Innovate~Educate~Collaborate

Tag: fratelli Tutti

  • Green Junction: Amazon~not the rain forrest. By Julie Peller Ph.D.

    Amazon, the giant, US-based, e-commerce company recently had its annual shareholders’ meeting. One discussion point was a proposal to report the company’s plastic use and determine the benefits of reducing plastic. With only 48% of shareholders voting in favor of evaluating the company’s plastic usage/waste, the proposal fell short of the majority and was rejected. […]

  • Green Junction: Plastic is expected to double over the next 20 years. By Julie Peller Ph.D.

    According to the World Economic Forum, the production of plastic is expected to double over the next 20 years. Half of the plastics in our world now have been made over the past two decades. The accumulated amount of plastic materials manufactured since 1950 is over 9 billion tons, which some researchers describe as over […]

  • Green Junction: The Quality of Water by Julie Peller Ph.D.

    The quality of surface waters in Indiana is poor according to a recent analysis of surface waters across the country. Although some improvements have been made over the past years in reducing industrial and sewage discharges, there are deficiencies and continued efforts to weaken the state’s environmental laws. The outcome is an extensive amount of […]

  • Green Junction: Have you thought about the coral reefs? By Julie Peller

    Coral reefs are home to about 25% of all marine plants and animals. The roles of coral reefs are extensive: protection of coastlines from flooding and erosion, marine habitats, goods and services, sources of new medicines, and more. According to a new global study, the marine world experienced a 14% loss of coral from 2009 […]

  • Green Junction: What to do about plastics? By Julie Peller Ph.D.

    I often write about plastic pollution since it is one of the greatest threats to the earth. Our current lifestyles rely on these materials, meaning that plastic production will continue to increase, at least in the short term. Another reason I regularly highlight this environmental threat is because each of us can make a difference […]

  • Green Junction: 90% of all toys are plastic. By Julie Peller Ph.D.

    An estimated 90% of all toys are made of plastic. These are used for a short time or even several years but have a much longer lifetime on earth as garbage. Most plastics are made from fossil fuels. Newer plastics that contain a portion of material derived from plants are marketed as bioplastics; however, these […]

  • Green Junction: “We should rejoice when we sacrifice.” By Julie Peller Ph.D.

    I extend warm wishes of joy and peace this Christmas and New Year to all of you.Julie I recently read that “we should rejoice when we sacrifice, giving something back to God or to someone whose needs are greater than ours.” This beautiful sentiment can be extended to creation. The someone can be Mother Earth: the land, air, and […]

  • Green Junction: Glass is a Beautiful Thing. By Julie Peller, Ph.D.

    Glass is a beautiful material that is believed to date back to 2400 BC. Glass is made of roughly 70% silica sand with other components, namely limestone (calcium carbonate) and soda ash (sodium carbonate). By heating these materials in a furnace above 2700 degrees Fahrenheit and then cooling, glass forms. Soda-lime glass is the most […]

  • Green Junction: The Pandemic has tested the capacity of populations. By Julie Peller Ph.D.

    The damage from humanity’s exploitation of the earth’s natural resources plays out daily around the globe. However, significant parts of the population experience milder effects of climate change, massive waste, biodiversity loss, etc. How attentive are those who do not experience intense, direct effects of these massive global problems? Do people of faith feel empathetic […]

  • GREEN JUNCTION: Steel Production BY JULIE PELLER PH.D

    Green Junction Steel production in Northwest Indiana accounts for about a quarter of the output in the United States. According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, production in northern Indiana has led the nation since 1977. Worldwide, the United States is the fourth-largest producer of steel. If this industry were a country, it would […]