Louisiana State University – Page 2

LSU activists developing hydroponic farming system to battle food insecurity in Baton Rouge

21Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University, Science, Technology

LSU activists developing hydroponic farming system to battle food insecurity in Baton Rouge

By Domenic Purdy BATON ROUGE, LA — Louisiana State University activists are developing a hydroponic farming system to combat food insecurity in Baton Rouge. The project is in its early stages and is titled the Amical Cabral Project—named after an African agricultural engineer from Guinea-Bissau. In coordination with LSU’s Ag Center, biological engineering senior Soheil Saneei, founder of the Baton Rouge political organization Cooperation Rouge, is exploring sustainable solutions for feeding the community. Climate change will make feeding the world’s growing population more difficult by drying out once arable land and increasing extreme weather that damages crops. Hydroponics has been considered an adaptation to this problem since it doesn’t require soil. Hydroponic ...

Anxiety around climate change adding to mental health issues among America’s youth

19Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University

Anxiety around climate change adding to mental health issues among America’s youth

Gen Zers and millennials are more anxious about climate change than their Baby Boomer counterparts. Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com By Domenic Purdy The American public is becoming increasingly anxious about climate change, especially younger generations. Sixty eight percent of Americans feel climate change is affecting their mental health, according to a 2020 American Psychiatric Association poll. That number rose by 21 percentage points compared to 2019. America’s youth are especially concerned: Sixty-seven percent of Generation Z (18-23 years) and 63% of millennials (24-39 years) are somewhat or very concerned about the impact of climate change on their mental health. Just 42% of Baby Boomers (56-74 years) and 58% of Gen Xers (40-55 years) feel the same, the poll...

Generational gaps: Young people more worried about climate change than their parents

16Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University

Generational gaps: Young people more worried about climate change than their parents

Recent polls find that younger people are more likely to be concerned about climate change and participate in environmental activism than older generations. Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com By Domenic Purdy Younger generations are more engaged in climate activism and more worried about global warming than their parents. A Pew Research poll from May found that 67% of Generation Z and 71% of millennials agree that tackling climate change should be a top priority of government, businesses and individuals. This is compared to 63% of Generation X and 57% of Baby Boomers. “A consistent finding is that young people have been more concerned than older people about taking care of the environment,” former Syracuse University sociology professor Richard Braungart said. Taking perso...

President Joe Biden’s climate change actions–and inactions–explained

14Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Policy

President Joe Biden’s climate change actions–and inactions–explained

President Joe Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement on his first day in office, undoing former President Donald Trump's actions in 2020. Photo by Gage Skidmore By Sydney McGovern One of President Joe Biden’s primary campaign platforms centered on combating the effects of climate change. He pledged to “tackle the climate emergency, plan for a clean energy future and secure environmental justice.” But after six months in office, some environmental activists say that the administration has fallen short on its goals and evaded its promises. Here’s a five-point break down of Biden’s climate change campaign action plan and how the president has lived up to his commitments so far. “I. Ensure the U.S...

‘It taps another sense’: Artists’ role in the fight against climate change

12Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University

‘It taps another sense’: Artists’ role in the fight against climate change

This piece, titled Poux de sable à la Grande Île (Sand Lice on Grand Isle), was painted by Jonathan Mayers during his time in residency for A Studio in the Woods. By Ava Borskey BATON ROUGE, LA — Tucked away on the western bank of the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana, you’ll find an artistic and academic residency retreat known as A Studio in the Woods. Ama Rogan, the current managing director of A Studio in the Woods, has been with the program since its founding in 2001. “Our mission is really to support artists and scholars—and the general public that has access—to foster creative responses to the challenges of our time. Of course, a huge one is the climate crisis that we find ourselves in,” Rogan said. A program of Tulane University’s Bywater Institute, A Stud...

Climate change is widely taught in American public schools—but students are receiving mixed messages

9Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University, Science

Climate change is widely taught in American public schools—but students are receiving mixed messages

Only 27 U.S. states received a B+ or better on how they teach climate change, according to a report from the National Center for Science Education and the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund. Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com By Josh Archote Roughly 75% of public school science teachers in the U.S. teach climate change and almost all public school students likely receive at least some education about recent global warming, according to a 2016 paper from the National Center for Science Education. But students are receiving mixed messages from teachers about the causes of global warming, the report found. Among its findings: More than a quarter of teachers give equal time to perspectives that raise doubt about the scientific consensus.Few teachers doubt that average global ...

No soil? No problem: Hydroponic farming could help combat climate change and food insecurity

7Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Science, Technology

No soil? No problem: Hydroponic farming could help combat climate change and food insecurity

A hydroponic system being used to grow livestock feed for British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. This project was conducted and funded by the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. Photo Courtesy of Lenore Newman By Domenic Purdy As the world population nears 10 billion by 2050, overall food demand is expected to increase by over 50%, according to the World Resources Institute. Climate change will make feeding that population more difficult in some regions. Increased heat stress, rainfall intensity, flooding and drought could reduce crop yields and leave once arable land unusable, leading to food insecurity, according to the Environmental Protection Agenc...

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...

Ocean warming could have negative effects on marine life and coastal communities

1Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University, Science

Ocean warming could have negative effects on marine life and coastal communities

Ocean warming could disrupt marine life ecosystems and have negative effects on coastal communities that rely on fisheries. Photo by thanhhoa tran on Pexels.com By Ava Borskey, Nicole Nguyen Jade Cave has lived near the ocean since her family moved to Fiji, a small island in the South Pacific, when she was 6 years old. “I was raised by a community of people whose history and culture are directly linked to the ocean,” Cave said. “It was a fundamental aspect of the identity of the country that raised me.” Now 17 and a resident of Cape Town, South Africa, Cave has continued to observe the impacts the ocean has on her life. “When I look at the ocean…I see coastal communities all over the global South whose lives, cultures, history and existence is held in that water,” Cave said....

The American Conservation Coalition and the ‘conservative answer to the Green New Deal’

29Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Policy

The American Conservation Coalition and the ‘conservative answer to the Green New Deal’

American Climate Coalition founder Benji Backer speaks at the Conservative Climate Rally on June 5. Backer founded the ACC in 2017. Photo Courtesy of Maxim Podhaisky By Domenic Purdy The American Conservation Coalition, a conservative-minded environmental advocacy group, hosted their first annual American Conservative Climate Rally on June 5 in Miami, Florida, following the release of their American Climate Contract—the “conservative answer to the Green New Deal.” Founded in 2017 by a group of Millennials led by activist Benji Backer, the ACC is “dedicated to mobilizing young people around environmental action through common-sense, market-based, and limited-government ideals.” The event highlighted Republican leadership in the field of...