Items

• 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.
• 
  2020-04-06

  2020 is One for the Books

  This collage represents the main events going on in our lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. Like one of my pictures says "2020 A Year Like No Other." I wanted to represent the election of Trump vs. Biden because it will more than likely go down as one of the largest and craziest elections in history. It divided the country like no other and is still an ongoing battle of Republicans vs. Democrats. I wanted to show the black square and the protests for George Floyd along with The Black Lives Matter movement. I added the air pollution of Los Angeles before the pandemic vs during. With everyone staying inside and not driving around, air quality improved tremendously. We gave the Earth a minute to breathe and heal. A quick photo to shoutout the flight attendants who have had to deal with some craziness on board for the last couple years. It has not been easy, and everyone needed a vacation after 2020. The media has been a huge factor and enemy for this pandemic. I wanted to show an illustration towards facts and fake news. A huge debate on that especially with my final photo of the protests on the vaccine mandates. The world is divided more than ever and hopefully one day we can reunite we can reunite and look back on this pandemic and remember to love each other and this planet. There were many lives lost to Covid, to suicide, and addiction. Rest in peace to everyone who didn't make it and my prayers with the families who lost someone.
• 
  2022-04-12

  VAP and SMhopes #18

  End world pollution
• 
  2022-04-12

  VAP and SMhopes #10

  No taxes, no Roblox, no homework, no veggies, no pollution. Edgar will be President and I will be Vice President
• 
  2022-04-12

  VAP and SMhopes #4

  No more people = no more pollution; it's the truth
• 
  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.
• 
  2021-09-07

  Mask trash

  Mask trash has become so common over a year into the pandemic. This one was found on a bench in SanTan Village mall in Gilbert, Arizona.
• 
  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.
• 
  2021-07-23T15:31

  Shotgun Range Mask Trash

  In addition to finding mask trash at my campsite and in the common areas that Scouts and Scouters (adults in Scouting) walk through, I also found mask trash at program areas (meaning areas where merit badge sessions and other Scouting activities take place), like the shotgun range. Like the other photos, I picked up the mask after I took the photo. I am not as disappointed about this littered mask as I am about the others because it was in a fairly hidden location under a bench and I think most people at the range wouldn't have seen it. The photo was taken at 3:31 PM on Friday, July 23, 2021.
• 
  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.
• 
  2021-04-02

  Mask trash #27

  White disposable mask found near Tempe Beach Park.
• 
  2021-03-20

  Mask Trash in Our Sacred Places

  Mask Trash found in our sacred places. This was found inside of Muir Woods National Park.
• 
  2021-03-20

  Mask Trash in Our Sacred Places

  Mask trash found in a protected habitat area of Muir Beach, California. The area is closed to try and recover habitats in danger.
• 
  2020-05-01

  COVID19 and wildlife

  This website gives more insight on how cover 19 has effected wildlife and how humans can help the cause.
• 
  2020-06-22

  Human effects on wildlife in a pandemic

  This article is telling readers about how cover-19 has allowed researchers to figure out more on how humans have an effect on wildlife. With less humans going out there may be a change to see.
• 
  2020-05-13

  Real life Jumanji

  This website explains how wildlife has changed since the pandemic occurred. They explain how it could be a real life jumanji situation and how pollution levels have decreased.
• 
  2021-03-19

