By Megan Rivera

As we begin to close out this year, we start to celebrate different holidays around the world. Assortments of foods, decorations, and outfits are all different staples during this season. No matter what you celebrate, the agriculture industry is able to provide these goods to make these holidays truly special. 

Temperatures drop and we start to slip into our festive sweaters and cozy mittens, many made from cotton and wool. While New Zealand and Australia are some competing wool producers, the United States still meets most of our demands; ranking third in the world in wool production. Depending on 3.4 million head of sheep, there is about 26 million pounds of wool produced per year in the United States. One pound of wool alone can make up to 10 miles of yarn.(1) Similarly, cotton goes into multiple articles of clothing that we wear. There are approximately 8.6 million acres of cotton grown in the United States, producing 20 million bales of cotton annually. One bale can produce about 200 pairs of pants or 1,200 shirts.(2) These grown fabrics create easy-care, comfortable, soft to the touch materials that definitely get us in the holiday spirit. 

Food is a unique thing that can really bring people together, this must be why meals tend to be one of our biggest focuses for holidays. If you are one that celebrates Kwanzaa, different catfish dishes are often found at the table. Catfish production is booming, feeding the needs of those who celebrate with this dish. Per year, there are almost 145 million food-sized catfish that are produced; all ranging in small, medium, and large sizes. To prepare for continual production, there are 450 million fish coming downstream; being stocked for future use.(3) Accompanying this, collard greens are a popular side to Southern US dishes. Collard greens are a form of cabbage that grow in the same family as many other popular holiday vegetables that include but are not limited to kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. Just in time for the holidays, collard greens are a cool-season vegetable. They are often planted in the spring and fall months, ready to be consumed when things start to get wintery. Given the states that these greens are more commonly demanded, collards are grown mostly in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina; each state growing on a minimum of 2,800 acres.(4) 

When focusing on a traditional Hanukkah cuisine, brisket is a dish that is commonly enjoyed by these families who celebrate. Brisket is a cut of meat that comes from the lower chest of beef cattle. When taking a glance at United States agriculture, beef cattle takes the biggest role and is the most important. The beef cattle industry comparatively to others is the largest and brings in the most amount of revenue, producing 93.6 million heads per year. The top four states in beef production and packaging are Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. Besides those celebrating Jewish holidays, brisket was not common or well known, so: gained popularity because it was affordable because people did not know about it. However, this snowballed into brisket being one of the more popular and more expensive cuts, selling at $2.3993/lb.(5) Accompanying brisket, latkes are an extremely popular dish when celebrating Hanukkah. Latkes can also be known as potato pancakes. Mirroring this dish, potatoes are consumed in many ways, shapes, or forms for many different holidays. Providing for the many potato dishes that we have, over 423 million potatoes are produced annually in the United States.(6) Another extremely popular dish for the holidays is turkey. In many households, turkey is consumed as a festive dish. There are about 229 million turkeys produced each year in the US,(7) with over 22 million of them being consumed on Christmas.(8) No matter what dish you choose to serve for the festivities, American agriculture is there to provide.

One of the biggest things that gets us into the holiday spirit is our decorations. A festively decorated or lit up tree can almost guarantee a cheery mood. Live Christmas trees have been sold to celebrate since 1850. Since then, the industry has grown immensely with 350 million trees total being grown each year in all 50 states.(9) This industry is not one to be overlooked, it provides many jobs, many trees, and lots of holiday spirit. 

No matter what holiday you celebrate or how you celebrate it, the agriculture industry is there to back you up. Providing food, clothes, and decorations, without agriculture, our holidays would not be the special events that they are. As we dress festively, get into the spirit, and indulge in our favorite foods, remember to think about how all of it is possible. Happy holidays! 

Works Cited:

1. Brester, Gary. “Wool Profile.” Wool Profile | Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, 2018. https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/livestock/lamb/wool-profile. 

2. “Cotton Sector at a Glance.” USDA ERS - Cotton Sector at a Glance, 2020. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/cotton-wool/cotton-sector-at-a-glance/. 

