The Emerald Review
Climate change is an existential threat — its rampant destructive effects pervade the continental United States in ways that can no longer be ignored. As highlighted by the World Economic Forum, Newman and Noy (2023) estimated that climate change is costing the world $16 million per hour, with extreme weather events, habitat loss, pollution, and […]
The land that Boston University sits on is man-made. One-sixth of the land in Boston was built on land that was once underwater. Places such as the Seaport District, East Boston, and parts of the Downtown Waterfront are all built on filled land. On the positive side, creating more land has many benefits: harbor improvements, […]
The modern United States has completely abandoned the idea of an agrarian society. We rely almost entirely on large industrial grocery stores to import our food from all around the globe. The idea of planting and completely sustaining your family from homegrown food seems insane and unrealistic. The emerging concept of community gardens has changed […]
In her freshman year at Boston University, Iffany Zou’s professor prompted her to pursue a passion project. Zou, who had seen a mass amount of overconsumption on campus, knew immediately what she wanted to tackle. She collected donated clothing in a bin outside of her Kilachand Hall dorm room. When the donations piled up, she […]
The sugar industry has been sheltered in the United States since the 19th century, safeguarded by various protectionist trade barriers. Now, it has snowballed into Big Sugar, subsidized by the government and intended to benefit a small margin of Americans: producers and processors of sugar. This sweet empire is guarded at the expense of the […]
The ocean is one layer of the biosphere that is heavily affected by human-made climate change. More than half of all marine species are at risk of extinction by the next century. (How Is Climate Change Impacting the World’s Ocean?) There are many different problems, some having unimaginable scopes of issues. The Ocean Cleanup, a […]
Wearing bright blue t-shirts with their motivations for protesting written across the front — their kids, the future, and Earth itself — climate activists from the group Extinction Rebellion Boston stopped traffic in front of South Station on the morning of September 21. More than 35 activists held signs and banners that read, “Governor Healey […]
Coastal cities have played a crucial part in societal development throughout human history. Necessary for trade purposes and access to coastal resources, civilizations have been built off of their coastal urban centers. As a result of this historical trend, ocean ecosystems are continuously forced to adapt to human activity. One aspect of anthropogenic activity that […]
Plastic packaging is everywhere and in almost every product sold on the shelves. Walking down the aisles of grocery stores and merchandise retailers, each individually sold item is wrapped and packaged in plastic containers, boxes, and bags—the majority being single-use plastics. By the end of a typical grocery run, the customer walks out with an […]
Nature reserves that safeguard native biodiversity are not only critical for climate change mitigation, but also for our mental health. A few aspects of well-being come to mind: calmness, fresh air, and sunlight. What many don’t realize is that the health benefits of nature extend beyond ideas of recreation, gardening, ecosystem maintenance, and colorful landscapes. […]