A women walks with COVID-19 care kits distributed by Boston's Office of Neighborhood Services in Boston, Massachusetts on May 28, 2020. The pandemic has led to a rise in single-use plastic items, but reusable bags and cloth masks can be two ways to reduce waste. JOSEPH PREZIOSO / AFP via Getty Images
This month is Plastic Free July, the 31 days every year when millions of people pledge to give up single-use plastics.
<p>Last year, the month <a href="https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/about-us/" target="_blank">boasted</a> around 250 million participants in 177 countries, but this year there's a complication. The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic is still very much with us, and it has led to a rise in single-use items, from personal protective equipment (PPE) to disposable coffee cups. In the U.S., many states have paused or backtracked on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-bags" target="_self">plastic bag bans</a>, <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-plastic-pollution-environment" target="_blank">WIRED reported</a>, and the UK has delayed its ban on <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-straws" target="_self">plastic straws</a> and stirrers by six months. Coffee shops including Starbucks have temporarily prohibited reusable mugs. And some U.S. grocery stores and states have gone so far as to prohibit personal shopping bags, as <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/03/18/states-and-stores-are-banning-reusable-bags-is-it-safe-to-use-them" target="_blank">MPR News reported</a>.</p>
<p>When it comes to plastic, the spread of the new disease has created a false dichotomy between <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/public-health" target="_self">public health</a> and environmental stewardship. The organization <a href="https://www.citytosea.org.uk/" target="_blank">City to Sea</a> found that 36 percent of Brits feel pressured to use more plastic because of the pandemic. But it doesn't have to be this way.</p><p>"Caring for the planet doesn't mean we can't care for ourselves," Plastic Free July founder Rebecca Prince-Ruiz told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/01/climate/nyt-climate-newsletter-masks.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "We can do both at the same time."</p>
<div id="cc791" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bbe6689bcee22c2633c7c9142f9488e2"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1278099014542454786" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution –… https://t.co/1kymzp2vi3</div> — Plastic Free July (@Plastic Free July)<a href="https://twitter.com/PlasticFreeJuly/statuses/1278099014542454786">1593557525.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Here are three ways you can go plastic-free this July while keeping yourself healthy and safe.</p><p><strong>1. Use Bar Soap</strong></p><p>COVID-19 has made everyone newly aware of the importance of washing their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.</p><p><a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/news/plastic-free-in-a-time-of-covid/" target="_blank">Surfers Against Sewage suggests</a> doing this with bar soap instead of plastic soap dispensers to reduce waste. But is it really safe for everyone in your household to be handling the same bar?</p><p>That's what <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/coronavirus-has-me-thinking-way-too-hard-about-my-bar-s-1842797302" target="_blank">Earther's Yessenia Funes wondered</a> until Stanford University soap expert Marlene Wolfe set her mind at rest.</p><p>"While bar soap is icky to a lot of people because it can become wet and cracked and look dirty, if you are touching it and then using it to wash your hands, whatever negligible amount might transfer to your hands should also be washed off during washing," Wolfe said. "And there's some work to suggest that bacteria are unlikely to transfer off of bar soap, and I would suspect this would hold for viruses."</p><p>But if you really love those pump bottles, Wolfe recommends getting reusable ones and refilling them in bulk.</p>
<p><strong>2. Wear a Cloth Mask</strong></p><p>Wearing masks is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/face-masks-and-social-distancing--2646281827.html" target="_self">vitally important</a> for slowing the transmission of COVID-19, but, sadly, disposable masks and gloves are <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/covid-19-masks-beaches-oceans-2646165717.html" target="_self">already</a> ending up in the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans" target="_self">ocean</a>.</p><p>You can protect yourself and the planet by choosing a cloth mask, experts told The New York Times. While N-95 respirators and surgical masks offer the best protection against the virus, experts say that, for the general public, cloth masks are plenty safe and much more sustainable. Both N-95 and surgical masks are made with petroleum products that do not break down, plus it is important to reserve them for frontline workers whose risk of exposure is greater. Disposable paper masks, another option, are slightly misnamed because they often contain lots of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/microplastics" target="_self">microplastics</a>.</p><p>When it comes to selecting a cloth mask, it is better to use old clothing you already have at home, like a T-shirt or bandanna, than to buy a new one.</p><p>"Virgin fiber of any kind is going to require more energy, more resources and more toxic chemicals than something that has already been made," University of California, Berkeley physician and environmental health researcher Dr. Megan Schwarzman told The New York Times.</p>
<p><strong>3. Don't Ditch Your Reusables</strong></p><p>If you were using reusable shopping bags and food containers before the pandemic, you don't have to abandon them now. And, if you haven't yet picked up this habit, it is safe to start this Plastic Free July.</p><p>More than 100 scientists from 18 countries <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/reusable-containers-coronavirus-health-science-2646222334.html" target="_self">signed a statement</a> last month saying that it was safe to use reusable items like bags, cups and utensils as long as they were properly cleaned.</p><p>"Single-use plastic is not inherently safer than reusables, and causes additional public health concerns once it is discarded," the experts wrote.</p><p>The choice may be out of your control if your coffee shop, grocery store or state has banned reusable cups or bags, but you can participate in online campaigns to promote reusables.</p><p>In the the UK, City to Sea has started <a href="https://www.citytosea.org.uk/contactless-coffee/" target="_blank">#ContactlessCoffee</a> to encourage the safe use of refillable containers as cafes reopen. They are asking people to share the campaign video on social media while tagging their favorite local coffee joint and using the #ContactlessCoffee hashtag.</p>
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The downtown Amazon campus on April 30, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. Amazon recorded sales of $75.4 billion in the first three months of the year as many consumers increased their online purchases, up 26% over last year, but net income for the same period fell nearly 31% due to costs of managing the coronavirus pandemic. Lindsey Wasson / Getty Images
Amazon announced that its carbon footprint rose 15 percent in 2019, meaning the online retail giant emits the carbon equivalent of running 13 coal fired power plants all year, according to the CBC. That also included an 18 percent rise in emissions from fossil fuels.
