No Need to Wait: EDUCATE

Please check out my Prezi, No Need to Wait: EDUCATE, which offers the problems and solutions to environmental education!
http://prezi.com/koaodsi35jrh/no-need-to-wait-educate/?kw=view-koaodsi35jrh&rc=ref-34952969

Huffington Post Article

When I got home from Costa Rica, I took action on the main problem that I found: lack of education! Here is an article I published in The Huffington Post that outlines some of the actions people need to take to build environmental awareness in their communities!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ef-education-first/no-need-to-wait-educate_b_3321584.html

Two Sides of the Same Coin: Environmental and Economical for Cuba

Again, I find myself preaching the same message, if you are environmentally friendly, you are economically friendly.

Let me give you a few examples.

Organic Farms: Pesticides-Very few families use them- why? Pesticides are expensive. It makes more sense (cents!) financially to practice alternative methods of pest control.
How to Keep Away Plants

1) Use alternative plants with a powerful smell

• basil
• marigolds

2) Multiple Crops in One Spot so the plants can benefit from one another
3) "Hotel" Plant

• corn stock or alternatives can be used as an "hotel" to distract insects on their way to their destination

They also recycle their beer bottles by using them to store tomato paste! They compost, and use solar techniques such as the aluminum bowl to store heat.

Recycling: The interesting thing about recycling here, is that many impoverished people do it not necessarily for the environmental reasons, but more to gain the extra cents. They get 8 pesos for 2.5 lbs of plastic (not very much!).

Reuse: Unlike the consumer culture in the West, the people here reuse most items. They make their old coke cans into race cars and pretend cameras. They hardly ever use plastic bags, simply because it is not economically viable. When people are provided with less, they seem to be more creative and waste less to conserve money. At the same time, they are also helping the environment.

The Encapsulated City

Upon arriving, at our hotel, Tejadillo, in the old port of Havanna, Cuba, I learned something right off the bat: life is simple here.

And in that way, it is nice and cozy. Picture America in the early 1950s. Old cars- pink and baby blue, polished and preserved . Little boys run past us as they play baseball in the parks. Small drugstores are filled with medicine hidden inside porcelain vases. Pastel- colored houses line the streets with women drying their clothing on their balconies and children lining up for ice-cream cones.

And I think this is how it was for us to at one point too, right? Children weren’t locked instead their rooms playing video games? Parents put family before work?

I almost feel as though I have traveled back in time. I want to warn them of what the future has in store. I want to remind them to always put community first, and limit the use of electronics.

It is this simple way of life that many people in America want to go back to. In some ways, I feel as though that is what bring people to Cuba in the first place. They like shaking that fragile snow globe and watching as everything falls right back to place.

But at the same time it is scary to think that this will all change soon. That the government will fall, embargos will end, and large American corporations will sneak into the market. Soon, there will be McDonalds on every block and AT&Ts selling IPhones to the kids.

And this lifestyle in which Americans fled from will soon take over. This fragile, simple snow globe will be broken.  

 

Innovation Village

 

 

Imagine 500 creative brains all in action. That was innovation village. Every group was given a topic ranging from Urban Development to Waste, and asked to figure out a solution their given problem.

There were projects like the ecomadia Iphone app, which helped reduce waste by giving students the opportunity to see their food options in the school cafeteria in advance. They could use this app to rate food, and give feedback to the school system. Lastly, students would gain points for bringing reusable water bottles.

 

Our project was under the category of Urban Development. We created a project called Urban Future which included components that we had learned from Earth University like vertical gardening and solar energy. I talk about it in more depth in my interview with Jim Cantore- http://youtu.be/tomRfDA0HZY

 

Here was our team- we were lucky enough to be named winners!

