Almost Heaven, Almost Green

Spring has sprung, the flowers are blooming, and allergy season is well underway and seemingly worse than ever. While nearly 20 million Americans are going to feel the affects, new studies show that climate change may be to blame.

 

 

The reason why has the do with airborne pollen, which has increased with warming temperatures, according to scientists.

Dr. Jeffrey Demain from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology gave a talk about some of the environmental changes taking place.

According to the  Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s annual survey, fewer “freeze-free” days in the year between 1995 and 2011 led to 11-27 days added to pollen season for most of the nation, and they’ve discovered that it’s been growing each year.

According to CNN’s Jen Christensen, studies show that with this comes more allergies because plants like ragweed will begin migrating north, likely bringing New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine more pollen.

Angel Waldron, the director of communications for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, explained to CNN how much we are now seeing the impact of climate change on allergies.

“Warmer temperatures allow the trees to pollinate earlier and for longer times. We didn’t used to see our cars covered in pollen before March, but we do now, and we hear from people all the time who are dealing with allergies for a lot longer than they used to when they were little. That’s definitely connected to climate change.”

A prime example of these changes taking noticeable effects happened in Durham, North Carolina this month with Jeremy Gilchrist’s #Pollmageddon photos. The former meteorologist used a drone to snap pictures of massive clouds of pollen overtaking the sky in a yellowish haze.

This is a prime example of tree pollen on the move, and North Carolina isn’t the only Appalachian state set to feel the effects of it, according to AAFA and the National Wildlife Federation’s report on the impact of climate change on people with asthma and allergies.

Their report revealed that the effects of climate change favor trees with more highly allergenic pollen.

“In particular, habitat suitable for highly allergenic oak and hickory species may expand at the expense of habitat where much less allergenic pine, spruce, and fir trees currently dominate. These shifts might be most dramatic along the Appalachian Mountains, Northeastern states from Pennsylvania to Maine, in the Upper Midwest, and along the lower Mississippi River.”

When looking further into just how dramatic these shifts might be in West Virginia, the state has a low to moderate allergenic potential level on the current habitat distribution map, but is projected to be high to very high by 2100 in a high emissions scenario.

Unfortunately, things aren’t looking to get any better for allergy sufferers unless things change. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, under current environmental conditions, researchers expect to pollen counts in the U.S. to double by 2040.

According to EcoWatch’s Sam Nickerson researchers have even more reason to believe that climate change is linked to the growing severity of allergy season. The Union of Concerned Scientists has found several signs of climate change and that also drive allergen production such as Increase in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Temperature Increases, and Seasonal Creep.

The impacts of climate change can take a huge toll on allergy sufferers, and according to Vox, “can cause mild annoyances like hives or itchy eyes, or life-threatening issues like anaphylaxis, where blood pressure plummets and airways start swelling shut.”

Many have even taken to social media to express their concern and note just how much more allergy season is affecting them this year.

While many of us are rightfully frustrated, there are still some things that we can do to help. According to CNN, things such as turning out the lights when leaving a room, use energy efficient light bulbs, unplug chargers from outlets when they’re not being used, and washing clothes in cold water instead of hot are all small chances we can make in our daily lives to help slow climate change.

As well as this you can also join the action network for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America to stay up to date about pending federal or state asthma and allergy legislation.

 

Lil Dicky is a singer/song writer that is notorious for coming out with goofy, not-so-serious music. This past week, he followed his normal trend of releasing a comedic tune, but the song had a serious message behind it.

“Earth” is a cartoon music video where Lil Dicky tells the audience about how much we love the earth and everyone and everything on it. But the main focus is to call attention to Climate Change. Within the lyrics of the song, he discusses that we only have 12 years to change out habits as a society before we see serious, permanent affects to the earth and all the profits from the song are going straight to charity. The song is filled with an all-star cast. Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus are just a few of many celebrities featured. Dicky leave off with encouraging viewers to visit WeLoveTheEarth.org to learn more information and donate.

With a large group of influencers, the message built so directly into the lyrics, and the comedic aspect, it’s the perfect platform to get people aware, which is exactly what he did.

West Virginia is seeing the affects on climate change. Within the last century, majority of the state has warmed up to almost one degree.  One degree may not sound like much, but if we continue to let our climate rise, we will see direct effects such as flooding and health issues. If we don’t make a change, here’s what could happen to our almost heaven.

There has been an increase in precipitation ever since the beginning of the 20th century. Flooding is not a foreign concept to West

Virginia. In 2016, the state saw the deadliest flood in West Virginia history, and the deadliest flash flood in the nation. It’s estimated that the average precipitation will continue to rise during the winter and spring. This, combined with rising temperatures will intensify flooding.

