The topic of zoos is always a difficult one. Do I enjoy them? Yes. Would I prefer these animals to be in their natural habitats where they are able to express all of their natural behaviours? Yes.
I do feel as though zoos can be beneficial. They create connection between people and animals, increasing the likelihood we will advocate for and protect the animals, while also playing an education role. There is a fine line to the education aspect: give meaningful, interesting information in a way that is not overwhelming, boring or lecture like. The goal is for people to leave with a sense of connection to the animals and recognition of their role/importance, not thinking “this animal is so boring”. Is it ethical to put animals in zoos? This is a difficult question. The easy answer is no. Zoos are far from perfect, I know. The animals can suffer seriously, have much shorter life expectancies and spend their whole lives in a space the size they would cover in 5 minutes in the wild. But there’s a problem, with urbanization, our increasing population always wanting more and consuming more of the land scape, where will the animals go? Many of them lack habitat in the wild, or are at serious risk of being poached/exploited. This connects to the conservation component of zoos. While again it would be ideal for these animals to be out in the wild, some are simple at too high a risk out there.
This now begs the question whether there is any better alternative to zoos, which I’m sure there is. I’m not exactly sure what this is or what it looks like but I’m sure the brilliant minds of the world could come up with a solution. I would think with the shift in our society toward more sustainable, green, animal friendly attitudes, we could see this solution sooner rather than later.
The oceans are beautiful and vast and make up the majority of our planet. Many people dream about swimming in them or vacationing near them, but how have we impacted them? Many of my concerns have been touched upon in lecture; overfishing, pollution (plastic and oil), etc. Additional concerns I have include shark finning and changes to ocean salinity and temperature.
We have left our mark on every inch of this planet; land, ocean and air. These “marks” I’m talking about aren’t things to be proud of. To many, fish are merely food or just creatures out there with a seemingly endless population due to the vastness of their environment and our lack of frequent interaction with them. I feel as though this has to do with lack of information stemming from the lack of connection we feel to them. Who’s favourite animated character or stuffed animal was a fish? No one I know. No one considers the role fish play in the oceans or how vastly different our oceans would be without them. Another “connection” problem to the ocean revolves around sharks. People see sharks as big, bad, murderous creatures. Us, polar bears and lions could also fit into this description, but it seems to be reserved only for sharks. Sharks, like the rest of us, have a role to play. Stay out of their environment and you’ll be fine, or be aware of the risks and be prepared to take your chances. There is a perception that sharks attack people much more frequently than they do, which is why some people are less outraged by shark finning than they are by the de-tusking of elephants for use of the ivory. These creatures have their fins sliced off then are thrown back into the water alive to sink to the bottom and die, and for what, a bowl of soup? This is so unimaginably cruel and we should be outraged.
People love going to places like SeaWorld to see the fish, dolphins, whales and other marine life but we have no problem polluting their natural habitats. I feel as though people view the oceans as vast, pristine portions of our planet and therefore aren’t concerned or are oblivious to the problem. We spill oil in there, we throw our plastic in there, we pollute the atmosphere causing increases in temperature and melting ice which reduces salt concentrations further changing the habitat – whether intentional or accidental, it’s happening. We cannot continue on and not consider the consequences of our actions. We’ve abused and pushed the planet to a breaking point. Honestly, while I have a vision for a better, brighter future, I sometimes feel helpless and unsure of what the actual outcome will be. I sign petitions and try to spread awareness where I can, but these small acts feel like just that, small. I wish I had some brilliant idea to solve all of our problems, but I don’t. However, I will continue to support others who do in an attempt to better our oceans and our planet. I believe we are capable of better and we are on that path, I just hope we have enough time.
I collected my personal care products and searched them up on the Environmental Working Group site, these are the results:
How do I feel about the results? First, I’ve never really investigated what is in my products. I don’t buy from brands that test on animals and generally try to treat my skin well while on a budget. Since taking environmental science courses, I’ve also looked for phosphorous free shower products, to limit my contribution to eutrophication as much as possible. I was pleased to see that across the board the carcinogen ratings were low. I’ve had family members on both sides of my family fight, survive and lose to cancer. Endocrine disruptors were present in a few of my products, which was somewhat concerning. Fragrance was listed a few times as an issue which honestly confused me. Is this saying fragrance can increase irritation so be cautious if your skin is easily irritated or that fragrance is inherently bad and we should all avoid it? I will say I was pleasantly surprised that the rating for my toothpaste was only a 2, I figured this would be the highest scoring product. I was very surprised however about the rating of 8 for Bio-oil. I have dry skin and use this on my face for added moisture as well as to even out my skin tone and reduce scars. This rating is for the “old formula” and I’m not sure how much it has changed exactly. The Bio-oil had the highest scores across the 5 categories – yikes, perhaps I should find a new oil to switch into the skincare routine. I have to say, I am far from an expert on the subject of chemicals and am not totally sure how to perfectly interpret these results. While I assume a score of zero is ideal, how realistic is this? How many products actually get scores of zero? My average score was 4.7, is this OK? Is this the average rating of products? I’m not sure. I guess while I was considering animal friendly, cost efficient, effective products, I should have also considered and investigated the damage these products could be doing to me as well. This mini experiment has definitely been eye opening and will be a tool I will use prior to future purchases.
