Manmade Catastrophes

https://drive.google.com/open?id=12rByHBzXPS2MzkA_ThwwwRyE2xzEu1gY&usp=sharing

The Cascades of the Pacific Northwest: Ten volcanoes and their threat potential

By Blakeley Bartee

The Coldest Cities in the World

By Elijah Jackson

Southern States that are abnormally Dry

By: Ashley Jones

2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season Mapped

By: Leslie Daniels 

Georgia College Campuses Achieving LEED Certification

  By Khiyah Griffin

 

Flint Water Crisis Mapped

By: Justin Bowles 

Most Polluted Cities in the United States

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Want to recycle, but don't know where? Here you go!

Want to start recycling? If you are like me,  you want to recycle, but aren't sure what to recycle or how to recycle. It is reported that while a lot of people may think it is a good idea to recycle, only about 34% of those people actually do it. Some people who may want to recycle aren't sure where to take their recycled goods, well this is the list for you! This is a list providing recycling centers that are near Statesboro, Georgia. The list includes recycling centers in Bulloch county, Evans county and Bryan county.

Volcanoes in the United States

By Zachary Ivey

Soaring with Solar Energy In the Southeast U.S.

By: Savannah King

Deadliest Tornadoes Ever to Strike the United States

by: Cabri Gordon

Statesboro Religion and Social Environment

By: Amber Houston

Efforts Being Made to Restore Longleaf Pine's Population

By Samuel Rivers

Legislation and the Environment: Tackling Single-Use Plastic

By: Joiya Reid

HOT HOT HOT: A list of the hottest cities worldwide

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Water Pollution and Conservation in Georgia

Sports Taking Steps Towards Sustainability

By: Megan Leben

Most Polluted Beaches On the East Coast

By: Kristen Siciliano

Band Uses Platform for Environmental Awareness

By Michaela O'Larry 

British band, Coldplay, decides to halt their global tour until further notice until they figure out how to be carbon neutral.

Carbon neutrality is where you want to only release a certain amount of carbon dioxide but try to replenish it by growing tree or other positive measures.

This is the first for a band with their caliber to use their platform to take notice of the carbon footprint that is gained when musicians tour. This a proud moment for environmental that has taken in account of the how much energy is used.

According to greentouring.net, the biggest part of the emissions is actually the public travelling. Since Coldplay will be having a global tour, the usage of airplanes and private vehicles will lead to higher emissions rather than trains and shared transportation.

With the younger generation becoming more aware to the environment more and more everyday, they are looking for people with high platforms to bring in the needed awareness. 

Even though going for carbon neutrality can be an effort for many individuals want to stray away from because it can be hard, the effort is what is needed for people to do something.

Doing activities like recycling, carpooling, or etc. is the effort many people are more willing to do when their favorite celebrities push the policies.

When the government does not their part by listening to their constituents , it’s the public’s duty to figure out the choices that is needed to create a better world. This is why the usage of platforms are so important. 

Frontman, Chris Martin shared, “the band has had a number of major tours and wants to find a way to make the next tour more about giving than taking.”

With recently passing the thankful season, it is still good to see celebrities understand they have the power to make a change. 

Why We Should Save Electricity

If you haven't you should probably try to start trying to make your house more energy efficient. A more energy efficient household= less money for the utility bill every month. Energy doesn't just come from outta of nowhere, it usually ends up requiring some form of industrial and electrical manufacturing. Industries have a use for many energy sources. These sources include natural gases, petroleum, and ELECTRICITY.  There are three reasons to save Electricity, 1.) Saving money, 2.) Less Pollution and Fewer Greenhouse Gases, and 3.) Lower Likelihood of Radioactive Pollution. With the first reason, saving money in my opinion is usually the reason why people try to save electricity.  There are a few ways you can save energy that doesn't require you to spend any extra money. These ways include, lowering the temperature on your water heater, using cold water to wash clothes and insulating the first few feet of the water pipes connected to your water heater. If you save electricity you can also help prevent pollution and fewer greenhouse gases.  By using fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases, because those resources require heavy equipment to extract and mine them which tears apart lands and trees. Also with fossils fuels like coal, those facilities can have a higher cancer risk and a decreased fertility. The last reason is lower likelihood of radioactive pollution, by transferring to wind and solar energy that can help us focus on consuming less energy. So in my opinion next time you've got that hot water running in the shower or you leaving your lights on while you get up to go to the store you better turn those off if you want to save electricity. Saving electricity=LESS MONEY SPENT.

