USTA

Speaks
Foreign Language Institute
February-May, 2018
Issue 8

environmental
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
AND
ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES

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 ON THIS NEW ISSUE
THE ENVIRONMENTAL
WHY ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT OF A
PROBLEMS AND
PLANT BASED DIET
ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES?
Nadira Kajmova
Editor's message
Page 2
Page 1

DECIDE TO LIVE HOW CAN WE SAVE

OR TOXIC CLEANLINESS
THE WORLD
CHOOSE TO DIE! Iga Jechanowska
DIFFERENTLY?
Maria Reyes Beltrán Page 6
Louisa Hall
Page 4 Page 8

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL LAW,

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM A RIGHT OF EVERYONE!
IN COLOMBIA? Ximena del Pilar
Jefferson Díaz Cortes Noguera
Page 11 Page 13

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR
AND
SEPARATE YOUR TRASH!
Katlein Spildooren
Page 15
CAPETOWN
OUR ENVIRONMENT, ITS AND
PROBLEMS AND THE SOURCE WHATEVER HAPPENED TO
OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY DAY ZERO
Aneta Toborikova Alexander Avellaneda
Page 17 Page 19
MOO-OVE OVER COWS!
VEGETARIANISM
AND
THE ENVIRONMENT
Marie Lilly
Page 20

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 WHY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES?
EDITOR'S MESSAGE
Dear colleagues, students, friends and readers What will you find on this new issue and why is it

On behalf of the Foreign Languages Institute of important?

Santo Tomás University in Villavicencio I would As times go by some global concerns become less

like to welcome all of you to our latest issue of relevant, for example, generally speaking people

USTA Speaks. are less worried about the huge advance of

2018 gives us a chance for change and renovation, technology and its effects on our lives and daily

as you may have noticed, our image and the way routines. However, this loss of relevance does not

we present the articles has been changed for a make the situation disappear which why we have

more reader-friendly structure and a lighter and decided to make environmental problems and

more organised presentation. This will not only alternative energies our focus this time.

make us more attractive but also it will allows us It is by no means that we won't want to make our

to grow permanently and professionally. readers feel alarmed. Talking, writing, reading

and speaking in all scenarios about such topics

will contribute to create awareness in the general

USTA public, it will help us disccuss with real

Speaks foundations of what we can do and what we need

to do from our schools, classrooms,

2018 neighbourhoods and daily routines to help the

planet. Thanks for reading us again!

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 THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
OF A PLANT BASED DIET
Nadira Kajmova
The environment is experiencing serious animals to eat, clean filthy factory farms, and give

ecological damage. It is very well recognised that animals water to drink. Chickens, pigs, cattle, and

we have a substantial impact on the environment, other animals raised for food are the primary

with some activities and land use being more consumers of water: a single pig consumes 21

harmful than others. Recent studies support the gallons of drinking water per day, while a cow on

hypothesis that plant-based diets are a dairy farm drinks as much as 50 gallons daily.

environmentally more friendly than meat-based 2. Grains. You may save up to 20 kilos of grain.

diets. Raising animals for food requires massive Worldwide, at least 50% of grain is fed to

amounts of land, food, energy, and water, and is a livestock.

leading cause of climate change. If you eat vegan 3. Deforestation. Each hamburger that originates

even for just one day a week, you have had a from animals raised on rainforest land destroys

greater positive environmental impact. approximately 30 square feet of forest.

The increasing consumption of meat comes at a 4. Carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide, methane, and

high cost. Each day, a person who eats a vegan nitrous oxide together cause the vast majority of

diet saves: global warming. Producing a little more than 2

1. Water consumption. Each day, factory farms pounds of beef causes more greenhouse-gas

produce billions of pounds of manure, which ends emissions than driving a car for three hours and

up in lakes, rivers, and drinking water. It takes an uses up more energy than leaving your house

enormous amount of water to grow crops for lights on for the same period of time.

anima
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 Factory farms also produce massive amounts of dust and other

contaminants that pollute the air.

5. At least one animal life. Because vegans exclude not just meat, but

also all animal products from both their diet and their fashion choices,

leather and fur are off limits, as is eating eggs, honey, cheese and other

dairy products.
Go vegan!
Choosing plant-based diets can promote environmental sustainability.

