Biodiversity

By. Sangwook Alex Ahn

Biodiversity means variety in all biological forms, levels, genetic diversity, ecosystem, and it affects every aspect of life on earth. Climate crisis solutions, health, food security, water availability and resource sustainability all depend on the correct approach to ecosystems and the biodiversity of life.

 

Unfortunately, human activities have impaired and over-exploited the plant’s biocapacity. Man has altered about three-quarters of land-based environments. As a result, the number of species is decreasing significantly. Habitat loss due to agriculture and infrastructure construction over-exploitation, pollution, the emergence of invasive species, and climate disturbances caused by human activities over the last half-century have caused the largest change in biodiversity in the history of mankind. An average of 68% decreased in the population of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish between 1970 and 2016.

 

Ecosystem services mean the conditions and processes in natural ecosystems that enable human life on the planet. It includes air and water treatment, mitigation of floods and droughts, detoxification and degradation of waste, creation, and restoration of fertile land, crop pollination and natural vegetation, partial climate stabilization, mitigation of temperate extremes and more. The preservation of natural diversity directly affects and improves the services of ecosystems, primarily the stability and yields of arable crops, animal feed, and fisheries. Also, it is directly related to the sequestration of carbon in the soil, and the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere with a significant role in the fight against climate change.

 

The loss of biodiversity is not just an environmental issue. If this continues, negative trends in biodiversity indicate that humanity will not fulfill tasks related to poverty, hunger, and health. It is necessary to stop the loss of biodiversity to ensure a future for the plant. In countless ways, biodiversity sustains the natural and cultural connections that tie us together. It supports the very things that make life meaningful.

Government Policy – “Back and Forth”

 

Government Policy  –  “Back and Forth”

Sangwook Alex Ahn

Biodegradable plastic businesses are devastated because the Ministry of Environment of Korea issued an administrative notice in November last year stating that it will not give eco-friendly certifications to biodegradable plastics.

Biodegradable plastics are plastics that decompose naturally in soil or sea water and plastics and containers made from them have been certified as eco-friendly. Unlike standard plastics, pit decomposable plastics (PDP) decompose naturally within a few months, drawing attention as an eco-friendly material.

The problem is that there is no separate collection system for biodegradable plastics. As a result of increasing dissemination without separate collection measures, environmental groups have raised criticism that “the policy of distributing biodegradable plastics is actually greenwashing.” The Ministry of Environment eventually changed its policy.

Countries abroad foster biodegradable plastic industry. European countries such as Italy and Austria ban the use of plastic bags except for biodegradable materials and offer manufacturers of biodegradable products a tax credit of 20,000 euros. In Germany, local governments are purchasing biodegradable plastics by obligating manufacturers of biodegradable plastics to collect them within minutes and requiring consumers to separate biodegradable plastics separately. The Chinese government has also banned the use of non-degradable single-use plastics in the four major municipalities and 27 provinces since last year.

I think it is very regrettable that Korea has changed its policy and abolished the eco-friendly certification of the biodegradable plastic and has put regulations while the overseas market is growing. 

References

Chosun Daily News

Food-Upcycling Apps

 Check Out Food-Upcycling Apps

By. Sangwook Ahn

 

About 40% of America’s food supply is not sold and uneaten each year. So much food is rotting in fields, put down the drain, or being shunted to incinerators and landfills which causes climate change. All the resources, water, energy, fertilizers, pesticides, land, labor, and transport are wasted as well. But new food-upcycling apps are changing all that.

 

Hungry Harvest, Imperfect Foods, and Misfits Market sell discounted wonky produce. Olio, encourage shaving between neighbors, FlashFood, Till, and Too Good to Go focus on food recovery by salvaging the foods headed for dumpsters at restaurants and retailers.

 

Too good to Go has roots in the European activist community and was launched in Copenhagen in 2016. The company hit the U.S in 2019 and has over 2 million users across a dozen cities who have resulted in 1.6 million meals here. Users can purchase deals on surprise bags from local businesses: they range from coffee to barbecue, desserts, pizza, sandwiches, and even canned goods near their best-by dates.

 

The FlashFood app allows shoppers to select discounted groceries, which saves them $340 per year on average. “Food waste is a very time-sensitive issue. You’ve got a very small window to redistribute that food so nothing good goes to waste – digital solutions are the way to do it.” according to Leadbeater, Fresh Food’s VP of marketing.

 

These apps can solve hunger and environmental and food waste issues simultaneously. However, some say food waste could be solved more fully and equitably if it were tackled at the community level, with neighborhood farms, local and regional food cooperatives, regenerative agriculture networks, and community-supported agriculture models.

First Fundraiser in 2022

2022 First Fundraiser

Sungjoon Choo(Grade 9)

With Christmas, New Year, Valentines, and Easter all in one season, winter is truly the most jovial time of the year. We children look up to this time of the year from summer break, while thinking of drinking hot choco on a snowy day unwrapping presents. However, many fail to acknowledge that the children who pursue their dream are not even in the 1 per cent.

 In neighbouring countries, the majority of the children work as hard as they did any other day; the holiday season is merely a luxury they can never afford. Lamentably, of these children, a significant amount does not have a birth certificate, which is the bare minimum for one to be considered living. According to CBN News, approximately, 7.5 million children do not own a birth certificate because of the dearth of money in each household. In order to solve this problem and connect this issue with the conservation of the environment, we came up with the idea of a fundraiser. 

Ultimately killing two birds with one stone, we raised awareness by selling stickers, posters, and water bottles that promoted the safety of the environment, and by selling these products, we raised an adequate amount of money to help children in the Philippines get their birth certificate.     

Because this fundraiser was the first event of the year, we struggled to reach the correct level of enthusiasm sufficient enough to sell the products at first. Moreover, this was the first time for many members to ask random people in the street to buy products. It felt significantly awkward and demotivating at first getting rejected and hearing the word "no."

 Nevertheless, we persisted. As hours passed, our skill of presenting information became more concise and as a result, more people came to our station. As a team, we sensed synergy. We became much looser and less prudent. Rather than being stagnant and keeping ground on one side and pleading people to come, we went to them which ultimately made all the difference.

At the end of the day, this event gave me a different passion. Without any exaggeration, I truly felt empowered by the acts of educating the public about urgent issues circulating in this world. Furthermore, it made me think that even if the people we encountered didn't buy our products, they most likely became aware of the environmental issues and prominently, the children in the Philippines. 

Overall, the first fundraiser was candidly a great success and was a great stepping stone for the best results to come in future events the Eco- Save club prepares for.