Eradicating Guinea Worm Disease: The Countdown to Zero

Guinea worm disease is on track to be the second disease eradicated from the world, but there is still work left to be done.

Health workers explain how to use water filters. uncultured. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Guinea worm disease, also known as dracunculiasis, is an infection caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis. Larvae of the parasite are found in water sources in sub-Saharan Africa, and they can contaminate drinking water. Once consumed, the parasite stays inside the infected individual for up to a year as it grows into a worm until it removes itself from the human host, leaving through the skin. 

When the worm emerges from the human, it causes a painful skin blister, possibly resulting in a fever or secondary infection. There have been cases of people becoming crippled by a Guinea worm infection. The worm needs to be pulled out from the human body, several centimeters per day, by winding it around some gauze or a small stick. 

Health worker treating an infant with Guinea worm disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CC0 1.0.

In 1986, the Carter Center, the foundation of former president Jimmy Carter, began to lead the global campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease. When the campaign started, there were 3.5 million cases of the disease in that one year. In 2021, there were only 15 reported human cases worldwide. This dramatic reduction of cases was the result of several carefully planned interventions.

The program to eradicate Guinea worm disease is community-based and relies on extensive villager volunteers. This approach respects the dignity of the people affected and builds trust between the community members and health professionals. The Carter Center aims to work with ministries of health to provide comprehensive health education and maintain political will.

Surveillance and supervision is instrumental in containing the spread of the disease. In the Gambella region of Ethiopia, village volunteers try to ascertain possible cases among their peers every week. When a suspected case is found, an investigation occurs. A lab test is needed to confirm a case of Guinea worm disease. The infected person’s demographics and symptoms are also tracked, as is information about the water sources that the person used. There are also community meetings to inform them of those infected. This is why gaining the trust of communities is so important. Community participation, especially in light of the stigma associated with the disease, is vital in containing the disease, and it all depends on trust.

As Guinea worm disease is waterborne and is contracted by drinking water contaminated with the larvae, interventions that involve treating water before it is drunk is essential. The Carter Center has distributed pipe filters to affected populations and taught them how to use them to prevent the new cases of the disease. In some places, the pesticide abate is applied to water sources to kill the larvae that cause Guinea worm disease. These interventions have drastically reduced the prevalence of Guinea worm disease, but the fight is not over yet.

While great progress has been made in eliminating Guinea worm disease in much of the world, some challenges have arisen. Civil unrest and political instability in some places where Guinea worm disease is prevalent have prevented efforts to combat the disease. Ethiopia, which had some of the highest rates of the disease, is mired in a civil war, making it hard to reach everyone affected by Guinea worm disease. Recently, cases of Guinea worm disease have also started to appear in animals. Today, most cases of Guinea worm disease occur in other animals, not humans. Complete eradication of Guinea worm disease cannot be completed until the world is free of the disease in both humans and animals.

To Get Involved

While the Carter Center is the leader in the drive to eradicate Guinea worm disease, there are also other partners and stakeholders in the campaign who can be supported through donations and volunteering. Among them include the ministries of health of affected countries, UNICEF, WHO, Ethiopian Public Health Institute and the UNHCR.

Bryan Fok

Bryan is currently a History and Global Affairs major at the University of Notre Dame. He aims to apply the notion of Integral Human Development as a framework for analyzing global issues. He enjoys hiking and visiting national parks.

Donating Used Clothing May Do More Harm Than Good

Donated clothes rarely end up in the hands of someone who needs them. Instead, they usually end up in landfills or overwhelming already struggling industries.

Landfill in Kenya. Thad K. CC BY-SA 2.0. 

Many Americans assume donating is the best thing they could do with their old, unwanted clothing. However, in reality, more than 80% of donated clothing ends up in landfills. Only clothing in the best condition is accepted into secondhand stores in the U.S., such as Goodwill or Buffalo Exchange. Even then, if the clothing remains in the store without being purchased for weeks at a time, the store itself often disposes of it. The rejected clothing often ends up in landfills or is shipped overseas. 

Americans buy five times as much clothing, on average, than they did 30 years ago. However, the quality of the clothing most people buy has decreased due to fast fashion trend cycles, resulting in an average of only seven wears per piece. The increase in purchasing combined with the decrease in wear time has resulted in an overwhelming influx of clothing donations in the past 30 years. 

In theory, shipping unwanted clothing to countries seems like a good thing; it has the potential to create jobs and provide more affordable clothing. Unfortunately, many countries (mostly in East Africa, where unwanted clothes are most commonly sent to, with the exception of Ghana)  cannot handle the sheer mass of the clothing they are receiving. The U.S. ships up to 700,000 tons of clothing overseas every year, which is simply too much for the textile and clothing industries to disperse. Additionally, secondhand clothing sells for such a small fraction compared to new clothing in East Africa, causing local companies unable to compete with cheap clothing to go out of business. 

Clothing Donation Stop. Laura0509. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Several East African countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda) even signed a ban on the importation of used clothing from the U.S. in 2016. The Trump administration negotiated with the East African Community (EAC) to reverse the ban, which they did, mostly due to international pressure. With that being said, certain countries, such as Kenya, claim to rely on the influx of clothing from the U.S. to keep their textile industry up and running. But while that is the case for Kenya, donated clothing does more harm than good for the majority of East African countries. 

