Feeding our communities is a highly complex task involving a wide array of stakeholders—including farmers, consumers, grocery stores, CSAs, farmers markets, food pantries, and more. The Covid-19 Pandemic has revealed major vulnerabilities in food systems across the globe, and climate change is threatening to further destabilize these systems. The United …
Springtime in Maine is a beautiful thing. The morning air still holds the chill of winter. The faint scent of green and growing life tiptoes around your nose, suddenly bursting into fullness where a patch of afternoon sun has warmed a budding tree branch. When I lived there, I loved …
While I was sitting at home one night, I decided to watch a new Netflix documentary titled “Seaspiracy.” The name was catchy and seemed interesting as I love learning about the ocean and our waterways. Little did I know that I was in for a rude awakening. While watching …
Have you ever been grocery shopping when you were in a rush or hungry–or both? When that happens, we tend to throw items in our cart quickly, without checking their ingredients. We can end up buying items that contain ingredients that we’d typically try to avoid. Palm oil is …
This past July, I played a large role in the planning and execution of the first-annual NYC Food Waste Fair, but it definitely was not a solo effort! Louise Bruce, Senior Program Manager, NYC Organics, Elizabeth Balkan, Director of Policy and Senior Advisor, Office of the Commissioner, Marcel Howard, fellow …
Semi-panicked, I stood in an empty parking lot searching for the office building but could not find it; I was at the wrong address. By the time I found the building, my soon to be boss and co-workers were already on the bus preparing for the day’s markets. I turned the …
NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) My internship is with DSNY, in the Office of the Commissioner, and my position is largely focused around one event in particular, the NYC Food Waste Fair. Under NYC’s Zero Waste Initiative to contribute zero waste to landfills by 2030, the city has been steadily …
NYC Government The governmental apparatus of New York City is probably more complicated than you think, unless you happen to have worked in it before. There are various city agencies, boards and judiciaries – and that’s all before we get to elected officials. The elected positions of New York City …
In one episode of NBC’s Parks and Recreation, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) tries to pass a bill adding fluoride to the town’s water source. She’s opposed by a councilman/dentist who wants to continue making money off of the many cavities that occur in the town. As she discusses the debate, …
As the impacts of climate change become more of a reality, many cities are developing sustainability plans to guide them towards a greener future. While setting the goals within these plans can be challenging, it is an even greater challenge to achieve them. Many of these plans focus on specific …
