Today I had to do an assignment in class and it was about reducing carbon footprint. All day I have been thinking what to do, that's when I thought of it. Do you know how much plastic is being used and thrown away each and every day due to school lunch trays. For this fact I think we should start using reusable lunch trays. The reusable lunch trays will basically just be a materials we can use over and over again for lunch hints the name reusable lunch tray.

Today I had to do an assignment in class and it was about reducing carbon footprint. All day I have been thinking what to do, that's when I thought of it. Do you know how much plastic is being used and thrown away each and every day due to school lunch trays. For this fact I think we should start using reusable lunch trays. The reusable lunch trays will basically just be a material we can use over and over again for lunch hints the name reusable lunch tray. According to cafeteriaculture.org which did an estimation of New York's schools. They found out that NYC public schools throw away 850,000 styrofoam trays a day. All together about 80 trays per foot adding up to a whomping 2 miles high, if stacked on top of each other. They found out that this is 8.5 times the height of the empire state building. It is important to know that this is all just in one day in just one city. Now just imagine how much more this problem would be weekly. Around 4,250,000 styrofoam trays a school week. Now if you take this and use 80 trays per foot, you get 10 miles of styrofoam trays a week that get thrown away. If your worried people won't be interested in helping, a lot of people will be willing to partake in using reusable lunch trays. “We created giant NO-STYRO data PUPPETS, each made of 500 used and washed lunch trays. We took the puppets all over NYC and to City Hall. People laughed first, then heard our story of toxic and polluting styrene foam and were inspired to take action!” STYROFOAM OUT OF SCHOOLS. By reducing the amount of styrofoam thrown away it can help bring justice for the environment by eliminating the amount of trash around the world. Styrofoam also when broken down can be easily mistaken as food for smaller marine animals. This will help the environment in the long term along with other ideas that the new younger generation has, which can help keep the earth going for a long time. https://www.cafeteriaculture.org/foam-t … hools.html

I have seen some videos of 'school lunches around the world' and I noticed that some of them had metal lunch trays. I wonder how easy that would be to integrate into US schools. It seems like it might be expensive to make and install a way to clean them. Is that what you meant by reusable lunch trays?

In my school we are still using throw aways cardboard trays. However i think it would be much more efficient if they used metal or plastic trays. This will lower carbon foot print and save money for other things in the school that provide for students. It may cost a bit to clean but i feel like they could make profit not after a long time.

many people still use plastic bags for their lunches. we should only be using things we can wash and use again for lunches,

I strongly agree because if we use reusable it costs less money and it also helps use less waste for one use trays and it helps the enviornment because there will be way less waste environment

In our school, we have paper trays that get recycled, as in our old school we had reusable ones. The thing with the reusable ones was the staff washes them, but there is still things on it which can be concerning.

At my old school in 5th and 4th grade we switch to metal trays/reusable and we had way less trash!

At my old elementary school we partnered with a company that helps schools get metal lunch trays and utensils. Sadly, I cannot remember the name of the company. The lunch trays were really cool, and made of metal so we could wash them. After you were done with lunch you would put the tray and utensils in a bin and the school would take them to a company that cleans the utensils and trays for schools. I highly recommend talking to your principal about this. With some hard work and lots of determination this can become a reality.

my school uses paper trays at my house we use only glass but my school only uses paper every day their are thousands of paper trays cause they use more trays for the food so they have double trays for each person if you ask me that's a lot of paper used in one day alone

Environmental justice is a critical movement that seeks to address the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on marginalized communities. Often, low-income neighborhoods and communities of color bear the brunt of pollution, hazardous waste, and climate change effects, while lacking adequate resources to combat these issues. This inequity stems from historical injustices and systemic racism, where decision-making processes often exclude the voices of those most affected. Advocating for environmental justice involves promoting equitable access to clean air, water, and green spaces, as well as empowering communities to participate in environmental policymaking. By addressing these disparities, we can foster healthier environments and create a more just and sustainable future for all, ensuring that every individual has the right to live in a safe and thriving ecosystem.

People should stop littering and throwing their junk such as plastic bags on the ground whenever they are done with the snack they just ate. They should rather stop being lazy and throw their waste in the trashbin. Saving the community from pollution by doing a simple act of consideration should not be too much of a hassle.

I think we can all agree that littering is bad and I don't think anyone would disagree with out on that. I think that there a multiple causes of littering and pollution, but while the are related, they are kind of two different things. I think of littering as something like dropping a wrapper on the ground, and I think of pollution as a more serious and company controlled issue. So, I do agree with you, but I think that pollution is a little bit different.