I chose to listen to Carl Honore’s podcast, “European Vacation 2.0” featuring Vincent Dupin, who created a travel agency that takes your phone away and provides no screens (but plenty of activities) for the duration of their trips. While this is a great idea, I’m not sure how many people would go for it. I’m sure they’d enjoy the experience half way through and greatly appreciate it after, but the initial “no screens for the duration of the trip” is likely to be a bit unsettling.
What are the challenges I see to slow movement? First, I think a lot of the time when people are on social media or just generally on their smart phones, it’s mindless, they don’t realize 30, 40 even 50 minutes has passed since they’ve looked up. This makes getting away from this trend difficult, because for many of us we don’t realize how much time our phones are taking up. Some people don’t see an issue with this, if there’s no problem, what needs fixing? In an attempt to personally spend less time on social media, I set a time limit on my phone, which was honestly less than successful. Once I hit my daily time limit, at first I found myself still on my phone, just on other apps (games, checking email, texting, etc.) but now I’m slightly ashamed to say I’ve just started pressing the ignore button and continued my scrolling. Second, contrary to popular belief, this is not just a teen/millennial issue. I frequently see adults with their heads down, glued to their phones, oblivious to the world around them. This behaviour is being modelled to their children/grandchildren, perpetuating this behaviour. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see toddlers with these devices. Some parents use these devices as a means of entertainment/distraction or even as a babysitter for their children. What’s happened to bedtime stories or walks to the park? I’ve also noticed the Facebook population seems to be getting older with older adults trying to stay connected to their friends, extended family, children/grandchildren, etc. Third, this has become such an integral part of our society. It has become our number one way to entertain ourselves. While sitting on the bus for example, very few people talk to the person sitting beside them, rather they are catching up on Netflix or listening to music or mindlessly scrolling. Everyone wants to stay connected to their family members in a different province or see how the Jets are doing back home while on vacation in Florida. We want to be as productive as possible, we want to get answers and information ASAP and we want to make as much money as we can and fast! We want results, this has become the norm and norms take time to change. I feel as though sitting there disconnected, relaxing and being present in the environment is seen as abnormal or even lazy nowadays. This would require a shift in our perception as a society.
What are the opportunities I see in slow movement? First, people would be able to be a lot more present. We have one life to live and our clocks continue to run whether or not we are making good use of our time or spend it staring at a screen (I say this as I sit here typing this blog post). The amount of time we spend looking at screens could be used doing simple or extraordinary things; cleaning our houses, enjoying nature, becoming more educated, being more involved in the community, the possibilities are endless. This is time away from our families, often indoors, in isolation while stagnant. Second, the idea that social media connects us is false, these connections are superficial. Someone may have 600+ followers on social media but realistically how many of those people would attend your funeral, make dinner plans with you or give you a place to stay when in need? In reality, most people probably haven’t spoken to most of their followers face to face, how does this equal connection? Clearing these “connections” from our lives and putting emphasis back on real, everyday people and interactions could have endless positive outcomes; better social skills, better support systems, better sense of community. Another thing about social media is the impact on people’s mental health. Instagram especially is full of “influencers” showing off their “perfect” bodies and lives. They, of course, leave out the bad and average, creating very unrealistic expectations especially for youth that can lead to negative mental health. Additionally, social media has created a new type of bullying that is always present, follows you home and is very public while providing distance and anonymity for the perpetrator: cyberbullying. This can have detrimental and lethal effects. Limiting time on social media could greatly improve mental health while decreasing cyberbullying rates. The possibilities and positive outcomes are endless, if we could just put our screens away – on that note…GOODBYE!
P.S. Here is Carl Honore’s TED Talk about slowing down – enjoy below.