<p>That announcement was made in tandem with a significant investment in clean technologies.</p><p>The company, which has seen its already astronomical value skyrocket during the coronavirus pandemic, is launching a $2 billion venture capital fund that will back companies building "sustainable and decarbonizing technologies," the company said in a <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/sustainability/we-are-all-in-on-the-climate-pledge-net-zero-carbon-by-2040" target="_blank">statement</a> on Tuesday, as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/23/amazon-launches-2-billion-fund-to-invest-in-climate-technologies.html" target="_blank">CNBC</a> reported.</p><p>Amazon had previously <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-bezos-climate-crisis-plan-2640454585.html" target="_self">pledged to be carbon neutral by 2040</a>, but that commitment is fraught with controversy as the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/amazon-employees-climate-justice-threatened-2643729245.html" target="_self">company has fired employees</a> who supported climate strikes and asked the company to reign in its carbon footprint.</p>
<p>Despite the company's significant uptick in emissions and its willingness to do cloud-based work for fossil fuel giants like ExxonMobil, the new internal $2 billion fund will help the company reach its 2040 commitment by investing in technology that will bring it in line with its goal, according to <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90520061/amazon-will-invest-2-billion-in-climate-tech" target="_blank">Fast Company</a>.</p><p>"Each prospective investment will be judged on its potential to accelerate the path to zero carbon and help protect the planet for future generations," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a <a href="https://blog.aboutamazon.com/sustainability/we-are-all-in-on-the-climate-pledge-net-zero-carbon-by-2040" target="_blank">statement</a>, explaining that the new fund, called the Climate Pledge Fund, will look for companies of all sizes working on solutions in multiple industries, including transportation and logistics, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/">energy</a> generation and storage, the circular economy, and agriculture, as <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90520061/amazon-will-invest-2-billion-in-climate-tech" target="_blank">Fast Company</a> reported.</p>
<p>For his own part, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/jeff-bezos-climate-crisis-fund-2645179580.html" target="_self">Bezos did commit $10 billion of his own wealth</a> earlier this year to help fight the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>. As <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/23/amazon-announces-2-billion-climate-pledge-fund/" target="_blank">TechCrunch</a> noted, that pledge did little to stop the criticism of Amazon — especially after the company fired eight employees for allegedly speaking out over the company's climate record. In a statement issued during the company's May shareholder meeting, a representative of the organization Amazon Employees for Climate Justice criticized the company for "environmental racism."</p><p>"Toxicity is embedded in our operations as pollution causes stunted lung development, asthma and higher death rates from COVID-19 concentrated in Black and brown communities," said Maren Costa, a spokesperson for the organization, as <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/23/amazon-announces-2-billion-climate-pledge-fund/" target="_blank">TechCrunch</a> reported.</p>
<p>The group asked Amazon to ramp up its commitments and to pledge for net zero emissions by 2030. It appears Amazon may have listened. In Tuesday's announcement, the company said it would run entirely on clean energy by the year 2025, five years ahead of its initial pledge, according to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/23/amazon-launches-2-billion-fund-to-invest-in-climate-technologies.html" target="_blank">CNBC</a>. However, other tech giants are already there. Google reached that goal in 2017.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/23/amazon-launches-2-billion-fund-to-invest-in-climate-technologies.html" target="_blank">CNBC</a> also noted, the company agreed in April to invest $10 million to help conserve or restore forests in the Northeast region of the U.S.</p>
<p>Amazon has a long way to go to reduce its carbon footprint, which clocked in at 51.17 million metric tons of carbon dioxide last year, up from 44.4 million metric tons in 2018, according to the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/amazon-carbon-footprint-1.5624048" target="_blank">CBC</a>.</p><p>While environmental advocates are shocked at the size of that number, they were complimentary of the thoroughness of Amazon's calculations, which included customers driving to Whole Foods and the energy required to make a Kindle.</p><p>However, it looks as if the company's short term carbon footprint is going the wrong way. As the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/amazon-carbon-footprint-1.5624048" target="_blank">CBC</a> noted, Amazon has leased a dozen more Boeing jets this month so it can keep up with demand and speedy deliveries. It now has a fleet of 80 airplanes.</p>
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An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767-306(ER)(BCF) landing in Houston on April 25, 2019. Patrick Feller / CC BY 2.0
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Rattan Lal, distinguished university professor of soil science at The Ohio State University, speaks at an IFPRI policy seminar, "Economics of Land Degradation and Improvement," on Dec. 3, 2015. IFPRI / Milo Mitchell
The demands of feeding a planet rapidly careening toward 10 billion people, coupled with the environmental degradation that industry and development has caused, has left much of the world's soil depleted of nutrients. A professor who studies soil science and is looking to improve the dirt for farmers around the world has been awarded the 2020 World Food Prize for his work, as NPR reported.
<p><a href="https://senr.osu.edu/our-people/rattan-lal" target="_blank">Rattan Lal</a>, <a href="https://senr.osu.edu/our-people/rattan-lal" target="_blank">a professor of soil science</a> and the director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at The Ohio State University, has pioneered <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/farming">farming</a> techniques that prevent soil from losing vital nutrients and even put nutrients back into soil, according to NPR. That work is incredibly important, since data from <a href="http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/357059/icode/" target="_blank">the Food and Agriculture Organization</a> of the United Nations show that about a third of the planet's soil is "moderately to highly degraded."</p><p>When the nutrients disappear, crop yields are lower and less healthy. That's troublesome for the growing demands placed on farmers.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/22/880932230/soil-prof-hits-pay-dirt-250k-prize-for-helping-farmers-fighting-climate-change" target="_blank">NPR</a> reported. Lal believes sustainable <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agriculture">agriculture</a> practices are the "win-win-win option" as the world struggles with the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> and food insecurity. "My philosophy has always been that the health of soil, plants, animal, people, and the environment is one indivisible," Lal said.</p><p>In addition to improving soil, Lal's work showed how plants could pull carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in the soil to prevent it from combining with oxygen and creating carbon dioxide, which adds more greenhouse gases to an already warming planet, according to <a href="https://www.thehawkeye.com/news/20200614/pioneer-of-research-on-sequestering-carbon-in-soil-is-this-years-world-food-prize-laureate" target="_blank">The Hawk Eye</a> in Iowa.</p>
<p>"This breakthrough research transformed the way the world saw soils," the World Food Prize Foundation, a Des Moines nonprofit that sponsors the annual $250,000 prize, said in its announcement of the prize.</p><p>"As a result, soils are now not only the foundation for increasing the quality and quantity of food and preserving natural ecosystems, but an important part of mitigating climate change, as well," the foundation said in its release.</p><p>The World Food Prize is often described as the Nobel for research in <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/food">food</a>, according to <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rattan-lal-2020-world-food-prize-soil-scientist-6471435/" target="_blank">The Indian Express</a>. It was even created by Nobel prize laureate Norman Borlaug in 1987.</p>
<p>Lal is no stranger to prizes, nor to altruism. Last year, he was awarded $450,000 for the Japan Prize, which is issued by the Japanese government, for his work on soil. He gave all of the prize money to Ohio State's <a href="https://cfaes.osu.edu/" target="_blank">College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences</a>, as <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/04/22/ohio-state-just-got-a-half-million-dollar-gift.html" target="_blank">Columbus Business First</a> in Ohio reported.</p><p>Lal's work built upon the tenets that farmers already knew about maintaining and building healthy soil. His work that focused on restoring nutrients had the added bonus of removing carbon from the atmosphere, according to the <a href="https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/editorials/2020/06/20/feeding-the-world-ohio-state-university-rattan-lal/stories/20200618008" target="_blank">Toledo Blade</a>.</p><p>"He's helping the Earth's estimated 500 million small farmers be faithful stewards of their land through improved management, less soil degradation, and the recycling of nutrients," said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as the <a href="https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/editorials/2020/06/20/feeding-the-world-ohio-state-university-rattan-lal/stories/20200618008" target="_blank">Toledo Blade</a> reported. "The billions of people who depend on these farms stand to benefit greatly from his work."</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.kff.org/news-summary/usaid-acting-administrator-provides-statement-congratulating-winner-of-2020-world-food-prize/" target="_blank">Kaiser Foundation</a> reported that USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa said, "The global demand for food is growing faster than the world's population. Agriculture and food systems face the challenge of producing more while using less land and water. Dr. Lal's work has advanced our ability to grow more food while minimizing the environmental impact for agriculture — essential for sustainable solutions to end hunger and malnutrition."</p><p>Lal's adventurous career has taken him to posts in Australia and Nigeria. He has led soil restoration projects in Asia, Africa and Latin America, integrating no-till farming and use of cover crops, mulching and agroforestry to protect soil, conserve water and return nutrients, carbon and organic matter in the soil, according to <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/world-food-prize-rattan-lal-man-who-took-inspiration-from-shastras-puranas-to-help-500-million-farmers-11591935428304.html" target="_blank">LiveMint</a>.</p><p>"[Lal] was really the first person to put soil science on the map," said Marco Ferroni of <a href="https://www.cgiar.org/how-we-work/governance/system-organization/system-management-board/smb-composition/" target="_blank">CGIAR</a>, a global agricultural research group, to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/06/22/880932230/soil-prof-hits-pay-dirt-250k-prize-for-helping-farmers-fighting-climate-change" target="_blank">NPR</a>.</p>
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How an Environmental Justice Documentary Is Building Solidarity in the Midst of the Racial and Health Crisis
23 June
Sponsored
Indigenous leaders, environmental groups, interfaith and divestment coalitions are hosting online events, utilizing the film to support frontline and impacted communities. Courtesy / The Condor & The Eagle
By Tracy L. Barnett
A soon-to-be-released feature film exemplifies how independent media initiatives can be powerful tools for social and environmental justice organizing. Challenging the isolation and impotence that many are feeling in the face of the current health and racial crises, the internationally acclaimed documentary The Condor & The Eagle and its impact campaign "No More Sacrificed Communities" bring us together in these challenging times – reminding us of our deep interconnectedness with the Earth and one another.
