- Email: [email protected]
How to Get Involved (What Veterinarians Can Do to Make a Difference)
Topics in Compan An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
Topical Review
How to Get Involved (What Veterinarians Can Do to Make a Difference) Kevin T. Fitzgerald, PhD, DVM, DABVPa,b,n Keywords: conservation mentoring involved awareness biodiversity a
VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, Denver, CO, USA
b
Board of Directors, Denver Zoo, Denver, CO, USA
n
Address reprint requests to Kevin T. Fitzgerald, PhD, DVM, DABVP, VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, 9770 E Alameda Avenue, Denver, CO, USA
& 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.
E-mail: kevin.fi[email protected]
We did not inherit this world from our parents, we borrowed it from our children. Core environmental proverb If conservation efforts are going to succeed, conservation must be taught and conservation must be learned. Veterinarians must become teachers, students, volunteers, researchers, mentors, and role models in the fight to preserve the biodiversity of our natural world. Who better than veterinarians to help champion threatened and endangered species both worldwide and right in our own backyard? Each form of life on our planet is unique, and each plays a specific role in the web of life. Every time a species is lost, our horizons narrow and the world becomes less grand and special. That is why we cannot merely be observers and watch species disappear. We must be participants in trying to save what is left and to restore as much as we can of what is gone. Who better than veterinarians to get involved and where better to start than mentoring children and instilling in the next generation a regard and reverence for other forms of life. Children become aware of the living world around them very early. From a tender age most are fascinated by animals. This may be genetic, adaptive, and preprogrammed, as we are descendents of early man who was inextricably tied to nature. Our ancestors were hunters who had to mark the movements of the game they chased and to note the presence of dangerous animals that hunted them. Children are inherent naturalists. Give one a pair of binoculars and watch what follows or witness the universal fascination children have with dinosaurs. Where I live in Denver, CO, more children visit the Zoo each year with their parents than adults attending the Broncos (football), Avalanche (hockey), Nuggets (basketball), and Rockies (baseball) games combined. Wildlife and animal shows on television have become so popular that there are at least 3 channels totally devoted to their viewing (Animal Planet, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel) with many others featuring occasional animal programming. Children are the natural audience for this type of viewing. These children are
already highly receptive to information concerning animals and introducing conservation and a respect for living creatures just builds on their natural interest. The earlier the start in creating an interest, the better it is. Just as in learning a language, for conservation there is a window, a critical period, where it is easy to learn but closes as we age. Provide opportunities for learning about nature but never force it. The fastest way to turn off little minds is to make them do something. Make it fun and interesting, make it pleasurable, make it cool! Appeal to the child's instinctive attraction to nature. Offer opportunities to stimulate children's inborn thirst for learning, provide experiencing the thrill of nature early and often. My parents bought me a pair of binoculars that I used on every car trip and every trip to National Parks. Imagine the thrill of a little boy from the city seeing a bighorn sheep or a white-tailed deer up close and personal. Allow the kids to do it on their own too, with no pushing. Allow them to find nature at their own pace and in their own way. Praise such activities. We all respond favorably to kindness and positive reinforcement. Provide aids in the quest—books, field guides, an inexpensive microscope, and outings to the zoo, museums (Remember the first time you saw “King Tut” or the “mummy exhibit”? If kids like anything more than dinosaurs, it is mummies!), aquariums, planetariums, and national parks. Remember the impression such outings left on you as a child, all the pleasant memories? Do not make it bookish, make it fun and alive. Remember the first live fox or deer you saw in nature? Take a child to the mountains, to the ocean, to the trails of the forest, to a lake in a canoe, make it the kid's day, make it joyful, and make the fun you have contagious. Make it your thing together. Make nature a shared adventure. Visit the butterfly pavilion. Children find insects interesting very naturally as they are all around us. Too often, we teach them unfounded fear and forget the wonder of these creatures and their amazing lives. Visit the botanic gardens. Avoid the dusty difficult species names and unpronounceable exhibit labels, but let them experience this wonderful form of life too, every bit as much alive as animals.