3. “Catfish Production.” USDA, 2019. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/cfpd0419.pdf 

4. Strickland, Jessica. “Collards Are in Season, Just in Time for Holiday Meals!” NC Cooperative Extension News, November 10, 2020. https://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/11/collards-are-in-season-just-in-time-for-holiday-meals/. 

5. Wiley, Kenny. “Texas A&M Experts: Brisket Prices Rising along with Demand.” Animal Science, June 28, 2019. https://animalscience.tamu.edu/2019/06/28/texas-am-experts-brisket-prices-rising-along-with-demand/. 

6. “North American Potatoes.” USDA, 2020. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/uscp0220.pdf. 

7. “Turkey Sector: Background & Statistics.” USDA ERS - Turkey Sector: Background & Statistics, 2020. https://www.ers.usda.gov/newsroom/trending-topics/turkey-sector-background-statistics/. 

8. “Turkey Facts.” Turkey Facts - Turkey for Holidays - University of Illinois Extension. Accessed November 23, 2020. https://web.extension.illinois.edu/turkey/turkey_facts.cfm. 

9. “Christmas Tree Facts.” Christmas Tree Facts - Christmas Trees and More - University of Illinois Extension. Accessed November 23, 2020. https://web.extension.illinois.edu/trees/facts.cfm. 

 By Sam Townson

Food - we all eat it. Food Waste - we all produce it.

I am sure we have all had a mountain meal where there is too much and we’ve left some on the plate - whether at home or in a restaurant – with the leftovers being dumped straight into the bin. I know for many this disposal of food is likely the first thing that comes to mind when we think about food waste. 

Here in the UK over 70% of food waste produced after the farm comes directly from households– this figure stands at an average of over 50% in developed countries.(1) But why is so much wasted? Research suggests household food waste is often the result of a misunderstanding of use by dates, inadequate storage facilities at home and inefficient fridge/freezer management. Ask yourself: how often do you throw out food that has gone past its use by date or has been sitting in the fridge for too long or you simply just made too big of a portion? 

However, as the figures above suggest not all food waste comes from our plates. Some 30-40% of food waste is generated in production, processing and retail.(2) There can be storage and transit issues but most alarmingly are issues linked to aesthetics. Have you ever noticed that in supermarkets all the fruit and vegetables are perfectly shaped? Well, this is no coincidence. Supermarkets often reject products which do not look ‘appealing’ or ‘perfect’ creating huge amounts of waste before food has even left the farm.  

So, why is this a problem? 

Well, food waste is a source of huge environmental, economic and social damage. If food waste was a country it would be 3rd in global rankings for greenhouse gas emissions and an area larger than China would be needed to grow the food that is never eaten.(3) This is land that often needs to be deforested and intensely used with damaging fertilisers. It is easy to see that food waste is a huge driver of climate change: both directly through increased emissions and indirectly through deforestation while it also increases deforestation, biodiversity loss and habitat loss. Moreover, food waste represents a huge loss of money for families with the average UK home wasting £730 worth of food each year;(1) imagine if you had an extra £730 in your bank just from not buying food you didn’t even eat! It is also a source of social injustice. It is estimated that within the European Union there is enough food wasted each year to feed the 55 million Europeans living in food poverty more than 9 times over.(4) 

It is clear from this brief look at food waste that it is a major problem in today’s society. Not only is our planet at risk but so are our pockets and peoples. We cannot ignore the need for government and policy based reform; potentially enforcing food waste reduction targets for supermarkets or requiring certain standards of food storage. Yet, at the same time we are by no means innocent and there is invaluable individual action that we can take. 

What can we do? 

One of the most important things we can do is be more efficient with our shopping. Planning ahead by making a weekly meal plan before you go shopping, and buying just what you need from a list can go a long way to reducing the amount of food we waste. 

Another idea is to take a ‘shelfie’ before you go shopping. A ‘shelfie’ (I cringe even writing it) is a picture of your cupboards and fridge which you can use to remind yourself of what you already have and what you might need to buy. It will prevent you from buying duplicates. 