The total of my weekly purchases was $47.69. I would say this reflects more or less a typical week. As I still live at home, I am not responsible for my “needs” (ie. food) nor do I pay rent, making my costs low (unless I treat myself). If I had to categorize these purchases into the categories of Good, Bad and Ugly this is what they’d look like:
While I wouldn’t exactly categorize this as “good” (more so “OK”), I don’t think it’s bad (making it “good” based on the three categories). After a long day/week, cuddling up on the couch watching some Netflix, doesn’t sound all that bad. This is one of my forms of entertainment, keeping me from driving to the movie theatre (GHG emissions) and snacking on over priced, unhealthy snacks. This also allows me some time just for myself, to completely zone out, give my brain a break from all the information crammed into it all day or it can be rather educational. Don’t get me wrong, not all that I watch on Netflix is educational/informative, but this year I challenged myself to watch a documentary a week in order to gain more and a wider range of knowledge. I have missed a week or two but do feel I have more knowledge and have gained new perspectives than I had before as a result. The worst thing I can say about this purchase is that it may take away from time that could be spent outside, with friends/family, used to study/get an extra chapter read, keeps the house from being cleaned. But everyone needs an escape and a night in sometimes, and Netflix doesn’t consume my whole life. I am what most would consider a “poor Netflixer” as I don’t spend nearly as much time watching as my friends do, and am not on top of all the latest releases, but I would say I still get my money’s worth.
I decided to place my gas purchase in this category rather than in “ugly” for one reasons: necessity. I, like many others, am heavily reliant on my car to get me places. I do not live close enough to the university to make walking or biking a viable option and the bus I would take is often late, overcrowded (denying access) or both. That being said, I do attempt to carpool as much as possible. If my friends/boyfriend and I are going somewhere, we often take one vehicle. So if I deemed this a necessity, why is it “bad”? This is probably obvious but, one reason, the environmental impacts. I’m not exactly sure of the fuel efficiency of a GMC Terrain but as it is non electric and an SUV, it’s safe to say it’s not good. While there is an “Eco” setting on my car that is always enabled, I’m not sure how much it really does (it also disables automatically when going speeds upwards of 70 km/h).
I decided to place my Tim’s purchases in this category for a number of reasons. First, these are unnecessary purchases. If this does reflect a typical week (I think it’s usually more like 2 Tim’s trips a week), annually I would be spending 200-400+ dollars. That is a lot of money that could go toward much better things than a cup of tea I could easily make at home. The second and most important reason I have categorized these purchases as “ugly” is due to the waste associated and the impact of that on the environment. I am not one of those people who brings a re-usable cup to Tim Horton’s with me, meaning every trip is associated with waste. A pile of cups just accumulating worldwide. While the cups themselves are not recyclable, I do ensure I recycle all I can, the lids and coffee collars (probably to make myself feel a bit better). Tim Horton’s, while having roots in Canada, has since become a global company. Companies like these take away business from local, small coffee shops (another “ugly” side to these purchases). The one small plus of my Tim’s purchases is that they mostly occur at school, eliminating the time sitting in a drive-thru releasing pollution.
Is there anywhere I can/am willing to cut back? As I’ve listed Netflix as “good”, I don’t see a pressing need to reduce it, I just have to remain conscious it does not become a “time suck”. Realistically and honestly, I don’t see myself reducing the use of my vehicle drastically. I need to get to school, work, events, other places and my Terrain is the only vehicle currently available to me. For my next vehicle, I will definitely look into more fuel efficient options, both for financial and environmental reasons. I would love to one day be able to buy an electric car if that is a financially viable option and if the proper infrastructure was in place (ie. frequent and conveniently located charging stations). Last year, I decided to cut back on my Tim’s runs for both cost and environmental reasons. I was only getting one tea a week (still arguably too much). Unfortunately, I have fallen off of this with an increased amount of time at school this year. Every morning, I make myself a cup (or two) of tea at home, eliminating the morning Tim’s stop (and GHG emissions associated with sitting in the drive-thru). I used to go home right after classes were done and make myself another cup of tea and study/relax, but now I find myself sitting in Dafoe in need of a tea fix (I am a self proclaimed tea-aholic) quite frequently this year in an attempt to be more productive. This is something I should try and work on, drinking more water and having snacks until I make it home for another cup of tea, or bringing a mug from home in order to at least reduce the environmental impact of my purchases.