1527-3369/$ - see front matter & 2013 Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.tcam.2013.09.005
178
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
Let children try their hand at a garden, planting and waiting and watching for what comes up from their efforts. Allow older children to keep an animal and to learn not only the joy of their company but also the commitment of caring for them. Certainly try traditional companion animals like dogs and cats but maybe a nontraditional animal—a pocket pet, a rabbit, a ferret, or even a reptile—might also be adopted. Even an ant farm can provide hours of enjoyment. Aquariums are astonishing ways to experience nature within our own homes. Start simple with common, hearty fish and a basic setup and if things go well, move on to more exotic creatures in more elaborate settings. The one thing these companions the child keeps have in common is that they offer the thrill of watching a living creature not like us while they teach the responsibility we have to the animals we keep. Do not forget they learn from you and the interest you show and the care you provide. Before you bring an animal home, think it through and research it wisely. Avoid the impulse buy of the fad animal. Too often, the initial excitement soon wears off and the poor forgotten creature languishes on a shelf in a spoiled child's room. These are living creatures that share the same life force that we do. Make sure any creature your child brings home is exceedingly well-cared for. Make sure no one is forgotten. These opportunities that you provide will not always produce a naturalist, a biologist, or a veterinarian, but they will have an astonishingly positive effect. Although the child may go into business or some other endeavor, it will produce a person with a profound respect and appreciation for the living world around
them. A respect and appreciation that has to be in all of us, naturalists or not, if conservation efforts are to survive. They say that naturalists are “born, not made,” but you can help form one by providing the opportunities we discussed here or at least help grow an adult with a lifelong appreciation of biodiversity. Now that we have examined the effect that we can have on young minds, what can we as veterinarians do to make a difference? What can we do personally to get involved (and stay that way!)? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. We are not helpless, not without skills, we have to stay positive, and we have to let others see our optimism. Conservation is a long race. Granted, there is an overwhelming amount of bad news, holes in the ozone, retreating ice, the wholesale extinction of species, destruction of habitat, rising pollution, shrinking amounts of freshwater, but we cannot afford to give in to depression and inaction, we cannot afford to fail. I continue to choose to be optimistic. Optimistic, because I believe that our greatest gift is our intellect and I believe solutions to these problems are within our reach. Optimistic, because I believe in the resilient nature of life and that this blue and green planet is able to shake us off like ticks off a dog and return to its natural splendor. Optimistic, because of the next generation who is much more in tune with the earth, with recycling, with conservation, and with the inherent worth of all living species than we ever were. Finally, optimistic, because of the growing number of informed and devoted people I meet dedicated to doing something and choosing involvement over inaction. The thing that provides me with the most hope is that people are finally starting to get it. People are starting to wake up. Nevertheless, we cannot just wake up, we need to stand up and be counted among the protectors of our planet. What can you do? Forget politics. We must recognize the common ground and realize we must have only 1 goal, to preserve our environment. Who is against that? Democrat, Republican, Christian, Jew, Muslin, and Hindu; we all share standing in awe of the wonder of the world around us. It is going to take us all together to achieve our goal. What can you do? Take action. Support businesses and companies that have good environmental records and give something back. Reward good behavior. Boycott companies with poor records and report cards that hurt the environment. Business persons recognize this and will see the fruits of their actions, good or bad. Support organizations that advocate sustainable policies environmentally, become a reader and find out who the players are. Educate yourself about seafood, realize that we are only eating 6 fish— cod, halibut, tuna, salmon, swordfish, and sea bass, and do not support nonsustainable fishing practices. Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program at www.montereybayaquarium.org and find out which are endangered and why. Find out
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8) how public lands in your state are being managed, how they are handling wildlife, and make yourself aware of what issues they are facing. Protect and preserve our national parks, public lands, and city parks. Pick one and get involved. Remove litter, support improvements, and protect and preserve these havens of the natural world. Reduce your carbon footprints. Ride your bike. Use public transportation. Support plans to construct cheap, efficient, easily accessible public transportation. Visit the Global Footprint Network at www.footprintnetwork.org for more sound ideas. Only visit aquariums and zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the animals are cared for to the utmost. Visit www.aza.org to see the difference in those that do and those that do not. Drive less. Eat less. Exercise more. Recycle. Do not litter. A great way to get exercise is to take your dog for a long walk and pick up the litter on the streets of your neighborhood. You will be amazed how many people will notice your actions and how many others will start doing it and showing pride in their neighborhood. Start with 1 hour a week. It starts with you. Be watchful and aware of the world around you. Pay attention to litter, plants, bike paths, and hiking trails with regard to your influence. What else can you do, how else can you get involved, and how else can you make a difference? An incredible amount of resources is available that can provide more information about activities targeting conservation. (1) Join the Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org. This venerable organization protects the interests of a variety of both
