11/15
Ecology
Penn Researchers Look to Cuba for Sustainability and Agroecology in Practice
On many farms in the Cuban countryside, yellow flowers bookend certain crops, placed in such a way to concentrate insects there rather than on the produce growing in the rows between. Equipment-toting oxen and tractors are equally common sights, and combined with a self-sustaining water system, minimize the need to transport fuel across great distances.
In the News
The New Yorker
The little-known world of caterpillars
Dan Janzen of the School of Arts & Sciences explains how the climate crisis has led to catastrophic declines in insect numbers.
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CNN
Wealthy American homes have carbon footprints 25% higher than low-income residences, study says
Vincent Reina of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design said that the large homes owned by wealthy people require excess energy, but that low-income homes may also produce significant emissions because of the high cost of energy-efficient renovations and new appliances.
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Bloomberg
How to grow green
Daniel Aldana Cohen of the School of Arts & Sciences has proposed that grants be made to help replace aging utility systems in low-income and public housing.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Not over the hill: ‘Design With Nature,’ Ian McHarg’s landmark book of ecological design turns 50
Bill Whitaker of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design spoke about Penn landscape architect Ian McHarg’s influence on ecological design and city planning. “He realized that people paid attention when you had scientific information and you had hard facts,” said Whitaker.
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