- 7 ways our students create a more sustainable world
Ohio State students are using the university’s research opportunities, student organizations and community connections to create a more sustainable world. From developing a plastic-eating fungus to improving water quality in Ohio, these students are building the type of world they’d like to live in.
- Fresh produce anywhere, anytime
Chieri Kubota is helping the United States make huge gains growing produce in greenhouses using less soil and water. Her research in controlled environment agriculture systems, or hydroponics, fuels industries and addresses food security issues. It’s research that results in locally grown tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and even strawberries — any season, anywhere.
- Using soil to better serve people and the planet
Dr. Rattan Lal compares soil to a bank account in which the planet needs us to put more in than we withdraw, especially now as we deal with the challenges of climate change and feeding a growing world population. “Every living thing on the planet depends on it. We must make sure we manage soil properly and not take it for granted,” he says.
- The root of a solution to water pollution?
Almost half of Ohio’s lakes, wetlands and streams are tainted with nutrient runoff — fertilizers and animal manure, intended for land, but carried into bodies of water by rain and gravity. Once in the water, those chemicals threaten plant and animal life, water supplies for humans and local economies that depend on water recreation. Could floating islands peppered with nutrient-chomping plants be part of a solution?
- Six things to know about Lake Erie’s algal blooms
The harmful algal blooms that manifest on Lake Erie in the summer can be as murky a concept to understand as they look. But it’s important to recognize the distinct and sometimes dangerous impact these blooms can have beyond the Great Lakes’ banks: Harmful algal blooms are capable of producing toxins that can cause skin rashes, GI problems and varying degrees of damage to a person’s liver, kidneys and nervous system.
- Creating a place where every child can play
A new inclusive playground in Noble County brings children of all abilities together, thanks to community collaboration and a mother’s vision for accessibility and belonging.
