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Planet Now
Blog on Effective Environmental Communication
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Food waste is a problem due to its scale and environmental impacts. According to the USDA, about 30-40% of food is wasted (USDA 2020). The largest source of food waste in the United States is fruits and vegetables. Food waste has been a significant source of household waste since pre-industrial times, but interest in food waste reduction increased in the 2010s as food waste and its impact on climate change continued to grow as a problem. This week’s blog looks a little different since it comes in infographic form! I created an infographic on this topic for my public policy course. Food waste is one area where individuals have some control over their environmental impact, so I'm excited for you to learn about the issue and increase your self-efficacy to deal with it appropriately. As we continue to think about different mediums for environmental communication (see last week’s blog on art and music), this infographic exemplifies a visual way to communicate about environmental issues.
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In my media law class, I have studied how the SEC may require companies to share their climate mitigation plans, so I asked the panelists about the role of government requirements for ESG. They said that the government has a role in requiring ESG reporting when companies would otherwise not have to do so; however, it would be more efficient to also increase public-private partnerships that help companies share ESG information clearly and consistently . Next, I asked how people outside companies can encourage companies to be more transparent about how they are mitigating their climate impacts, especially if they are not legally required to share this information. Dr. May said people have power to create change both by being intentional consumers and through their careers. Throughout the conference, the panelists had lots of insight to share about ESG. Here are some of the key takeaways I had:
Last spring I had the exciting opportunity to take one of the first cellular agriculture courses in the world!
The class largely focused on cultivated meat, which is a meat-like product grown from animal cells (the definition of meat, and whether cultivated meat can be called meat, is debatable). You probably know that meat production is a major contributor to climate change and other environmental problems. As a class speaker, Amy Huang of the Good Food Institute said industrial animal agriculture accounts for about 20% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. It significantly contributes to land use, water consumption, nutrient runoff, and biodiversity loss. Production of lab-grown meat can be more sustainable by releasing less greenhouse gases and using much less land and water. It can also increase food security as the world population increases and the need for protein rises in the coming decades. Unlike plant-based meat that has gained popularity in recent years, lab-grown meat is not yet available in stores. However, it reached a milestone in November. The U.S. FDA gave safety clearance to Upside Foods for its lab-grown chicken, which is the first time the FDA has cleared lab-grown meat. This is a big deal since regulation has been a key challenge for the cultivated meat industry (safety first, of course). Other challenges that remain for increasing lab-grown meat include the high production costs and getting it to seem close enough to “real meat” for the public to accept it. Many people will want their cultivated meat to have a similar taste and texture to “real meat.” They also may want to be able to cook it the same way as they would any other meat. Language will be an important part of marketing cultivated meat and helping consumers overcome hesitancies to try a new food product. People may be more keen on trying “cultivated meat” or “alternative proteins” than “lab-grown meat” or “fake meat.” Emphasizing environmental benefits and connecting climate change to people’s values (like saving money and helping others) could be a key way to influence some people to eat these new meat products. Would you consider eating meat grown in a lab? Share why or why not in the comments! We have no chance of saving our earth. We should not proclaim that There is hope for a sunnier future. When people try so many different ways to slow climate change, I see We cannot overcome the problem. It is a lie that Our efforts to slow climate change matter. Read those lines forward and backward. Climate change is serious, but we have so many partial solutions—and many of them are in our own communities! The future of our environment depends on the steps we take now to help it. How is your community taking steps to slow climate change? This week, you have the opportunity to go on a scavenger hunt! Many different characteristics can help cities be sustainable, meaning they are reducing their negative environmental impacts to preserve a healthy environment for the future. Knowing how communities are sustainable is important for at least two reasons. First, it can show people what their communities are doing right, which can create hope and show that slowing climate change is possible. Second, it can show areas for improvement so people know solutions to advocate for when discussing climate change with other residents. The following list includes characteristics of sustainable cities. You could physically travel to find these characteristics or look them up online. A form of transportation other than a car Some examples of relatively sustainable transportation (compared to individual cars) are public transportation and greenways or paths for walking and biking. I am fortunate to have a fairly reliable bus system where I live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It allows me to mostly avoid using a car. Clean energy sources Some communities have visible solar panels or windmills. These renewable energy sources contribute less to climate change compared to coal and gas. Perhaps residents have solar panels on their homes. Solar arrays could blanket fields in some areas. Electric vehicle charging stations Electric vehicles can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money over time compared to gas vehicles. However, they may not be useful if residents cannot find conveniently located charging stations. Energy efficiency measures Reducing energy usage lowers greenhouse gas emissions. For example, communities could have LED lights and buildings that have been retrofitted to use less energy for heating and cooling. Urban farming Urban farming refers to growing food in highly populated areas. Examples are community gardens and vertical farming, when crops are grown in layers stacked on top of one another. Urban farming can make affordable food more accessible. It can also cut carbon emissions from transporting food. Urban forests Urban forests are made of trees and shrubs in highly populated areas. These trees can reduce heat, which can save energy, as well as trap carbon dioxide that would contribute to climate change if in the atmosphere. Waste management centers Where do trash, recycling, and even composted materials go after leaving homes? Find the facilities as part of the scavenger hunt. Trash and food waste can emit greenhouse gases, so it is important to have government agencies help with disposing waste responsibly. Reflection Hopefully, some of these features of sustainable communities were not too challenging to find. Which ones are common in your community? In what ways does your community need to improve to become more sustainable? Advocating for and creating change in our own communities, where we can see the impacts of our efforts, can give us hope for slowing climate change. On average, people spend about 90,000 hours of their lives at work. As climate change continues to threaten food supply, energy supply, public health and lives, a major way for people to help is to have careers focused on slowing the problem. Even if you have already chosen a major or started a career path, do not fear! People can mitigate climate change and its consequences through many different fields.
The above examples are just some ideas for mitigating impacts of climate change in different fields. The Sunrise Movement is a youth-led nonprofit organization that advocates for slowing climate change. It created a quiz to determine the types of careers people should have to protect the environment based on their skills and personalities. My result is “The Communicator,” which is fitting since I am studying communications and communicating about the environment through this blog! The Sunrise Movement estimates that investing $10 trillion in green infrastructure, like public transportation and renewable energy sources, can create over 15 million green jobs across the United States. In North Carolina, investing in green infrastructure could create about 463 jobs per 10,000 people. Not all of the jobs require college degrees. Many young adults do not know what they want their career paths to look like. When talking with people who want to protect the environment but do not know how, make sure they know that many careers may fit their strengths and reduce impacts of climate change. The Sunrise Movement promotes its Green New Careers quiz through this video.
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Welcome to my blog! It is a combination of posts from my strategic writing (spring 2022) and personal branding (spring 2023) courses at UNC. I hope you will enjoy reading the posts and learning about the environment and communication.
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