(9)
179
land and marine habitats. Become a member, receive their newsletter, and make donations to a host of pet projects that you can personally become involved with. Find out about Conservation International at www.conservation.org. This worthy nonprofit organization is a vital synthesis of what science and committed communities can accomplish. They protect both endangered habitats and endangered species. Through them you can make donations, find out about specific campaigns, and learn about opportunities for ecotourism for you and your family. Support the World Wildlife Fund at www.worldwildlife.org to help work toward a stable, sustainable environment. Become a member of their conservation action network, make donations, adopt animals with your contributions, or support one of their specific individual campaigns that is close to your heart. Contact the Wildlife Conservation Society at www.wcs.org. This wonderful group supports global conservation projects and also manages wildlife parks in New York Ciy, namely the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo. Become a member, donate funds, and support their wonderful programs such as the “No Child Left Inside Act.” Contact the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at www.iucn.org. Through them you can learn the latest status of threatened and endangered species, become a donor by matching funds for specific projects, and search through their vast database for a conservation project in your area. For teachers—visit Field Trip Earth at www.fieldtripearth.org. Run by the North Carolina Zoological Society, it is a global resource for field trips for all supporters of global conservation. This is a great resource for teachers. Visit Earth Expeditions at www.earthexpeditions.org to enroll in an earth expedition course and become involved in programs that engage interested environmentalists in conservation field sites worldwide. A master's degree is even available through them. Contact Earth’s Endangered Creatures at www.earthsendangered.com. This site gives you facts about particular endangered species that you are interested in and what you can do to support their preservation and lists what organizations exist involved in their aid that you might contact to help more. Some of my favorite organizations are the National Audubon Society at www.audubon.org, the Defenders of Wildlife at www.defenders.org, and the Environmental Defense Fund at www.edf.org. Contact one of these committed, time-tested
180
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
groups and get involved by becoming a member and making much needed donations. Join Polar Bears International at www.polarbearsinternational.org to learn the newest information about the threats to this iconic species. Find out what you can do and how you can help. This is a committed organization. Support the Jane Goodall Institute at www.janegoodall.org. Help this amazing woman continue a life of kindness and championing environmental issues. Make donations, receive information, and become a member. Become a docent at your local zoo. You or a family member can become volunteers at the zoo, answering questions concerning animals, guiding tours for children and the elderly, and assisting zookeepers. This can be very rewarding. Take children and interested adults on “nature walks” and field trips to local wildlife preserves, wildlife rehabilitation facilities, and wildlife parks. Who better than veterinarians to lead these treks? Have your practice sponsor them! Get involved!
In addition to mentoring young people and getting personally involved in conservancy projects, what else can we do as individuals that actually makes an effect? As it turns out, there are a variety of things that one person can do to contribute significantly.
Reduce your personal carbon footprint by paying attention to your thermostat. By just setting your thermostat down by 21 in the winter and up by 21 in the summer saves nearly 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. In the United States, fruits and vegetables travel an average 1500 miles before reaching the consumer. Buy fresh, local food to eliminate long transport fuel use. Buying fresh at local “farmer's markets” and grocers also ensures better flavor and more nutrients. Plant trees. Each tree you plant has the potential to absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Make sure that you help reduce and recycle. The United States utilizes 100 billion plastic bags annually, which equates to roughly 12 million barrels of oil. Less than 1% of these plastic bags are recycled. Using reusable bags not only helps reduce the number of bags you use but the number that end up discarded in the environment. Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 7000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 4100 kw hours of electricity that would be necessary to process it. Use less hot water. Washing clothes in cold or warm water can save 500 lb of carbon dioxide each year for each person that does it. In addition, using cold water can save up to 80% of the energy required to wash clothes. Washing machines have a setting for the amount of clothes you are washing. By choosing a lower setting, you would use less water and your clothes would still be clean. Upgrade your washing machine. The average, older machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load. Newer, high-efficiency models use less than 28 gallons of water each run. Polystyrene (better known as “Styrofoam”) is not environment friendly. It is difficult to recycle, it cannot be made into new high-quality Styrofoam, and a Styrofoam cup in the ocean takes over 300 years to decompose. In addition, Styrofoam recycling facilities are not widespread. Discarded batteries can cause serious harm to humans, animals, and the environment. Many retailers and waste management companies accept old batteries and dispose of them properly. Reuse containers for personal use. One child's average yearly school lunch box generates over 67 lb of waste products. When using wood for building, choose products with the Forest Stewardship Council label and seal, certifying the wood was