According to the United Nations, a global shift toward a vegan diet is

necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change. Whether you

go vegan for the environment, for your health, or for animals, you have

the power to change the world, simply by changing what is on your

plate. There are tons of documentary films covering environmental

Eat healthy, issues. If you could know the truth about the threat of climate change

save the planet! — would you want to know? I suggest you to watch “Before the

Flood”, documentary film presented by National Geographic, features

Leonardo DiCaprio on a journey as a United Nations Messenger of

Peace, traveling to five continents and the Arctic to witness climate

change firsthand. He goes on expeditions with scientists uncovering the

reality of climate change and meets with political leaders fighting

against inaction. Eating a plant-based diet is not just good for our

Change the health; it is good for Earth’s health. Go vegan!

world!
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 DECIDE TO LIVE OR CHOOSE TO DIE!
Maria Reyes Beltrán

"Scientists can describe the

problems that will affect the
environment based on the
available evidence,
but their solution is not
the responsibility of scientists,
but of society as a whole"
Mario Molina

Have you ever thought if environmental problems are reflections of what you project to the

environment? It should be noted that more than an article to read and move on, this aims to make

people reflect on the causes, impacts and consequences that we as human beings have on the

environment as a result of misinformation and negligence that we have with the place that allows us to

live. It is convenient to emphasize that pollution in cities has become the great global enemy. The World

Health Organization (WHO) has launched an alert for poor air quality in urban areas around the world

that "is killing millions and collapsing health systems".

This is only about air pollution as one of the many environmental pollutants existing around the world,

without stating that it is the only one, which is affecting not only the population, but in general the

planet and, also, deteriorating the quality of life and time of the people who inhabit the world.

"According to the United Nations, pollution in cities contributes to almost 3.4 million premature deaths

worldwide and is a decisive factor in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as in cerebral

strokes" To illustrate this serious problem that is becoming increasingly evident around the world, it was

found that the majority of deaths occur in China's urban centers (1.4 million), followed by India

(645,000) and Pakistan. (100,000). The problem also seriously affects European cities, where it is
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 estimated that there are 432,000 premature deaths per year due to pollution (plus a cost estimated at 1.4

billion Euros for healthcare systems). In Spain, the estimates are around 27,000 deaths per year, while

the United Kingdom exceeds 29,000 deaths.

All countries and major cities arund the world are being affected not only by air pollution, but in general

by all the environmental pollution that we are causing as unconscious human beings. Some of the most

common and relevant causes of environmental pollution are the following:

· The collection of waste.
· The significant concentration of popularion in urban centers.
· The growth of the industrial sector.
· The use of automobiles and means of transport that do not
have optimal systems for the expulsion of polluting gases.

Definitely, it is at this point that individually each of us must

question ourselves and reflect on the question that arose at the

beginning of the article, which is: Have you ever thought if

environmental problems are reflections of what you project to the

Pollution kills!
environment? This article pretends to make readers aware of their

active role in the environment. We have a responsibility to

remember that our time on this planet can be limited by our choice.

Once we choose to ignore the consequences of our actions, we

choose to die sooner than later.

Finally, I would like to quote Goodall: "You can not spend a single

day without having an impact on the world around us, what we do

makes a difference, and we have to decide is what kind of difference What kind of
we want to make". Do you decide to live or do you choose to die?
difference do
you want to
make? 5
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 TOXIC CLEANLINESS
Iga Jechanowska
Tidiness, disinfection, everyday battles against bacteria for most of us are signs of hygiene and care for

health. Shining floors, clean bathroom, snow-white laundry and dusted shelves are meant to provide safe

living conditions. Every day TV commercials remind us how important it is to fight against bacteria,

flooding us with the offers of their cleaning products. But are they really the key to a healthy life?

Before you read this article, think about your home. Probably in every Colombian household you can

find a bottle of bleach, floor cleaning detergent, laundry soap. Most of us use chemical agents like

dishwashing paste or liquid, often also air refreshers or products for fighting insects.

