Items

• 
  2022-06-24

  1.6 billion face masks entered our oceans in 2020

  This is an Instagram post from birdlife_sa. It discusses the amount of face masks that ended up in the ocean, and what you can do to make your mask disposal more environmentally friendly.
• 2022-06-24

  Correctly dispose of masks

  This is an Instagram post from ecowhizz_sa. This is a post advising people to dispose of their masks properly to protect the environment.
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  2022-05-06

  Edmonton high school students create company upcycling masks into jewelry

  This is a news story from CTV News by Adam Lachacz. A group of students from Lillian Osborne High School have formed a company to make use of disposable masks so that less of them end up in landfills. The company is called "Gaia" after the Greek goddess of the earth. The company is selling necklaces and earrings made from disposable masks online.
• 
  2022-05-06

  Plastic bag ban stalls in Chihuahua, a casualty of the pandemic

  This is a news story from El Paso Matters. This story is about Mexico's environmental issues that have risen due to COVID. In August 2019, Chihuahua became the latest state to ban single-use plastic bags. This changed with COVID, when household and medical waste rose to 80,000 tons per day. Fines for violating Chihuahua’s plastic bag ban range from 2,000 Mexican pesos ($97) to 250,000 pesos ($12,200). But authorities have refrained from enforcing it, noting that single-use items were necessary to meet coronavirus safety requirements. The pandemic’s negative impact on the economy and available workforce also presented obstacles, says Gilberto Wenglas Lara, director of ecology at the Ministry of Urban Development and Ecology.
• 
  2022-04-12

  Abandoned Mask Found At Gas Station

  Mask I found while pumping gas. It's crazy how many masks are just dropped on the ground after using them
• 
  2022-03-11

  Disposable Mask Pollution

  This is an Instagram post by zerowastesrilanka. This is a post advising people to cut the straps off of the mask before disposing of them because it can hurt ocean life. This is one major issue with mask mandates, since disposable masks are the most commonly worn. Having a buildup of too many masks places can hurt the environment, so this group is looking to let people know of how to properly dispose of a mask.
• 
  2021-09-05

  EPITAPH an excerpt from an epistle by Sebastian Delgado, dps

  [CURATOR'S NOTE] This is an piece of fiction submitted to the archive by the author.
• 
  2020-03-07

  HIST30060 Environmental impact of the pandemic

  This photo shows a large amount of waste in the form of face masks that were found washed up on a beach in Hong Kong. While the pandemic has been argued to have brought some environmental benefits, namely from the reduced pollution that comes with fewer cars on the road, this photo shows that our efforts to protect ourselves are harming our oceans. Discarding of our disposable face masks responsibly is something we should all keep in mind in the course of the pandemic.
• 
  2020-03-01

  Increase of Outdoor Participants since the Pandemic's Onset

  Since the start of the pandemic, I've begun to both run and hike when I get the chance. After talking with people who have done the same since before the pandemic, they've noted how there is absolutely an increase of people outdoors. For me, it's a great way to escape and improve mental health, and I think it's worth noting how many are trying to find ways to improve themselves and keep going through various ways during such a tough time.
• 
  2021-11-24

  Walking at Bear Hole with Dad

  I took this photograph with my dad when we went for a walk one day at Bear Hole, the reservoir in my town. Since the pandemic started, my dad and I would go for walks with each other, exploring new places and talking about life. My dad had recently gotten laid off, and I had made the decision in early October to study remotely instead of on campus, so we both had some extra time on our hands. We had our set of usual places that we would go to walk, but the pandemic allowed us to venture to some new spots. Even though we knew Bear Hole was so close by, neither one of us had gone to explore it much. We would plan our walks around my class and work schedule, being sure that we made time for each other a few times a week. Although making the decision to study remotely was a difficult decision because I was a senior and would be away from my friends and professors, I got to spend time with my dad in a way that we were never able to before.
• 
  2020-06

  Pandemic Gardening

  While there were a lot of terrible things that happened as a result of Covid-19, I feel that one positive was humanity's return to nature. With so many places closed down, people were forced to go outside and enjoy forests, beaches, yards, etc. I was one of these people, and I discovered a talent for gardening. I enjoyed gardening before Covid-19, but the hobby really took off during the 2020 lockdowns. I grew potatoes, onions, flowers, herbs- anything that could be planted, I planted!
• 
  2021-08-21

  Mask trash

  I went to Sedona to celebrate my birthday with some friends. We decided to do the bell rock hike and as we were hiking and enjoying nature it felt like life before Covid. It was an odd feeling of normalcy. That feeling quickly fled as we got lost on our way back to the parking lot. We ended up walking on the highway back to the parking lot instead of walking through a random trail. As we walked I came across this mask, there’s no way of knowing if it came from a car or a hiker but I was quickly reminded that we are still in the midst of a pandemic. Seeing left behind masks always makes me wonder how much mask trash has impacted our environment.
• 
  2020-05-15

  PPE as litter

  One of the most frustrating parts of the pandemic is the return to single use items. While we're talking about building back better, people are also using more packaging via online orders and disposable items to avoid sharing. Single use masks are particularly problematic and can be frequently seen on the ground as litter. The strings get caught around birds' legs and cause problems for wildife.
• 
  2021-01-25

