Before discussing the pros/cons of privatizing the VA, it’s important to understand the history of the VA. The United States has a long history of carrying for her veterans, privatizing is not an easy task. From before the Constitution was signed to today, special care and benefits have been provided to veterans. Those benefits have grown over the decades from disability payments to insurance and educational assistance.

Imagine if our atmosphere was nearly 100% methane and we woke up every morning to the smell of greenhouse gasses. This could happen because of food waste–food that is discarded or lost uneaten. When food is wasted, garbage trucks take it to landfills to dispose of refuse and other waste materials. No one knows that when food reaches landfills it releases a greenhouse gas, methane.

As other natural ecosystems, deserts have their own dynamics independent of human activities. Throughout the history, sand dunes have always been retreating or slowly expanding into adjacent areas when given the chance. But processes that happen during desertification are different. They do not follow natural patterns. They are more unpredictable and dangerous. They can happen much quicker!

If your community is like many others today, you’re seeing more and more solar panels installed on your neighbors’ rooftops. Solar photovoltaic system installations are booming. If you’re starting to think about saving money on your electricity bill with clean solar energy, you’re probably questioning, “How many solar panels do I actually need for my house?”.

Homes built to maximize sustainability often double as landmarks. It can be awe-inspiring to look at the architecture that lends itself well to the landscape around it, or it can be useful to see how someone balanced conflicting sustainable practices, such as rooftop gardens, rainwater collection, or solar panels.

As the human population increases and economies develop, we’re using more natural resources, materials the earth provides that enable economic gain. These substances include minerals, forests, water, fertile soil and more. In many cases, we’re using these resources faster than nature can replenish them. According to Global Footprint Network, we used a year’s worth of resources in seven months in 2018.

As a community college student, I frequently get an underwhelming “oh ok…cool” after answering where I attend school. Yes, community colleges tend to be frowned upon, but I’m convinced veterans, and non-veterans alike, should attend a community college before pursuing higher education. Here’s why…

In the United States, people are always encouraged to buy more things. Television advertisements, fashion magazines and towering billboards all offer what only the best, newest products can — happiness. But can material possessions really provide happiness? And, what’s more, even if they could, should a culture of consumerism be something countries aspire to cultivate? One popular movement addresses these and other questions about human relationships to stuff. It’s called “minimalism,” and ironically, it’s everywhere.

Long, long ago our planet was just a rock, a shell that had cooled over its molten hot interior, devoid of life.  Hot gases poured out of its fissures, forming dense clouds in the atmosphere.  And then it rained.  It rained for thousands and thousands of years, filling the craters and grooves, percolating down through the fissures to fill underground caverns. With water and then sunlight, came life.  Vegetation took hold, decayed, creating topsoil and more life.  Single-celled life formed and from these simple cells, more complex life forms evolved. 

Why do we not usually take baths in ditches, brush our teeth in lakes, or serve up a glass of ice-cold ocean water? The reason is that there are limited sources of natural clean water sufficient for us to drink. We will likely continue putting massive amounts of river, aquifer, and seawater through intricate water treatment facilities, but a more sustainable and personal method should be implemented.

Whether you are living off the grid, in the suburbs, or in the heart of the city, there are benefits for indoor plants such as improving overall health and producing food. Granted, not everyone lives in a big house or have dedicated sun rooms or greenhouses, but there are ways to participate still! To save space, plants can grow in water or air if low on space by using the Hydroponics or Aeroponics methods. Several off-grid house designs have gardens on the roof to keep the house cooler and maximize sunlight and space.

Fossil fuels are formed by natural processes that take place over the time span of hundreds of millions of years deep underneath the Earth’s surface. Because they takes too long to regenerate, fossil fuels are considered a non-renewable resource. Today, we are highly dependent on this type of resources in our daily life. Around 80 percent all our energy demand is covered by burning fossil fuels. But we are consuming too much and too fast. At the current consumption rate, it is estimated that fossil fuels will run out in less than 100 years. Then what?

An estimate published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness says there were approximately 565,000 homeless citizens nation-wide in 2015. According to Utah State University, between 11-14% (62,150-79,100) of those individuals were military veterans. These people are so visible that they eventually become invisible to those passing by. The problem is not only the lack of affordable housing but not being adequately prepared for civilian life.

From recycling and efficient heating solutions to renewable and buying locally sourced organic produce, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to ways we can help save the environment. Climate change, biodiversity loss and resource scarcity are global challenges but they should not leave us feeling powerless. Sometimes, solutions are so diverse and unexpected that they can even catch us by surprise.

Each day we are breaking new ground with renewable energy: from the new record Germany broke by generating 35% of power from renewables in first half of 2017 [1] to the fact that renewables investment remains larger than that for all fossil fuels[2]. And this is good news for our climate and environment: with increasing energy demand, renewable forms of energy enable us to fuel our needs with remarkably low greenhouse gas emissions especially when compared to fossil fuels.