Activity 5.1 - Introduction to Environmental Justice

1. Definitions:

• Environmental Justice

Equal treatment for every individual no matter their race, gender, sexual preference, national origin, or income, relating to their access to a clean environment, and the implementation of environmental laws and policies ("Learn About", n.d.).

                            McGregor, E. (Photographer). (2016, February 1).[Digital Image]. Retrieved                                 from https://www.ecowatch.com/environment-social-justice-2646167147.html

• Environmental Racism

People of color are disproportionally effected by health hazards caused by environmental issues due to policies and systems that force them to live in areas with higher levels of water, air, sound, and light pollution because of their proximity to landfills, major roads, factories, and other pollutant emitters (Beech, 2020). 

                    Gibson, G. (Photographer). (1982, September 16). [Digital image]. Retrieved                                            https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/environmental-justice-origins-why-finally-getting-the-attention-it-deserves

• Environmental Equity

Individuals are given the resources they need to be protected from environmentally caused hazards such as air, and water pollution, and access to a clean environment regardless of an individuals race, national origin, gender, sexual preference, or income ("Environmental", n.d.).

[Image explaining equality, equity, and justice]. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.mobilizegreen.org/blog/2018/9/30/environmental-equity-vs-environmental-justice-whats-the-difference

• Climate Justice

Fighting for individuals (often people of color) who are disproportionally negatively effected by the effects our current practices have on the environment. Switching the conversation to how the Earth's climate is changing due to anthropogenic actions ("Climate Justice", 2019).

[Woman holding sign at a protest]. (n.d.) Floridaimmagrant.org. Retrieved from https://floridaimmigrant.org/campaigns/from-the-root-climate-justice/

Environmental racism sounds like a silly term because how can the environment be racist? After reading and watching the material we were given, I have learned that it is not the environment that is racist, but the systems in place that force people of color to be exposed to hazardous environmental conditions. America was built off of racism, and its ignorance has made an impact in every aspect of our lives. For years, communities of color have been forced to live near waste facilities, factories, and large roads, while white people have easy access to areas like parks and lakes. Because they live so close to environmentally dangerous areas, people of color experience health issues such as asthma, cancer, and obesity. In recent years, movements involving environmental and climate justice have switched the conversation to how people of color are negatively effected by environmental hazards, and how we can do better as a society to improve their lives. 

References 

Beech, P. (2020). What is environmental racism? World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/what-is-environmental-racism-pollution-covid-systemic/ (Links to an external site.) 

Climate Justice. (2019, May 31). Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/climate-justice/

Environmental Equity. (n.d.). UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. Retrieved from                    https://innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/environmental-equity/

Gibson, G. (Photographer). (1982, September 16). [Digital image]. Retrieved from                https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/environmental-justice-origins-           why-finally-getting-the-attention-it-deserves

[Image explaining equality, equity, and justice]. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.mobilizegreen.org/blog/2018/9/30/environmental-equity-vs-environmental-justice-whats-the-difference

Learn About Environmental Justice. (n.d.). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/learn-about-environmental-justice

McGregor, E. (Photographer). (2016, February 1).[Digital Image]. Retrieved                          from https://www.ecowatch.com/environment-social-justice-2646167147.html

[Woman holding sign at a protest]. (n.d.) Floridaimmagrant.org. Retrieved from https://floridaimmigrant.org/campaigns/from-the-root-climate-justice/

 Activity 4.1 – Tragedy of the Commons: A Case Study

 

1. Tragedy of the commons

Tragedy of the commons is a term that has been widely used ever since Garrett Hardin wrote an article including the term in 1968. Although tragedy of the commons can be used in economics, I will be explaining it from an environmental perspective. Tragedy of the commons is used to explain a situation where a limited resource is used up at a rate of which it can not replenish. Although the theory is multifaceted, it includes the claim that one individual will take more of a resource then they need, and other individuals will begin to do the same out of fear of losing out. This causes the resource to become depleted, which effects everyone in the community.   

2. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is highly sought after for its use in sushi and sashimi. This tuna is very large and can grow to about 1,102 pounds. The fish has a life span that "can exceed 30 years, making them long lived among fish species" ("Atlantic Bluefin," (n.d.). This species of tuna are known to cross the Atlantic ocean in just a couple months, and they have a special vascular system that allows them to maintain a body temperature that is warmer than the water it lives in (Krause, 2020). This fish takes a long time to mature, so naturally, it is prone to experience tragedy of the commons. 

