north america has the highest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world, with almost 300 different species. also known as the “liver of the river,” freshwater mussels filter and protect aquatic ecosystems. despite being able to filter between eight and 15 gallons of water per day, mussels face a myriad of threats including industrial development which affected these populations as factories popped up along the schuylkill river during the industrial revolution. 

at its worst, philadelphians said the river did not even resemble water. now, scientists at the fairmount water works (fww) freshwater mussel hatchery are working tirelessly to create a space where visitors can learn firsthand about the life of a freshwater mussel and how cleaner river water depends on one of the most imperiled aquatic animals in north america.

in 2017, the philadelphia water department teamed up with the partnership for the delaware estuary to open the hatchery, which is free to the public, and located within the fww interpretive center. the hatchery was designed and imagined by the academy of natural sciences at drexel university, victoria prizzia of habithéque, inc., and artist stacy levy.

introducing philadelphians to the power of the mussel

the hatchery sits along the schuylkill river, which provides 40% of philadelphians with drinking water, with the other 60% being provided by the delaware river. the location of the hatchery, along with preserving pieces of architecture from the original waterworks building are all intentional. according to stacey heffernan, the environmental education planner, “mussels are the gateway animal to get people to care for the waterways.” the hatchery’s proximity to the schuylkill, one of philadelphia’s most iconic green spaces, places it in a culturally significant and emotionally resonant site for many locals.  

in addition to this, the hatchery also runs educational programs for philadelphia youth. four schools from the surrounding area participate in the “mussels in the classroom” program. this provides teachers with their classroom’s own recirculating aquaculture system and some juvenile mussels. with this, students are able to engage first-hand with measuring mussels and monitoring water quality. 

the hatchery also runs a “mussels in the field” program located at the audubon discovery center, which provides youth from six nearby school districts with similar hands-on interactions, as well as introduces students to blue-green infrastructure. once a month, the discovery center also hosts “mussel maniacs” where adults can participate in similar field work and connect with other conservation enthusiasts. 

rebuilding a population of workhorse filterers

since the hatchery opened in 2017, they have consistently propagated around 10,000 mussels each year. the fww mussel hatchery strays away from what these types of aquatic field stations often aim to do, which is to focus on restoring endangered native populations. instead, the hatchery is working to build up common species that once thrived in the schuylkill prior to industrial development, which could lead in local efforts to purify water sources for philadelphians. 

in the wild, mussels have a few main ways of propagating, but scientists in the hatchery lab do these manually. this past year, the hatchery achieved a new personal record of the highest number of successful propagations with 20,000 mussels. so far this year, the hatchery more than doubled their yearly propagation numbers with just two inoculation trials. they also performed their first study to determine the rate at which two species of freshwater mussels could remove pollutants. 

looking ahead, the results will be used to determine how mussels can work as a complement to traditional pollution control technologies. with all these new milestones, heffernan says, “we have made a lot of strides in a short period of time.

meanwhile, in county cleveland in teesside, northern england, one-third of families re-wear dirty clothes and  one-quarter are in hygiene poverty, however many feel they are priced out of buying the newest fashion trends or new clothes in general.  

thrift for the future

enter the festival of thrift, an annual celebration of sustainable living that is looking to make a change in the fashion industry and help aid residents in teesside while also aiming to make an impact on a global scale. every september, the festival of thrift erects dozens of stalls for local second-hand clothes sellers and artisans to offer items for sale, in a new chosen location across teesside and cleveland. 

while the festival provides an opportunity for selling and recycling clothes, co-creative director at festival of thrift, tanya steinhauser sees the festival as a chance to educate and inspire those attending. “the idea of the festival is to showcase a really diverse and vibrant program that’s filled with hands-on workshops and innovative performances, interactive installations and provoking talks. everything revolves around sustainability in the smallest and widest senses,” she said.  

in its 12-year lifetime, the festival has grown year-on-year. this has meant that steinhauser and her team have had to find creative ways to engage the festival goers as well as make good use of the site. this year’s event hosted various workshops on how to plant, grow, and harvest your own food. just a 20 yard walk around the ground would show you the ins-and-outs of repurposing old, ripped jeans, as well as  workshops in ancient japanese mending skills to bring broken household items back to life.  

being an epicentre of all things sustainability with so much on offer i asked stienhauser to pick one must-visit for future festivals. “i am quite excited about the future foods activity area,” she said.  “i’m really into growing and cooking from scratch and these workshops  on kind of fermenting things, because obviously food waste and kind of methane waste from food  waste is a big issue as well. so just teaching people hacks again around how to turn  something that might be going off in your fridge to something that you can put in a jar and  eat in a couple of months. but the future food area is kind of, there’s a mural that and i’m  quite excited about that.”