Health issues can arise due to the heat of some summer days.  Hot days cans be unhealthy and dangerous for everyone, but especially children and the elderly.  The air quality can be harmed due to the rise in temperature. Longer growing seasons means more pollen resulting in allergies, and ground level ozone, a key component of smog, will increase the hotter it gets.  The more the climate changes, the harder it will be to clean the air.

The affects go beyond just flooding a health issues such as

ecosystems, recreation, and farms.

What can West Virginia Do? We need to drop our greenhouse gas pollution, and burning coal is a huge part of that. Our state is the second largest producer of coal and by reducing how much we burn, could significantly help our climate.

Hopefully Lil Dicky’s message will get people talking and taking action so we can live a longer, healthier life on earth.

Previously known as a “Coal State” West Virginia is trying to strive towards more clean and renewable sources of energy. Renewable energy is a hot topic currently mainly because the current government administration in office has revised so ma

by Shana Nelson

While #schoolstrikes4climatechange is a new movement that students across the globe are getting involved in, some WVU students are lending a helping hand to educate the world about climate change in their own way.

This semester, Dr. Jasper Fessman’s strategic communications capstone class has teamed up with Project Drawdown, a nonprofit organization which consists of a coalition of researchers, scientists, doctors, and many more, that has developed 100 sustainable solutions to climate change.

Founded in 2014 by environmentalist and author Paul Hawken, Project Drawdown was created to, “map, measure, and model the most substantive solutions to stop global warming, and to communicate those findings to the world.”

Edited by Hawken and released in 2017 Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, lays out the 100 most substantive solutions to global warming.

The list of all 100 solutions can be found here, and they range from topics such as a plant-rich diet, educating girls, and LED household lighting,  just to name a few.

In terms of just how this organization and WVU started working together, Dr. Fessmann said that he wanted to use his scholarship and activism in order to help students make a difference.

“I am an activist scholar. I am a scholar first, but I really like to use my scholarship and my research to have an impact. Teaching a capstone class really allows me to also help the students and learn a lot for a real client, and at the same time make an impact.”

At the beginning of the semester, groups of students were told to come up with a campaign idea for Project Drawdown, and of those groups one was chosen to work on a social media campaigns, and another was chosen to focus on the organization’s solution of a plant-rich diet,  creating advocacy toolkits for the organization to generate awareness to their solutions.

Dr. Fessmann himself is also doing work to help on the environmental front with the recent release of a book he edited, Strategic Climate Change Communications: Effective Approaches to Fighting Climate Denial. The book, according to Dr. Fessmann, is meant to help journalists understand strategic communications campaigns that are used against them by climate denial, which is an industry with a budget of about $900 billion a year according to this research.

“There’s a very, very strong difference in the playing field. You have all of the money and expertise on one side, and this book and others try to level the strategic communications playing field to really give journalists and activists a toolkit of what techniques are used against them, and how they can counter them.”

In terms of doing their part to reverse global warming, students of today seem to have their sights set on ditching corporate jobs and doing more public interests communications and advocacy work, Dr. Fessmann said.

“A lot of the students want to do more than a traditional corporate job, and this generation is a lot more socially active. They understand how much impact they can have, especially through social media, that they can spark social movement. That makes it a lot more meaningful.”

While WVU students are working directly with the organization, other schools did their part by joining in on the EcoChallenge on social media.

Whether it’s working hands on with organizations such as these or joining movements online, there are many ways that students both locally and globally are working to reverse climate change, and thanks to organizations like Project Drawdown, we are all able to have access to solutions to help ourselves and the planet.

One of the biggest complaints about being sustainable is that it’s expensive. 

It’s cheaper to buy a cases of plastic water bottles for $3, then to buy a reusable one for $30, and grabbing a free plastic straw is more reasonable than Paying $10 for a reusable one. But where do you cross the line of what is reasonable?

 

Allbirds is company that sells shoes. But these shoes are special because they’re made out of natural materials. The goal of the company is to be more sustainable.  The shoe is made out of either wool or treefiber and the laces are created from recycled plastic bottles. Even the boxes that they come in are made out of recycled cardboard. The brand was even voted as “World’s Comfiest Shoe”. A shoe that keeps the environment in mind, that can be yours for… $95. And don’t bother looking for a discount code, they don’t exist.

Their pricing is not completely off compared to other shoe brands.  But unlike Nike, Vans, or Adidas, Allbirds isn’t a common name or brand. So when consumers purchase these shoes they’re most likely buying them for what they stand for.

People have different opinions on where to draw the line with what is reasonable and what is not and this video gives great tips on how to save money while trying to be sustainable.