Gardening Tips

 

• Plant a strong smelling plant next to the plant you are trying to grow.
• ex. Cilantro, Basil
• Distracting plants ("hotel station")
• use colorful or sweet smelling plants to attract bugs to the unwanted plant instead of the plant you are trying to grow (ex. Pepper)
• Filter or block fungal problems using plants like Peppermint
• Utilize resources for edging of garden
• bicycle wheels
• plastic bottles (filled with water to make heavy- you can even add food dye to make colorful)
• old raft (fill with plastic water bottles to hold down)
• Tires
• Nice light soil

• A light mixture includes charcoal (which absorbs unwanted nutrients, coconut shredding, and compost (you can get this from manure and worms or a nice mixtures of browns and greens (organics and leaves/wood cuttings...)
• Utilize your vertical space
• build plants in a pyramid shape to utilize space
• use hanging plants
• you can use strong mesh bags, jeans or anything sturdy enough to hold up soil, cut a "v" shape into the sides of the bag, and put a nice cherry tomato plant in.
• Mixed Cropping
• Plants often complement each other. For example, coffee waste can be used to grow mushrooms!
  
  
  
  
  
  This is a parrot made from a tire!

IBGYBG

Familiar with the acronymn IBGYBG? Well the bankers who sent us into the economic crisis are. They ended their emails with IBGYBG- I'll be gone, you'll be gone. In other words, ultimately, the world problems that large industries such as oil, coal and bankers have created will be our (the youth's) problem.

And that's the short term thinking that has gotten us into almost every problem- economic, social and environmental.

Al Gore brought this acronym to our attention when he was discussing climate change. The problems that we face involving global warming are so enormous that the "IBGYBG" way of thinking, will only lead us farther into the mess. It is time we start thinking long term. It is time we stop solely thinking of money, and start thinking of the well being of society. We can no longer ignore signs of climate change- such as the droughts that swept the west or the hurricanes that are wiping out the East coast. In The Inconvienent Truth, Gore states that if we continue on this path of destruction, the city of Manhattan will become flooded. Sure enough, Hurricane Sandy proved just that. Scientists predicted to the date the flooding of New Orleans, and sure enough Hurricane Katrina was on its way.

For the people that deny climate change and say that it is still cold, if not colder than it was last year, I have a few questions for you. Why are the number of record breaking temperatures 1:115 when comparing cold temperatures to hot? Why would 97-98% of scientists agree that climate change is occuring and that it is a serious environmental problem?

This is not something we can just ignore. This is not a problem that we can afford to think short-term about. This is reality.

Gore recommended a way was by learning about the youth-lead Climate Reality Project and checking out realitydrop.org.

As for me, I want to take the next step to learn more about Climate Change by reading his most recent book, "The Future."

Leaf Cutter Ants

Have you ever watched a leaf-cutter ant in action? If not, it's a sight to see. All the ants file in a line to ultimately carry a leaf (and sometimes another ant or two!) back to their home. Its called teamwork, compromise. They all work together to achieve their goal of providing food for the rest of the community.

Even though, these ants may be small, as a human race, we can sure learn a lesson or two from them. They are only able to achieve their goal by relying on each other. Everyone in the community has a niche, speciality, which the ant will work on to achieve the whole populations ultimate goal.

Think about where we would be as a society if we could work together like the leaf-cutter ants.

The Irony

Us, students, fly in to Costa Rica all around the world. EF puts on an amazing show with an incredible agenda and inspirational speakers. And we all bond around one issue- the environment. We speak about the waste we produce and the products we are doing to help stop it.

Yet, the society that we grew up in, and the habits that we formed still hang on to us, and drag us back to the past. Americans grew up in a throw out community- buy a plastic water bottle through it out. Drink a cup of soda, through it out. Drive our car across the street and create air pollution. These habits congregate in the fibers of our blood, and they are so strong that even at a Global Student Leaders Summit centered around the environment, these habits still appeared.

For example, I was fortunate enough to eat lunch with Al Gore. However, when I sat down, what did I find in front of my plate other than a plastic water bottle. Not only this, but when looking around the room, it occured to me that everyone except for three people had opened and used that bottle. So students drank out of their plastic bottles, while listening to a student presentation about the need to reduce the use of plastic water bottles.