<p>As we work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, environmental racism is presenting a deadly parallel threat for Indigenous peoples across North and South America, who continue to defend the lands and waters, protecting their communities from extraction and the pandemic. Meanwhile, the climate crisis has not paused as we battle racialized violence and COVID-19. On the contrary, as countries ease restrictions, emissions levels have rebounded to just 5% lower than last year at this time, and experts warn that we could be facing increased emissions by year's end. Meanwhile those at the front lines of the struggle for climate justice are battling disproportionately high rates of infection from Covid-19 while facing heightened risks of violence and illness from the extractive industries.</p>
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A PROFOUND WORK OF CLIMATE JOURNALISM
<p>Oscar-winning editor and producer Douglas Blush says: "This documentary takes the struggle for climate justice beyond the standard borders of separate nations using thrilling cinematography, deeply personal stories and the urgency of tomorrow's headlines. <em>The Condor & The Eagle</em> is both a profound work of climate journalism and an exhilarating, emotional adventure film."<br></p><p>The recent burning of the Amazon, the mega-fires in Australia, and the current political climate bode ill for our planet's future habitability. But there is hope. This internationally acclaimed documentary chronicles the ongoing collective climate awakening and the imperative of urgent change. The film asks how social change happens, and explores best practices for building effective social movements, led by the most affected. As world climate scientists predict unprecedented global catastrophe, <em>The Condor & The Eagle</em> features Indigenous women leaders at the head of an unparalleled global response.</p>
<p>Four Indigenous leaders embark on an extraordinary transcontinental adventure from the Canadian boreal forests to deep into the heart of the Amazonian jungle to unite the peoples of North and South America and deepen the meaning of "climate justice." <em>The Condor & The Eagle</em> offers a glimpse into a developing spiritual renaissance as the film's four protagonists learn from each other's long legacy of resistance to colonialism and its extractive economy.</p>
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Casey Camp-Horinek, Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, left, with Melina Laboucan_Massimo, Lubicon Cree First Nation of Alberta, in the front row of the half-million-strong People's Climate March in New York, 2014. Screenshot / The Condor & The Eagle
IMPACT CAMPAIGN: "NO MORE SACRIFICED COMMUNITIES"
<p>Indigenous leaders, environmental groups (including Amazon Watch, Sierra Club, Extinction Rebellion), divestment and interfaith coalitions (including Interfaith Power and Light, Unitarian Universalists) are <a href="https://thecondorandtheeagle.com/events/" target="_blank">hosting impressive online events</a>, presenting the film to large audiences along with a live-screen discussion with film and movement protagonists. In the weeks and months ahead, the film's impact campaign, "No More Sacrificed Communities," will explore how media highlighting the voices from impacted communities can compel a shift from witnessing environmental destruction to practical actions for sustainable, community-based initiatives.</p> <p>Each of more than a dozen online events is hosted by a different organization and offers the opportunity to raise funds for key environmental justice groups and impacted communities that are leading the charge against destructive fossil fuel projects.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQwODM1NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTY1OTE4MH0.Z6ZOvelXtSKYGx_LNFr4MyUq6JtvMnTJxECCHLfKsko/img.png?width=980" id="fc2b5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4271ef679acb20176c4ba3d69d20652e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
At the Red Nation International Film Festival. Left to right: Festival director Joanelle Romero, co-director Clement Guerra, film protagonist Bryan Parras, Executive Producer Jacqueline Garcia and Impact Partner Kat Lo, Eaton Workshop.
INTERNATIONAL FILM RELEASE
<p>Since its premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival in October 2019, <em>The Condor & the Eagle</em> has been selected by more than 50 film festivals and has won 12 awards, most notably Best Environmental Documentary at the 2019 Red Nation International Film Festival in Beverly Hills, California.<br></p> <p>The film's international release date is set for Wednesday, July 1, and it will be available for rent on the <a href="https://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/the-condor-and-the-eagle/" target="_blank">Films For Action</a> website. That day also marks the film's Latin American premiere with "<a href="https://event.webinarjam.com/register/93/xyg1yuw9?fbclid=IwAR2pNe5jKZJ3jXlmHROc8ifD1JtxQkKNG1QB2xx41WST7XrL7knai_kGnHU" target="_blank">Defending the Defenders of the Mother Earth / Defendiendo las Defensoras de la Madre Tierra</a>," a bilingual screening event featuring Bertha "Bertita" Zúñiga Cáceres of Honduras, daughter of the environmental martyr Berta Cáceres, and the director, among others.</p>A MESSAGE FROM THE FILMMAKERS
<p>The film was directed and produced by Clement Guerra, a 37-year-old French international marketing manager, and his German wife Sophie. The couple left their comfortable careers in Europe and took their savings to live in a camper van and spend five years documenting the Indigenous-led climate justice movement.</p><p>"We don't want to be 'extractivist' filmmakers, but rather ones who work hand-in-hand with communities," Clement told The Esperanza Project in a recent interview, <a href="https://www.esperanzaproject.com/2020/native-american-culture/the-condor-the-eagle-takes-flight/" target="_blank"><em>The Condor & The Eagle' Takes Flight</em></a>. "On a personal level, this whole experience helped us face our own privilege, and we quickly realized that the pollution outside reflected the ego-toxicity we are carrying on the inside. We have been conditioned to believe that we are skin-encapsulated egos, that we are each an 'I' separate from every other 'I.' Thanks to our journey and the process of making this film, we came to realize that we all depend on each other; we are not separate."<br></p><p>You can support the team impact work <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=W44L44WM4ELDW&source=url" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</p><iframe title="vimeo-player" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/417898062" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Scientists say reusable cups, bags and containers are safe to use as long as people employ basic hygiene. Igishevamaria / iStock / Getty Images Plus
The response to the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has seen many states and countries reverse course on their efforts to reduce the ubiquity of single-use plastics. Now, it seems single-use plastics are a mainstay of the front lines in the fight against spreading COVID-19.
