Feature

In a world where warnings of “Cancer and reproductive harm” adorn everyday products, the burden of identifying hazardous substances lies with the consumer. The prevalence of hazardous chemical compounds, with alarming rates found in pregnant women, paints a concerning picture of a silent epidemic affecting the health of future generations. As chemical interference in the body’s hormones correlates with rising rates of cancer, obesity, and neurological disorders in children, the need for a fundamental shift in who monitors chemical compounds becomes apparent.

In a world where warnings of “Cancer and reproductive harm” adorn everyday products, the burden of identifying hazardous substances lies with the consumer. The prevalence of hazardous chemical compounds, with alarming rates found in pregnant women, paints a concerning picture of a silent epidemic affecting the health of future generations. As chemical interference in the body’s hormones correlates with rising rates of cancer, obesity, and neurological disorders in children, the need for a fundamental shift in who monitors chemical compounds becomes apparent.

Rural communities are essential to food production in the United States. Despite this, they rarely receive the benefits of this food commensurate with their investments in this system. Elders in rural communities are incredibly overlooked in food access interventions and consistently benefit the least from the food they help grow. This oversight makes rural elders particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. The current food system disconnects elders from the food grown in their communities and, therefore, must be transformed to prioritize care for these vulnerable populations.

For every car in the United States, there are four parking spots. Research shows that replacing underutilized parking with green space and using environmentally friendly asphalt-alternatives will make cities more climate resilient. While cities in the United States have barely begun to grapple with this issue, cities like Paris, which removed 70,000 on-street parking spaces—half of the city’s previous 140,000 total—are de-paving the way.