  Introspective Interconnectivity and My New Dance Partner

  Went it seemed like the entire world shut down because of COVID-19, and we were ordered into lockdown, we could no longer be out and about in the world, gather – or even see our friends and families. As time passed, people began to absorb the implications the pandemic was having on their lives and our responses ranged from loss and mourning, loneliness, and restlessness to introspection, creativity, and reinvention. Meanwhile, the natural world began to tap our shoulders. The animals returned to our cities, birds had took back the skies, and all sort of hidden gems were no longer obscured by our pollution. My own relationship with nature is one of push and pull. I witness in nature, the miracle and fragility of my own fleeting life force mirrored back to me. This inspires awe and intensifies my awareness of being alive, of being a conscious individual within a larger interconnected whole yet understanding that this “whole” remains elusive. My mind battles to rationalize my observations and impressions of an intelligent force that seems equally purposeful and chaotic, innocent and cruel, physical and divine. This relationship has held me rapt and has been at the heart of why I make art. For over 20 years, I have incorporated moss (both living and dried), pine needles and other organic materials into sculptures, constructions and large-scale installations that explore the living energy of the natural world. It is while being in nature that I find myself closest to my art. As I carefully and respectfully collect mosses and needles, the seductiveness of vibrant colours and complex textures occasionally gives way to revulsion as I realize how much insect life they carry back to my studio. While I am made ecstatic by the beauty of life, I am terrified of stumbling upon traces of death. But now, with the pandemic, the possibility of death has come very much to the foreground where, just breathing in public feels dangerous. Although usually a citizen of the world, I am currently fortunate to be living in the country, with the expanse of Georgian Bay across the road and surrounded by deep forests. Outside of my miniscule bubble, I am essentially alone here and the deafening silence has force me to look further inward. My new work has become intimate in scale – small wall constructions made with pine needles. I sort, order and place my pine needles with Baroque intention. They are painstakingly laborious to make – a process that is contemplatively ritualistic but it is now the one area where I feel a sense of control and I am able to manifest love in a physical way. The forest seems ever more vibrant now because when the world went silent, Mother Nature returned to her dance, and now I can fully be in that dance.
• 
  2021-03-18

  Mask trash #20

  Disposable mask found along the north bank of Rio Salado across from Tempe Beach Park.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-06-08

  Masks save human, affect animals

  In the past weeks, I've been reading about posthumanism, according to Rosi Braidotti is "the possibility of a serious de-centering of ‘Man', the former measure of all things". Having this in mind, since the pandemic the relation between human/animal has been suffering more. The idea that the animal was the culprit of the pandemic helped to mark our superiority over other species, once more. We never thought about our relationship with the animal, the lack of harmony between different species, our footprint in nature, etc. Human survival is the center of the pandemic, and preventive care a major necessity, but the massive production of disposable masks and latex gloves has become a plastic waste problem. I chose a video from The Guardian to prove how ocean pollution from the pandemic is imminent, but you may find many sources regarding this "Covid waste". Joffrey Peltier said that “plastic isn’t the solution to protect us from Covid.” A mask has a lifespan of 450 years! We might find other alternatives like reusable masks, the reinforcement of social distancing, and leave the disposable material for doctors. We must think about how our own survival is affecting other species, we must decenter ourselves from the main discourse.
• 
  2020-09-05T22:48:00

  A Very Long Lonely Saturday Night

  The photo I presented captures two major events that affects my personal experience. First, the presence of human beings is not seen on a lovely Saturday night reveals how the government has implemented safety precautions of the use of masks and social distancing that involves quarantining in your home. This is a method the government is utilizing to substaint the coronavirus until a vaccine has been released to the public. This photo also captures something very significant to our atmosphere and that is the lack of air pollution. For those who are unaware of what air pollution is, air pollution is many different substances in the atmosphere that are harmful/dangerous to the health of humans and other living beings.This is significant because my health including all people who live in my community are not being poisoned from the air. Although the coronavirus has negatively affected my personal experience, I believe that the required safety precaution and lack of air pollution is for our good until we figure out a solution to the problem.
• 
  2020-09-13

  Homemade Air Purifier

  I live in California, and during this pandemic we have also been dealing with devastating wildfires. The pollution from these fires has been very concerning for me. Noticing that all the air purifiers were sold out and me wanting to save money, I found a "lifehack" to make a homemade one with a box fan and air filter. It worked like a charm and was more effective than most luxury models. While I no longer have to deal with the smell of wildfires in my apartment, the constant hum of this contraption is a constant reminder of how climate change is destroying California.
• 
  2020-10-08T06

  Pollution's Effect on Coronavirus

  Bad air quality could worsen the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
• 
  2020-04-08T18:22

