ECO MONTHLY

Issue #1

August 31, 2016

Welcome to Humboldt!
For many of you, this will be the start of your first semester here at HSU as well as the next chapter in
your life. You are now in a new environment in which you have to make new friends and the path to
take is unclear. It can feel overwhelming and scary I felt this way when I came here last year. I
knew my major, but was nervous as to how I would fit in and like what I was doing.
Despite all my doubts, I soon fell in love with Humboldt. I mean we are so blessed, having both the
forest and ocean right next door so many beautiful spots! There were also many resources on campus that guided me, like my academic advisor and ACAC (Academic and Career Advising Center).
Everyone here was very welcoming and friendly, and I felt like I could be myself. When I went home
over the summer, I actually missed Humboldt and was thankful to get out of the SoCal heat. My first
year had many ups and downs, but in all honesty after being lonely and scared all those awesome
moments seemed more, well, awesome! I hope that you have the same experience I did.

About the RSA

My name is Zach Affolter and this is my

second year at HSU. I major in Marine Biology.

My job as Residence Sustainability Adviser

is to promote sustainability on campus and
to create fun programs for all of you!!

Welcome to Humboldt, and the beginning of this new journey!

What this Newsletter is About

This newsletter is a place for everyone to learn about various environmental issues, how we can all

take action to help protect and conserve the beautiful environment around us, upcoming events on
campus, resources on campus, along with tips and advice on a variety of topics, including how to
succeed academically.
I am also taking submissions from YOU, so if you have an interesting idea you want to share send it
in! If you have any questions, or would like to see something in this newsletter, please email me or
see me in my office (office hours are right on the other side of that green line)! Newsletters will be
available on the last Wednesdays of every month. Thank you for your interest in this newsletter!

How you can reach me:

Email: zja25@humboldt.edu
Office Hours: SA Office Located in
the second floor of the Jolly Giant Commons (first door on your right when
walking in)
8AM10AM

Mon, Wed, Fri

In This Issue:
Why is Sustainability Important?
Easy Steps To Help the Environment
How Does HSU Promote Sustainability?
Endangered Killer Whale Population is

Dying
Zero Waste @ HSU Guide
Where to Go for Help Campus Re-

sources
Upcoming Events

Caption: A short inspirational video about the meaning of "Row Row Row Your Boat" by Prince Ea

Spotlight: About your RSA

August 31, 2016

ECO MONTHLY

Page 2

Why is Protecting the Environment so Important?

The sun peeks above the tree-covered hills, cover- ingly important to take steps to protect the environing the sky in swirls of yellow and orange. Sparkling ment, because those ecological losses will come back
diamonds shimmer in the water below. to haunt us. We rely on the environment around us
As you stroll through this beautiful scenery, you gaze for food, for energy, for recreational activities, for
up in awe when suddenly you see a plastic bag float- many of our products, and for our economy.
ing aimlessly in the sky, carried by the wind. It lands
Take this into consideration. According to the
in the water. An incoming
New York Times, global
wave swallows it. You
fishing markets are exturn around and walk
pected to collapse by 2048
along the beach, paying it
if the current catch rate
no mind.
continues. If fishing marHowever, with every
kets and life in the oceans
step, you see trash or netreaches a point where they
ting resting haphazardly in
can no longer sustain
the sand. A bird carcass
themselves, economies
lies buried beneath a fishespecially those such as
ing net, its wings entanJapan's that revolve around
gled in the meshy webthe ocean will suffer.
bing.
The take-away mesThis seemingly beautisage is that the environful image has now be- Two buckets of trash I collected from a beach
ment impacts our daily
come a sad reality. One
lives. How and what we
cleanup last semester at North Jetty in Eureka.
that is sadly true in many
eat, how we get to work,
beaches across the world. In fact, that image was how we relax on the weekends, and on a national or
what I saw at a beach cleanup here in Humboldt global scale, our economy.
County last semester. The amount of trash I found
This is why it is important to take measures to
was, honestly, quite mind-blowing. From firework protect the environment. This is the planet that we
shells, plastic bags, bottles, fishing nets, bullet shells, live on, that we call home. Is it really wise to destroy
and yes a toilet seat there was so much waste we our home? Would you leave your room or office all
couldnt even clean up half of what was on the beach. cluttered, covered in pizza sauce and a sea of trash?
We use so much trash over 250 million tons a
If we dont take steps to conserve and protect the
year in the U.S. alone according to the EPA and it environment, we will feel the consequences. I certaincan ruin these beautiful places and harm the inhabit- ly dont want to see a depleted, polluted, oil-stained
ants that call them home.
ocean its beauty marred by our ignorance and simWaste is just one of many problems that the envi- ple unwillingness to take action.
ronment faces. Others include overfishing, fossil
To find solutions, we first need to understand the
fuels (emissions of greenhouse gases, oil spills, etc.), problems. Each month, I will be overviewing some of
climate change, and deforestation though that isnt these issues, how they impact us, and how we can all
close to a comprehensive list. It is becoming increas- make a difference. It is time to take action!