I agree with you conner however I think it needs to be treated the same in order to truly stop it

I completely agree that littering is a significant issue that can be easily addressed through simple actions. It’s frustrating to see people carelessly discard plastic bags and other waste, especially when taking a moment to throw it in a trash bin makes such a big difference. Littering not only harms our communities but also impacts the environment in numerous ways. Each small act of consideration can contribute to a cleaner and healthier space for everyone. Encouraging a culture of responsibility around waste disposal is crucial. We all have a role to play in keeping our surroundings clean, and it really shouldn’t be too much to ask.

More people need to be educated on Climate Change. The fact that so many people still doesn't believe it is real is insane.

One major habitat that is hugely impacted by an increase in temperatures is the coral reef. These groups of reefs serve as home to many incredibly diverse species. However, as the ocean temperatures rise due to the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the corals go through a process called "bleaching." Corals have a symbiotic relationship with a kind of single-celled dinoflagellate called zooxanthellae. The zooxanthellae live inside the corals, giving them their vibrant colors and energy through photosynthesis while the corals protect the organisms. As the temperature of the ocean rises, the corals experience stress due to the shift in their environment, leading them to release the zooxanthellae. This rids them of their beautiful colors (hence the "bleaching" part) and their main source of food. So, as these corals starve and eventually die, all of the organisms that rely on the reefs as a habitat are also affected, effectively destroying an entire ecosystem. When such an important ecosystem is impacted so strongly, the rest of the world will be affected in some way, so it is vital that coral bleaching is stopped and measures are put in place to protect the reefs and other environments affected by climate change.

I agree, coral bleaching is a very serious problem impacting our oceans, and there needs to be action to fight the massive disruptions to coral reef ecosystems. For example, many species are getting pushed out of coral reef ecosystems or having to adapt to their changing habitats. Invasive species, like lionfish, are also becoming a problem in these habitats. Research by NOAA outlines the effects of invasive lionfish on coral reefs and how they add to the stress of coral reefs.

There is clearly a correlation between the two situations. in 1980 NOAA recorded an average ocean surface temperature of 0.25 degrees celsius. In 2022 the recorded an average of around 0.7 degrees celsius. Below is an image comparing images from the Great Barrier Reef from 1980 to 2020.
[img]file:///C:/Users/Findley/Downloads/338_2021_2144_Fig1_HTML.pdf[/img]

I agree save the ocean we need to stop coral bleaching and protect are ecosystem

It is preferable to recycle all plastic bottles to store detergents or soaps

Hi my name is Henry today i would like to discuss why oil is bad for our environment. Oil was first discover around the 600BC by the Chinese at first it was mainly use to transport bamboo as time changed the first car invented around the second world war that was when oil was start being use for automobile. Till today oil is one of the main fuel use for cars, but even though its a great fuel for cars but did you know that oil can actually damage the environment based on a article written by the World Wildlife Fund organization they state that Oil and gas operations could release many tons of harmful pollutants into the air and discharge dangerous chemicals into the water, thereby degrading the clean air and water. Not only that it will damage the environment but the toxic effects of inhaling vapors and ingesting oil when grooming or feeding can cause animals sick therefore i believe that using oil is damaging our environment.

By Henry
Heres a video from youtube about this discussing i will post down here

Hi Henry, I hope that companies could stop using oil but unfortunately for this time, it is like a fantasy story being told to small children. Big companies would die not to stop oil production since you would get lots and lots of money. But what happens if there is no Earth to earn that money? Do companies think that far into the future? Adults now only think about their life now, not about our life as Gen Z or Gen Alpha. They will life a life with luxury and air to breathe but for us, dirt and air hard to breathe. Adults only created Covid, not us as children. They are the reason why the only home we have is at risk. But, adults are hard to control, especially since the “Golden Rule” says respect your “eLdErS”.

I completely agree with this statement. Companies using oil is causing tons of pollution to our Earth. Companies nowadays are thinking about saving money, making profit, and thinking about current times. Thankfully many companies are starting to turn from gas cars to electric cars. Many companies are thinking making their cost cheaper and making high profit, using gas now are more efficient and cost saving for many tools. But it is pretty hard to get companies to start going to electric

I agree that oil is bad for the environment.

Hi Henry, I agree what you said. Although oil is a conventional source, it still caused a lot of damage to our world. People should start taking this seriously and take actions too. Like, understand how it impacts out world and know what you can help.

