One of the most eye opening things I heard in my entire life was that the livestock industry (animals and all of their direct byproducts) produces more than 51% of all greenhouse gases on earth. Growing up I thought that cars were the worst thing for the environment. It was surprising that what I ate contributed so much to the well-being of our planet. Some outdated data suggested that livestock produced 18% of greenhouse gases (still a considerable amount). It has become much clearer that animal husbandry is the largest contributor to the climate change. Many scientists believe that this is unsustainable and must be changed immediately, If we have any hope of continuing life on earth. The husbandry of animals requires tons of land, water, and food. The deforestation of many areas is increasing at an alarming rate. Its not difficult to see why this is bad. Increasing the amount of animals and decreasing the amount of plants is incredibly counter intuitive. Its upsetting how we let this happen, but meat is such a central part to our lives. I have been a vegetarian for a few months now, and can say with certainty that meat is essential to every culture.

Where there is great concern there is also great excitement. Many companies are trying to produce meat substitutes that are designed to satisfy everyone. I must say that it is very promising and will definitely be able to replace every popular meat. Impossible Foods, for example, has created a meatless burger that “bleeds” just like beef. There is so much promise that it’s hard to not get excited. It is a win-win in the truest sense of the term. Its healthier than meat, no animals are killed, and it tastes just as good. The only problem is, is that it’s kind of expensive, but the price should go down when (hopefully) more people begin to eat it. With our environment in bad shape, I know I look forward to a day when Animal Husbandry is a thing of the past, and our “meat” is made of plants. 

http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/

http://www.impossiblefoods.com

Are livestock responsible for 51% of greenhouse gas emissions?

Once you get down to it, you realize how much stuff you throw away a day. All of the coffee cups, plastic bags,  plastic utensils, paper products, and water bottles really do pile up. We live in a throw away society where we use something once and get rid of it as soon as we are finished. Some people work to maintain a “zero waste” lifestyle, where  they do not create any trash, compost food, and recycle when they can. People have to account for everything. Not even the plastic bottles, but stickers on apples and other produce, paper towels, and plastic wrap that surrounds  the tons of products we use everyday. Although it is possible, it can be expensive and very time consuming, and most people cannot devote their entire lives to not producing no trash. What Mayor De Blasio is planning on doing will definitely help alleviate NYCs production of waste. 5.5 million tons of waste are produced in a year, and 4 million tons of recyclables are actually incinerated. The project he is undertaking is called OneNYC and will drastically reduce the amount of waste NYC produces. All of this should be implemented in the coming decade.

Not only is it expensive to transport this trash out of the city and to a landfill, a staggering $350 million a year, but it is not good for the environment. Stuff leeches into ground water and conditions become worse. It isn’t sustainable to live in a throw away society. There is an island of plastic the size of Texas out in the ocean and global water/temperature levels are rising constantly. It’s more important than ever to make a sustainable earth. We can start with the waste we produce, and continue to work from there. De Blasio commented about OneNYC, “[our goal is to have] the cleanest air of any large city, and a dramatic reduction in emissions, this is a bold and ambitious plan – and New York City requires nothing less.” It is absolutely exciting and I can’t wait to see the outcome. I commend the mayor for taking such a drastic step in what seems to be a marathon of improvements that the earth desperately waiting for us to make.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/05/meet-zero-waste-zealots

http://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/257-15/mayor-de-blasio-releases-one-new-york-plan-strong-just-city#/0

http://www.ibtimes.com/new-york-city-reduce-waste-90-2030-new-waste-management-program-de-blasio-1891604

Aquaponics has proven to be an effective way of sustaining a family. To be able to use fish waste as a means of growing plant foods seems extraordinary. It promotes good health, with organic vegetables as well as clean, mercury-less fish. As we discussed aquaponics in class, it seemed that an aquaponics garden could work on a small scale well, but a company in Brooklyn, called Edenworks, is showing that it could really work to sustain a large population of people. The company understands that the quality of the food produced is superior to other means of agriculture. The CEO of Edenworks says “Though the premise of mimicking a natural system in a closed environment is ancient new technologies including proprietary software, a complex plumbing system and cost-efficient LED lighting.” The company, based in East Williamsburg, recently entered a commitment to provide Whole foods with microgreens and baby greens. It seems that people now, more than ever, want to know where their food comes from. An aquaponics system is a great opportunity to provide people with the desired information about their food.

Brian Mansour, a well established aquaponics gardener, says that it is about time that New York City develops and begins to sustain its citizens. He says, “It’s just a matter of time before somebody with enough money and the right crew will get together the right model that will work.” It is exciting to see how agriculture is changing. Not only are aquaponic gardens becoming popular, but urban gardening is developing rapidly. So many food co-ops are providing people with healthy food all over the city. Aquaponics just seems to be the next step in this sort of evolution of large scale gardening in New York City.

-Source

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160410/SMALLBIZ/160409882/once-just-a-hobby-aquaponics-could-be-the-future-for-growing-food-in-new-york-city