Month: February 2021

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Electronic Waste

Cunningham, K. (2020, November 17). New study highlights the rise in e-waste during global pandemic. Retrieved February 15, 2021, from https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/study-highlights-pandemic-drives-increase-e-waste/

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, companies are investing in new technologies. This short-term adoption of the aforementioned tech requires the removal of older devices. The issue presented by this is an increase in e-waste as companies transition to new electronic devices. We’re used to seeing e-waste as a result of people’s needs to upgrade, but now we’re seeing corporations participate massively in the e-waste issue. It’s only part of the process of keeping our economy and world running.

This article relates to environmental science because of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on our state and the issue of e-waste. It’s great to see people being able to work from home, but the infrastructure involved in the processes of transitioning has a horrible impact on our environment. I think this issue could’ve been avoided easily if we had adopted work from home protocols much earlier, that way we wouldn’t have to replace our current devices with new ones.

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Six Transport Trends to Watch in 2021

“Six Transport Trends to Watch in 2021.” Visit the Front Page!, 21 Jan. 2021, www.transportenvironment.org/news/six-transport-trends-watch-2021. 

 

2020 saw significant changes in transport, some more temporary than others. The number of key trends that are likely to define 2021. The first being Soaring EV sales in Europe in 2020. More electric vehicles were bought in Europe in 2020, leading us to believe that this will be an ongoing trend in 2021 with even more sales. The second is COVID-19 impact on parcel delivery volume growth. With shops closed, the world was forced to go online. During the first lock-down, e-commerce picked up by around 30% in April compared to 2019 and individual delivery firms saw growth ranging from 15% to a whopping 50%. With more home deliveries, a shift to zero-emission trucks and vans is needed to ensure this doesn’t lead to more polluted cities. The third trend is Change in normal fuel prices. The graph shows how oil prices fell due to a drop in demand and, despite demand picking up again, prices remain low. The fourth is European flights, 2020. With the lockdown, flights number plummeted. The fifth was Public transport’s slow recovery in the UK. Public transport is recovering a lot slower than private motor vehicles, and despite this being a boon for walking and cycling, that’s a major problem for air pollution. The last trend is Electricity generation in Germany. In Germany, renewable electricity generation grew 12.3 TWh, or 5.1%, compared to 2019, while at the same time coal-fired generation decreased 37.3 TWh. 

As shown in the graphs in the article, you can see a clear decrease and increase when it comes to transportation trends in 2020. These trends are most likely going to continue in 2021 due to the pandemic still being intact in many places, however, some of these trends were huge benefits to the environment, such as the increase in purchases of electric cars. This is great and I hope the trend continues in Europe because electric cars are eco-friendly and help the environment and are also a great way to travel safely. Also, the trend in 2020 with Germany’s use of energy is great and I hope it continues and gets better throughout 2021. The use of coal decreased, while the use of renewable energy increased, whether it was for cars, homes, or factories. In the graph relating to European flights, you can see the clear decrease when covid first hit, which is great for the environment, but bad for business, however, you can see the graph starting to go up again which is good for the economy, but not great for the environment, however, I doubt that in 2021 it will reach the highest percentage of people on flights again. 

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Biodiversity and Endangered species

As Joshua Trees (located in California) climate continues to change it is putting the species living there at risk (it is getting hotter). The habit is changing which will then affect the species living there and Joshua Tree is home to some endangered species. Joshua Tree is being a place people are building many new houses and rentals now and while doing this they are cutting down trees lowing the biodiversity while disrupting the ecosystem. They are looking to make a final discussion on if they will put Joshua Trees under the California Endangered Species Act, since Joshua Trees is going to be very impacted by climate change, this was rejected. However, they will get to make a recovery plan for this species if they are put on the threatened species list which is what they are hoping for in Joshua Tree right now. 

 

This is just one of many areas that will be affected by climate change. As we see Joshua trees will get hotter, have droughts, fire, and more, and this impacts everyone and everything, which is why these acts will help threatened species that may disappear which is why we need to take this one now. Something else that should be done very soon is stopping new development in the area, this restriction will not only help the animal’s habits but also keep Joshua Tree pristine and beautiful for decades to come. Biodiversity is something that will be lost, if this area is just made up of a bunch of houses, we can not afford to lose biodiversity because it will lead to us losing species as well. They are still making discussing exactly what they will do to help these species in Joshua Tree.

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Long-Term Environmental Damage from Transportation Projects in Kenya, Scientists Warn

Long-Term Environmental Damage from Transportation Projects in Kenya, Scientists Warn , 9 Feb. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210209151824.htm. 

