In Marfa, Texas, prior to 2017, a house made of adobe bricks was appraised in the same way as any other house made of any other material. Now, following an update by the county tax assessors, inhabitants of adobe structures pay 57% more in taxes than other homeowners. Let’s …
In addition to its beautiful scenery, beaches, and historical sites, Central Vietnam is known for extreme flooding events that are both deadly and destructive. In 2020 alone, over 240 people were either killed or went missing due to a series of floods from October through November. Property losses were valued …
It’s a sunny summer day, and you’re looking forward to some local shopping in your sleepy Southwestern town. You soon realize, though, that it’s easier said than done—traffic is backed up to the outskirts, and the general store’s been replaced with a hotel bar. You’re outnumbered 500 to 1 by …
In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to create a standard of quality for public water systems and protect citizens from waterborne disease. Faced with the costs of drinking water filtration infrastructure and upkeep, New York City officials chose to instead adopt a watershed management program to …
On the west coast, fire season never ends. There is almost always some fire burning in California–as is shown on this map, provided by CalFire and updated in real time. When California burns, what happens to the people? This question becomes increasingly prominent as more people than ever flock to California …
What do coastal resort towns and mountainous coffee farms have in common with peri-urban Oaxaca? Other than places visited by Bard CEP during our time in Mexico this January, they are home to communities that recognize the value of nature and natural spaces and are working at the local level …
Pollution kills over 9 million people every year, and every day billions more live without access to clean water. In less than a month, the world’s leading authority on environmental issues will meet to determine ways we might meet this challenge. The upcoming United Nations Environment Programme Assembly in Nairobi will …
In the US, we use more than double the amount of water per person than any other country in the world. An estimated 57% of our public water supply is used for residential use. The most recent 2010 USGS report estimates per capita US residential water use to be 88 gallons per day (gpd), which translates …
Professor Monique Segarra is the lead faculty for our January Term in Oaxaca, Mexico. She wrote this letter on January 27, 2017. Dear All, We are having an amazing January term –in large part due to the tireless work of Sebastian. Yesterday we rested and recovered from a pretty grueling …
Climate change is often thought of purely a problem, and a scary one; but what if we reimagine climate change as a challenge, an opportunity to improve our built environment? There is much work to be done to prepare and protect ourselves from climate-related hazards. Let’s use this chance not only to protect ourselves …