Know what labels mean – a huge amount of food is wasted as a result of not understanding the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’. Food is perfectly safe to be consumed after the ‘best before’ date – but please don’t eat anything that smells a bit funky. Another option, if you’re unsure, is to simply search online as there can often be information letting you know how long after the best before date it is safe for consumption. 

Making too much is sometimes unavoidable – we all make mistakes. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve made a mountain of pasta because I’ve misjudged it. But there is a simple solution – freezing. The freezer is your best friend when it comes to reducing your food waste. I often find myself having a ‘freezer lottery’ on nights where I can’t be bothered to cook – I just go up to the freezer and pick out a frozen portion and see what it is. 

There are also amazing organisations out there working to help us reduce the amount of food we waste. Here are a few I recommend checking out: 

• Love Food Hate Waste – an organisation raising awareness of the need to reduce food waste and helping people like you and me take action. 

• OLIO – a great food sharing app which connects communities together

• Too Good To Go – another app which you can use to pick up surplus food from supermarkets or businesses. 

• Imperfect Food - a great company with the mission to eliminate food waste by saving items ranging from misshapen apples to oversized eggs and delivering them to you. 

I hope you’ve learnt something new from this and I’ve been able to give you some ideas of what you can do to help reduce food waste. It would be great to hear from you what tips and tricks you’ve got? 

Works Cited:

1. WRAP. (2020) Final Report - UK Progress against Courtauld 2025 Targets and UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. WRAP. Available from https://wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Progress_against_Courtauld_2025_targets_and_UN_SDG_123.pdf 

2. Jake Nutritionals. (2019) Food Waste: The Problem and the Solutions. Available from https://jakefood.com/2019/food-waste/

3. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). (2013) Food Wastage Footprint - Impacts on Natural Resources - Summary Report. FAO. Available from http://www.fao.org/3/i3347e/i3347e.pdf 

4. Henderson, E. (2017) Sustainable Eating: Why we all need to be going the whole hog. The Guardian. Available from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/sustainable-eating-vegetable-reducing-food-waste-whole-hog-pig-trotter-tristram-stuart-skye-gyngell-a7743301.html

STILL RIDING IT OUT: 2ND INSTALLMENT

By Spencer

NEURO NASH

Depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and weight-gain: constantly these words are being thrown around to describe the state of both physical and mental health across th.. “Deja Vu, is this what I think it is?” That’s right folks, this is the second installment of “Ride it Out,” the article that’s going to change your Covid-19 experience and get you out of your house and riding on a bicycle. First I want to clear up a mistake I made in my last article; I wrote that for good results, “one should bike two to four hours a day.” I’m sorry to say I lied and I meant to say “one should bike two to four hours a week.” So, sorry to all of you who have been riding two to four hours a day, but I bet calves are looking like solid steel. If you have fit biking into your schedule this past month, you may have noticed a positive mood swing which is the entire purpose of this article you’re reading today. 

In a Kaiser Family Federation (KFF) article published in late July 2020, it was reported that 53% of adults in the US have felt their mental health has been negatively impacted by the complications of Covid-19. This percentage is somewhat alarming when compared to the KFF’s  study in May 2020 where they found that 39% of adults in the US have felt their mental health has been negatively impacted by the complications of Covid-19.(1) With winter on its way here in the northern hemisphere, it’s important we all find a way to keep spirits high; but first, what is it about the pandemic that has so many people feeling down. The symptoms of Covid-19 that are contributing to this decline in people’s mental well being are generally “a disturbance of daily routines, social isolation, emotional stress, and difficulty accessing medications and health care.”(2) If only there was some cure that would rid us all of this mayhem. Wait, there is and it’s bicycling! Well, it won’t rid the world of Covid-19, but it should help lessen the symptoms that have come to encumber many lives: 

• A disturbance of daily routines— not anymore once you add biking into your life! Set aside 20 to 35 minutes a day, that will give you the recommended 2-4 hours of biking a week. Arrange all your other daily requirements around it and BAM! You’re back living on a schedule.

