These first two weeks haven’t gone as planned, both in positive and not-so-positive ways.

Last week, I signed a petition on Change.org. Actually, I signed six of them. They were all there, easily accessible, with no burden to myself. One in particular caught my eye. Instead of a traditional petition description, it contained only a video. Turns out, this video was a documentary hosted by restaurateur and chef Gordon Ramsay entitled Shark Bait.

Ramsay travelled across the globe to investigate the true horrors and cruelty associated with the practices, the resistance to even talking about it, and the dining experience of such a sought-after food. Previous to watching this documentary, I had not realized how controversial shark fin soup was and how much of a lack of transparency there is in where the shark fins come from. From the documentary, I picked up the idea of talking to local restaurant owners here in Columbus to find out if they sell shark fin soup and if they know where those fins come from. The idea would be to open up a discussion about the practices behind their products. This may be a project beyond the Earth Month Action Plan, but it has sparked a new sense of ability in making change on this issue.

Today, I donated to the organization The Shark Trust in the form of an “adoption.” In particular, this adoption was made to support the No Limits? campaign run by The Shark Trust to “[highlight] the urgent need for science-based catch limits for Blue Sharks, Shortfin Makos, smoothhounds, catsharks and Tope.” Other adoption possibilities include more specific options such as adopting a Great White Shark, Whale Shark, and a Basking Shark. I chose the No Limits? campaign opportunity because I felt that while it’s nice to think I’ve adopted an animal, I believe that my donation will do greater good and supports a broader range of issues than were I to specify which species the money should go to support.

After the ENR class last week, I now have a whole list of possible new ideas of how to get involved in this issue, such as the aforementioned speaking to local restaurant owners who sell shark fin soup; speak with customers and find out what they know about the issue and where those shark fins are coming from; speak to my representative about a state prohibition on the distribution of shark finning — only 10 out of 50 states have laws against the sale, trade, possession and distribution of shark fins, and Ohio is not one of those states — etc. I look forward to pursuing this issue further.

For this upcoming Earth Month, I will be taking four — one action per week — actions to further my understanding and involvement with the fight against shark finning.

Week One: I will sign and share a petition that condemns shark finning. The difficulty in this will be in selecting a petition, particularly one that will reach the ears and eyes of somebody who can inflict change. My hope is to reach somebody within the Chinese government or a Chinese public figure with great cultural influence. When a culture around something changes, it makes legislative change a little bit easier. I hope to use Change.org to find a petition from a reputable source.

Week Two: My second action will be to donate to an organization. Due to their positive reputation, I will donate either to the World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy, or another organization mentioned in my previous posts concerning shark finning. The challenge here will be picking a denomination in which to donate and deciding which organization will have the most impact on this particular issue.

Week Three: I will take the public education approach here by making an infographic about shark finning. What’s hard about this action is simply the time and effort that goes into creating a good infographic. I will then post it on social media and tag an organization doing good work about shark finning and encourage my friends and followers to donate, get involved, or become informed about the topic.

Week Four: My final action will be to contact a representative. Since this is a matter of foreign relations to a certain extent, a problem could be in choosing a representative. A few possibilities include congresspeople on committees concerning the environment, committees concerning which types of companies can produce in the United States (for instance, ask that the U.S. doesn’t allow companies that endorse or condone shark finning to produce here), or a government representative that works with foreign countries about the environment. Another option would be to send a letter to a U.S. representative to the United Nations asking them to open a dialogue about the issue with other world leaders.

Nonprofits play an integral role in dealing with issues that plague our society. For the issue of shark finning, nonprofits mainly focus on educating the public and encouraging public policy figures to pass legislation protecting shark populations.

Something the nonprofit speakers mentioned that stuck with me was something that they look for in volunteers and employees: consistency. Both representatives said that they seek out people who can commit to a steady time; for example, one hour every week. As somebody who volunteers a lot when I’m home, I’ve heard this response repeatedly and see the value in it.

Volunteer work can range greatly from organization to organization, but I think in terms of the shark finning issue, volunteer work looks very political. This kind of involvement includes calling, writing, and emailing my congressional representatives as well as signing petitions.

This is a time in which I stress another point about the issue of shark finning specifically: as a citizen of the United States, where shark finning is illegal, I am limited. Not only am I limited by location, I am also limited in jurisdiction. I am not Chinese or Vietnamese, I have never had shark fin soup, and I have never been impacted directly by the shark fin industry. That being said, I can attest to scientific fact which states that this practice is unsustainable, unstable, and dangerous. Because of this, I find getting involved through a nonprofit which may have a better, more holistic source of information to be a wiser, more socially-conscious plan of action.

From the class, though, I recognize that the most important thing to do is to do anything. Almost anything is better than nothing.