Every year, people throughout the world commemorate Earth Day to show support for environmental conservation. Earth Day inspires people to come together and take action in favor of a healthier world and a better future by serving as a global reminder of the importance of environmental sustainability and conservation. How can you support our house in any way? Here are a few easy ways we can all do our part to improve the planet. We have the option to take part in beach clean-ups and donate to companies who recycle plastic to make bags, chairs, and even tables (Enviro Tech Winder recycling)! Even the simplest actions can have the greatest impact on our world such as bringing your bags when you go shopping and using reusable water bottles instead of buying plastic ones in the supermarket. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, about 5 trillion plastic bags are used by Americans each year. This ends up with about over one trillion plastic bags in the ocean. Imagine all the animals suffering and ending up dead because they're thinking that the plastic bags are jellyfish due to the way they move. Earth Day is just a friendly reminder that the earth is polluted with tons of trash and that it is our responsibility to take care of it and help clean it up.

YES YES YES! All schools these days should 100 percent get a compost bin for the cafeteria, cause just think of all the uneaten food and where it's going out into the world.

I totally agree. Compost bin in cafeteria is one way that students can participating in helping the environment. Here are some advantages that I found online. To begin with, approximately 84% of food waste from restaurants is disposed of in the garbage, according to a research on restaurant food waste done by the Business for Social Responsibility. Composting not only stops this percentage from rising, but it also has positive effects on the environment. The absence of synthetic chemical fertilizers in compost is the largest advantage for the environment. We consume these chemicals when they are employed in the soil to cultivate fruits and vegetables. Additionally, when it rains, synthetic fertilizers wash away and harm local species. Composting produces healthier produce and has less of an adverse impact on the environment than chemical fertilizers.

I Agree with you. I know someone who works as a school lunch server and they have told me about how much food is wasted because all they do with the excess food is throw it in the trash. I believe schools, restaurants, and other places with lots of food shouldn't throw away unused food but give it away to people in need. They could do many things like give it to charities or serve it to the homeless, or even put it in to a compost bin. In conclusion people in general should try their best to avoid wasting food and if they can give some to people in need.

I totally agree with you. I like the idea of having compost bin for the cafeteria. In my last school we had compost in the school yard. I think that every school (and all the places that produce a lot of food) should have it because a lot of food goes to waste. Composting also has a positive impact on the environment.

Students who live in an urban center know less about composting. Examples of good practice could be integrated into their everyday life.
The coordination of specific activities would contribute to the integration of these behaviors that will have a finality in a more or less near future. EDUCATION makes the difference

I totally agree with you. I think that is a great idea because lots of food gets thrown away. Compost bin in cafeterias can have positive impact on the environment.

Compost bins are one of the great options for buildings and companies to take a bit of climate initiative. One of the big issues in schools though is that children don’t sort their waste properly. To combat this we can educate them earlier on little ways they can make change, and push for compostable utensils and plates.

Very true, I think composting is a great way to reuse the food we don’t eat. Also home gardens could be a great way to implement compost and get fresh food out to everyone.

I think that in order to make our energy more clean that we need to advocate for more solar panels and other clean energy sources like wind turbines.

Cons of cattle farming-

Contributes about 11%–17% of global greenhouse gas emissions
.methane and nitrous oxide released from digestion
.land use and conversion and desertification
.vast amount of food and resources being consumed
.1,800 gallons of water per pound of beef produced.

The costs of the cattle industry greatly outweigh any benefits in my opinion. It takes up massive plots of land while producing minimal meat. There are a lot more climate friendly options, like Guinea pigs that take up a lot less space and resources. Alternatively, you can pick a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Environmental pollution is a very negative thing that affects the entire planet sooner or later, for example animals, humans, landscapes, forests.
If we do not end them in the future we would not be able to live on our planet due to so much pollution.

I agree with you, but I think that there are more details that you can bring to the surface. Humans are the main cause of environmental pollution. Our everyday tasks and everyday routines pollute the environment. Some examples of this are, bonfires, eating not organic meats, phone usage, and clothes that we wear that are produced in factories. But, we can do better with these things in the future. Some things that we can do to reduce environmental pollution are eating more vegetation foods, turning off lights when we don't need them on, trying our best to conserve energy, and not buying things from huge industries. Those are only some of the things we can do to make environmental justice, save animals, landscapes, and forests from what we are doing to ourselves.