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That's right, the Conservation Crew is hosting another month full of hiking! During last year's Hike October campaign, we collectively hiked 328 miles and raised over $500 for Hike for Mental Health. Let's try to match, or even beat that mileage this year!
To kick off the month, we had a zoom meeting on the 1st with Andrea of the UPLC to inform us about some local UPLC trails. Throughout the month, we will be sure to make it to a few of those locations!
Through the first week or so of October, co-leaders will be placing rocks painted with our logo on different local trails. Look for the hints daily to their locations, and get out to find them! Once you and at least one other person find one, take a group selfie with it and send it to us to claim your prizes! When hiking, be sure to stay safe and use proper trail etiquette. Always be prepared, check the weather forecast beforehand, and bring a friend.
Most of our hikes planned are shown above in the calendar, and you can sign up for them via the Hub! We will be posting more smaller hikes throughout the month, so watch out for those on social media and through email! Be aware that you'll have to provide your own transportation, as the CC is not allowed to organize carpooling. We can't wait to get out on the trails with you!
Circular Economy: The Pros & Cons
Sent in by Mary Kelly
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Sent in by Mary Kelly
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Patagonia Releases New Film on Public Lands
On September 25, Patagonia released a new documentary talking about U.S. public lands and the importance of protecting them. It focuses on the Boundary Waters, Bears Ears National Monument, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and their conflicts with fossil fuel interests and the U.S. government. Click the title to watch the film!
#HikeOctober Plans
Trump Admin. Rolls Back Coal Plant Wastewater Regulations
The Trump Admin. has ​gotten rid of regulations limiting the amounts of heavy metal that can be discharged from coal-fired power plants, as of a reconsideration of the regulations on August 31. This allows coal plants to pollute heavy metals like mercury into waterways with little to no consequences; one of the biggest offenders is the Oak Creek plant, on the northern coast of Lake Michigan. This was done in order to slow the transition of the coal industry to cleaner energy, though its share of US electricity has dropped from over 50% to 18% in the last decade.
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Michigan Governor Sets Goal for Carbon Neutrality
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order September 23 placing the state on track to be completely carbon neutral by 2050 to combat the effects of climate change. Within the order is also a shorter-term goal of reducing emissions 28% by 2025. This is big news, as Michigan is now only the 9th state to aim for the 2050 target; however, the goal is not as ambitious as some plans including presidential candidate Joe Biden's climate plan, which aims for completely carbon-free electricity across America by 2035.
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Marquette County Location Picked For New Vertical Launch Site
The Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA) announced on July 23 their plans to develop a vertical launch spaceport on a tract of land just 16 miles NW of Marquette. They plan to begin operations in 2025, once the site is approved by various parties. This site is projected to create thousands of new jobs, but also holds a big environmental impact as it will be situated on the coast of Lake Superior. This project may create jobs, but will it create too much pollution for that to matter?
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England Bans Some Single-Use Plastic Items
As of October 1, legislation has been passed and is in effect banning single-use plastic straws, drink stirrers, and cotton swabs. This means it is against the law for businesses to hand out any of these items or for them to be sold. This legislation was passed in order to curb some plastic pollution as there are an estimated 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers, and 1.8 billion plastic swabs used just in England every year.
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Q: How badly has the human race impacted the environment?
A: To be quite blunt, it's bad. And for many environmentalist, scientist, and activist alike, they would agree that the state we are in is irreversible. The best resource to understand the true colors of what is happening is to read Bill McKibbens' "A New World," where he outlines the exact cause and effect relationships humans have had and will have on the environment. Most notably, he describes the growing CO2 amounts and the dangers that come from that like algae blooms, e. coli blooms, jellyfish becoming too abundant, plants not performing their roles in warming environments and sooo much more! You should really check it!
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Q: How do i minimize trash or turn it into something more sustainable?
A: Minimizing trash a lot of times comes into play with what you are consuming. On a day to day basis, if you are eating pre-packaged cereals, granola bars, cheese, and veggies, you are contributing a lot more waste than you need to. The sad thing about this is that all veggies and fruits along with cheeses too are created with natural packaging! So if you are buying foods and stuff that are packaged, ask yourself where you can cut down. Maybe you don't have the time or resources to make your own granola bars, but you can buy individual fruits and veggies and store them in reusable bags and containers. Maybe you can't make your own cereal, but you could switch to making wholesome smoothies or bulk oatmeal for breakfast. And with that, most of your "trash" should turn into basically just food scraps, which more than likely, if you are eating a plant based diet, can all be composted! Now that's sustainable!