When sitting in class, listening to the speakers on Community Organizing, I was incredibly impressed with their resilience and drive. To start a movement or organization with nothing previously established is not an unimpressive feat. In the context of shark finning, I am fortunate that there are organizations already established focusing on this issue. For me to start yet another one, in my opinion, would be redundant and an ineffective way to dedicate my time and resources. A better route to take would be to support groups championing this cause through fundraising and spreading awareness. My issue is difficult in the sense that it is anything but close to home. When I put energy into resolving this problem, it is not one that many people can relate to locally. The residents of the city of Columbus will not directly feel the effects of an end to shark finning. But that does not mean that the issue is any less important.

From the class, the main lesson that I gathered is: do something. Anything. The hardest part is getting started, but once you do, it is much easier to gain movement. Even if the action taken is not the best choice, it is a choice, and it can lead to future, better choices. Political theorist and philosopher Edmund Burke once declared: “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do so little.”

I think my next step is to designate which organization(s) to donate to, what kind of petition to create, how to go about fundraising, and what route I should take to educate the public on this issue.

Shark finning, the issue I am exploring this semester, is rooted in hundreds of years of culture, especially in Asia. When talking about community organizing in the context of shark finning, it’s important to consider to which community one is referring. Particularly in China, shark fin soup, is a delicacy served at special occasions such as weddings, banquets, or as an overall luxury item. Shark fin soup is an indicator of wealth, is a display of respect and honor upon guests, and is supposed to bring about good fortune to whoever drinks it.

That being said, the global industry of shark finning is driving several species to extinction. Because of this, several organizations have arisen to the challenge of protecting these creatures. Some examples include: the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, WildAid, Shark Trust, SharkProject International, the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, the World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conversancy, Ocean Conservancy, StopSharkFinning.net, the Sea Save Foundation, and countless others. Admittedly, it can be difficult to participate directly in this issue if one doesn’t live on the coast or near any major fishing industrial sites. Another challenge is that, since shark fins are mainly exported to Vietnam and China, they’re not being consumed here, and it’s more difficult encourage people who live outside one’s community, let alone on the other side of the world, not to consume this product. Additionally, shark finning is illegal in the United States, thanks to the Shark Finning Prohibition Act and the Shark Conservation Act of 2010 (which was signed to close a loophole exposed by the court case United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins). Unfortunately, the black-market export of shark fins from the United States is still very much alive, and the import of shark fins from other countries is still very much legal. Community organizing becomes more difficult when the community must be defined more broadly than locally; this issue is worldwide, but it mostly doesn’t touch American boundaries.

In terms of the Justice-Oriented Citizen model, a Personally Responsible Citizen would likely donate to an organization that opposes shark finning. A Participatory Citizen would sign a petition, educate his/her friends, and call his/her representative. A Social-Justice Oriented Citizen would dig deeper, considering the nuances of the issue, such as why shark finning still occurs in areas where it’s been outlawed (i.e. poaching laws and environmental regulation enforcement), how shark finning got its roots in Asian cultures, etc.

As there is currently no Ted Talk about the issue of shark finning, I watched a series of videos on the topic, including “Shark Finning Cruelty” by The Humane Society of the United States and “Shark Finning” by Shark Academy. From these videos, I learned more about the process of de-finning the shark and how it has impacted the industry. Shark finning wasn’t too big of an issue when it started out in the Ming Dynasty. However, as fishing practices have become more efficient, more sharks have been captured and de-finned. Today, this means the massacre of over 100 million sharks each year globally. Also, shark fins don’t contribute to the taste of the soup, only the texture, so it greatly resembles chicken noodle soup both in taste and consistency.

While many issues hold my attention and passion, three came to mind when the Issue Exploration assignment crossed my path. These issues, related to the three Ps of sustainability (planet, profit, and people), are as follows: mental illness, shark finning, and ocean acidification.

The first issue I will investigate is mental illness. Mental illness has always been a part of my life; between my friends’ struggles with it, my family history of it, and my own experiences with such diseases of the mind, mental illness has played an integral role in who I am. Yet, despite its prevalence in my day-to-day, it does not define me. As far as people are concerned, mental illness affects everyone to some degree, even those who do not have any kind of illness. In terms of profit, a healthy economy is correlated with a healthy society, and a society that cannot handle mental illness suitably is not a healthy society. Originally when I thought of how the planet ties into mental illness, I was stymied. Fortunately, I thought of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At the bottom is personal safety and wellness, particularly in the short term. If those needs of basic survival are not met, how is one supposed to be expected to care for others, including a planet? On another level, caring for the planet is self-care in its purest form. After all, we do live here, so it’s akin to making sure one has clean water and a roof over his/her head. Also, there’s evidence to support the hypothesis that spending time in nature can alleviate certain symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and many more illnesses.

My second possible issue is the shark finning industry. Shark fin soup is considered a delicacy in many locations across the globe, but it comes at a steep cost. Sharks are caught, their dorsal fin removed, and what’s left of them is often thrown back into the water. As sharks use their dorsal fins as steerage, this means death for these fish. This issue affects people; people are the ones doing this to these species. Shark populations are dwindling, partially caused by these unsustainable and irresponsible fishing practices. This brings me to my next point: profit. Overfishing in general, but particularly in the case of shark populations, does not allow for the species to replenish its numbers. While this provides little issue in the short term, in the long term, overfishing simply means that we are cutting off our own source of fish. If we don’t allow for the shark populations to grow, we may lose even more species of them, and that could adversely affect the shark finning industry. If those species continue their route to extinction, the ecological balance of our oceans will be altered, which introduces the last consideration of the three Ps: planet. Sharks are top predators, and in some biogeographical regions, keystone species. This means that their presence in an ecosystem affects other species much in the same way as a linchpin.

