after the race we caught a bus headed back to the start line, and walked the remaining distance, maybe a mile, back home to our motel room. by that point, it was almost afternoon, but wanting to make the most of every minute, we decided to squeeze in one more hike before we got on the road for good that evening. we packed up as fast as we could, with all the rest of our belongings thrown messily in the trunk of our dusty silver hyundai santa fe rental. the hike itself was beautiful and we stayed there for the remainder of the day, playing in the rocks, taking pictures and tracing where other hikers had traveled before us. when it started getting darker we turned back towards the trailhead. i remember thinking on the walk back, how much i was looking forward to sleeping while my mom drove the next three or so hours to moab.

i tried to close my eyes that drive, but as we traveled further away from the faint lights of the last small town, the light from the stars began to keep me awake. at one point they grew so bright i could see the outlines of the canyons surrounding us across at the other end of the valley. my head still pressed against the glass of the window; i heard the audible rush of the wind outside the car roaring around us. aside from some animal whose silhouette crossed the road far ahead, we were the only living things in sight. going 80 down the freeway, it felt like we were flying.

my mom, at some point during the drive, asked me if i’d like to play some music, seeing that i was still awake. unsure of what would fit the mood or time of day, i just hit shuffle on some disco music, and softly beaming out of the speakers sang the band chic, followed by some kc & the sunshine band and donna summer. we each took turns dialing up the music, song by song, until it was suddenly blaring out of the speakers. my mom opened the sunroof so i rolled down the windows. then for the rest of the drive, as were cutting our way out of the last stretches of the canyons, we were singing every word together. i do not even remember arriving in the next city, but my mom and i both remember every moment of that drive together. that night kicked us both off on a new chapter in our relationship as best friends and adults.

i did not realize it at the time, but i would come to savor that night and the relationship with my mom it left me with. the carefree events of the day encapsulated what had been the theme of my entire life and childhood prior and served as a wonderful conclusion to that chapter of my life. when we got home from that trip everything would soon be different. what i did not know that night was that my gran would die just a few months later of a cancer that we, at that time did not even know she had. her death would send both my mom and me into a series of emotional hardships that, while we could not have survived without each other, still led me to transfer schools in the middle of a semester. i was also inspired by that trip to stick with distance running and the peace it gave me. my mother is still my best friend.  

in my life now, i still think daily about the blessings i received from my time in the canyons. when i hear disco music, i am reminded of how the person who i was when i entered the canyons trail was not the same one who left them. concealed in darkness across hundreds of miles of the most beautiful part of america, i thank that section of utah for that serendipitous moment and the joy, freedom and friendship it brought me. the place gave me a joy i knew would be waiting for me again. in hindsight of it all, the blessing from god given to us in the canyons gave my mom and me the gift of each other and still gives me a moment to root into when i feel disconnected from the important parts of everything else.

this summer alone i must have been bitten nearly 30 times by a mosquito; each time, though annoyed, i wasn’t afraid for my life—but there are millions of people who fear that every day and their vulnerability is growing because of climate change.

i’m from connecticut; my house sits 100 yards from the mianus river park—an incredibly serene place to walk dogs, take hikes, and go fishing on the weekends. on any given hot summer day, this tranquil park transforms into a doggy playground, buzzing with the sounds of panting, overly excited neighborhood dogs and mosquitos breeding at the edge of the river. lurking in the dense forest are the ticks that silently attack, spreading lyme disease, another vector borne disease making its way across the northeast region of the united states.

eleven years ago, my mom was bitten by a tick infected with lyme disease, and that’s when her battle began. she suffered with an array of disparate symptoms for 8 years until her doctors diagnosed her 3 years ago, when she was finally able to begin immediate and aggressive treatment. luckily my mom has not been burdened with some of the worst symptoms, which can include nerve damage and heart problems, but she is not symptom free by any means; many people do experience these unimaginable symptoms.