cutting out fast fashion

fast fashion is on the rise, but many don’t know what it is and whether they are endorsing it. in short, fast fashion is all about making clothes quickly and cheaply, usually copying the latest trends. the idea is to get people to buy a lot of new clothes frequently because it’s affordable. but these clothes often don’t last long, and the process can harm the environment and exploit workers. it’s about quantity over quality, leading to a throwaway culture where people buy, wear, and toss things at a rapid pace.

throw-away culture is taking the hot seat right now, from 2000 to 2015 the rates of clothing sales has more than doubled, while the general usage of clothes decreased.

but according to steinhauser this quickening pace of buying, wearing, and discarding is unsustainable. “so we really like a slogan, ‘decades, not seasons,’” she said. steinhauser recommended thinking long term about your wardrobe, investing in higher priced items of higher quality. 

nicer clothes tend to last longer, ultimately cutting down the cost in the long run and mitigating the environmental effects of fast fashion. “the materials used are a really important thing to consider. buying clothes made of natural materials like hemp and staying away from stuff like latex and polyester makes a huge difference,” she said. 

“repairing and renting, even sharing or swapping clothes are all good options,” steinhauser said.  

with fashion so readily available, us consumers have also had a change of mindset on how we buy and use our fashion and for some possibly sleepwalk into the fast fashion culture. steinhauser believes it is also down to us to be proactive and change the way we think about how we buy and consume fashion: “the modern world has given so many kind of other options that just make us not really rethink what we’re doing and that there are alternatives that actually, help us, live towards a more hopeful, hopeful climate future which is something we need to make an active decision to find and utilize.”

why cleaner wrasses are so important

cleaner wrasses like clewra are vital for the health of coral reefs, ecosystems that are currently under threat. coral reefs are fragile and sensitive to changes in the environment, and climate change has led to widespread coral bleaching. many reefs across the indo-pacific are struggling and cleaner wrasses are part of the solution. they help maintain the balance by keeping the reef fish healthy, which in turn, helps preserve the reef ecosystem.

this is why my research focuses on cleaner wrasses like clewra. as a student at the university of hawai’i studying marine biology, i wanted to understand how their social behavior and cognitive abilities contribute to the reef’s health, especially in areas still relatively unaffected by coral bleaching. by studying these cleaner wrasses, we can compare their behavior and intelligence across different regions, providing insight into how environmental changes might impact the species in the future.

how cleaner wrasses maintain reef health

with her elegant, shiny purple, blue, and yellow body, clewra darts around the reef like a little underwater superhero. her mission is to clean her clients of annoying parasites and dead skin, leaving them refreshed and rejuvenated.

clewra’s unique talent lies in her ability to perform various gestures to attract and calm her clients. she trembles with excitement to signal she’s ready to clean, her flapping fins creating an irresistible invitation. some clients even say her touch is like a gentle massage, building trust and bonding. her “tactile stimulation” helps her clients relax, similar to a relaxing spa experience for humans.

cleaner wrasses don’t just clean fish for the sake of hygiene, they play a crucial role in the reef’s social structure. their cleaning services foster a sense of community where fish of all sizes and species line up to get their parasites removed. even predators like groupers and barracudas show up at the cleaning stations and wait patiently for their turn, demonstrating how cleaner wrasses contribute to peace and cooperation among marine life.

this unique social behavior creates a symbiotic relationship that benefits everyone. cleaner wrasses are essential because they help prevent diseases by keeping fish free of parasites, ensuring the survival of both the fish and the reef ecosystem. this, in turn, impacts human coastal communities, which rely on healthy reefs for resources and protection from storm surges.

clewra’s intelligence and skill

what makes clewra and others of her species truly fascinating is their intelligence. cleaner wrasses are among the few fish species that can recognize themselves in mirrors, a sign of self-awareness, a rare trait among fish. clewra, in particular, has a remarkable ability to remember individual clients and their cleaning preferences. some cleaner wrasses cheat by nibbling at the protective mucus of their clients instead of just eating the parasites, but clewra is honest and trustworthy. her clients keep coming back because they know she does her job well.

researchers have found that the social intelligence of cleaner wrasses may even contribute to the development of their cognitive abilities. fish that interact with these cleaners must adapt and respond to social cues, making the reef a place of constant learning and communication. my research aims to delve deeper into this intelligence by conducting behavioral and cognitive tests on cleaner wrasses like clewra.

the ecosystem’s hidden heroes

cleaner wrasses like clewra are essential for more than just maintaining cleanliness. their role in preventing disease and infection ensures the overall health of the reef. without them, the balance of life on the reef could collapse, causing a ripple effect that would impact both marine life and human coastal communities.