<p>Seeing the troubling rise in plastic use and disposable items, a consortium of scientists penned a <a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/planet4-international-stateless/2020/06/26618dd6-health-expert-statement-reusables-safety.pdf" target="_blank">statement</a> that was published Monday saying that reusable containers do not increase the risk of transmission, as <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/coronavirus-reusable-containers-food-cup-drink-safe-covid-19-a9578501.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a> reported. Whether or not that means states will uphold their plastic bag bans and Starbucks will allow customers to use bring-your-own cups is still unclear.</p><p>The statement was signed by 119 scientists from 18 different countries. It includes epidemiologists, virologists, biologists, chemists and doctors, who all agree that the best available <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/science/">science</a> and guidance from public health professionals says reusable cups, bags and containers are perfectly safe to use as long as people employ simple and basic hygiene, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/22/reusable-containers-safe-during-covid-19-pandemic-say-experts" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p>"Single-use plastic is not inherently safer than reusables, and causes additional public health concerns once it is discarded," the statement warns, as <a href="https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/experts-say-how-make-reusable-18464712" target="_blank">Cambridge News</a> in the UK reported.</p><p>Single-use plastics are on the rise as well, as more and more protective gear is used and discarded. The pandemic has ushered in a rise in the use of protective masks, gloves, face shields, overalls, dividing screens between store staff and customers, and other items, as <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/health-experts-bemoan-rise-of-plastic-in-fight-against-coronavirus/" target="_blank">The Times of Israel</a> reported.</p>
<p>The notion of plastics as a safer alternative to reusable containers is a myth perpetuated by the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics">plastics</a> industry, argue campaigners for eco-conscious groups, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/22/reusable-containers-safe-during-covid-19-pandemic-say-experts" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>.</p><p>"It's been shocking to witness the plastic industry take advantage of the pandemic to promote throwaway plastics and scare people away from reusable bags and other items," said Greenpeace USA global project leader Graham Forbes, as <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/health-experts-bemoan-rise-of-plastic-in-fight-against-coronavirus/" target="_blank">The Times of Israel</a> reported.</p>
<p>"It is crucial for businesses and governments to know that as they reopen, reusable systems can be deployed safely to protect both our environment and workers and customers," he added. "To keep people safe and protect our planet, we should listen to the best available science instead of underhanded marketing from the plastic industry."</p><p>Charlotte Williams, a chemistry professor at Oxford University and one of the signatories of the letter, hopes the pandemic will encourage the public to strive even further to solving <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-pollution">plastic pollution</a> issues.</p>
<p>"I hope we can come out of the COIVID-19 crisis more determined than ever to solve the pernicious problems associated with plastics in the environment," Williams said, as <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/coronavirus-reusable-containers-food-cup-drink-safe-covid-19-a9578501.html" target="_blank">The Independent</a> reported. "In terms of the general public's response to the COVID crisis, we should make every attempt to avoid over-consumption of single-use plastics, particularly in applications like packaging."</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/experts-say-how-make-reusable-18464712" target="_blank">Cambridge News</a>, the experts suggest people wash reusable containers with hot water and detergent or soap, while also remembering to frequently wash their hands with soap and hot water or an alcohol-based hand rub, and to avoid touching their eyes, mouth or nose.</p>
<p>The statement went to say that retailers should follow similar practices when handling reusable containers and try to use contact-free systems for customers' personal bags and cups whenever possible.</p><p>The scientists argue that taking care of the waste crisis is of equal importance to the COVID-19 crisis.</p><p>"Public health must include maintaining the cleanliness of our home, the Earth," said Dr. Mark Miller, former director of research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/health-experts-bemoan-rise-of-plastic-in-fight-against-coronavirus/" target="_blank">The Times of Israel</a>. "The promotion of unnecessary single-use plastics to decrease exposure to the coronavirus negatively impacts the environment, water systems, and potential food supply compared to the safe use of reusable bags, containers and utensils."</p>
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An aerial view of Miami, Florida. Ann Baekken / CC BY 2.0
By Tara Lohan
With its white-sand beaches and glittery high-rises, Miami is still a vacation hotspot. But lapping at those shores is another reality. The city is also a "possible future Atlantis, and a metonymic stand-in for how the rest of the developed world might fail — or succeed — in the climate-changed future," wrote Miami journalist Mario Alejandro Ariza in his forthcoming book, Disposable City: Miami's Future on the Shores of Climate Catastrophe.
<p>This may not be news to some. The city's plight has been the subject of <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/miami-how-rising-sea-levels-endanger-south-florida-200956/" target="_blank">investigative reporting</a> and even viral news stories after an <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/11/supermoon-tide-miami-sea-level-octopus-garage/#:~:text=The%20recent%20supermoon%20created%20difficult,along%20the%20South%20Florida%20coast." target="_blank">octopus showed up in a parking garage</a> following an especially high tide.</p>
<p>But Ariza takes a much deeper, more personal dive into the slowly unfolding disaster. Along the way he finds that the central question is whether South Florida — home to 6.5 million people — can <em>equitably</em> withstand what's coming. To do so it will need to reckon with its past sins. "Miami is a damn beautiful city, and it rests on a sodden foundation of merciless racial and environmental exploitation," he wrote.</p><p>The first step is figuring out how much sea-level rise there may be and when it's coming — but even that isn't easy, and there's no one definitive number. The regional climate change compact predicts two to six feet of sea-level rise by the end of the century; a NASA scientist has said eight to 10 feet.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQwNjkxNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzg4Mzk1NH0.7OV9mAqMYmMFtuXovCirxAic2DnEvGjzKu03NdxZMMY/img.jpg?width=980" id="c0b56" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f92297ec36700237885d6b9112edfd96" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>One thing is certain, though: 20 percent of Miami-Dade County sits less than two feet above the sea. And by some estimates, the water could get that high in just 40 years.</p><p>The time to determine what future Miami may have is now.</p><p>After detailing that grim if uncertain reality, Ariza takes a detailed journey through South Florida's vulnerabilities, what actions the region is taking, and those it isn't. The first-person narrative follows Ariza through smelly, flooded city streets; a rigorous paddle to assess the risks to local infrastructure by kayak; and a day traipsing through thick swamps with two veterans to capture invasive Burmese pythons slithering amok.</p><p>This drives home a few points: South Florida's environmental problems aren't limited to sea-level rise — although the rising water could make much of it worse.</p><p>The draining of swamps, altering of water courses and brazen development have taken a mighty ecological toll. The Everglades are dying, and restoration efforts are painfully slow. The Miami River is choked by nutrient pollution — from leaking septic systems and fertilizer runoff — that's killing seagrasses, a keystone species of shallow marine ecosystems, and an important buffer against storms.</p><p>Environmental collapse is just part of the problem, though. There's also economic distress.</p>
<p>"If you expect to survive into the middle of the 21st century, you might just get to watch Miami die," Ariza wrote. "But not before the changing climate stretches the city's already yawning gap between rich and poor past its breaking point."</p><p>Miami-Dade is a majority-minority county with half its residents foreign-born. It also has an enormous wealth gap, with 6 in 10 residents spending more than one-third of their income on housing. And most of those who are struggling to make ends meet are black and Hispanic service-sector workers, Ariza explains.</p><p>It's precisely those communities with the fewest resources that will be hardest hit by stronger storms, hotter temperatures and rising tides. These inequities "are as dangerous as the city's low-lying topography and porous geology," he wrote.</p><p>Already a kind of climate gentrification is underway.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQwNjkxOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMTM2NjQ2N30.prNLB71aP9lmgef6N0nfm4tb6CV-SuwU26pAc0w3FXE/img.jpg?width=980" id="50ce2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="84b419fd9ff9294df51b00f3551c89cc" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://therevelator.org/miami-climate-ariza/" target="_blank">The Revelator</a>. </em><em></em></p><a href="https://therevelator.org/" target="_blank"></a>Flooding in Miami's Brickell neighborhood in 2017. Phillip Pessar / CC BY 2.0
<p>Ariza explains how decades of racist policies and real-estate practices have pushed communities of color away from the beach and the newly emerging suburbs. They ended up sandwiched in between, in an area of high ground that now looks enticing to developers.</p><p>This new pressure is increasing gentrification in communities already barely surviving. It's liable to get worse, too, Ariza explains. Between $15-$23 billion worth of property may be underwater in 30 years. The market has yet to broadly reflect that, but developers are building on borrowed time, even as the lower-income communities are already feeling the pinch.</p><p>"Everything we know about climate change indicates that it pulls at society's loose ends," said Ariza. These cracks in vulnerability could become chasms if the right policies aren't enacted as the city works to mitigate and adapt.</p><p>By the end of <em>Disposable City, </em>it's likely readers won't be wildly optimistic about Miami's chances. But they will be armed with a deeper view of what's at stake and the complexities of trying to solve an environmental and social challenge of this magnitude. Even if the city itself does everything right, it still needs the state of Florida to embrace climate reality and the rest of the world to meet science-based targets for greenhouse gas reductions. Efforts are underway, including a <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article243276326.html" target="_blank">newly released draft plan</a> from the Army Corps of Engineers to spend $4.6 billion on sea walls and other projects to protect businesses and homes from storm surges. But much more will be needed.</p><p>In Miami these next decades will be fight or flight. Or a combination of both. And he muses on what that would look like. And feel like. Ariza himself is an immigrant, having come to Miami from the Dominican Republic as a kid. He already carries the grief of having left a homeland — a feeling that half the city's population also knows intimately.</p><p>"Now we have to face the fact that climate change may well force us to scatter again," he wrote.</p><p>The end of the book turns from this hard reality to a future vision as Ariza shifts to a fictional envisioning. No spoilers, but it's safe to say Miami in 2100 will be a changed place. And that's at least one thing we know for sure about this warming world — it is a changing one.</p><p>Ariza's deep dive into Miami is an intricate look at <em>his</em> vulnerable city, but it's likely to get readers thinking about their own. What will your hometown look like in 80 years? What do you want it to look like? What will you do to make that hope a reality?</p>From Your Site Articles
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St. Peter's Square and St.Peter's Basilica on May 20, 2020 in The Vatican, after it reopened following a lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 infection. ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images
The Vatican urged Catholics to closely consider where they invest their money and to take a close look at the environmental impact of the companies they may be shareholders in, as Reuters reported.
