G.O.A.L.S.

My first two weeks of action have gone well. In my first week, I chose to hold a Mission Blue viewing party. My friends really enjoyed the documentary and said they were greatly affected by it. One friend has since watched numerous other documentaries about the ocean and how to preserve its health. Some friends said it helped them to think twice about eating fish and helped them to realize the seemingly indirect impact humans have on the ocean. For my second week, I decided to hang information around Morrill Tower about actions people can take to decrease dead zones. By doing this, I discovered that by decreasing car usage you can help the ocean because this creates less of a demand for oil companies. I also learned that by consuming less fish, one can help to preserve marine life and ocean biodiversity.

I think one thing I can do that will help with my actions is doing actions that I can directly see the impact from. For example, in my action for the first week, I was able to see how it affected my friends right in that moment. However, in the second week, I do not know if people read the information I displayed or if they gained anything from it. The main challenge I foresee over the final two weeks is actually making an impact. I have seen that small actions I take can and will make an impact in the issue of dead zones. However, over the next two weeks I want to make a larger impact. I think this could be a challenge because it can be hard to make a big impact with oceans from Ohio. Another challenge I foresee is to continue on with actions after Earth Month is over. In order to make a lasting difference, I know it will be necessary to do this though.

During Earth Month, in the first week I plan to raise awareness about dead zones and ocean conservation by hosting a viewing party for the documentary Mission Blue. This is one of my favorite documentaries and it is what inspired me to learn more about this issue. I think the most challenging part of this action will be just to get people to come and to watch the documentary with an open mind. I plan to use the TV in my dorm room to show Mission Blue.

For the second week, I plan to hang information around Morrill Tower about the issue of dead zones and everyday actions people can take to conserve the ocean’s resources. One of the actions would be to consume less fish. I will do more research on the internet to see other small things people can do that will promote a healthy ocean. One difficulty that I see with this action is making the posters attractive and eye-catching so people will read them.

For the third week, I will email Senator Steve Wilson, who serves my home district, and tell him about the importance of ocean conservation and why I think more governmental work should be done to protect the ocean. I used the Ohio Senate website to find what senator serves my district. I think the most difficult part about this will be to see if Senator Wilson really reads the letter and listens to what I have to say.

For the fourth week, I plan to present my poster project I created for Intro to Environmental Science about hypoxia areas (dead zones). I put a lot of effort into this poster and am excited to present it and see what my classmates’ reactions to the topic are. I will be presenting at the Ohio Union and used resources provided in class and scientific articles to put the poster together. This will be challenging because so many people are presenting at the same time, that I need to make sure that my poster stands out and pushes people to help in the prevention of dead zones.

Before hearing the guest speakers speak in class, I did not realize there was such a need for consistent volunteers in nonprofit work. I always thought of nonprofit organizations as having mostly full time employees and not relying quite so much on the help of outside volunteers. However, I now realize the great need for this. The guest speakers emphasized that consistent volunteers, even if it’s for only one hour a week, make a huge difference in their work. By doing this, the organization does not have to train new volunteers constantly and can instead devote more time to helping and possibly solving the issue they are dealing with. When looking at my issue, I think I need to consider more critically what kind of volunteer work I could be doing now instead of waiting until I am a professional in the Environmental Policy field.

My biggest takeaway from this class session, was that I can get involved more immediately in ocean conservation and recovery than I had realized previously. I would like to take action on my issue by volunteering for the different nonprofit organizations that align with my views on dead zones. For example, I have now realized I can volunteer with Oceana, which is an amazing organization. Another organization that I admire greatly for the work they do is NOAA. On their website, it mentions that volunteers are critical in supporting environmental stewardship. So, while I plan to have a more involved role in environmental issues later in life, that does not mean that I can’t help at all before I have earned a degree.