rapid ocean warming poses existential challenges to maine’s largest commercial fishery. stress induced by rising temperatures can make lobsters more susceptible to shell disease, compromising their ability to reproduce successfully. in warmer waters, tiny copepods eaten by larval lobsters are growing smaller and shifting their seasonal migration patterns. this results in less nutritious food for baby lobsters, greater mismatch between lobster larvae release and food availability, and fewer juveniles surviving into adulthood. in the wake of these changes, experts predict that lobsters will increasingly seek refuge in colder, deeper waters and migrate northward towards canada. 

transcript: generally, we are seeing a pattern of lobster shifting further into the northeast region of the gulf of maine into cooler, deeper waters during certain life stages. but, that doesn’t necessarily imply that they’ve all migrated there or moved or marched up from southern new england. it will be more about redistribution of where lobsters are more available, which relates to how readily some people compared to others can capitalize on those different changes. and perhaps abundances returning to early or mid-2000s landing levels rather than staying at that peak that we have known in more recent years.

kat maltby, ph.d., postdoctoral research associate in the integrated systems ecology lab at the gulf of maine research institute (gmri).

notably, ocean warming has supported a boom in maine’s lobster industry and a bust in southern new england. in the gulf of maine, temperatures have become optimal for lobster reproduction and species range shifts have contributed to record commercial catch. yet, experts predict that rapid warming will only exacerbate the volatility of maine’s lobster industry, posing novel challenges to fishers and business owners to adapt alongside the shifting crustaceans.

on the frontlines: lobster fishers

ivan bly started lobstering in midcoast maine when he was young. today, he hauls commercial traps from the iris irene, a boat named after his grandmother, irene, and 12 year old daughter, iris. alongside her father, iris has been lobstering her entire life. “we’ve had her out here before she remembered. we used to put her in a lobster crate,” bly said.

bly lobsters out of tenants harbor, where his state commercial fishing license allows him 800 traps within an established fishing zone. state and federal licenses are coveted and scarce in maine, requiring extensive apprenticeship, extended processing times, and expensive permitting costs. those born into the lobster industry are entering increasingly precarious waters, where rigid rules and regulations preoccupy fishers and lack adaptive measures for climate impacts.

bly recognizes ocean warming and its contribution to maine’s lobster boom. he also knows the challenges and costs of fishing in deeper waters. “when you go further out, it costs more money, and it’s a bigger risk. you need bigger rope, heavier, bigger traps,” he said.

yet, faced with the annual volatility of a dynamic industry, his anxieties are resigned to the short-term: “i think we’ll kill the industry with chemicals and nonsense before that. warming is the least of my concerns. when the water warms up that much, i’ll be long gone.” for bly, “nonsense” includes the environmental and economic costs of chemical pollution, offshore wind development, and inconsistent rope and trap regulations for north atlantic right whale protection.

contributing to bly’s focus on pollution and regulation is the rigid territoriality built into the culture and permitting of the lobster industry. while a commercial fisher can move their traps within a permitted zone, they risk retaliation and violence from encroaching on another fisher’s territory.

according to bly, “you’d be welcomed with shotguns and knife blades” if you messed with another’s traps. notably, a state license prohibits fishing in federal waters further offshore and can rarely be transferred to a different zone within state waters.

in this rigid framework, fishers like bly cannot follow lobsters into northern, deeper waters beyond where their permit allows. “the fishing grounds do move. different areas have had great fishing and hopefully, we get our turn. but, you gotta fish where you live,” bly said.

from sea to table: lobster shacks

in maine’s coastal economy, changes in the water directly affect livelihoods on land. in bar harbor, patti staples is the owner and manager of the happy clam shack, where hand-picked meat is enjoyed by consumers in iconic lobster rolls.

since 2015, staples has operated a sea-to-table business that values quality over quantity. to do so, she buys catch directly from local fishers and picks the lobster meat in-shack each morning. having experienced increased costs, decreased tourism, and supply chain shortages during the pandemic, staples sees ocean warming as another existential threat to her business and local suppliers.

“if they don’t have their product, we don’t have their product, and the families don’t have their product. if the gulf doesn’t stop warming up, they’re going to crawl into canada,” she said.

profit and catch in the lobster industry fluctuate with consumer demand and market price. for instance, in 2023, maine experienced its lowest lobster haul in 15 years, as inflated fuel and bait costs disincentivized fishers to get on the water. yet, the second-highest price ever recorded ($4.95 per pound) contributed to a noticeable rebound from lower profits in 2022.

ocean warming will only exacerbate these unpredictable boom and bust cycles. as warming decreases regional productivity and increases operational costs, per-pound prices will reflect the increased effort and resources needed for fishing in deeper waters. as a result, staples anticipates higher costs for herself and her customers. 

transcript: unfortunately, we will see the prices go up. we won’t see as many businesses like our lobster pound being able to sustain if we don’t have a product. if it gets too costly, a lot of people — the families we want here to enjoy our lobster — won’t be able to afford it. and if our fisherman aren’t catching their product and they are paying all this money for their sternmen, their gas, their bait, how are they going to be able to sustain also? it’s scary. we don’t want to see our product leave.

