Something in our world is unseen by the eye but is in every human alive. It is a toxin slowly killing and damaging all of us, the name of this something is PFAS chemicals. PFAS are chemicals produced by industry that are extremely harmful in various ways, from their widespread use in transportation to their bioaccumulative nature in many systems. They are one of the biggest issues affecting countries with developed industries because they have been unregulated and over-generated since the 1940s (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2024) (ref). So many populations of people are suffering from health incidences that could […]

Abstract: What is Generative AI? The concept of generative artificial intelligence and terms like “AI” have gained an unprecedented level of hype as well as misunderstanding in the past few years; “AI” has become an all-encompassing buzzword to describe complex concepts varying from lengthy analysis of medical data to the generation of memes. But what is it? In a sentence, generative artificial intelligence is the output achieved from complex webs of probability-reliant algorithms called neural networks, designed on the basis of the human brain. When trained with massive amounts of data, these neural networks have the capability to produce human-like […]

Introduction Figure [1] picture of how many bags are used by an average grocery store purchase Imagine the following situation: It’s a Sunday afternoon in your suburban Pennsylvania town, and you’re doing a weekly reset before a busy week. Naturally, you buy a week’s groceries at the local grocery store. When you arrive home you realize you have forgotten eggs. Because it’s only a five-minute drive away, you quickly go and buy enough eggs to last the week. At the checkout, the cashier doesn’t even ask if you’d like a bag and places your one container of eggs you purchased […]

Imagine transforming your health, protecting biodiversity, and preserving the environment—all with a single dietary choice. This is possible by following a plant-based diet. It is evident that a plant-based diet is the ideal diet for positive individual health. They contribute benefits to one’s overall well-being while promoting a healthier planet for all living beings. Although it is clear and certain that plant-based diets have the best effect on the body, it can be argued that a fully non-processed diet has a better effect on the environment. This diet can be plant-based, but it could also be possible to find non-processed animal […]

Imagine something so small that it has attached itself to almost everything around you yet, you can never see it with the naked eye. Imagine blindly consuming toxins that circulate throughout almost every part of your body day in and day out, never conscious of the significant bodily damage taking place inside of you. What I am describing is the unfortunate reality for humans in today’s plastic-obsessed world. Microplastics exist in almost all corners of the environment, and their potential harm to human health and the environment has received increasing attention from the public and the scientific community. Through explaining […]

Introduction The unbelievably low prices of clothing and the super-high sales look enticing and make you think “Oh, why not just buy this cute outfit, it’s only X amount of dollars.” However, once you understand everything that goes on behind the scenes to make inexpensive clothes at a low price, you will think twice about your purchasing decisions. Fast fashion is the “rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing of clothing.” (Rashmila, 2024). On the surface, this process seems harmless and efficient, but after starting my research I very quickly realized that this is not the case. There are endless amounts […]

Introduction: Water bottles, Tote Bags, and Metal Straws: The Newest Trends in “Sustainability” With the continued increase in social media usage and the chronic need of consumers to keep up with new trends, our society is falling deeper and deeper into a habit of overconsumption. Recently, some of the most sought-after items have been reusable stainless steel water bottles. An emerging problem that I have noticed is the frivolous habit of buying items, like these bottles, that are specifically marketed to reduce waste and minimize carbon footprint. We are glorifying gluttony and materialism. For some reason, people carry water bottles […]

For this blog, I would like to address how plastics have made us softer as a group of people. Making us choose between our planet or making things more convenient in our personal lives because of how much we use plastics.  I believe that we would benefit from just focusing on one industry and focusing on its plastic use and then moving on from there. With all this research I have on plastic waste, the food packaging industry became the main topic because of how much plastic it uses compared to other industries. It uses so much unnecessary plastic that […]

Throughout time, farming has been pretty straightforward. You plant seeds, watch them grow, and tend to them accordingly. By “tending” here I mean watering them, keeping pests out, or tilling the soil, you name it. There are many different ways in which people farm, many techniques and technologies farmers incorporate in the growth of their crops, such as: a) The use of fertilizers and pest controls (a method of organic farming) b) Irrigation support, the use of sprinklers or pipes directly next to plants rather than just relying on rainfall C) Weeding/the removal of dead plant matter Permaculture on the […]

Solar cooking is the practice of preparing food using only the energy of the sun. Unlike traditional stoves, solar cookers are designed to take advantage of the sun’s heat to cook meals. For those who would prefer not to use fossil fuels or natural gas, solar cookers offer a convenient and eco-friendly option. It’s for these reasons that a growing number of individuals are switching to solar cooking. Millions of people around the world still use wood or dung as their primary source of fuel for cooking, despite the fact that doing so requires them to travel long distances and […]