Plastic pollution is a huge environmental issue that is affecting every corner of the world. This past month I heard many shocking statistics and facts about how plastic has taken over. Specifically, I was listening to the“Green and Gritty” podcast where they talked about Greenwashing. One host mentioned how when the “plastic straw revolution” occurred Starbucks decided to...

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In the past month, the 1300 feet long Ever Given got stuck in the Suez Canal for six days. This event caused a huge setback in shipments and international exports, but how did it affect the environment? More generally, is the Suez Canal “eco-friendly”? After reading some articles about the environmental impact of the Suez Canal, I came across mixed opinions and captivating information which had to be shared. The building of the Suez Canal began…

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As an environmental advocate, I generally side with the greener options as I believe that they are an investment for our future. However, we must not forget that environmental justice and social justice go hand to hand. Not every pro-environmental decision is an advantage to society and the economy. The controversy following President Joe Biden's decision to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline was related to its social and economic effects. Many were happy for his…

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 During my first year as an Environmental Engineering student, I took a course called "Earth Engineering." It was mainly about soil mechanics, yet the first lesson discussed the natural resources left on this earth, and how humans use them everyday. The most surprising fact was the amount of freshwater on our planet, which is barely anything!! As the years go by, experts keep warning us about the arising water scarcity problem. We have already heard…

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 The year 2020 has brought many unexpected turns, the most dramatic being COVID-19. There’s no doubt that it had a pivotal effect on the economy and society as a whole, but I wanted to talk about its impact on the environment. As I was researching, I came upon hundreds of articles, some which argued that COVID-19 had a positive impact on the environment, others which said it created more problems. As the end of the…

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 It’s December, Christmas time! This year Christmas will look different everywhere, so why not try some sustainable ways to enjoy Christmas. During this season we buy ten times more things, we excessively decorate every inch of our house, and we jam out to Christmas bops. In this blog, I hope to give you some sustainable alternatives to your Christmas traditions. 1. Consider alternative Christmas trees The number one Christmas tradition is the tall pine tree that…

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When working on redundant projects I like to listen to podcasts, it allows the time to go by and inspires me to write. This past month I’ve been listening to “Overheard at National Geographic” , an episode about the Towers of Ladakh got me interested in how often humans have to create solutions due to nature’s cycle. It got me thinking that though nature can be unexpectedly hindering, it also has provided us with many…

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Unfortunately, the wildfires have become a norm for California residents which do not only affect the forests of the state but also the quality of living. I became more aware of the fires when my brother recently moved to California. As I listened to him recount his day of finding ways to avoid going outside into the smog and the several precautions he had to take to simply go out on a grocery run, I…

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This past year I started living by myself for the first time due to starting university. This was exciting yet nerve racking for me, as it felt like starting a new life. How was I going to continue the habits I had built at home, by myself, without the support of my parents. During my childhood, I was lucky to have parents who cared deeply about their impact on the environment. They would always recycle…

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This is a report I wrote for my speech communications class in my first year at the University of Waterloo back in November 2019. It was meant to be a persuasive paper on why Ontario should invest in vertical farming, however in the end I believe it is more of a research paper. This was one of the longest and most detailed reports I have written, it required a lot of specific research as I…

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