Environmental Abuse: A Different Kind of Epidemic Alex Gieske

Introduction When people think of epidemics they typically think of a disease of some sort, which makes sense since the primary definition of an epidemic is “a widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.” However the secondary definition is “a rapid spread or increase of something.” With this project I am looking to explore a different type of epidemic; the environmental epidemic that our planet is facing. It it all about perception; people might not consider the environmental crisis were facing to be an “epidemic” because it isn’t a disease, however I whole heartedly believe it should be regarded the same way. Many people are not aware of ths encroaching epidemic at all.

Disease in the Media

The Environment in the Media

The Truth of the Epidemic The truth is, our planet is dying, and at an alarming rate. Whether people choose to acknowledge it or not, the impact that the people are having on our planet is incredibly destructive and is immensely harmful to our future and even our health. What people don’t understand is that if we do not change our ways and continue to consume at the rate at which we are, there wont be much of a future for our planet.

Environmental Statistics 110 Million Americans live in such high levels of pollution the government considers them to be harmful to their health Over one hundred billion plastic bags are thrown away every year with only 1% of them making their way into a recycling bin Up to one half of plant and animal species could go extinct by the year 2050 due to global warming. Scientists estimate that at the current rate of resource depletion, the earth will only be able to sustain a population of about 2 billion people by the year The current world population is over 7 billion. 84% of the waste that is produced by households is recyclable. In the United States alone we generate 56 TONS of waste per person per year, 95% of which is deposited into already overflowing landfills. The typical U.S household uses about 300 gallons of water per day. California has less than a year left of fresh water. Oxygen starved “dead-zones” in oceans that are completely incapable of supporting life now cover as much area as the state of Oregon.

Statistics Cont. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 4100 kilowatts of energy, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. However most of waste goes directly into landfills. One in four mammals is at risk for extinction At least 50 million acres of rainforest are chopped down each and every year Average temperatures will increase by at least 12 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the 21 st century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to be produced and continue rising at the current rate If every country in the world lived like the average American, we would need FIVE planets just to sustain all of our resource use Less than 1% of the worlds freshwater is currently available for human consumption Every day in the United States we produce enough waste to equal the weight of the Empire State building

What Can We Do??? There are an overwhelming number of things that we as a planet can do to help combat environmental damage and promote sustainability. Recycling (everything that you can!), shopping local, reducing emissions by walking/biking and using energy efficient appliances and light bulbs, stop use plastic bags, grow a garden, conserve water, plant a tree, adjust your thermostat, donate items don’t throw them away, don’t purchase more than you actually need, create a compost pile, etc. There are so many SIMPLE things people can do that can really have drastic changes on the health of our environment.

Things that CAN be Recycled This list doesn’t even begin to complete everything that can be recycled but: Newspapers, magazines, white and colored office paper, tissue boxes, books, pizza boxes, brown paper bags, aluminum foil, metal pots and pans, clear, green, brown, and blue glass, beer and wine bottles, all plastics with the numbers 1-7 located on them, milk jugs, soap bottles, deli- style containers, Tupperware plastic containers, plastic grocery bags, CDs, ink cartridges, televisions, cellphones, a wide variety of other electronics, etc. Just to name a few…

Conclusion What I really want people to take away from this project is a new found sense of knowledge. Unfortunately much of the damage that has been done is already done, however we can still as a planet change our ways and start using our resources more responsibly. I don’t want this project to downplay the severity of disease and plague that can happen in our society, but I want people to recognize that the things I have stated in this presentation have the ability to damage society and the world’s population just as badly, if not worse, than any microbiological plague or epidemic we may ever encounter. It is all about representation: disease epidemics and environmental epidemics are represented and perceived very differently. If people were more properly educated on environmental matters I think it would drastically change the way people think about the term epidemic and representations of epidemics in the media.

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