• Social isolation— well say nay nay to social isolation. Go out there and bike with some friends (make sure to take Covid-19 precautions!) and if you can’t find any, being out in nature is better than nothing. Studies have shown that biking out in nature, or just spending time in nature, increases peoples’ attitudes by decreasing levels of depression and anxiety— which segues nicely to our next topic: emotional stress.(3)

• Emotional stress will be countered by the points I made above and countless more. Physical activity, such as bicycling, helps to create a steady flow of blood to your brain, which in part supplies the brain with continuous oxygen and nutrients. This helps to prolong and increase people’s thinking, learning, and judgment in the present and future. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), helps to preserve already existing neurons and develop new neurons, helping to decrease chances of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s; BDNF is also generated by biking. Performing a motor skill (such as walking, running, or balancing and pedaling a bicycle)(4) for extensive periods of time for many days or months, has been proven to maintain white matter in the brain, which helps communications and connectivity within the brain.(3) All of this helps to reduce stress because it helps to improve the integrity at which your brain is able to function.

• Lastly— difficulty accessing medications and health care. Now, by no means am I trying to imply or say bicycling can replace medications or health care, but it wouldn’t hurt to add it to your medicine cabinet with all the benefits it has to offer. At the least, it will get you to a place where you can access medication and health care if you have no other means of transportation. 

Do you understand? Do you get it that bicycling is the answer to your problems? If you don’t it is most likely because you haven’t read the first installment of “Ride it Out” from the November Newsletter, so go check that out! We have included it below for your convenience. If you’ve already been convinced though, then get out there and take back control of your life. Like I said last month, now is the time to stop watching the world around you pass by and for you to whiz by it.

Works Cited:

1. Audrey Kearney Follow @audrey__kearney on Twitter Liz Hamel Follow @lizhamel on Twitter and Jul 2020, “KFF Health Tracking Poll – July 2020,” KFF, August 14, 2020, https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/report/kff-health-tracking-poll-july-2020/.

2. “Mental Health and Obesity during COVID-19,” GWSPH Centers and Institutes, June 2, 2020, https://stop.publichealth.gwu.edu/LFD-may20.

3. “Bicycling Can Sharpen Your Thinking and Improve Your Mood,” Psychology Today (Sussex Publishers, May 26, 2015), https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201505/bicycling-can-sharpen-your-thinking-and-improve-your-mood.

4. “." Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence. . Encyclopedia.com. 16 Oct. 2020 .,” Encyclopedia.com (Encyclopedia.com, December 1, 2020), https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/divisions-diagnostics-and-procedures/medicine/motor-skills.

5. “Bicycling Can Sharpen Your Thinking and Improve Your Mood,” Psychology Today (Sussex Publishers, May 26, 2015), https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201505/bicycling-can-sharpen-your-thinking-and-improve-your-mood.

RIDE IT OUT: 1ST INSTALLMENT

By Spencer

Depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and weight-gain: constantly these words are being thrown around to describe the state of both physical and mental health across the globe during Covid-19. I ask you, aren’t you tired of hearing about it?, and more importantly, aren’t you tired of being part of the population these words describe? Well I’m here to tell you the cure, it’s not another self-help book, group therapy class, or any bottle of pills, it’s your ordinary bicycle. Biking has been proven to help boost your physical and mental health. So, now is the time to stop watching the world around you pass by and for you to whiz by it. 

