Fast fashion has a massive impact on the environment: it’s the second-largest use of the world’s water, produces 10% of all carbon emissions, and generates pollutants like microplastics. If you want to shop more sustainably, Hannah Dembosky lists out 8 clothing stores that prioritize the planet.
Read MoreThe Clark Street Beach Bird Sanctuary is a vital environmental preserve for local flora and fauna. Ginny Lee talks to the organization's leadership about the importance of this ecosystem and the importance of local volunteers.
Read MoreGenerally, plants sit still and metabolize sunlight, with some exceptions. Animals move around and eat food, with some exceptions. What if a creature could do parts of both? Max Bennett researches these multi-talented creatures that he has dubbed “plantimals”.
Read MoreAt a time when effective, low-carbon sources of energy are needed more than ever, one source of energy oftentimes remains shunned: nuclear fission, the black sheep of electricity generation. Is fission truly deserving of its unsavory reputation, or ought we to consider nuclear energy in the fight against a warming world?
Read MoreLearn more about an effort at Northwestern University to increase composting, Cats Who Compost, in this article, how to begin your own composting, and where to drop it off!
Read MoreHave you always wanted a little green friend for your dorm room or apartment, but don’t know how you can keep one alive when you can barely take care of yourself during midterms week? Northwestern sophomore Austin Li is what you may call an expert college-age plant owner, and he shared with ION his tips and tricks on how he grew his collection of house plants and kept them thriving.
Read MoreWhile land-based ecosystems are dominated by towering trees and gargantuan flora, the oceans are ruled by organisms too little to be seen by the naked eye. Technically, you owe every second breath you take to this diverse assemblage of marine microbes called phytoplankton. But, what exactly are these tiny beings, and how are they able to have such a dramatic impact on our planet?
Read MoreThis fall, Danielle Johnson embarked on a 3-month stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for her journalism residency. Throughout her stay, she captured the natural beauty of an area where over 97 percent of the land is publicly protected.
Read More“Chris Wilt, my dad, was given his first hunting dog from an uncle when he was just a teenager. Many years later, working and hunting with dogs remains one of his primary interests and hobbies.” In Our Nature’s Ali Wilt documented her father as he worked with his 8-month-old Kaiser, usually called Kai, on a pheasant hunt.
Read MoreIt takes a lot to make a movie. Sitting in front of the silver screen, it becomes easy to forget about what happens behind the scenes to create the final Hollywood product. The cost of creating that movie magic is oftentimes extensive and irresponsible environmental damage. Ginny Lee has the story.
Read MoreOver a hundred years ago, members of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi filed claims of ownership to land built into Lake Michigan in what is now known as Streeterville. Today, this land is home to Navy Pier, part of the Magnificent Mile, and the downtown Northwestern campus. John Low, enrolled citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and professor at Ohio State University at Newark, discusses this land built into the waters of Lake Michigan.
Read MoreTo thru-hike the 2,000-mile trail spanning the entirety of the Appalachian Mountains is a feat that the most expert hikers take years to prepare for. But for Jacob Myers, a nature enthusiast from North Carolina, his thru-hike was cut short after 17 days when trails were closed due to the coronavirus outbreak in mid-March. Ali Wilt has the story.
Read MoreA local group is doing battle against our culture of waste. Spanish immigrant Beatriz Echeverria founded the Evanston Repair Clinic in 2018 to combat what she sees as Americans' tendency to throw away and replace broken items rather than attempting to repair them. The clinic started out as a place where people could go to get their belongings fixed for free, but its mission eventually became to teach them how to do repairs themselves. It's part of a worldwide movement promoting repair as the key to a more sustainable life.
Read MoreRead how different environmental groups are showing a shift from the environmental movement of decades past, conservation focused and with a racist history, towards environmental justice and making the environmental movement more inclusive. This shift is reflected in the support environmental groups are showing for the Black Lives matter movement, a few of which have statements quoted in this piece.
Read MoreKatrina Holland attended BuildingResilience19, a sustainability conference in Cleveland, Ohio, in November of last year. She shares the initiatives the city is taking in order to prepare for a climate crisis.
Read MoreIf the current pandemic has you at home like many of us, here are a few suggestions to fill up some time - whether they’re keeping you distracted, stimulated, productive, or anything else is up to you!
Read MoreRead up on initiatives for sustainability that exist in better ways outside of the United States, including plastic bag bans, better recycling initiatives, and sustainability education in Danielle Johnson’s piece. Be sure to check out the graphic in the piece, too.
Read MoreCheck out this interesting look at what evolution can do in Emily Jahn’s latest piece. This article explores mega-insects, how they got smaller today, and the role the oxygen content of our atmosphere plays in their transformation.
Read MoreJack Carlson, a nature photographer who teaches photography classes at the Chicago Botanic Garden, shares his passions and inspirations for the art of capturing a perfect photo. In Our Nature’s Hannah Hall has the story.
Read MoreCheck out just a few organizations’ online Earth Day celebrations and activities for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, including the Sierra Club, NASA, and more! Theses are just some of the many ways to participate in Earth Day virtually.
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