<p>Pope Francis has frequently criticized wanton greed that has led to environmental degradation and a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis" target="_self">climate crisis</a> that is uprooting the lives of the world's most vulnerable and impoverished people. On Earth Day, the Pope gave a speech in which he said that humans have sinned against the earth, as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pope-francis-earth-day-speech-2645811438.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_self">EcoWatch</a> reported at the time.</p><p>To follow up on the pontiff's works, the Vatican released a 225-page manual for church leaders and workers that included the guidance to end investments in weapons manufacturing and defense systems, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuels</a>, and to closely monitor companies in the energy sector to see if their actions are causing environmental harm, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vatican-environment/vatican-urges-catholics-to-drop-investments-in-fossil-fuels-arms-idUSKBN23P1HI?utm_source=reddit.com" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>The manual, called <em>Journeying Towards Care For Our Common Home</em>, is a follow up to the Pope's <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/pope-francis-encyclical-urges-swift-action-on-climate-change-ahead-of--1882051686.html" target="_self">landmark encyclical </a>on climate change called "<a href="http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html" target="_blank">Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home</a>," which gave the official Catholic Church seal of approval to the pope's environmental concerns. The new compendium offers practical steps to follow up on the Laudato Si, which translates from Latin to Praise Be.</p><p>As <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vatican-environment/vatican-urges-catholics-to-drop-investments-in-fossil-fuels-arms-idUSKBN23P1HI?utm_source=reddit.com" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported, the manual's finance section said that shareholder action "could favor positive changes ... by excluding from their investments companies that do not satisfy certain parameters." It listed these as respect for human rights, bans on child labor, and protection of the environment.</p>
<p>"The Vatican's call for divestment is a breath of hope in times when faith is more needed than ever," said Bill McKibben, author and co-founder of <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/18/new-vatican-document-urges-fossil-fuel-divestment-serve-planet-and-common-good" target="_blank">350.org</a> in a statement, as <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/06/18/new-vatican-document-urges-fossil-fuel-divestment-serve-planet-and-common-good" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a> reported. "It is also one of the handful of great moments in this decade-long campaign. It is a powerful statement that attempting to profit off the destruction of the planet is plainly and simply immoral and unethical."</p><p>The Vatican bank has insisted it does not invest in fossil fuels and many Catholic dioceses and educational institutions around the world have taken similar positions, including a move last month by more than 40 Catholic institutions globally that pledged to divest from fossil fuels, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vatican-environment/vatican-urges-catholics-to-drop-investments-in-fossil-fuels-arms-idUSKBN23P1HI?utm_source=reddit.com" target="_blank">Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>One action point in the manual called on Catholics to "shun companies that are harmful to human or social ecology, such as abortion and armaments, and to the environment, such as fossil fuels," as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-vatican-environment/vatican-urges-catholics-to-drop-investments-in-fossil-fuels-arms-idUSKBN23P1HI?utm_source=reddit.com" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported. Another section called for stringent monitoring of the mining and extraction industry to make sure they were not adding harmful contaminants to the air, land and water.</p><p>Journeying Towards Care For Our Common Home sees the climate crisis as "a profound environmental, ethical, economic, political, and social 'relevance'" which "impacts the poor above all," according to the <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-06/vatican-interdicastery-document-laudato-si-safeguarding-creation.html" target="_blank">Vatican News</a>. It calls for a new model of development that links the fight against the climate crisis and the fight against poverty to church doctrines.</p><p>The document calls for a commitment to low-carbon, sustainable development, reforestation of the Amazon region, and humanitarian protections for climate refugees, according to the <a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-06/vatican-interdicastery-document-laudato-si-safeguarding-creation.html" target="_blank">Vatican News</a>.</p>
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A recently published study found that Cuban rivers are cleaner than the Mississippi because of organic farming and conservation agriculture. Roberto Machado Noa / LightRocket / Getty Images
By Paul Bierman and Amanda H. Schmidt
For most of the past 60 years, the United States and Cuba have had very limited diplomatic ties. President Barack Obama started the process of normalizing U.S.-Cuba relations, but the Trump administration reversed this policy, sharply reducing interactions between the two countries.
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<em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/paul-bierman-959411" target="_blank">Paul Bierman</a> is a </em><em>Professor of Geology and Natural Resources and Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont.</em>
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<em></em><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amanda-h-schmidt-1028260" target="_blank">Amanda H. Schmidt</a> is an </em><em>Associate Professor of Geology, Oberlin College and Conservatory.</em>
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<em>Disclosure statement:<strong> </strong>Paul Bierman receives funding from the US National Science Foundation. </em><em>Amanda H. Schmidt receives funding from the National Science Foundation.</em>
</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/cubas-clean-rivers-show-the-benefits-of-reducing-nutrient-pollution-131357" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></p><iframe height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131357/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1"></iframe>
<p>Scientific cooperation is a bright spot in this difficult history. Since the 19th century, U.S. institutions like the Smithsonian and the National Academy of Sciences have <a href="https://www.scielosp.org/pdf/medicc/2018.v20n2/23-26/en" target="_blank">worked with Cuban counterparts</a> to understand topics such as vector-borne disease transmission. Although political friction has often made such partnerships challenging, many scientists on both sides believe their countries <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/aaas-cuba-partnership-health-diplomacy-celebrated-us-release-medicc-review-special-edition" target="_blank">stand to gain</a> by tackling health and environmental challenges together.</p><p>We are geoscientists who study <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nZ6d2zUAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">how landscapes change</a> through processes such as <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=h3DEhtEAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">erosion</a>. For the past two and a half years, we and our team of U.S. scientists have been working with Cuban geoscientists to understand the environmental and water quality effects of progressive agricultural policies in Cuba.</p><p>In a recently published study, we show that Cuban rivers are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1130/GSATG419A.1" target="_blank">cleaner than the mighty Mississippi</a>. Why? Because Cuban farmers practice organic farming and conservation agriculture to <a href="https://collections.elementascience.org/cubas-agrifood-system-in-transition/" target="_blank">reduce soil erosion and nutrient loss</a>. In sum, Cuba is doing a better job than the U.S. at keeping farming from hurting its rivers, and its results offer useful lessons.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="47f8d2d1b56e4ad58afd70efd2549046"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8MsnXTMC1-E?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
A Test Case in Sustainable Farming
<p>Cuban rivers run from the mountains to the ocean through cow-filled pastures, fields of sugar cane and rice paddies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2017.1026" target="_blank">forests, wetlands and mangroves</a>. Along the way, groundwater seeps into river channels from below. When heavy thunderstorms strike, water pours off the land.</p><p>These flows carry soil and dissolved material into streams, which deliver this load to the coast. Cuba's coastlines have abundant mangrove thickets, underwater seagrass beds and some of the Caribbean's <a href="https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/cuba/cuba-s-coral-reefs" target="_blank">best-preserved coral reefs</a>.</p><p>We became interested in teaming with Cuban scientists because of their nation's country-wide experiment in organic agriculture dating back to the late 1980s. When the Soviet Union, Cuba's former trading partner, broke apart, Cuban farmers lost access to fertilizers, pesticides and heavy equipment, and had to <a href="https://theconversation.com/cubas-sustainable-agriculture-at-risk-in-u-s-thaw-56773" target="_blank">adopt a more ecologically based aproach</a>. Could their experience provide a blueprint for more sustainable approaches to feeding the world?</p><p>We used the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/" target="_blank">ResearchGate</a> network to find Cuban collaborators. Supported by the <a href="http://nsf.gov/" target="_blank">U.S. National Science Foundation</a> and the <a href="https://www.ceac.cu/" target="_blank">Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos</a>, the research we are doing in Cuba builds on measurements we have done all over the world.</p>Less Fertilizer Runoff in Cuba
