Jellyfish: Menace to Medicine

Recently, jellyfish have found themselves in the news as causing quite a bit of havoc among the seas. Fishermen, tourists, and even some power station workers are finding themselves negatively affected by these slimy characters. The Environmental News Network, reported on such issues this week; yet, they went a little further and found a research group who has discovered, and is working on, helpful aspects drawn from the jellyfish’s biological properties.

 

The Trouble with Tentacles

“Jellyfish have overwhelmed the marine ecosystem as a result of the overfishing of more competitive species [and] consuming fish eggs and larvae of weaker specimens…” claims ENN. This is causing a damaging imbalance among the seas. By blocking up the systems of power stations using seawater, jellyfish are causing a bump in the road for productivity. Furthermore, “jellyfish have had a dramatic impact on the world fishing industry, snagging and blocking fishing nets …

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  • August 23, 2014
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Pub Thirty-Two

Review View their profile page here. So a new restaurant opened up a few weeks ago by my home and caught my attention. Pub Thirty-Two, a restaurant that prides themselves with an organic menu focused on sustainability and local farms. I quickly reached out to the restaurant and arranged an interview with head chef Glen Tinsley, who was happy to meet with me and spread the word about this establishment. As I walked in for the first time, I was greeted quickly by the kind ladies behind the bar and did not have to wait long for the chef to come and join me. As I glanced around, the restaurant exhibited a very clean, simple, and rustic feel, with wooden tables, chalkboard menus, and interesting light fixtures. On each table was adorned a cream, floating candle or a succulent in a metal plant pot which gave the perfect finishing touches to this professional, yet relaxed, location. Chef Glen Tinsley, born and raised here in Mission Viejo, California has worked all over the w…
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  • July 30, 2014
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6 Freeway Removals That Changed Their Cities Forever

    By Allssa Walker 

It seems counterintuitive, right? Rip out eight lanes of freeway through the middle of your metropolis and you'll be rewarded with not only less traffic, but safer, more efficient cities? But it's true, and it's happening in places all over the world.

Many freeway systems were overbuilt in an auto-obsessed era, only to realize later that cities are actually healthier, greener, and safer without them. Like freeway cap parks, which hope to bridge the chasms through severed neighborhoods—Boston's Big Dig is a great example—freeway removal projects try to eradicate and undo the damage wrought from highways, while creating new, multifunctional shared streets that can be utilized by transit, bikes, walkers and yes, even cars.

Okay, you're thinking, but where do all the cars go? It turns out that when you take out …

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  • April 6, 2014
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Green Jobs Sector Grows in Size

Danielle Cullen, Correspondent for TechnicianOnline America’s “green jobs sector” is on the rise, according to a report from Environmental Entrepreneurs. The environmental group released a study earlier this month, which reported nearly 40,000 new green jobs created during the second quarter of 2013. A green worker is usually employed in the energy industry and seeks to help lessen the human impact on the environment. A student seeking to work in the green jobs sector may study human impact on the environment and “greener,” more efficient ways of living. This includes everything from more energy-efficient homes to more sustainable ways to keep us safe. Lynn Albers, a postdoctoral student in mechanical engineering, said that N.C. State offers courses to help students prepare for joining the green jobs sector. Senior-level electives include Energy Conservation and Industry Design of Solar Thermal Systems. Environmental studies graduates usually end up working for o…
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  • September 15, 2013
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Video: Urban Farming: Hydroponics in the City

Keeping agriculture sustainable increasingly means keeping it local. Besides the environmental benefit of reducing reliance on fossil-fuel guzzling transportation, eating local food is a more seasonal and often healthier experience.
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  • May 19, 2010
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