Plastic-Free July (Corona Edition), Part 1 – Setting the Stage

It is July once again, and I am reviving a challenge I gave myself this time last year: to participate in Plastic Free July. Of course, the global pandemic has led to a steep increase in single-use plastics and zero-contact transactions, making last year’s game plan effectively useless. This year I’ll see where I can make environmentally-friendly choices while still staying safe.

Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist, Part 2 – Leveraging Privilege

I recognize I live a privileged life, and my current position has been supported by racial biases. However, the hesitance to discuss that privilege and personally-held biases presents a huge obstacle in breaking down structures that prevent progress toward social equity. This post is a public examination of the racial narratives I absorbed when I was young and how they have persisted throughout my life.

June 2020 Election Guide (Corona Edition), Part 2

Primaries have historically-low voter turnout as compared to general elections, and the current global pandemic is not helping. Pennsylvanians have the option of mailing in their ballots, but how many will participate? Many voters don’t care, and those who do don’t engage elected officials effectively. How do we cut through our apathy and/or channel our passion to affect real change in the political sphere?

June 2020 Election Guide (Corona Edition), Part 1

This time every year, I’m usually feeling fired up about my well-researched and carefully-selected candidates. It could be the isolation or the lack of inspiring options, but I’m very unenthusiastic about the upcoming PA primary. I will still vote, but I imagine others may not. Here we examine some of the factors that could contribute to very low voter turnout this June.

I <3 Fukushima, Part 8 - The Future

This last post is going live on the anniversary of Chernobyl, an oft-referenced event that has nothing and everything to do with Fukushima. Global concerns about nuclear energy persist as the Japanese government continues cleanup and looks to alternative fuel sources. The request we were left with from residents was this: go home and tell everyone what a wonderful place Fukushima still is.

I <3 Fukushima, Part 7 - The Grid

During our time in Fukushima, we heard many references to Germany’s simultaneous shuttering of conventional generation sources and their accelerated roll-out of renewable energy. The mentality of many Japanese people is “if Germany can do it, so can we.” In this installment of this series, we will take a look at the feasibility of such major fuel shifts in Germany and Japan.

I <3 Fukushima, Part 6 - The Economy

Despite decontamination efforts, some farmers in Fukushima are having trouble bouncing back because of widespread skepticism around claims of safety. The local economy is shifting to include green technology, but it remains to be seen if Fukushima can ever shake its stigma. While the government would like to put the accident in the past, there are some who don’t want it forgotten or excused.

I <3 Fukushima, Part 5 - The People

I was hesitant to join an Exclusion Zone tour but not because of radiation: I didn’t want to seem like an insensitive tourist gawking at a disaster. I ultimately went so I could speak with the people who lived there and share their stories. Here is what we heard from people who lived through it – it was both sadder and more hopeful than I expected.