Environment

Crowd-funded Dams

     Infrastructure development is a major issue in many countries of the developing world. Countries with developing economies often suffer from a negative balance of trade and weak institutions, making lenders unwilling to lend. Governments of these countries are forced to borrow with heavy interest rates, further increasing budget deficits. This cyclical economic problem

Double Take of Ban the Bottle: FOR

This piece is part of a “Double Take”, where two parties argue on either side of a premise. A writer does not necessarily share the view they are arguing; instead, this is an exercise to fully flesh out a discussion.  The premise: “Single-serve, plastic water bottles should be banned in the United States.” I am

Double Take of Ban the Bottle: AGAINST

This piece is part of a “Double Take”, where two parties argue on either side of a premise. A writer does not necessarily share the view they are arguing; instead, this is an exercise to fully flesh out a discussion.  The premise: “Single-serve, plastic water bottles should be banned in the United States.” I am

The Science of Acclimatization (aka How to Survive at 17,000 feet)

This past November two friends and I embarked on the Three Passes Trek, a hiking trail through Nepal that crosses, you guessed it, three mountain passes. The trail experiences drastic elevation changes, ranging anywhere from 9,000 to 17,500 feet. On Day 12 of our travels, I was struggling to fall asleep in Gorakshep, a small

The Fungal Connection – They come in peace to all plantkind

The Lorax isn't the only one who speaks for the trees. In the shadow of virtually all earthly plants, an unlikely organism has woven its way into inter-species harmony, and in the process constructed a vast community more cooperative than some human societies. This microscopic diplomat is none other than the humble fungus. Contrary to

Combating Climate Change with Photosynthesis

Fossil fuels are ingrained in American history. If you have ever driven a car, flown in an airplane, or heated your home, you have used fossil fuels. These fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) account for 85% of fuel use in the United States, and our dependence on them has become an increasingly important issue.

What's the buzz on bees?

Earlier this spring, Buzz the Bee disappeared from Honey Nut Cheerios boxes in Canada. Burt's Bees dropped the letter B from its lip balm products. Are these clever marketing ploys? Perhaps, but they were designed with a more noble purpose in mind: to raise awareness of disappearing honeybees. And, it's not just companies with apian

The Storms We Wield:

The Storms We Wield: The human superpower to change the weather Her eyes turn white. Winds pick up. Lightning engulfs the sky. Marvel's Storm is brewing; you'd better hope she's fighting for you. Storm's abilities to control the weather are among the most impressive and versatile powers in the comic universe. By manipulating thermal, electric,

The Ripple Effect

How do you feed the world when the world doesn’t have the water to feed itself? — Rishi R. Masalia A finalist for the 2016 University of Georgia 3 Minute Thesis competition, Rishi R. Masalia talks about global water scarcity and how his PhD dissertation can help! If you’re interested in this topic and want

Tragedy of the Commons in the America West

In the American West, clear skies look down on a bountiful expanse of land. The rumble of bison herds is now replaced with the soft lowing of cattle and a rising dissatisfaction from those that tend them. The recent armed occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon brought issues of public land management to national

From lead to climate change: a long tradition of denialism

Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence (see previous ASO blogs on the subject, like the ones found here and here), climate change is still regularly denied by a rather large proportion of the U.S. population. Much of this denial may be traced back to certain groups and interests that benefit from the government and other players

Food Security in the 21st Century

We need to do more, faster. The food crisis is permanently harming millions of children. They need our help. This is about even more than alleviating human suffering; it is about global peace and stability. –Ban-Ki Moon, UN Secretary General, 2009 Globally, we are food insecure. Rampant food waste, coupled with climate change and unrestricted

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