Rising From the Ashes: A Deeper Look at Wildfires
It is easy to label wildfires as something to be feared. With their talent for displacing people from their homes, destroying previously lush landscapes into rubble, and creating toxic plumes of smoke, it is difficult to think of wildfires as anything but detrimental. After all, Smokey has been drilling the…
Cool for the Summer
Summertime is here! While getting some sunshine occasionally is relaxing and refreshing, waking up in the middle of the night sweating is absolutely no fun. In recent years, the summer heat has consistently reached records highs, especially this year - 124 degrees Fahrenheit in Africa, 106 in Japan, and 98…
Power Up: Generating Electricity with the Human Body
What if your morning run could charge your phone for the day? What if even the touch of your fingers or rattling around in your pocket could power your smartphone? Engineers and scientists have long been interested in the idea of using the human body to generate energy, but not…
Our Prettiest Pollutant
As one of the most eye-catching Independence Day celebrations, Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks in New York City has been the largest display across the country since the Millennial Celebration in 2000, with more than 75,000 shells and effects. The show lasted for 25 minutes across several locations on Manhattan’s…
Holy Cow! Clean Meat and the Future of Food
The meat industry is big, and it’s getting bigger. Total meat production has increased 5 fold since 1961, when the average person consumed around 22 kilograms of meat annually. In 2014, that number was as high as 43 kilograms. The average North American consumes more than 110 kilograms of meat a…
Green is the New Black
Fashion is not only what you wear to show off your personality, it’s also a worldwide industry associated with runways, models, and expensive clothes. It can be tough to keep up with the latest fashions when fashion is constantly changing, so we often find ourselves discarding old clothes for new…
The Internet Animal Trade
Since its genesis in 1991, the internet has become the world’s largest marketplace. Trillions of dollars a day are spent on everything from tea kettles to cars. Unfortunately, just as every other black market has found its place online, so too has the illegal animal trade. From niche pets like…
Caving in Sinkholes and their Formation
Florida is famous for sunshine and beaches, hurricanes, and alligators. However, it is also known for something less attractive: sinkholes. A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by the natural collapse of a surface layer. According to Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida has more sinkholes…
Not a Drop to Drink: “Day Zero” and the Cape Town Water Crisis
“Day Zero” is coming to Cape Town--the day when the city will be forced to turn off taps to private homes, and residents will line up in the morning to receive water rations. This is the day that Cape Town runs out of water. For a city of 3.78 million…
Green Infrastructure in Gotham City
In large urban areas like New York City, where most streets, sidewalks and rooftops are made up of impervious surfaces, stormwater runoff can cause huge problems. Past incidents including flooded subway and tunnels during Hurricane Sandy and water pollution in Hudson River raised awarenesses of rainfall runoff in the City.…