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Alaina Baldasare

Professor Stalbird

ENG1201

01 April 2020

Our Sustainability Affects Future Generations

Sustainability is a choice, a choice that might end up defining the planet, and is one only

humans can make right now. Sustainability is defined in many ways, but most generally, it is

known as choosing to live a clean, healthy lifestyle in order to preserve oneself and the health of

the planet. People can be sustainable by not using paper or producing as little waste as possible,

or it can be as simple as only eating unprocessed foods. Though it is hard to see right now, the

consequences of our actions do add up when it comes to waste and our planet. The biggest issue

the planet might be facing right now is carbon emissions, and the fact that they are released daily

in large amounts that are detrimentally hurting the planet. The biggest producer of carbon

emissions is the meat and dairy industries. Sustainable actions need to be taken such as; buying

sustainably produced meats and dairy, growing gardens, reducing personal waste, thrifting, and

so much more. Carbon emissions, although dangerous, can be eradicated through sustainable

living actions, but without a reduction in carbon emissions, the future generations will suffer

from irreparable damage to the earth.

Sustainability does matter; if humans do not start improving the earth and making efforts

to stop carbon emissions, the current children and future generations may not get the life quality

that humans currently have, and the future deserves it. If carbon emission cannot be stopped,

reduction at least must happen. Some steps to take could be checking out where the grocery store
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meat and dairy are sourced. John Schwartz, Lisa Friedman, and Tik Root co-wrote the article

“Here to Help; One Thing You Can Do to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint” and they

noted an interview with Helen Harwatt, a policy fellow at the Animal Law and Policy Program at

the Harvard Law school who said, “...by her calculations, the production of dairy products--

including milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt contributes about 3.6 percent of the global planet-

warming emissions each year.” (3). As noted in the quote dairy is a huge contributor to the

global production of emissions, making a few dietary changes or production changes might just

solve some of the earth's problems. Wrangling either the dairy or meat issues would benefit the

planet and future generations greatly.

So meat may be in the first place, but dairy is just as important and growing second to the

climate issue. Buying expensive dairy products is not ideal most of the time, but with that milk

alternative, if it means not buying the cheap milk that not only produces carbon emissions but

health problems too, if consumers have the means to buy the expensive milk then it is worth it

for their own benefit and the planets. Living in a rural community means buying fresh milk from

a local farm for some of us while others are paying upwards of six or seven dollars for milk that

is not curated in a lab. Bea Johnson, in her book “Zero Waste Home,” makes light of the

situation by giving the idea that consumers should purchase dairy in refundable glass containers.

With that alternative, consumers can get money back and save the planet. Although foregoing

what seems like the best deal might be hard there are better options out there it is just about

being intentional and trying the best to make a difference.

Although the vegan and or vegetarian lifestyle may not be able to be done by all people,

there are other options that not only benefit the planet but consumers as well. If a consumer

knows exactly where their meat is coming from, birth to slaughter, it is likely they know how
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much waste the company is producing. Companies like 5 Mary’s Farm and Butcher Box deliver

their meat straight to people’s front doors and can explain exactly how it got there. The scary

part is the lack of knowledge by consumers, aimlessly picking up packaged meat at the local

Kroger or Meijer, is not only bad for consumers, but it also hurts the environment. This hurts the

environment because that meat is usually the most carbon emissions produced meat and

consumers buy it without knowing the consequences. When a company that mass produces meat

in such quantities as Kroger or Meijer, it is not sustainable or healthy for the earth. It is usually a

mill and conveyor belt of killing cows or chicken, and that is where the carbon emissions are

produced. Although a significant investment, even buying a cow or splitting the cost with a

neighbor, is more beneficial to the planet than buying meat counter meat. The good thing about

buying a cow or chickens is that the consumer will know exactly what the animal is fed and how

it was slaughtered, slaughtering in smaller amounts such as a few family owned cows does not

produce the amount of carbon emissions mass production does. Another alternative rather than

having to order meat online would be to shop from stores like Whole Foods or Trader Joes,

although more expensive than a Kroger or Meijer, they usually boast their ethically sourced

meats.

