Soledad Haren

The biggest challenge is making people aware and convincing them of Climate Change.  I often discuss health and the effect of fossil fuel emissions and GMOs on their health.  I discuss the real impact of Climate Change, particularly in areas that have been hard hit (freezes, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, etc.).  Lastly, I try to suggest ways friends, family, colleagues can get involved to empower themselves and others.

At the moment, I cannot make many changes; however, my goals for the coming year include moving to a new home that I'll own, where I can change my energy provider to renewable energy only.  For the time being, I try to use as little energy as possible, using natural light, buying LED bulbs, and using natural air instead of a/c whenever possible.  Once I move, I, also, plan to buy efficiency (Energy Star) appliances and low flow toilets and showers.  While travel is, often, unavoidable for me, I have been trying to purchase offsets whenever possible or opt for greener travel options (i.e., rent an EV if I have to rent a car or choose a car rental company that allows for offset purchase; take the train whenever possible, etc.)  When I do travel to another city, I try to use public transit as much as possible.

Unfortunately, the practice of large scale industrial agriculture (factory farming) has made meat cheap in richer nations, particularly the United States.  This has created an insatiable appetite for meat, and the false idea that meat needs to be eaten at every meal.  Before WWII, Americans actually ate a lot less meat, and meat like chicken was reserved for a Sunday family dinner.  Turkey or ham would have been reserved for a holiday dinner.  At that time, meat came from small family farms were animals grazed, eating grass.  This was the animals' natural diet, which means the animals did NOT produce much methane gas.  Once factory farming became the norm in America, the price of meat went down, and people began to consumer more meat:  more often and in larger quantities.  The advent of fast food made even more "meat" products (meat served in fast food products are often mixed with fillers like soy, and flavored/dyed with caramel --- sugar explaining the increase in obesity and diabetes) cheaper and accessible in less time, increasing the demand for even more meat.  Today, the demand for meat, driven by fast food and cheap prices (Dollar Menus??), resulting from large-scale factory farming has resulted in a number of problems for planet and people.  For the planet, raising THOUSANDS of heads of livestock requires LOTS of cheap feed and produces LOTS of waste.  Animals are fed genetically modified/genetically engineered soy or corn, which has been sprayed with herbicides and pesticides.  Neither soy nor corn are part of an animal's natural diet, resulting in the animals producing lots of methane gas and nitrogen-rich waste.  The nitrogen-rich waste solids and ammonia-rich waste liquids not only poisons local water supplies, but, under the right conditions, can actually explode.  Animals kept in over-crowded conditions without access to proper nutrition or fresh, outdoor air are prone to illness.  They are often kept in their own waste.  For this reason, animals are given antibiotics.  Out of sheer greed, animals like chickens and turkeys are pumped full of growth hormones to make them reach larger sizes sooner.  Dairy cows are given hormones to make them produce 5 extra gallons of milk per day.  These antibiotics and hormones make their way to the humans who eat animal products, causing health problems and rendering current antibiotics ineffective, allowing for the development of "super bugs" (bacteria that are antibiotic-resistant).  On an economic level, the factory farms only profit large corporations, paying their workers very little, and subjecting animals to inhumane treatment.  If one consumes meat, do so responsibly:  eat less meat, and make sure it comes from small family farms that raise their livestock humanely and organically, ensuring animals get their natural diet.  In regard to seafood, opt for sustainably caught seafood from areas with responsibly maintained fisheries.  For instance, pollock, cod, and wild-caught salmon from Alaska and the North Atlantic are usually a safe bet.  AVOID seafood that is farm raised, which is often fed GMO soy --- definitely NOT a fish's natural diet), and seafood coming from countries that do NOT practice sustainable fishing or allow for commercial fishing operations, often using large drag netsl.  

Encourage your company and/or co-workers to implement green, sustainable practices  (i.e., recycling, composting, double-sided printing, use of FSC paper, etc.).  If a company has menus from food vendors, try to find a few vendors who offer vegetarian options, as well as organic and local offerings, organize a volunteer day for folks to volunteer at environmental non-profits, community gardens, etc.

Use natural lighting, rather than turning on lights, if your windows allow it.

Use natural lighting, rather than turning on lights, if your windows allow it.