when melted and plastics can be recycled to 2–3 times by this times alot of noises were made to ban the plastic .Prof vasudevan an Indian scientists who worke mainly on waste managment sets an aim to solve this problem .He came up with an solution laboratory results of mixing waste plastics with heated bitumen and coating the mixture over stones proved positive .He first implemented this technique and constructed a road inside his collage in 2002.In 2006 the Thiagarajar collage of Engineering recieved the patent for this technique .The plastic items used for road construction are plastic carrybags ,plastic cups ,plastic packing etc .The entire process is simple .The plastic is first shredded into uniform size the aggregate mix and the butamin are heated at 160 degree monituring of the temperture is important during heating .The shredded plastic is added to the aggregate .It gets coated uniformly over the aggregate with in 30–60 seconds giving an oily look .The plastic waste coated is mix with hot butamin and the resulting mixture is used for road construction .The roller used has a capacity of 8 tons .Plastic roads are extremly eco-friendly with no toxic gasses being released .The plastics are fully homogenised into the mix so no microplastics are in the end asphalt mix and no leaching of any plastics can occur .Roads made up of plastics has been criticised in the past as being misleading because of their potential to spread microplastics in the envirnament .Microplastics saturated the air we breath, the water we drink , the food we eat .The average human consumes at least 70,000 microplastics annually but now this can be controlled by proper manufacturing of the materials used .Plastic waste helps increase the strength of the road .These roads have better resistance towards extreme wheather .Since large amount of plastic is required for a small streatch of road the amount of waste will definitely reduce.
The Unstable Impact of Climate Change, Confirmed Via Satellite Observation
By: Mary Elaine
Tags: Climate Change, Science, Climate Research, Environment, Environmental Issues

The Unstable Impact of Climate Change, Confirmed Via Satellite Observation

Too little vegetation is a troubling trend that could lead to food shortages and climate refugees in the future. Mary Elaine Follow Dec 1, 2020 · 4 min read

Photo by USGS on Unsplash

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have been monitoring vegetation trends across the world using satellite imagery from past records. They are in search of the planet’s driest areas and were able to identify a negative trend of too little vegetation sprouting in some nations, whereas the situation was the opposite in wealthier countries with more vegetation. They predicted a theory that in the future, there could be food shortages and a lot of climate refugees.

In excess of 40% of Earth’s biological systems are parched, which will only increase throughout the span of the 21st century. A portion of these territories, for example, those in Africa and Australia, might be savannah or desert, where scarcity of rainfall has for quite some time been the standard. Inside these biomes, vegetation and wildlife have adjusted to utilizing their insufficient water supply, yet they are exceptionally defenseless against climate change.

Utilizing broad images from satellites that observe and monitor Earth each day, researchers from the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources Management have contemplated the advancement of vegetation in parched locales. This was the statement of Professor Rasmus Fensholt of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management:
Winter Trends You Need To Jump On
By: Max Galins
Tags: Vintage Fashion, Vintage, Recycle, Environment, Environmental Issues

“Vintage is the new norm. The planet is saved. The world is great again.”

Vintage Gilet

Vintage clothing, everyone is talking about it but have you jumped on the trend?

To the left we have a gilet from the 80’s. Priced at £60, there is nothing better to spice up your style with clothing from the past. The iced out colour way is a perfect reflection of the cold months ahead.

I found this item on Depop which is a great place to find vintage clothing. My favourite store is DRIP STEEZ. They seem to have the biggest range I’ve seen so far.

There are endless ways you can take vintage fashion. For the price you pay at Zara and other fast fashion producers, I’d much rather get a piece of vintage for the same price!

Adidas Fleece

The vintage fleece. An everyday garm that will keep you looking warm and fly at the same time. Who doesn't want that combination! Again, purchased on Depop for a reasonable £40. If you look on any fast fashion website for a thick fleece, it will always cost more than £40.

Fast fashion is the third most polluting industry in the world. With companies such as Pretty Little Thing selling jackets as cheap as 8p, it is mind boggling that they can make a profit on that. The cost of making an item must be ridiculously low if they are selling items that cheap.