The Depletion of our Natural Resources

By Akaria Stewart

The world seems to be in a constant state of depletion these days. From its natural resources to its food supply and even common sense, our earth is in serious need of some conservation. But on a serious note, the fate of human survival depends on how well we manage and distribute these things specifically, our natural resources. 

What are natural resources: 

Natural resources appear within the environment in its original and natural form. They are resources that exist without any actions from humankind that is, until we decide to use it for our own advancement. 

As I’m sure you learned in your 5th grade science class, natural resources can take hundreds of years to form without human intervention. Yes, we do need some of them to survive such as water and air but others like coal and oil are things we use to simply enhance our everyday lives. 

The depletion of natural resources occurs when they are being consumed faster than they can recover. With the  world’s population vastly approaching 8 billion, I would strongly suggest we start taking more precaution with the things that contribute to depletion as well as ways can begin to conserve if we want to continue to have the resourceful life we all know and love. 

Causes of depletion: 

1.) Overpopulation 

This is the most common known reasons for a lot of things when it comes to the wealth and health of our planet. As I mentioned earlier, the earth’s population is soon to be at 8 billion people. With 8 billion people using natural resources in their everyday lives, there is guaranteed to soon be a lack of one them.

2.) Poor farming practices 

This is another well-known issue when it comes to matters of the environment. With the growing population and high demand for food and land resources, farmers have been forced to put a lot of tension on their land. This leaves a lot of soil unmanageable and unsuitable for plant growth.

3.) Technological and industrial advancement 

As humans get smarter, so does our technology. The problem here is, even though we all love our smartphones and devices the production and usage of those things can often produce a lot of chemical toxins that are released into our air, water, and wildlife disrupting the occurrence of our resources. 

Ways to conserve: 

1.) Use alternative sources of power

Using energy sources such as wind and solar are a lot more bio friendly. These sources of energy do not release toxic gases and pollutants that harm our air. 

2.) Plant trees

Planting trees is a great way to help the prevention of soil erosion often caused by water and wind. Not only does it help with soil erosion, but trees are a vital part of our ecosystem all on its own.

3.) Harvest rainwater 

Harvesting rainwater helps with conserving water. Harvesting rain water through the spring season and using it for watering and other necessities during the summer helps keep the usage of water from our water-bodies down. 

New Farmers Should Consider Investing in More Than One Crop

By Samuel Rivers

Earlier this week, we published an article about Georgia’s spike in farm bankruptcies. For that article, I spoke with William Tyson, a Bulloch County agriculture and natural resources agent, to learn about some of the causes of these bankruptcies. Briefly, he and I spoke about how farmers diversifying their crops might help in the future, though with the acknowledgement that farmers cannot simply switch to a different crop with the investments that they made the instant something goes wrong.

After this exchange, it has become my opinion that farmers, especially new farmers that have not yet made any significant investments, heavily consider growing several types of crops that require less investment than those such as peanuts or cotton. Especially crops that do not require overly-specialized equipment for gathering, as this could allow you to invest in less expensive equipment that might be used for multiple tasks.

Part of the reason that farms are going bankrupt is because those who invest into one crop rely on that one crop’s price remaining stable, which is often understandable given the cost of investing into some of them. This becomes a problem when that crop’s value becomes unstable, such as the value of cotton has during the ongoing trade war with China.

I realize that this advice is meaningless for those who already intend to invest (or have already invested) in expensive crops such as cotton or peanuts; I’m sure you know what you’re doing better than I do. I also understand that growing more than one type of crop is not always an option, and that doing so can be a risky endeavor.