patti staples, owner and manager of happy clam shack

what’s next for maine’s warming waters and its lobsters?

since ocean warming intersects with the economic and regulatory challenges facing fishers like bly and business owners like staples, climate adaptation is an opportunity to build a more resilient, productive, and profitable industry. at the gulf of maine research institute (gmri), kat maltby, ph.d., studies the social resilience of imperiled fisheries to inform adaptive planning in maine’s lobster industry. to her, adapting to warming waters requires a holistic management approach in collaboration with industry, government, and the scientific community.

transcript: there’s an opportunity for us to be more integrated in joining efforts to think more holistically about supporting resilience. when we talk about adaptation strategies, we need to talk about that in the context of all the other issues the industry is concerned about and think holistically about the future needs of the fishery and the industry together. just thinking about climate change in a silo risks maladaptive strategies or implementing strategies and solutions that might not work as effectively or successfully because there are other drivers of change that haven’t been considered.

kat maltby, ph. d., gulf of maine research institute

for fishers, she emphasizes empowering a sense of agency over diverse livelihood options, including:

• directly changing fishing practices or shifting fishing grounds, if possible.
• moving into direct sales with consumers to increase the value of lobster products. 
• diversifying into other fisheries or marine occupations like aquaculture and kelp farming.  
• participating in science-industry partnerships and management decision-making at the state, regional, and federal levels.

maltby upholds that the burden of adaptation should not be on fishers alone. she contends that all levels of the industry must adapt simultaneously. this includes changing processing and handling capacities in the supply chain in order to enable diversification into other fisheries.

she also recommends maintaining working waterfronts that protect coastal properties for commercial fishing and aquaculture use. lastly, maltby supports the creation of more flexible permitting structures that incorporate information and decision-making from lobster fishers like bly.

while lobster redistribution is inevitable in maine’s warming waters, fishers already follow strict sustainable fishing standards that support stable, resilient lobster populations in the gulf of maine. these practices include notching the tails of egg-bearing females and measuring catch to ensure small juveniles and large, reproducing lobsters remain in the water.

transcript: ivan: is it a boy or girl? iris: girl. ivan: does it have a v-notch? eggs?

a gmri study found that the lack of protections on larger reproductive lobsters in southern new england made the population less resilient to warmer waters, contributing to its collapse. on the contrary, conservation measures in the gulf of maine supported a lobster boom and can mitigate expected productivity declines. given maine’s lobster fishery is already resilient due to sustainable management, maltby sees hope and opportunity for the broader industry to operate in warming waters. “it’s not all doom and gloom. this really provides us an opportunity to think about the kinds of futures we want.”

transcript: climate change is a very big risk and has a lot of impacts now and will continue to have for many coastal communities in maine. but, it is not all doom and gloom. this provides an opportunity for us to think about the kind of futures that we want and think about the processes that allow us to get there. drawing on more innovative and creative ideas and solutions. really connecting people who haven’t necessarily been able to exchange ideas and information before. it doesn’t have to be such a gloom-and-doom narrative.

kat maltby, ph. d., gulf of maine research institute

hit by 55 hurricanes since 1851, north carolina is the third most hurricane-prone state in the u.s. the devastating impacts of hurricanes such as florence, matthew, and now helene have made the effects of climate change in the tar heel state more pronounced than ever. 

hurricane helene, which struck north carolina last week, left entire towns submerged, displaced hundreds of people, and caused billions of dollars of damage. with climate change intensifying rainfall events and causing sea levels to rise, north carolinians confront an urgent question: how can we protect our communities from future floods?

the role of flood maps in preparation

flood maps are tools that help communities identify areas most at risk for flooding. these maps indicate different flood zones, such as high-risk areas that may require flood insurance, and include data such as base flood elevations (bfe) to predict potential water levels during major floods. however, despite their importance, many north carolinians – especially in rural underserved areas – struggle to access or fully understand these tools. 

one woman i spoke with, olivia green from kings mountain, shared her experience.

“i didn’t think we were at risk. our area never flooded before, so i never thought to look for flood maps or check any resources,” green said. 

even in flood-prone states like north carolina, many people assume that if they haven’t experienced flooding in the past, they are not at risk. but as storms grow in intensity, even areas once considered safe can become vulnerable to severe floods.

the uncertainty around floods is something that stuart pimm ph. d., a professor of conservation at duke university commented on.