As Americans, we see the waste of food in the produce department a lot as well, and

there is nothing better than having a garden. Having gardens has proven to lead to living longer

lives as well as being more mentally agile. In the article “Growing Food Brings Health,

Happiness, and a Connection to History,” Author Shanna B. Tiayon notes, “Research shows a

link between coming in contact with microbiomes in the soil and increased levels of serotonin,

the feel-good transmitter. The same soil that makes gardening possible can lower our stress and

depression.” (3). That means that gardens not only help the earth and future generations but are
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helping people and adding longevity to their lives. Growing gardens produces little to no carbon

emissions and helps consumers to be sustainable on their own. Furthermore, growing a garden

helps with saving money and results in less produce waste from groceries.

There are many ways to be productive with gardening, such as canning leftover garden

foods, which are not only useful for people and their families but make great gifts. Foraging for

greens and berries is an excellent way to reap the natural gardens of the earth. Having a garden

will help reduce waste and will increase connection with the community. In the article

“Relationship Between Food Waste, Diet Quality, and Environmental Sustainability” author

Zach Conrad notes that “Globally, enough food is wasted every year to feed nearly 2 billion

people a 2,100 kcal/day diet…” (1). Gardening can help cut down the waste humans produce. If

there is a plethora of harvest that will induce sharing amongst friends. Sharing amongst friends

increases community and joy. Some people might argue that they do not have the space for a

garden, but it is as simple as having a window. In fig1. ,From the National Gardening

Association, below there is a simple garden, something that would not take much effort to do and

can be made with just scrap wood. Gardening seems like it is a strenuous effort but the benefits

far outweigh the amount of work. As they say you reap what you sow.
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A garden is resourceful and life-giving,

something that anyone should try to support. Not only will the environment be rewarded but so

will the gardener themself. The benefits are numerous but one of the most important is that

gardening reduces waste. Gardening creates far less waste than buying produce in stores, harvest

to table direct and anything not eaten can go back into the garden.

Living sustainably may look difficult now to give up cheap milk and dairy, but this next

step we can take to reduce carbon emissions might be more comfortable. In the article “Fast

Fashion Lies: Will They Really Change Their Ways in a Climate Crisis?” author Anika

Kozlowski points to the scary statistic that “Clothing production doubled from 2000 to 2014”

(1). The fast fashion industry, although appealing, is not one we as a planet should support due to

the amount of carbon emissions the industry creates. Fast fashion refers to a type of clothing

industry that is usually produced in sweatshops and large factories, pumping out clothing to hit

seasonal deadlines and be able to have 40 new items a week. The options to help irresponsible

fashion lifestyle are endless; thrifting, getting old clothing mended, having a capsule wardrobe,

or merely shopping at stores that have ethical agendas. In the article “Consumers Need

Information to Pursue Sustainable Options in the Textile Industry” author Eben Bein reported

data saying “In 2010 alone, the apparel industry produced 150 billion articles of clothing…”

furthermore “The Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggested that in 2015 that enough
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square footage of fabric was produced to cover the entire state of California.” (2). Living with

less means fewer options and having a more simple life. When we die our treasures will not go

with us, and that is something we need to keep in the back of our mind when shopping or over-

consuming. Stopping overconsumption will lead to a more sustainable lifestyle because people

will learn to rely on what they have, not take it for granted, or waste it.

There are a lot of great tips to be found for thrifting, but what is thrifting? Thrifting is

most commonly known as getting clothing or other household goods secondhand, or items that

were bought by someone else who loved and recycled it. Goodwill or any other consignment

shop, is an excellent example of sustainable shopping. Thrifting, although daunting at first, can

be appreciated with practice. In fig 2. From Goodwillsemi.org Shown below it is easy to see the

benefits of Goodwill and many other thrift stores have the same missions as them. Goodwill

helps not only the fashion industry but also the employment issues in America. he picture below

shows further why we should support Goodwill, note that this is only the southeastern

Goodwill’s statistics.
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Goodwill is doing so much good as noted above. In supporting their stores and others like them

people are already supporting the sustainable lifestyle. Bein also notes that “Overall, the apparel

and textile industry accounts for about 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution and 10

percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.” (2). Overall, the fast fashion industry and just the

amount of fashion being produced needs to be reduced. Kozlowski states, “The global population

is set to grow by another two billion people in the next 30 years. To make a dent in the climate

change crisis, we have to cut emissions by more than 55 percent in the next ten years. The

current carbon footprint of the fashion industry is over eight percent of the total greenhouse gas

emissions, larger than all international travel” (4). So although hope might seem lost in the fight

to stop gas emissions, now is the time to make the difference here and the next ten years. The

first eight percent can be cut if we start with the fashion industry. Just imagine how much

clothing is already out in the world, in the Goodwill and consignment shops, or even just in

people’s closets and homes. If Americans are willing to look around and get thrifty, they could

save the planet and protect the valuable earth.

