Note: As of April 6th, 2018, Duke has indefinitely delayed its plans for a new CHP plant, as described here. This post was written as a class assignment prior to that announcement, as well asContinue reading
The Next Steps for North Carolina’s Plastic Bottle Recycling Plan
Recycling has always been an important part of my life. Growing up in North Carolina, I remember trips to the local recycling station and the bag of plastic bags in my kitchen that were destinedContinue reading
The Future of Renewable Energy Lies in the Hands of the Government
When people think of exciting new technologies they often think of Silicon Valley companies like Tesla and Google. However, some of the most important advances in technology are coming from government-funded projects. Many people haveContinue reading
Fracking: An Environmental Justice Issue
You hear the “slish-slosh” as millions of gallons of water, sand, and other chemicals rush beneath the surface of the Earth. You are standing by a hydraulic fracking well, one of tens of thousands distributedContinue reading
What Happens When Water is No Longer Considered a Renewable Resource?
In an era of accelerated climate change, many natural systems and processes are changing rapidly and unpredictably, and things we thought to be true about the natural world are proving otherwise. For example, the ideaContinue reading
A Freer Pass for Hunters, A Death Sentence for Elephants & Lions
There is a photo that surfaced earlier this year of Donald Trump Jr. holding an African elephant’s severed tail. It was from the very African elephant that he shot and killed during a big gameContinue reading
Green Infrastructure as an Incremental Policy Option for Houston
The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane season, described as “extremely active” by NOAA, produced ten hurricanes. Six of these hurricanes were either Category 3, 4, or 5, and for the first time in twelve years, two ofContinue reading
Pruitt’s Obsession with Superfund
Trump’s EPA has been characterized so far by its efforts to deregulate and downsize — or, according to its Administrator, Scott Pruitt, to “regulate in accordance with the law.” Since taking office in February 2017,Continue reading
The Pig Poop Problem Is Getting Out of Hand
The state of North Carolina is home to one of the largest hog industries in the country. With 2,200 hog farms across the state—second most only to Iowa— the 10 million pigs rivals the numberContinue reading
Oil and Water Don’t Mix
The Great Lakes are a critical natural resource in Michigan—and they are currently threatened by an aging oil pipeline that has the potential to destroy the regional ecosystem and economy. It is essential that theContinue reading