Category: News & Announcements Page 2 of 9

Composting: How a Relic from Our Past could Become a Key to Our Future

Composting: How a Relic from our Past Could Become a Key to our Future

By: Davey Komisar

Chicago is often thought of as the de facto capital of the Midwest. Towering over the shores of Lake Michigan, the metropolis boasts a bustling restaurant scene, passionate sports fandoms, and a rich history of times gone by. Recently, the people of Chicago are seen as champions of environmental policy reform. [1] This week, to bolster the city’s composting levels, Chicago launched a citywide food drop-off initiative, marking the first of its kind in the city’s long history. [2]

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Florida’s Perfect Hot Tub: The Intersection of Law and Climate Change

By: Katelyn Holcomb

Florida’s Perfect Hot Tub: The Intersection of Law and Climate Change 

Florida’s coastline is celebrated for its pristine beaches, refreshing ocean water, and a diverse ecosystem of sea life. However, in July of 2023, Florida made the news in much graver circumstances.

Florida’s water temperatures usually average around 88 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.[1] However, this July, scientists recorded temperatures at 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas like Manatee Bay near Everglades National Park.[2] According to Hot Spring Spas, the ideal temperature for a hot tub measures around 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit—making Florida’s ocean water the perfect jacuzzi.[3] This unprecedented spike in ocean temperature has climate and ocean scientists alarmed, and you should be, too.

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Executive Action Remains the Federal Strategy for Environmental Justice

Ecology Law Ecology law environmental impact assessment and natural resources law and taking climate legal action and greenhouse gas reduction regulations with 3D illustration elements. environmental justice stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

By: Blythe Pabon

Executive Action Remains the Federal Strategy for Environmental Justice

On April 21, 2023, President Biden signed Executive Order 14096 to “revitalize our nation’s commitment to environmental justice for all.”[1] The Order strengthens a 1994 Clinton Executive Order, creates a new White House Office of Environmental Justice, and directs all federal agencies to make environmental justice central to their mission.[2]

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New Federal Regulation to Combat Forever Chemicals

New Federal Regulation to Combat Forever Chemicals

By: Joseph Garza

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) is proposing a rule to establish legally enforceable levels for six different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) in drinking water.[i] These standards, known as Maximum Containment Levels (“MCLs”), will set the maximum allowable amount of these six PFAS in public drinking water systems throughout the country.

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East Palestine Train Derailment: Profits Over Safety

East Palestine Train Derailment: Profits Over Safety

By: Jacob Regan

The U.S. Government is suing Norfolk Southern for environmental and public health damages caused by its train derailment in Ohio. On the evening of Friday, February 3, 2023, a train owned by Norfolk Southern derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Fifty of the train cars derailed or were affected by the derailment, and 20 of which contained hazardous substances.[1] Such substances included vinyl chloride, combustible liquids, butyl acrylate, and benzene residue.[2] Early morning Saturday, February 4, around 2:00 A.M. EST, the EPA arrived on-site to assist in clean-up.[3] On February 21, the EPA issued a unilateral administrative order, commanding Norfolk Southern to perform additional cleanup duties.[4] On February 25, a few weeks after citizens who evacuated the area returned, the EPA and other federal agencies began conducting outreach to East Palestine residents, including opening a support hotline.[5] Throughout the rest of February and March, the EPA continued interacting with the community and monitoring the air, water, and soil/sediment in the town and nearby, while pressuring Norfolk Southern to increase its measures.[6][7][8][9][10]

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Fictional Fungal Species Demonstrates Real Consequences of Global Warming

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

FICTIONAL FUNGAL SPECIES DEMONSTRATES REAL CONSEQUENCES OF GLOBAL WARMING

By: Hannah Russell

HBO’s newest hit series, The Last of Us, uses science fiction to highlight very real potential dangers of climate change. Since 1975, Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.44 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists predict that by 2070, temperatures will rise another 3.6 to 9 degrees.[1] While the effect of global warming on humans, plants, and animals is well documented, the impact on microorganisms is frequently overlooked in climate change research.[2] Fungal pathogens are particularly thermotolerant, meaning that as temperatures gradually increase, so will the prevalence of fungal diseases that were originally rare or unknown.[3] There are currently no vaccines able to combat fungi, and there is little economic incentive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in anti-fungal research.[4]

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Wetland Fragmentation: How Poorly Regulated Urban Development Has Destroyed Illinois’ Natural Flood Control

Wetland Fragmentation: How Poorly Regulated Urban Development Has Destroyed Illinois’ Natural Flood Control

By: Caitlin Federici

The taming of the historic swamplands around Chicago fragmented and irreparably damaged the Illinois River’s natural flood control, wetlands. Every year, once the snow begins to melt and Chicago paints its river green Chicagoans know that construction season is just around the corner. Construction around the Chicago area has always been complicated. Chicago’s very existence is often understood as an engineering miracle.

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New Studies Prompt US Consumer Product Safety Commission to Consider Banning Gas Stoves in New Homes

New Studies Prompt US Consumer Product Safety Commission to Consider Banning Gas Stoves in New Homes

By: Rachel Grudzinski

 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) is currently considering banning gas stoves in the United States.[1] One commissioner tweeted how “gas stoves can emit dangerous [levels] of toxic chemicals—even when not in use—and [CPSC] will consider all approaches to regulation.”[2] A ban from the CPSC would only affect new products and homes, requiring all new homes to have either electric stoves or high efficiency exhaust vents.[3] Currently, if an individual is looking to switch from gas to electric, the Inflation Reduction Act includes rebates for those individuals to either purchase a new electric stove or covert from gas to electric.[4]

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The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative Aims to Bring High Speed Rail to Illinois

The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative Aims to Bring High Speed Rail to Illinois

By: Rachel Grudzinski

High speed rails may seem like a transportation option unique to Europeans, but that may not be the case for much longer. The United States has plans to implement high speed rail within the upcoming decade. High speed rails are trains that run faster than traditional trains at around 124-200mph.[1] Currently, Acela is the only high speed train in the United States which is operated by Amtrak.[2] Acela currently reaches speeds up to 150mph and travels between cities in the Northeast Corridor (Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Washington).[3]

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Deceptive Companies ‘Greenwash’ to Raise Profit Margins

DECEPTIVE COMPANIES ‘GREENWASH’ TO RAISE PROFIT MARGINS

By: Hannah Russell

As consumers grow increasingly eco-conscious, governmental agencies in the EU and US begin to crack down on corporate “greenwashing.” Modern consumers demand a variety of clean, eco-friendly products to reduce their carbon footprints.[1] These products range from compostable trash bags and nontoxic hand soaps to electric cars and carbon-neutral flights. Patagonia and Levi’s are two examples of pioneers in sustainable business that meet eco-conscious demands and elevate the environmental movement.[2] However, while some enterprises genuinely believe that conscious consumerism deserves a place in business, other companies see environmentalism as the new, trendy marketing platform with the potential to raise profit margins.[3] These companies, such as Daimler AG and Walmart, reel in and mislead eco-conscious consumers by “greenwashing” their merchandise and services.[4]

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