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Relearning Patience: How Speed and Convenience Contribute to Climate Change

Since the industrial revolution, the pace of American life has increased dramatically. And while higher speeds have led to many sources of progress in the American economy, they have also led to impatience, an impatience that shines brightest in the online marketplace, and one that proves costly for the environment. According to United States Census […]

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The Collective Action Problem

Two alleged criminals are locked in cells on opposite sides of a jail. The police enter each cell separately and tell each criminal they have gathered enough evidence to convict them of a minor crime that will land them one year in prison. If one of the prisoners reveals key evidence to convict the other […]

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Climate Change and the Rise of Zoonoses

In some parts of the world, Covid-19 has seemed to disappear. In other parts, people wonder if the pandemic will ever end. As a result of Covid-19, global economies have crashed, emission levels have sunk only to spike right back up, and ultimately, the state of the earth has been forever altered. This pandemic has […]

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The DDT Paradox: Persistently Toxic, Yet Still in Use

Rachel Carson published the bestselling book Silent Spring in 1962, which alerted the world to the dangers of excessive pesticide use. She called special attention to dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane (DDT) as one of the most environmentally devastating varieties. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DDT was highly effective at preventing insect-borne diseases like malaria and typhus […]

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Eco-terrorism in the United States: Tainting the Name of Environmentalism

On July 21, 1997 in Redmond, Oregon, a massive fire broke out at the Cavel West slaughterhouse. That day, five individuals drilled holes in the walls of the slaughterhouse and filled them with flammable liquid, as well as planted other incendiary substances around the buildings. Cavel West was owned and funded by a Belgian company […]

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Fighting Disease with Medicines from the Sea

Humans have recognized nature’s health benefits since ancient times. Many of today’s most important medicines were inspired by the natural world. Yet, nature is more than a source of inspiration. The natural processes in nature provide a model for treating some of the world’s most serious diseases. Today, scientists search for new sources of natural […]

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Environmental Generational Amnesia: How We Normalized Climate Change

The concept of nature is ever-changing alongside advancement in human civilization. It is a subjective experience of the environment shaped by those who came before us. Each generation views nature differently due to the dynamic state of the world. However, gradual urbanization has led to a perception of nature which is detached from reality.  It’s […]

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The Bitter Truth about Food Waste

Approximately 133 billion pounds of food, valued at $161 billion, is wasted in the United States annually, accounting for up to 40% of the country’s entire food supply. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that this surplus of food calories could feed 154 million people yearly, despite only 35 million Americans being considered food […]

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The Race to Curb Stormwater Runoff

A wet, heavy snow falls. It accumulates on sidewalks and roads, creating perfect conditions for cars to skid out of control and for people to slip and fall. Dump trucks spray salt and sand on roads. Rock salt is dispersed onto sidewalks and walkways. It continues to snow, but the sidewalks and roads stay clear, […]

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The Rise of Geothermal Energy in Iceland

A hundred years ago, Iceland was one of the poorest countries in Europe. However, one day in 1907, an Icelandic farmer accidentally made a game-changing discovery: steam could be taken from a nearby hot spring and transported to his house through a pipe to heat his home. By 1930, this process, which was used to […]