Bicycling, of course, has some great physical attributes to contribute to one’s daily life as biking itself is a physical activity. It is defined as an aerobic (cardio) exercise, meaning your heart is working at a steady constant rate that allows the body to exert itself for longer periods of time, unlike exercises where you exert the majority, if not all of your energy and strength in a short period of time, such as sprinting or heavy weight lifting. Aerobic exercises are known to help prevent and/or reduce certain cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis from developing.(1) Other physical benefits of bicycling are it is low impact, builds muscles and bone, and helps make everyday tasks easier. Low impact means it causes less strain than most exercises, it most noticeably causes less strain on the joints. When sitting on a bike, weight that is usually being held up by your legs, such as when you're walking or running, is now displaced on to two bones in your pelvis called ischial tuberosities, relieving extra stress that would otherwise be put on your knees, ankles, and so on. While most of the workout is leg focused, biking also strengthens abdominal, shoulder, and arm muscles. Bones also benefit because,"Resistance activities, such as pushing pedals, pull on the muscles, and then the muscles pull on the bone, which increases bone density," points out Dr. Safran-Norton.(2) Other than building both muscle and bone density, it also helps improve one's posture, balance, endurance, and coordination in everyday life.(3) All this with a riding schedule and the right diet will lead to steady weight loss, and I emphasize, with the right diet. Do not be worried by this, but know that what you eat makes up 75 percent of a successful track to weight loss while exercising makes up the other 25 percent.(4) The diet doesn’t have to be anything crazy, just three meals a day without any snacking and “Portion your plate so you have half your calories from vegetables and fruits, a quarter from complex carbs, and a quarter from lean protein,” says sports nutritionist Leslie Bonci, R.D., author of Bike Your Butt Off.(4) For best results, one should bike two to four hours a week*, and studies have shown that if you bike at a steady rate for a half an hour every day (3½ hours per week) for a year you will lose roughly 11 pounds. It’s not the fastest road to weight loss and getting in shape, but that’s how you know it’s real. 

Now it’s time to stop reading and get out there to take a joy ride. Work those thighs and glutes, and finally take some control of your life and your body. Bicycling is easy, and once you know how to...“Wait a second, what about the depression, stress, anxiety, and loneliness? So far all this article has talked about are they physical benefits, does biking even help improve a person’s mental health?” Yes, bicycling really does help improve one’s mental health, but for now you’ll just have to take my word for it and come back next month for the second installment of “Ride It Out.” 

* Correction: Original publication had a typo saying “one should bike two to four hours a day.” We apologize for the oversight.

Works Cited:

1. Richard Weil, MEd. “Aerobic Exercise Benefits, Types, Steps & Examples,” October 22, 2019. https://www.medicinenet.com/aerobic_exercise/article.htm. 

2. Publishing, Harvard Health. “The Top 5 Benefits of Cycling.” Harvard Health.  Accessed October 25, 2020. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-top-5-benefits-of-cycling. 

3. Department of Health & Human Services. “Cycling - Health Benefits.” Better Health Channel. Department of Health & Human Services, November 30, 2013. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/cycling-health-benefits.

4. Yeager, ​Selene. “Riding All the Time But Still Can't Lose Weight? These 7 Expert-Backed Tips Can Help,” September 23, 2020. https://www.bicycling.com/training/a20044017/help-i-ride-my-bike-every-day-and-i-still-can-t-lose-weight/. 

MAKING THE MOST OF THE OUTSIDE– Winter Edition

By Sam Townson

 Challenge: Can you spend at least an hour outside every day this winter? 

The nights are drawing in. It is getting colder. It is getting wetter. It is getting muddier. This can only mean one thing…winter is upon us. 

Here in the UK the clocks have just changed; yes, we are weird in the UK and no I don’t know why we change them. As a result, it is getting dark really, really early and it is getting colder and colder making it harder to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. It is getting a little cold for the wild swimming of summer and the camping trips I told you all about in earlier newsletters (which if you haven’t read; please go check it out). But, it is not all doom and gloom. 

We have a tendency to stay inside watching day become night and the stars take over the sky. I am not saying this can’t be romantic or cosy; I love to get cosy on the sofa with a hot drink and a film when it is dark, wet and cold outside. However, it is not the only thing we can enjoy during winter. We can still get outside, be active and get the feeling of fresh air in our lungs - with the added bonus of a cosy evening with a hot chocolate at the end of the day. 

So, how do we motivate ourselves? 

One way I love to motivate myself to get out in the morning during winter is to think about the feeling of crispy grass crunching under my boots and the clear blue skies above me. Nothing beats being the first person out on the frosty grass laying your footprints across the field before anyone else. And what about cracking the icy puddles? I love the satisfying crunch of ice under my feet more than that of the frosty grass. The same goes for snow, being the first to mark it with your boots and the added bonus of laying down a snow angel; which if you’ve never done, you’re missing out on a lot of fun!