As for the fashion industry and having a zero waste home, Bea Johnson has many

suggestions. Many people have taken on sustainable living and are doing their part to save the

earth. One of those people is Bea Johnson, and she wrote a book called “Zero Waste Home.”

This book walks through Bea’s best advice for living a zero-waste life. With her family, they

have succeeded in reducing their waste to just a quart of garbage a year. Johnson delves into

explaining thrifting, sharing, and many other ways to make a sustainable home possible. In

reading her book, it is easy to find that there is hope in the carbon emissions problem, and that

hope lies in reducing our waste. In order to help the overproduction of clothing people could; get

a button mended, try to remove a stain, go get the oversized clothing altered instead of throwing
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the clothing away and buying another cheap piece of clothing. By saving clothing instead of

always buying something new people are not buying into the fashion industries seasonal

calendars which will help them to be decreased and so carbon emissions would be decreased in

result. Sustainability is as simple as buying less trendy items and going for quality basics that

will last a lifetime. A lot of people are advocates of the capsule wardrobe, in which during each

season, people’s closets are only filled with a few versatile pieces and then donation at the end of

the season and begin again in a new season. Another good tip to try to see if it is necessary to

donate some of the clothes is to turn all of the hanger hooks in the closet backward at the

beginning of the month and then in a few months see what items hanger never got turned and

donate those items to a Goodwill or consignment. There are many ways to minimize and

consume less, and so much time and space could be saved in doing so. Saving the planet may not

have started with this generation, but it can be tremendously aided in this generation, and it

might be as simple as re-wearing clothes occasionally.

Another facet to dive into about sustainability is overconsumption. Overconsumption is

the act of taking in more than one might need. The act of overconsumption can be as simple as

food or filling closets, or too much social media activity. Clutter is bad for the brain; clutter over

stimulates the brain and makes it hard to focus on one task or do any tasks the best they can be.

Overconsumption kills. Conrad further notes in his article that “over 20% of food is lost or

wasted at the consumer level each year, accounting for 225-290 pounds per person per year and

760-790 kcal per person per day.” (1). Humans waste food every day, and some people are

starving. The planet is suffering due to greenhouse gas emissions produced from the production

of food, and the food is not even consumed. Bea encourages her readers to think “Bulk vs. Bulk”

and to refill bottles instead of purchasing new products all the time. Going to all-natural stores
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and refilling the soaps and water jugs are very thrifty and environmentally friendly. If necessary

to save the earth, humans should just stop buying stuff for a couple of months, such as partaking

in a no-buy, then they are taking a step in the right direction to save the planet.

Shop small business. The most ethical of the businesses tends to be a small business.

Boutiques, deli stores, all-natural food shops whatever it may be, support small business. The

reduction of carbon emissions could be as simple as shopping at small businesses because they

usually source from the U.S. and or make their products. The simplest way to find out is to ask,

and although it may seem awkward, business owners are usually delighted to have someone

interested in their passion and are happy to help with any questions. By asking a business owner

about where they source their products, consumers can know if they are supporting a sustainable

business or not and then make purchase choices accordingly. As said in the article about Bein,

the best way to see if where we are buying from is sustainable is by checking the Global Organic

Textile Standard. The GOTS has set a high standard, and if a company earns certification from

them, it is considered ethical. In order to be a GOTS certified company or product, they must

“meet a series of environmental and social criteria. Among them, it must contain a minimum of