In terms of the environment, secondhand clothing markets in every country in the world are simply unable to keep up with the amount of discarded clothing as the fast fashion industry continues to ramp up production exponentially. Whether the clothing begins its journey in a thrift store in the U.S. or on a plane to Kenya, it is ultimately most likely to end up creating more waste. The myth of clothing donation is part of what propels the fast fashion industry; people think donating their clothes will have an ultimately positive impact, and so they feel justified in continuing to amass more clothing. 

Ultimately, the most effective fix for this problem would be to reduce collective clothing consumption. The less unnecessary clothing that is bought, the less clothing waste will be produced. With that being said, there are other options to reduce your clothing waste. Instead of donating your unwanted clothing, giving it directly to someone that you know wants and will use it ensures that it won’t end up in a landfill, at least in the short-term. Donating your clothing to homeless or women’s shelters is also another option, as they have more need than thrift stores such as Goodwill or Salvation Army. However, even when it comes to donating clothing to shelters, the clothing must be in good enough condition to actually be worn. If it’s not, another option is to keep and repurpose it yourself. Old fabric can be used as stuffing or kept for a future art project. All in all, donating excess clothing can be the last resort, which comes after making an effort to buy less, trade within your own circles and repurpose used materials.

Calliana Leff

Calliana is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in English and minoring in psychology. She is passionate about sustainability and traveling in an ethical and respectful way. She hopes to continue her writing career and see more of the world after she graduates.

Drought, Agriculture and the Water Crisis in Spain

In Spain, where drought and agricultural contaminants are affecting drinking water, the precious resource has become a rarity. 

The drought’s effects on water in Spain. Oscar F. Hevia. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

After one of the driest winters of the past 20 years, Spain is experiencing record-low levels of water, which has severely impacted the country’s people. Spain collects the majority of its water through reservoirs and basins, which capture groundwater and rain. At this time of year, these reservoirs are typically at 70 percent. However, due to the drought Spain is currently experiencing, such reservoirs and basins are only at about 40 percent capacity—a palpable cause for concern for all Spanish citizens. 

Due to the severe lack of water, Spain has placed regulations on what the limited supply should be used for. Pools remain unfilled as the weather gets hotter, city fountains are shut off, and villagers in towns closer to the interior of the country find it hard to get a sustainable supply of drinkable water. Villagers from interior areas of Spain, like Lastras de Cuéllar, depend heavily on bottled water sold in their town square. But the purchasing of bottled water is not a sustainable solution to the current water crisis. Older members of the community struggle to carry enough back home, and although many places discount their prices, bottled water is not cost effective. As summer approaches, the people of Spain worry about how long their reserves will last them and hope for heavier rainfall in the spring months to come. 

The drought is being credited to climate change, and the ever-rising temperatures felt across the globe are now creating drastic impacts on the ways people will have to start managing their resources. Calls for water-management reform have begun from many scientists in Spain, the main argument being that due to rising temperatures, old ways of managing and transporting drinking water may need to change. Interior towns of the country that heavily depend on rain water to sustain them may have to rethink their system all together.

Park fountain without water.  Ell Brown. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

On top of the drought, agricultural contaminants have threatened what little water resources Spain has left. Spain is a global leader in pork production, a process that actively affects groundwater resources commonly collected in the basins used to hold drinking water. Pig manure is loaded with toxins that make drinking this groundwater very dangerous. Wired Magazine explains that “pig feed is high in a chemical called phytate, which swine excrete as phosphorus.” When farmers use pig manure to fertilize their land, “phosphorus can become concentrated in the soil and leach to groundwater.” This concentrated phosphorus in groundwater can make humans extremely sick, another reason why clean water has become so rare in Spain.

Besides phosphorus, pig manure also secretes nitrates, something also commonly found in fertilizers used in the agricultural production of crops. Therefore, on top of the dangerous toxins found in pig manure, the nitrates in fertilizer are also seeping into groundwater and impacting the purity of Spain’s limited drinking water. The Local, an online magazine dedicated to covering news in European countries, states that “22 percent of Spain’s overall surface area…is exposed to nitrate pollution,” a startling statistic, considering Spain’s clean water crisis. 

The implications of the drought—combined with the continuation of agricultural contaminants that are consistently finding their way into Spain’s drinking water—are extremely severe. If Spain doesn’t experience a spring with heavy rainfall, this issue may turn into a crisis. Spain has been for many years a water-insecure region, but as the effects of climate change excellerate and agricultural production continues to pollute the land, the issue only becomes more dire. For now, Spaniards can only hope for rain to counter the drought, and for water-management reform to make their drinking water safer. With those hopes in mind, they wait to see what the impending summer heat will mean for their depleted clean water supply.

To Get Involved:

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an organization designed to assist economic and trade progress on a global scale. Learn about the OECD’s assessment of how water resources in Spain are allocated and how the OECD recommends to improve such allocations as conditions in Spain change here.

Circle of Blue is a non-profit organization dedicated to discussing critical research and the challenges involved with global water insecurity. Uniting journalism and data literacy, Circle of Blue serves to educate readers on global issues linked to water and provide research on ways others can get involved to fight global water insecurity. Learn more on how to eliminate global water insecurity here.  

Ava Mamary

Ava is an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois, double majoring in English and Communications. At school, she Web Writes about music for a student-run radio station. She is also an avid backpacker, which is where her passion for travel and the outdoors comes from. She is very passionate about social justice issues, specifically those involving women’s rights, and is excited to write content about social action across the globe.

