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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Meaningful Ways We Can All Help the Environment

Apr 01, 2021 08:24AM ● By Jared Zornitzer

Planet Earth is changing. Global warming and climate change place us and our surroundings in an increasingly precarious situation. To work toward a more promising future we must collectively make changes to our lifestyles. It will seem difficult at first, and I will be first to admit that I too will be challenged to adjust my way of life. My aim is to provide you with a realistic vision of how we can rethink our relationship with nature to better protect it.

In one of my sustainability courses at college we learned about the Cornucopian Theory, which offers technological development as a viable solution to climate change. While it certainly would be a perfect world if we could rely on scientists and engineers to fix the damage that we have inflicted upon the environment, it is naive to place this responsibility solely on professionals in the field. Instead of passively hoping that others will mend the environmental issue, we can play a role in devising lasting solutions if we embrace these simple, yet different ideas.

There are two major shifts in mindset that we can begin to cultivate as a society. First, we often believe that nature is separate from us. We view it as something totally distinct from our daily lives; a place that we escape to. Rather, nature is all around us. It is the air that we breathe and the trillions of cells that make up our bodies. It is woven into our most rudimental instincts of love, survival and comradery. By closing the gap between nature and society, we are more likely to observe how the environment is deteriorating. This, in turn, should motivate us to safeguard it. 

The second important concept is “the tragedy of the commons”. Ecologist Garrett Hardin coined the phrase to illustrate that our natural world’s resources, including the environment, are finite, yet we are unaware of how our individual actions impact our common pool. How can one person’s choices really make a difference? The choices of one person may seem insignificant, however, the impact of seven billion individuals’ choices leads to tragedy. If we process the fact that each of us has our own ecological footprint, we can then make constructive changes to our lives, such as purchasing environment-friendly, locally sourced products or reducing our rates of consumption. 

There are many avenues for adopting small-scale means of reducing one’s impact on the environment. If the transition seems daunting, seek support from those who can provide ideas, insight and encouragement. If we devote our time and energy toward preserving the environment, then we can live harmoniously with this beautiful companion.

Jared Zornitzer is a full-time college student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY studying engineering. An advocate of balancing work and school with exercise and healthy living, he loves hiking, biking, running, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and learning in his classes.


Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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