Do I hear you saying - but I hate waking up early in the morning. Well, the evenings and nights are still an option. Going out in the dark with clear skies means stars. It is amazing walking out of the night lights of the city and into the darkness of nature with a friend and seeing all the amazing stars above you. You could even take a camera with you and capture the magic of darkness. 

Once you’ve found the motivation to get outside then there are some steps you should take to keep safe and comfortable though! 

If you’re going out in the dark, then make sure you take a mate. Even though the night can be beautiful it can also be a little dangerous. Tell people where you are going and what time you plan on being back. If you’ve got a phone, be sure to take it with you so you can get in touch with anyone if something is to go amiss. Take a torch (or flashlight for those of you in the US) so you don’t trip up or get lost. 

You’ve got to make your outing as comfortable as possible too, and the key to that is layers and grippy shoes. Winter ground can be slippy and a fall in the mud is not what you want. Get yourself a pair of good boots with some grippy soles and then you can stomp through the mud, snow and frosty grass without any bother. When it comes to staying warm you need layers like an onion and an ogre (PS if you haven’t watched Shrek you should). Wrap up warm with thermals, jumpers, coats, hats, fluffy socks and gloves! My girlfriend just crocheted me an amazing hat so if you’re feeling creative you could even make yourself something warm and cosy!

These are my top tips for getting motivated and getting outside safely this winter! I’d love to hear back from you guys about how you get on with my challenge (sadly, I don’t have a prize for the winner, but I can guarantee it’ll make you feel great!). Please share your tips and favourite bits of winter with me on our social media pages! 

 By Abrar Hasanat

 In this new age of social media and newsfeeds, memes are a part of everyone’s lives. From the elderly people to the kids, everyone is at least familiar with these fascinating images, videos, gifs, etc. Last night, while going through my timeline filled with memes of hundreds of templates on thousands of topics – something hit me. Even a couple of months ago – we went through a phase or a “trend” that is completely forgotten about. These trends surely have an impact on our overall lifestyle (at least for a short period). 

Once the trends used to go about for years, eventually making its way into the tradition or culture of the people. Some of these went on for so long that they are even remembered today as icons of that specific era. For example, the iconic Elvis era’s fashion legacy which made the entire country follow it, or the disco trend which went on for the entirety of the 70s can be considered.

  1970s disco trend and the Elvis fashion

So what changed within a couple of decades? A lot of things if I’m being honest. But since I was looking at memes – a thought came to my mind “Did these memes play a part in this rapid change of trends?” And after a little bit of research – the results I received were quite unexpected.

Let’s start with – what are memes? I bet that when most people hear the word ‘meme’ they think of the Internet and the viral images or videos, often recreated for the purpose of entertainment. This is somewhat right as per the dictionary meaning of the word. The first meme could be found dating back to 1921, in an edition of “The Judge” magazine published by the University of Iowa. 

The first-ever meme in “The Judge” magazine

The name was coined in Richard Dawkins' 1976 book The Selfish Gene. The meaning of this word was “an element of a culture or system of behavior passed from one individual to another by imitation or other non-genetic means”. Not that deep, is it? 

Memes actually have a bigger impact

But actually, memes often have a way bigger impact than we usually think. Be it consciously or subconsciously, our minds are influenced and sometimes even manipulated by these. The memes work as instructions for building our behaviors, beliefs, and emotions in our brain about a certain topic. This doesn’t necessarily mean that these are bad or harmful in any way – heck, sometimes it is actually good for us. However, these still can manipulate our point of view in several ways.

Don’t believe that these harmless memes have an impact on us? Then ask yourself – how many times have you seen a meme about a certain object or literally anything and tried the same? Just look at these – Paramount Pictures and SEGA had to change the entire animation of Sonic the Hedgehog movie due to the overly circulated memes, Drake’s “In My Feelings” got millions of extra views due to the ‘kiki do you love me’ memes and challenges, the sudden rise (and fall) of fidget spinners or Vetements t-shirt, the innocent “Pepe the Frog” becoming the face of alt-right propaganda or even Andrew Yang getting huge popularity for the 2020 presidential election. All of these seem unrelated in the beginning but if we look into it – one thing is mutual in all of these and that’s every single one was made viral through memes.