richelle jones of old greenwich walks her dog “oliver” at mianus river park in stamford, conn. on monday august 27, 2012. photo: dru nadler via stamford advocate

it’s in our backyards, and it’s spreading…

according to the 2014 national climate assessment, several studies in the northeast have linked tick activity and lyme disease incidence to climate, specifically abundant late spring and early summer moisture. lyme disease will be more prevalent in the mianus river park in years to come, leaving many more people, like my mom, vulnerable to ticks bites that could transmit the disease.

lyme disease is a costly illness that takes its toll on the mind and body, and requires extensive treatment, especially when it goes undetected. my mom went eight years untreated – eight years. late diagnoses happen way too often, and many symptoms are simply not visible or consistent across patients.

according to the lyme disease association, in 1996 a “disseminated lyme case could cost over $61,000 to treat”, which today would be around $92,000. that’s 55% more than an american’s median yearly income of $51,000. we can’t afford to waste another penny fighting lyme disease, be we continue to do so because it’s our parents’ health and our neighbors dog, these are their battles that they can’t do it alone.

the costs are clearly high, but the stakes are even higher. this threat is imminent and global; it’s not just malaria in africa, or lyme disease in connecticut. more people are susceptible; these vectors are growing; by 2080, the projected expansion of tick habitat, according to the nca, includes much of the eastern half of the country. for a deeper understanding, interact with the map found in the 2014 nca and see how changes to our climate will affect the transmission cycle of lyme disease in the northeast region of the united states.

the maps show the current and projected probability of establishment of tick populations (ixodes scapularis) that transmit lyme disease. projections are shown for 2020, 2050, and 2080. source: brownstein et al. 2005 via the 2014 national climate assessment

lyme disease is spreading; everyone should be prepared and protected outdoors. right now, we can take preventative measures to reduce many of the future costs associated with climate change. while climate change will not reverse itself overnight, if we act soon and responsibly we may be able to reduce the likelihood that any more people will suffer from this exhausting, costly, and preventable disease.

if we don’t act now even our best adaptive efforts later may fall short. many more people like my mom could become vulnerable to the bites of infected ticks and mosquitoes. the ball is in our court; let’s make sure we make the right play—our futures and health are at stake.

lauren pollack is a junior at the george washington university majoring in political communication.

as i grew older, i continued to visit beaches on the jersey shore with my school friends, including seaside heights, also known for its family boardwalk. when hurricane sandy struck the jersey shore in the fall of my sophomore year of college, i was shocked that a storm of that magnitude could strike so close to home.  it was a huge reality check, turning on the television and seeing the aftermath aerial images of seaside height’s jet star roller coaster sucked into the ocean waters. for me, hurricane sandy changed the meaning of the beach from a relaxing vacation setting to an area of vulnerability, similar to what the movie, jaws, did for swimmers on the beach.

when all of the rebuilding efforts were finally completed, sandy had left a deadly record and emotional hardships on all those living in or near the area.  one-hundred-and-fifty people lost their lives. about 650,000 homes were damaged or destroyed and it was the most expensive storm since hurricane katrina. it also was the first time i became seriously worried about the impacts of global climate change.

although single hurricanes are not directly caused by climate change, global warming can enhance the intensity of hurricanes through sea level rise and warmer temperatures. over the past century, sea levels have risen over a foot on the jersey shore, largely due to human induced climate change. additionally, the intensity, frequency, and duration of hurricanes have all increased since the early 1980s. these factors placed 40,000 more people in new jersey in sandy’s destructive path.

this is frightening not just for people living near the jersey shore but also for the sustainability of the shore itself. as much as i would like to chalk this up to a tragic anomaly, i am too concerned about the vitality of a place that holds some of my most cherished childhood memories to not be affected. sandy is a hard smack to our american consciousness, signaling to us that more must be done to protect these vulnerable beach areas.