Mass Killings of the Gray Wolf near Yellowstone

With the 150th anniversary of Yellowstone, attention is drawn to the mass killings of the gray wolf. The park’s bordering states have no laws to protect this species, as the wolves reach a record low number. 

Gray wolf traveling. Yellowstone National Park. CC BY-SA 2.0.

March 1 marked the 150 years of Yellowstone National Park’s existence. However, a sad reality emerges regarding the hunting and killing of wolves. Although this event should be a time of commemoration for the park, an impending issue may finally be getting the necessary public attention. 

While hunting is illegal within Yellowstone, the boundaries of the park line states like Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, which offer no protection to what crosses into their private territory. As a result, the highest number of gray wolf killings has occurred within a century this season alone, which is less than halfway over. 

There are several reasons why this attack on the gray wolf has been escalating. In 2020, the Trump Administration abolished protection of the gray wolf species, meaning that they no longer receive protection as an endangered species. Two years later, though, the federal court worked to reinstate protection for the wolves. Although this preservation was successful in some states, those bordering Yellowstone were excused from this active protection. As a result, hunters in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have brought the total population down to just 90 wolves. 

Although there are strict hunting rules within Yellowstone, they now hold little value due to the ways in which these bordering states support the war on wolves. These mass killings are not only exponentially growing for the first time in a century, but pose extreme risks for the balance of the ecosystem. The gray wolf plays a key role in the ecosystem, which further affects the physical environment the park is surrounded with, as well as the stability of other organisms. 

For example, the diminishing number of wolves negatively impacts the ecosystem as the species feeds on deer and elk populations, keeping them at a healthy population. When wolves eat deer or elk, they also leave their carcasses scattered which provides nutrients for other members of the system. Aside from the gray wolf affecting other species, they have large impacts on trees, plants and the physical environment at large. With the absence of the gray wolf working as predators, an abundance of elk would feed on different types of trees, which further translates into the stagnation of the species. 

The issue is growing rapidly, as the entire Phantom Lake Pack has been slaughtered due to the lack of protection. New laws in Idaho encourage these killings; the governor of Montana is an active hunter himself who recently trapped and killed a wolf without following protocol. As these states fail to protect the important wildlife that walks into their territory, it is increasingly concerning why there is little to no federal concern on this issue. 

Those who demand change are former members of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, who have seemingly followed the journey of the gray wolf, watching them go from full protection to total vulnerability. Although gray wolf deaths reach dangerous numbers, the problem is seemingly insular to the park itself, only being made known to the outside when action is demanded. When there is no personal connection between the park and the outside influences that have ability to make a change, protection is only considered when irreversible ecological damage to the park is noticed. Whether the federal government and commission chooses to protect the gray wolves or not is ultimately determined by their care for the environment, economics and the ecological community.  

GET INVOLVED

Citizens can put active pressure on the federal government and commission to keep the Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in 48 states throughout the Biden Administration. This pressure would also help the wolves have protection under federal law, rather than leaving responsibility to the surrounding states. 

Here, you can sign a petition to Secretary Haaland to promote this protection of wolves.

Talia Rueda

Talia is an English major and Marketing minor at Providence College. She works as a Staff Writer and Social Media Coordinator for their student-led newspaper, The Cowl. She is a lover of all things entertainment media and is happy to now grow her experience in writing about social action and travel. In the future, she hopes to work for a major entertainment magazine to continue the conversation about growing trends and popular culture.

How to Vet a Charitable Organization

Sometimes it can be difficult to find a charity that is as ethical as they claim to be. This article will help you find and assess organizations worthy of your donation. 

Tree growing from coins. Michelle Chow, ejinsight. December 16, 2020

In an era of a social justice revolution, it can be daunting to find organizations to support. Sure, you see their ads on social media, but how do you know if they spend their money ethically? What if you’re paying for their CEO’s third home or even unknowingly supporting an extremist organization? Luckily, sites like charitynavigator.org and charitywatch.org have streamlined the process of vetting charitable organizations so you can ensure your money is going to a cause you care about. 


In this article, I will be focusing on three aspects to help you research nonprofits: 

Administrative costs: How much does an organization spend on the causes they are involved with vs. how much they spend on overhead?

Impact: How much does the organization actually do, and how well does it work?

Financial Transparency: How much does the organization disclose about their income and tax bracket?

Administrative Costs

It takes a lot of money to run a non-profit organization. They have to take into account their employee salaries and office rental costs, which dictates how much the charity gives to the causes they support. Some unethical organizations use=donation money to supplement their CEO’s paycheck. The site Charity Navigator utilizes colorful graphs to help potential donors evaluate how much money the organization spends on their cause compared to their 

Pie chart dividing NWLC expenses. Clayton Young. Courtesy of CharityNavigator.org

overhead, or operational costs. Charity Navigator uses three sections of an organization’s expense report to get their Program Expense Ratio: program (how much they donate to the cause they support), administrative costs, and fundraising. 

A good example of an organization spending most of its income on the program is the National Women’s Law Center, which spends 85% of its income on the programs it supports internationally. They spend roughly 15% on administrative costs and fundraising combined. It’s important to note that all nonprofits are different and cannot be held to the same bar. While it is best to take into account their Program Expense Ratio, some organizations simply do not raise enough money to spend it all on their charitable programs. 

Impact

Impact statement. Courtesy of ProPublica.org. Clayton Young.