The chemical industry is a huge business and enormous income

for producers. Many will say: the world is chemistry, it is

everywhere around us. But these cleaning chemical products are

not indifferent to our health. The excess of chemicals not only

Every day TV commercials
affects us, but through sewage also penetrates into water: rivers, remind us how important it
is to fight against bacteria
lakes, seas and oceans. Contaminated water reservoirs affect the using cleaning products.
But are they really the key
whole environment, bearing in mind the circulating movement of to a healthy life?

water in nature. Dangerous compounds go from the hydrosphere to

the atmosphere, tainting the air we breathe, then return to us as a

rain, condemning the soil, vegetables and fruits that we consume,

poisoning fauna and flora.

The most common ingredients in cleaning products are:

Chlorine – not only kills dangerous bacteria, but also the “good”
What can we do?
bacterial flora that protects our body. It can contribute to the forma-
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 tion of intestinal and stomach cancers. Harmful

chlorine vapors have a negative effect on the

respiratory tract and contribute to the development

of allergies. Causes serious damage to the

environment. Ammonia - causes irritation of eyes,

These chemicals can lead to death nasal mucosa and the respiratory tract.

In large concentrations it can lead to death. Triclosan - an antibacterial agent added to cosmetics and

detergents, which in contact with chlorinated water causes the formation of carcinogenic chloroform.

Artificial colorants - hard to biodegrade, have an allergenic effect. Benzene, phthalates, formaldehyde or

terpene - they are carcinogenic and may increase the risk of liver disease; they are found in detergents

and air fresheners; Synthetic fragrances - created in laboratories, many of them are derived from crude

oil; studies show that they are a frequent cause of allergies. The above list is not closed. It should be

borne in mind that the use of cleaning products containing the above mentioned compounds can lead to

headaches, eye irritation and with frequent and long-term use can cause allergies, depression and even

damage our organs. Researchers from the University of Bergen in Norway have analyzed data from over

6,200 participants regularly using detergents for cleaning. They were observed for two decades.

Scientists noticed negative, progressive changes in the lungs of the participants. "In the long run,

chemicals used for housework are likely to cause significant lung damage," said study author Oistein

Svanes. So what can we do? Many of us can’t imagine the limitation of cleaning. We want our homes to

be clean, but also safe. An alternative to chemical cleaning products are ecological detergents, but

unfortunately they are expensive and not easy to buy in Colombia.

It turns out that the solution can be found in almost every kitchen: salt, baking soda, vinegar, citric acid
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 or lemon are simple, cheap and most of all effective alternative to popular cleaners. Probably our grandmas

remember that the mixture of baking soda and vinegar is a perfect solution to clean the tiles. Vinegar diluted

with water is also a great way to clean windows and mirrors. There are many recipes that we can easily find

online. They can help our home budget - they are very cheap and, above it all, fully biodegradable. Their

impact on our health and the natural environment is minimal. So maybe it's time to switch to eco cleaning?

HOW CAN WE SAVE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY?

Louisa Hall
We live in a world in which, quite rightly, we are obsessed with helping the

environment and reducing the negative impacts that human-kind has on Earth.

When I came to Colombia from England 10 months ago, many things shocked

me in many different ways; the culture, the food, the language, the people and

the scenery to name a few. But one of the biggest shocks I had was the

difference
difference between how my country and Colombia, or rather more specifically Villavicencio, are fighting

to ‘save the planet’. Both countries are making a noticeable approach to the cause, but for me it is very

interesting to see that these attempts are significantly different from one another. In England, recycling is

second nature to almost everybody. The council issues every home-owner with at least 2 or 3 different bins

for different items (where I am from we have loads - food compost, paper and cardboard, plastic, glass and

general waste). It originally seemed like a massive chore to sort through the rubbish, but now it is almost a

habit: after opening any item of food, I wash the packaging and leave it in the correct bin to be collected. I

know that in Villavicencio, recycling does happen to an extent, but it is not encouraged or enforced as

much as in England; a fact that was strange for me when I first arrived. People should be more conscious

of
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 Colombia and England are making a substantial effort
to reduce their negative footprint on the world!

of what they are throwing away (“can I reuse it”?) and whether it can be recycled, because although the

recycling facilities are not as accessible here, they are available. Another difference is the public

transport facilities in Villavicencio which make sharing transportation much more tempting than driving

a car. Buses here are frequent, cheap and (mostly) reliable; which is a great way to animate people to

take advantage of them and thus use their private, fuel-guzzling vehicles less. In England, a simple one-

way bus ticket to the city centre would cost no less than £2 - that’s the equivalent of 8000 pesos for ONE

WAY! People simply cannot afford this and, with the additional fact that the buses do not come

regularly, it means that people are more prone to travel by car.