<p>For this study we analyzed water samples from each of 25 rivers in central Cuba, looking for elements from across the periodic table and for bacteria. Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1130/GSATG419A.1" target="_blank">first results</a> show that Cuba's sustainable agricultural practices minimize the impact of agriculture on river water quality by reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer that washes off from fields into local waters.</p><p>Cuban farmers use about half as much fertilizer for each acre of farmland than their U.S. counterparts (3 versus 6 tons per square kilometer per year in 2016). As a result, rivers in central Cuba contain much lower concentrations of dissolved nitrogen than the Mississippi River, which drains <a href="https://www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm" target="_blank">more than 1 million square miles</a> of America's agricultural heartland. On average, the Cuban rivers we analyzed contained 0.76 milligrams of nitrogen per liter of water, compared to 1.3 milligrams per liter in the Mississippi River from 2012-2019.</p><p>American crop yields per acre are higher than Cuba's, thanks partly to fertilizer use, but the trade-off is stark. Nutrients that pour off U.S. farm fields and flow down the Mississippi River create the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-forecasts-very-large-dead-zone-for-gulf-of-mexico" target="_blank">Gulf of Mexico dead zone</a>, a patch of ocean where oxygen levels are so low that almost no marine life survives. The dead zone forms every summer, fed by spring rainfall, and has covered an <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/large-dead-zone-measured-in-gulf-of-mexico" target="_blank">average of 6,000 square miles</a> in recent years.</p><p>Cuba's rivers do contain other pollutants. We found high levels of bacteria and sediment in most of the rivers we sampled. DNA analysis suggests that at least some of these bacteria were from the guts of cows. We saw many cows during our field work in central Cuba, and those animals had free access to local streams. Simple solutions, like fencing river banks, could greatly lower bacteria levels in surface waters.</p><p>We also found naturally high levels of calcium, sodium and magnesium in Cuban river water. These materials come from rocks that are naturally dissolved by rainwater. None of them are hazardous to humans, although they might leave scale in tea kettles and alter the water's taste.</p>Enabling More Scientific Cooperation
<p>Although we've done field work on Greenland's ice sheet and in rice paddies of southwest China, this work in Cuba has been a uniquely valuable experience for us, both professionally and personally. We found Cuban culture to be warm and welcoming, even to Americans whose leaders for the most part have shunned the Cuban people for decades.</p><p>Sharing and teamwork are key parts of Cuban culture. When we brought out American snacks during our first visit to Cuba, our collaborators insisted these gifts must be shared with the entire lab staff. In the tropical January sunshine, scientists, technicians, secretaries and directors gathered outside to eat Vermont maple candies and blueberry jam.</p><p>We view this project as <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.367.6483.1274" target="_blank">science diplomacy</a> in action. But our Cuban partners cannot visit us until the United States agrees to grant visas to Cuban scientists. The Trump administration is going in the opposite direction: It has <a href="https://www.state.gov/united-states-further-restricts-air-travel-to-cuba/" target="_blank">suspended commercial and public charter flights</a> to Cuba from the U.S. and imposed sanctions that are designed to <a href="https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_fact_sheet_20190906.pdf" target="_blank">deny Cuba access to hard currency</a>.</p><p>As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps around the world, scientific cooperation is more important than ever. To us, it doesn't make sense to increase sanctions against a country that has more doctors per capita than any country on Earth and has <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-response-why-cuba-is-such-an-interesting-case-135749" target="_blank">responded more successfully than many nations</a> to COVID-19. We believe that science in the U.S. would gain from reopening communication with Cuba and sharing knowledge that could help heal the global community. </p>From Your Site Articles
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Trending
A man wearing a protective mask searches for leftovers among rotten fruits and vegetables in a dumpster in Corabastos, the main food distribution center of the country on April 17, 2020 in Bogota, Colombia. The mandatory lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in many informal workers losing their income. John W. Vizcaino / VIEWpress / Corbis via Getty Images
The United Nations issued a dire warning on Tuesday that the world stands on the brink of the worst food crisis in the last 50 years, according to The Guardian.
<p>The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is facing an "impending global food emergency" that could impact hundreds of millions of people as the coronavirus pandemic threatens already strained supply chains, according to Hong Kong-based <a href="https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/un-warns-pandemic-could-spark-global-food-crisis/" target="_blank">Asia Times</a>. He warned that the recessions that follow the pandemic will put basic nutrition out of reach for millions.</p>
<p>"Our food systems are failing, and the Covid-19 pandemic is making things worse," the UN chief said in a <a href="https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/we-need-act-now-avoid-worst-impacts-our-efforts-control-pandemic" target="_blank">statement</a> accompanying a <a href="http://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sg_policy_brief_on_covid_impact_on_food_security.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> by the UN. "More than 820 million people are hungry. "Some 144 million children under the age of five are stunted – more than one in five children worldwide."</p><p>That's particularly troubling as malnutrition has lifelong consequences. If the number of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/childrens-health">children</a> who suffer from malnutrition grows, it is likely to cause increased stunting and provide a future strain on health care systems.</p>
<p>Guterres warned that "this year, some 49 million extra people may fall into extreme poverty due to the Covid-19 crisis," according to <a href="https://asiatimes.com/2020/06/un-warns-pandemic-could-spark-global-food-crisis/" target="_blank">Asia Times</a>.</p><p>"Unless immediate action is taken, it is increasingly clear that there is an impending global food emergency that could have long-term impacts on hundreds of millions of children and adults," as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/09/world-faces-worst-food-crisis-50-years-un-coronavirus" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. "We need to act now to avoid the worst impacts of our efforts to control the pandemic."</p><p>The UN Secretary-General provided a three-point plan for attacking the hunger crisis: focus aid on the worst-stricken areas to avoid immediate disaster, to improve social safety nets so children, pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers along with other at-risk group receive adequate nutrition, and to invest in healthy and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sustainability">sustainable</a> food systems and supply chains for the future, according to Guterres' <a href="https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/we-need-act-now-avoid-worst-impacts-our-efforts-control-pandemic" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
<p>The latest data in the report, <a href="http://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/sg_policy_brief_on_covid_impact_on_food_security.pdf" target="_blank"><em>The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition</em></a>, found that the food security of 135 million people is at crisis level or worse. That number could nearly double before the end of the year due to the impacts of COVID-19.</p><p>Increasing unemployment and the loss of income associated with lockdowns are also putting food out of reach for many struggling people, the report found, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/09/world-faces-worst-food-crisis-50-years-un-coronavirus" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. While global markets have remained steady, the cost for basic foods has begun to rise in some countries.</p><p>The report also expects harvests to slow down, since many seasonal laborers are unable to work or travel for work. Meanwhile, despite the impending crisis, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/food-waste">food waste</a> is surging as farmers are <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/food-waste-coronavirus-government-assistance-2645913920.html" target="_self">finding themselves in the unenviable position of dumping perishable food</a> because of supply chain problems, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/09/world-faces-worst-food-crisis-50-years-un-coronavirus" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p>
<p><br>"The Covid-19 crisis is attacking us at every angle," said Agnes Kalibata, the UN secretary general's special envoy for the 2021 food systems summit, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/09/world-faces-worst-food-crisis-50-years-un-coronavirus" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported. "It has exposed dangerous deficiencies in our food systems and actively threatens the lives and livelihoods of people around the world, especially the more than 1 billion people who have employment in the various industries in food systems."</p><p>However, she added that there is an opportunity to improve food systems so they are equipped to handle future shocks.</p><p>"Food has always brought people together and it can again if we build back better as it relates to our food systems," she said, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jun/09/world-faces-worst-food-crisis-50-years-un-coronavirus" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported.</p>
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19 Individuals and Organizations Building Stronger Black Communities and Food Systems
06 June
Insights + Opinion
These 19 organizations and individuals represent a small portion of the efforts underway to fight racism and inequality and to build stronger Black communities and food systems. rez-art / Getty Images
By Danielle Nierenberg
Following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, people around the United States are protesting racism, police brutality, inequality, and violence in their own communities. No matter your political affiliation, the violence by multiple police departments in this country is unacceptable.
