USTA Speaks 8 Versión Final

USTA Speaks 

Foreign Language Institute 

February-May, 2018 

Issue 8 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 

AND 

ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES 

environmental 

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution

ON THIS NEW ISSUE 

WHY ENVIRONMENTAL 

PROBLEMS AND 

ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES? 

Editor's message 

Page 1 

THE ENVIRONMENTAL 

IMPACT OF A 

PLANT BASED DIET 

Nadira Kajmova 

Page 2 

DECIDE TO LIVE 

OR 

CHOOSE TO DIE! 

Maria Reyes Beltrán 

Page 4 

TOXIC CLEANLINESS 

Iga Jechanowska 

Page 6 

HOW CAN WE SAVE 

THE WORLD 

DIFFERENTLY? 

Louisa Hall 

Page 8 

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM 

IN COLOMBIA? 

Jefferson Díaz 

Page 11 

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, 

A RIGHT OF EVERYONE! 

Ximena del Pilar 

Cortes Noguera 

Page 13 

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR 

AND 

SEPARATE YOUR TRASH! 

Katlein Spildooren 

Page 15 

OUR ENVIRONMENT, ITS 

PROBLEMS AND THE SOURCE 

OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY 

Aneta Toborikova 

Page 17 

MOO-OVE OVER COWS! 

VEGETARIANISM 

AND 

THE ENVIRONMENT 

Marie Lilly 

Page 20 

CAPETOWN 

AND 

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO 

DAY ZERO 

Alexander Avellaneda 

Page 19 


WHY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS 

AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGIES? 

EDITOR'S MESSAGE 

Dear colleagues, students, friends and readers 

On behalf of the Foreign Languages Institute of 

Santo Tomás University in Villavicencio I would 

like to welcome all of you to our latest issue of 

USTA Speaks. 

2018 gives us a chance for change and renovation, 

as you may have noticed, our image and the way 

we present the articles has been changed for a 

more reader-friendly structure and a lighter and 

more organised presentation. This will not only 

make us more attractive but also it will allows us 

to grow permanently and professionally. 

What will you find on this new issue and why is it 

important? 

As times go by some global concerns become less 

relevant, for example, generally speaking people 

are less worried about the huge advance of 

technology and its effects on our lives and daily 

routines. However, this loss of relevance does not 

make the situation disappear which why we have 

decided to make environmental problems and 

alternative energies our focus this time. 

It is by no means that we won't want to make our 

readers feel alarmed. Talking, writing, reading 

and speaking in all scenarios about such topics 

USTA 

Speaks 

2018 

will contribute to create awareness in the general 

public, it will help us disccuss with real 

foundations of what we can do and what we need 

to do from our schools, classrooms, 

neighbourhoods and daily routines to help the 

planet. Thanks for reading us again! 

1 


THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 

OF A PLANT BASED DIET 

Nadira Kajmova 

The environment is experiencing serious 

ecological damage. It is very well recognised that 

we have a substantial impact on the environment, 

with some activities and land use being more 

harmful than others. Recent studies support the 

hypothesis that plant-based diets are 

environmentally more friendly than meat-based 

diets. Raising animals for food requires massive 

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

leading cause of climate change. If you eat vegan 

even for just one day a week, you have had a 

greater positive environmental impact. 

The increasing consumption of meat comes at a 

high cost. Each day, a person who eats a vegan 

diet saves: 

1. Water consumption. Each day, factory farms 

produce billions of pounds of manure, which ends 

up in lakes, rivers, and drinking water. It takes an 

enormous amount of water to grow crops for 

animals to eat, clean filthy factory farms, and give 

animals water to drink. Chickens, pigs, cattle, and 

other animals raised for food are the primary 

consumers of water: a single pig consumes 21 

gallons of drinking water per day, while a cow on 

a dairy farm drinks as much as 50 gallons daily. 

2. Grains. You may save up to 20 kilos of grain. 

Worldwide, at least 50% of grain is fed to 

livestock. 