How do you know if a nonprofit is actually doing something with your donation money? It can be difficult to quantify the effectiveness of an organization, but independent research can help you make an informed decision about your donation. Charity Navigator’s video details some of the steps you can take to make sure your donation is being used well. One tip they suggest is to call the organization to directly ask them about their impact. However, this poses a problem: the organization might give biased information since they would want to look good at first glance. It helps to have something tangible the organization has done with your donation. 

ProPublica is an independent news organization founded in 2008 that exposes abuses of power against the public from government and institutions through nonbias journalism. Their Investor Impact Report, details all their work for the past year. Additionally, they link follow-up stories to their original articles that sparked the active change to fix injustices. In 2021, the administrator to the Environmental Protection Agency used ProPublica’s article on how the EPA allows some communities to breathe toxic air and announced a new Pollution Accountability Team in response to ProPublica’s article. 

Financial Transparency

Our final aspect of vetting a charitable organization relies on a group’s ability to maintain a clear view of its finances. Obviously, it’s a very important job to tell your donors where their money is going. Charity Watch defines what classifies as a charity and how that tax status could influence the money spent on the intended program. Generally, 501(c) 3 organizations are what most are classified as, meaning they receive tax-exempt contributions from donors, as long as they do not try to influence legislation or endorse presidential candidates, according to the IRS’s classification and rules of charitable organizations with that status. 

An example organization that fits the 501(c)3 status while also providing transparency to its financial records and expenditures is Amazon Watch. While it may sound like an Amazon.com watchdog organization, the charity is actually focused on legislating and providing humanitarian relief on behalf of the Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest. They spend 85.6% of their revenue on the Amazon program, the rest going to administration and fundraising, but their tax records are publically available for anyone to see, dating back to 2016. 

The sites utilized in this article were Charity Navigator and Charity Watch, but they’re only two of a litany of other similar sites. The nonprofits listed are not the only worthy charitable organizations in the world; rather, these are just a jumping point for you to do your own research and give to causes you are passionate about.

Clayton Young

Clayton is an aspiring photojournalist with a Bachelor's in Liberal Studies with a minor in History from Indiana University - Bloomington. In his free time, he enjoys hikes, movies, and catching up on the news. He has written extensively on many topics including Japanese incarceration in America during World War II, the history of violence, and anarchist theory.

How to Debate the Climate Change Skeptics in Your Life

With many climate skeptics, it’s important to know how to respond to the claims from those who don’t believe in human-induced climate.

Climate change protest in Nuremberg. Markus Spiske. Unsplash.

Climate change refers to the current unprecedented warming of the climate that the Earth is experiencing. There are many skeptics who don’t believe the planet’s warming is of concern or that humanity is the main driver. These skeptics have a few main points they like to bring up. Here’s how to hit back.

“The Earth’s climate has always been changing, so there’s no reason we need to be worried now.”

Though the first part of this claim is correct (Earth’s climate has always been in flux), this is most certainly not a reason to be unconcerned about the current warming our planet is experiencing. Though the climate has changed a lot throughout Earth’s history, the planet hasn’t experienced such rapid warming in at least the last 2,000 years as it is currently. To respond to this type of statement, the key is referencing the unprecedented rate of warming as the reason modern climate change is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately. For specific credible evidence, one can draw from the reports made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is a body of the United Nations that conducts and disseminates scientific studies on modern climate change. In the Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, it was reported that humans have caused the Earth to warm by an estimated 1.07 C since the Industrial Revolution. Comparing this temperature anomaly to ones before the mid 1800s shows us “human influence has warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented.”

“The Earth has been much warmer in the past than it is today, so we don’t need to be worried that it’s getting warmer.”

Again, the first part of this claim is true; we are actually currently in what is called an icehouse period, meaning we are experiencing a colder phase relative to Earth’s entire history. Though our current climate isn’t abnormally warm compared to all of Earth’s history, it is not only warming unusually fast, but it also poses dangers to humans, animals and many ecosystems, which are adapted to Earth’s current climate—not a warmer one. In response to these statements, it’s important to remind those in the conversation that we aren’t physically or fiscally able to adapt ourselves, our ecosystems and our industries to a warmer climate fast enough because of the unprecedented speed at which the climate is changing. 

“The sun is the source of the Earth’s heat, so any change in the Earth’s temperature must be due to changes in solar radiation, not human activities.”

This type of statement is generally made by those who admit the Earth is warming quickly but don’t believe humans are the cause. The Earth is heated by the sun through solar radiation. However, if the sun was the only factor in warming our planet, the Earth would be too cold for us to survive on it. To respond to this kind of claim, you should remind whomever that our atmosphere is largely responsible for the warmness of our planet because the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap heat. A skeptic may then ask how we know humans have caused greenhouse gases to increase. Human-caused warming can be illustrated through graphs of the global average surface temperature, which show a continued increase in temperature since the Industrial Revolution (when humans began to emit large amounts of greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels for energy). Countering this claim can be done by looking at any graph of global average temperature in the last century, as these graphs show the increase in the Earth’s temperature has very closely followed the increase in the human activities of fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and other greenhouse gas emitting actions. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to note the IPCC has reported “it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.” 

Whether writing about modern climate change or having a casual discussion about it amongst friends, it’s important to not only be aware of the fact that our climate is getting warmer at an unprecedented rate, but also to understand why the large majority of the scientific community is certain humans are the main reason why. Knowing this information can help you discuss and explain global warming and the importance of taking immediate action.