<p>We must remember and honor the memory of people including Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and David McAtee, the owner of a barbecue restaurant in Louisville who was killed by police during protests. These murders are a travesty and something that should not happen in the United States of America—or any nation.</p><p>It's time for people of all backgrounds to not only denounce violence, but to actively use their voices, dollars, and power to demand change. I'm in awe of the many people who have been working for years to restore democracy, empathy, and equality to this country. </p><p>These 19 organizations and individuals represent a small portion of the efforts underway to fight racism and inequality and to build stronger Black communities and food systems, and I hope you'll join me in supporting them.</p>
<p><strong>1. </strong><a href="http://www.antipoliceterrorproject.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Anti Police-Terror Project</strong></a></p><p>The Anti Police-Terror Project is a Black-led, multi-generational coalition of people working to end police terror in communities. Based in Oakland and Sacramento, California, APTP is building a sustainable model for justice that can be replicated around the country. They also document police abuses and help impacted families access legal and healing resources.</p><p><strong>2. </strong><a href="https://www.blackchurchfoodsecurity.net/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Church Food Security Network</strong></a></p><p>Based in Baltimore but operating nationally, the Black Church Food Security Network aims to support gardening and farming within Black churches. They establish agricultural projects on church land, connect farmers to congregational markets, and create asset maps of Black churches and surrounding neighborhoods to help better use resources. They also operate <a href="https://www.blackchurchfoodsecurity.net/black-farmer-network" target="_blank">a small directory and interactive map</a> of faith-based Black farmers across the East Coast, Midwest, and southeastern U.S.</p><p><strong>3. </strong><a href="https://blacklivesmatter.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Lives Matter</strong></a></p><p>Black Lives Matter, a movement created in response to murders of innocent Black people by police and vigilantes, works to build power to bring justice, healing, and freedom to Black people across the globe. Black Lives Matter is a broad coalition and affirms the lives of Black people across the gender spectrum, of all abilities, and of any documentation status.</p>
<p><strong>4. </strong><a href="https://www.blackurbangrowers.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Black Urban Growers Association</strong></a></p><p>Black Urban Growers maintains a network and community support in order to foster Black leadership in food and farm advocacy. Their programs include the Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference, a national conference started in 2010 that brings together Black farmers, advocates, chefs, and communities to share their best practices and leadership efforts.</p><p><strong>5. </strong><a href="http://www.detroitblackfoodsecurity.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Detroit Black Community Food Security Network</strong></a></p><p>The Detroit Black Community Food Security Network is working on the ground in Detroit, Michigan, to ensure that the local urban agriculture movement is racially and socially inclusive. It was founded in 2006 to mobilize the Black community to address food insecurity challenges, and the network believes that the most effective movements grow organically within the communities they are designed to benefit. They operate organic urban farm sites, various local food policy initiatives, and a cooperative food-buying program for community residents.</p><p><strong>6. </strong><a href="http://dreamingoutloud.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Dreaming Out Loud</strong></a></p><p>Washington D.C. nonprofit Dreaming Out Loud works to create healthier, more equitable food systems in low-income communities. Dreaming Out Loud supports economic opportunity-building with their two-acre farm, several community gardens and farmers markets, and a food business accelerator. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they partnered with Little Sesame restaurant to provide free meals for people of all ages every weekday afternoon.</p>
<p><strong>7. </strong><a href="https://fairfight.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Fair Fight</strong></a></p><p>One of the most impactful ways to participate in democracy is by voting, but many people, particularly in minority communities, face structural barriers against having their voices be heard. Fair Fight was founded by Stacey Abrams, who lost a close race for Georgia governor in 2018 amid allegations that her opponent, then-state Secretary of State Brian Kemp, had engaged in voter suppression. The organization aims to end voter suppression, make sure everyone can access their constitutional right to vote, and fight for fairer elections. You can <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fairfight-2020-dtd" target="_blank">donate online here</a>.</p><p><strong>8. Jamila Norman of </strong><a href="https://www.patchworkcityfarms.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Patchwork City Farms</strong></a></p><p>Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Jamila Norman is a world-renowned urban farmer and food activist. In 2010, Norman founded Patchwork City Farms, a certified naturally grown organic urban farm where Norman farms—and provides the local community with safe and nutritious foods. Norman is also co-founder of EAT Where You Are, an initiative that aims to spread awareness of the importance of including fresh foods in diets, and is the manager and one of the founding members of the South West Atlanta Growers Cooperative, which helps Black farmers create equitable, sustainable, responsible food systems.</p><p><strong>9. Karen Washington, founder of </strong><a href="http://www.riseandrootfarm.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Rise and Root Farm</strong></a></p><p>Karen Washington, a farmer and community activist, wants to build a different agricultural narrative, inclusive of all races, genders, and sexualities. She created Rise and Root Farm to be a place of healing for diverse and marginalized communities—particularly important today, as black farmers work to call attention to not only their own contributions to the modern food system but also the impact of the slave trade on the development of global food chains. "Agriculture must be inclusive in its diversity," Washington tells Food Tank.</p>
<p><strong>10. </strong><a href="https://viacampesina.org/en/" target="_blank"><strong>La Via Campesina</strong></a></p><p>La Via Campesina is an international coalition of organizations that defend food sovereignty as a way to promote social justice and worker dignity. They built a movement that amplifies the voices of smallholder peasant farmers and aims to decentralize the power of corporate-driven agriculture, which they argue is destructive to the environment and social relations.</p><p><strong>11. Leah Penniman, founder of </strong><a href="http://www.soulfirefarm.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Soul Fire Farm</strong></a></p><p>Soul Fire Farm grows food as an act of solidarity with those oppressed by food apartheid while maintaining respect for their ancestors, history, and the environment. Soul Fire Farm conducts training programs to raise the next generation of activist-farmers and support food sovereignty for future communities. The organization's Co-Director Leah Penniman recently completed a book, "Farming While Black," a guide for African-heritage growers to reclaim their dignity.</p><p><strong>12. </strong><a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory" target="_blank"><strong>National Bail Fund Network</strong></a></p><p>The <a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory" target="_blank">National Bail Fund Network</a> is a directory of bail funds in over 30 states, which free unfairly detained people from jail and fight to end the cash bail system. Donations to local and national bail funds support jailed protesters who are not only at risk for being prosecuted unfairly, but who are also at risk for contracting COVID-19 while detained.</p>