The next day, I saw a student through the paper plans of a waste-reduction project in the trash. Trash not recycling.

Ironic. I think so.

I am sharing this with you not to point fingers, but rather to illustrate the negative habits that we so often take part in, without even thinking about them. It's important to remember that EVERY ACTION you take has an impact on the environment around you, and although initially remembering to bring a reusable cup or seeking out a recycling bin may be difficult, if you do it enough, you can break these bad habits and replace them with positive ones.

Gone Bananas

In case you don't know the history of bananas and its global impact let me some it up for you- exploitation. Banana trees were originally planted alongside the railroad that was being built in the late 1800s. Known as the "Jungle Train," this railway was contracted by a British company as an effort to build a train from the Central Valley to the Caribbean Coast. The manager of the project, Keith put in banana trees alongside the train track to feed the workers. However, Keith soon found that he made more money from the bananas than the railway, and changed his mission to selling bananas to the US, and changed the name of the company to United Fruit Company (UFC).

Then came all the benefits of big business. The small farmers could no longer compete, and sold their farms to UFC (also referred to as El Pulpo- "The Octopus"- because it had its tentacles invading other countries). The fun continued. The US demand for bananas increased and large quantities of jungle were chopped down to make way for an increasing railway system. Hardly any money came back to the workers, yet UFC expanded its territory to other poor countries (known as banana republics). The brutality of UFC is portrayed in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, when the employers open fire on striking employees and murder thousands- only to erase their names from history the next day. The poor working conditions continue until 1936 when the workers lead a strike, which later ends exploitation....or does it? What if the exploitation of the workers slowed, but the exploitation of land remained. 

With an increased focus on globalization and competition, fast production is beating out environmentally-friendly practices. Especially because Costa Rica has to compete with other Latin American countries such as Brazil, practices such as organic farming are scarce. With a recent push for greater supply, the agriculture sector is starting to use pesticides rather than organic methods. It is estimated that only 5% of the farms are sustainable. When I talked to our tour guide Jimmy, he said the same thing. Jimmy informed us that American Banana Companies such as Dole, Delmonte use helicopters to spray the bananas every 5-8 days in order to increase quantities. There is only one place that Jimmy knows of that you can get true, organic Costa Rican Bananas: Earth University. You can buy these bananas in the states at higher scale grocery stores such as Whole Foods. But Jimmy brings us back to reality. People buy bananas like they buy any other food; they choose it for the lowest cost. Unfortunately, not enough people know about the history of the food they buy. They don't see the American Big Business Fruit Companies who spray pesticides from a plane; they don't see the rain forests chopped down to accommodate the American demand; they don't see the young boys, browned from the pouring sunlight, who have to pull hundreds of pounds of fruit. Instead they see bananas. Yellow. Low Calories. Banana Bread?

In case you were curious, yes, a pineapple does grow out of the ground

Pura Vida

Paint a picture of paradise. Then go to Tortuguero, Costa Rica and I guarantee, your picture will look identical to this setting. You want a word for it? I'll give you two: Pura Vida.

Pura Vida, literally meaning "pure life," makes up 50% of the Spanish spoken in Costa Rica. It is a greeting, conversation starter, and answer to almost any question. But more than that, it describes the people’s way of life.




It explains the mystifying beauty which encompasses Tortuguero.
One morning, Jimmy (our tour guide) took us on a boat tour through the Cano Palma. Lush green trees towered over the rich underbrush. Beyond the sight of the mangroves hid the mystery of the rain forest with over 11,000 birds and thousands of amphibians. If you looked close enough, you could spot the Jesus Christ lizard camouflaged among the emerald leaves. And in this paradise, we heard the hoots of the owls and the mating sounds of the birds.