In a situation like the one involving dead zones, nonprofit organizations serve a large role in the protection of the ocean. Mission Blue, Oceana, Florida Oceanographic Society and The Ocean Conservancy are just a few of the nonprofits working to protect the ocean and its lifeforms. Mission Blue, which is one of my favorites, is part of the Sylvia Earle Alliance working to inspire action to explore and protect the ocean. This organization in particular really works to bring the public into the issue and inspires public awareness, access and support for marine protected areas all over the world. The way Mission Blue works is by people nominating Hope Spots, marine areas they want to be protected, because they have a special connection to this area and feel that it is critical to the health of the ocean. Anyone can get involved in the protection of the ocean through this project, as anyone can nominate a Hope Spot. A challenge that comes with nonprofits is that a lot of the work that nonprofits do is to raise awareness. This can be a very rewarding task but can also be quite difficult as people are not always receptive to your cause. I think the most important thing to consider when viewing my issue through a nonprofit lens is that every nonprofit focuses on different aspects of the issue so many times working with multiple nonprofits is the best solution to a problem. At the level of a personally responsible citizen, many are cutting down on the amount of fish they eat and specifically what types of fish they are eating. The consumption of some fish, like Atlantic salmon, is more detrimental to marine health than the consumption of others. Participatory citizens donate money to nonprofit organizations working to protect the ocean. However, social-justice oriented citizens are those who are possibly working for nonprofits and not only working to solve problems presented to us now, but looking to find the cause and end solution of these issues. So, with my particular issue, these are people who are not only working on clean-up crews with oil spills but are working to prevent the oil spills in the first place through various means.

The Ted Talk I chose to listen to was “Save the oceans, feed the world!” by Jackie Savitz. Jackie is a marine biologist and the Vice President for US Oceans at Oceana, one of the nonprofits I mentioned above. She mentions that by saving the oceans, we can do more than solve ecological problems. We need the oceans to be abundant so they can provide food for people. She says that since 1980, there has been an 18 percent decline in the amount of fish in the world catch. She mentions however, that most of the fish we are looking at are located in coastal areas that national jurisdictions have control over. This means that they can control the fisheries nationally, which is much easier and faster to do than internationally. She says there are 3 main things that we need to do in order to bring fisheries back. These things are setting quotas, reducing bycatch and protecting habitats. By listening to this Ted Talk, it has become apparent to me that nonprofits have the opportunity to organize movements and inspire individuals to make change. I also learned that there are many different aspects of ocean conservation and many causes of dead zones in the ocean. It is very effective, however, for nonprofits to focus on one specific aspect of the issue presented.

Before I heard Councilmember Brown speak, I did not think very much about the financial implications of my issue. One topic that Councilmember Brown spoke about was recycling and that the city of Columbus has to obtain bids from recycling companies. However, some of the smaller companies do not have the ability to reach everyone in Columbus that wants to recycle. With my issue, it will be important to consider what companies are able to organize and follow through on ocean clean-ups. Along with this I need to think of who the government can partner with to make positive change in the ocean. My biggest takeaway from the discussion was that there are many behind-the-scenes actions that take place in order to make and enforce policies. Along with this the process often takes a very long time. Those involved in government work are not always working on the most glamourous projects but these smaller tasks need to be accomplished in order to achieve a larger, final goal.

While this is a long term goal, I would personally like to pursue a degree in Environmental Policy and by doing so, my end goal is to work for an environmental agency like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I will then be able to work to create policies to protect the ocean. Currently, I feel I could participate in protests and raise awareness about the issue. I could also volunteer to help with cleaning the ocean or participate in undergraduate research regarding issues with the ocean.

Politics and governance impact the issue of dead zones greatly. Because dead zones are in the ocean, many people see it as not affecting them very much. However, the health of the ocean determines the health of the land. Due to its nature, this issue requires government intervention in order to be solved. Research is being done with government agencies to discover what exactly is causing the dead zones as well as how they are impacting various organisms. The government has also organized ocean clean-ups, especially after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, to try to help prevent more dead zone formations. There have been United States Senators like Mary L. Landrieu who have brought to the government’s attention how important coastal restoration is. A National Commission was formed after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill as well. A way that people can take political action to get involved with the issue of dead zones is to raise awareness about the issue through protests or simply spreading the word to others. People could also volunteer to be in the clean-up crews that help with oil spills. This issue is challenging for the average person to deal with because many of the ways to solve this issue politically take place in higher forms of government. However, if citizens are ever able to vote on things dealing with off-shore drilling or big oil companies they should vote against them. This will help in the issue of dead zones. It is very important to consider the average citizen when looking at my issue through a political lens. The vast majority of people will not hold positions in political office but this shouldn’t mean that they are not able to help prevent the formation of dead zones.