But for those who are still early on in deciding what crops they should focus on growing and are simply looking for some thoughts on it, I highly suggest that you try for various crops with a lower investment cost. Because as we have seen with China, during hurricanes, and periods of economic downturn, no single crop is guaranteed to maintain its current value, and that can be your downfall if it’s all you have. But if you have other crops that you can fall back on should one become unstable in value, the damage done can be mitigated, both for you and the communities that your crops may be supporting.

Is Plastic all that bad ?

By: Leslie Daniels

Plastic is causing a lot of issues on our planet such as polluting our oceans, third world countries, the wildlife that lives within the ocean and on land.


This ultimately harms us as humans because when we consume the animals that have been consuming said plastic.

Although this is a fact, plastic is how we package most of our food. Without plastic, we would be subject to a lot of foodborne illness due to the lack of preservation, as food is shipped around the world.

Plastic is used a lot in our day to day life where we may not even think about it, for example, in our clothing, to protect our food, to build our cars just to name a few.  

According to ABC news, plastic is not harming the planet but the way we are choosing to use it is what is causing the problem "The reason that we have plastic leaking out of landfills and into the sea is because there's collusion between packaging manufacturers and consumers to use single-use plastic because it makes the bottom line better for producers and makes products cheaper for consumers."

Getting rid of plastic as a whole is a little absurd, what we need to focus on is using it properly. Along with using it properly, we should focus on the overuse of plastic for unnecessary reasons as well as put the focus on recycling the plastic we use.

We should focus on eliminating the use of single-use plastic. According to ABC News, it is up to the plastic producers to create a plastic that could be used more.

It is also up to us to ensure that we are trying to help by recycling the plastic we have in our own homes. for example, maybe using that plastic bag a few more times. So plastic is not all that bad, we just need to use it better.

OPINION: Love throwing confetti outdoors? Here’s why you shouldn’t.

By Blakeley Bartee

Confetti: we love to throw it, and we hate to clean it. The tiny strips of plastic are a popular prop for photo shoots and celebrations.

Georgia Southern University’s student newspaper, The George-Anne, shared a photo of confetti left on the ground, reporting that senior photo shoots have left the campus dotted with confetti and glitter.

Littering an ecosystem, even on a college campus, with bits of plastic can have harmful consequences for wildlife, both on land and in nearby waterways where the confetti might travel.

Animals eating plastic is a well-documented phenomenon, from shopping bag-eating polar bears to albatrosses munching on ocean debris. Ocean animals are especially attracted to plastic because it either looks or smells like their regular food.

When animals eat plastic, they can’t digest it. Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources explains in an article that livestock animals are often attracted to plastic litter, like plastic bags or balloons.

“The plastic could block the intestine over time, causing discomfort, pain and eventual rupture of the digestive tract leading to death,” according to the OSU’s article.

The consequences of plastic pollution are especially dire for aquatic animals. UNESCO estimates that plastic debris causes the deaths of more than a million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine animals.

Although confetti-throwers are unlikely to chuck their plastic shreds directly into the ocean, the litter might still end up there. The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 80% of marine debris originates as land-based trash.

For an environmentally-friendly photo shoot, try using biodegradable materials, like dried leaves, for a confetti-alternative. Throwing plastic confetti indoors, where it’s easy to sweep up, is another way to prevent needless littering.

Maybe litterers simply expect maintenance workers to pick their confetti up for them.

And that’s just plain rude.

Green is the New Black

By: Savannah King

You know the saying orange is the new black or various colors are the new black? Well,  green is the new black in my opinion. 

When I say green is the new black I'm not just talking about the color, I mean going green with your fashion.

Sustainable fashion is a concept that in the past I never really gave much thought to but as my shopping addiction progressed I began to wonder how eco-friendly my closet was.

With the rapid production of new fashion, it creates, as the website fashinnovation says, “harmful purchasing habits and ultimately causes great environmental concern as it continues to deplete non-renewable resources at an alarmingly rapid pace.”