  Holland Tunnel

  My life has been greatly interrupted by the Covid-19. As of March 12th, 2020, everything around me came to a screeching halt and it was the last time I drove my car into Manhattan. New York and New Jersey began working in partnership during the Corona pandemic, Governor Phil Murphy and Governor Andrew Cuomo closed the states to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus. They both did a marvelous job in managing the spread of the virus and kept the public well informed. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is run by the Government with an office in Weehawken, New Jersey. They keep the region moving by, land, rail, and sea. Critical healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential workers were the pulse of cities, keeping the communities alive and functioning. As of March 22nd, the Port Authority began collecting tolls exclusively by electronic and suspended cash toll collection between the states at the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and Holland Tunnel due to the safety and social distancing. I live in the Newport Waterfront Development, a bedroom town just across the Hudson river, I am steps away from the Holland Tunnel. The tunnel was built in 1921 and it is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River, and it connects Lower Manhattan in New York City to the east with Jersey City in New Jersey to the west. Normally over 100,000 vehicles pass through the Holland Tunnel daily. I was incredibly happy about the many reports concerning the air quality change and pollution were way down. With all health clubs and gyms closed, I began daily walks and it struck me that there were very few cars traveling into lower Manhattan during rush hour. What a sight to see, Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 6:22 PM
• 
  03/30/2020

  Deborah Lydon Oral History, 2020/03/30

  Title: Interview with Deborah Lydon by Lauren Meister Creator: Deborah Lydon and Lauren Meister Date: 03/30/2020 Description: This interview from Deborah Lydon highlights the response to the coronavirus (or COVID-19) pandemic within the context of the Midwest. Her insight as a healthcare lawyer with a background in biology gives a different perspective to her evaluation of the situation compared to someone in a different field of study. This interview was conducted during the second week of required social distancing as required by Mike Dewine, the Governor of Ohio.
• 
  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.
• 
  2020-04-27

  Humans of Covid-19 AU: Raveena Grace

  “There has certainly been an increase in waste due to the pandemic. A lot of people became used to reusable coffee cups, plates, cutlery and straws. But because of COVID19 we have seen cafes not being able to take them, and people are forced to use disposable cups. On campus, we had to close the Choose to Reuse program pretty early on due to fear of contamination. It’s pretty sad to see all your hard work get shut down, and especially from a behaviour change perspective it's very disappointing. On the other hand, COVID19 has brought some opportunity for sustainability. There is less pollution on the roads; more people are beginning to see that they can work from home; and people are appreciating nature more. There are many things people can do to improve their sustainability at home. For example, plants are really positive not only for health and wellbeing, but also for the environment and brightening the workspace. Either people will gain a really strong appreciation for nature, and an awareness that we are not invincible. Or people will not connect the links between COVID-19 and the environment, and continue taking earth for granted. If we don't learn from our mistakes about how to be kind to the earth, we’re just going to face the same issues again.” Instagram post on Raveena Grace, Sustainability Engagement Officer, and her experience during the pandemic, which was created by a psychology student living in Melbourne who was interested to hear about how COVID-19 was impacting on different peoples’ lives.
• 2020-05-04

  First day after California Senate allows beach to be reopened

  I took this picture the first day on Laguna Beach that California reopened some beaches with limitations on May 4, 2020. It was not crowded as I thought but the environment seemed to be less poluted and the scenes are more beautiful, maybe because the decreasing in traffic polution.
• 
  2020-05-04

  A Way Forward

  A single panel comic/ piece of artwork shared across multiple social media platforms pointing out the unsustainable nature of "returning to normal" after the pandemic and the potential opportunity this gives us as a society to make changes towards sustainability. The artist is an environmental advocate and farmer.
• 
  2020-04-24

  Why CO2 Isn’t Falling More during a Global Lockdown

  Article from Scientific American. Even though so many people all around the world are now staying at home, not driving, etc., the total drop in CO2 emissions hasn't dropped by all that much, showing that it really is industry, and not individual citizens, that needs to take drastic action to reduce carbon emissions if we want to escape the impending doom of climate change.
• 2020-05-19

