November 13, 2023 A fascinating article from The Guardian by environmental journalist Stephen Buranyi recently caught my attention in its discussion of contemporary research surrounding plastic-eating bacteria. Discovered in a trash dump in 2001, a bacterium called Ideonella Sakaiensis uses enzymatic reactions to break down plastic into basic nutrients it can consume. Microbiologists are studying …
Composting and Waste Innovations
April 12, 2023 It would be nice to believe that all products labeled as “bioplastics” had no negative impacts on the environment and could be used without consequence. However, a recent literature review warns that we shouldn’t be so quick to make this assumption. A January 2023 article by science journalist Michael Allen notes that …
October 5, 2022 This summer I had the incredible privilege of participating in the Teen Research and Environmental Education (TREES) program at the University of Pennsylvania. I and six other students were invited to work directly under the tutelage of Dr. Jeffrey Field, Professor of Pharmacology at the Perelman School of Medicine and a world-renowned …
June 4, 2022 As someone who hopes to start a nonprofit organization and improve the health and sustainability of my community, it is always inspiring for me to see other young people find success in their climate-related endeavors. I was especially impressed this week by the story of Domingo Morales, the founder of Compost Power, …