How to Ace Your

Classes
Starting your first semester
of college classes can seem
daunting, but here are some
tips to help you ace your
classes!

Go to your classes

Create a study plan

find your groove!

Dont wait until the night

before to study for examsstart at least a
week in advance.

When studying, find

ways to test yourself
instead of simply copying your notes over and
over again.

Take advantage of Supplemental

Instruction
courses

Visit the Academic and

Career Advising Center
if you need to find tutoring or extra help

Take advantage of the

Math Lab and Writing
Center in the library.

Spotlight: About your RSA

Hello! My name is Zach
Affolter and I am the Residence Sustainability Adviser
here on campus. Normally
this spot will feature one of
you and how you do your
part for the environment! If
youre interested feel free to
email me (zja25@humboldt.edu).
In this issue, Id like to introduce myself so you all get to
know who I am and how I
got here.
As Residence Sustainability Adviser, I help manage
energy and water conservation on campus; work with
groups such as WRRAP,
CCAT, and others to promote sustainability; and put
on fun and engaging pro-

grams about the environment

for all of you. If you have
any ideas, feel free to send
them in!
Ive been involved in
environmental and animal
activism
for over seven
years, and have been vegetarian all my life. What originally got me into this passion
was a snorkeling trip in Hawaii at the end of seventh
grade. It made me want to
protect the oceans and after
doing more research, I decided to get involved.
Ive participated in and
organized protests (including
the largest for a captive
whale in history). I also did
trail maintenance and resto-

ration in Yosemite, and protected sea turtle eggs from

poachers in Costa Rica.
I also have volunteer positions for several organizations, including Youth Adviser for Peta2 and Youth
Ambassador for Dolphin
Project.
Ive been interviewed by
national and international
media for my activism and
received a PETA Libby
Award in 2015.
I applied for this position
because I wanted to further
my passion and I wanted you
all to have the same experience I did at HSU. I look
forward to hearing some of
your stories!

August 31, 2016

ECO MONTHLY

Easy Steps YOU can

take to help the Environment
It seems like a lot of these issues
are so overwhelming and out of
our hands, but there are many
things you can do to reduce your
impact on the environment. Here is
a quick list of some of those things:

Get
green-room
certified!
http://www2.humboldt.edu/
reslife/sustainability

Save energy by turning off

lights

Conserve water
shorter showers

Avoid single-use disposables

(i.e. plastic water bottles) and
plastics on a regular basis

Compost food scraps, paper

plates, etc.

Ride a bike, bus, or carpool

Reduce your consumption of

meat (at least one day a week)
to save water and resources

Buy local!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse!

by

taking

Page 3

What does HSU do to Promote Sustainability?