grown, harvested, and processed responsibly. Alternatively, select salvaged wood from local used-building material outlets. Almost 80% of US dry cleaners use perchloroethylene, a solvent linked to cancer, nerve damage, and hormonal disruptions. Ask what your cleaner uses. Seek out a nontoxic alternative at a cleaner in your neighborhood. Save water. Letting your faucet run for 5 minutes has been shown to use as much energy as a 60-watt bulb uses in 14 hours. A leaking faucet that fills a coffee cup in 10 minutes wastes an estimated 3000 gallons of water each year. If your toilet is older than 1992, it is probably an inefficient model that uses between 3.5-7 gallons a flush. New, highefficiency models use less than 1.3 gallons per flush. Upgrade! A 4-person family using low-flow showerheads rather than full-flow models saves almost 20,000 gallons per year. Using a full bathtub requires nearly 70 gallons of water. Taking a 5-minute shower uses only 10-25 gallons. Modern dishwashers are about 95% more energy efficient than those bought before 1972. Your old dishwasher may be costing you more in energy bills than it would to replace it. The average modern dishwasher in a US home consumes 8.7 gallons of water per load. Washing by hand for 10 minutes with water running typically uses over 20 gallons. Join the new millennium! Get a dishwasher. Also in the kitchen, refrigerators and freezer units account for one-sixth of a home's total energy use. Consider and select only energy-efficient models when replacing old units. The refrigerator is the single biggest energy-consuming kitchen appliance. Opening the door accounts for 30-60 dollars of a family's yearly electric bill. Microwave ovens use around 80% less energy than conventional ovens. Use a microwave instead of the stove to save energy. When cooking, a standard electric oven creates 2.7 lb of carbon dioxide in 1 hour; a toaster oven creates 1.3 lb of carbon dioxide in 50 minutes, and a microwave oven produces 0.5 lb in 15 minutes. In office buildings, artificial lighting accounts for 44% of electrical use. Whenever possible, utilize natural light in your home or at work and make it a habit to turn off the lights when leaving any room for 15 minutes. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are an energy-saving alternative to incandescent bulbs, producing the same amount of light, using one-third the electricity, and lasting almost 10 times as long. For incandescent bulbs, only 10% of the energy used produces light, the rest is given off as heat. Compact fluorescent bulbs are up to four times as efficient as regular bulbs. Change a bulb! Replacing one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb can save 150 lb of carbon dioxide each year. Idle electronics (many televisions, DVD players, stereos, and microwaves) utilize energy even when they are switched off. This keeps display clocks lit and inner controls working. Unplug electrical devices when not in use and switch off all power strips. “Screensavers” do not save energy. By switching your computer to sleep mode, you reduce its energy consumption 60%-70%. At the end of the day, power all computers off completely. In the United States, consumers spend approximately 10,000 times more each year on bottled water than they spend on tap water. Plastic water bottles pose a tremendous threat to the environment. Recycle all plastic water bottles properly. Last year enough plastic bottles for water, soft drinks, and energy drinks were manufactured that, if laid end to end, they would circumnavigate the globe. Twenty-six recycled plastic bottles make 1 polyester suit. Five recycled plastic bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski parka. Recycle all plastic bottles! Improperly sealed or faultily caulked windows can account for 25% of all heat lost from a house. How efficient is your home?
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
Each average citizen in the United States uses 50 lb of tissue paper per year. Buy only recycled tissue, toilet paper, and Kleenex. The average US office worker goes through some 10,000 sheets of paper every year. Use only recycled paper and print on both sides. Switch all your accounts to e-billing. In the United States, paper products make up the largest percentage of solid waste in our cities, and hard-copy bills alone generate about 2 million tons of carbon dioxide. Take all out-of-date medications back to the pharmacy for disposal. Do not flush old drugs down the toilet or put them in the garbage. These molecules can then find their way into our water supplies and cause untold damage. Properly dispose of old medications. Reward businesses and companies with good environmental track records and show a commitment to our planet. Do not support businesses with documented poor environmental report cards. Vote with your pocketbook. Companies get the picture.
By reducing your carbon footprint and recycling, you are making a definite difference. You are saving energy, saving water, and saving money. But more than these things, you are setting an
181
example and becoming a role model as a steward of the Earth. Do we dare do any less? As you can see, there is a lot that you can do. We are not helpless, yet there is much to be done. Veterinarians must rise to the plight of threatened and endangered species on our planet. It is a minute to midnight, but it is not too late yet. It is never too late when committed and devoted individuals share a unified goal. I am most hopeful for the future because I believe that the finest traits of humanity emerge when we are challenged. Say something. Do something. Make a difference. By preserving other species, we may save ourselves. We know that although what we do is small and beautiful, it is important and we can win.