The construction of a major railway through Kenya will have long-term environmental impacts on the area. The SGR project was given the go-ahead following the completion of two Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, but scientists question how effectively recommendations were implemented in the development. Although this would benefit Africa’s economic growth, research shows that before this can happen more work is needed to quantify ecological impacts on the land. Dr. Tobias Nyumba said: “These steps are essential if a ‘transportation corridor’ is to become a true ‘development corridor’, bringing sustainable development and social wellbeing to a country such as Kenya, while minimizing or eliminating environmental damage.” Development Corridors Partnership- which aims to address environmental concerns about large development areas- researchers continue to work with a wide range of East African and Chinese developers to improve thinking around sustainability.

I believe that although this would be a great way to help the economy in Kenya, it is overall not worth the environmental impact it will have on their environment, however, there are ways to reduce the impact while still being able to proceed with the railway. I like how the scientists are not staying quiet about how this will impact the environment and letting SGR know the consequences. I think that this will have a huge impact on their decision moving forward. Not only that, but Dr. Nyumba said bringing sustainable development while social wellbeing to a country like Kenya will minimize the environmental damage is great. I think that everyone involved did a great job at stopping something that would destroy the environment before it happened and everyone is helping find a solution to make the railway be built, but with fewer impacts. This is a great example of what other places should do and follow when wanting to build transportation that would have a huge impact on the environment.

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The Long-term Impacts of COVID-19: Transforming Transportation 2021

Null, Schuyler. “The Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19: Transforming Transportation 2021:  .” TheCityFix, 18 Feb. 2021, thecityfix.com/blog/the-long-term-impacts-of-covid-19-transforming-transportation-2021/. 

 

Plummeting bus and train ridership, lost jobs, overflowing warehouses, more inequality: 2020’s disruptions to the transport sector were widespread and deep. Julian Ware said transit agencies have seen declines in revenues between 50-80%. “The pandemic is challenging us now to rethink how our transport system around the world operates- and who they’re for,” said Harriet Tregoning. For example, In Detroit, just over a quarter of residents do not have access to a personal vehicle. To help improve access for lower-income residents, the company started a pilot program with NUMO and the city of Detroit to provide 200 e-bikes to essential workers who lived within 6 miles of their job and didn’t have access to a vehicle or public transit. “I think the crisis that COVID brought us has a silver lining: we are seeing the importance of changing what was not working before, and we are realizing the urgency of the climate crisis,” said Pablo Fajnzylber. 

I believe that although Covid took a huge toll on the economy and people’s everyday lives, it benefited the environment greatly. Like Fajnzylber said in the article, the lack of cars on the streets when in lockdown showed the impact and importance it had on climate change and the way it was able to reduce the amount of emissions in the air. This is seen worldwide, as each place had to endure a lockdown and a reduction of transportation. Many places, like Detroit, were able to help supply the people who were low-income that could not afford cars, and did not feel comfortable riding public transports due to the virus. I like how Detroit provided e-bikes because they are eco-friendly and they took the environment into account. I think that this is very smart on their behalf and I hope other places will follow in their steps by not only helping provide ways to get around for their citizens but also taking into consideration the environment and picking an environmentally friendly form of transportation.  

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Biodiversity and endangered species

The California-based “genetic rescue” team is now cloning endangered species. Now the U.S. The Fish and Wildlife Service has cloned a North American endangered species. The animal that they have now cloned is the black-footed ferret, and is the first of a native species to be cloned and is a huge breaking point. They named this ferret Elizabeth Ann, and she was cloned by frozen cells from over 3 decades ago. Since Elizabeth is young they will continue to keep an eye on her while also trying to clone more of this species very soon. But as of now she is thriving and this is a great advancement for us right now. 

 

This new cloning has lots of potential especially with this species but we will still have to look at the long run and how these clones last and thrive in the environment. While they thrive the same ways as the originals or will they be slightly weaker and more vulnerable? Also, I’m not sure if there is a certain amount of time the cells have to be frozen for this to work, if a cell is frozen for a shorter amount of time will the outcome be the same? Even though there is still some unknown I say we keep trying in the coming months even if we have not gotten all the results from this first clone. We need it because then we will be able to compare a lot of data from the clones and find common factors or differences and research more from there. This advancement is a pretty big and necessary breakthrough and Elizabeth ann is making history.

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Reviving Tourism Industry Post-COVID-19: A Resilience-Based Framework

Sharma, Gagan Deep, et al. “Reviving Tourism Industry Post-COVID-19: A Resilience-Based Framework.” Tourism Management Perspectives, Elsevier Ltd., Jan. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7771910/.

