Amelia P – Ecosystemic Magazine

26Aug

By Amelia PNo Comments

Global News & Policy

A New Solution to End Pollution

Image by Anupa Uthsara Written by Amelia Petty At UC San Diego, researchers have developed a new type of plastic material that can biodegrade in a natural ocean environment. This material, called polyurethane foam, could potentially replace petroleum-based plastics that end up in our oceans and pollute the water for centuries. The popular commercial plastic used today does not break down naturally for hundreds of years, leaking toxins into the water, as well as breaking off into microplastics which are dangerous to ocean life, and eventually humans. While this groundbreaking invention gives an optimistic view on the future of ocean pollution, its commercial use across the world is still a long way off. What makes this polyurethane foam so innovative is its ability to break dow...

GreenWave’s Regenerative Ocean Farming: Building Coastal Resilience

20Jun

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Eco-STEM

GreenWave’s Regenerative Ocean Farming: Building Coastal Resilience

By Amelia Petty A fisherman, Bren Smith, realized amidst his long hours at sea fishing off the coast of Newfoundland for a depleting population of hunted wildlife that the ocean’s potential as a food and energy source is far greater than we have been utilizing. After experiencing the hardships of the Newfoundland cod stock crash, and an eye-opening view into the unsustainable practices at a salmon aquaculture farm in Northern Canada, Smith understood that a new approach needed to be taken in the way that the world utilizes and feeds from the ocean. Years later, Smith moved to the Long Island Sound, where he started fishing and farming various shellfish and seaweed simultaneously. What he learned was that this mode of polyculture farming required no external “inputs” of food, fertiliz...

Planetwalker: How the Actions of One Can Make a Difference

11Mar

By Amelia PNo Comments

Eco-STEM

Planetwalker: How the Actions of One Can Make a Difference

By Amelia Petty To help the earth, people are told to pick up trash, ride the bus to school, and recycle plastic bags. Environmentalists spread the message of the power of individual contribution to the large issue of climate change and environmental destruction. Though, despite this narrative, people sometimes doubt the true impact of one person’s actions. They worry that picking up one piece of trash, or recycling a container will not stop the enormity of the climate crisis. However, this has been proven wrong by the actions of Dr. John Francis, also known as the Planetwalker. He is proof of the impact of just one person committing to this lifestyle makes a difference. He made it his mission to help the environment through sustainable living. Francis refused motorized transportation a...

5Nov

By Amelia PNo Comments

Pop Culture

Patagonia and Ethical Consumption

By Amelia Petty Patagonia, a popular outdoor clothing company, declared this summer that it will be devoting 100 percent of its profits to charities combating climate change. Founded by Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia is known for its attempts to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly clothing brand. This recent step only furthered their commitment to combating climate change through encouraging sustainable fashion, ethical consumption, and hopefully setting a precedent for other companies to do the same. However, even with this progress, is it ethical to still buy from a large company like Patagonia? https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/patagonias-anti-growth-strategy Yvon Chouinard transferred ownership of Patagonia to a nonprofit organization and a designated trust ...

22May

By Amelia PNo Comments

History

A Brief History of Roe vs. Wade

By Amelia Petty With Roe v. Wade featuring prominently in the media right now, you may be asking yourself, “What is Roe v. Wade?” In short, Roe v. Wade was a case that came before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 in which the Court ruled that banning abortion in any state was unconstitutional. On May 3, an anonymous source leaked a draft of the Supreme Court’s plans to overturn Roe v. Wade. If these plans materialize, the decision could have major repercussions on women’s health across the nation, with poor women and women of color being disproportionately affected. Prior to Roe v. Wade, abortion was illegal in most states, with exceptions in place for cases of rape, incest, fetal anomaly or danger posed to the mother’s life. In the Roe decision, Justice Harry Andrew Blackmun found the...

19Mar

By Amelia PNo Comments

Art & Multimedia, Pop Culture

Social Media in War

Political Cartoon by Amelia Petty

How the Recycling System Needs to be Reformed in Washington DC

20Jun

By Amelia PNo Comments

Community News & Policy

How the Recycling System Needs to be Reformed in Washington DC

By Amelia Petty, Sidwell Friends School Recycling has held the national spotlight as a main solution to fighting plastic pollution and waste reduction for a long time. Despite the attention it receives as a beacon of hope for environmentalism, the system is flawed. Over the past couple of years, the Washington D.C. recycling system has undergone many changes and improvements. While the recycling system in D.C. has shown signs of improvement, it needs major changes and large scale reform of the problems it is facing. If Washington D.C. seeks to improve sustainability and reduce its global footprint, the city must consider reforming its recycling system. The contamination of recyclables is the first major issue, and is related to another problem: residents not knowing how to recycle an...