That can only mean one thing,

SWEAT SHOPS!

The fashion industry contributes to 8.1% of the green house gass emissions. Reusing or buying used clothing could heavily reduce that number.

There are plenty of clothes already made out there, Why make more!

To the left is my final purchase of this month. A 1990’s Nautica sailing jacket, retailing at over £200 brand new. I picked it up for £60 on Depop on my favorite store, DRIP STEEZ. This is a timeless classic that will keep you warm during the winter months ahead!

Under 1% of the materials used to make clothing are recyclable, so why not recycle pieces that are already make! Make the world green again!
#Wiki4Climate en 3 ediciones — número 2
Tags: Wiki4climate, Environmental Comms, Wikipedia, Spanish, Environmental Issues

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Superb research into an area rarely looked at..
By: Mahesh Shroff
Tags: Climate Change, Digital, Jeans Manufacturers, Environment, Environmental Issues

Superb research into an area rarely looked at.. if only we humans were a little more conscious of our negative footprints on environment… but where’s such time.. we have ‘better’ things to do :( & the templares that leave such footprints are tooooo many.

Lastly your research to most -if not all, will serve academically

NewYorkTimes
A Moment of Change — podcast Episode Five
By: On Purpose London - Podcast
Tags: Community, Sustainability, Covid 19, Food, Environmental Issues

Episode Five — Social Inequalities and Our Environment: Changing attitudes to food

The COVID crisis has further exposed social inequalities and environmental concerns. It has highlighted the demand on food banks, the reliance of many families on school meals and the fragility of our food systems. On the flip side, more people are talking about climate change, food waste and the benefits of growing food at home. In this episode we talk to Carly Trisk-Grove: restaurateur, B Leader and co-creator of a new restaurant concept focused on serving tasty, nourishing food at an accessible price and inspiring a generation of change-makers to level-up their own communities.

From a young age Carly had a joint obsession with good food and using business as a force for good. Together with her husband, Carly ran a community cafe for 14 years. Carly believes it is now time for restaurants to rethink their purpose. Having seen first-hand the many issues that face the industry, Carly has recently moved to Devon to launch her new restaurant concept — OPOP — One Plate, One Price.

“I hope that the pause Covid has generated has allowed lots of people to rethink their relationship to food and perhaps spend more time and money shopping locally, and to really value the people who bring food to our table…we need to appreciate how important it is in our lives, and therefore value the people who help us enjoy it.”
More Companies are Committing to the Circular Economy
By: Liquid Technology
Tags: Climate Change, Circulareconomy, Sustainability, Go Green, Environmental Issues

Enterprise Becomes Sustainable

Sustainability has become a growing trend for enterprises. In the next decade, several companies have pledged to contribute to the circular economy. A circular economy is a systemic approach to economic development designed to eliminate waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

This summer, Apple pledged to be carbon neutral by 2030. Ecommerce giant Amazon committed to being carbon neutral by 2040. In the next decade, Microsoft is working to become carbon negative. Carbon negative is the reduction of an entity’s carbon footprint to less than neutral, so that the entity has a net effect of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere rather than adding it. Morgan Stanley, Google, and Facebook are just a few of the other names who pledged to participate in the circular economy.

IT Impacts the Circular Economy

This corporate shift has inspired other organizations to place a greater emphasis on sustainability. IT departments can play an integral part in this movement. U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (Berkeley Lab) reports that data centers in the United States use 70 billion kW hours (kWh) of electricity per year. The Global E-waste Monitor 2017 estimated e-waste will exceed 50 million tons by the end of 2020.

Is your company working toward becoming more sustainable? A vital part of your company’s plan should be partnering with a certified ITAD vendor. As an eStewards certified vendor, Liquid Technology does not illegally export e-waste or dump into landfills. We verify that all of our downstream partners are also certified. To learn more about our e-waste services, click here.

Original post via LiquidTechnology.net.
Environmental Conservation via AI Part 1
By: Victor Chen
Tags: Environmental Impact, Artificial Intelligence, Trash Removal, Object Detection, Environmental Issues

Hello Everyone! I’ve been making some progress regarding my project, and I’d like to share with you guys what I’ve done so far!