This example of tragedy of the commons starts in Asia, Japan, and Taiwan, where the highest numbers of tuna are caught. The amount of tuna being caught has decreased significantly throughout the years, and “the Atlantic population of the species has declined by nearly 90 percent since the 1970s” (Krause, 2020).  Researchers believe that the decline is due to the high number of juvenile fish being caught. Fishers catch the tuna before they reach a reproductive age, thus killing off the species. In this case, the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna are the limited resource, and the fishers are the individuals that take more than what they need. This loss in tuna greatly effects the community, and the short term gain no longer exists.  

3. Externalities- Positive and Negative

The thing about externalities is that when it comes to the tragedy of the commons, everyone experiences a negative externality in the end. A positive externality is that the fishers gain economically, and they get to keep their job for a little. Additionally, consumers are able to buy tuna and sushi at a low price. At the same time, the fishers are out of jobs and their economic standing declines when the tuna population sizes being to dwindle. Same goes for the consumers when the prices for sushi and tuna skyrocket because of the inevitable overfishing. A negative externality is that the ecosystem is adversely affected, and other organism populations will change. Similarly, people that catch tuna for their own enjoyment will not be able to do so anymore.  

 

4. Two Solutions

Much like what Elinor Ostrom said in the provided video, it is never a good idea to create simple solutions for complex problems. ("Big Think", 2012) The issue surrounding the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is a complicated one which will not be solved unless humans come to terms with the decommodification of the fish. Two solutions to increase the tuna population size include protecting the fish around the Central Atlantic while the adults are searching for food, and the Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean where the fish are known to breed. Commercial fishing of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna needs to be made illegal until the fish population can recover. If the population increases to a stable level, there must be heavy regulations on how much tuna can be caught. Similarly, fishing in areas that are known breeding grounds needs to be prohibited indefinitely. The tuna population will continue to decline if they are not able to reach sexual maturity.  

 

5. Argument For and Against

Alternatively, it can be argued that making it illegal to fish for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna will take away jobs from people that are just trying to make a living wage. Many of these fishers live in poverty and are exploited on the ships. They are usually not paid very well, and it would just be cruel to take away their jobs. The tuna is also a provision which is directly taken from the ocean ecosystem, making the fish very accessible. Additionally, the demand for tuna in food like sushi will not be met, and people will not be able to eat the food they desire. Restaurants will also not be able to sell the tuna and might lose out on customers and profit. Another argument is that the tuna are most vulnerable when they are juveniles or younger, which makes them easy to catch. Making it illegal to fish in known breeding grounds will make it harder for the fishers to catch the fish, and profit will be lost.  

Although there will always be instances of illegal fishing, making it harder for this species of tuna to be fished commercially will help significantly. The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna has been so overfished that even noncommercial fishing needs to be stopped. The tuna is a massive fish that plays a major role in many of the ocean's ecosystems. If they are fished to extinction, we will see a ripple effect for years to come. No short-term gain is large enough to be content with the loss of a species. Its provisional value will be lost, and in the end, every single person involved in the exploitation of the fish will be negatively affected. It really is a lose lose situation, and the only people that win are the businessmen at the top of the corporation. Either way, fishing for this species of tuna will come to an end, whether the species goes extinct, or we choose to act against overfishing is entirely up to humanity. Although I love sushi, I would gladly give it up if it meant that the species could last on this planet a little longer.  

 

 

6. References

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/atlantic-bluefin-    tuna 

 

Big Think. (2012, April 23). Ending the tragedy of the commons [Video]. YouTube

 

Krause C. (2020): The Tragedy of the Commons - The Tuna Example. Available from http://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_the_Commons_-_The_Tuna_Example [accessed on 14-04-2021] 

Activity 3.7 – Wildlife Trafficking Online

                        Section A

                            Species 1: 