Jordan Hunt

Jordan Hunt is an undergraduate student at UC San Diego. She is majoring in Communication and is on track to earn her BA degree in the Spring of 2023. With an ever-growing passion for filmmaking and a strong desire to effect change in environmental policymaking, she loves to share her ideas and knowledge with others through writing.

The Swimming Savior: Journey From Refugee to Olympian 

Syrian Yusra Mardini escaped civil war and became the face of Olympic refugees.

Yusra Mardini. l3o_. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Yusra Mardini began swimming at the budding age of 3 in her birth country, Syria. As she grew older, she continued to pursue her swimming career with the Syrian Olympic Committee, hoping to one day fulfill her dream of competing for her country in the Olympics. Outside of the pool, however, a pressing issue loomed over Mardini’s promising athletic career: a civil war in Syria jeopardizing everything she had worked for.  

A peaceful Syrian protest in 2011 initiated an intense civil war. As it progressed, Mardini lost focus during swim practices due to the bomb threats and active bombings during her training. The danger eventually led the Mardini family to leave Syria in August of 2015, shortly after their family home was destroyed. The Mardinis embarked on a 25-day journey to Germany, crossing the Aegean Sea and seven countries along the way. 

During that time, Mardini’s swimming career and life as a refugee merged in one defining moment. While crossing the Aegean Sea on the way to Greece, the boat the Mardinis were on stopped working. In the midst of the chaos, Yusra and her sister, Sara, boldly jumped out of the boat and began to push the vessel to shore. The Mardinis successfully delivered the boat to shore, saving the 18 other passengers on board. Yusra was just 17 years old. 

Mardini began training again in Germany, the country her family settled in. This time, she swam with a greater purpose: making a name for herself at the Olympics and bringing awareness to refugees at the same time. Her hard work paid off, as Mardini was selected to compete with the 2016 Refugee Olympic Team. This team was the first of its kind, allowing refugee athletes to compete together rather than for a specific country. Representing a cause she was passionate about, Mardini traveled to Brazil to swim in the 2016 Rio Olympics and share her story with the world. She competed in the 100-meter butterfly event, as well as the 100-meter freestyle. 

After her story received positive press at the Olympics, Mardini began using her voice to represent refugees both in and out of the pool. In April of 2017, the UN Refugee Agency dubbed Mardini a Goodwill Ambassador, making her the youngest UNHCR ambassador at the age of 19. Since then, she has used her life story to represent refugees on a global scale. Mardini shares her triumphant tale at conferences, schools and through her social media, allowing people to understand the trials that come with civil war, displacement and personal growth. Mardini also attended the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she was given the honor of being the flag bearer for the Refugee Olympic Team. She continues to train in Berlin, Germany, where she is making a name for not only herself, but refugees everywhere who are looking for a new beginning, just as Mardini once was.

Ellie Sabby

Ellie is a senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, studying English literature. She is the Chief Online Editor and Chief Art Editor for undergraduate literary and art magazine, The Tower. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, reading anything by Shakespeare, and fulfilling her passion for traveling through a variety of spontaneous trips.

Entertainment or Exploitation? Dive Into Sea Mammals in Captivity 

Marine mammals living in captivity may appear happy and healthy, but the harsh reality is the aquatic entertainment industry exploits the animals for profit. Here’s why they deserve to roam free.  

Orca show at SeaWorld. roger4336. CC BY-SA 2.0

The definition of a cetacean is a marine mammal, but they are better known as dolphins, porpoises and whales. While not everyone has viewed these creatures in their natural habitats, there is a good chance they have been seen closer to home at a local zoo or aquatic institution. However, these businesses are in possession of cetaceans for entertainment purposes, not the well-being of the actual animals. 

As breathtaking as it may be to see an orca, whale, or dolphin right in front of your face, these creatures have complex ways of thinking and living that cannot be maintained in a glass tank. Cetaceans are social animals, similar to humans, who thrive off interacting with other aquatic mammals. They are also extremely intelligent and need space to explore new concepts and create families. If kept in captivity and separated from their offspring, cetaceans suffer similarly to what a human may experience if they are depressed or anxious: physical ailments, raised stress levels, aggressive temperaments and even premature death. As a result, this changes the demeanor of the animals, and several trainers have been injured or killed over the years. Organizations using cetaceans for entertainment purposes overlook the basic needs of these animals and forgo moral and ethical standards for the benefit of their business. 

SeaWorld is famous for its orca shows, dazzling spectators with what seem to be displays of happy creatures performing tricks willingly but are truly a collection of unhappy animals working for food in unsuitable tanks. Years of cetacean exploitation in this organization—and ones similar to it—were masked as research. SeaWorld claimed to save marine animals who had been injured in the wild by bringing them to their facility and rehabilitating them in a controlled environment. Upon further investigation, these claims were false, as some animals had been forcefully taken from their homes rather than rescued. Companies battled with lawmakers for years over the proposal of a law that would benefit the animals more than the humans in charge of them. The Orca Protection and Safety Act was passed in 2016, banning the breeding, capturing and performing of orcas in California. SeaWorld’s long reign amongst aquatic entertainment organizations crumbled. 

While several states have adopted laws banning the breeding of orcas since then, there are still 59 whales in captivity across the globe and numerous other dolphins and beluga whales in the same situation. In recent years, China and Russia have become popular locations for orca breeding and performing. 

