Articles - swrm

The Unwanted Renaissance of Single-Use Plastics

Chrystal Current Events, Personal Care, Pollution, Sustainability July 7, 2020August 14, 2020#plasticfreejuly, #saynotosingleuse, cloth mask, Coronavirus, COVID-19, disposable gloves, disposable mask, FDA food washing, medical waste, parcel delivery, surgical mask, virus on surfaces, World Health Organization COVID recommendations

4 people wearing masks in front of the Monda Lisa wearing a mask

Plastics, and particularly single-use plastics, had been starting to decline in popularity all over the world. More and more countries have been introducing bans on plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic cutlery and so on, like France, Australia, England, 15 countries in Africa, China (who banned bags thinner than 35 microns in 2008, and are now going all in on plastic bags) and 8 states in the Unites States. But then 2020 came along, bringing COVID-19. Suddenly, here was an opportunity for purveyors of plastic to sneak the product back in front of us, under the guise of public health and safety. But is this based on science, or is it merely opportunistic fear mongering? We lay out some evidence and advice, and dispute some cheap tactics.

Ethical Shopping

Meghan Shopping, Sustainability, YouTube Channel July 2, 2020August 21, 2021ecofriendly, Economic sustainability, ethical fashion brands, ethics, fashion industry, fashion industry pollution, Fast fashion, inclusivity, online shopping, organic, second hand, Shopping sustainably, Slow fashion, Sustainability, sustainable fashion, sustainable fashion brands, sustainable lifestyle, sustainable living, thrift stores, Vegan

We recently had the pleasure of chatting with Lindsay Karlsen, founder of VALYOS, an eco-friendly online platform for ethical shopping. The amount of research required to find sustainable products and brands is not always possible with life’s busy schedule. This is where VALYOS can help you connect with sustainable brands and second-hand sellers who share your same sustainability values.

Fire & Ice in the Arctic Circle

Chrystal Climate Science, Current Events, Global Warming June 30, 2020August 14, 2020arctic amplification, Climate, high albedo, Norilisk diesel spill, Norilisk spill, permafrost, Russian heat wave, Siberian heat wave, Verkhoyansk, weather

When you think of Siberia, you probably picture snow mobiles and huskies. These sights, however, are to become less of the norm, replaced instead with out of control wild fires and disappearing sea ice. Siberia, and indeed other parts of the Arctic Circle in Canada, Alaska and Scandinavia, are expected to really start heating up. As in, twice as fast as the rest of the world. It has long been known that global warming will impact Arctic regions much more severely than elsewhere on the planet, because of the loss of ice and snow, which can effectively reflect a large proportion of the radiative heat from the sun’s UV rays. This is “Arctic amplification” and is a great example of the importance of realizing that 1.5°C of global warming is an average, and does not simply mean that wherever you are in the world, you’re going to feel 1.5°C warmer. Many places on Earth will experience average temperatures much higher than this increase.

swrm Fairy Tales of Sustainability

Meghan Sustainability, YouTube Channel June 25, 2020August 21, 2021#plasticpollution, animation, Climate Change, climate change is real, Climate crisis, fairy tales, fairytale, Grimm, humor, lighter side, Plastic pollution, pollution, storytelling, Sustainability, sustainable, sustainable fashion, sustainable lifestyle, sustainable living, Zero Waste, zero waste lifestyle

Today, from the Hive, we bring you classic tales of intrigue, suspense, and true love of sustainability! Once upon a time, in a magical land…

Our Warming Waters – devastating for so many reasons!

Chrystal Carbon Sequestration, Global Warming, Oceans June 23, 2020August 14, 2020acidity, carbon dioxide, Carbon Sequestration, carbon sink, climate velocity, deoxygenation, ocean currents, oxygen production, phytoplankton, phytoplankton photosynthesis

When we think about global warming, our first thought is usually about heat trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases. But the phenomenon of global warming, one of the major symptoms of climate change, is also causing the warming of our oceans. A while ago we explored the rising sea levels — and touched on the reasons and expected impacts. But it’s time to wade deeper into the health of our oceans.