Suggested Readings 1. Goodall J, Maynard T, Hudson G. Hope for Animals and Their World. New York: Grand Central Publishing; 2009 2. Wilson EO. Biophilia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 1984 3. Wilson EO. Naturalist. Washington, DC: Island Press; 1994 4. Wilson EO. The Future of Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf; 2002 5. Wilson EO. The Creation. New York: W.W. Norton; 2006 6. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Green Tips. Available at: 〈www.worldwildlife.org/ who/green-headquarters/green-tips.html〉. 2012
Topical Review
How to Get Involved (What Veterinarians Can Do to Make a Difference) Kevin T. Fitzgerald, PhD, DVM, DABVPa,b,n Keywords: conservation mentoring involved awareness biodiversity a
VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, Denver, CO, USA
b
Board of Directors, Denver Zoo, Denver, CO, USA
n
Address reprint requests to Kevin T. Fitzgerald, PhD, DVM, DABVP, VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, 9770 E Alameda Avenue, Denver, CO, USA
& 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.
E-mail: kevin.fi[email protected]
We did not inherit this world from our parents, we borrowed it from our children. Core environmental proverb If conservation efforts are going to succeed, conservation must be taught and conservation must be learned. Veterinarians must become teachers, students, volunteers, researchers, mentors, and role models in the fight to preserve the biodiversity of our natural world. Who better than veterinarians to help champion threatened and endangered species both worldwide and right in our own backyard? Each form of life on our planet is unique, and each plays a specific role in the web of life. Every time a species is lost, our horizons narrow and the world becomes less grand and special. That is why we cannot merely be observers and watch species disappear. We must be participants in trying to save what is left and to restore as much as we can of what is gone. Who better than veterinarians to get involved and where better to start than mentoring children and instilling in the next generation a regard and reverence for other forms of life. Children become aware of the living world around them very early. From a tender age most are fascinated by animals. This may be genetic, adaptive, and preprogrammed, as we are descendents of early man who was inextricably tied to nature. Our ancestors were hunters who had to mark the movements of the game they chased and to note the presence of dangerous animals that hunted them. Children are inherent naturalists. Give one a pair of binoculars and watch what follows or witness the universal fascination children have with dinosaurs. Where I live in Denver, CO, more children visit the Zoo each year with their parents than adults attending the Broncos (football), Avalanche (hockey), Nuggets (basketball), and Rockies (baseball) games combined. Wildlife and animal shows on television have become so popular that there are at least 3 channels totally devoted to their viewing (Animal Planet, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel) with many others featuring occasional animal programming. Children are the natural audience for this type of viewing. These children are
already highly receptive to information concerning animals and introducing conservation and a respect for living creatures just builds on their natural interest. The earlier the start in creating an interest, the better it is. Just as in learning a language, for conservation there is a window, a critical period, where it is easy to learn but closes as we age. Provide opportunities for learning about nature but never force it. The fastest way to turn off little minds is to make them do something. Make it fun and interesting, make it pleasurable, make it cool! Appeal to the child's instinctive attraction to nature. Offer opportunities to stimulate children's inborn thirst for learning, provide experiencing the thrill of nature early and often. My parents bought me a pair of binoculars that I used on every car trip and every trip to National Parks. Imagine the thrill of a little boy from the city seeing a bighorn sheep or a white-tailed deer up close and personal. Allow the kids to do it on their own too, with no pushing. Allow them to find nature at their own pace and in their own way. Praise such activities. We all respond favorably to kindness and positive reinforcement. Provide aids in the quest—books, field guides, an inexpensive microscope, and outings to the zoo, museums (Remember the first time you saw “King Tut” or the “mummy exhibit”? If kids like anything more than dinosaurs, it is mummies!), aquariums, planetariums, and national parks. Remember the impression such outings left on you as a child, all the pleasant memories? Do not make it bookish, make it fun and alive. Remember the first live fox or deer you saw in nature? Take a child to the mountains, to the ocean, to the trails of the forest, to a lake in a canoe, make it the kid's day, make it joyful, and make the fun you have contagious. Make it your thing together. Make nature a shared adventure. Visit the butterfly pavilion. Children find insects interesting very naturally as they are all around us. Too often, we teach them unfounded fear and forget the wonder of these creatures and their amazing lives. Visit the botanic gardens. Avoid the dusty difficult species names and unpronounceable exhibit labels, but let them experience this wonderful form of life too, every bit as much alive as animals.
