there are few people alive today who can remember a time without antibiotics. ever since alexander fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, we’ve relied on antibiotics to save us from all sorts of dangerous bacterial infections. a professor at the milken institute school of public health at the george washington university with a ph.d. in environmental health sciences from johns hopkins university, price warns that we might be losing the power of these life-saving drugs.

we’re already seeing the ramifications of antibiotic resistance. the centers for disease control reports that every year at least 2 million people in the united states become sick with infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria — infections that kill 23,000 americans each year.

this is a problem. and according to price, the solution is on your plate.

antibiotics are used in food animals for three different reasons: to treat sick animals (therapeutic use), to prevent the spread of infections (preventive or control use), and to promote growth and production in food animals. few people argue against therapeutic use; even price agrees that drugs are needed to treat infections. but as much as 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the united states end up going to healthy animals.

defenders of large-scale antibiotic use in food animals say that restricting the use of antibiotics in the agricultural industry would make it harder for veterinarians and farmers to do their jobs. it could limit veterinarians’ ability to treat sick animals, and make it harder for food distributor’s to ensure food safety in the meat we feed to our families.

thankfully, consumers have the ability to make their own decisions about antibiotic use in food production, and act on these decisions in their daily lives.

consumers can make a difference. we’re already seeing the power of supply and demand first hand; walmart, the icon of big food business, began offering organic food at affordable prices when the retailer teamed up with wild oats earlier this year.

here’s what concerned consumers can do:

• look for “organic” and “antibiotic free” labels in the grocery store.
• talk to distributors at your local farmers market. ask how they use antibiotics on their farm.
• don’t be afraid to ask restaurants where their food comes from. restaurants are in the service industry — let suppliers know that there is a demand for sustainable food.
• use the hashtag #stopsuperbugs to join the conversation on social media. 

every thursday at 6 o’clock, i meet a friend of mine at our favorite local sushi restaurant. and every thursday at 6 o’clock, the two of us share our favorite rolls – spicy scallop, rainbow, salmon and avocado – and stories at a high top table in the small, second-story establishment, a hidden gem situated above a drug store on a quaint neighborhood street. we started this ritual almost six months ago, and we’ve been meeting once a week, every week since.

i never thought about where my seafood was coming from. and i definitely never thought that it might run out.

according to recent reports, overfishing is a big problem, and my sushi might run out before i know it – maybe even before my friend and i can introduce our grandchildren to the traditional dish.

already, 84% of fish stocks in the world are fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted. another 1% is currently recovering from depletion. this is the effect of overfishing – which itself stems from many different causes. if we don’t do something, experts from science believe that all of our fisheries will collapse by 2048– and then what?

forget about my sushi dates; what about the 1 billion people worldwide, primarily living in developing countries, who depend on fish as their main source of protein?

hopefully we never find out.

if we can cut back on overfishing, we might be able to reverse this trend. after all, the atlantic bluefin tuna was projected to disappear by 2012, but two years later, the fish is still found on seafood menus- though it remains on the endangered species list. illegal fishing, the blurry property rights in fisheries, lack of regulation, persisting government subsidies, and other fishing practices all contribute to the problem.

the average consumer doesn’t need to lose sleep over pirates or international maritime law, though. instead, seeking out sustainably fished or farmed seafood in the supermarket and in restaurants is a good place to start.

here are some tools for the sustainable seafood shopper:

• look for the marine stewardship council label. fish with the msc label comes from a certified sustainable fishery.
• consult national geographic’s sustainable seafood guide – which ranks different types of fish by sustainability and health benefits.
• check out seafoodwatch.org, which also has a helpful guide to choosing sustainable seafood. they even have a special section for sushi lovers like me!

as for my weekly sushi ritual? i did my research: my favorite sushi joint serves msc certified sustainable salmon, chooses sustainable seafood “as much as possible,” and has removed bluefin from at least its most recent seasonal menu. looks like i can keep up this tradition – for now.

titusville isn’t only slowing down. it’s heating up, too. but my family and friends shouldn’t get too excited. this doesn’t necessarily mean more beach days on the space coast. in fact, the effects of warmer temperatures might even keep people away from the beach.

there are only a few things that keep floridians off the water.

we stay away from the water when the algae blooms get out of control, making the coastal air both unsafe and unpleasant to breathe. on the lagoon, the stench of miles worth of dead sea grass and hundreds of dead manatees, pelicans, and dolphins is enough to keep even the most dedicated boater away. and what good is fishing during a bloom anyway? your bounty will be unsafe to eat. as temperatures rise, the chances of these blooms only grow.

we’ll have no choice but to stay away when rising sea levels reshape our coastline as we know it. according to the national climate assessment, sea levels will rise a projected one to four feet in the next century. that’s over the course of 100 years, but we’ve already seen our beaches reshaped – or, to state it more accurately, entirely eroded – by hurricane sandy in 2012. two years later, authorities are still trying to restore our beaches.

