Exemplary Commitment to OneHealth Scholarship

Something I would like to mention before discussing solutions is that I love all living things, especially, bugs, which are the basis of many ecosystems. I love all animals and their practicalities. If I could remove all humans permanently from the Earth to ensure that its natural beauty could be preserved, I absolutely would. Of course, not all humans would agree to this. In fact, I don't think anyone would agree to this. The effects of humans on the planet might be coming to an incorrigible end. It is difficult to persuade individuals of different backgrounds to care about a subject such as climate change or animal welfare that has become popularized in the recent decades, especially if they have been building towards goals related to industry or economic well-being all their career. Therefore, implementing solutions that can be used on a global scale will take some convincing, and their benefits will have to be emphasized the most. The first solution that I believe can be applied on a wide scale is eco-bricking. Eco-bricking uses plastic bottles packed with plastic wrappers that would otherwise be thrown away (and in many cases, end up in the environment) to help build products such as furniture or buildings. Instead of constantly investing in new materials to essentially fill empty space in daily utilities, such as walls or insides of benches, eco-bricking could stimulate the economy as an elastic resource, appeasing those who want to prioritize the economy over the environment, and prevent increasing plastic outflow into waste disposal centers. Eco-bricking could be a solution similar to recycling, where it impacts individuals by asking that they pack their plastic eco-bricks themselves with their daily leftover wrappers and such, or it could become a form of employment similar to recycling centers. The drawback to eco-bricking is that it does not address the root problem, which is overuse of plastic. The reason I believe eco-bricking is a good solution at the moment is because fully converting companies to paper or other material instead of plastic will not appease economists who prioritize gross domestic product. Therefore, eco-bricking is a good temporary solution as environmentalists brainstorm a way to address the root problem of plastic overuse. The second solution that I believe can be applied is improvement of welfare in meat-producing farms. Factory farms usually have the highest output of product, making prices cheaper, and allowing consumers to not question the origin of their food. However, not only is factory farming or "cage-free" farming morally wrong, but it leads to more contagious disease outbreaks and unhealthier food. While it takes up the least land, concentrated-feeding operations produce many pollutants that disturb surrounding ecosystems anyways. A way to combat the effects of CAFOS is for the government to subsidy factory farms to convert to spacious and healthier farms. Free-grazing has been pointed out to deplete vegetation, but if animals graze rotationally, there is enough time for vegetation to replenish. Eliminating factory farms completely would again, fluster the economy, therefore, factory farms simply need to be reformed, not removed. In conclusion, most changes that need to be made in the next few years to combat environmental crises will need to satisfy both economists and environmentalists, who each wish to prioritize their own fields. A production possibilities frontier will need to be created between the environment and the economy, with a priority set in between the two that can lead to long-term sustainability. My personal lifelong goal is to dedicate time and money to organizations that can help guarantee long-term sustainability, or create an organization that can fulfill this obligation that humans have to the planet.