Alternative sources of fuel are becoming a lot more popular and common in England: people have solar

panels installed on their roof, or use water or wind-powered energy created by turbines or hydroelectric

plants. It is a mystery to me why these alternative options are not so common in Colombia, especially in

cities such as Villavicencio in which the sun is ridiculously strong, there are multiple fast-flowing rivers

and frequent storms to generate energy without petroleum or oil. The best, or most sustainable, way to

protect the environment that I have seen in Colombia is the sale of local produce. Whether this comes in

the form of fruit, vegetables or meat, in Colombia there is a lot less time, money and energy wasted on

unnecessarily importing food. As well as helping to reduce damage caused by the transportation process,

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 this also means that, generally, goods come in less unnecessary packaging. It really annoys me in

England that any fruit or vegetable that you buy comes in a separate cellophane or plastic covering, with

a separate label too. Buying items that are produced locally means that less goods are bought from

supermarkets which are generally the culprits of this excess packaging. Also, buying fruit and veg from

local street vendors helps to reduce food waste; these vendors sell all types of vegetables, not only the

aesthetically pleasing items that are visually ‘perfect’. Having grown up in England, I became too picky

with choosing my fruit and vegetables; if I ever found a slightly soft tomato, or a weirdly shaped carrot,

I would throw it away because I wasn’t used to seeing them; but now I know how to sift through the

produce at the local food shops and use every part, every shape and every variation of the food that I buy

so that none of it goes to waste!

It seems that both Colombia and England are making a substantial effort to reduce their negative

footprint on the world... imagine the difference that they would make if they combined the best parts of

each of their efforts!

Buying fruit and vegestables from local street vendors

helps to reduce food waste!
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 WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEM IN COLOMBIA?
Jefferson Diaz

Human beings, in an insatiable thirst to evolve, ignore the means used to achieve that mission, giving

relevance only to the fulfillment of the objective no matter what is being damaged or destroyed. The

environment is affected every second. Every day you breathe an increasingly polluted air, when going

out into the streets and there are fewer trees and environmental repairs are minimal compared to large

damages.

Colombia is one of the countries in Latin America with more natural wealth, fauna and flora, however, it

is also one of the most affected by environmental pollution. This article will mention some of the

environmental problems that affect the most this Latin American country, the way people react to the

problems and some of the solutions proposed by their governments.

According to the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice, Colombia was the country with the greatest

environmental problems in Latin America and it is the second country in biodiversity hosting 15% of the

planet's fauna and flora. The biggest environmental problem in the country has serious consequences as

the anthropogenic pollution that consists of polluting the inner layers of nature due to human activities

that are carried out daily. From this type of pollution arise activities such as illegal trade in fauna and

flora, hunting and deforestation, as well as other factors that contribute to the environmental crisis such

as armed conflicts attacking nature and industrial activities.

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 In the largest and most populated cities of Colombia such as Bogotá, Cali and Medellín (RCNradio,

2018), there is a high level of contamination in the atmosphere, as a result of environmental damage

caused mainly by industries and means of transportation. In other cities, some of the polluting factors are

mining exploitation and deforestation, among others; however, there are places in the country that

present everything previously mentioned. Water pollution is another major problem that affects

Colombia, a country that presents environmental problems of great magnitude that get worse over time.

Medium and long term objectives have been proposed to improve; some of them are the following:

strengthen and expand natural parks, protect forests, guarantee the participation of indigenous

communities, implement environmental policies that work and promote knowledge, conservation and

sustainable uses in the territories, among others. Pollution persists as a deadly problem for every being

on earth if something cannot be done about it, a study in 2015 showed that 16% of deaths in the world,

which means around 9 million people died with some problem linked to pollution (Ambiente, 2017).

