Celebrating Sustainability

Straits of Mackinac - Mackinac Bridge In honor of Earth Day week, I have put together a list of five things that are making me happy in regards to the progress of sustainability. Plastic bag ban in New York - at the end of March, New York passed legislation to ban plastic bags. This will …

Hope for the Future in the Green New Deal

When I think about the future of my country, I can only hope that some of it resembles the ideals and ambitions outlined in the Green New Deal. Over the past month or so I've been hearing story after story about the Green New Deal (GND). Most news stories are either skeptical and dismissive or …

New to Backyard Composting

No more excuses. I am trying backyard composting. I have been meaning to try this for a while now. Especially since we bought a house a couple years ago in a suburban neighborhood with a modest sized backyard.  When looking around for advice on how to start this endeavor, I found that there are a …

Clean Water Matters

I have a shirt that reads "clean water matters" that I got at a local watershed fundraiser a few years ago. I was wearing this shirt this summer while taking a ride out on the boat with my family, and my sister asked me "so what is clean water?" Of course I knew she knew the …

The Future of our Parks is in Danger

It's hard to imagine American the Beautiful without our local, state, and national parks. Unfortunately there is another environmental protection fund that could be at risk. The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established in 1964 by Congress to make sure important land and water resources would be set aside for recreational purposes. This includes state …

Heading North For A While

I just got back from a week long vacation in my favorite state. Michigan is absolutely beautiful this time of year with its luscious greens and comfortable temperatures. The month of June was jam-packed with tons of activity including my performing in a community theatre production of Into the Woods and having to say goodbye …

Nature’s Secrets with Science Friday Live

When I saw that the team from NPR's Science Friday was going to record a radio broadcast with an audience at Miami University, I had to go. The focus of the broadcast was on nature's secrets where Ira Flatow, the host of Science Friday, interviewed experts from southwest Ohio on the subject of yeast fungus, paleo …

There is Money to be Made in Environmental Restoration

This is music to my ears. A new report is out that shows the investment opportunities in environmental restoration. This is so important to me because when I sit across from a representative of a municipality or a private business, trying to explain to them the importance of stream restoration, forest protection, or land preservation, …

Searching for Conservation in the Man-made: Lab-grown Meat

As we continue to use more of the world's space and resources, there comes a time when it is necessary to start thinking about alternative ways of doing things. Some of these ideas can seem unnatural or other-worldly, but when looking towards the future, it is important to understand the potential environmental benefits of mad-made …

My Portland Hipster Vacation

When I told people about my plans for a short trip to Portland, OR many were convinced I’d want to make the city my new home. As Portland is the mecca for environmental progressivism, being one of the greenest cities in the United States, I can understand why people would fear I would never return. Right …