“there are runs of good years and bad years. extremes [in weather events] are often worse than expected [..]. the chance of bad floods next year is higher because this year has been bad,” he said.

pimm suggested that communities must be ready for unpredictable and worsening flooding events in the years to come.

as climate risks rise, this disconnect between flood mapping resources and the communities they aim to protect is both individual and systemic. the challenge of flood preparedness raises larger questions: are the outreach efforts and tools aimed at informing people about flood risks reaching those who need them most? do people have access to flood maps? can information on maps be interpreted? 

flooding in north carolina: where do we go from here?

hurricane helene has made evident that flood preparedness in north carolina must improve – and that simply having flood maps available isn’t enough. to protect communities, these tools must be accessible, accurate, and better understood. 

ultimately, the responsibility of knowing one’s flood risk falls on multiple parties. federal agencies must provide the tools and ensure they’re accessible, but local governments also need to step up and ensure that these tools are being disseminated effectively. meanwhile, citizens must be proactive in seeking out information and taking steps to protect their homes and families.

in the wake of helene’s horrific destruction, north carolina faces a moment of reflection. whether it’s clearer mapping tools, better education, or stronger collaboration between agencies and residents, the state has an opportunity to re-evaluate how its communities prepare for extreme weather. the time to act is before the next flood arrives. 

public resources such as fema’s flood map service center , national flood hazard layer, and floodsmart.gov are places to start in understanding flood maps and personal property.

davidson-hiers, a well-accomplished freelance journalist, is on a mission to mentor students interested in journalism all across florida while fostering a deep respect for the natural world within them. she believes fostering such attitudes will prepare students for the increasing amount of eco-anxiety they will face in newsrooms amid the climate crisis. 

the florida student news watch began in 2020 while davidson-hiers was the education reporter for the tallahassee democrat. she was inspired by her own journalistic beginnings to launch her program.

“i’d reached out to the local newspaper with a pitch, and they partnered me with their sports reporter, and i went out for the weekend and covered the event that i wanted to cover, and he, just like, mentored the heck out of my writing, and then my stories got on the front page that weekend,” she says. 

though the program initially centered around students in tallahassee helping davidson-hiers report on the education beat, it evolved with her decision to become a freelance environmental journalist.

“and about two years ago, i realized that i respect education reporting, and i’m a good education reporter, but it’s not what i want to do,” she says. “i wanted to turn more to the natural world, to be able to document and understand it better. i just find it to be a lot more peaceful and rewarding. i wondered if students would keep up with the change. i didn’t have any idea of who would be interested in that. i was like, well, it’s just what i want to do. so we’ll see who shows up. and lo and behold, students still kept showing up.”

since then, the florida student news watch has been reborn as an environmentally focused journalism mentorship. each student, about eight per semester, is paired with a current environmental journalist in the field and works one-on-one with them to bring multiple stories to completion.  

besides building skills and confidence in the profession, mentors also work toward tackling eco-anxiety in their students.

“but when i think about climate anxiety, i don’t think about climate. i think about anxiety. and you know, anxiety does not equal fear. but one of the things i think that anxiety very quickly turns into, without people noticing, is a sense of helplessness and i can work with helplessness,” davidson-hiers says.

davidson-hiers believes a key strategy to combating such feelings is fostering a deep and grounding respect for the environment.

but in the moments where i have felt the most excited to be alive, have been the moments where i mattered so little, in the landscape where i was in. when i’m among the mountains, being able to look around me and be like, ‘wow, this is an entire landscape that does not depend on me, and that i am just a piece of the fabric’ is absolutely thrilling to me, because it takes so much weight off of my shoulders.”

c.d. davidson-hiers

in addition to teaching this reverence to her students, she also believes their deep respect for nature will seep into their work and leave a similar effect on their readers. 

“yeah, there’s self-expression to it, but it is a connection with people that you’ll never meet. and what i love in stories is when i learn something new, especially about something that i take for granted. it just makes you feel grounded like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself in a collaborative way.”

to see work done by the florida student news watch visit their website: https://www.studentnewswatch.org/ 

editor’s note: des lewis is a staff writer for florida student news watch.

one of the cbs news debate moderators norah o’donnell asked about climate change in relation to hurricane helene, which hit the southeastern united states over the weekend, and has killed more than 160 people with hundreds of more missing. o’donnell said scientists say climate change makes these hurricanes “larger, stronger and more deadly” because of the historic rainfall.

according to a cbs news poll from april, 70% of americans overall and more than 60% of republicans under the age of 45 favor the u.s. to take steps and try to reduce climate change. o’donnell first addressed vance on climate change.

“what responsibility would the trump administration have to try and reduce the impact of climate change?” o’donnell asked.

vance began his response by calling hurricane helene an “unbelievable, unspeakable human tragedy.” he said before the debate he saw a picture of two grandparents and their grandchild on a roof before it collapsed and swept them away to their deaths. 

vance took a bipartisan approach while answering the question as he said he and gov. walz’ “hearts” and “prayers” go out to those affected by hurricane helene. he said they both want the federal government to help people affected by natural disasters.

