5 Forgotten Things To Be Thankful For On This Turkey Day

What type of food is fulfilling and has zero calories???? Food for thought!! Ha ha ha (this post was created for a class at TCNJ)

1. Chocolate

GIPHY / Via google.com

Picture this: It is Thanksgiving dinner and you are seated at the dining table eyeing that chocolatey dessert your mom strategically placed away from you. When you finally finish dinner and eagerly go to grab that piece of dessert heaven, it vanishes before you touch it *gasp* and you realize it was all a dream because chocolate no longer exists. That's right. You read the words "chocolate" and "no longer exists" in the same sentence. Due to current and anticipated climate change, cocoa-growing regions are being negatively affected, making it more difficult for cocoa trees to survive. An estimated 90% of cocoa trees are predicted to become less hospitable over the next 40 years, aka less chocolate production (Global Citizen). If proper action is not taken to combat global warming and its detrimental impact on our earth, many luxuries that we love, such as chocolate, may become obsolete. What to take away from this? Hold that snickers bar more tightly this Thanksgiving folks, as it may not be around much longer unless we become proactive citizens of our planet.

2. Education

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You know that wave of exhaustion that spreads throughout your body when you think of school? Turns out that not everyone feels that way about education! Around the world, millions of children yearn to obtain an education, the same education that many of us have the privilege to complain about. While exams and projects can make you yawn, cry, and binge Netflix stressfully (*cough Stranger Things cough*), millions of children and adults wish to have these school-related problems. Approximately 263 million children around the world are being denied an education and millions of others lack access. Instead of learning algebra, these children and adults engage in manual labor, or in the case of many girls, are sold off for money. Child marriages, gender-based violence, and sex trafficking become the norm for many of these people, rendering the idea of attending school an unattainable dream. So this Thanksgiving, before you groan about that group member that never does the work (we've all been there) or how you failed the test that hasn't even happened yet (done that too), think about all the people around the world that would move mountains to have the life and the education that you have.

3. Animals

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Do you spend hours on the internet watching panda gifs? Because I do. Look at that fluffy snowball up there rolling around. SHO CUTEEE right? Unfortunately, the internet may become the only platform through which we can see this adorable fluff, as the Giant Panda is one of the many species labeled "vulnerable to extinction". Infrastructure projects that destroy forests simultaneously destroy a panda's habitat and the bamboo trees that they munch on. Without this sustenance, panda's will cease to exist. The list, however, does not end with the Giant Panda. From chimpanzees to the Indian Elephant, thousands of species are at risk of extinction with a variety of conservation statuses ranging from "vulnerable" to "critically endangered". Climate change, pollution, and globalization directly impact the habitat of these creatures and leave them homeless or sick from ingesting plastic that was thrown into the ocean. So the next time you snuggle with your pet or litter at the beach, remember that not all animals are as safe in their homes as your pet is, and that our actions as global citizens will either help protect, or further endanger, some of the world's most exotic and marvelous creatures.

4. Water

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Before you reach for that giant bottle of wine to make Thanksgiving dinner with your relatives bearable, take a moment to thank the universe for the access you have to a basic human need: water. An estimated 800 million people around the world do not have clean drinking water. In many developing countries, the water systems are broken and people ingest dirty water daily, giving rise to multiple illnesses (Global Citizen). Although clean water may seem ubiquitous and abundant, it is a rare commodity for millions of people around the world. So this Thanksgiving dinner, cherish your water as much as you cherish your alcohol- it's cheaper and has less calories + consequences <3

5. A roof over your head

Do you ever dream about escaping your mundane office life and relaxing at the beach in San Juan or exploring El Yunque? Wellllllllll, you can't since Hurricane Maria reached Puerto Rico before you could, and decimated the island. Residents of Puerto Rico are still struggling to recover from the hurricane due to the widespread impact it had on the country's infrastructure and its people. The hurricane destroyed homes, roads, families, and the island's electrical grid, leaving it powerless. Thousands of Puerto Ricans were displaced and still lack basic resources, while the U.S. government slowly makes strides to improve this. What's even worse? When the government finally did send FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), many of the individuals that came did not know Spanish (face palm). So on this upcoming Turkey Day, take a second to appreciate that beautifully furnished ceiling of yours, as many individuals in Puerto Rico, Texas, and several regions around the world do not have the good fortune to do the same (NY Times).