My Project

I’m working on an object detection AI with a focus on sustainability and the enviroment. I’d like to be able to survey a large area of land, and create an AI that can tell me the most dense areas of garbage, so that groups can clean up the environment in a more efficient manner.

I’ve started to work out the details of the project. I’m planning to survey a stretch of the Napa River using a drone. A local area of the Napa River is shown in the map below. I’m planning to survey the area boxed in blue. The length of the river is around 1 mile.

Location Choice

I chose the specific section of the Napa River for a few reasons. First off, it’s more accessible by foot, so the river cleanup will be easier. Secondly, the foliage of the area is very small, allowing the survey to recognize trash more accurately. Lastly, the area is commonly used and walked through so my project will have a bigger impact.

Drone Regulations

I’ll be using a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone for the surveying. Since the drone weighs over 250 grams, I’ll have to register it with the FAA(Federal Avionics Administration). In addition, There are many restrictions on where I can fly, and there are many zones. As a recreational drone pilot, I can only fly in Class G and E airspace without authorization. However, the area I’d like to survey is Class D, as the Napa Airport is nearby. Luckily, using the B4UFly and Kittyhawk apps, I’m able to obtain LAANC(Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) authorization for under 300 feet.

AI Usage

I’m looking into the best ways to apply AI to my project. One source dataset that I found is the TACO Trash Dataset on Kaggle:

This dataset has a collection of photos of trash in the wild that I can use to train my AI. I’m still looking into the development of the AI for my project, but I aiming to use YOLO(You Only Look Once) as my object detection method.

I’m still researching the best ways to carry out my project, and I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated!

Victor Chen is a Student Ambassador in the Inspirit AI Student Ambassadors Program. Inspirit AI is a pre-collegiate enrichment program that exposes curious high school students globally to AI through live online classes. Learn more at https://www.inspiritai.com/.
I agree as much as we can ask for companies to make decisions for us if companies dont provide us…
By: The Bumble Life
Tags: People, Shopping, Buisness, Consumerisn, Environmental Issues

I agree as much as we can ask for companies to make decisions for us if companies dont provide us with what we want then we will go else where to get it.

If what are we actually pay for with our purchasing decisions (as a population) products brought to us through sustainable and ethical practices then companies will be forced to provide them or nolonger profit.

By buying into consumerism whilst blaming companies for our choices we are only creating token gestures in response because we vote consumerism with our money but ask for the companies to keep up the appearance that they are sustainable and ethical so that we feel better about it.
Agree with your views Brother.
By: Vinod Bhardwaj
Tags: Capitalism, Business Strategy, Ethics, Environmental Issues, Economy

Agree with your views Brother. My POV is that each country has to invest from its own capital. I am also firm believer in mystic law of universe. Nature has its own way to remind humans that we have to protect universe. COVID is forcing nations to spend more on health care. Bussiness purpose needs to be designed to help humanity. Godspeed
Podcasts focusing on Zero Waste:
Tags: Podcast Playlist, Zero Waste, Food Waste, Podcast, Environmental Issues

Podcasts focusing on Zero Waste:

Welcome To Our Summary Of The Podcasts We Have Produced.

We are working to reduce food waste in the hospitality sector. We are committed to make a better sustainable future for all of us by making less food waste. Our podcast focuses on aiming for zero-waste and join us on this journey as we introduce you to environmental organisations, new tech, and green start-ups.

Our podcasts are released at the start of the month. And thereafter it they are bi-monthly. Every second week. Thank you. Please join us!

You can find our podcast on the following podcast sites:

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4hEHVKmQjSc7oHhedVFuzs

RADIOPUBLIC: https://radiopublic.com/zero-waste-kode-trailer-GMekgj

POCKET CASTS : https://pca.st/rgnvudr8

GOOGLE PODCASTS: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xZjliZjVjYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzc

BREAKER : https://www.breaker.audio/zero-waste-kode-trailer

ANCHOR: https://anchor.fm/greenkode

OVERCAST: https://overcast.fm/itunes1516682909/zero-waste-kode-all-episodes

APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/zero-waste-kode-trailer/id1516682909