1527-3369/$ - see front matter & 2013 Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.tcam.2013.09.005
178
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
Let children try their hand at a garden, planting and waiting and watching for what comes up from their efforts. Allow older children to keep an animal and to learn not only the joy of their company but also the commitment of caring for them. Certainly try traditional companion animals like dogs and cats but maybe a nontraditional animal—a pocket pet, a rabbit, a ferret, or even a reptile—might also be adopted. Even an ant farm can provide hours of enjoyment. Aquariums are astonishing ways to experience nature within our own homes. Start simple with common, hearty fish and a basic setup and if things go well, move on to more exotic creatures in more elaborate settings. The one thing these companions the child keeps have in common is that they offer the thrill of watching a living creature not like us while they teach the responsibility we have to the animals we keep. Do not forget they learn from you and the interest you show and the care you provide. Before you bring an animal home, think it through and research it wisely. Avoid the impulse buy of the fad animal. Too often, the initial excitement soon wears off and the poor forgotten creature languishes on a shelf in a spoiled child's room. These are living creatures that share the same life force that we do. Make sure any creature your child brings home is exceedingly well-cared for. Make sure no one is forgotten. These opportunities that you provide will not always produce a naturalist, a biologist, or a veterinarian, but they will have an astonishingly positive effect. Although the child may go into business or some other endeavor, it will produce a person with a profound respect and appreciation for the living world around
them. A respect and appreciation that has to be in all of us, naturalists or not, if conservation efforts are to survive. They say that naturalists are “born, not made,” but you can help form one by providing the opportunities we discussed here or at least help grow an adult with a lifelong appreciation of biodiversity. Now that we have examined the effect that we can have on young minds, what can we as veterinarians do to make a difference? What can we do personally to get involved (and stay that way!)? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. We are not helpless, not without skills, we have to stay positive, and we have to let others see our optimism. Conservation is a long race. Granted, there is an overwhelming amount of bad news, holes in the ozone, retreating ice, the wholesale extinction of species, destruction of habitat, rising pollution, shrinking amounts of freshwater, but we cannot afford to give in to depression and inaction, we cannot afford to fail. I continue to choose to be optimistic. Optimistic, because I believe that our greatest gift is our intellect and I believe solutions to these problems are within our reach. Optimistic, because I believe in the resilient nature of life and that this blue and green planet is able to shake us off like ticks off a dog and return to its natural splendor. Optimistic, because of the next generation who is much more in tune with the earth, with recycling, with conservation, and with the inherent worth of all living species than we ever were. Finally, optimistic, because of the growing number of informed and devoted people I meet dedicated to doing something and choosing involvement over inaction. The thing that provides me with the most hope is that people are finally starting to get it. People are starting to wake up. Nevertheless, we cannot just wake up, we need to stand up and be counted among the protectors of our planet. What can you do? Forget politics. We must recognize the common ground and realize we must have only 1 goal, to preserve our environment. Who is against that? Democrat, Republican, Christian, Jew, Muslin, and Hindu; we all share standing in awe of the wonder of the world around us. It is going to take us all together to achieve our goal. What can you do? Take action. Support businesses and companies that have good environmental records and give something back. Reward good behavior. Boycott companies with poor records and report cards that hurt the environment. Business persons recognize this and will see the fruits of their actions, good or bad. Support organizations that advocate sustainable policies environmentally, become a reader and find out who the players are. Educate yourself about seafood, realize that we are only eating 6 fish— cod, halibut, tuna, salmon, swordfish, and sea bass, and do not support nonsustainable fishing practices. Visit Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program at www.montereybayaquarium.org and find out which are endangered and why. Find out
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8) how public lands in your state are being managed, how they are handling wildlife, and make yourself aware of what issues they are facing. Protect and preserve our national parks, public lands, and city parks. Pick one and get involved. Remove litter, support improvements, and protect and preserve these havens of the natural world. Reduce your carbon footprints. Ride your bike. Use public transportation. Support plans to construct cheap, efficient, easily accessible public transportation. Visit the Global Footprint Network at www.footprintnetwork.org for more sound ideas. Only visit aquariums and zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the animals are cared for to the utmost. Visit www.aza.org to see the difference in those that do and those that do not. Drive less. Eat less. Exercise more. Recycle. Do not litter. A great way to get exercise is to take your dog for a long walk and pick up the litter on the streets of your neighborhood. You will be amazed how many people will notice your actions and how many others will start doing it and showing pride in their neighborhood. Start with 1 hour a week. It starts with you. Be watchful and aware of the world around you. Pay attention to litter, plants, bike paths, and hiking trails with regard to your influence. What else can you do, how else can you get involved, and how else can you make a difference? An incredible amount of resources is available that can provide more information about activities targeting conservation. (1) Join the Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org. This venerable organization protects the interests of a variety of both
