Do Forest Carbon Credits Work and Actually Help the Environment?
It takes a lot of fuel to get an airplane up in the sky and keep it there—which means a lot of emissions. In fact, the airline industry produces more greenhouse gases than many major countries. Most airlines know this isn’t a good look, so they are pushing for cleaner fuels—and offering passengers the chance to help them offset a flight’s carbon emissions. Book a trip with a big carrier and you might be asked if you want to invest in forest preservation, saving enough trees to soak up your jet-setting’s environmental emissions.
25 Years of Innovate@BU’s New Venture Competition Showcases Decades of BU Innovation
The Social Impact Track’s second-place winner of $10,000 was Culinary Commons, founded by Andrea Catania (MET’24). Culinary Commons builds public kitchens to foster a sense of community in urban areas like Boston, focusing on food justice and social cohesion.
How is Climate Change Affecting New England?
Climate change is here, all around us, affecting the four seasons that define New England’s identity and the activities we anticipate as the weather changes throughout the year: fall foliage and leaf-peeping. Quiet walks in the woods. Skiing down slopes of fresh powder. Swimming in beautiful lakes and at ocean beaches. Jogging along the Esplanade. Downing a dozen oysters at the end of a summer afternoon.
Why Do Urban Trees Grow Faster than Rural Ones?
Established in 1954, the Los Angeles–based philanthropic organization supports science, engineering, and medical research with a focus on novel proposals that strive to break new ground. The latest BU project is being led by forest microbial ecologist Jennifer Bhatnagar, a College of Arts & Sciences associate professor of biology and director of the BU Biogeoscience Program. She and her colleagues hope to use a better understanding of how urban trees adapt to sometimes harsh conditions to support preservation initiatives.
Dani’s Queer Bar Seeks to Renew Boston’s LGBTQ+ Nightlife Scene
For Boston, Dani’s arrival (it opened in September) is huge—yes, nearly every neighborhood, from Fenway to Brighton to Seaport to Chinatown, has a place to eat and drink and dance (if you’re lucky), but how many of those specifically cater to Boston’s flourishing LGBTQ+ population? Almost none. To me, that makes Dani’s Queer Bar, the newest addition to the city’s queer nightlife scene, feel like a beacon.
Electric Bikes and Scooters Are Everywhere. Here’s How You Can Stay Safe
There are plenty of ways to get around Boston University’s unique campus layout, which spans both sides of Comm Ave for nearly two miles. Many BU community members opt for the MBTA Green Line, which runs straight through campus and into downtown Boston, while others walk, take the free BU Shuttle, or bike. But in recent years, many cities, including Boston, have seen a rise in electric bicycles and scooters on their roads. The majority of these vehicles are battery-powered micromobility devices and can include “bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and other small, wheeled conveyances designed for personal transport,” according to BU Transportation Services.
How Do You Run a City of 650,000 Residents? These Terriers Have Some Insights
Each year a few BU students get a chance to find out for themselves when they are selected as BU City Scholars Summer Fellows. This year, 10 students were selected to take part in the program. And they weren’t the only Terriers interning in Government Plaza. An additional three students spent the summer as BU Initiative on Cities Summer Interns and Fellows. We asked this year’s BU City Scholars Summer Fellows to share some reflections of what they learned this summer working at City Hall and how the experience may shape their future career plans.
How Do We Solve America’s Affordable Housing Crisis? BU Research Helps Inspire a Federal Bill That Suggests Answers
A new federal bill, introduced by Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), aims to solve the crisis by making it easier to peel back local rules that can block new construction—and that are often weaponized by those who don’t want new housing in their backyards. And the bill’s approach was inspired, in part, by Boston University research.
Meet BU’s Newest Associate Professors: 32 Charles River Campus faculty promoted
These faculty are among the 32 on Boston University’s Charles River Campus recently promoted to the rank of associate professor. They are teachers and scholars who have earned national reputations in their respective fields of study, and they reflect the breadth and depth of research being conducted at BU.
Heat Waves Are Scorching Boston, but Are Some Neighborhoods Hotter than Others?
The heat island effect means some parts of the city warm up more than others when summer temperatures soar. While parks and other areas with green space and greater tree cover provide shade, and cool the air through evaporation and transpiration, the dark roofs and asphalt of densely developed areas absorb and radiate the sun’s heat. Despite its diversity of environments, Boston decides whether it’s in a heat wave from temperature readings at just one site: Boston Logan International Airport.