Blogs
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The Power of Renewables: Shaping a Sustainable Future
As the world grapples with the existential threat of climate change, renewable energy isn’t just a trendy alternative to fossil fuels — it’s a lifeline. From the shimmering panels of solar farms to the steady whir of offshore wind turbines, these clean energy sources have gone from niche solutions to global necessities. Renewable energy’s greatest
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Picher, Oklahoma: A Ghost Town’s Environmental Legacy
Once, Picher, Oklahoma was a bustling mining town — essential for the U.S. war effort, vital to the economy, and a place where families lived side by side with industry. But today, it stands as a haunting monument to the dangers of unchecked resource extraction. Situated at the heart of the Tar Creek Superfund site,
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Preserving Our Planet: The Critical Role of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the heartbeat of our planet. From the lush, vibrant Amazon Rainforest to the underwater wonderlands of coral reefs to the wetlands in Florida, biodiversity, or the variety of life on Earth, undergirds everything from the air we breathe to the food we eat. But human activity is stomping out this irreplaceable natural wealth.
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A Toxic Tour Through Picher
A couple days ago I drove through Picher, Oklahoma as members of L.E.A.D. Agency gave a toxic tour. During this tour, we discussed the history of all the sites we had visited, their current states, and ways in which these sites are being remediated. There were quite a few sites that stood out to me
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How can we Preserve Biodiversity?
First, let’s answer the question: “What is biodiversity?”. Biodiversity is the term encompassing the variety of life, such as variety in species, in genes, and even ecosystems. This is a critical aspect of nature because it provides stability to an ecosystem, and greater resistance to disasters and disease. The main threats to biodiversity are habitat
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Where are Microplastics From? How can we Reduce Their Prevalence?
Microplastics are found all over the world. In modern times, almost every single house will contain multiple sources of microplastics. Even the clothes you are wearing right now could be contributing microplastics to the environment. If you are wearing polyester, each time you move or brush something off your shirt, hundreds of microplastics would float
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Nuclear Energy and the Environmental Destruction that it Causes
You have probably heard of nuclear energy before. Ask yourself, was it painted as an amazing new innovation in the field of energy, or as a source of extremely harmful environmental contaminants, or both? Well, if you haven’t heard of its dangers, I am here to tell you about them. If you have, then maybe
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How Mining Contaminants Enter our Food Chain
Growing up in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), I was taught to not play in the dirt or creeks. This was a common rule among families because the soil and water were all potential sources of heavy metal poisoning. Of course, as a child we didn’t know this was the reason. We just thought that
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My Experience at The 27th Annual Tar Creek Conference
It’s my first time at a conference. I feel nervous, not sure what to expect. I get there and I realize I am going to present my research in less than 30 minutes. The nerves start to kick in and I wonder if people are going to like it. The time comes, I walk in
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Tiny Plastics, Big Problem: The Unseen Threat of Microplastics
They’re in our oceans. In our food. In our blood. Microplastics have slipped through the gaps of modern life and settled everywhere. The scary part is most of us never even notice. Microplastics are smaller than five millimeters, often the result of larger plastics breaking down from exposure to sunlight, water, and time. Some are
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Soil Health: The Silent Crisis Beneath Our Feet
Soil is more than just dirt. It’s actually a living, breathing ecosystem that sustains nearly all life on land. And yet, we treat it like it’s disposable. From over-farming to chemical overuse, human activity is degrading soil faster than it can recover. The result? A silent environmental crisis that threatens food security, water quality, and
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How Pesticides Affect the Plants They’re Supposed to Protect
When we think of pesticides, we usually think of protection — a chemical shield designed to keep pests and weeds at bay, ensuring that our crops grow strong and healthy. But what if the very chemicals we spray to protect plants are actually harming them? Pesticides — including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides — are widely
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The Future of Food
In the center of the U.S. Midwest, where vast plains of corn once reached their hands all the way to the horizon, farmers are facing an unexpected future. Events like flash floods, drier springs, and burning hot summers are making planting seasons unpredictable and crop yields unreliable. Some growers in Illinois and Iowa are already
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