THE ENVIRONMENTAL EAGLE

March 2019

The Sustainability Newsletter of Boston College

Student-Organized Referendum Shows Strong Support for Fossil Fuel Divestment

Boston Adopts Ordinance Banning Single-Use Plastic Bags

Chocolate Event Promotes Fair Trade Products on Campus

Students Research the Effects of Road Salt on Salinity in Webster Woods

Asia Spotlight: Indonesian Company Offers Edible Alternatives to Plastic

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This newsletter is a monthly publication by EcoPledge of Boston College.

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Referendum Shows Overwhelming Support for DivestmentBy Alex Capozziello Over 2000 students believe that Boston College should withhold invest-ments from the fossil fuel industry, ac-cording to the recent non-binding refer-endum results voted on in the spring 2019 Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) election. The referendum was sponsored by Climate Justice BC (CJBC) member Kyle Rosenthal, CSOM ’21, and UGBC sena-tor and chair of the Student Assembly En-vironmental Committee Kate Canavan, MCAS ’21. The vote itself was officially endorsed by CJBC and was added to the ballot after the group collected the neces-sary 1,000 student signatures required to add a referendum to a UGBC election. “Should Boston College withhold investments from the fossil fuel industry?” the referendum asked voters. The results found that 2005 stu-dents voted yes, that BC should withhold investments from the fossil fuel industry, while 374 students voted no, that BC should remain invested in the fossil fuel industry. With 84 percent of students in favor of divestment, Canavan hopes that this sizable number of students showing con-cern for divestment will generate conver-sation around the topic on BC’s campus. “The purpose of passing this refer-endum wasn’t that we expected the Uni-versity to say yes to divestment right after we passed it,” Canavan said. “The purpose of this was to continue the conversation around divestment and hopefully open up dialogue with members of the admin-istration that previously were closed off to the idea.” According to Rosenthal, CJBC recognizes that divestment is a long term process, but hopes that this referendum will be a step toward more conversation and awareness regarding the issue of di-vestment. He also hopes that the referen-dum encourages conversation amongst students and administrators alike regard-ing what BC can do to be more sustain-able.

“This was a very student-led move-ment and we hope that in the future, we can work on more proactive sustainability measures while leaning on the admin-istration for support on these matters,” Rosenthal said. After a resolution passed last year in UGBC calling on BC to divest from fossil fuels, Rosenthal hoped that this ref-erendum would further promote aware-ness and support for divestment across campus. The resolution, sponsored by the UGBC environmental committee and voted on by Student Assembly senators, laid out a five to ten year plan for divest-ment and called on specific companies which the University should divest from. However, according to Rosenthal, this resolution received little response from administrators. The new referendum was a further attempt to show an official mea-sure of broad student support on the issue outside of the Student Assembly, he said.

In a statement responding to the new referendum results, University Spokesman Jack Dunn reiterated that the University remains strong in its cur-rent stance against divestment. “Boston College remains opposed to divestment from fossil fuel compa-nies on the grounds that it is not a viable solution to the important issue of climate change,” Dunn said to The Heights. “The University’s position is that the most effective way to limit climate change is for Boston College, along with corpora-tions, organizations and individuals, to take active steps to reduce energy con-sumption and enhance sustainability measures.” While Rosenthal appreciates the University’s efforts to increase energy efficiency, such as through the construc-tion of LEED-certified buildings on

Kyle Rosenthal of Climate Justice BC spearheaded the referendum campaign.

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campus, he believes more can be done at BC to tackle climate change. “We would hope that the adminis-tration and the board of trustees would directly acknowledge the severity of

climate change and take a much more proactive stance on combating the issue, including divestment.” Despite the administration’s oppo-sition to divestment, Rosenthal remains hopeful. Divestment is not a simple topic, he said, and to be able to commu-

2From page 1 nicate this idea with students and receive

broad support is something he considers a success. “We are very excited about the ref-erendum and grateful for everyone that supported it,” Rosenthal said. “We hope that as a school community—including

students, faculty, and alumni—we can come together to have productive con-versations in a way that helps us combat climate change. As much as it is a threat, there are things we can do now, and so we hope that we can come together to get those things done.”