It was here that we realized that we are just one piece of the puzzle. In suburban Northern Virginia, it is too easy to forget this. We are so busy rushing to soccer practice and cramming for tests that we often do not think about how our small actions affect something on the other side of the world. For instance a plastic bag. Convenient, clean, easy, right? Not for the beaches it washes onto; not for the water receiving harmful chemicals; not for the sea turtles who think it is a jellyfish. We are often forced into this rushed lifestyle where speed is prioritized over sustainable, superficial over natural. But does it really need to be this way?  Imagine if we could change our ways just like Costa Rica has changed theirs, to focus around one simple rule- Pura Vida.
Here, it has not always been that way, but over time the people of Costa Rica realized that if they embraced nature and utilized its resources instead of destroying them, they would be successful, and happy.

They realized that nature is beautiful and irreplaceable, and they worked to keep it that way. For example, over 25% of all land in Costa Rica belongs to state parks. Instead of building a road, people take boats to get around Tortuguero because a road would cut through this serene scene. The men work as boat drivers and tour guides instead of loggers. The live sea turtles act as a larger source of revenue than the dead ones. The sustainable cycle of eco-tourism continues.  

By embracing nature, and taking advantage of the greatest gift it offers, beauty, Costa Rica is able to preserve such vital resources, and maintain a stable economy. My hope is that developing countries throughout the world can learn from Costa Rica. Instead of following the ways of the past which include excessive logging and deforestation, these countries can be a step ahead and recognize that nature offers not only beauty but the path for a thriving economy. Like ants and trees, flowers and bees, success and nature offer a symbiotic relationship.

 
And isn't that what Pura Vida is all about?

 

Many thanks for this picture and many of the others:

 

 

Elizabeth Hurley and EF Educational Tours

Severn Cullis Suzuki

If you replace the "S" with "R" and add some letters to Severn, you can get the word Reverend, and that's exactly how I felt about Ms. Severn Cullis Suzuki. I have never meet someone in my life who was so blunt yet inspiring, young yet sapient. Ms. Suzuki, at age 12 silenced a room of adults at the UN Conference in Rio, opening their eyes to the truth of their actions (See speech here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsNDnII_Wmo) . Yesterday, she did the same with us. Except for us, she had a slightly different message. We are youth, so we have the power to make a change. Adults are most vulernable to us, their children, which is why we have the greatest chance in creating change. With an increasing amount of corrupt government (corrupt in the fact that corporations not people's voices are being heard - aka recent background check bill), the voice of the youth need to be heard. She recommended government protests with 350.org and petitions. She worked with a youth-driven group named Wecanadia to come up with government proposals for change. Here are their recommendations...
1) "Measuring what matters"
the GDP is the measurement used for global rankings, yet it doesn't measure citizen's happiness- only how much money the government is making. For example, when a person gets in a car accident, they need an ambulance, hospital assistance, ect., so the countires GDP increases, but are the people better- NO!
2) Get Prices Right
There needs to be a price on carbon!
3) Fair Trade Certified ProductsThe government would add this into their economic plans to buy from workers treated fairly!
Yet, even though these solutions seem easy enough, nowadays, these solutions are almost impossible. Everyday countries are moving away from mandatory environmental regulations to "suggestions." Basically, we are headed in the wrong direction, and in order for our planet to survive, we need to change our ways NOW.

Tips for tourists!

First of all, if you are reading this post I want to congratulate you because you are thinking of (or planning to) go to Costa Rica! And let me tell you that Costa Rica has so much to offer- so I hope you have a great time! Here are some tips to make your trip even better!

Make sure you bring...

• a light raincoat (VERY IMPORTANT)
• bug spray
• a reusable waterbottle
• bathing suit
• sneakers (hiking boats if you really want to go on an adventure!)
• a journal to write everything down
• lots of socks!

What most tour guides don't tell you...

• Often, toilet paper goes in TRASH CAN not toilets (toilet leads to clogging)