  Why camels are worrying coronavirus hunters

  In northern Kenya, researchers are working to prevent a dangerous coronavirus – Mers – from jumping from camels to humans again. But climate change is making their job more difficult. I It’s thought that Covid-19 originated in animals before jumping to humans. Now experts are warning that the chances are the next pandemic will, too. Seventy-five percent of the newly emerging diseases currently affecting people originate in animals, according to Predict, a US government-funded collaboration by infectious disease experts across the globe. Already, Predict scientists have identified 1,200 new zoonotic, or animal-borne, diseases. But scientists estimate there are some 700,000 more zoonotic diseases we don’t even know about yet. ... “That infection” is Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers), a novel coronavirus that so far has proven to be at least 10 times more deadly than Covid-19. It was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 2012. By 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) had identified “1,761 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Mers-CoV, including at least 629 related deaths”. Later that year, an outbreak at a hospital raised the alarm that it’s not just camel herders who are susceptible to the disease, but anyone at all. But while camels can be carriers, the Mers threat to humans is mostly man-made. As human-induced climate change makes droughts more frequent, prolonged, and severe, herders have had to abandon cows and other livestock for camels because only they can survive weeks without water. The result is a growing number of camels in close contact with humans – the perfect conditions for the spread of a deadly disease. Mers causes the same sorts of respiratory system complications as Covid-19, including pneumonia. Symptoms often start with nasal congestion, a cough, chest pains, or difficulty breathing. In the worst cases, it may cause fibrosis – irreversible scarring – in the lungs. This can be deadly. More than one-third of all humans known to have contracted Mers have died from it, according to the WHO. Once it jumps from animals to humans, a Mers outbreak could grow rapidly. Saudi Arabia alone saw 15 people infected in December 2019 and January 2020 – three of whom were hospital workers infected by their patients. “The fact that RNA viruses such as coronaviruses mutate means you never know what could happen with that particular virus,” says Zimmerman.
• 
  2021-05-26

  Boucke Campsite Debris

  This is a photograph of the Boucke campsite at Camp Wolfeboro in 2021, before camp had opened to any Scouts. There is a variety of natural debris on the ground, including pine needles, pine cones, and branches. This debris had to all be cleared off of the ground before camp started because this is a campsite used by Scouts and Scouters. The week of May 26 was "Chainsaw week #2", where volunteers went to camp and helped prepare camp to be ready for Scouts to arrive. The photo was taken during the week of May 26, 2021, and was submitted to the Camp Wolfeboro Shutterfly site by Chris Chapman, who is on the properties subcommittee for the Golden Gate Area Council, which owns Camp Wolfeboro.
• 
  2020-04-20

  Nature can boost your mental health during COVID-19 pandemic

  The pandemic has negatively affected many individuals' mental health. This article describes the benefits nature can provide in improving one's mental health during this time.
• 
  2020-04-09

  'It has become our sanctuary': The calming power of nature in a pandemic

  Many have turned to nature to combat the stresses and concerns of the pandemic. This collection of photographs from around the world illustrates the beauty of nature, the changes to the environment during the pandemic, and the human appreciation of the natural world.
• 
  2021-07-24

  Joseph Dopkin, Oral History 2021/07/24

  Ashley Tibollo sits down with Joseph John Dobkin to discuss how his life has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this interview his discusses how his life at school as a University student has changed. He also discusses how the dynamics in his dorm room and life at home with his family were impacted. At the end of this interview Dobkin touches on political topics, his views on how the pandemic was handled by local and state governments. He also discusses his views on both anti-mask and BLM protests.
• 
  2020-04-16

  Infographic: 8 Big Ways Coronavirus Impacts Latinos

  This infographic and the accompanying articles discuss the disproportionate impact that coronavirus has on Latino communities.
• 
  2021-07-06

  World Zoonoses Day

  This is a tweet from the UN Environment Programme showing the driving factors behind zoonotic diseases and pandemics. Humans abuse of the environment is to blame.
• 
  2020-06-18

  Why COVID-19 will end up harming the environment

  This article warns that COVID will only offer a brief respite from environmental problems like air pollution. Post-COVID, we may see even worse pollution and accelerated climate change.
• 
  2021-07-19

  Wildfires and COVID

  This article from the Associated Press discusses a study done by Nevada-based scientists, that have found a correlation between wildfire smoke and positive COVID cases. The study showed that "for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter of small particulate matter known as PM2.5 in the air, the positivity rate increased about 6.3% two to six days later". The study acknowledges, however, that the uptick in cases may be from other factors, such as a second surge, or students going back to school. Although further studies are required, the study done by the Nevada scientists may suggest that higher pollution levels can make people more prone to viruses.
• 
  2021-07-21

  Coronavirus, Climate Change, and the Environment

  In this article, Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Director of Harvard Chan C-CHANGE, answers questions about how climate change and COVID-19 are related. He discusses the problems that animal agriculture causes for both the environment and human health. Hopefully, more people will hear the words of a world-renowned scientist and make the change to veganism like I did 4 years ago.
• 
  2021-05-31