The Ted Talk I chose is called “My wish: Protect our oceans” and Sylvia Earle is speaking in it. Dr. Earle has been a huge proponent for the health of the ocean and has been for me personally a huge role model and led me to my major. She was the first female head scientist of the Environmental Protection Agency. Sylvia Earle points out that an unhealthy ocean not only affects fish and other marine organisms but also us, on Earth. Without water, we cannot survive. She also mentions that the ocean is home to 97 percent of the world’s life. The government has created national marine sanctuaries and state marine reserves to protect the ocean. Dr. Earle argues that many of the fish that we are taking out of the ocean for food are much more valuable alive than on our plates. Many people used to not realize that the ocean is affected by what we take out and put in, but Sylvia Earle points out that we are destroying the oceans with our behaviors. She says that while there are over 4,000 areas of the sea under government protection, this is not nearly enough. It also takes a very long time to recover the organisms in the protected areas. Dr. Earle proposes that we create Hope Spots, we need to campaign and garner public support to create a global network of marine protected areas. Sylvia Earle suggests we do this though anything at our disposal; this could be films, expedition, the web or the creation of new technologies to explore the ocean.

One issue that has always been of particular interest to me is that of livestock farming, especially that of dairy cows. I believe that farming animals is ultimately unsustainable. However, this issue is very important to society because so many people rely on the livestock industry for not only food but also jobs. I also feel very personally connected to this issue because I chose to not eat animal products and I think that it would be very beneficial for people to start moving towards plant-based diets. This issue can be related to the society pillar because many people rely on the farming industry for jobs and if those jobs were to be lost this would greatly affect their lives. This would have a negative impact on not only individual families but also on farming communities as a whole. This ties into the economic pillar as well because the livestock industry brings in enormous amounts of money. The government is also extremely invested in agriculture and the money that is produced as a result of livestock farming. The issue of livestock farming is also very important in the discussion of climate change and the environment. One of the biggest sources of methane emissions comes from dairy cows. This has been extremely detrimental to the environment. Along with this, many habitats, especially rainforests, have been destroyed to build farms on the land. Livestock require much more land than other types of farming.

Another issue that I feel very passionate about is the health of the ocean and the recent formation of dead zones. This issue is of extreme importance as the health of the ocean, or lack thereof, is directly related to the health of the world and the people living on it. This is a way that this issue can be related to the society pillar. Many coastal communities, particularly those on the Gulf of Mexico, have been negatively affected due to dead zones off of the coast. The quality of water is very bad there and threatens individuals’ health. Many of the dead zones that have formed recently are due to oil spills. This ties into the economic and environmental pillars because there are many huge oil companies that do drilling along the Gulf of Mexico and when there have been spills this kills much of the marine life in that area. When the marine life dies, this has a negative impact on the environment. However, the oil companies involved are very wealthy and bring a lot of money into the US economy. The government also has close ties with the oil industry. Another aspect of the economic pillar is that an enormous number of people in the United States have jobs in the fishing industry and when the ocean is not healthy that also means that fish populations will not be healthy. This could cause a lot of people to lose their jobs because we will not be able to fish to the extent that we currently do.

The last issue I chose to discuss is animals living in captivity. I’ve always had very conflicted ideas about animals in captivity so I thought it would be interesting to explore it more. This issue relates to the society pillar because many people feel that zoos serve to better society as people, especially children, are able to see and learn about animals that they may otherwise not have the opportunity to interact with. Many think this could help people to gain an appreciation for wildlife and cause them to want to protect these animals. The economic pillar comes in because zoos and other organizations that have captive animals, such as circuses, make a profit and provide jobs for people. Zoos also put money towards research. This relates to the environmental factor because some people would say that zoos work towards conservation and they help to restore endangered species. However, there is also controversy over how well the animals are treated and if animals can really thrive in captivity. By taking some animals out of their natural habitat this can affect their behavior and therefore have a negative effect on the environment.