When I decided to write about the environment in Colombia, I began to ask the majority of people I

spoke with or I met daily; Do you know how bio-diverse our country is? Do you know how polluted our

environment is? Do you know how to contribute to care the environment? I can say that 20% of people

were not interested in the topic, 40% had no knowledge and the remaining 40% responded in the wrong

way. Some of the great cities of Colombia stand out in Latin American countries for their means of

transport and infrastructure, as it is the case of Medellín, but what is the use of having large buildings if

the ecosystem we inhabit is highly affected? Cities such as Bucaramanga they focus on preserving green

spaces that surround their buildings make use of responsible architecture with the environment and in

short, all cities should adopt that responsibility.

12 Education here is the key to save the planet!

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 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW,
A RIGHT OF EVERYONE!
Ximena del Pilar Cortés Noguera
First of all, environmental law is a set of legal
rules and principles that regulate human activities
(collectively or individually) in order to protect
the environment or nature, for this reason
environmental rights are relevant as the
environment is the space where living beings,
especially humans, develop and plan a life for
present and future generations. The environment
represents the space where all basic human rights
are complied, it provides humanity with food,
land, air and water. Therefore, life quality depends
on how much the environment is protected and
respected. Consequently, due to the importance of
environmental rights they are enshrined in the
political constitution of Colombia (1991) and
various articles highlight their relevance. Some of
them are: Ozone Layer.
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· Article 7. Ethnic and cultural diversity of the
Nation.
· Article 8. Cultural and natural wealth of the
Nation.
· Article 49. Health care and environmental
sanitation.
· Article 58. Ecological function of private
property.
· Article 79. Healthy environment.
· Article 80. Planning of the management and
exploitation of natural resources
· Article 95. Protection of cultural and natural
resources of the country.
And the international environment treaties ratified
by Colombia are equally adopted as the
constitutional dispositions, such as:
· Vienna Convention for the Protection of the
· Convention for Climate Change.
13
 Regarding actions conducted to protect the environment. I would like to mention a suit filed against

Donald Trump. In 2015, 21 teenagers from Oregon sued him on the grounds of not having done

anything against the climate change. They believe public officials and the big oil companies know the

causes and consequences of climate change and nevertheless continue to enforce policies that make it

worse, as a result, they would be violating the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to live in a livable and

healthy climate. In 2016, an Oregon judge accepted the lawsuit and set the trial date for February 2018.

The government considers that the lawsuit "is lacking any foundation” and it warned that it could cause

"a constitutional confrontation between the public powers" due to the number of high charges. For this

reason, the teenagers’ attorney, Julia Olson, has asked the judges to "allow these young people to present

their evidence before a court”. From my point of view as a law student and future lawyer, I believe that

it is necessary for citizens to understand their role before the State because the State must be at the

service of social and common interests, as a healthy environment and the protection from the impacts of

climate change. In spite of the government reprisals and the political obstacles to have justice and

defend their rights, they continue striving for a healthy environment. This is an example everyone

should follow as every human being should become more involved in environmental decision-making

and more concerned about the surrounding environmental problems.

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 DO YOURSELF A FAVOR
AND SEPARATE YOUR TRASH!
Katlein Spildooren
A few months after moving to Colombia I decided to organize my apartment. Everything that I didn’t or

couldn’t use anymore had to go. I had some worn-out clothes, some old bottles of perfume and nail

polish. But then I realized that I had no idea what to do with them. I couldn’t just throw them away with

the rest of the household waste, could I? What if the chemicals would catch on fire because of the heat? I

didn’t want to be responsible for setting one of the city’s garbage trucks on fire. I texted several

Colombian friends asking for some advice on how to separate the garbage. It turned out they had no idea,

some of them admitted they had never even thought about it. There was no other way than to put it all in

the same garbage bag.

In my country, Belgium, we have very strict rules when it comes to separating the trash. First, there is

household waste, which goes into white garbage bags with the town’s logo. They’re quite expensive and

you can mainly buy them at your local supermarket. Plastic bottles and carton packaging go into a blue

bag, which is collected every two weeks.

Sort your waste! Manage your impact!

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 Reuse and recycle! Household waste is collected once a week. Also old newspapers,

magazines and basically anything made out of cardboard have to be

separated. They can come and collect it or you can bring it to the

nearest container. We do not only have containers for paper, every

neighborhood also has some containers for glass; one for colored and

one for not colored glass. Old clothes and shoes go in a different

container, and yes, every neighborhood has one.

