Environmental waste from coal mines and developing phones do not seem to be two related things, but in the past few years, scientists have discovered that coal is not the only resource that can be harvested from mines. Some have found value in collecting items called Rare Earth Elements or REE’s. These metals are best [...]
Where do Black People fit into the conversation around energy?
Many environmental issues like air pollution, water quality and waste management affect people of color disproportionately, especially people of color living in income areas. That, coupled with the lack of diversity in the energy industry, could lead someone to wonder if and how Black people were involved in the energy conservation. Turns out, a Black voice exist [...]
Lead in Drinking Water, a Look at the Issue in Schools
This past week I talked with George Joseph, the Superintendent for Kent City Schools about lead in drinking water, how his district tackled their lead issue and the road blocks facing other school districts from doing the same.
What happened to the biggest and oldest Great Lakes fish?
A little more than 100 hundred years ago, the lake sturgeon was the biggest predator in the Great Lakes. The filter-feeding fish can grow up to eight feet long, 300 pounds and can live from 55 to 150 years, according to Michigan Sea Grant. Lake sturgeons are the oldest and largest fish in the Great [...]
How pipelines became personal
I'll be honest. Before I began researching for this class, I didn't really care about pipelines. I knew that pipelines were a problem for the communities they affected, but it never impacted me personally. That all changed when I started researching pipelines for this class. In my time working through my project for this class, [...]
New Ohio Lead Law Will Require Water Systems to Alert Customers
By Brandon Bounds All public water systems in Ohio are now required to update response plans for residents who may be affected by service work on water pipes containing lead. Residents will be alerted 45 days prior to the start of a project and must be informed that the project may cause a temporary increase [...]
The Clean Air Act of 1970: What is it?
Since 2010, more than 200 coal plants have retired across the United States and many are citing competition from cheaper energy sources as the cause. As regulations on coal have been put into place it has become less cost-effective to produce and burn coal for power increased. Most of these regulations stem from the Clean [...]
Is that an alien!? (The guide to whether you’ve found a sea lamprey or not.)
So, say you’re fishing in one of the waterways of Ohio. Perhaps you’re angling in Lake Erie itself! You feel a tug on your line, and reel it in. But… what’s this? On the side of the otherwise large and pristine-looking fish is a large, long eel-like thing. It’s just hanging there, attached by what [...]
‘It’s a sad story’: An East Liverpool historian comments on the town’s downfall and its hopeful hazardous waste resurgence
“It’s a sad story, what happens to a place when you have a one-industry town, and hard times come.” Tim Brooks is a historian based in East Liverpool, Ohio, and I interviewed him over the phone about the industrial past of his town and what it means when considering the hazardous waste incinerator just outside [...]
The step-by-step process of cleaning up a Superfund site
There are over 1,000 Superfund sites all over the United States. These hazardous waste sites are fenced off for the safety of those who live around them. So, why don’t we just clean them all up? Well, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): “Cleaning up Superfund sites is a complex, multi-phase process.” This blog [...]
You must be logged in to post a comment.