Compost and the City

Meghan Waste Solutions, YouTube Channel June 18, 2020August 21, 2021#SaveOurCompost, BK Rot, bokashi, circular economy, Common Ground, Common Ground Compost, compost, composting, Corked, food waste, Reclaimed Organics, Save Our Compost, SaveOurCompost, soil, soil health, soil nutrients, Sustainability, sustainable lifestyle, sustainable living, Terracycle, vermicomposting, Zero Waste

Hey swrmers! Welcome back to the Hive. A few weeks ago, we spoke with William Klimpert, Common Ground Compost’s resident data and waste management expert about composting in New York City. But there’ve been some huge changes in the world since then. So, today, we’re here with Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli, the Director of Common Ground Compost, to talk about those changes and what the future of composting looks like in the Big Apple.

Does the Ozone Layer still have a hole in it?

Chrystal Carbon Footprint, Climate Science, Emissions, Pollution June 16, 2020August 14, 2020Air Pollution;, bad ozone, CFCs, chlorine, Chloroflourocarbons, good ozone, halons, HCFCs, HFCs, hydrochloroflourocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, Kigali Amendment, Montreal Protocol, NOx, O3, Ozone depleting chemicals, ozone layer, Vienna Convention, VOCs, Volatile Organic Compounds

Sun beaming through a hole in the coulds

Ozone is a gas. A toxic, pale blue, odorous, irritative and explosive gas. But without it being naturally formed and making up part of our atmosphere, we’d be unable to survive on Earth. We’d literally fry from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The thin layer of ozone, which sits in the bottom part of the stratosphere about 9-18 miles above the Earth, absorbs approximately 98% of extremely harmful UVB rays, which are the most damaging of the ultraviolet types (A, B and C). So, way back in the 80’s when it was discovered that there was a ‘hole’ in this protective layer of gas over Australia, Antarctica and the Arctic, a massive global response was initiated.
But what ever happened? Are there still holes up there? The ozone layer doesn’t get much air time these days. And is ozone anthropogenic or natural? Read on to learn all about it!

Sustainability and Justice

Meghan Recent, Sustainability, YouTube Channel June 11, 2020August 21, 2021climate justice, discrimination, ecoracism, environmental justice, equality, George Floyd, Global Goals, inclusivity, justice, Paris Agreement, peace, police brutality, racial justice, racism, SDG #16, SDGs, society, Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations

In 2015, the Sustainable Development, or Global Goals, were adopted by the 193 United Nations member states with the landmark 2030 Agenda. These goals are a universal call to action by all countries – rich, poor, and middle-income – to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that every human being enjoys peace and prosperity by 2030.

The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs are ultimately about what makes us human, and are a roadmap to building a sustainable future in the world with care and compassion for each other, and care and compassion for the Earth.

The significance of 1.5°C of warming

Chrystal Carbon Footprint, Climate Science, Global Warming June 9, 2020June 9, 20201.5 celsius, COP21, GHG emissions, GHGs, GISS, GISTEMP, Global Warming, HadCRUT4, IPCC, JMA, MLOST, NASA, NOAA, Paris Agreement, UNFCCC

One concept which confounds many people in discussions around climate change and global warning, is that a rise of 1.5°C could be significant. I’ve never known a single day in my life where there’s not been greater variation than that, let alone then talking about seasonal variations in temperatures. So it’s no wonder that an average increase of a paltry 1.5°C leading to disaster is a difficult concept to come to grips with. Let’s explore how much it could really mean.

Besides carbon counting, here’s what you can do to shop sustainably

Lindsay Fashion, Shopping, Sustainability, Sustainable Wardrobe June 2, 2020June 12, 2020natural materials, plastic free, repair, salvaged materials, sustainable fashion, sustainable lifestyle, sustainable living, sustainable shopping, thrift, upcycle, VALYOS

Grab some fantastic sustainable shopping advice from eco-warrior Lindsay Karlsen, from VALYOS – an online eco-friendly marketplace!

Why is sustainable shopping important? The global population is expected to rise to 8.5 billion people by 2030 with the middle class increasing by 3 billion people over the next 20 years. Since 1990 the amount of natural resources extracted per person has risen from 8.1 tonnes to almost 12 tonnes in 2015. That’s a huge increase in demand which will continue to put a strain on the planetary boundaries, if not addressed.