City of Boston Passes New Ordinance Banning Single-Use Plastic BagsBy Alinda Dersjant

Plastic bags are now a thing of the past in Boston. In December, the city passed a plastic bag ordinance that bans single-use plastic bags from the city center. The ordinance went into imme-diate effect, requiring that stores offer reusable or recyclable paper and plastic bags instead, and charge a five cent min-imum for them. The regulation has also been adopted by several other munic-ipalities in the greater Boston area, in-cluding Newton. Boston College dining halls no longer provide single-use plastic bags in accordance with the ordinance. The plastic bag ordinance was adopted in an effort to combat the en-vironmental problems associated with single-use plastic bags. The ban aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as-sociated with the production of plastic bags, which uses oil as a key resource. The ban also seeks to protect marine environments and waterways where lit-tered plastic bags accumulate and wreak harm to wildlife—killing turtles, birds, and fish. In regards to local communi-ties, the ban will lower the amount of plastic waste that ends up discarded on the streets and in landfills.

Americans discard over 100 bil-lion plastic bags annually, according to Stanford Magazine, which is equivalent to over 300 bags per person. Additionally, only a mere one percent of plastic bags are recycled, partially due to inadequate plastic recycling systems and partially due to consumers who do not recycle their bags. While the plastic bag ordinance is a step toward more sustainable consum-er practices, it requires an effort from mindful consumers as well. Consumers will need to acclimate to reusing bags that they can purchase at stores for the five cent minimum charge and bring them during subsequent store trips. Reusing these bags prevents consumers from needing to repay the fee for a new bag.

Stanford Magazine cites that the av-erage reusable plastic bag should be used at least 11 times, while a reusable cotton bag should be used at least 131 times in order to be more environmentally friendly than the single-use plastic bag. If consumers successfully adapt to re-usable bags, the environmental impacts of plastic bag production—including its contributions to climate change and waste production—will significantly decrease. Interestingly, one of the replace-ment options for plastic bags, the paper bag, is actually not as environmentally friendly as it is often advertised. The production of a paper bag emits roughly three times as many greenhouse gases as the production of a single-use plastic bag. However, the paper bag is more sustain-

able than the plastic alternative in other ways. It does not require non-renewable resources and decomposes quickly. BC Dining chose to move to reus-able bags instead of paper bags, follow-ing the plastic bag ordinance Newton has adopted, according to signs posted in several dining halls. All dining halls now offer reusable cotton bags that can be purchased on the student meal plan, which empowers students to be more sustainable. The ban on single-use plastic bags pushes for environmentally conscious behavior amongst customers. Yet, its impact relies upon change in consum-er decisions, for the betterment of the community—a first step toward reduc-ing pollution, trash production, and the excessive use of oil.

Graphic by Alinda Dersjant

Free Chocolate Event Spreads the Love of Fair Trade on Valentine’s EveBy Liz Allen

There was a large assortment of chocolate covered and chocolate filled treats in the Vandy Cabaret Room on Wednesday, February 13, when Real Food partnered with Equal Exchange to discuss chocolate, fair trade, and Valentine’s Day. Students in attendance snacked on a variety of chocolate treats while learning about what goes into making Equal Exchange chocolate re-sponsibly-sourced. Equal Exchange is a co-op that works directly with small farmers

around the world. They help these farmers negotiate contracts and connect them with large scale buyers like Boston College. At BC, Equal Exchange pro-vides fair trade coffee, chocolate, and tea. Fair trade entails trade between compa-nies in developed countries for goods produced in developing countries, with an insurance that fair prices are paid to producers. When it comes to chocolate, Equal Exchange works with the co-op Conac-ado, located in the Dominican Republic. Equal Exchange works directly with Conacado and with some of the 9,700

farmers who make up the co-op. They work to make sure that the cacao is grown both organically and sustainably in the Dominican Republic. In regard to sustainability, Equal Exchange works with small farmers to try out model farms, small to medium scale areas dedicated to learning more about the cultivation of crops such as cacao and coffee. On these model farms, they explore different techniques to safely and successfully deal with the im-pending changes in climate along with other agricultural innovations. Recently, Equal Exchange has been working on

maintaining soil health through a study on microorganisms, as well as fight-ing erosion through strategic planting methods. The event ended with trivia about fair trade, chocolate, and Valentines Day. Currently, 18 percent of BC Dining’s products meet a national “real food” standard, which means that these dining items are community-based, fair, eco-logically sound, and humane. This stan-dard provides environmentally-minded community members with a means of quantifying how much food is ethically and sustainably sourced on campus.

