Closing the CO2 window: New research is precise about human contributions to climate change
By Thomas Smith Medill Reports While carbon and oxygen are necessary for human life, CO2 is also a thermostat for the planet and carbon dioxide buildup in Earth’s atmosphere has the potential to cause irreversible damage to the planet’s climate. Although the window to counteract human contributions to global warming is closing, scientists are more […]
Chicago urban growers fight for affordable and equitable water access
By Caroline Catherman and Carlyn Kranking Medill Reports Urban farms and community gardens in Chicago produce over 500,000 pounds of crops in a year, according to a 2015 study by DePaul University and NeighborSpace. Much of this food helps feed Chicago communities. Local food sources are especially crucial in a pandemic. When food has to […]
Amid COVID-19 surge, bus drivers and riders worry mask policy is insufficient
By Kelly Milan Medill Reports The day seemed to fit the odd year — sunny and 75 in November, sweater and shorts, masks and hand sanitizer, and a CTA worker smiling. “They call me the happiest guy in town,” said Cedric Trice, 54, a veteran bus driver for the CTA, during an interview at South […]
Next generation climate scientists prepare for the future by studying past North Atlantic iceberg melting
By Grace Rodgers Medill Reports In a race against climate change, Yuxin Zhou, 26, is among the next generation of climate scientists studying the Earth’s responses to rapidly rising temperatures, threatening life on the planet. As a fifth-year Ph.D. student at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, studying how the Earth’s climate behaved in the past […]
Art therapy adapting to COVID-19 and helping those in need
By Alexandra Elena Todd Medill Reports Many art therapists are adapting to the pandemic, approaching depression through art, and helping clients transition to cope with the new normal. Art therapy is an approach in psychotherapy that uses art to help people express their thoughts and feelings, a mission that has become only more important across […]
Revised COVID-19 eviction ban draws ire of Chicago housing activists
By Courtney Kueppers Medill Reports When the coronavirus pandemic first began, Ivy Abid felt like she had to find a way to help people. So the 35-year-old high school teacher started answering calls on a hotline set up by Chicago housing activists for tenants in need. In the spring, Abid and other Chicago Tenants Movement volunteers […]
Scientists look to remove CO2 from atmosphere by accelerating natural Earth processes
By Carlyn Kranking Medill Reports To control Earth’s mounting climate emissions, we really have our work cut out for us. First, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to nearly zero by 2050 to prevent massive sea level rise, drought and heat waves. But that isn’t enough, since already-emitted carbon dioxide lingers in the atmosphere for […]
Scientists discuss the importance of building antiracist labs
By Marisa Sloan Medill Reports Racial and ethnic diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) remains low, causing many academic leaders to seek guidance on how they can make their own labs more equitable and inclusive. A new paper, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology last month, provides just that. […]
Evanston food pantries serve community despite pandemic
By Bennett Baker Medill Reports With brown paper bags full of donations covering every tabletop of The Giving Storeroom, shelves overflowing with cans and boxed food and two more large donations still on their way, coordinator Llyoandra Cooper knew it was time to spread the word. “I came in here as the bags were coming […]
Chicago schools grapple with the results of the 2020 election
By Catherine Henderson Medill Reports From the perspective of a civics classroom in Chicago, the 2020 presidential election changed the game. And students are paying particularly close attention to national politics. This election has forced teachers across the city to reframe their approach to civics education. Students are living in a polarized political climate in […]