March, 2022 – Ecosystemic Magazine

Will European Countries Retreat From Russian Gas and Use Green Alternatives?

20Mar

By Jasmine SinghNo Comments

Global News & Policy

Will European Countries Retreat From Russian Gas and Use Green Alternatives?

By Jasmine Singh According to Eurostat, Russia is currently responsible for roughly 40% of the EU’s natural gas imports. As Western nations continue to impose sanctions on Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War, finding alternative options for fuel becomes crucial. According to Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh, “This crisis underscores the urgency of speeding our transition to cleaner, more secure, renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, and hydrogen.” Political Cartoon by Elson Bankoff Many have begun to call for companies and governments across the world to terminate their imports of Russian gas. Ultimately, this will further destabilize Russia’s economy. According to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, 40% of Russia’s federal budget revenue...

20Mar

By William AshfordNo Comments

Global News & Policy

Europe Must Switch to Renewables Now

By William Ashford The current argument for clean and renewable energy sources is about more than just combating climate change; it is about nations’ independence from authoritarian states. According to the Columbia University Climate School, In 2021, the European Union (EU) imported 142 billion cubic meters (BCM) of Russian natural gas, accounting for 45% of its total natural gas imports. That same year, Europe (including Turkey) imported 185 BCM of Russian oil, 36% of the continent's total gas demand. In 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine; but the reliance on non-renewables persisted. On Thursday, Feb. 24, Russian troops, tanks, and armored cars rolled into Ukraine in the first European military land invasion since World War I. On Feb. 22, in response to Russian aggression on the U...

The Impact of War on Agricultural Production

19Mar

By Krish GuptaNo Comments

History

The Impact of War on Agricultural Production

By Krish Gupta The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a cause for many pressing concerns and questions, one being its effects on agricultural production. Historically, war has shown both positive and negative impacts on farming practices and trade. Although the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has just started, researchers can predict what might happen, and their predictions reveal a few serious problems. From the civil wars to two world wars, violent conflicts have had varying effects on agriculture. According to a North Carolina State University article from 2017, World War I greatly affected farming production in The United States and Europe. America saw an increase in food supply to meet the demand across the nation. In Europe, however, the agricultural economy col...

Time Bomb: The Environmental Effects of Detonated Explosives

19Mar

By Quinn PatwardhanNo Comments

Eco-STEM

Time Bomb: The Environmental Effects of Detonated Explosives

By Quinn Patwardhan “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothin.” This lyric by The Temptations will survive throughout the rest of humanity. Not a single person will ever be able to justify war. Its effects include the worst that can be inflicted upon humanity: famine, illness, fire, and destruction. Many of Western Generation Z hasn’t witnessed the outbreak of war, at least on a global scale. We have been able to live with the false assumption that war is something we have left in the past, in history books. We have been told that the U.S. invasion of the Middle East was justified and had a minor impact. We have been lied to. War has been a prevalent controlling force of humanity since its very start. Weapons have gone from rocks to swords, to bows and arrows, to guns to bombs ...

19Mar

By Owen YinglingNo Comments

Literature

Ashen Walls

By Owen Yingling Ash stained walls beneath a savage sky Singed and blackened by dry rain The waters flow yet not a drop Warped metals jut from dying ground Scarred land emptied and broken Beneath the iron sky it waits for rain As the dry thunder cast its shadow The rains flow, yet not a drop to drink Cursed sky and and mindless deep An affliction upon this empty earth Burning rain, the pungent smoke Spreading far beyond the bounds Over the face of the water As they ebb and flow Hope dashed upon the rocks Charred, stripped and torn What it was I cannot say Scorched bark and noumena Found beneath this savage sky Hallowed grass twists, pulls, and yet Neither living nor dead That cruel heap of glowing cinder Son of man beweep its sorrow state Blight upon the world Watch it hiss ...

How War in Ukraine Wrecks the Environment

19Mar

By May ChanNo Comments

Activism & Social Change

How War in Ukraine Wrecks the Environment

By May Chan Not only are civilians affected by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, but the environment is also suffering from air, ground, and water contamination. Wartime practices and militarization use large amounts of energy, releasing dangerous pollutants and leaving substantial environmental repercussions following the conflict. The environmental consequences of war began long before the conflict itself began. Firstly, military forces demand a vast number of nonrenewable resources, including oil fuel, common metals and rare earth elements. According to the Conflict and Environment Observatory, major militaries can emit more carbon dioxide than some countries. The high-intensity conflicts throughout war also use large quantities of fuel. Large-scale vehicle ...

The Wartime Destruction of Ukraine’s Flora and Fauna

19Mar

By Ilaria LunaNo Comments

Eco-STEM

The Wartime Destruction of Ukraine’s Flora and Fauna

By Ilaria Luna An absurd, devastating war is raging on Ukrainian soil before our horrified eyes, destroying cities, murdering people indiscriminately and compelling millions to flee from their homeland to seek refuge in unfamiliar territories. While Vladimir Putin claims that Russians and Ukranians are a single people, with the intent of reabsorbing the Slavic country into Russia, Ukraine claims its place in Europe, now more than ever. Geography itself has already answered this political question, defining Ukraine as the largest completely European country, and science has likewise highlighted the nation’s crucial environmental contributions to the Old Continent thanks to its considerable land and biodiversity. Indeed, according to the CBD Fifth National Report, “occupying less than 6 ...

19Mar

By Amelia PNo Comments

Art & Multimedia, Pop Culture

Social Media in War

Political Cartoon by Amelia Petty

19Mar

By Ange QinNo Comments

Art & Multimedia

Second-Hand Smoke

By Ange Qin

19Mar

By Audrey WuNo Comments

Literature

We Were Made for Golden Dandelions

By Audrey Wu folded meticulously they leave dimly lit handprint and amber waves turn crimson with the sunrise how does a sun dare to draw its rosy curtain upon a scene where her children lie prostrate when their chests once rose upon her appearance we forget a sun once lit up their faces scintillating until constellations blew out their eyes and in a few months we forget those faces just as we forget the honeyed taste of sun our souls are not nuclear our hearts aren’t meant to cover with clouts we were made for golden dandelions and skies bluer than the grays of bodies molting into soil our landscapes are littered and loitered our cranes have become plastic our pooled-up hope crumpling with promises of “we’ll see each other again.” folded meticulously they leave dimly lit handpri...