There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals that were outlined by the UN to be implemented by 2030. After some reflection, research and consideration, the issue of reconciliation in Canada directly (in my opinion) touches upon all of the goals, I will go in depth into a select few.
Reconciliation, as defined by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, is “coming to terms with events from the past in a manner that overcomes conflict and…is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples” (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, p. 6). This definition directly connects to goal #17 as a means of partnership. We need to work together to move forward. The ability to move forward is dependant upon everyone having the same basis of understanding, which is something the Commission worked to accomplish. In the TRC, residential schools were described as lonely, poorly located and maintained, staff training and monitoring was inadequate, abuse (physical and sexual) was present and diet was of poor quality (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015 ).
It is easy to imagine the effects these types of conditions could have on a group. This was not an isolated incident. 150 000 Indigenous students attended the 139 residential schools established across Canada (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015 ). Many people who lack sympathy toward the Indigenous peoples of Canada often lack information on the devastating conditions they faced at the hands of settlers, making reconciliation difficult, if not impossible. Having access to information and being educated connects to goal #4, Quality Education. Lack of knowing also connects to goal #16, Justice. Romeo Saganash once said “there will be no reconciliation without justice” (The Conversation, 2018). Indigenous peoples also make up a large portion of those in Canadian prisons, “the incarceration rate of Indigenous people is now at 26.4 per cent of the federal prison population, while they comprise only four per cent of the Canadian population” (The Conversation, 2018).
Let’s shift to more of a economic and health approach. No poverty is Sustainable Development goal #1. Child poverty rates of Indigenous children in Canada are far higher than that of non-Indigenous children (see image below).
Poverty also is closely correlated with inequality, reducing which is goal #10. Another thing closely correlated to poverty is hunger (no hunger is goal #2) which connects further to goal #13, Climate Change. The Indigenous peoples who continue to live traditionally and the Inuit of the Arctic are those most greatly impacted (Nunavut Climate Change Centre). Their ways of life are impacted by global warming and it’s impact on both the landscape and wildlife inhabiting the areas (connecting to goal #14 & 15 , Life below water and on land). Hunger and poverty can lead to eating unhealthy foods for financial reasons and have drastic impacts on health. A huge health issue plaguing the Indigenous communities of Canada is a heighten suicide rate, “suicide rates are five to seven times higher for First Nations youth than for non-Indigenous youth…for Inuit youth, the rate is among the highest in the world—11 times the national average” (Lendsay). Another major issues affecting the health of Indigenous peoples is the lack of clean drinking water as illustrated in the image below (clean drinking water is goal #6) – please keep in mind Winnipeg gets it’s fresh water from Shoal Lake 40.
This is a very brief overview. These are just a few issues that are difficult to fully delve into in a single blog post both due to their complexity and the interconnected nature of these issues. While I couldn’t touch upon them all, all of these goals are connected to sustainability and reconciliation and every aspect of all of us moving together toward a better future.
This blog question actually came up at a good time. We recently had to dispose of an old laptop and printer as well as the desktop computer of a family friend as they were no longer functioning. When my mom told me the computer and printer had finally died I told her I would look into ways of disposing them other than the landfill. I came across a company in Winnipeg located just off of Kenaston called “Urbanmine” that recycles metal, electronics and batteries. We took our items to the “e-waste drop off” location and left them there – quick and easy! Knowing there is at least one place doing this in Winnipeg is great. I also like knowing they will use and recycle all they can of what is brought to them and will ensure the rest is disposed of properly.
I have tried to compile a list of all the e-waste I have created and disposed of in my 21 years. I’m ashamed to say the number isn’t exactly little – 4 cell phones (one is current), 2 DSs, a Gameboy, PlayStations, and the list goes on. Of this list I know most were donated/sold second hand once I was done with them, but the first two cell phones for sure were disposed of and not in the best of ways (the third sits in my closet). As many of the items were given to others, I’m not sure how they were eventually disposed of. In our society now a days there is always a desire for more; the most updated thing, the thing that’s “in” right now. Where all our old stuff goes is not talked about, or maybe it is and is just disregarded. I’ve heard about the harm of improper e-waste disposal before, making a point to now on dispose of my e-waste in the best way possible. However, this blog question does not just refer to e-waste disposal but also future purchases. As you can see from the list above, the electronic I’ve had the most of is phones. My phone plan is a 2 year contract, meaning I have always gone to get a new one at the end of the two years, even though I could’ve kept using my still functioning one. I am a year into my current contract and this blog question has required me to evaluate my purchasing habits. We as a society already buy and waste so much, why should I go buy a new phone while my current one is completely functional? To me, the idea of “new” things is much more important when you’re younger. People want to fit in and often don’t know the consequences of this mind set. While I am not willing to give up my phone or laptop, I will continue to use my current ones until they give out on me and once they do, I will dispose of them properly. Creating a brighter future for us all requires a shift of our mindsets, this is just one of my small mindset shifts.