most states have implemented adaptation measures, but this will not save us from the worst effects of global warming. by 2100, sandy-level flooding could occur once a year across the jersey shore. time is running out. we cannot just sit on the sidelines hoping for our team to win. we need to be actively engaged on curbing global co2 emissions. this will move us toward a virtuous goal of leaving the world in a healthier condition from where we left it, not one that threatens the people and places we most treasure. climate science has afforded us a great opportunity to preserve these areas and the meaning, such areas like the jersey shore, have had for many others and myself. let’s keep this possible for future generations.

eric osman is a senior at the george washington university majoring in journalism and mass communication with a minor in economics.

devouring my grandmother’s meatballs and my grandfather’s gnocchi at the dinner table on sunday night lies at the heart of some of my favorite memories growing up. food brings my family together. i can always buy premade meatballs or pasta, but my family’s passion and connection would be replaced with generic processed products and an arguably less enjoyable meal. food is more than essential, so why not make the best possible choice with yours?

organic foods, foods grown without using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, are one good choice you can make. they can be easily identified by those tiny green usda certified organic labels. since 2010, sales of organic foods have increased by about 10% annually, which is an incredible amount of growth by industry standards. this can only mean good things for people who buy food – every family in the u.s.

i can tell from the endless checkout lines in my local whole foods that despite the slightly more expensive cost of organic foods, organic food and drink sales are on the rise. sales of organic products in the united states jumped to $35.1 billion in 2013, up 11.5% from the previous year’s $31.5 billion and was the fastest growth rate in five years.

eating healthy or organic doesn’t mean i never grab my favorite ben & jerry’s ice cream carton, or spend a night at the mcdonald’s down the street with friends eating big macs. the key is to do everything in moderation. while these foods provide “empty calories,” lots of calories with little nutritional benefits, organic foods provide more effective antioxidants that aid in preventing cancer, vision problems and cognitive malfunctions as well as improving heart health. pesticide-free produce may not look as appetizing, but if you want fewer harmful chemicals such as cadmium that have been linked to kidney damage and cancer in your body and in the bodies of your family, make the organic choice.

the impact isn’t just on your health – your favorite organic cauliflower or ginger root has far more positive environmental effects than conventional food. organic agriculture mitigates the greenhouse effect and global warming by sequestering carbon in the soil.  furthermore, replacing pesticides with natural fertilizers such as compost prevents groundwater pollution and enhances soil structure and water infiltration. organic farming even produces more biodiversity than other farming systems.

regardless of what aisle i venture through, organic foods are becoming more prominent. about three fourths of american grocery stores carry organic foods and the number continues to rise. you can vote with your dollars every time you buy food if you want to see more on the shelves. compared to conventional farms, organic farms are just as productive, the soil is healthier and energy is used more efficiently. the next time you see two seemingly different broccoli crowns in your local grocery store’s produce section remember you’re not just paying fifty more cents for organic foods, you’re paying for fifty more years for the planet.

references:

• nestle, marion. what to eat. north point press. 2006
• willett, walter. eat, drink, and be healthy. free press. 2001

top photo courtesy of ncalternativecropsandorganics.com

ohio state’s encore is the university’s second entry into the us department of energy solar decathlon. the team is designing and building a net-zero solar powered home that will travel to washington dc for the competition in september.

osu’s encore strives for spatial efficiency in a 970 square foot, 3-person family home that features 2 bedrooms and an office. the conceptual elements of the house originate at the central core, to which additional sustainable features are connected. living a sustainable lifestyle does not mean giving up the amenities that a family is used to, but it does require rethinking these elements with a focus on thoughtful design and its integration with passive and active systems to conserve and produce energy. this video introduces the architectural concepts behind this prototype for the new sustainable and affordable family home.

you can keep up with us and learn much more about the house, the team, and all of the student designed systems on our website at http://solardecathlon.osu.edu.

looking to keep track of team encore?

for access to the entire archive of ohio state university’s solar decathlon 2011 videos: visit the member page