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Are Your Favorite Foods Bad for the Environment?
Ever wonder how your favorite foods impact the environment? Here’s a general rule of thumb: if it’s bad for you, it’s likely bad for the environment too. That’s the finding of a new study conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Minnesota (UMN). Their study marks the very first time… Read More
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Australian University’s ‘Water Battery’ Wins Global Climate Award
A brand new solar-powered air conditioning system at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, was named one of five winners at the 6th Global District Energy Climate Awards 2019, a series of awards that seek to recognize innovative and sustainable district energy systems. The ceremony was held in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Thursday, October 24.… Read More
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The Most Bike-Friendly Colleges in 2019
Whether it’s to reduce their carbon footprint, for exercise or just plain fun, more and more college students across the United States are opting to bike around campus. So, to accommodate these students, many colleges and universities have recently put a lot of time and resources towards making their campuses more bicycle-friendly. But while some… Read More
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The Increasing Value of a Degree in Sustainability
With just over a decade left to prevent irreversible damage caused by climate change, the value of a degree in sustainability has never been higher. Consumers, organizations, and businesses across all types of industries have put an unprecedented focus on becoming more sustainable. Many have already laid out substantial plans with ambitious goals. But, for… Read More
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Can Individual Efforts Really Help Solve Climate Change?
Humanity has less than 11 years to save the planet from irreversible damage caused by climate change, according to the United Nations. So, it makes sense that one of the most common topics of conversation at the recent U.N. Youth Climate Summit was, “What can individuals do to help?” Many ideas were thrown around, including… Read More
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Greta Thunberg Tours ‘Pollution Pods’ at U.N.
While 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was at the United Nations for the Youth Climate Summit, artist Michael Pinsky walked her through his “pollution pods” — an installation of five climate-controlled chambers meant to emulate the current air quality in five different cities around the world. By pumping heat and various perfumes into 19-foot-wide… Read More
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How Social Media Can Be Used to Inspire Climate Action
According to the United Nations, humanity has less than 11 years to save the planet from irreversible damage caused by climate change. Therefore, immediate and accelerated action is crucial. But, to act, people must first be inspired. Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist and renowned leader of the youth climate movement, did not choose… Read More
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UN Youth Climate Summit Shows Promise for Our Future
On September 21, young climate activists, innovators, entrepreneurs, influencers and trailblazers from all over the world gathered at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York for the first-ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit. In commanding fashion, these young leaders took the floor of the Trusteeship Council chamber and its surrounding areas to inspire change, showcase their… Read More
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Teen Activists Lead the Fight Against Climate Change
Just a little over a year ago, a 15-year-old girl missed the first day of school to stand in front of the Swedish Parliament with a “School Strike for Climate Change” sign. Under her knitted beanie and with her long double braids coming down to her chest, Greta Thunberg stood still with her mouth firmly… Read More
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How Universities, Students Can Help the World Achieve SDGs by 2030
For years, the United Nations and its member states have been striving to create a world that is more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable for all. In 2015, they set 17 specific goals, named the “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs), and provided the world’s countries with guidance on how to achieve them by 2030. The goals,… Read More
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Report Highlights the Most Sustainable Colleges and Universities
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) recently released its annual Sustainable Campus Index report, recognizing some of the world’s most sustainable colleges and universities. Topping AASHE’s list with “platinum” ratings are Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, Stanford University, UC Irvine, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Colorado… Read More
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The Amazon Is Burning: 4 Essential Reads on Brazil’s Vanishing Rainforest
Nearly 40,000 fires are incinerating Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, the latest outbreak in an overactive fire season that has charred 1,330 square miles of the rainforest this year. Don’t blame dry weather for the swift destruction of the world’s largest tropical forest, say environmentalists. These Amazonian wildfires are a human-made disaster, set by loggers and cattle… Read More
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Forest Elephants Are Our Allies in the Fight Against Climate Change
Forest elephant extinction would exacerbate climate change. That’s according to a new study in Nature Geoscience which links feeding by elephants with an increase in the amount of carbon that forests are able to store. The bad news is that African forest elephants – smaller and more vulnerable relatives of the better known African bush… Read More
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Poll: Climate Change Is the Top 2020 Issue for College Voters
College students view climate change as the most important issue in the 2020 election, according to a recent poll conducted by College Reaction and WBRU, an internet radio station based in Providence, Rhode Island. At first glance, this may come as a surprise, considering the state of student debt and the abundance of media coverage… Read More
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How Humans Derailed the Earth’s Climate in Just 160 Years
Climate change might be the most urgent issue of our day, both politically and in terms of life on Earth. There is mounting awareness that the global climate is a matter for public action. For 11,500 years, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations hovered around 280 ppm (the preindustrial “normal”), with an average surface temperature around 15°C. Since… Read More