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**It is highly recommended that you click on this photo which will bring you to an amazing resource on the world-wide web!
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Q: How can poor people be sustainable?
A: Poverty is a growing issue among generations as we continue, and it is very important to understand that for many people, sustainability is a luxury. Yes, you read that right. For many people the idea of living a "simpler life" is not even on their mind because it cost too much. It is very difficult to understand this for many big wigs out there, but as college students (most of us definitely falling below the poverty line) we can sympathize with the poor and hopefully raise awareness of the importance of locally sourced, and affordable sustainable alternatives. Though things like the Co-op and Trader Joe's and Package Free Shop are amazing, most of us can't afford for that to be our normal. So finding people who are making it affordable, or providing solutions and DIY ways to help yourself find sustainability for cheaper, and supporting them will grow the cause. So shop your farmers market, grow your own, and use the less beautiful but still just as efficient less waste swaps!
And if you ever have questions about how to do any of those things, reach out to us and we can send some resources your way!
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Hotspots, 20 Sept. 2020
The temperatures are dropping, and that means avian migration! While most heat-loving species have already flown out of Marquette, there are still many birds to see in the area. Which ones? Chickadees, Hooded Mergansers, Red-Breasted Mergansers, Snowy Owls, Hawk Owls, and a long list of others! Visit eBird.org for more information on migratory & winter species in Marquette!
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If you're interested in how climate change is affecting the ranges of migratory species, visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology! Their resources are extremely helpful, and they even host free online lectures!
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Maps courtesy of eBird.org.
The Importance of Voting
- Zoe Folsom
Hey Conservation Crew!
As you probably know, there’s an election coming up (just 34 days away!). You might feel exhausted with all of the advertisements and road signs, but this election impacts much more than just which elderly white man will be the next President of the United States. There are many down-ballot candidates and ballot measures that directly impact your communities. For example, many counties are running county or city commissioner races this November. County and city commissioners set budgets, and part of the money they put aside (or don’t) concerns natural conservation like local parks. Michigan also has a ballot proposal (proposition #1) that asks voters to decide whether or not we should make some key changes to State and Local Park funding. Many older people don’t like it when young people vote, because it allows them to make legislation without any potential opposition. Annoy them, and make a difference in your community, by turning out to vote this November 3rd.
I’m betting a lot of you are already probably registered, and maybe even have a vote plan already (and I love that for you!). For those who don’t yet, here’s some key info:
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You can vote from either your campus address, or your home address; both are totally valid options, they just might change the way that you vote. There will still be in-person voting at the polls, but you can also request an absentee ballot (no matter which county you’re voting for!).
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You can still register! In Michigan, you can register anytime up until 8p.m. on Election Day. If that’s something you’d like to do, visit https://vote.michigan.gov/RegisterVoter/Index
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You can still request an absentee ballot! But if you need to, do it ASAP—ballots might take some time to get to their city clerk’s office, so have it in the mail by October 20th. If you need a stamp, ASNMU has some, so don’t hesitate to ask.
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If you know you want to vote, but don’t know who you want to vote for, there are some great online resources to learn about who and what will appear on your ballot. Ballotready.org aggregates data from candidates about various policy positions, including the environment, and Vote411.org and Ballotpedia.org can also give you the run down on who’s running!
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether and how you’d like to vote this year. Keep in mind, though, that for students who are already so engaged in making their communities healthier, cleaner, and more conscious places to be (that’s you!), voting can provide another outlet for making meaningful change. If you have any questions about voting, or want to chat about it, feel free to contact the Voter Friendly Campus Coalition through ASNMU at asnmu@nmu.edu or me personally at zfolsom@nmu.edu
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Stay rad,
Zoe Folsom, fellow student who cares deeply about things like democracy and people standing for what they believe in
The month of September flew by... but we accomplished a whole lot with your help! Here are just a few things we have done this month.
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+ We published our first newspaper and shared our first virtual workshop!​
+ We hosted our first cleanup of the year, which consisted of three locations picked up by so many of you amazing folks!
At McCarty's Cove we had upwards of 15 participants, on campus we had 10, and downtown Marquette we had 10 as well!
+ We had our first trail maintenance day with Friends of the Tyoga, helping them to rebuild 30ft+ of boardwalks!
+ We hosted our second cleanup as a part of MqtCleanupCrew, partnering with Cesar Escobar of CleanUPMQT!
Click For Earth Tunes