The clothes and shoes that can still be used are cleaned and go to people in need. We also have to separate

metal waste, batteries and cosmetics like nail polish and perfume. Anything flammable has to be carefully

stored until you’ve collected enough to bring it to your town’s container park. It’s a park with huge

containers for every kind of waste, from old furniture to concrete and bricks. Finally, organic waste can be

collected or brought to the nearest container park, but lots of people now have a special bin for it at the

back of their garden. There they keep it until it decomposes, so they can use it as soil to grow their own

fruit and vegetables. It must seem like a very complicated system but for us it’s part of our daily routine.

It’s just something you have to get used to. There are so many things that can be recycled and reused, so

why throw them away? I’ve seen some initiatives here in Villavicencio when it comes to recycling, starting

with schools who reuse old material and waste to decorate or create new educational spaces, but also

companies who collect and process plastics so they can be used to make football shirts and other products.

Public places, the university for example, have separate trash cans for waste sorting, but no one seems to

know how to use them. And that is just not enough; you also have to educate people on how to use them.

At the end of the day, I think it’s up to the government to find a way to motivate and educate citizens to

contribute to a more livable planet for all of us.

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 OUR ENVIRONMENT, ITS PROBLEMS AND THE
SOURCE OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Aneta Toborikova
What are our main environmental problems? I bet person you want to become?

Imagine if you could assemble your personality.

you expect me to talk about global warming,
deforestation, rising levels of CO2, waste in the
oceans. Maybe you expect me to talk about what
What kind of person would you like to be? Of
course, everyone will say that you would want to
be respected, morally sound, brave, sociable,

caring, I-don’t-know-what-else kind of person.

we can all do in order to mitigate the damage that
is being done to our environment. And well, I
could do just that. But I’m no expert in these
But I would like you to go a bit deeper. Imagine
every detail of the person that you would like to
become. What would you like people to say about

you? What would you like people to say about the

topics and anyone else could really give you
environment that you are creating around you?
much better insight into all this. So why should I
Please, go on. Imagine you are dead and people
bother do something that I can’t do well? have to write about the world that you have

created around you. What did you manage to

But there is one thing that I can do well. I can
achieve? What memories do people have of you
dream. I love to dream. Do you remember when
and of the environment that you created?
they used to ask you, when you were little, what

you want to become when you are adult? And do

you remember any of your answers? I remember I

wanted to be a stewardess. I am almost certain

that we all took this question as a prompt to start

thinking about our future jobs. But have you ever

stopped to think and dream about what kind of

person you want to become? 17

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 But I have to admit - the older I’ve grown, the When was the last time we thought of what kind

less time I actually spend dreaming. There is of environment we want to make? And how can

simply no time for it. There are so many duties, you become who you want to be if you have no

tasks, meetings, obligations, … so many things so time to dream it? How can you possibly be who

that we look busy. And yes, I mean it. Sometimes you want to be if you don’t know who you want

it seems that we are required to look busy, to be?

because if we don’t look busy, we don’t look Alternative energies for this world? Would you

important. If there aren’t too many important expect me to talk about solar panels and biofuels?

deadlines to fulfill, we are simply not very No. I will not. Maybe, the most important

important. And we all want to look important. So alternative energy that we need is sitting down in

we all do everything we can to be terribly busy. quiet. Sitting down and dreaming about who we

And when was the last time, we thought about want to be and what kind of environment we want

what we want to become when we are more to create around us. And once we have dreamt

adults? where we want to go, we can possibly take that

route.

What memories do people have of you

and of the environment that you created?
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 DAY ZERO AND
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CAPE TOWN?
Alexander Avellaneda

In the beginning of 2018 the news coming from South Africa’s capital city became a global concern.

Most news reports asked, Will Cape Town be the first major city to run out of water? Is Day Zero

coming to Cape Town? Is this what climate change will bring to every city in a few years time?

Cape Town's reservoir had been running dry for less than a decade and it's only been worsened by the

incredibly rapid population growth and a lack of changes in their water consumption habits. This led to

the announcement of Day Zero for the 12th of April of 2018. And what happened next was as surprising

as the announcement of Day Zero. The local authorities and residents changed their ways, not only they

campaigned to educate people on lowering their water use but also they took an active role, this was no

longer a matter of a few groups of people and activists fighting for a change, this was a staggering total

of 4 million people reducing the amount of water to push back Day Zero and they succeeded.

