Economy – Page 2 – Climate360 News

14Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

“The Industry is Pretty Burnt Out, but so is the Planet” Personal Profile: Kayla Kobilis

By Connor Fallon Kayla Kobilis with her 2021 Collection, "Anthropogenic". A sustainable fashion line featuring 7 different full outfits. Kayla Kobilis was one of the thousands of college graduates in Ohio in 2021, but her impact goes beyond that of the average student. Kobilis graduated from Kent State University’s School of Fashion, where she majored in fashion design with a focus on sustainability. Kobilis created seven exceptional looks for her Senior BFA Collection, called “ANTHROPOGENIC”, that premiered at the KSU’s 2021 Annual Fashion Show. Kobilis’ collection is based on the Anthropocene, the geological period we are currently in. Kobilis took inspiration for the collection from cl...

Ohio Farmers’ Key to Combat Climate Change? Transition to Organic

9Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Kent State University, Science

Ohio Farmers’ Key to Combat Climate Change? Transition to Organic

By Willow Campbell Sasha Miller, of Purplebrown Farmstead, checks on a young apple tree. June 13th, 2021 in Boston Heights, Ohio. Photo: Willow Campbell, Climate 360 Recent weather changes are threatening Ohio’s farmers, but a switch to organic practices could be part of the solution. All that’s needed now, is for the government to support the transition. According to the Ohio Livestock Coalition, “Agriculture is the number-one contributor to Ohio's economy,” with almost 75,000 farms in the state, and one out of eight jobs in Ohio related to farming. Most of the state has warmed by about one degree (F) in the last century due to the larger effects of global warming, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016. This change in cli...

Education could reduce fashion industry’s carbon footprint and influence consumer behavior

5Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Louisiana State University

Education could reduce fashion industry’s carbon footprint and influence consumer behavior

All fabrics used by KaylaLynn Apparel are made in the U.S. and Europe and are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified, meaning it has been tested for harmful substances and is harmless to human health. Photo courtesy of Kayla Sherman. By Ava Borskey BATON ROUGE, LA — When Bruce Cameron began teaching a sustainability class at the University of Wyoming in the ‘90s, he was pioneering a less-often offered course about the fashion industry’s impact on the environment. “It's evolved completely since then,” Cameron said. “Just about everybody has a class of this form if they have an apparel merchandising type of program on the campus.” Today, nearly 25 years later, Cameron serves as head of the Textiles, Apparel Design and Merchandising department at Louisiana State University, w...

How climate change is creating the new normal of California wildfires

5Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Loyola Marymount University, Morgan State University, Science

How climate change is creating the new normal of California wildfires

Climate change’s impact on California cannot be understated. Businesses and homes are preparing for a more wildfire-prone future. Graphic by Cristobal Spielmann. By Cristobal Spielmann, Brian Jeffries Wildfires are getting bigger and wildfire seasons are getting longer as a result of the impact of climate change. The recent massive heatwave across the Western United States set new heat records on top of a decades long megadrought. The high temperatures and dry conditions makes California the perfect environment for massive wildfires. Businesses integral to the California economy, like the nearly $10 billion wine industry, are bracing for an increasingly drier, more fire-prone climate. “It seems like the weather’s more dr...

Five things to know about sustainable fashion

25Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Loyola Marymount University

Five things to know about sustainable fashion

By Kennedi Hewitt Via Anna Sullivan on Unsplash. Sustainable fashion is a huge hot topic. Want to learn more about what it means, but not too sure where to start? Here are a few articles to guide you. 1.) “Fast fashion vs. sustainable fashion.” Despite its many benefits, sustainable fashion is not the preferred method of clothing production. Fast fashion, which is more harmful for the environment and less sustainable, still dominates the industry. Read more about the pros and cons of fast fashion as it compares to sustainable fashion here. 2.) “Seven forms of sustainable fashion.” There are many ways to be sustainable in your fashion choices outside of shopping; sustainable fashion choices don’t start and end with buying ...

Experts say education and retraining key to successful transition to low-carbon economy

23Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Energy, Louisiana State University, Policy

Experts say education and retraining key to successful transition to low-carbon economy

ULL's Mechanical Engineering Virtual Reality Lab uses a photovoltaic power plant model to facilitate virtual hands-on learning. The application teaches users how solar power is produced, converted and transmitted. Courtesy of The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy Center. By Sydney McGovern, Samantha Beekman, Josh Archote Traditional energy generation is declining, and renewable energy is on the rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that wind turbine service technicians and solar panel installers will be two of the fastest growing jobs in the United States through 2029. The switch to a low-carbon economy is necessary to minimize the impacts of climate change. But with these changes comes a complex set o...

The shift to thrift: Resale market and thrift shopping poses reward for consumers—and the environment

15Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Louisiana State University

The shift to thrift: Resale market and thrift shopping poses reward for consumers—and the environment

By Ava Borskey Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com BATON ROUGE, LA — When she’s not busy studying Arabic or biology for her international studies major, Emily Clarke might be found shopping for clothes at a thrift store. For Clarke, the incentive to thrift, rather than buy from traditional retailers, is two-fold: finding unique, affordable clothing and reducing her environmental footprint. “As I grew up, I just learned more about human impact on the environment, climate change . . . and how my daily actions contribute to that,” Clarke said. “I'm very environmentally conscious about the impact of fast fashion and consumerism, so I really try to buy used clothes.” When it comes to waste harmful to the environment, the first thing that comes to mind f...

Organic cotton farming proves to have environmental benefits, yet still lacks popularity among cotton farmers and businesses

15Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Kent State University, Louisiana State University, Loyola Marymount University

Organic cotton farming proves to have environmental benefits, yet still lacks popularity among cotton farmers and businesses

By Kennedi Hewitt, Ava Borskey, Connor Fallon and Grace Springer When the cold weather comes around and people start searching for their most durable and fashionable heavy coats, brands such as Patagonia and Everlane are among the best rated clothing brands worn. However, in addition to being top manufactures for outdoor wear, Patagonia and Everlane are also renowned for their sustainable and transparent production practices, zero waste initiatives and environmental activism. Furthermore, they are celebrated for their commitment to using organic cotton over conventionally grown cotton. Organic cotton is often advertised as a cleaner and more sustainable material in the fashion industry. Like other organic crops, it’s grown without the use of pesticides,...

‘The real threat is not taking action’: Experts say renewable energy poses an opportunity, not a threat, to Louisiana

14Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Energy, Louisiana State University, Policy

‘The real threat is not taking action’: Experts say renewable energy poses an opportunity, not a threat, to Louisiana

By Sydney McGovern This piece was originally published on April 19, 2021, by BIZ Magazine. Since last October, Entergy has been purchasing power from this solar facility in West Baton Rouge Parish. In his first week in office, President Joe Biden signed executive orders to eliminate many federal subsidies for fossil fuels starting next year and pause new oil and gas permits on federal lands. Louisiana congressional delegation expressed outrage about Biden’s decision. Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican, said the changes would be “devastating to Louisiana,” and Sen. Bill Cassidy, called Biden’s use of the term “Cancer Alley” a “slam upon our state.” Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is leading a lawsuit against Biden’s moratorium on oil and gas leases. But local economic and...