but aren’t we floridians used to storms? we all know what it’s like to evacuate in bumper-to-bumper traffic up i-95. we all know the routine of moving our plants and lawn furniture inside, taping and boarding our windows, living in darkness when the power goes out and our windows are boarded up. we all know the cost of a flooded living room, a ravaged pool screen, or a fallen tree. we’ve all been to a hurricane party. yeah, maybe we’re used to storms, but are we ready for the economic consequences as storms become stronger and more frequent?

since 1980, florida has been hit by 23 storms that cost $1 billion or more. we cannot forget hurricane andrew in 1992. we must remember 2004, when florida was hit by four hurricane-strength storms in five weeks. as weather warms, chances of category 4 and 5 hurricanes only increase, putting not only our safety, but our economy – already fragile since the end of the shuttle program in 2011 – at risk. if we don’t act now, just one big storm could devastate our homes, our schools, our jobs, and yeah – even our beach days.

sometimes, i’m alone – in rhythm with only my breath and my thoughts. other times, i’m with a friend, sharing stories and jokes as our strides fall in step with one another. in either case, this time is sacred.

i’m a runner, and for me, there’s nothing better than a crisp morning, when the air is fresh, the sun is peaking over the horizon, and my legs are light.

but this isn’t always the case.

some days, when the smog is thick and my phone buzzes with an air quality warning, i know running outdoors won’t only be unpleasant; it would be unsafe. when this happens, i worry for the possibility of a day that we reach the point of no return- a day pollution holds us hostage not once or twice a summer, but every day of the year.

that doesn’t have to be the case.

most of us would love to cut our carbon footprint in half – i know i would – but it just isn’t convenient. we want to drive in cars, fly in planes, and eat exotic fruits that only grow on the other side of the world. i’m lucky enough to live in a city with great public transportation and a wealth of eco-friendly ride-sharing options. but many americans don’t have these choices.

census data shows that, in all but 7 states, three-quarters of americans drive to work alone. well, i don’t know anyone who loves their commute, but commuting is a necessary evil. we could demand an increase in public transportation options, but that takes a lot of time, money, and – wait for it – government intervention.

so, if we can’t take millions of cars off the road, what can we do right now, on an individual level, to keep our air clean, and reduce our carbon footprint?

well, everybody eats.

we eat to celebrate. we eat to nurture. we eat to survive.

we also eat selectively – it seems like everyone has a dietary restriction these days. planning a dinner party with my friends is a unique challenge, and more often than not it results in a sort of potluck of new dietary options. i’ve tried a friend’s gluten-free chickpea blondies. they’ve tried my tofu arrabiata sauce. most of these dietary choices were made for personal, health-related reasons, but what i’ve learned recently is that the food we eat doesn’t just impact us; it impacts the planet. big time.

just this summer, a group of researchers in the uk published a study that compared the carbon footprints associated with different diets: meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. turns out, eliminating meat from your diet can reduce your carbon emissions by half. a vegan diet was associated with the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions – 99 percent to 102 percent less than meat-eaters – but even switching from meat and poultry to fish can slash your dietary emissions by 50 percent.

before learning about this study, i never thought about how my diet – i’m a pescatarian; i eat a predominantly plant-based diet with the occasional seafood meal – impacted anyone but myself (and my dates when they suggested going out for barbecue or a steak dinner – awkward). i always figured that what i put into my body was a personal decision, but it turns out that it is quite the public concern.

the good news is, it’s getting easier to find healthy and delicious meatless options. whole foods, as well as schools across the nation, participate in meatless monday. once-hated vegetables, such as brussel sprouts, are making a comeback at dinner tables and on trendy restaurant menus; celebrity chef josé andrés is even opening a veggie-centric fast casual joint in washington, d.c. next year. on the internet, countless blogs and message boards create an online community and endless ideas for meatless fare.

every night, after washing my face and penning a quick journal entry, i climb in bed. i lay there for a moment, reflecting on the day, and, most likely, already thinking about my next meatless meal. and as i close my eyes, i hope for a crisp morning with fresh air, the sun peaking over the horizon, a lightness in my legs. as i drift into a slumber, i get excited for the next day’s run.

the miliken institute school of public health is the fourth building at the george washington university to include a green roof. a green roof is exactly what it sounds like: a rooftop covered with special absorbent soil and seedum plants. green roofs keep urban areas cool by reflecting sunlight that would otherwise by absorbed into the traditional black tar roof. this prevents urban heat islands, which is what we call a metropolitan area that is warmer than the surrounding communities. they also keep water sources clean by absorbing rainwater that would otherwise become stormwater runoff, potentially causing sewage overflows.

why does this matter? while green roofs alone probably won’t change washington’s climate or put a stop to all pollution, they certainly help. just one acre of green roof can absorb 630,000 gallons of rainwater each year. there are 6,200 acres of rooftop in dc; if every roof was green, we could prevent 3.9 billion gallons of stormwater runoff every year.

erica halvorson is a senior at the george washington university majoring in journalism and mass communication.