“we want as robust and aggressive as a federal response as we can get to save as many lives as possible,” vance said. 

vance said he and republican presidential nominee donald trump want to make the environment cleaner and safer since americans worry about these “crazy weather patterns.” 

even though vance began on a bipartisan approach, he then criticized the biden administration on their approach to climate change. he said his “democratic friends” are concerned about carbon emissions from manufacturing affecting the environment. vance said if the democratic party was worried about carbon emissions, they would want to consolidate manufacturing in the u.s. 

“what have kamala harris’s policies actually led to? more energy production in china, more manufacturing overseas, more doing business in some of the dirtiest parts of the entire world.” vance said. 

the biden administration in 2022 spent $583 billion on imports from china but that number then dropped to $501 billion in 2023. during the last two years of the trump administration, $479 billion was spent in 2018 and $419 billion was spent in 2019 on imports from china.  

vance also called the u.s. the “cleanest economy in the entire world.” but according to the 2023 hinrich-imd sustainable trade index (sti), which measures economies’ level of sustainability, new zealand is ranked first with the u.s. ranking ninth.  

walz then responded to vance by first addressing hurricane helene where he said he has been in contact with governors of the affected southeastern states since he was co-chair of the governor’s council. 

but walz quickly turned to addressing climate change where he said even though vance sees it as a “problem,” he criticized trump’s approach.

“donald trump called it a hoax and then joked that these things would make more beachfront property to be able to invest in,” walz said.

he then said the biden administration has made “massive” investments through the passage of the inflation reduction act which provides funding for clean energy and combating climate change. 

walz said the biden administration has created 200,000 jobs across the country. but a fact-check from cnn found the number walz mentioned includes both the current number of jobs created and anticipated jobs. 

walz also said the u.s. is both producing more natural gas and more oil along with more clean energy, compared to the past.

“we are seeing us becoming an energy superpower for the future, not just the current,” walz said. “and that’s exactly what makes sense.”

the u.s. energy information administration found increases in production in natural gas along with stating the u.s. is producing more oil than ever. the organization also states the u.s. is using more renewable energy too but considerably less than natural gas and oil. 

vance then responded to walz’s statements by drawing back on his points on how the biden administration is importing manufactured goods from other countries. he said if their administration followed their beliefs regarding climate change they should be doing more manufacturing and energy production in the u.s. 

“kamala harris herself doesn’t believe her own rhetoric on this,” vance said.

vance also said when the biden administration is creating clean energy, they are using taxpayers money to import solar panels into the u.s. from other countries such as china. instead he said the u.s. should be working to produce more solar panels domestically.

“if you really want to make the environment cleaner, you’ve got to invest in more energy production,” vance said.  

data from the international energy agency states china produces the majority of four out of five materials used to create solar panels. 

walz then responded to vance by addressing farmers in his home state of minnesota who have seen the effects of climate change by noticing a drought one year and a flood the next. he then again honed in on laws passed by the biden administration allowing the u.s. to solve the problems of climate change in the future. 

“how do we make sure that we’re protecting by burying our power lines? how do we make sure that we’re protecting lakefronts and things that we’re seeing more and more of?” walz questioned.

walz ended his response criticizing trump by saying he invited oil executives to mar-a-lago where he told them to give money to his campaign and he will do “whatever they want.”

a report from the new york times in may stated trump invited oil executives from companies such as exxonmobil and eqt corporation to mar-a-lago where he asked them to donate $1 billion to his campaign and he would “roll back” on environmental rules affecting their business. 

o’donnell concluded the climate change discussion by saying the “overwhelming consensus” among scientists is the climate is warming at an “unprecedented rate.”

the flood didn’t just wash away homes; it washed away dreams. schools were destroyed, crops were ruined, and the vulnerability of our communities was laid bare. for years, the effects of climate change had been written off as a distant threat, a problem for the future. but as 27,000 schools lay in ruins and the catastrophic floods affected 33 million people across the country, the urgency of the crisis became undeniable.

amid the devastation, a new mission was born, not just to survive the floods, but to fight for a future that could withstand them. i was one of the volunteers who joined forces with the welfare association for a new generation (wang), a local organization in lasbela. wang is a youth-led nonprofit organization in balochistan, pakistan, dedicated to empowering communities and promoting sustainable development. focused on gender equality, environmental sustainability, and educational advancement, wang drives positive change through innovative projects and strategic partnerships.

by championing these causes, the organization plays a pivotal role in building a more equitable, resilient society in the region. our goal was simple yet overwhelming: to rescue, relieve, and rebuild. we organized fundraisers, secured donations, and distributed essential supplies like food, medicine, and shelter to those in desperate need. but it wasn’t just about material aid. we held engagement sessions with children, offering them a small sense of hope in the midst of chaos, reminding them that they hadn’t been forgotten.