 

The following article talks about how Covid-19 has affected the tourism industry and how they plan on reviving the industry within the circumstances. The article suggests a policy framework that would enable market players and governments worldwide to cope with the challenges emerging for the global tourism industry from the outbreak of the pandemic. The article mentions the past tourism industry that was able to bounce back from certain pandemics and disasters before. Therefore, they are expecting a form of creative strategies to generate tourism business opportunities. In addition, there is an expected government aid of stimulus checks and government policies to revive the industry. There is also information regarding perhaps new technology to aid in the industry and also a way of more sustainable tourism.

 

I think it is very important for certain industries to find new and creative ways to handle the pandemic in order to further their business. We cannot simply depend on certain medications and vaccines to suddenly solve the way the economy has been affected. Many people have already lost their jobs and way of life and it’s up to smart entrepreneurial solutions to stimulate the economy in the sense of tourism. I think this article is a very hopeful and on the right track to actually do something about the tourism industry with the help of various research sources and statistics. 

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30 Top Pros and Cons Of Ecotourism

“30 Top Pros & Cons Of Ecotourism.” E&C, 14 Dec. 2020, environmental-conscience.com/ecotourism-pros-cons/.

 

The following article I chose because I wanted to diversify all the information relating to ecotourism I had been using. There are both pros and cons as illustrated by the article above. Certain of those pros are how ecotourism can help maintain the natural environments in their natural state and be sustainable for the use of the resources used. In addition, it can preserve ancient knowledge and help explore new cultures. On the other hand, certain cons of ecotourism include the disturbance of wildlife or the environment if the people going do not handle the situation properly. In addition, traveling to those destinations could result in even more pollution for example riding on a plane to get to the desired location.

 

I think it is very important to consider both the negative and positive aspects of ecotourism and how it can not be a perfect solution for pollution and nature conservation. Although there are no doubt positive aspects we must consider the negative aspects and see if there are modifications we can include in order to remove some of these negative aspects. The ignorance in the caring for the environment by some of the guests could perhaps be solved by an education program and harsher rules and fines for disrupting the environment. Certain issues like littering could easily be solved by systems in place like that. Although it would not be able to solve every negative, it could still allow ecotourism to create an even better environmental impact.

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The Best Destinations for Ecotourism in the US

Wulff, Alexia. “The Best Destinations for Ecotourism in the US.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/the-best-destinations-for-ecotourism-in-the-us/.

 

The following article depicts certain states that are known for ecotourism and the certain activities that those states offer. One of the examples of the states depicted is Oregon. The article states how the pacific northwest was a pioneer for the green movement. The state is described as surrounded by natural beauty and many ways to travel such as cycling and by foot. There are also descriptions of certain vineyards that provide sustainable “eco-wines” which are organic and sulfite-free. This state’s way of providing certain eco-friendly alternatives makes it a good state to visit.

 

The reason I found this article so compelling was because of its inclusion of specific examples and experiences from each of the states mentioned. Although the descriptions of each state were not too long, the descriptions were very descriptive of certain activities in those outlined states. The concise descriptions also included some personal locations and examples. I think that this type of recommendation is very helpful for those researching ecotourism because it provides both general and specific information regarding overall locations and activities. Overall, I think the concept of the article was interesting and helpful to those interested. 

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Global Ecotourism Market to Generate $103.8 Billion by 2027: AMR

Research, Allied Market. “Global Ecotourism Market to Generate $103.8 Billion by 2027: AMR.” GlobeNewswire News Room, “GlobeNewswire”, 18 Jan. 2021, www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/01/18/2160003/0/en/Global-Ecotourism-Market-to-Generate-103-8-Billion-by-2027-AMR.html.

 

The following article mentions the projected growth of ecotourism and the amount of profit generated. Ecotourism’s market was said to garner a staggering number of 92.2 billion dollars in the year 2019. From the year 2021 to the year 2027, there is a predicted increase of the compound annual growth rate of 2.5 percent. This would result in a large increase in profit resulting in a predicted increase to 103.8 billion dollars by the year 2027. Due to the pandemic, however, many tourism and transportation have been postponed or canceled as the deadly virus affects the safety of the locations. It is said that the United States would have the highest increase over that 6-year increase of 16.2% compounded annual growth rate.

 

The article mentions the whole ecotourism industry in a sort of business-style report which is an emotionless but logical approach. Although the audience is more structured for those interested in business, there was simply a focus on the profits gained, not the actual benefits of ecotourism. Although the act of ecotourism can generate profit, the main goal of the system is to minimize the impact on the environment whilst also contributing to the business that would aid in efforts for the betterment of the environment. The approach the article gives can also be considered a positive one that talks about the growth and therefore betterment of those involved to not only give jobs but also further projects in reaction. Therefore, I have mixed feelings about this article but do think it gives a good perspective for those wanting to see other’s viewpoint on ecotourism.