Building construction accounts for a huge chunk of greenhouse gas emissions: About 36 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and 40 percent of energy consumption in Europe, for instance. That’s why the European Union has developed regulations about the reuse of building materials. Some cities are adding more material reuse into construction already. Amsterdam, for example, […]
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The Fight to Keep the Plastics Industry From Drowning Us in Trash
For fossil fuel producers, then, the threat of public backlash and ensuing regulation comes at a delicate moment, as the petrochemicals industry faces shaky economic prospects. Tom Sanzillo—director of financial analysis at the Institute for Industry Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA—explains that companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron have until recently mostly taken for granted that the […]
Read MoreWhat Would a Better Plastics Industry Look Like?
For fossil fuel producers, then, the threat of public backlash and ensuing regulation comes at a delicate moment, as the petrochemicals industry faces shaky economic prospects. Tom Sanzillo—director of financial analysis at the Institute for Industry Economics and Financial Analysis, or IEEFA—explains that companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron have until recently mostly taken for granted that the […]
Read MoreDoes Recycling Actually Help the Climate?
Has the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” grabbed your attention? The concept of recycling seems to be at the heart of every conversation around climate action. But a lot of misconceptions hover around the recycling process, which may lead you to believe you’re making a bigger positive impact on the environment than you truly are. Here, […]
Read MoreEverything You Need to Know About Greenwashing
On the heels of the hottest year ever recorded in human history, climate change is at the top of many people’s minds. You may have heard a lot of terms thrown around—heat pumps, carbon taxes, electric vehicles—but perhaps none is more important to understand as a consumer, and a citizen, than greenwashing. Here’s everything you […]
Read MoreA Grumpy Guide to a Sustainable Christmas
I spent the past week glued to my phone, as I’m sure many of you did, scrolling through endless news and horrible videos of the violence in the Middle East. Sometimes, when global disasters or conflicts happen, people will whip up an infographic pointing out the (occasionally tenuous) connections to climate change; I generally roll […]
Read MorePlastics Are Poisoning Both Our Bodies and Our Politics
I spent the past week glued to my phone, as I’m sure many of you did, scrolling through endless news and horrible videos of the violence in the Middle East. Sometimes, when global disasters or conflicts happen, people will whip up an infographic pointing out the (occasionally tenuous) connections to climate change; I generally roll […]
Read MoreRecovering a treasure trove in MIT’s student center
On an unusually cold day last February, pipes burst all over Massachusetts, including in the MIT Stratton Student Center (Building W20, affectionately called “The Stud” by students). There was widespread damage to the building, and despite many student group spaces being flooded with water, some still had salvageable items. At the time, the Undergraduate Association […]
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