I definitely had harmful purchasing habits that not just affected the environment but my wallet as well. 

The first move I made to a more sustainable fashion sense was I stopped throwing out my old clothes, and instead, I donate them, or I sell them.

Secondly, refurbished and vintage fashion is really on-trend at the moment, so this isn’t just a way to reduce your spending but a way to recycle and reuse fashion.

Lastly, I began to look at how sustainable were the brands I was purchasing. I didn’t want to put my money into companies that weren’t focused on the betterment of the environment.

Brands like Patagonia aren’t just focusing on their end goal being environmentally friendly, but also focus on their production being eco-friendly by using recycled materials to make their products.

So in all having a sustainable fashion sense is not just fashion-forward, but environmentally forward too. 

You may not think this personal change in how your fashion will do much, but it takes is a little change for a chain reaction to occur.

So, when practicing sustainable fashion think of the 3 R’s: reduce, rewear, and recycle.

Park Prescriptions go mainstream in 2019

By: Amber J. Houston

This year doctors across the country are not following the traditional way of giving prescriptions. They have found a new way of curing ailments for their patients -which is by giving prescriptions that no longer come in the common pill form. The newfound interest in Park Rx programs has been on a major rise this year. The Park Rx programs prescribe mandatory time that must be spent outdoors at local parks for patients. This time spent at parks is what is used as a form of medicine for common illnesses such as anxiety and depression, hypertension and diabetes. 

Park Rx has hundreds of different programs across America, some of which are actually non-profit for example, Park Rx America, which was founded in 2017 by Dr. Robert Zarr. These parks are not just simple recreational parks. Land professionals and health professionals work together to determine each park’s needs. These Park Prescription programs are just as diverse as the communities they serve. Healthcare providers, as well as both park and land agencies collaborate in order to determine what is most needed depending on the park’s location and its people in that given area. 

Not only are Park Rx programs  a much healthier way for people to be cured, but this is also great for the environment considering that more emphasis will likely be put on finding more accessible green spaces. Both science and medicine are continuing to confirm that spending time in nature is great for our health and this fact alone is great for the environment because we now have support from those in the medical profession to add on to the way we are able to better protect and build on to our environment,(outside of recycling at that,) rather than destroying it. Park prescriptions are extremely important for our society as well as our environment. They provide free medicine, all the while helping save our green space.

MLB Goes Green

By: Ryan Kostensky

It’s a well-known fact that baseball is America’s Pastime and favorite sport. To make things even better, franchises of Major League Baseball have continued to roll out green initiatives to lower their carbon footprint.

While most of the 30 teams have some shape or form of green initiative, the San Francisco Giants are leading the charge by way of recycling, winning the Green Glove Award presented by the MLB Sustainable Operations Committee of MLB Stadium Operations Directors nine straight years in a row, every year the award has been around. But the Giants aren’t the only franchise in Major League Baseball creating initiatives to go green.

The Cleveland Indians were the first of the 30 teams to install solar panels, doing so in the year 2007. The aforementioned Giants have too been a major player in the solar panel industry on the National League side of things, but it was the San Diego Padres in 2018 who hit a grand slam in the solar industry when they installed a 336,520-watt solar power system, more than any other club added together.

When baseball fans and spectators alike go to the ballpark, the most popular food items tend to be hot dogs, peanuts and beer. With that being said, there is still a need for fresh produce. Just under half of the MLB teams have a way to get fresh food sustainable, whether it be from in-stadium gardens or deliveries.

Finally, and most recently, the Yankees have done what just might be the most Yankee thing to do, by hiring an environmental advisor in January of 2019. The official title of the position for Allen Hershkowitz is Environmental Science Adviser. As the first team to do so in any of the professional sports, the Yankees are taking trailblazing steps that could possibly have big implications going forward.

While all teams have taken some step to go green, I believe there will be a day where we see green initiatives on every team in every league, not just Major League Baseball, but for now let’s just appreciate what the greatest sport is doing for the environment.