Now that weve discussed why we need to
take action, it poses the question: what does
HSU currently do to promote sustainability on
campus?
Creating an environmentally responsible
community is a part of Humboldt Residence
Lifes mission statement. There are already
many common practices in place on campus to
aim towards this mission.
One of them is a student-led campaign
called Take Back The Tap, which aims to combat the negative environmental, social, and
health impacts of bottled water. In 2009, when
this branch of WRRAP (Waste Reduction and
Resource Awareness Program) was formed,
Hydration Stations were installed on campus to
provide an alternative to bottled water thanks to
a grant from the Humboldt Energy Independence Fund. Now, there are no plastic water bottles sold on campusthats why we handed you
all free reusable water bottles to start the year!
Another way we promote sustainability here
at HSU is having Meatless Mondays every
week. There are several reasons why reducing
meat consumption is important.
Animal agricultural industries require a ton
of resourceswater and food for the animals.
According to a 2012 study, for every one ton of
beef produced, over four million gallons of water
are used. In contrast, the water footprint for
sugar crops like sugar beets is about 52,000
gallons per ton; for vegetables its 85,000 gallons per ton (McWilliams, Meat Makes the Planet Thirsty). In addition to using up a ton of water,

animal agricultural industries are responsible for

18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, which
is more than the combined exhaust from all
transportation (13 percent of emissions).
Reducing our meat consumption lowers
these numbers and saves water. I know you all
may have questions about this, so I will be writing an in-depth article in the next issue. Every
Meatless Monday, there will be people tabling
with more information as well. If you want to
read up on the topic, you can visit http://
www.meatlessmonday.com/about-us/whymeatless/ - they list studies at the bottom of the
page that you can look up as well.
Some other ways HSU promotes sustainability include: promoting compost by providing
compost bins (email me if you want one!) and
collecting compost across campus, the campus
gardens (like the one in Canyon), and OZZI Machines.
OZZI Machines provide an alternative to
single-use paper plates. Basically you pick up
one of the reusable containers at the Depot or
Marketplace, get your food it, then bring it back
to a machine when you are done eating. There
is a one-time $5 fee, but after that you get tokens when returning your box so you can get
your next one free!
Those are a few ways HSU promotes sustainability on campus, but there are many more. If you
are interested in getting involved on campus,
check out WRRAP, CCAT, Green Campus, Vegan
Club,
and http://www2.humboldt.edu/reslife/
sustainability. You can reach out to me as well!

Where To Go For HelpA List of Campus Resources

Stuck on a math problem? Need some advice? Not
sure where to go if you have a question? No worries!
Here is a list of campus resources:

Math LabNeed some free tutoring for math?

Come on down with your textbook and notes!
Location: Library 1st floor (near the Help
Desk). Opens Tuesday, Aug. 30th.

Academic and Career Advising CenterHave

CAPS (Counseling & Psychological Services) - Offers confidential counseling to

HSU students with no per-session fee to
assist students in striving emotionally, psychologically, and intellectually.

Student Health CenterFeeling sick? Need

medical help? Visit the Health Center
(behind Nelson Hall, near Library Circle)
to get help from medical professionals.

UPD (University Police) - Law Enforcement

Center ActivitiesWant to get outdoors? Learn

how to Kayak? Go on a backpacking trip? Visit
Center Activities in the HSU Rec and Wellness
Center, Room 101.

floor (above the Depot), South Lounge.

Student Disability Resource CenterProvides

service, support, and resources for students with
disabilities to maximize their educational experience.

Science TutoringProvides help in the following classes: Chem 107-110, Bot 105, Biol 105,
Zool 110, and Phyx 106. Opens Sunday, August
28th. Click here for times and locations.