Orcas in the wild. DrTH80. CC BY 2.0

One organization in Canada is now working to rectify the unethical treatment of these animals by creating a space for them to retire and return to the life a cetacean would normally live. The Whale Sanctuary Project is dedicating their time to supporting cetaceans bred and raised in captivity who may be retired, but have no home or family to return to. The Whale Sanctuary Project creates authentic sanctuaries for these animals, large bodies of water with adequate depth where whales, dolphins and porpoises can roam free and interact with other creatures in the same situation. Their work is the first of its kind in North America and will continue to improve the lives of cetaceans in need for years to come. 

GET INVOLVED

Orca Network is a non-profit organization working to spread awareness about orca whales and other aquatic mammals living in captivity. To learn more about orcas, the effects living in captivity has on marine mammals and ways you can directly support these animals, visit Orca Network’s website and consider attending one of their virtual informational events.

Ellie Sabby

Ellie is a senior at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, studying English literature. She is the Chief Online Editor and Chief Art Editor for undergraduate literary and art magazine, The Tower. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, reading anything by Shakespeare, and fulfilling her passion for traveling through a variety of spontaneous trips.

11 Ways to Help Ukraine

Help support the Ukrainian people as their country is invaded.

The ongoing war in Ukraine has caused hundreds of civilian deaths, with more than 2 million refugees having already fled the country. It is crucial in these trying times that Ukrainians know they have support. Here are some ways to help. 

Meduza

“Within a few days, maybe even today, it is possible that there will be no independent media left in Russia,” read a post on Meduza’s website. Meduza is an independent media source at extreme risk of losing its platform to inform the public. Russian President Vladimir Putin is working to have complete control over censorship in Russia and Ukraine, meaning citizens of these countries will no longer have access to any information besides what Russia’s government allows. Meduza has already been blocked in Russia, and now it is fighting to stay alive through the support of allies outside of these countries. The organization is looking for financial support and social media awareness.

For more information and to donate, visit Meduza’s website. 

Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders is a worldwide independent media organization that works to keep freedom of the press and information to citizens of the world. According to their site, on March 4, Russia adopted a new law making the “publication of ‘false’ or ‘mendacious’ information about the Russian armed forces punishable by up to 15 years in prison.” This threatens every single independent media outlet in Russia and Ukraine. Support Reporters Without Borders through sponsorship, donations, volunteering and more listed on the website. 

For more information and to support, visit Reporters Without Borders’ website. 

The Kyiv Independent

The Kyiv Independent was launched three months ago by journalists who had been fired in Ukraine for defending editorial independence. Now, they are playing a vital role in keeping the freedom of the press alive in Russia and Ukraine. On their website, they have options to “become a patron” and donate to the organization’s GoFundMe.

For more information and to support, visit The Kyiv Independent’s website.  

Doctors Without Borders

Working in conflict zones, Doctors Without Borders focuses on helping citizens in need after natural disasters, wars, epidemics and more. Responding to the Ukraine crisis, the organization sent 1,400 cubic feet of medical supply shipments on March 6, along with members of the organization. There are multiple ways to get involved with Doctors Without Borders from working in offices to working in the field, and if a career path isn’t something you’re considering, donating is another great way to show support. 

For more information and to support, visit Doctors Without Borders’ website. 

International Medical Corps

A global first responder organization, International Medical Corps provides emergency medical assistance to people in need in any circumstances. A hub in Poland has been created, so members of the organization can assist members of Ukraine and surrounding countries with physical and mental health situations. International Medical Corps is looking for donations to continue its efforts in Poland. 

For more information and to support, visit International Medical Corps’ website. 

Contact Government Representatives 

Don’t have the money to donate? Another way to get involved if you are in the United States or Europe is by contacting government representatives in efforts to accept as many Ukrainian refugees as possible. Boundless offers great tips for formatting emails, finding your elected officials and learning information about what your contribution will do for citizens in need. 

To find your representative, visit the U.S. House of Representatives’ website. 

Global Giving

Global Giving is a nonprofit that connects other nonprofits with donors and companies. Helping to properly equip humanitarian projects in distressed communities and donating to the Ukraine Crisis Fund creates a direct impact on citizens in need. With a goal of $10,000,000, Global Giving has promised that all funds raised will go to providing shelter, food, clean water, health support, psychosocial support and more. 

For more information and to support, visit Global Giving’s website.

The World Food Programme 

As the world's largest humanitarian organization, The World Food Programme works to provide meals to all people in emergency situations. Working directly with citizens in Ukraine who have been forced from their homes and into hunger, donating to The World Food Programme will provide families with meal packages and more.

For more information and to support, visit The World Food Programme’s website.

UNICEF

UNICEF is running an emergency response for Eastern Ukraine, leading health, social policy, child protection and many more programs to aid families affected by the conflict. UNICEF is looking for volunteers, donors, social media support and reporters to help with the efforts in Ukraine. 

For more information and to support, visit UNICEF’s website. 

United Help Ukraine

An organization started directly in response to the attack on Ukraine, United Help is focusing on wounded warriors, humanitarian aid, medical supplies and raising awareness. Donating to United Help Ukraine will directly help Ukrainian citizens, soldiers and frontline volunteers. 

For more information and to support, visit United Help Ukraine’s website.

Airbnb

Offering free short-term housing for over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, Airbnb is relying on the help of citizens across the world. Airbnb is looking for donations and possible hosts to house refugees. Nonprofits are working with Airbnb during this time to book homes for eligible citizens. 

For more information and to support, visit Airbnb’s Help Ukraine website. 

