—By Leah Simmons, a rising junior at Cochise College in Southern Arizona Get over it, Kermit. These days it really is easy being green. After another crazy summer, it’s that time once again for college kids to shake it off and head back to campus to hit the books (and, um, parties). Yes, the new … Read more
Talk about a scary post to read at 1:21 am.. (Via Facebook) Desperate times call for desperate measures…such as when the city issues an “URGENT NOTICE” on Facebook in the middle of the night, warning you not to drink the water—even if boiled!—and you find yourself high-tailing it to the 7-11 at 2 a.m. to … Read more
For our regular segment on WBEZ Chicago Public Media, Alaka Wali, anthropology curator at the Field Museum, joins Kate Sackman and Jerome McDonnell to share why she believes, “engaging with art, whether viewing or making it yourself, gives you a visceral experience. This aesthetic, emotional experience [can be a] great way to engage with nature.”
Nature vs. Art? Dirt trails or marble floors. Wildflowers or gilded frames. Open sky or vaulted ceilings. Too often, we think of nature and art as unrelated experiences. One is outside, the other is inside. Appreciating one means getting dirty, the other means getting cleaned up (at least cleaner than this guy). But the way … Read more
What’s cool depends on who you’re asking. James Dean was definitely cool, Mike Posner not so much, and tree hugging—well, again, it depends who you are asking. In this episode on Worldview, Jerome McDonnell and I explored the topic of how trees cool our homes, our cities, and our planet. We invited Robert Fahey PhD, … Read more
—by Danielle Nierenberg, President, Food Tank One of the most overlooked ingredients in farming exists right beneath farmers’ feet—healthy, fertile soils. Food Tank’s mission is to dig up sustainable solutions for our food system. Unfortunately, this vital ingredient is being degraded and eroded at unprecedented rates across the world. According to the U.N. Food and … Read more
Global Warming Newsflash: Trees Make Us Cool (Like, Literally) Trees do so much to deserve our affection (hello The Giving Tree), and yet pretty much no one thinks it’s cool to come right out and hug the branchy things. In certain circles, it’s an insult to call someone a treehugger, while in many others, the … Read more
How will climate change impact trees? Scientists are exploring the possibility as we speak. (D. Simmons) Trees help make us cool in the face of global warming*. But, sturdy and steadfast as they may be, some species are showing vulnerability in our increasingly warming world. “The effects of climate change on trees will be complex,” … Read more
The author’s little brothers keeping things real with good QT outside. Getting outside is good for you! But…with endless days of summer stretching on, it’s easy enough to feel like you’re running out of ideas. So, in honor of Leave No Child Inside Month—and the beauty of sustaining outdoor fun all summer long—we decided to … Read more
In his intro to sustainable engineering classes at Northwestern University, professor Eric Masanet likes to set the tone for the semester by posing the once ubiquitous checkout question: “Paper or plastic?” For many of his eager young students, the answer seems obvious—paper breaks down fast in the environment, is easy to recycle, and comes from … Read more