(9)
179
land and marine habitats. Become a member, receive their newsletter, and make donations to a host of pet projects that you can personally become involved with. Find out about Conservation International at www.conservation.org. This worthy nonprofit organization is a vital synthesis of what science and committed communities can accomplish. They protect both endangered habitats and endangered species. Through them you can make donations, find out about specific campaigns, and learn about opportunities for ecotourism for you and your family. Support the World Wildlife Fund at www.worldwildlife.org to help work toward a stable, sustainable environment. Become a member of their conservation action network, make donations, adopt animals with your contributions, or support one of their specific individual campaigns that is close to your heart. Contact the Wildlife Conservation Society at www.wcs.org. This wonderful group supports global conservation projects and also manages wildlife parks in New York Ciy, namely the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo. Become a member, donate funds, and support their wonderful programs such as the “No Child Left Inside Act.” Contact the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at www.iucn.org. Through them you can learn the latest status of threatened and endangered species, become a donor by matching funds for specific projects, and search through their vast database for a conservation project in your area. For teachers—visit Field Trip Earth at www.fieldtripearth.org. Run by the North Carolina Zoological Society, it is a global resource for field trips for all supporters of global conservation. This is a great resource for teachers. Visit Earth Expeditions at www.earthexpeditions.org to enroll in an earth expedition course and become involved in programs that engage interested environmentalists in conservation field sites worldwide. A master's degree is even available through them. Contact Earth’s Endangered Creatures at www.earthsendangered.com. This site gives you facts about particular endangered species that you are interested in and what you can do to support their preservation and lists what organizations exist involved in their aid that you might contact to help more. Some of my favorite organizations are the National Audubon Society at www.audubon.org, the Defenders of Wildlife at www.defenders.org, and the Environmental Defense Fund at www.edf.org. Contact one of these committed, time-tested
180
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
groups and get involved by becoming a member and making much needed donations. Join Polar Bears International at www.polarbearsinternational.org to learn the newest information about the threats to this iconic species. Find out what you can do and how you can help. This is a committed organization. Support the Jane Goodall Institute at www.janegoodall.org. Help this amazing woman continue a life of kindness and championing environmental issues. Make donations, receive information, and become a member. Become a docent at your local zoo. You or a family member can become volunteers at the zoo, answering questions concerning animals, guiding tours for children and the elderly, and assisting zookeepers. This can be very rewarding. Take children and interested adults on “nature walks” and field trips to local wildlife preserves, wildlife rehabilitation facilities, and wildlife parks. Who better than veterinarians to lead these treks? Have your practice sponsor them! Get involved!
In addition to mentoring young people and getting personally involved in conservancy projects, what else can we do as individuals that actually makes an effect? As it turns out, there are a variety of things that one person can do to contribute significantly.
Reduce your personal carbon footprint by paying attention to your thermostat. By just setting your thermostat down by 21 in the winter and up by 21 in the summer saves nearly 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. In the United States, fruits and vegetables travel an average 1500 miles before reaching the consumer. Buy fresh, local food to eliminate long transport fuel use. Buying fresh at local “farmer's markets” and grocers also ensures better flavor and more nutrients. Plant trees. Each tree you plant has the potential to absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Make sure that you help reduce and recycle. The United States utilizes 100 billion plastic bags annually, which equates to roughly 12 million barrels of oil. Less than 1% of these plastic bags are recycled. Using reusable bags not only helps reduce the number of bags you use but the number that end up discarded in the environment. Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 7000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 4100 kw hours of electricity that would be necessary to process it. Use less hot water. Washing clothes in cold or warm water can save 500 lb of carbon dioxide each year for each person that does it. In addition, using cold water can save up to 80% of the energy required to wash clothes. Washing machines have a setting for the amount of clothes you are washing. By choosing a lower setting, you would use less water and your clothes would still be clean. Upgrade your washing machine. The average, older machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load. Newer, high-efficiency models use less than 28 gallons of water each run. Polystyrene (better known as “Styrofoam”) is not environment friendly. It is difficult to recycle, it cannot be made into new high-quality Styrofoam, and a Styrofoam cup in the ocean takes over 300 years to decompose. In addition, Styrofoam recycling facilities are not widespread. Discarded batteries can cause serious harm to humans, animals, and the environment. Many retailers and waste management companies accept old batteries and dispose of them properly. Reuse containers for personal use. One child's average yearly school lunch box generates over 67 lb of waste products. When using wood for building, choose products with the Forest Stewardship Council label and seal, certifying the wood was