The dreaded Day Zero was pushed back to the next 9th of July. However, this is only one battle won, in

order to defeat Day Zero authorities have urged residents to continue saving water as a way of life. One

cannot help but wonder "Is this what it takes to make everyone realise that our precious water is limited

and only our habits can prevent a water crisis on a global scale?". We can all be Cape Town one day.

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 MOO-OVE OVER COWS!
VEGETARIANISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Marie Lilly
Meeting a vegetarian in Villavicencio is about as common as going for an afternoon walk and returning

without having broken a sweat. Not impossible, but very rare in this community where ranching and

livestock production make up a large part of both the culture and industry. Upon telling people here that

I am a vegetarian, many look at me with a mixture of confusion, shock, and faces that scream, “this

foreigner is weird.” Nevertheless, I enjoy having discussions about why I do not eat meat.

There are many reasons to choose a vegetarian diet. The most

common reasons to become vegetarian are to live a healthier

lifestyle, to condemn cruel animal treatment by the meat industry,

to have a lower economic burden, and to reduce environmental

impact. I connect with all of these reasons but ultimately I am

compelled to keep a vegetarian lifestyle in order to reduce my own

environmental footprint. According to a 2013 study published by

Moo-ove over cows! Time magazine, livestock production has a larger negative

environmental impact on our planet than anything else (Walsh

2013).

The population in my home country, the United States, drives the

livestock industry by consuming more meat than most other

There are many countries in the world, with approximately 160 kg of meat per
reasons to choose a
vegetarian diet! capita per year. meat has a strong presence in Llanero culture and

dishes
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 dishes, Colombia has a much lower environmental impact from the meat industry with the population

consuming approximately 40 kg of meat per capita per year yet over the past several decades, global

meat consumption has seen a steady rise (Ritchie and Roser 2018). I do not believe that everyone needs

to adapt a vegetarian diet in order to save our planet.

to adapt a vegetarian diet in order to save our planet. However, reducing personal meat consumption is a

simple change that can have a real impact on conserving our planet and halting the damage caused by

climate change. This could mean giving up meat entirely or even just going from eating meat for every

meal to eating meat once a day.

Keeping true to my vegetarian diet has been relatively easy for me here in Colombia. A common

misconception is that vegetarians only eat vegetables. In reality, only eating vegetables would not be a

healthy balanced diet and vegetarians really eat everything except meat. Although meat is often

considered the main course, meat can easily be replaced by a plant-based protein for an equally filling

meal. Almost all of the restaurants here in Villavicencio have an “almuerzo corriente” that includes an

option of plant-based proteins such as beans, garbanzos, or lentils. Additionally, the University of Santo

Tomás Loma Linda campus has its very own vegetarian restaurant that was started by a unique student

lead initiative. Combating global climate change needs to be a worldwide effort, but this effort starts

with individuals taking the initiative to make lifestyle changes. Being a vegetarian is my way to lead a

more sustainable life. How will you reduce your environmental impact?

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The completion of this issue would have never been possible without
the cooperation of the following colleagues Katlein Spildooren, Iga
Jechanowska, Aneta Toborikova, Nadira Kajmova, Alexander
Avellaneda and the English Language Assistants Louisa Hall and Marie
Lilly for their insightful articles.

A debt of gratitude is also owed to our colleagues Yuli Andrea Torres

and Yomaira Herreño for encouraging their students Maria Reyes
Beltrán, Jefferson Díaz and Ximena del Pilar Cortes Noguera to write
and participate on this new issue of USTA Speaks.

Last but not least, USTA Speaks would like to thank our colleague
Alexander Avellaneda for his outstanding commitment to this project
and for facing the challenges of changing the presentation and structure
of this online magazine.

Fr. José Arturo Restrepo Restrepo O.P.

President
Fr. Fernando Cajicá Gamboa O.P.
Academic Vice-president
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Coordinator
Dania Magaly Cadena Mendez
Editor
Alexander Avellaneda
Front-end Developer
Rubén Mauricio Muñoz Morales

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