Connor Fallon

What is reef-safe sunscreen, and why is it important?

11Aug

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

What is reef-safe sunscreen, and why is it important?

By Connor Fallon, Grace Springer Graphic by Connor Fallon Sunscreen is a product made to protect humans from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, however, some ingredients found in sunscreen put our marine life in danger. Reef-harming chemicals found in sunscreen are introduced into the environment when people wear sunscreen while swimming. Research says that 4,000 to 6,000 tons of sunscreen enters reef areas annually. These chemicals can also enter the ocean from overspray of aerosol sunscreens or through shower drains while rinsing off. Chemicals commonly found in sunscreens can cause permanent DNA damage to coral and the more than one million other organisms that call reefs home around the world. Coral reefs are also a vital contribution to...

‘We consume too much and we toss it too quickly’: Palomo-Lovinski encourages a circular fashion economy

29Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Kent State University, Loyola Marymount University

‘We consume too much and we toss it too quickly’: Palomo-Lovinski encourages a circular fashion economy

Photo via Kent State University. By Kennedi Hewitt and Connor Fallon Before she was a beloved professor at Kent State University, Noël Palomo-Lovinski was a sustainable fashion designer in New York City. Ahead of her time, she got into sustainability as a new mom searching for more organic foods and products for her family. Over time it became a lifestyle. “Once you start learning some facts about climate change you go down a deep rabbit hole and develop a passion,” said Palomo-Lovinski. As a professor in the early 2000s, she used her experience to encourage her students to curate their fashion sustainably. She was met with backlash and told that she was destroying and limiting their creative practices. Despite this pushback, nearly 20 years...

14Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Economy, Kent State University

“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...

12Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Kent State University

3 Easy Steps to a “Clean” Closet

By Connor Fallon Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash Every day millions of people visit shopping centers and e-commerce websites to purchase the newest fashion trends. The fashion industry sells and produces between 80 to 150 billion garments each year, globally. With that statistic, that means roughly two trillion, one hundred billion garments have been produced since 2000. While the industry continues to pump out clothes, consumers rid of their garments in droves. In 2018, landfills received 11.3 million tons in textile waste. The main source: clothing. Our fashion footprint is incredibly large, and each person approximately contributes about 1,620 pounds of CO2, annually. To calculate your approximate fashion footprint, you ca...

Controversial policies result in Ohioans paying the price for dirty energy

8Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Energy, Kent State University, Policy, Video

Controversial policies result in Ohioans paying the price for dirty energy

By Grace Springer, Willow Campbell, Spencer Hayes, Madison Ledyard-King, Connor Fallon Perry Nuclear Power Plant cooling tower transfers exhaust heat into the air. Photo: Willow Campbell, Climate 360 COLUMBUS, OH — What has been dubbed by Vox and other news as “the worst energy bill of the 21st century” has put Ohio behind in the transition to renewable energy. Ohio House Bill 6 is energy legislation that provided bailouts in the form of subsidies to two nuclear power plants and two coal power plants. The bill also reformed energy efficiency standards in the state. The legislation passed by a slim margin in 2019 after a multi-million-dollar bribery scandal. The scandal involved several Ohio politicians including f...

22Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

AUTHOR

Senior Correspondent, KSU My name is Connor Fallon, and I am a senior Advertising major with a minor in Media Advocacy. On campus, I am a member of Kent States Premiere A Capella Group, the Kent Clarks. Over the past year, I’ve been involved in helping to change the content of classes, and have participated in numerous focus groups revolving the College of Communication and Information. My interest and passion relating to Climate Change started when I began to pay closer attention to my consumption of plastics, fashions, and the weather trends. My biggest interest in Climate Change is the impact of our Fashion choices. Something I want to dive into with Climate 360 is our consumption of Fast Fashion and Sustainable Fashion and things we can do to change the effects on our planet. I am s...

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,...