This past January, two years after the introduction of STARS 2.0, AASHE released a new update to the sustainability assessment system. This is the fifth update to the assessment and contains more minor changes compared to a brand new version. It is also not yet in effect, but listed as the forthcoming edition. The biggest change […]
The Oyster War: A Review
Summer Brennan presents an interdisciplinary and in-depth look into a conflict over an oyster farm. The problem is whether or not the Drake’s Bay Oyster Company should have its lease renewed to continue operations after 2012. The most impressive part of Brennan’s writing is her deep look into the history of Point Reyes and oystering on […]
In praise of artificial food — Aeon Opinions
Artificial food. That’s what humans eat. I say this to anyone who will listen. ‘Oh yes,’ comes the reply. ‘The more’s the pity. Cheap, nasty, imitation food-like substances. It’s high time to return to natural food.’ But, no, I mean artificial in its original sense of man-made, produced by humans, artfully created. Our distant ancestors […]
Five Recently Funded AgTech Startups
Phytech – A leading, Israeli-based precision farming company. Specializes in sensors that attach directly to crops that work with soil moisture and microclimate sensors to provide the most accurate condition of a certain crop. It pairs these stats with yield improving suggestions for farmers directly provided through an easy-to-use app. The company recently closed Series A […]
Technology and Environmentalism – An Overview
Reading five different articles on the role of technology in environmental movements, I have seen just how divisive an issue technology is. With BBC headlines such as “Nature and technology: friends or enemies?”, it is easy to boil down the issue into a simple dichotomy to take sides with, but there exists many, many opinions. […]
We Need a New Green Revolution – The New York Times
DESPITE the four-year drought that has parched California and led to mandatory restrictions on water use, farmers there have kept feeding the country. California produces more of 66 different food crops than any other state, $54 billion of food annually. Maintaining this level of productivity has been quite a challenge in recent years and is […]
Tim DeCristopher, The Delta 5, and Civil Disobedience
Yesterday I went to a presentation at a local Unitarian Universalist Church from environmental activist, Tim DeCristopher, who famously outbid dozens of oil companies to protect the land and make a statement on the continued use of fossil fuels. His presentation centered around the trail of the Delta 5, five activists who tied themselves to […]
Apartheid, Inequity and Urban Green Spaces
Throughout our lab project on urban green spaces we have struggled to bring the topic back to global relevance. Our preliminary work showed that most of the literature surrounding green spaces is situated in the northern hemisphere in high-income countries. This makes sense considering urban green spaces seem to be a concern for cities that […]
Conclusions On Urban Green Spaces Project
Being almost done with my group project for ENVS 220, Urban Green Spaces and Development in Portland, I have learned a lot about conducting situated research with limited resources. First, I am pretty proud of the work my whole team put in to put this project together, and I think it turned out pretty well. […]
ENVS 220 Reflection
Environmental Analysis (ENVS 220) has been a large contributor to the growth and change that I’ve gone through this semester. One of the biggest changes for me has been adapting to a bigger and more stressful workload, and 220 has had all to do with that. With all the parts of 220 existing simultaneously, labs, […]