 

Businesses also struggle with the idea of sustainability being pricy. But businesses can actually save money while going green.  The Morgantown Green Coalition was brought together in 2016. Joined with the Morgantown Green Team and Friends of Deckers Creek, their mission was to help local business become more sustainable, while saving money.  31 businesses ranging from bars to boutiques joined the coalition after filling out a survey that took businesses about an hour to complete.  From there they learned tips and tricks from the local expedients on how to be sustainable and saving where they could.

Being reasonably sustainable is truly a person and businesses preference. As a community we find the balance to live a greener life.

 

 

 

 

by Shana Nelson

The change in weather is bringing forward new fashions, and the biggest trend this year may just be one that helps the environment: clothing made from recycled materials.

Repreve, a brand created specifically to use recycled, plastic water bottles to make clothing and other materials, has teamed up with companies that are close to the area, and is helping to bring environmentally friendly fashion to the Morgantown area.

To begin with, you can’t think of a college student without thinking of Patagonia. When it comes to being trendy, this brand has been in the know since the beginning.

In 1993, Patagonia became the first clothing made from recycled PET bottles (polyethylene terephthalate is the actual name, but that’s a mouth full), and has pushed other companies to jump on board and do the same thing ever since.

While WVU students have hopped on the trend of wearing Patagonia, they may not have known that they have been helping the environment while doing so.

Some local retailers that are selling Patagonia are Dicks Sporting Goods and Pathfinder on High Street.

In terms of other high-end brands that are set on helping the environment, Lane Bryant is one of them. They have also teamed up with Repreve to create an eco-conscious collection of super-soft tees, jeans, and Livi Activewear.

Located at the University Town Centre, this store is also providing students with a way to help the environment and look fashionable while doing so.

In terms of just how impactful this partnership is, Haleigh Carey, the store manager, said, “I feel in a world where global warming is being overlooked, it is important for larger corporations to do their part in helping the earth while also educating their consumers of the small things they can do to help.”

“Lane Bryant has always been a company based on helping women feel beautiful and look good, so it is only fitting for them to help Mother Earth feel that way as well,” Carey stated.

The process of making this clothing is just as cool as the impact that it’s having. In an interview with Fast Company, Helen Sahi, vice president of global corporate sustainability at Unifi, explained the process in turning plastic bottles into textiles.

“First, the bottles are broken down into small flakes at the Repreve Bottle Processing Center in North Carolina… Those flakes are then melted down into tiny pellets at a separate facility. There, the chips are melted again, and filtered and spun into threads through a process that resembles water flowing through a shower head… Depending on how the threads are treated, they can be used for a range of textiles, from swimwear to denim to car seats.”

Here is also a video that shows the process that Sahi explained

While we have local stores to go to such as Lane Bryant, and brands to look for such as Patagonia, Repreve is also making its way to other college campuses.

While they recently brought their own truck to UCLA to engage with students on game day, doing the same sort of thing at WVU would be an awesome way to get students involved.

All in all, no matter what your style is, making steps towards helping the environment is the most trendy (and responsible) thing that you can do.

While it’s my personal hope that this is something that all clothing companies begin doing, it’s amazing that we have brands like Lane Bryant and Patagonia in our area that are doing their part, and allowing us to help the world and look great while doing so.

By Shyla Parsons

Money. The one item that can bring so much joy and fear at the same time.

What if I told you that you could save money by being eco-friendly as well. Other than some of your basic ways at home: letting the sun into your house, changing your diet or even walking more – you can save money in the workplace too.

Back in 2016, the Morgantown City Council declared it as the “Year to Go Green.”

This was a community-wide plan to clean up the city of Morgantown. In response to that, Friends of Decker’s Creek and the Morgantown Green Team created a business coalition. Their mission is to get local business of Morgantown involved to go green. They are helping teach these businesses that they can save money by going green.

 

 

Again in 2018, they revised their plan to better the community and planet even more! This created the Morgantown Municipal Green Team Strategic Plan.

 

Now, let’s go back to the the basics, because small steps lead to success – right?

 

Cutting back on the use on energy, not only saves you money on your bills, it is also better for the environment. Another great factor includes jobs. By using more reusable energy sources creates the need for more jobs. Back in 2014, the green energy industry employed 7.7 million people.

A study from 2009, conducted by Union of Concerned Scientists, found that by reducing the demand of fossil fuels will lead to lower and more stable natural gases and coal prices for electricity generations. This saying, that by 2025, the typical household would save more than $67 in annual gas and electricity costs.

 

According to Earth Friends: some simple ways to conserve energy at work or home, which results in saving money, include           (see website for full list)

• turning life off when leaving a room
• turn of computers at the end of the day, as well as the actual power strip
• adjust temperature at the end of the day
• replace light bulbs with CFLs or LEDs

By going green, you can save money. Leaving your wallet happy and the earth happy.

Money does buy happiness!