70 percent organic fibers, its chemicals and dyes must meet environmental and toxicological

criteria, and its wastewater must be treated.” (Bein 5). Alternatively, check if a business is ethical

by looking at the GOTS. One hundred percent of the time, go to the small business first and

support the surrounding community, and if what is needed cannot be found, then go elsewhere. If

we have the means to support small businesses, then that should be our first choice. By choosing

small businesses, we are reducing water waste, the use of unethical clothing, and the use of

sweatshops.
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The beer industry, although peculiar, is one of the biggest carbon emissions contributors

in the world. Beer is a hot commodity and has been for a long time, and although it is not that

expensive there is a reason for that. In order to make sustainably made beer, production

companies have to invest in costly equipment, but they do not. Beer companies most generally

have huge production labs, and they are not ethical; they create some of the most carbon

emissions, and that is why the beer we buy is cheap. Some breweries pride themselves on

making sustainable beer, though, and they are generally more expensive. The numbers suggest

that the beer industry is only growing and so the emissions might only get worse. Sanya Carley

and Lillian Yahng co-wrote “Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Beer” and they studied a

research project conducted to see if consumers would buy more expensive beer if they knew it

was brewed better and ethically. In their data, they noted that “Between 2005 and 2015, the U.S.

expanded its craft breweries from about 1300 to over 4400, which is a growth of about 217

percent over a ten-year time span.” (1). So that means that a lot of breweries that produce

unsustainable beer opened but Carley and Yahng discovered in their research that most

consumers are willing to pay for a more sustainable beer. If people are willing to pay for

sustainable beer then that will make a huge dent on carbon emissions and might be someone's

first step toward the sustainable lifestyle. We have hope.

The next step is to take action by going to the local ethical brewery and stop buying

heavily marketed and ill-produced beers. There are a few issues, though, as noted in the article

by Carley and Yahng “... One likely cannot taste the difference between a sustainable beer and a

non-sustainable beer, and we should consider how information about sustainable offerings can be

conveyed to consumers, perhaps through eco-labels or marketing.” (9). As noted in the article,

we could and should consider making a group like the GOTS but for beer and the sustainable
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production of beer. For now, though Bea Johnson has offered up some tips for beer consumption

and how we as consumers can help the sustainable act. She suggests that most breweries have a

refill system, where customers can take, refill, and pay for empty growlers. Getting a growler

filled up is very simple and cost-effective to get local beer for a bulk price, but in a bulk amount,

that is a deal. Beer, although not the most significant issue America is facing right now, is

something Americans should consider when going out to buy some. Next time someone wants

some beer, they should stop and consider their options first and do some research about which

brewerie local to them produce sustainable beer.

There are many ways and reasons to reduce personal carbon footprint. However,

sometimes that is just not enough motivation for people. The motivation should be the fact that

they will be helping the effort of saving the planet and maintaining it for future generations. In

order to help future generations, there are so many sustainable efforts people can partake in;

gardening, buying ethically produced and sourced meat and dairy, thrifting clothes, shopping

small businesses, buying sustainably produced beer, and so many more ways. Not everyone can

be as cool and as intentional as Bea Johnson, who only creates one quart of garbage per year

with her family, but humans can at least try to make a dent in the carbon emissions problem the

earth is facing.

The statistics show if humans do not cut down carbon emissions by fifty-five percent

over the next ten years, the earth will be irreparably damaged. That statistic may seem daunting,

but it also gives hope to know that there is still a chance to save the planet. How devastating

would it be not to do anything and then ten years from now living in smog-filled earth that has

no hope of repair. Sure the choice seems easy, people should just pick up that trash on the side of

the road, should go to the new business that just opened up in town, should buy the product from
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the stand at the local farmer’s house, but the sad realization is that that is not what happens.

There is no hiding that our earth is fatiguing, but right now, the current generation is the strength

the earth needs. So if not for the current generation at least make a difference for the next.

The future generations will suffer from the irreparable damage done to the earth if

humans do not take the actions necessary. As a human race it is our responsibility to take up

gardening, go thrifting, support a local business, buy ethically sourced meats, or check out our

local breweries. Humans must start putting into place just one sustainability effort, then pick up

another, and before they know it, they will be reading books about minimalism and

sustainability. Humans can make a tremendous difference in their families and communities. It

starts with one choice, and with that one choice, we could be saving a generation. Take action to

help the earth last longer and the future generations to have hope.
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