I intend to further explore the issue of dead zones in the ocean. I plan to watch documentaries about this issue and research more. I would like to discover how the average citizen without a scientific background could have a positive impact on this problem. I think that a possible challenge could be that there is not a whole lot of research about this issue currently. Another challenge is that it is a very time-sensitive problem so a solution needs to be found quickly.

For my Columbus To Do List experience I have chosen the Local Food Favorites list. As a vegan, I am always looking for new restaurants to try out with good vegan options. Not only do I love good food but I love when restaurants have good atmospheres too, when dining out is an experience. I hope that by finding new restaurants I will also be able to explore new parts of Columbus. I’ve learned that it’s easy to stay on campus all of the time, so I hope that by doing this assignment I will get out into Columbus more. Restaurants can tell a lot about a city. I’m really looking forward to spending some more time with people in ENR, as three of the experiences have to be with other people in scholars.

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For the past couple of years, every time I visited Columbus I had to go to Northstar Café. They make, in my opinion, the best veggie burger. I couldn’t even wait to take a picture before eating some of it. Along with the burger they serve an amazing side salad, and I’m not typically a huge fan of salads. Northstar has quite a few things on their menu that are very easily made vegan. For the veggie burger, I just ask for it to be vegan and they take off the cheese and change the bread it’s on. The atmosphere of the restaurant is unique and organic. Almost the entire restaurant is wooden and there is really nice lighting. I will definitely go back and have already recommended Northstar to quite a few people.

 

 

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    Columbus To Do List 2

                                                                  

One of the restaurants I chose to go to was Melt Bar and Grilled. I had been here once before earlier in the year and was a huge fan. They offer quite a few vegan options which are amazing and super tasty. I ordered just a plain grilled cheese with vegan mozzarella. That combined with their fries was so good. The atmosphere of the restaurant is also super cool. There is a lot of stimulation with all of the colors and interesting decorations. I would definitely recommend Melt to a friend, however it is true it’s a pretty heavy meal.

         

The next experience I chose was Portia’s Café. This was a real treat. It’s always amazing to go to a restaurant where the entire menu is vegan because it doesn’t happen very often, although it does make me want to order everything. I split a vegan waffle with a couple of girls in ENR, got a notuna melt quesadilla, and a slice of chocolate cheezecake. I almost couldn’t believe how good everything tasted, especially the cheezecake. The restaurant was very warm and homey feeling. I would very highly recommend this to any friend, especially those who aren’t sure of what to eat as a vegan. I also plan of going back very soon.

                    

I went to Aab India for the first time. As soon as I read that it was the best Indian food in Columbus I knew I had to try it because I love Indian food. I ordered the aloo choley which is one of my favorite vegan Indian dishes. It was delicious to say the least. The menu was very well laid out and they had a whole vegetarian section. I went with Hailey from ENR and we both really enjoyed the restaurant’s atmosphere. I would say it was the fanciest Indian restaurant I had ever been to. I would definitely recommend this to someone craving good Indian cuisine.

     

The last restaurant I visited was Nida’s Thai on High. I ordered the edamame which Kam from ENR and I thought were very tasty. I loved the atmosphere in the restaurant as well. It was pretty upscale feeling and would be great for a date. I would definitely like to go back and try some more of the food.

My favorite experience was Portia’s Café. I had never tried that much good and exclusively vegan food. Through this assignment, I learned that Columbus has a lot to offer. Not only does the city have many amazing restaurants, but it could be seen through the other lists that there are so many other things to do in Columbus as well. I will never have to feel like I’m stuck on a college campus for months at a time in this city. Going to the different restaurants has made me want to explore the different neighborhoods in Columbus and the different cultures within those. For anyone trying to visit five different restaurants in Columbus, I would recommend pacing yourself and planning the transportation ahead of time. I found that Uber was often the most time-efficient mode of transportation and was not too expensive.