So, we can see that whether we knew it or not – memes do impact our point of view and activities. From the entertainment industry to the fashion industry to economics to the actual Presidential Election – memes played a role in everything and occasionally even changed or manipulated our opinions regarding certain matters. And to cope up with this change – we try to change our own culture and in a way our overall outlooks – because hey, we need to stay trendy right?

And the professionals from literally every industry are trying to take advantage of this “meme phenomenon”. They’re trying to publicize their products or movies or songs or their clients through these meme cultures and it has been extremely successful in the recent past. Even the activists are using this method to raise awareness amongst the people. Just look at the environmental activists - they started using memes to connect to the younger generation and the support has been quite incredible. It’s been a viral meme concept for the last couple of years and has reached millions of people.

People of this age are always ready to change their outlooks overnight and what better way to do it than memes. They know that one viral meme with their product will have better publicity than a hundred thousand dollars worth of campaigning or a vastly circulated meme would do more for raising awareness than most other ways. However, there’s a risk factor to it – like the Sonic Hedgehog one where they had to change their product completely due to public outrage backed by memes. Yet, it’s a calculated risk and almost everyone seems to be willing to take it. 

How these are circulated or made viral though and why does it change so often? Well none of us can deny that people get ideas and inspirations and beliefs from other people. They learn from other people. But, what if they want to replicate those ideas in their own methods? Maybe they liked the idea and wanted to adopt it or have a way to improve it. And memes allow people to do just that. It helps you to put your ideas and inspirations into other works and voilà, you have your very own creation.

But how do the trends change almost overnight with these memes? It’s almost like the “Game of telephone” – the words and theme of the meme get changed every single time someone puts their idea into it. Amongst the millions of memes being circulated every day, a couple become viral with a little bit of luck and that meme keeps on changing our overall outlook.

That’s it from me. Don’t get me wrong though – I’m all in for memes and in no way am saying that these are harmful or should be avoided. These are a form of healthy entertainment and surely have a lot of positives. I just wanted to show how memes have reshaped our overall outlook of everything. It plays a role, a crucial one if I’m being honest, in a lot of sectors both directly and indirectly. With this being the age of rapid changes, social media, and trends – memes might stick around for a long time. Thus, whether we like it or not – memes have changed our overall outlook on everything.

THE ANIMALS YOU ASKED FOR

WE ASKED YOU SOME QUESTIONS ON INSTAGRAM AND HERE ARE THE RESULTS

AS WELL AS ANSWERS BY OUR WRITER PRESTON BRUNK.

WHAT DO YOU PREFER?

47% Fur 33% Exoskeleton 20% Feathers 0% Scales

Preston:

I prefer feathers. I think birds are some of the coolest species in the world and have various different color patterns and sizes from flying birds to flightless birds, floating birds to swimming birds, wing beats that are unable to be seen by the human eye. Their migration patterns all over the world can happen in a matter of days or hours!

DO YOU LIKE ANIMALS THAT LIVE ON LAND OR IN WATER?

69% Land 31% Water

Preston:

I am a fan of animals that live in the water. All types of fish are incredible to me and that's why we need to think about what we do to our waterways and how we can manage them better!

IF YOU COULD TALK TO ONE SPECIES OF ANIMAL, WHICH WOULD YOU PICK?

WHAT ANIMALS DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT?

(Facts are quotes or paraphrasing from the source listed)

SLOTHS

• Sloths only urinate/defecate once a week; however they do their business at the same place every time making them vulnerable to predators.

• Contrary to their reputation, sloths only sleep about 10 hours a day. (They sleep more in captivity.)

• Algae grow on their fur, which camouflages them green.

• Sloths diets consist mostly of leaves which gives them minimal energy and nutrition.

• Sloths can retain their grip after death.

https://www.globalanimal.org/2014/06/17/15-surprising-sloth-facts/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwit_8BRCoARIsAIx3Rj6R9hmzvYolfQ7zop1WyelAbdrk3bGnwS5_hruh3PqrPXHHWkzRR1YaAlpbEALw_wcB

BIRDS OF PARADISE

• There are more than three dozen (36) species in the birds of paradise family.