  Untitled

  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of many people. In my case, this has affected me in my education in different ways. First, universities and colleges had to close. I used to go to college four days a week, so my routine changed completely. Now with the spread of COVID-19, I have to stay home because it is safer and also help to stop the spread. I have to admit, I was enjoying being home, but after a few days I was easily bored. Second, students who planned to graduate this spring semester may have a very different graduation. I heard that the university is planning some surprises for them, but I am sure they would rather have a "normal" graduation. I was pretty sure the summer classes would be online, but I didn't think about having the fall semester online too. I agree and disagree with the college’s decision to plan the fall classes online. I think it is a good idea to avoid future spread. However, I also think that maybe it may be an exaggeration, but my sister always says: "I don't believe in this virus, but just in case I protect myself." This epidemic has some good things. In my case, I am using my extra time to cook healthier foods and I have even experimented with new recipes. I have more time to talk to my loved ones. My grandmother can now make video calls. My sister can spend more time with her son. I am planning to learn something new when the semester ends. I hope to be able to travel with my mother to Mexico and see my family. I would like to be with them in this difficult time. Our planet Earth has also benefited from this virus because it now has less pollution. My advice to get over this virus is to stay home and follow the rules.
• 
  04/10/2020

  Clear Skies

  These are two examples of a type of photograph that began appearing all over social media during April 2020. At that point, isolation and quarantine measures had been in place in many parts of the world for weeks or even months. The sudden reduction in traffic had a notable effect on the clarity of the atmosphere in these places. The Los Angeles photo is striking because LA is known for being under a yellow haze of smog to the point where a yellow tinge is associated with the city. The Himalayan Ranges image is striking because it reveals something that was previously invisible. There haven't been many upsides to COVID-19, but the demonstration of how it is within our power to drastically reduce air pollution is a powerful message. (Posted for class HUM 404) Creator: (Possibly) Bill Goss and Unknown
• 
  2020-05-06

  "Breathe Mother Earth! Breathe."

  The painting is representative of how quarantine has had a healthy impact on the environment. The painting demonstrates the release of toxins and pollution we have created since the Industrial Revolution. Mother Earth, in consequence of the stay at home orders around the country, is feeling better, she can finally breathe at little better than before. CSUS, HIST 15H
• 
  2020-04-28

  Life After People

  Brooklyne Hurley, age 22, has found COVID-19 to cause a lot of reflection for her. When asked how she was entertaining herself, she said "I've mostly just been painting." The piece featured above was inspired by Brooklyne wondering "what would life be like after people. What we've done here isn't just going to go away. These plastics won't ever leave and the Earth has to deal with that, not us."
• 
  2020-04-22

  COVID-19 Air Quality Report by IQAir

  Worldwide shelter in place orders that were implemented in response to COVID-19 resulted in dramatic reductions in particulate pollution levels. *IQAir is the primary entity responsible for this resource. *Nathaniel G Skinner #HST643 @ ASU *This is a research report produced by IQAir, along with a website for tracking air quality.
• 
  2020-04-01

  Gloves and a mask lying on the pavement

  A mask and gloves left lying on the pavement by an unknown person for unknown reasons.
• 
  2020-04-22

  Covid19 pollution

  A new kind of pollution : people throw masks everywhere, including in parks (here in Bois de La Cambre)
• 
  2020-04-18

  Sea Life Thriving Among Dark Times

  Sea turtles in Florida are thriving as the water is seeing less pollution from beach goers. Among the dark times we have seen a pollution come down and animals living life. Where there is no people there is no problem.
• 
  2020-04-03

  Protection and Pollution

  This image shows the result of single use items being increasingly more popular during the pandemic, as they are thought to be more sanitary. This increase in single use items are ending in the ocean, and washing onto our shores.
• 
  2020-03-26

  EPA Weakens Pollution Controls During Coronavirus

  The image recounts the news of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to waive the requirement for businesses to routinely report on air and water pollution. #HIST5241