Birthday candles, coins tossed in fountains, stray eyelashes, wishbones and dandelions. Those are the five things I know to wish on, though one is more frowned upon than the others as you age. As a kid outside, there was nothing more satisfying than finding a full dandelion with all of its tufts intact. The more…
Author: Danielle Johnson
Five Sustainability Initiatives Where the US is Lacking
For those of us who have spent our entire life (or most of it) in the United States, it’s easy to become accustomed to the way we live and the large amount of material we consume. While many discussions of environmental impact focus on China and India as having the two largest populations in the…
Exploring Nature in Your Own Backyard
If you were to ask me a few weeks ago to name all of the plant species in my suburban Indiana neighborhood that I knew, I would have said grass, of course, dandelions, daffodils and some clovers. While I’ve always loved nature, I’ve just never had a means of learning about the species around me….
The Best Way to Do Zero Waste is to Do it Imperfectly
I was walking up Orrington Avenue toward campus recently after grabbing brunch with some friends, and the snow on the ground was slowly turning into ice each time someone stepped on it. I found myself walking toward a woman on the phone with a cup of coffee in her hand, and the only reason I…
Who is manoomin? A clash between culture and climate change
View the original story published in Indian Country Today. “I kind of grew up with a lot of different tribal members,” said Melonee Montano, a member of the Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe. “ I used to have a tape recorder that I’d carry with me when I drove elders around to dialysis appointments or…
A Stellar Beauty: A Look at a Northwestern University Icon Then and Now
She is tall and slender, and although her glory days are behind her, she still knows how to turn a head. Her posture is impeccable in spite of her age, and she still stands with an aura that commands the room. She waits all day perched above the wood-paneled stage for the sun to recede,…
Lead: Cheap for Pipes but Not for People
Patricia Gorrell grew up in Chicago and has lived there her entire life. She says she loves the taste of Chicago water, or at least she did until recently. Now, the best way she can describe it is “boring.” This is because Gorrell received a postcard in January from the City of Chicago allowing her…
Small Businesses at The Plant Putting the “Eco” Into Economy
Beer, coffee, tea, spices, cheese, honeybees, a mushroom lab, hydroponics, aquaponics, ice, ice cream, chocolate. What do all of these things have in common? For starters, they can all be found at The Plant, a 93,500 sq. ft. facility that houses small businesses in a collaborative environment on the South Side of Chicago. As of…
Research Growing at Chicago Botanic Garden Amid Climate Change Concerns
Stuart Wagenius’ eyes light up when he describes the dozens of species of bees native to a prairie in Western Minnesota where they pollinate purple coneflowers, Echinacea angustifolia. He only lists a few for the sake of time, but the excitement in his voice says he could go on much longer. The excitement dwindles, however,…
Northwestern Students Going Green Earth Day and Every Day
Many Northwestern University students and campus organizations are trading in purple for green this month to celebrate Earth Day on April 22 and Arbor Day on April 26. “With the increasing climate change concerns about the future of our planet and the sustainability of our planet, I think it’s important to have events where college…
Food Sustainability at Northwestern University
Years before she came to Northwestern University, Katie Mansur considered herself to be a “classic Bay Area environmentalist.” So it was only natural that she became involved in sustainability groups when she arrived on campus her freshman year. One of the groups she joined was the Associated Student Government (ASG) Sustainability Committee. Now a senior…
Krispy Kreme 5K Held at Northwestern
The Chicago skyline was barely visible in the morning haze as the participants gathered at Northwestern University’s Lakefill just before 10 a.m. on Sunday. With the exception of one young man in a Speedo, the crowd was largely clad in a vibrant array of winter hats and coats. The temperature was 38 degrees Fahrenheit and…