• Birds of paradise are found in New Guinea and surrounding islands; you can also find some in Australia.

• Most are distinguished by striking colors and bright plumage of yellow, blue, scarlet, and green.
  Birds of paradise are so attractive that their appearance once made them the target of skin hunters, who decimated some species.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/group/birds-of-paradise/

BLUE WHALE

• The blue whale is the largest animal inhabiting the earth. They are about the length of three school buses and the heart alone is the size of a small car. There are records of individuals over 100 feet (30.5 m) long, but 70-90 feet (23-27 m) is probably average. An average weight for an adult is 200,000 to 300,000 pounds 

• Blue whales have been found in every ocean of the world, except for the Arctic.

• Females give birth to calves every two to three years. They remain pregnant for about one year before giving birth.

• Blue whales can eat up to 6 tons (12,000 pounds) of krill a day during a feeding season!

• The blue whale was too swift and powerful for the 19th century whalers to hunt, but with the arrival of harpoon cannons, they became a much sought after species for their large amounts of blubber. With protection, today, there are between 5,000-10,000 blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere and about 3,000-4,000 blue whales in the Northern Hemisphere. 

https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/education/marine-mammal-information/cetaceans/blue-whale.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwit_8BRCoARIsAIx3Rj5Rw3PwMoROvzzKufen8Hp0KtAObMurJbIKctU335o5tsfwtX-OMgYaAg2CEALw_wcB

JUST ABOUT ANY SEA ANIMAL: We picked the SEA PIG for you!

• Sea pigs are not actually pigs, but sea cucumbers. 

• Sea cucumbers are invertebrates with soft, elongated cylindrical bodies around 4-6 inches long—kind of like a bloated, water-filled sausage.

• Sea pigs live in some of the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean. They also have water-filled, fragile bodies that nearly disintegrate when brought up from these extreme depths, ranging anywhere from 4,000 to 16,000 feet below the surface.

• Deep-sea predators don’t try to eat sea pigs because their skin is laced with poison. But parasites pose a threat!

• Sea pigs are valiant protectors of baby king crabs, who clutch onto sea pigs for protection.

• We don’t know much about the cute odd creatures because they are so hard to study.

https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/07/03/everything-need-know-sea-pigs/

Preston was also curious about specifically deep sea marine species! Here’s why:

There is something about their ability to survive where light does not exist besides the light radiating from some of their bodies.

We agree! What a different world to imagine from what we experience!

KOALA

• Koalas aren’t bears – they’re marsupials!

• The koala has strong cartilage at the end of their curved spine, allowing them to make eucalyptus trees a comfortable home.

• Their special fibre digesting organ, called a caecum, helps to detoxify the chemicals in the eucalyptus leaves which are poisonous to most animals.

• Like sloths, koalas sleep a lot (up to 18 hours a day!) because they don’t get much nutrients from leaves. 

• Many koala populations are faced with nowhere to go when their forest habitat is destroyed by deforestation. Just in the last two years, tree-clearing has tripled in New South Wales, leaving important koala habitats incredibly fragmented or completely lost.

https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/10-interesting-facts-about-koalas#gs.ju3s1b

WASPS

• There are around 30,000 identified species of wasps.

• They come in every color imaginable, from the familiar yellow to brown, metallic blue, and bright red. Generally, the brighter colored species are in the Vespidae, or stinging wasp, family.

• All wasps build nests created from wood fibers scraped with their hard mandibles and chewed into a pulp.

• Wasps are divided into two primary subgroups: social and solitary. Social wasps account for only about a thousand species. 

• Despite the fear they sometimes evoke, wasps are extremely beneficial to humans. Nearly every pest insect on Earth is preyed upon by a wasp species, either for food or as a host for its parasitic larvae. Wasps are so adept at controlling pest populations that the agriculture industry now regularly deploys them to protect crops.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/wasps/

IF YOU COULD BE AN ANIMAL, WHICH WOULD YOU BE?

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