My final issue is ocean acidification. Going hand in hand with issues of climate change and rising global temperatures, ocean acidification is of great ecological concern. Some causes include fertilizer runoff from coastal farms and the absorption of toxins from the atmosphere (emitted by the burning of fossil fuels). It’s sometime referred to as “climate change’s equally evil twin,” although ocean acidification is also considered to be a symptom and indicator of climate change. The lowering pH levels of our seas affects practically every aspect of our planet, from our drinking water sources to the fish we eat, from the acid rain killing our plants that cleanse our air to the poisoning of food webs worldwide. The ocean is our life-source (both directly and indirectly), and ocean acidification is its cancer. Likewise, if the ocean suffers, humans suffer. More than a billion people live on the coasts, and as the acidity of the water changes, the plants and animals that live in those waters suffer. This would damage fishing and aquatic plant industries worldwide, an enormous hole in the world economy. The ocean absorbs more than a quarter of the CO₂ in our atmosphere, and as it increases in its acidity, less of these toxins can be absorbed. This threatens the safety and quality of our air as well as water.

I have decided to pursue the issue of shark finning, as it is the issue of the three that I am the least acquainted with, and yet is still incredibly important. This issue will be challenging in that I must consider not only the environmental impacts of this issue, but the economic consequences as well. It will be important to also consider who, in proportion to the population, is being affected by this topic. I will begin where all research must: by reading literature on the topic. From there, we shall see where to go.

The final locations I went to for the Columbus To Do List were: Graeter’s Ice Cream and Pistacia Vera.

Graeter’s seemed like it would be a lot closer than it really was, but if you are willing to make the small hike, it’s wonderful ice cream. In the past, I’ve always gone for the Black Cherry or the Mint, both of which I would still highly recommend. This time, I got the Blueberry Pie and Dutch Milk Chocolate. The ice cream tastes very real instead of mass produced, so it’s the kind of taste that one might reserve for special occasions instead of the midnight craving (but I can’t think of anyone judging someone for going to Graeter’s for that sugar craving!). For the two scoops, the cost was about $4.25. Considering the quality of this ice cream, I’d say it was well worth it. Also, the picture of the ice cream was taken partially consumed because it was melting too quickly, so although the picture doesn’t necessarily show this, the portion size was pretty good. I’d recommend this to a friend, although I’d probably be more inclined to go if I had taken a COTA bus all the way there instead of walking there from the Bevis Hall CABS stop.

Pistacia Vera is a smaller shop in the North Market in the Short North. Hidden on the opposite side of the marketplace from Jeni’s, it has a cute aesthetic, although I think they may have been running a little low on supplies as it was Sunday afternoon. I got two macaroons: one lemon and one pistachio. Truth be told, the lemon macaroon was probably the best macaroon I’ve ever had. The pistachio one was also good, but I would say that if you go to this place, you have to try the lemon macaroon. It’s a must-do. Their chocolate bombs were also wonderful. The macaroons were $1.75 each which may seem high for a small cookie-like pastry, but that price is pretty consistent with other macaroon providers. For the price, it was pretty high quality, and considering the kind of pastries there, I’d say it was a good deal. It’s not something I would recommend for the day to day, but maybe would be good as a ~sweet~ holiday or birthday gift.

My favorite place was probably Jeni’s. Although it is kind of pricey, Jeni’s has the kind of quality in the ice cream that you can’t find just anywhere. Also, you’re not going to find most of those flavors in the local supermarket ice cream section. After eating Jeni’s, I never felt like I needed any more than I had, which I consider to be a testament to the richness and quality of the product.

This project has taken me around Columbus quite a bit, but mostly around the Short North, which is a truly wonderful place. I’ve found some really cool locations there, not just for stores on the list, but some that aren’t, such as Piece of Cake, a bakery that’s hidden on one of the side streets. Because of this project, I’m far more comfortable navigating the Short North and the COTA system overall. I hope to be able to explore Short North and other really cool parts of Columbus with a less narrow focus; there’s more out there than dessert shops, and I want to have those experiences (especially the festival and music scenes)! If you wanted to endeavor the same To Do List, I would at least recommend Jeni’s and Rocket Fizz and probably also Pistacia Vera. The other two had great treats, but Graeter’s was sort of a hike unless you go straight for the COTA bus. Whit’s Frozen Custard was nice, but the main benefit of it was its location on High Street. Overall, this assignment really helped me grow more comfortable with Columbus as a whole and allowed me to dip my toes ever-so-slightly into the food scene here!

This picture is from Jeni’s that I forgot to post earlier.