Knowing what organizations have the best intentions and support for people in need can be difficult. The American Endowment Foundation provides a great resource for choosing the right organizations where your support will make the biggest difference.

Haleigh Kierman

Haleigh is a student at The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A double Journalism and Communications major with a minor in Anthropology, she is initially from Guam, but lived in a small, rural town outside of Boston most of her life. Travel and social action journalism are her two passions and she is appreciative to live in a time where writers voices are more important than ever.

Sand Mining Threatens Coastline as Sierra Leone Rebuilds

Within a few miles of Sierra Leone’s capital, sand mining is having a devastating effect. As beaches slowly disappear, so do the country’s hopes of post-war revival. 

Freetown Beach in Sierra Leone, Erik Cleves Kristensen, CC BY 2.0

Twenty years after Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war, the economic promises of sand mining prove to be costly. The war, which took thousands of lives and led nearly half the country's population into poverty, destroyed most of the country. What followed was a construction boom made possible by an essential ingredient of modern civilization: sand. However, as Sierra Leone’s 300 miles of glorious beaches slowly disappear, so does the revival of tourism and the protection of 55% of the population who live along the country’s coast from the dangers of rising sea levels due to climate change. 

As part of a post-civil war move to help communities benefit from local resources, Sierra Leone’s central government gave regulation of sand mining to local councils. Under the 2004 Local Government Act, local committees operate the trucks and strictly hire local people to mine the sand. After a long day of mining, the sand is dried and sold to developers to pave and extend roads as new homes, hotels and restaurants go up across the country. 

Government officials defend sand mining as an essential source of jobs and a necessary component in rebuilding Sierra Leone. Kasho Cole, chairman of the Western Area Rural District Council, told the Los Angeles Times that his council is “sensitive to environmental concerns, having banned sand mining on certain beaches because of the devastation it has already caused.”

Cole also acknowledged that assessments had not been carried out anywhere in the district to determine sand mining’s environmental impact. Due to large-scale illegal sand mining operations, Cole could not provide a definite amount of sand extracted from the beaches. 

Sand theft, the unauthorized and illegal form of sand mining, has led to a worldwide non-renewable resource depletion issue, causing the permanent loss of sand and significant habitat destruction. Sand mining has already made a significant environmental impact in North Stradbroke Island and Kurnell in Australia; the Indian states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Goa; and the Red River in Yunnan, China. 

In the United States, the sand mining market generates slightly over $1 billion per year. The industry continues to grow annually by nearly 10% because of its use in hydrocarbon extraction. Globally, sand mining is a $70 billion industry, with sand selling for up to $90 per cubic yard. 

In Sierra Leone, sand mining operations are regulated on John Obey Beach, a village 20 miles south of the Western Area (Freetown Peninsula.) According to the Environmental Protection Agency, sand mining should be banned on all beaches apart from John Obey. However, when the police leave the beaches at 5 p.m., the mining continues after dark. 

Efforts to address the issue are hampered by conflicts of interest from those involved: miners who need the work, construction companies who need the supply and investors who are getting rich taxing the sand. Last year, a press statement from the local police force confirmed “certain service personnel appear to be aiding and abetting this illegal act.” 

As dump trucks continue to haul sand away and tides push further inland, John Obey Beach is slowly disappearing—taking trees, businesses, homes and dry land with it as far down the coast as Bureh, a surf town two miles south. While the activity contributes to Sierra Leone's coastal erosion, which is proceeding at up to 6 meters a year, the removal of sand also changes wave patterns that move sand along the coast, altering the quality of surf that Bureh, a renowned surf spot in Africa, is known for. 

Prior to the war, Sierra Leone’s beaches were packed with adventurous travelers from around the world. Kolleh Bangura, the director of Sierra Leone’s Environmental Protection Agency, told The New Humanitarian that “sand-mining is a calamity for the tourism industry… Anywhere in the world, sand is the resource of tourism, but now our beaches are being degraded.”

Lakka, a coastal town located 10 miles from Freetown, was once known for its large beaches and seaside resorts, offering a glimpse of the future if actions are not taken. Sand mining on Lakka Beach is illegal now, but the ban came too late—leaving a thin wedge of sand lined by crumbling buildings, many of which have been left abandoned. 

Even the miners themselves recognize sand mining is not sustainable; however, with a youth unemployment rate of 70%, the pressure falls on the government to provide alternative jobs. “In time, they need to ban it, as we want to bring tourism here,” Abu Bakarr, a sand miner, told The New Humanitarian. “But we need sand-mining to sustain our lives…The government needs to give us jobs. If there are no jobs, the youths will mine the sand.”

Papanie Bai-Sessay, the biodiversity officer at Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, told the Los Angeles Times that “the sand has been a buffer… we are destroying our first line of defense. If we don’t stop, it will be a disaster for millions.”

Claire Redden is a freelance journalist from Chicago, where she received her Bachelor’s of Communications from the University of Illinois. While living and studying in Paris, Claire wrote for the magazine, Toute La Culture. As a freelancer she contributes to travel guides for the up and coming brand, Thalby. She plans to take her skills to London, where she’ll pursue her Master’s of Arts and Lifestyle Journalism at the University of Arts, London College of Communication.

Labor Cruelty Inside Dubai, the City of Gold

Ninety percent of Dubai's residents are migrant workers, many of whom are experiencing abuse from their employers. 