the recovery process, however, revealed a deeper issue: the recurring cycle of poverty and loss. lasbela is a region where most families depend on agriculture and livestock for survival. a good harvest can mean the difference between sending a child to school or pulling them out to help at home. when floods wipe away crops, they also wipe away opportunities, pushing families further into poverty and children — especially girls — out of education.

as i worked with wang, the inequities of climate change became more apparent. though according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change (ipcc), pakistan contributes less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions,  it remains one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. the floodwaters were not just a natural disaster—they were the result of global systems that disproportionately harm countries like mine.

while rebuilding homes was critical, i realized that to break this cycle, we needed more than short-term solutions. in 2023, i was selected to participate in a climate adaptation bootcamp organized by the school of leadership foundation and unicef. this experience provided me with the tools and a grant to carry out a two-month research project titled “the impact of climate change-induced floods on girls’ primary education in lasbela.” over the course of my research, i visited flood-affected schools, gathered data, and met with local leaders to develop recommendations aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change on education.

what i found was heartbreaking but not surprising. many young girls had been pulled out of school permanently as families struggled to recover. in rural communities, education, especially for girls is often seen as a luxury, easily sacrificed in times of crisis. but education is key to breaking cycles of poverty and building resilience against climate disasters. without it, entire generations could be lost.

my research culminated in a series of policy recommendations, pushing for the integration of climate education in school curriculums and the need for more resilient infrastructure in vulnerable regions like lasbela. this experience opened my eyes to the larger systems at play, how gender, poverty, and climate are deeply intertwined — and solidified my commitment to fighting for climate justice on multiple fronts.

today, i continue my work, not just as a volunteer but as an advocate for long-term solutions. the flood taught me that while we cannot stop the waters from rising, we can build communities that are strong enough to withstand them. every effort, from rebuilding homes to rewriting policies, is a step toward a more resilient future.

this immediately caught my attention because watsonville is a mere 30 miles from where my parents live in california, and where i was residing before moving to d.c. over the summer.  

not only did the homesickness kick in with the realization that these strawberries had come from only a near distance from my family, but it also raised my awareness of the environmental implications of the strawberries i was about to eat.

these strawberries had traveled nearly 2,900 miles from watsonville, ca to washington, d.c. in order for me to enjoy in my breakfast. 

you may be thinking, “while that is an awfully long distance for fruit to travel, why does this matter in terms of environmental sustainability?”

i’ll tell you why. 

the cross-country road trip my strawberries had taken to end up in my local trader joe’s for me to purchase and eat produces a ghastly amount of carbon emissions. 

“food miles” have been defined as the distance from where the food is produced to where it is consumed, according to carbon brief. studies have found that yearly, food miles produce 3bn tonnes of carbon emissions. 

if, like me, you aren’t a science-minded person and this metric doesn’t make sense to you, note that in the same study, the transport of fruit and vegetables was responsible for twice the amount of greenhouse gas than was emitted to actually grow them. 

while the implications of “food miles” are serious and concerning, there are ways we can all cut down our “food miles” and help the climate fight.

with that, here’s my guide to eating sustainably!

1. eat local

the first tactic to decrease the “food miles” of your produce is to eat locally grown foods. shopping at farmers’ markets is the number one way to do this. farmers’ markets are a great way to ensure that your produce has been grown locally and to support local farmers in your community. 

produce from farmers’ markets not only has fewer “food miles” but also tends to be more nutritious and flavorful than store-bought produce. due to the great distances that store-bought produce has to travel before it’s eaten, such produce tends to be harvested before peak ripeness and stored in coolers to preserve its freshness. however, this process strips the produce of its natural nutrients and flavor. 

shopping at farmers’ markets can also cut down on your single-use plastic consumption. instead of buying fruit in plastic clamshell containers, bring your reusable bags to the farmers’ market and buy produce straight from the producer.

for help finding farmers’ markets near you, use the usda’s local foods directory.

2. eat seasonally

the next tactic can be slightly more difficult. eating seasonally means eating fruits and vegetables during the months that they are in peak harvest.

while harvest months for produce vary widely from region to region, a rough guide to the foods that are in peak harvest in large swaths of the u.s. during the year is as follows:

summer

• melons
• cucumbers
• tomatoes
• eggplants
• peppers
• stone fruits
• summer squash
• herbs 

fall

• squashes
• root vegetables
• onions
• potatoes 

winter

• brussel sprouts
• citrus 
• pomegranates 
• squashes
• potatoes 
• beets 

spring

• asparagus 
• spinach 
• radishes
• rhubarb 
• scallions
• chives
• leeks 

for a complete list of seasonal foods that grow where you live, check out this seasonal food guide. 

eating seasonally goes hand-in-hand with eating locally. when shopping at the farmers’ market, be aware of what kinds of produce tend to be at the market during different times of the year. the produce at the farmers’ market is a direct indication of what foods are at peak harvest and what should be eaten during that season.