  Pandemic pets: Pet shops seeing more abandoned reptiles

  Pet shops in Charlotte, NC report that alongside the increased demand for exotic pets, there has been an uptick in animal abandonment as well. The pet shop in this article reported that the number of rescue calls they received doubled during the pandemic. Exotic animals abandoned outside raise environmental concerns. If some manage to survive the winter, they could pose a threat to native wildlife.
• 
  2020-09-17

  Environmental effects of COVID-19 pandemic and potential strategies of sustainability

  The article discusses the positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment and climate and proposes possible strategies for global environmental sustainability going forward. The open-access article is posted on the U.S. National Institutes of Health website.
• 
  2021-03-23

  The mask trash series

  The mask trash series. Historical records come in many forms, and although history favors the written record, the current pandemic reveals ephemeral stories worth documenting. Globally, many people are wearing face masks daily, some are hand-sewn, others commercially made, and some are disposable. They are necessary, they slow the rate of transmission, but they also come with an environmental cost. Corresponding with this new public health trend is a rise in pandemic-related trash such as face masks littering driveways, streets, sidewalks, parks, and waterways. Face masks choke the landscape and harm wildlife. Disposable masks are spun from polymer plastic, meaning they won’t break down, but they will continue to split into smaller and smaller pieces, some of which will be ingested by animals and even re-consumed by other creatures in the food chain. The mask trash series seeks to highlight the increase in pandemic-related trash, and give space to a facet of history we often wish we could ignore: the waste we either intentionally or inadvertently discard.
• 
  2021-02-16

  Desert Mountains in Late Afternoon, Tucson, Arizona, USA

  This photograph of desert mountains in Tucson, Arizona, USA, shows the beauty and the power of nature. The image is associated with our creation of an Environment collection in the archive. We seek to collect stories about the environment: how it has been impacted by the pandemic, with changes in pollution levels, increased levels of trash, and alterations in human interactions, and how humans have interacted with the environment during the pandemic, using it decrease stress, get out of the house, grow food, and gain a greater knowledge and appreciation of it.
• 
  2020-05-08

  The world outside, during the pandemic

  The article describes how the pandemic has affected the natural environment in Arizona: the building of the border wall between the US and Mexico (with great effects on animals), the changes to how firefighters will put out fires during this time to adhere to social distancing guidelines, and the increase in trash in federal natural areas. It has described how some people have gained a new appreciation for the environment during these times.
• 
  2021-02-22

  Mask trash #3

  Disposable mask spotted en route from the Tempe transit center to the Childhood Development (Psychology building) on Campus along Veteran's Way. 33°25'21.0"N 111°55'45.3"W
• 
  2021-02-20

  Mask trash #2

  I saw this black, disposable mask while vacuuming my van on Saturday at Cobblestone Auto Spa. I picked it up and threw it away before it blew into the water channel.
• 
  2021-02-20

  Mask trash # 1

  Mask trash on the playground at the Kroc Center in Phoenix, AZ
• 
  2021-02-07

  The Hiking Experience during a Pandemic

  The pandemic and the increase in teleworking mean that people are able to go to the great outdoors much more frequently than they were able to do so previously. My experience hiking during this pandemic has been different in many ways from hiking pre-pandemic. Many more people on the trails every day of the week and at every time, problems finding a parking spot at the trailheads, and a general reluctance for people to stop and talk with you. In addition, people seem to discount social distancing practices on the trails; they rarely wear masks yet they walk within a feet or two of you, and they also talk while in close proximity to you. Hiking has always been a refuge for me, a chance to escape from people and noise. Now it’s more like walking on a city sidewalk. I hope that this appreciation of the great outdoors continues after the pandemic but along with it goes respect for the land and for fellow hikers.
• 
  2021-02-07

  Nature Endures

  This photograph shows the imposing Catalina Mountains (Babad Do'ag to the indigenous Tohono O’odham) to the north of Tucson, Arizona, USA, with a majestic saguaro in the center front. The rocks in these mountains record millions of years of history. The multi-armed saguaro has stood for at least 75 years. Viewing these natural phenomena has always been a favorite pastime of mine, but during this time of pandemic, contemplating these forces of nature reminds me of the endurance of nature and the long stretch of environmental history. The pandemic and our current difficulties will pass just as other the saguaro and the mountains have seen many other calamities pass.
• 
  2020-12-01

  At home work during the Pandemic

  Adaptation to the work enviroment
• 
  2020-08-03

  Pandemic and Social Justice Movement in the workplace

  This article is explaining how work environments will be changing, and for the better. The author explains how not only has the pandemic shown how flexible a work environment can be as far as working digitally and from home. The author also explains how the management of most workplaces need to be more flexible and diverse. The author also explains how we can better the work environment for social justice and lists a few ways.
• 
  2020-06-09

  As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency

  Excerpt from article: New York also does not publicly track pandemic-related leniency requests, despite leading the lawsuit against the EPA. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation suggests that citizens file formal public records requests if they want information about companies that have told the state they cannot comply with environmental rules.