Writing StudioNeed help writing that essay,

thesis, or portfolio? Drop in to the Writing Studio. Location: Library 1st floor. Opens
Tuesday, September 6th.

questions about your degree, academic policies,

interpreting your DARS, or want a new major?
Drop into ACAC in Gist Hall 114 between 9am
and 4pm M-F to get help fr om an adviser , or
set up an appointment.

and helps to keep the campus safe. Get your

bike registered so its easier to find if stolen.

Clubs And ActivitiesWant to get involved on

campus? Find out all the clubs we have, or create
a new one! Location: University Center 2nd

Visit http://www2.humboldt.edu/seals/ for

more resources!

August 31, 2016

ECO MONTHLY

Endangered Killer Whale Population is Dying

Its an alarming headline. Washington State
is losing its resident Killer Whale population. The
worst part about it is the federal government is
using your tax dollars to run them to extinction.

tered them for target practice. They encountered

pollution, from oil spills to noise interference
from shipping lanes and military sonar testing.
They were captured and sold into the entertainment industry, which had very harmful effects on their populations as calves were
most often selected for captivity.
Since the beginning of this turning point,
recovery has been a struggle. While they
are no longer captured, finding food is becoming a struggle for these majestic marine
mammals, probably the biggest issue of all.
Massive declines in salmon populations over
the past 100 years have required the population to forage more frequently, and greater
distances, to find foodwhich means less
time socializing, reproducing, and caring for
youngthings crucial to a populations survival.
The SRKW Community needs your help to avoid
This year, just recently after several new
extinction. Will you? Photo credit: Elizabeth Batt.
calves had been born, they were, according
The Southern Resident Killer Whales roam to the Center for Whale Research, noticeably
the Pacific Northwest coast, from southern Brit- absent from their core summer habitat."
ish Columbia all the way to San Francisco, but
Just last week, it was announced that one
mainly inhabit the waters of the Salish Sea (the orca, J14, from this population is missing and
inland waters of Washington and southern BC, presumed dead. Another member, J28, is super
including Puget Sound) in the summer and early gaunt and famished, on the brink of death; she
fall.
has a seven-month old calf that would most likeUp until the mid-1900s, this population of ly die soon after her death.
killer whales was thriving, frolicking in the ocean
This is a serious problem that will impact the
and catching their favorite foodChinook (also ecosystems in this area as well as our economy
known as King) Salmon. The Klamath River here (tourists come to see the whalesand fisheries
in Humboldt is one of their food sources when rely on these declining salmon populations as
they extend their range in the winters and well).
springs.
I certainly dont want to live in a world where
However, human activities soon interfered this population of killer whales, or any, is gone.
with their normal lives. Dams began to block the Ken Balcomb, the director of CWR, stated in a
path of the salmon that can make up over 90 video (which I highly encourage watchingits
percent of their diet. Military personnel slaugh- embedded below this article) that extinction is

Page 4

Whats in the News?

This is a recurring section where news
regarding environmental issues will be
posted, just so we all stay updated and
aware!