3. plan ahead

a big part of eating seasonally is planning ahead. if there are summer foods that you can’t go the winter months without, look to preserve them at their peak harvest to enjoy during the off-season. for instance, this could be done by freezing fresh berries during the summer and enjoying them during the fall and winter months. other techniques to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables include canning, pickling, fermenting, and dehydrating foods.

4. limit meat consumption

lastly, i’d be remiss to write a column about sustainable eating without mentioning reducing your consumption of meat. eating less meat reduces methane emissions that occur from the raising of livestock. according to the epa, a single cow produces between 154 to 264 pounds of methane gas per year. additionally, raising livestock consumes copious amounts of water in cleaning and processing the cattle, as well as watering the crops that the cattle eat.

thus, in order to have a more sustainable diet, people should try eating more plant-based meals rather than meat-based meals. for instance, protein substitutes for meat include beans and legumes, eggs, tofu, nuts, quinoa, grains, and mushrooms. these foods and more can provide you ample protein, without the need to consume meat. 

additionally, in 2024, there now exists a slew of meat alternatives that provide the nutrients and taste of meat, without the cardboard texture and lack of flavor that the meat alternatives of 10 years ago had. my favorite meat alternative is impossible meat, but there also exists beyond meat, gardein, and boca, to name a few.

now i’m not suggesting that people should quit eating meat cold turkey (turkey, get it?). instead, i’m hoping to share reasons why eating meat isn’t the best for the environment and suggest small ways you can make a difference. even just cutting down the frequency in which you eat meat, especially red meat, can go a long way in creating a more sustainable diet.

the big picture

for all these recommendations, assess the possibility and limitations for implementation into your own life. most importantly, we should all do what we can to adjust our eating habits to better protect the environment and fight climate change.

happy sustainable eating!

with chapters across the world, freecycle gives community members the ability to post unwanted items for free pick-up or post inquiries for wanted items as well. in washington, d.c., the community interacts via the facebook page, washington dc freecycle. 

one person’s trash is another’s treasure

according to the epa, in 2018, the average american produced 4.9 pounds of trash daily, totaling 1,789 pounds of trash per year, of which only 32.1 percent was recycled. 

“our mission is to build a worldwide sharing movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources and eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community,” freecycle mission statement states.

the freecycle website states their network comprises 5,000 local town groups with over 11 million members with the washington d.c. freecycle group amassing over 13,200 members. the only rules to join is everything a user posts must be “free, legal and appropriate.”

“membership is free, and everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages,” the website states. 

one member of washington d.c. freecycle is arun isukapalli, 41, is a tech product manager who said he found the group when moving back to the washington, d.c. metropolitan area about a year ago from new zealand with his wife. 

although the previous owners of their residence left items behind, he said they got “almost everything” they needed off facebook marketplace or freecycle. 

“we haven’t bought anything new,” isukapalli said.

building community

one admin of the group is gloria strange, 35, who is a massage therapist and said in an ideal world” freecycle should not be “niche group” but rather a government run organization. strange said she wants to see a more “collectivist” idea of community rather than having to rely on purchasing more items or help from the government. 

“i would like for us to see community as the pillar instead of the government,” strange said. 

strange also said she downsized to a smaller apartment three years ago and used freecycle to give away some of her furniture. but she said the most items people try and give away are cardboard. 

another admin of the d.c. chapter, garner chandler, 64, is retired but now volunteers as the co-vice president of the woman’s national democratic club. chandler said she moved to washington, d.c. from the panhandle of florida approximately two and half years ago where she found the group online. 

she recalls one woman on the site who posted how she was starting over after her husband left her and she was renting a one bedroom apartment with two babies. chandler said between half a dozen and a dozen people asked to help through giving away some of their unwanted goods. 

“our community is obviously passionate about the environment or helping each other out,” chandler said. 

joining freecycle

chandler said all one has to do to join washington d.c. freecycle is answer a few simple questions, get approved by a moderator and they are in. she said she has accepted people in as little as four minutes. 

“it’s easy to join the group,” chandler said. 

even if one joins facebook with the intent of only joining freecycle, or is a new user, it does bar not them from joining washington d.c. freecycle unlike other groups. instead, their posts are reviewed by admins for the first 30 days while they are in the group. 

the organization can help college students living in dorms save money and the environment. 

at the beginning of the school year, a college student can find free furniture and other necessities during move-in season. while dumpsters are often overflowing with reusable goods at the end of the school year, students can post their reusable goods on freecycle to give away. 

if interested in getting involved in washington d.c. freecycle, click here. or if not located in the washington, d.c. metropolitan area, look up “freecycle” on facebook and click join group.