grown, harvested, and processed responsibly. Alternatively, select salvaged wood from local used-building material outlets. Almost 80% of US dry cleaners use perchloroethylene, a solvent linked to cancer, nerve damage, and hormonal disruptions. Ask what your cleaner uses. Seek out a nontoxic alternative at a cleaner in your neighborhood. Save water. Letting your faucet run for 5 minutes has been shown to use as much energy as a 60-watt bulb uses in 14 hours. A leaking faucet that fills a coffee cup in 10 minutes wastes an estimated 3000 gallons of water each year. If your toilet is older than 1992, it is probably an inefficient model that uses between 3.5-7 gallons a flush. New, highefficiency models use less than 1.3 gallons per flush. Upgrade! A 4-person family using low-flow showerheads rather than full-flow models saves almost 20,000 gallons per year. Using a full bathtub requires nearly 70 gallons of water. Taking a 5-minute shower uses only 10-25 gallons. Modern dishwashers are about 95% more energy efficient than those bought before 1972. Your old dishwasher may be costing you more in energy bills than it would to replace it. The average modern dishwasher in a US home consumes 8.7 gallons of water per load. Washing by hand for 10 minutes with water running typically uses over 20 gallons. Join the new millennium! Get a dishwasher. Also in the kitchen, refrigerators and freezer units account for one-sixth of a home's total energy use. Consider and select only energy-efficient models when replacing old units. The refrigerator is the single biggest energy-consuming kitchen appliance. Opening the door accounts for 30-60 dollars of a family's yearly electric bill. Microwave ovens use around 80% less energy than conventional ovens. Use a microwave instead of the stove to save energy. When cooking, a standard electric oven creates 2.7 lb of carbon dioxide in 1 hour; a toaster oven creates 1.3 lb of carbon dioxide in 50 minutes, and a microwave oven produces 0.5 lb in 15 minutes. In office buildings, artificial lighting accounts for 44% of electrical use. Whenever possible, utilize natural light in your home or at work and make it a habit to turn off the lights when leaving any room for 15 minutes. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are an energy-saving alternative to incandescent bulbs, producing the same amount of light, using one-third the electricity, and lasting almost 10 times as long. For incandescent bulbs, only 10% of the energy used produces light, the rest is given off as heat. Compact fluorescent bulbs are up to four times as efficient as regular bulbs. Change a bulb! Replacing one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb can save 150 lb of carbon dioxide each year. Idle electronics (many televisions, DVD players, stereos, and microwaves) utilize energy even when they are switched off. This keeps display clocks lit and inner controls working. Unplug electrical devices when not in use and switch off all power strips. “Screensavers” do not save energy. By switching your computer to sleep mode, you reduce its energy consumption 60%-70%. At the end of the day, power all computers off completely. In the United States, consumers spend approximately 10,000 times more each year on bottled water than they spend on tap water. Plastic water bottles pose a tremendous threat to the environment. Recycle all plastic water bottles properly. Last year enough plastic bottles for water, soft drinks, and energy drinks were manufactured that, if laid end to end, they would circumnavigate the globe. Twenty-six recycled plastic bottles make 1 polyester suit. Five recycled plastic bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a ski parka. Recycle all plastic bottles! Improperly sealed or faultily caulked windows can account for 25% of all heat lost from a house. How efficient is your home?
K.T. Fitzgerald / Topics in Companion An Med 28 (2013) 177–181
Each average citizen in the United States uses 50 lb of tissue paper per year. Buy only recycled tissue, toilet paper, and Kleenex. The average US office worker goes through some 10,000 sheets of paper every year. Use only recycled paper and print on both sides. Switch all your accounts to e-billing. In the United States, paper products make up the largest percentage of solid waste in our cities, and hard-copy bills alone generate about 2 million tons of carbon dioxide. Take all out-of-date medications back to the pharmacy for disposal. Do not flush old drugs down the toilet or put them in the garbage. These molecules can then find their way into our water supplies and cause untold damage. Properly dispose of old medications. Reward businesses and companies with good environmental track records and show a commitment to our planet. Do not support businesses with documented poor environmental report cards. Vote with your pocketbook. Companies get the picture.
By reducing your carbon footprint and recycling, you are making a definite difference. You are saving energy, saving water, and saving money. But more than these things, you are setting an
181
example and becoming a role model as a steward of the Earth. Do we dare do any less? As you can see, there is a lot that you can do. We are not helpless, yet there is much to be done. Veterinarians must rise to the plight of threatened and endangered species on our planet. It is a minute to midnight, but it is not too late yet. It is never too late when committed and devoted individuals share a unified goal. I am most hopeful for the future because I believe that the finest traits of humanity emerge when we are challenged. Say something. Do something. Make a difference. By preserving other species, we may save ourselves. We know that although what we do is small and beautiful, it is important and we can win.
Suggested Readings 1. Goodall J, Maynard T, Hudson G. Hope for Animals and Their World. New York: Grand Central Publishing; 2009 2. Wilson EO. Biophilia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; 1984 3. Wilson EO. Naturalist. Washington, DC: Island Press; 1994 4. Wilson EO. The Future of Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf; 2002 5. Wilson EO. The Creation. New York: W.W. Norton; 2006 6. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Green Tips. Available at: 〈www.worldwildlife.org/ who/green-headquarters/green-tips.html〉. 2012