Food waste in the United States is becoming a serious issue, both from a social and environmental standpoint. Forty percent of food in the U.S. is discarded, with is economically burdensome as well, wasting $165 billion a year. It is estimated that on average, 1,640 tons of commercial food waste is created by New York City restaurants, hotels, schools, and other services. Unfortunately, the majority of this waste is not recycled, which contributes to perpetually growing landfills. In these landfills, the food waste decomposes and contributes to approximately 7% of overall greenhouse gasses annually. Recycling attempts such as composting and firmer food disposal regulations have helped to tackle this issue, however more needs to be done.

In addition to being harmful to the environment, food waste is a social issue as well; 42.2 million Americans live in households with very low food security. In particular, households with children, single parents, seniors, and black and Hispanic people experience higher rates of food insecurity. About 30% of the food currently being discarded is more than enough to feed the millions of Americans that do not have enough to eat. Food waste reduction methods that seek to send food to these households rather than landfills are ideal from a social and environmental viewpoint.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/26/us/food-waste-is-becoming-serious-economic-and-environmental-issue-report-says.html

http://time.com/4037087/food-waste-united-states/

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/17/business/cities-and-companies-tackle-the-food-waste-problem.html

The prevalence of environmental racism is evident in the inconsistent levels of lead poisoning throughout various populations in New York City. The imbalance of lead poisoning can also be seen by looking at rates by neighborhood. Half of child lead poisoning cases occurred in children living in just 9 of 42 NYC neighborhoods. For example, 86% of the children affected by lead poisoning were Asian, black, or Hispanic. Asian and Hispanic children were particularly over-represented in having a blood lead level at which care coordination and environmental intervention must be initiated. Although Hispanic children account for 33% of the children in NYC, they made up 37% of lead blood level cases requiring intervention for 2009. Asian children were the most over represented, accounting for 27% of the lead blood level cases, despite only being 11% of the total child population. On the other hand, white children experienced lead poisoning at much lower rates. Although they comprised 27% of the children in NYC, they only represented 11% of lead poisoning cases. The discrepancy of lead poisoning between white people and people of color also extends to pregnant women, with 94% of pregnant women with blood lead poisoning being foreign-born, mostly from Mexico, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

The effects of lead poisoning are dramatic, even at lower blood levels. In children, consistent exposure to lead may result in intellectual disabilities, abdominal problems, slowed growth, and behavioral issues. Pregnant women may experience miscarriage or premature birth due to lead exposure. Unfortunately, the majority of people who suffer from these consequences are low-income Asian and Hispanic children in unsafe living conditions. In addition to lead poisoning in NYC, other recent examples of environmental racism include the Flint, Michigan water crisis, which primarily affects black people, and the Dakota Access Pipeline, which threatens water quality on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

Aquaponics farming systems are sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternatives to conventional agriculture practices. They reduce the degree of pollution and allow for the conservation of gas, water, and land. For example, in traditional agriculture, the use of fertilizer is prevalent and results in toxic runoff that pollutes nearby rivers. On the other hand, aquaponics utilizes fish excrement as fertilizer, providing an organic alternative that is not harmful to the local ecosystem. In addition, unlike traditional farms, which export produce to far-away markets, many aquaponics farms serve local businesses and restaurants. This brings healthy and fresh foods to neighboring communities, while also reducing the use of gas in transporting vegetables. In addition, since aquaponics is a closed system that recirculates water, it requires significantly less water than typical agricultural methods. This system also requires less land; aquaponic systems can come in a variety of sizes and are often more productive than regular farming methods. Many of these systems produce greater vegetable output in a shorter amount of time and in smaller spaces than conventional farms.

The efficiency of aquaponic farming comes at a cost. The initial start-up cost of the equipment is steep, especially for larger, professional systems. The high-costs also persist in the form of high energy usage. The systems require electricity to circulate water and keep lights on, creating a substantial increase in utility bills. Besides expenses associated with equipment and energy usage, aquaponic systems also require maintenance to ensure that lights, pipes, and other system components are working properly. While costly, aquaponics does provide an environmentally-conscious alternative to traditional farming that may be successfully implemented to feed local communities.

Sources:
http://www.innerself.com/content/living/home-and-garden/gardening/8654-aquaponics-vs-traditional-agriculture.html

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