Jennifer is the only entertainer recognized for the 2020 award in one of its four categories, the rest being: public service, healthcare and business. She proudly represents both the US and her place of birth, China. Her career has seen her engaged in a plethora of activities to help protect and conserve the environment, including some highlights like being part of beach cleaning efforts in Miami Florida and Sabah Malaysia; donating and preparing meals for endangered wild marine animals in Puerto Rico; cleaning and repainting bridges in Chicago’s Chinatown; promoting the use of water filters to reduce plastic bottle use; recently creating a music video related to COVID-19 which has received wide views to raise public awareness and to encourage hygienic practices; donating proceeds of music releases to charities such as WWF, NMH and various COVID-19 respond funds; cleaning up looted storefronts in downtown Chicago, and much more.
In an exclusive email interaction with StartUp Terminal, Jennifer Zhang shares present projects she’s working on and her future goals.
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| Jennifer Zhang |
Excerpts:
ST: How do you feel after winning the 2020 Global Clean environment awards?
Jennifer: I am very honored and humbled to be selected as a winner in Entertainment Category for 2020 Global Clean Environment Awards! I am thankful of the organizers for gracing me with such an incredible international honor. There’s never enough what we can do to give back to our mother earth. Let’s cherish our planet, and continue our work towards a cleaner, healthier and more beautiful environment globally. Together we can make a difference!!!
ST: According to you what is the biggest environmental threat in the world at present?
Jennifer: The biggest environmental threat in the world right now is the amount of, trash waste and toxins our human is putting into our air, water and land. The amount of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased “from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years. Causes cited were the burning of fossil fuels, intensive agriculture and other human activities, according to NASA. Besides, 9 million tons of plastic sintering to our ocean every year, according to The Global Risks Report. The report points out that plastic pollution is so great in 2018 already that micro-plastics is found in 83% of tap-water in the world. Chemical pollution from agriculture and industries is another problem where plants and animals are killed or are affected by toxins.
ST: What do you think a common person can do to help the environment?
Jennifer: Yes, YOU and I can make a big difference and can help protect this planet we call Earth. First of all is stop littering. when we go hiking or go to the beach please do not leave trash, packagings or plastic bottles behind. We can also help clean up the area by picking up trash, fishing lines and plastic bottles that we see. Also it is good to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic bags and plastic bottles. I encourage you to use a water filter in replace of plastic bottles on a daily basis. Glass bottles can be recycled and reused. Other action items include saving the electricity and water; biking to work or carpooling when possible; refusing to eat, trade and hunt wild animals; disposing hazardous waste properly; The list is endless. Let’s start small and do our part just by changing our daily habits. Helping clean the environment is easier than you might think. Please remember our 3Rs: Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
ST: What projects at present are you working on?
Jennifer: In the Coronavirus global pandamic crisis, as a musician and social media influencer with more than 55k followers on Instagram, I have recently created a music video related to COVID-19, which has received close to 7k views and more than 300 likes on Youtube to help raise public awareness and to encourage social distancing and hygienic practices. I have also donated proceeds of my music releases to charities such as WWF, NMH and various COVID-19 respond funds. In the midst of Black Lives Matter movement, I have also volunteered and cleaned up looted neighborhood in downtown Chicago. Some of my other immediate projects include being part of beach cleaning efforts in Miami Florida and Sabah Malaysia; donating and preparing meals for endangered wild marine animals in Puerto Rico; cleaning and repainting bridges in Chicago’s Chinatown; promoting the use of water filters to reduce plastic bottle use, and much more.
ST: What are your future goals? Do you have any message for the present young generation?
Jennifer: I will continue my work as a musician, model and social media voice, while contributing to environmental and other causes in the months and years to come. We must perserve and continue perserving our planet earth. No action is too small and let’s do our part by adhereing to our 3Rs, that is, reducing, reusing and recycling, in our everyday lives. Helping clean the environment is helping ourselves. Together we can make a difference in making our environment cleaner, healthier, and more beautiful for all of us.
