We’ve Got the Receipts: Realizing the Sustainability Goals of a Small Hudson Valley Town in 2020
I’m interning with the Town and Village of Rhinebeck and analyzing their environmental policies—at a critical time in an uncertain COVID-19 world.
Category: CEP Students
Misguided Misanthropy: Why the “Humans are the Virus” Mindset is Damaging to the Environmental Movement
We’ve all seen the tweets lately: “Humans are the real virus!” “The earth is healing in our absence” and so on. Their message is clear: humans are a plague on the earth and the current COVID-19 pandemic is a form of reckoning. Not only are some of these tweets just plain wrong, …
You May Not Be Traveling Right Now, But Your Clothes Are
Leggings and a fleece sweater may be the perfect quarantine outfit: cozy enough to compare to pajamas, but enough like real clothes that you feel proud of yourself for getting dressed. But did you know that every time you throw them on, a portion of them flies off to travel …
The Power of Nature: How Getting Outdoors can Help us Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic
As I approach the tree where the eagle often perches, I slow down to see if he’s there. When he is, I stop underneath the tree and thank that eagle for being a source of joy and a dependable community connection. This little connection with nature has been my solace …
The Mining Industry in Morocco: A Policy Paradox that Leaves Poor People Behind
Morocco holds 77% of the world’s total phosphate reserves and is the world’s largest phosphate exporter. The mining sector in Morocco, including copper and silver, represents 10% of Morocco’s GDP, with 90% coming from phosphates. Most extractive industry sites in Morocco are located in very poor villages where inhabitants are …
Remembering Climate Change in the Age of COVID-19
As we’ve shifted our attention to the global COVID-19 pandemic, is it impractical or insensitive to hope that climate change issues don’t get buried in the deluge of this more visible and frightening reality? For those of us focusing our careers on environmental stewardship, it’s our mission to …
Leadership in the Field of Pollinator Conservation in Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs
A large percentage of the world’s cranberries are produced in the United States, and Massachusetts is a leading producer among the states. Cranberries depend on pollination, and the current decline of many bee species in the northeast has increased the importance of research and leadership in the field of …
From Sustainable Economic Development to Food Systems Ag-Tech Innovation
Recent college graduates are increasingly valuing innovation, social justice, and sustainability in their professional goals. Like many other ambitious, problem solving, social justice and environmentally minded young people, I joined the U.S. Peace Corps, dedicating two years of my early professional life to international development. Any RPCV (Returned Peace Corps …
Where Have All the Fish Gone? Using Adaptive Management to Respond to an Emerging Global Crisis
When your home suddenly becomes too hot to live in, your only options are to move or die. Sounds dramatic, but that’s the situation facing many fish species as ocean temperatures rise in response to climate change. The uneven rate of ocean warming around the world, however, means that there …
Where to Turn in the Face of Freshwater Insecurity: Are Desalination Technologies a Sustainable Option?
Imagine that you wake up one morning, go over to your kitchen faucet to fill up your coffee machine, and no water comes out. How would you react? Most of us would call our water utility to ask why we aren’t being supplied with the water we pay for. However, …