<p><strong>13. </strong><a href="http://www.blackfoodjustice.org/" target="_blank"><strong>National Black Food and Justice Alliance</strong></a></p><p>A coalition of Black-led organizations, the National Black Food and Justice Alliance builds Black self-determination around food and land sovereignty. They accomplish this through community organizing and increasing visibility of Black narratives, visions, and achievements. In 2018, co-founder Dara Cooper was honored with a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award "for dedicating her life to racial equity and justice in the food system and increasing capacity and visibility of Black-led narratives and work."</p><p><strong>14. </strong><a href="https://plantingjustice.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Planting Justice</strong></a></p><p>In Oakland, California, Planting Justice builds economic justice and food sovereignty among communities impacted by mass incarceration. Planting Justice teaches gardening skills to people while in prison and offers them paid positions after release. Planting Justice has planted over 500 gardens in the Bay Area, <a href="https://oaklandnorth.net/2019/09/20/planting-justice-celebrates-10-years-of-cultivating-gardening-skills-for-incarcerated-people/" target="_blank">offered</a> reentry employment opportunities to over 40 people, and helped people <a href="https://www.yesmagazine.org/social-justice/2019/04/30/indigenous-women-reclaim-stolen-land-california-bay-area/" target="_blank">reconnect</a> with the land.</p><p><strong>15. </strong><a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#about" target="_blank"><strong>Reclaim the Block</strong></a></p><p>A Minneapolis-based organization, <a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#about" target="_blank">Reclaim the Block</a> works to reallocate city money away from police and instead toward community-led health and safety initiatives. They have assembled an extensive digital toolkit to help communities in all cities and states advocate for divestiture from police. You can support them via <a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/zae4prEeKESHBy0MKXTIcQ2" target="_blank">donations</a> or by <a href="https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/home/#petition" target="_blank">signing their petition</a> encouraging the Minneapolis City Council to redirect police department funding toward resources for Black and Indigenous communities.</p>
<p><strong>16. </strong><a href="https://soilgeneration.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Soil Generation</strong></a></p><p>Based in Philadelphia, Soil Generation is a Black- and Brown-led coalition with a vision for "a people's agroecology"—a combination of environmental and food justice with a focus on community self-representation, anti-racism training, education, and advocacy. Soil Generation has successfully worked with the city council to <a href="https://www.pubintlaw.org/current-cases-projects-public-health/soil-generation/" target="_blank">amend</a> a bill that would have put urban gardens at risk and continues to actively <a href="https://www.phillytrib.com/lifestyle/philly-s-farm-chief-kicks-off-plan-to-save-endangered/article_fb129084-810a-538d-a9bf-8ce3b0642a7c.html" target="_blank">campaign</a> for rights to vacant lots.</p><p><strong>17. <a href="https://civileats.com/author/tfields/" target="_blank">Tanya Fields </a>of the Black Feminist Project</strong></p><p>As founder and executive director of The Black Feminist Project, <a href="https://civileats.com/author/tfields/" target="_blank">Tanya Fields</a> is a food justice activist and educator. Fields started the <a href="https://theblkprojek.wordpress.com/programs/urban-farming-the-libertad-urban-farm-project/" target="_blank">Libertad Urban Farm</a>, an organic urban garden in the Bronx, as an effort to address the lack of nutritious food and food education accessible to low-income people, specifically underserved women of color. Additionally, Fields works closely with The Hunts Point Farm Share, connecting city residents to high-quality local produce through community-supported agriculture.</p><p><strong>18. </strong><a href="https://tonitiptonmartin.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Toni Tipton-Martin</strong></a></p><p>Toni Tipton-Martin, based in Baltimore, Maryland, works on a series of endeavors to promote food justice. She has written two James Beard Award-winning books that trace Black cuisine, <a href="https://gardenandgun.com/articles/talking-toni-tipton-martin/" target="_blank">Jubilee</a> and <a href="https://gardenandgun.com/articles/talking-toni-tipton-martin/" target="_blank">The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbook</a>. Martin served as the president of Southern Foodways Alliance board of directors and was the first Black food editor at the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Additionally, Martin founded the SANDE Youth Project, a nonprofit organization that works with children to combat obesity while supporting Black food culture.</p><p><strong>19. </strong><a href="https://urbangrowerscollective.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Urban Growers Collective</strong></a></p><p>The Urban Growers Collective operates eight urban farms on 11 acres of land in Chicago's South Side and works with more than 33 partner organizations to create economic opportunity and boost healthy food access. Each farm uses organic methods and integrates education, leadership training, and food production. The organization was co-founded by Laurell Sims and <a href="https://urbangrowerscollective.org/team/erikaallen/" target="_blank">Erika Allen</a>, a visual artist and food advocate who works to use creativity for social change.</p>
<p class=""><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://foodtank.com/news/2020/06/19-individuals-and-organizations-building-stronger-black-communities-and-food-systems/" target="_blank">Food Tank</a>.</em></p>Related Articles Around the Web
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UN World Oceans Day is usually an invite-only affair at the UN headquarters in New York, but this year anyone can join in by following the live stream on the UNWOD website from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. https://unworldoceansday.org/
Monday is World Oceans Day, but how can you celebrate our blue planet while social distancing?
<p>Luckily, the UN has you covered with a fascinating lineup of talks focusing on the theme of "innovation for a sustainable ocean." UN World Oceans Day (UNWOD) is usually an invite-only affair at the UN headquarters in New York, but this year anyone can join in by following the live stream on the <a href="https://unworldoceansday.org/page/home" target="_blank">UNWOD website</a> from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.</p>
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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA5UJGIANyD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">When the world feels like it’s at a standstill, it’s important to remember what keeps it spinning. Our ocean is our life source, supporting us & every other organism on earth. Celebrate @UNWorldOceansDay on June 8th with @UnitedNations and @Oceanic.Global to learn what thought leaders around the world are doing to protect the ocean and how you can be part of the solution. Featured ocean voices include @caradelevingne, @fatoumata_diawara__, @ashadevos, @c.syresmith, @fcousteau, @jackharries, @dr.sylviaearle, @thegreatbubblebarrier, @codysimpson, @oceanx, @alessandraambrosio, @lillys_plastic_pickup and more. This all-digital event is free and open to all online. See the full line-up and RSVP: UNWorldOceansDay.org/2020</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unworldoceansday/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> World Oceans Day</a> (@unworldoceansday) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-06-01T14:22:02+00:00">Jun 1, 2020 at 7:22am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<p>The event is a partnership with solutions-focused non-profit <a href="https://oceanic.global/" target="_blank">Oceanic Global</a>.</p><p>"It's an honor to partner with the United Nations on World Oceans Day 2020," the group's founder and executive director Lea d'Auriol said in a statement. "As an organization, Oceanic Global focuses on industry and individual solutions that engage new audiences in ocean conservation. This year's World Oceans Day theme, 'Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean' ties perfectly into our mission as we are always seeking new paths forward to further support ocean health as well as amplify the voices within the ocean community."</p>
<p>Here is a selection of some of the voices you will get a chance to hear by tuning in:</p><p>1. Cara Delevingne: Delevingne is an actress and musician who also launched <a href="https://ecoresolution.earth/" target="_blank">EcoResolution</a> to encourage people to take action on the climate crisis. She will deliver the opening remarks, focusing on how we are connected to the ocean and the importance of protecting it.</p><p>When: 10 a.m.</p><p>2. Francis Zoet: Zoet developed the <a href="http://thegreatbubblebarrier.com/en/" target="_blank">Great Bubble Barrier</a> to stop some of the eight billion kilos of plastic that enter the oceans every year. Zoet's barrier stops <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastic-pollution" target="_self">plastic</a> from entering the ocean from rivers or canals while allowing fish and ships to pass through. She will explain the barrier and how it could be scaled up on a panel with other innovators called "Spotlight Solutions" for the Ocean.</p><p>When: 11 a.m.</p><p>3. Jean-Michel, Céline and Fabien Cousteau: <span>The family of explorers and conservationists will speak on how their family has used technology to increase our understanding of the ocean over time and therefore of what needs protecting and how.</span></p><p>When: 12 p.m.</p><p>4. Lilly Platt: Platt has cleaned up more than 100 thousand pieces of plastic since launching <a href="https://m.facebook.com/lillysplasticpickup/" target="_blank">Lilly's Plastic Pickup</a> in 2015, when she was just seven years old. She will speak on her experience of youth environmental activism along with other young ocean advocates on a panel called Youth Driving Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.</p><p>When: 3 p.m.</p><p>5. A Concert for the Ocean: The day will wrap up with live performances from musicians around the world, including Fatoumata Diawara, Vieux Farka Touré and Alice Phoebe Lou.</p><p>When: 4 p.m.</p>
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