3. Deforestation. Each hamburger that originates 

from animals raised on rainforest land destroys 

approximately 30 square feet of forest. 

4. Carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide, methane, and 

nitrous oxide together cause the vast majority of 

global warming. Producing a little more than 2 

pounds of beef causes more greenhouse-gas 

emissions than driving a car for three hours and 

uses up more energy than leaving your house 

lights on for the same period of time. 

anima 

2 


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 

Go vegan! 

dairy products. 

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, 

save the planet! 

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

— 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 

Change the 

world! 

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

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

3 


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 

4 

(645,000) and Pakistan. (100,000). The problem also seriously affects European cities, where it is 

estima 


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 

environment? This article pretends to make readers aware of their 

Pollution kills! 

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 

we want to make". Do you decide to live or do you choose to die? 

What kind of 

difference do 

you want to 

make? 5 


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 

affects us, but through sewage also penetrates into water: rivers, 

lakes, seas and oceans. Contaminated water reservoirs affect the 

whole environment, bearing in mind the circulating movement of 

Every day TV commercials 

remind us how important it 

is to fight against bacteria 

using cleaning products. 

But are they really the key 

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: 

6 

What can we do? 

Chlorine – not only kills dangerous bacteria, but also the “good” 

bacterial flora that protects our body. It can contribute to the forma- 


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 

7 


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 

8 


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 oneway 

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, 

Proof Copy: Not optimized for high quality printing or digital distribution 

9

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! 

10 


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. 


11

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! 


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 

· 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. 

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: 

And the international environment treaties ratified 

by Colombia are equally adopted as the 

constitutional dispositions, such as: 

· Vienna Convention for the Protection of the 

Ozone Layer. 

· 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. 

14 


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! 

15

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. 

16 


OUR ENVIRONMENT, ITS PROBLEMS AND THE 

SOURCE OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY 

Aneta Toborikova 

What are our main environmental problems? I bet 

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 

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 

topics and anyone else could really give you 

much better insight into all this. So why should I 

bother do something that I can’t do well? 

But there is one thing that I can do well. I can 

dream. I love to dream. Do you remember when 

person you want to become? 

Imagine if you could assemble your personality. 

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. 

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 

environment that you are creating around you? 

Please, go on. Imagine you are dead and people 

have to write about the world that you have 

created around you. What did you manage to 

achieve? What memories do people have of you 

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 


But I have to admit - the older I’ve grown, the 

less time I actually spend dreaming. There is 

simply no time for it. There are so many duties, 

tasks, meetings, obligations, … so many things so 

that we look busy. And yes, I mean it. Sometimes 

it seems that we are required to look busy, 

because if we don’t look busy, we don’t look 

important. If there aren’t too many important 

deadlines to fulfill, we are simply not very 

important. And we all want to look important. So 

we all do everything we can to be terribly busy. 

And when was the last time, we thought about 

what we want to become when we are more 

adults? 

When was the last time we thought of what kind 

of environment we want to make? And how can 

you become who you want to be if you have no 

time to dream it? How can you possibly be who 

you want to be if you don’t know who you want 

to be? 

Alternative energies for this world? Would you 

expect me to talk about solar panels and biofuels? 

No. I will not. Maybe, the most important 

alternative energy that we need is sitting down in 

quiet. Sitting down and dreaming about who we 

want to be and what kind of environment we want 

to create around us. And once we have dreamt 

where we want to go, we can possibly take that 

route. 

18 

What memories do people have of you 

and of the environment that you created? 


DAY ZERO AND 

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CAPE TOWN? 


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. 

19 


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 

reasons to choose a 

vegetarian diet! 

20 

countries in the world, with approximately 160 kg of meat per 

capita per year. meat has a strong presence in Llanero culture and 

dishes 


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? 

21 


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 


Front-end Developer 

Rubén Mauricio Muñoz Morales

USTA Speaks 8 Versión Final

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?