Each week, we’ll share some of our staff’s recommended local, national, and international stories. Check these articles out for news and context related to sustainability, human health, climate, environmental justice, and the economy. Follow the Punchlist to connect the dots between the built environment, the natural environment, and quality of life!
The Federal Government mandated that all states surrounding the Chesapeake Bay must clean the waters by 2025. After 3 attempted plans, Pennsylvania has released hopefully its final plan to address pollution in the bay. Governor Wolf agreed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous pollution, while also dealing with pollution that is already found in the Chesapeake. Different sectors around PA, like forestry, wastewater management, and agriculture, have different roles in the clean-up process.
The Inflation Reduction Act was passed by the Senate this week, in a tie-breaker vote by VP Harris. Within the bill, $370 billion are devoted to climate change and clean energy production. The investment is projected to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030, and through the use of tax incentives, more American homes will be built and retrofitted with clean energy systems. The bill also allows Medicare to negotiate expensive medication prices to prevent companies from making life-saving medications unaffordable to the people who need it most.
"Senate passes Democrats' sweeping health care and climate bill" by Alex Rogers et al. for CNN
Health care in rural areas is severely lacking and it is putting many Americans in danger as we look at how COVID-19 has affected health care systems throughout the country. Building, Design, and Construction goes over 3 ways that can help developers best serve Americans living in rural areas, but it is also a lesson on how all developments need to be community and sustainably minded. Their three themes are: building deeper bonds with the community, encouraging entrepreneurialism, and fostering wellness and well-being.
Zoe Yang, a contributing author to Grist, joined forager Marie Viljoen on an edible plant tour of Central Park to learn more about traditional ingredients used in Chinese recipes. As Yang began to forage more on her own, with Viljoen's guidance, she learned more about the history of Chinese plants in America and how she could use them to connect to her personal history as well as American history. Throughout her time foraging, she created historical recipes with plants that her ancestors would've known, but as humans have progressed, we don't have a strong need to know types of plants and their benefits. Yang was able to bridge her own interests in food with foraging that brought her closer to her ancestors and the food she created.
"How Foraging for Edible Plants helped me Connect with my Roots" by Zoe Yang for Grist
