Time Of Death ...
In honor of Earth Day we’re taking a sustainable snapshot of environmental issues: is vertical farming the future; what does an endangered bee species mean; how will superbugs impact our planet; and what’s next since the Dakota Pipeline battle has been lost.
Is farming space becoming one of the many environmental issues? Vertical farming may be the answer:
World population is expected to reach a colossal 11 billion by 2100 (though it varies depending on whose model you use). As a result, many have begun to ask how are we going to feed even more hungry mouths? The answer, at least in part, comes in the form of vertical farming, a new, revolutionary, and sustainable way to grow our food that can also help to reduce the carbon footprint of food production.
We tend to forget environmental issues are worldwide. In Greece, agriculture is suffering as pesticides, old tradition, and corrupt government hinder progress on land and for people:
When I tell people that I had a challenging time finding organic produce in Greece this past summer, the reaction is mostly the same: In Greece – the land of Zeus and honey? How can that be?
Pesticides are still making their way onto your plate. These few crops are low on contamination:
From the Clean 15 list, the EWG found that no single fruit sample tested positive for more than four types of pesticides and 7 percent of samples had just one pesticide detected … Overall, detectable pesticide residues were found on 67 percent of food samples after they had been washed or peeled.
The guide is based on an analysis of more than 28,000 samples taken by the USDA and FDA. The EWG looked at six measures of pesticide contamination, gave each measurement a score from one to 100 and compiled the results.
The microbes on our planet are putting up a fight. As we pump antibiotics into livestock and over prescribe, the looming superbug epidemic is becoming one of the most frightening environmental issues:
This is only the fourth time in the General Assembly’s history that it has met to draft a resolution about a specific public health threat. In the past, the body has discussed and released declarations about AIDS, Ebola, and noncommunicable diseases (think diabetes and obesity).
There is nothing beneficial about GMO champion Monsanto and Bayer combining. Your health, your food, and the environment are headed for absolute contamination:
In 2011, Monsanto and Bayer joined forces to sell soybean GMO seeds coated with a systemic pesticide. In the United States, there are 90 million acres of corn sprouted from GMO seed and treated with a systemic pesticide; now Monsanto and Bayer will have all the pesticides they need in-house.
Bees are pivotal to avoiding environmental issues. With Trump dismantling the EPA and taking away focus on the importance of honeybees, agriculture will be doomed and Big Ag will be the only way to get resources.
Protecting insects is perceived bad for business. The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with oil and gas firms, for instance, opposed the endangered bees designation on the grounds that it could interfere with their industries’ operations.
Learn About The Importance Of Bees For Our Environment And Discover How Their Naturally Made Products Can Change Your Health
Countless studies show the harmful effects of using this well-known and well-used pesticide. It’s not just poisoning you, it’s destroying the planet:
Scientists have found risks with possible ripple effects through the food chain. Based on the new findings, Greenpeace is urging the European Commission to fully ban neonicotinoids (AGAIN) and promote ecological alternatives.
Oil is considered the Earth’s blood. Where a fight was thought to be won, progress has been dismantled by the new administration. Water contamination, earthquakes, and increased air pollution are only a fraction of oncoming environmental issues:
To extract oil, they have to drill underground until they hit a pool of flowing oil. It is necessary to have several drill pads set up all along the pipeline’s route, each potentially contaminating millions of people and animals’ drinking water, as well as damaging the ecosystem surrounding it.
Time after time, government agencies have shown their inability to be transparent with environmental issues. At the heart of controlling disease lies greed, public misinformation, and backdoor politics.
“The CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and health education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.”
Moving Forward With Environmental Issues
We know what the past 365 days brought us; now let’s move forward in further educating ourselves and bringing dynamic change to how we treat our only home.