Written by: Kéa Anderson Edited by: Sunny Bell Senior Division As climate change brings increasingly hazardous temperature extremes to cities and urban areas around the world, the unsolved issue of sustainable air conditioning looms over those engineering green energy alternatives. Decarbonizing urban energy systems remains one of the most pressing challenges in the transition to a low-carbon future. Largely due to their reliance on fossil fuels for heating and cooling, build

Written by: Tessy Schreyer Edited by: Ashley Yeung Junior Division The United States experienced a drastic 54% drop in coal production from 2005 to 2020 (Bowen et al., 2020). States and communities with economic structures deeply entrenched in the coal industry face various pressures to respond to the growing pains from these changing tides. West Virginia is one of many states known for its emphasis on coal production. Though its coal production varies by region, it remains t

Written by: Adam Assimakopoulos Edited by: Sunny Bell Senior Division Marxism is often recognized for its pervasive role in national and global politics. Associated with industry, collective bargaining, and communist ideology, Marxism has struggled to gain a foothold in mainstream climate change discourse. For many, Karl Marx’s emphasis on workers and wages may seem antithetical to pristine landscapes, untouched wildlife, and the idealized “outdoors.” However, capitalism has

Written by: Ethan Brown Edited by: Sophia Eli Junior Division The automotive sector is one the heaviest polluters in the U.S. and Canada. It accounts for almost 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Remarkably, many predictions estimated that humanity’s carbon footprint would soon decrease considerably due to the expected proliferation of Electric Vehicles (EV), as they pollute less and produce less emissions. This was the consensus just a few years ago, prior to 2025. However, mo