• Common name: Finger Monkey. 
• Scientific name: Cebuella pygmaea 
• IUCN Category (vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, etc.): Vulnerable 
• Geographic range: The monkey is native to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil. The upper elevation limit is 940 meters. 
• Habitat: The monkey lives in a terrestrial system and a forest habitat. This monkey is native to river- edge forest, which is prone to deforestation. The areas it is located can be affected by agriculture and hunting, but it is able to live in habitats near humans. The monkey prefers inundated forests, liana forest, and around lakes and rivers in Peru. The species travels through the vegetation closer to the ground (“International Union”, n.d.). 
• Assessment information: The species is labeled as vulnerable. The Monkey was last assessed on January 26th, 2015 because is it believed that it is experiencing a population size reduction greater than 30% throughout a 3-generation period (“International Union”, n.d.). 
• Threats: Threats include housing and urban areas, wood and pump plantations, mining quarrying, hunting, trapping, logging, and wood harvesting. Work and other activities also pose a threat. (“International Union”, n.d.) 
• Use and Trade: This animal is affected by illegal trade. The monkeys are hunted in Ecuador and used as pets. The monkey was added to the IUCN website6 primarily because of the international trade, mostly from the area of Iquitos, Colombia (“International Union”, n.d.). 
• Appendix listing and related countries with Source Code(s) (the letters W, X, R, etc.): II, A4dc.  

• URL for the Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E6Fcf3oflVdNY5fvjYovXYnIuRZupyP85OSDaCzIYMw/edit#gid=0 

• 
  

Species 2: 

• Common name: Yellow Spotted Salamander. 
• Scientific name: Pseudohynobius flavomaculatus 
• IUCN Category (vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, etc.): Vulnerable.  
• Geographic range: The salamander is native to Hunan and Hubei China. The upper elevation limit is 2,165 meters and the lower elevation limit is 1,258 meters.  
• Habitat: The system the salamander lives in is terrestrial and freshwater. They live in habitats such as forests, shrubland, and wetlands. The Salamander thrives in wet environments with an abundance of vegetation. The adults stay on land and hide under mosses and bamboo thickets. The species breeds in streams and forms larvae (“International Union”, n.d.) 
• Assessment information: The Salamander is labeled as vulnerable. This assessment was done on June 19, 2019. The Salamander is native to only two areas that are prone to various threats, and the number of mature adults has decreased (“International Union”, n.d.). 
• Threats: The salamander is exposed to various threats like roads, railroads, agriculture, and forestry, and different effluents. These threats cause ecosystem degradation. 
• Use and Trade: There are no specific records of how the species is utilized, but I have found that they are used as pets.  
• Appendix listing and related countries with Source Code(s) (the letters W, X, R, etc.): II, V. 

• URL for the Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1E6Fcf3oflVdNY5fvjYovXYnIuRZupyP85OSDaCzIYMw/edit#gid=0 

 Section B  

After looking at the spreadsheet, it is obvious that all the ads for these exotic animals are in the U.S, more specifically, Texas. Most of the sellers' word their ads to make it seem as if what they are doing is legal. In the section for short ad descriptions on the spreadsheet, many of the ads stated that the animals were babies, or happy to hang out with humans. They also used words like “rehoming” or “consigned”. Individuals that are not educated in wildlife trafficking see these ads and think they are harmless and reliable.  

When gathering my data, I tried to focus on animals with “exotic” sounding names because I knew they were most likely to be on the endangered spectrum. Some of the Craigslist ads did not provide pictures and they did not state specifically what kind of species they were. For example, the ad I found for the Yellow Spotted Salamander only labeled it as a Spotted Salamander, but I googled what different species look like and figured out its actual name. I suppose the creators of the ad did this on purpose so that they are not flagged for selling endangered species. Similarly, it was extremely easy to find animal traffickers on Facebook. Even more alarming, there were many comments under the posts showing interest in buying the animals.  

This activity was extremely interesting, and I really liked the concept of having the entire class work on one spreadsheet. Activities like this are a great way to educated people over the animal trafficking trade because it proves just how often it goes on without notice. I was able to pull up multiple species being sold that were somewhere on the IUCN endangered category. Although this is a great activity, it is incredibly sad. I wish I could do more for the animals that are being sold, but it is hard not to feel helpless. Most of these exotic animals have very specific diets are overall care needs in order to stay happy and healthy. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram glorify exotic pets, but these animals are wild. They are meant to be in the wild. They are not easy to take care of. When the life of an animal is commodified, it can be very hard to stop. After all, money makes the world go round. 

 

 

Figure 1. Craigslist. (2020). Spotted salamanders. Retrieved April 13, 2021. 

 

 

Figure 2. Facebook. (2021). Marmoset Monkeys available. Retrieved April 13, 2021. 

 

 

References 

CITES. A guide to the application of CITES source codes. (page 4) 

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). Species+ [Database]. 

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The red list of threatened species [Database]. 

United States Fish and Wildlife (USFW). Endangered species [Database]