Microplastics Are Killing Baby Fish, New

Study Finds

Orcas from Endangered Population In

Peril One Orca is missing and presumed dead; another reported as supergaunt

Warm water blamed for lowest sockeye

salmon run on record

Study: Californias wildfire season and air

quality to get worse

Antarctic CO2 Hit 400PPM For First Time

in 4 Million Years

Obama Creating Worlds Larges Protected

Area off Hawaii Coast

rapidly becoming reality. Both the orca and salmon populations are out of time. We need to take action.
So what can we do as individuals to help? First and
foremost, urge the federal government to stop ignoring
these issues and start protecting these populations that
should be protected by the Endangered Species Act.
Contact politicians here to helpthat website lists some
helpful talking points to bring up as well.
Sign this petition to President Obama asking to remove the lower four Snake River dams to help protect
salmon populations and this endangered orca population. Spread awareness on social media and participate
in a call-in to President Obama on September 16th.
VIDEO:
The Seattle PI wrote just last May: OnceJim Waddell mighty Columbia River and Snake River salmon
is a retired
runs are in a perilous state and U.S. government
Civil Engineer restoration efforts are failing, a U.S. District Court
judge said ... Judge Michael Simon threw out the
from the
feds latest plan for managing the Northwests
Army Corps
of Engineers. greatest river system. The 149-page ruling by Simon is the fifth time courts have rejected federal
He proposes
plans as flawed or inadequate under the Endansimple but
gered Species Act and the National Environmental
effective
Policy Act.
resolutions
Its time to protect this population of killer
to breach the whales. Lets not let them become extinct. Will you
lower four
take action to make a difference?
Snake River
For more information, you can visit the links
Dams
and
below and view the video to the left.
Jim Waddell speaks about the millions of taxpayer dollars being spent with minimal benefits and about how the dams are hindering salmon and orca recovery in the Pacific North- protect

"Breach the dams or it's game over for salmon."

west. He talks about why it makes sense to breach the dams now, and why time is
salmon and

David Niewert: "The orcas are starving."

running out for both salmon and orcas. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
SRKWs.

Groups
plan lawsuit following salmon die-off.
v=9D6S0oy7gjc

August 31, 2016

ECO MONTHLY

Check out the rest of the Guide to Sustainability here!

http://www.humboldt.edu/housing/documents/GuidetoSustainabilityOnCampus.pdf

Page 5

August 31, 2016

ECO MONTHLY

Page 6

Awesome and Fun Events Coming Up!

CHECK IT WorkshopLearn ways we can

take action when we see harm happening
around us and create a more consent centered campus. Free t-shirt for all attendees!
Snacks will be provided. Sept. 7th 5-7pm.

Leave No Trace SeminarA training session on how to make decisions to reduce

your impact on the environment while adventuring outdoors. September 7th at 6pm
in the Recreation & Wellness Center
Lobby .

Looking for something fun to do on campus? Or

wanting to know more about a certain topic?
Here is a list of some upcoming events on campus. For a calendar view of all the events, you
can go to http://www2.humboldt.edu/events/.

Volunteer FairLearn about volunteer opportunities with on & off campus programs.
TODAY (August 31st) from 10-2 at the UC
Quad!

JobsLooking for a job? Come learn how to

find on-campus and local part-time jobs in
this workshop presented by the Academic &
Career Advising Center.
Pre-register for this event now at http://
humboldt.libcal.com/ event.php?id=1136017.
Sept. 1st at 12-1pm in the Library. Room
#114.

SkillShops: How to Find Local Part-time

Coffee Jar Cozy with SCRAP HumboldtIn

this class you will learn to make jar cozies
for your mason jars with recycled materials,
never burn your hand with a hot drink in
your jar again! Sept. 10th at 3pm in the Rec.
and Wellness Lobby

Clubs FairGet introduced to all the clubs

and organizations YOU can get involved
with! Sept. 7th in the UC quad from 10-2.

Science on Tap! - "Managing Nemo: Conservation in the Marine Aquarium Trade

featuring Dr. Brian Tissot. September 7th 67:30pm at Blondies Food and Drink (420
E. California Ave. Arcata, CA 95521). Click
event title above for directions.

Outdoor Nation Free Paddle DayFree

kayaking, canoeing, and stand up paddle
boarding on Humboldt Bay. September 11th
from 10-2 at Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center (921 Waterfront Drive, Eureka).

SkillShops: Basics of Research - Library

Tools & How to Use ThemAn introduction
on how to use library resources effectively
including searching the catalog, Articles+,
databases and research guides as well as
refining searches, keeping track of your
research, and how to request resources not
found at HSU. Sept. 20th from 11-12 in the
Library. Room #114

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

In the next article I am interested in hearing from
all of you! If you have a story to tell about your
experiences doing something AWESOME to help
the environment, or want a certain issue to be
highlighted, please send something in and we
can try and get it in the next issue!
Thank you for reading the first ever edition of
ECO MONTHLY!