Dubai is known as the city of gold due to its rapid growth, from a global gulf port to a busy business city center. Migrant workers arrive from Asia, Africa and different parts of the Middle East through the sponsorship program kafala. The program gives employers the permits necessary to hire foreign labor workers and gives employers complete control over the legal status of whom they’ve hired. In some cases, this causes a power imbalance among the employer and employee relationship. In addition to being exploited through the sponsorship program, migrant workers have accused employers of various forms of abuse.

Migrant workers often arrive in Dubai in hopes of making a steady income to provide for their families back home. Dubai has a high demand for labor workers and provides better opportunities to migrant workers. Therefore, they take on jobs in construction or domestic work, such as nannying, housekeeping or other household services. At times, they’re promised a higher wage or a different job description; however, after arriving, that promise was broken. Migrant workers receive their wages on a monthly basis and are required to work weekends, with an average of 16-21 hour days. Overworked migrants cannot leave the job until their contract is terminated, as those are the conditions under the kafala sponsorship. If one decides to leave, the employer can have the worker sent to prison for six months, deported and/or fined $27,225 for not abiding by the contract. 

Migrant Worker Cleaning a Mall in Dubai. Iwona Rege. BY-ND 2.0

This very strict rule under the kafala sponsorship forces employees to continue working under very stressful conditions. Fear of what could happen to them binds them to their employer until the contract is completed. Due to these conditions, migrant workers have complained that employers have not paid them their wages, delayed the wages or have had their passports taken from them; preventing them from leaving. At Dubai’s Expo 2020, migrant workers claimed their employers violated UAE labor laws, with one interviewee saying, “the way they treat the staff is like slaves, I mean modern day slavery.” Women have reported being raped by their employer as well as family members for the home they work in. However, there has been no action taken against these accused employers. 

With the pandemic, cases got worse as most employers did not pay the migrant workers their wages. The lack of income left workers stranded in Dubai with no money to fly back home or provide themselves with basic needs. A Sri Lankan embassy source based in Dubai said, ​​“the two most common complaints from the worker are that employers don’t give them salaries and that they are harassed either physically, sexually or verbally.” The UAE has settled requirements that help protect migrant workers rights, yet there has been non-compliance and no way to ensure workers are not being abused and/or taken advantage of. 


To Get Involved: The organization Migrant-Rights advocates the rights of migrant workers affected by the kafala sponsorship program. They also assist migrant workers who need assistance. 

To learn more click here.

To support Migrant-Rights’ organization click here.

Jennifer is a Communications Studies graduate based in Los Angeles. She grew up traveling with her dad and that is where her love for travel stems from. You can find her serving the community at her church, Fearless LA or planning her next trip overseas. She hopes to be involved in international humanitarian work one day.

5 Everyday Products that Hurt the Environment And Their Sustainable Alternatives

In our fast-paced lives, it can be difficult to remember to make sustainable choices. Here are a few products most of us use every day that have a negative effect on the environment.

Image Credit: HuffPost UK

Plastic Bags

You’ve probably heard this one before, but despite widespread coverage of the issue, between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. These bags take enormous amounts of energy to produce and ship; they are difficult to recycle, do not decompose and emit toxic chemicals into the environment.

Fortunately, there are many green alternatives to the plastic bag. Fabric or canvas shopping bags are relatively inexpensive to purchase and can be reused for grocery shopping.

Produce Bags

Produce bags often get left out of the conversation surrounding plastic bags, but they are made from the same materials and are equally harmful. Try using washable mesh produce bags instead—they are fairly cheap and can be reused. 

Exfoliant Products

Many facial soaps contain tiny plastic microbeads that help exfoliate the skin. These beads are too small to be filtered during sewage treatment and have started to build up in lakes and oceans. In one year alone, researchers found 1,500 to 1.7 million bits of plastic per square mile in the great lakes. California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland and New Jersey have already banned microbeads, and it is likely that other states will follow. There are many alternatives to these soaps that are environmentally friendly and better for the skin. Try using oatmeal, raw honey or coffee ground scrubs—often you can make them yourself from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. 

Coffee Pods

They may be convenient, but single-serve coffee pods aren’t recyclable, meaning almost all of the 10 billion made each year end up in landfills. Brewing coffee the old fashioned way may take a few minutes longer, but it will reduce your waste in the long run. You can recycle unbleached paper filters and compost the grinds or use them in a face scrub.

Non shade-grown coffee

While we’re on the subject, the coffee industry is responsible for massive amounts of deforestation and water pollution. Buying shade-grown coffee is easier on the environment because it allows trees to grow alongside the coffee plants, which not only guards against deforestation, but controls soil erosion and filters carbon dioxide. Shade-grown beans also mature at a slower rate, which creates a delicious flavor.

Prepackaged Food

From juice boxes to chips, almost nothing you buy at a grocery store is free of plastic packaging. While these products are convenient, they pose a risk to the environment. Like plastic bottles and bags, plastic food packaging is difficult to recycle and does not decompose. While there are alternatives to prepackaged food, such as zero waste grocery stores, they can be hard to come by. Try to reduce the amount of packaged food you buy, but when necessary, buy bulk products instead, as single-serve items have more packaging.

In the end, working to reduce or eliminate your consumption of these five products is a step towards a greener planet and more sustainable lifestyle.

EMMA BRUCE

Emma is an undergraduate student studying English and marketing at Emerson College in Boston. She has worked as a volunteer in Guatemala City and is passionate about travel and social justice. She plans to continue traveling wherever life may take her.