As discussed in my previous blog post, overall I would consider my food system to be good, with obvious room for improvement. Are there ways to improve the sustainability? Absolutely! The grocery store we frequent is just a block and a half from our house, we could definitely make a point of walking there more often rather than driving. (Although when we go it’s usually coming home from somewhere else, rarely do we go there right from home and back again.) A few summers ago, we planted a raspberry bush in our backyard and added an apple tree to our front yard, making those fruits readily available to us and improving our sustainability. Many people in our community and family make use of the fruit our yard produces as well. My boyfriend’s condo is just a short walk from the St. Norbert Farmer’s Market, which we plan to visit this summer. I’m sure I will be able to pick up some stuff there for back home making for a fun experience while buying local! As was made evident from our waste audit earlier in the semester (and was mentioned in my last post), we don’t create much if any food waste in my household. My mom was once against composting, she thought it was a great idea but didn’t want to attract mice and she said it created a smell. She has since become a lot more environmentally conscious so I plan to bring up the idea of it again and hopefully we will start composting peels from our fruits, coffee grounds, egg shells etc. very soon! Implementing the bins for the waste audit took a little getting used to but if we just had a little bin live somewhere in our kitchen to collect the daily compostable scraps to be disposed of outside that evening, I think that would be a very doable and beneficial system to implement that I could get the whole family behind.
In my household there are three people: my mom, my older brother and I (four if we included our dog which we usually do).My brother and I are both students who still live at home making my mom in charge of groceries with our input of course.
What do I like about my food system? First, we always have food in our house, which is something I don’t take for granted. We also always have a variety of different foods in our house, from fruits, nuts, bread and vegetables to cheese, eggs, chicken and beef. Having this diversity of products allows us to meet our nutritional needs. Various different types of foods and ingredients also allows you to create various dishes/meals, keeping things interesting and tasty. We rarely eat out/order in/eat fast food which is both good for our health, the environment and finances. Little if any food waste is produced in our household thanks to my brother and our dog, Bugatti, who my mom and I lovingly refer to as garburators. On a more personal level, I have recently started to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into my daily diet for both health and environmental reasons.
What do I dislike about my food system? I wish I ate less meat for both environmental and ethical reasons. I am an animal lover but am also often referred to by my family as a carnivore, which is very conflicting. I can’t think of what I am eating as the animal it once was. Much of what we buy is from the Superstore as it is close to our house, very little of what we buy is local or organic. This is due to two reasons: convenience and cost. As I’ve already said the store is close to us, just down our street with various food options making it very accessible and convenient. I’ve also previously alluded to the fact the my mom is a single parent, making finances slightly tighter. This has caused us to sacrifice the environment and equity aspects of our food system for cost and nutrition. I wish we shopped more locally and bought more organic items mostly for environmental reasons, but there is an associated cost.
Overall, I would say I am happy with my food system as my needs are met but definitely recognize there is room for improvement to strive toward in the future!
Well reading week is over and we’re back! For the last 2 years my February reading week’s have been spent in Ottawa visiting my best friend, but this year we decided to jet off to some nicer weather (perfect for this blog question!). Wednesday February 20th, my friend was sleeping after too much sun from the day before so I decided to go sit on the beach and enjoy. I walked as far down the beach as I could, far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the resort to where all I could hear was the waves crashing on the beach and the seagulls squawking overhead. While there were chairs around, I opted for sitting in the sand. I sat there and felt the warmth of the sun and sand on my skin and was occasionally hit with a nice cooling gust of wind. I could smell the ocean. The seagulls weren’t my only visitors, a shy Coati stopped by to see if I had any food to offer.
A picture of Coatis exploring the resort.
The timing of the trip and opting for warmer weather this year was perfect. The previous weeks were filled with exams and assignments, not to mention trying to balance work and personal responsibilities on top of it all. Winnipeg had also been quite cold and gloomy prior to my departure and the sun never fails to instantly increase my mood. The humidity in the Mexican air brought back the glow and moisture to my skin. Overall this trip gave me the time, space, and environment needed to relax and recharge, preparing me for the months and commitments ahead!
EnviroAcademy 