3Column: Measuring the Effects of Road Salt in Newton’s Webster WoodsBy Chris Joseph

New Englanders are no strang-ers to snow. Winter wouldn’t be the same without it. But winter conditions can also cause problems. What is it that keeps people moving when big storms come through? In New England, our go-to solution is road salt. Massachusetts uses more road salt per mile than any other state. Salt prevents ice formation by lowering the freezing point of water, but what hap-pens in the spring, when snow and ice melt entirely? The salt flows off-road and seeps into local environments. Such contamination can be devastating to freshwater ecosystems, which have little tolerance for salinity. This spring, I’m teaming up with fellow EcoPledge member Kelsey Kosten, CSOM ’19, to investigate the effects of road salt in Newton. Our proj-ect developed from Professor Pisani-Gareau’s environmental studies senior seminar. Kelsey and I are collecting data on two vernal pools in Webster

Woods. The first, Tarn Pond, is a road-side pool just a few feet from Hammond Pond Parkway. The second, Bare Pond, is set back from the road at the rear of Boston College’s new 300 Hammond Pond Parkway property. Bare Pond is also within 25 feet of the property’s rear parking lot, which is planned to serve as a salt-storage location for Facilities Management. So far, our water quality mea-surements show a predictable pattern of salt contamination. Bare Pond, the pool farthest from the road, has low salinity. On the other hand, Tarn Pond, the pool that sits downslope from the parkway, shows high salinity at its far coast and salinity well above the classification of freshwater at its roadside coast. Based on these early observa-tions, I suspect that a pool’s proximity to salted roads is a major factor in salt contamination. These observations also suggest that salt storage in the rear park-ing lot of 300 Hammond Pond Parkway would increase Bare Pond’s salinity in the same way that proximity to the

parkway has apparently increased Tarn Pond’s salinity. Facilities Management has plans to minimize salt contami-nation on Bare Pond from the new salt storage facility by pitching the lot away from the vernal pool and installing de-salination filtration systems. Kelsey and I are interested

in seeing how these salinity patterns change over the spring as snow melts and salt gathers in the pools below the parkway. Our finished project report, along with the reports of each student group in the seminar, will be available in May on the Environmental Studies department’s website.

Chris Joseph uses an auto-level and staff gauge to mark the elevation of a bench-mark at Bare Pond in Newton’s Webster Woods to obtain data about soil salinity.

By Alex Capozziello

Recyclable packaging could be a thing of the past as new technologies out of Indonesia may soon allow for edible packaging. Evoware, a startup company founded by twenty-five year old inven-tor David Christian, challenges the con-cept of recyclable packaging by creating edible and biodegradable alternatives. One biodegradable option the company offers is seaweed-based pack-aging and products. Evoware believes a large volume of seaweed production is oversupplied and wasted. Addition-ally, five of the six poorest provinces in the region produce seaweed, while the majority of seaweed farmers see little profits. In response, Evoware looks to support these low income farm commu-nities by utilizing their seaweed yields to create new, high quality seaweed-based products. Evoware produces several edible, small-format seaweed-based products, including cups, food wrappings, coffee sachets, and dry-seasoning sachets—all of which are advertised as nutritious

and containing high amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These prod-ucts are tasteless and odorless, but the company claims to be able to customize their products to have a specific taste or even a logo incorporated on them. The company also produces biodegradable products, including soap packagings. Another feature of the packag-

ing is that it dissolves in warm water, making it a zero waste product. It is also 100 percent biodegradable and has a shelf life of two years without the use of preservatives. The seaweed prod-ucts are also Halal certified, safe to eat, and are produced in compliance with Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards, which manage food

safety by analyzing biological, chemical, and physical hazards that may arise in a product’s manufacturing and distribu-tion. Evoware has won several awards for its innovative technologies. The com-pany was one of the winners of the idea category of Social Venture Challenge Asia 2017, an Asia-wide competition for social enterprises. Christian’s motivation to create these edible and biodegradable sea-weed-based products originates from his experience of overwhelming amounts of plastic waste in his home city of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The city is home to over 10 million residents who produce a large amount of plastic waste that takes thousands of years to degrade. According to Evoware, Indone-sia is ranked second for global plastic marine pollution. By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean, the company says. Currently, 25 percent of fish on the Indonesian market are contaminated by plastic pollutants, and Christian’s company seeks to remedy these environmental afflictions.

Indonesian Company Offers Edible Alternatives to Polluting Plastic Packaging

Graphic by Alinda Dersjant