almost everyone has, at some point or another, walked into a glass door or screen. after shaking off the initial embarrassment and checking to see if there were any witnesses, the consequences are usually mild. however, the same cannot be said for many birds. while humans learn to adapt and avoid these obstacles, a single window strike for a bird can result in severe injury or death. in the united states, building collisions, due to glass, lead to over 1 billion bird deaths every year. 

now, companies around the world are racing to develop glass with innovative designs, patterns, and elements that birds can see and, hopefully, avoid. despite this influx of “bird-safe” glass products, there are only two testing sites in the entire united states – both run by the american bird conservancy – that assess whether these glass designs are truly effective. these testing tunnels use groundbreaking methods and rigorous field research to examine the functionality of bird-safe glass. one such tunnel, located deep in rural maryland, is on the front lines of the fight to conserve and protect birds across the world.

you can also see the first installment of patched wings here!

but what if policy can achieve the same climate-first results without the label, all while delivering improved public health and saving money? 

researchers around the world are looking to implement climate policy without using the word “climate” by turning to urban planning, food, and energy solutions, according to a report released in environmental epidemiology.  

the report is encouraging climate policy that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by putting the attention on public health, says george thurston, an author of the report and a professor of medicine and population health at new york university.

“the more you can localize and individualize these risks and benefits, the more people are going to be motivated to do something,” thurston said.

the researchers presented 11 different case studies of climate action in seven countries and demonstrated their efficacy in producing improvements not only in greenhouse gas emissions but also in public health and healthcare cost expenditures. their bottom line was that improving the climate is not really a cost at all, but could be a preemptive economic rescue plan for the u.s. health system if more intervention studies and policies were modeled after the case studies they examined.

mary rice, the report’s corresponding author, joined thurston in saying that their motivations for the study were grounded in trying to influence policymaking.

“we intended to illustrate the opportunity and also the importance of more rigorous research in this area, looking at the full picture of what the costs and benefits are of climate interventions,” rice, the director of harvard’s harvard’s center for climate, health, and the global environment program, said.

while the two researchers cited a lack of intervention studies being conducted and funded as a limitation to the scope of the case studies they presented, they said that it only highlights the need for funding into these projects that could help shape policy to come and improve community health. among the 11 case studies they looked at were ones involving energy use in pittsburgh, urban planning in barcelona, and food systems in sweden. 

pittsburgh: asthma rates and hospitalizations plummet after the shenango coke works plant closure

residents of alleghany county, pennsylvania endured decades of odors that would wake them in the night, soot that would collect on their homes, and escalating child asthma rates. then, in 2016, they celebrated the closing of the shenango coke works plant and what it would mean for community health. 

“they [the residents] didn’t imagine that things could improve so much so quickly,” annie fox, a law clerk with the clean air council, said.

before its closure, the shenango coke works plant produced a form of refined coal used in steelmaking called coke. it is created by baking coal at high temperatures, and often contributes to carbon air pollution. 

fox described a “constant vigilance” that residents of the pittsburgh suburb would experience when stepping outside their homes, readying themselves for facing poor air quality. when the coal plant closed, she said, “people just said the absence of having to notice the air was huge.” 

pediatric emergency room visits related to asthma dropped by 40 percent immediately, fox said, and local hospitals saw reduced visits for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, and strokes.  

within just three years of the plant’s closure, pittsburgh saved over $12,000,000 in hospitalization medical costs, according to an epa mapping program used by the report. 

after the public health benefits of the coke plant closure, residents continue to advocate for stricter air pollution enforcement.  

“seeing that the benefits the community received were even greater than they imagined, it galvanizes people to keep participating, organizing, and keep striving to protect their family’s health and the community’s health,” fox said. 

barcelona: superblocks lay the blueprint for climate and people-first urban planning

in barcelona, greenhouse gas emissions and improved public health are being tackled through urban planning solutions with the creation of their “superblock” program.  

catherine pérez, the health promotion department head at the agència de salut pública de barcelona, said a “superblock” is an urban planning technique used to cluster city blocks and divert traffic to the perimeter, leaving the interior streets for people to walk, play, and relax. 

“the design goal is to cut traffic volume and speed, reduce air and noise pollution and heat, and boost everyday physical activity and social interaction,” pérez said in an interview. 

in a study released in february 2025, pérez said she and her colleagues looked to produce evidence on how the superblock designs change everyday exposures and wellbeing, with an emphasis on equity.  

although they determined that additional measures are needed to deliver consistent results, pérez said half of residents across three of the superblocks reported less noise and pollution inside the intervention zone.

to convince policymakers across the world to invest in superblocks that remove interior, city traffic, improves pollution, and reallocates space to people, pérez said she would point to the numbers. 

rice and thurston also highlighted a benefit of 1.7 billion euros annually due to longer life expectancy if all 503 planned superblocks are implemented. with only six completed superblocks, pérez said this potential points to why investment should continue. 

“these interventions could prevent an estimated 667 premature deaths per year in barcelona, according to independent health-impact assessments,” pérez said. 

pérez said that it is feasible for countries to create their own superblocks because they have already started doing similar projects at smaller scales for years. 

“superblocks are replicable in the u.s. and other settings because the underlying ingredients have already proven effective in multiple cities,” pérez said. 

sweden: plant-based school meals curb greenhouse gas emissions

in sweden, patricia eustachio colombo has carried out multiple plant-based food trials in schools over the last five years.

after designing a menu that was not only nutritious and culturally conscious but cost-effective, colombo’s first trial in 2019, which rice and thurston cited in their report, found 40 percent less greenhouse gases emitted and an 11 percent cost reduction from the original meals. 

the study also found that while prioritizing higher plant-based proteins and locally sourced ingredients throughout the study’s four weeks, food waste and attitudes toward the meals were not compromised among the students. the intervention has since been repeated twice and produced similar results.

colombo said that her decision to implement plant-based diets in schools comes from the exposure and education children get from school, which helps to change their attitudes toward healthy, sustainable diets without putting a label on it.

“we know that our diets are usually shaped when we are young, and the diets that we acquire as children tend to stick into adulthood,” colombo said. “we thought that if we want to promote sustainable dietary habits, we should focus on children, and schools are a really good platform for that.”

although colombo said it would be difficult to expand the model without appropriate funding and researchers on the ground guiding cooks and teachers, she believes it can be replicated in other parts of the world, including the united states.

“for these changes to effectively be achieved, you need to have the same attitude and mindset across, from politicians down to principals, teachers, everyone needs to be on the same level and having the same ideas,” colombo said.

the public health angle for climate

using the evidence from pittsburgh, barcelona, and sweden, rice hopes that by motivating people through improved public health that policymakers will be able to help pass regulations that also help the climate and their wallets. 

“each of these interventions have a cost, but there’s also a value to the benefits to be gained and the value of improved health is enormous, especially when you improve productivity, length and life expectancy and avoid hospital admissions, which can be very costly.”

let’s take a look at three interconnected initiatives across northern england, all tasked with trapping and transporting carbon emissions permanently underground. 

enter teesside, a north-eastern british community shadowed by a history of steelwork manufacturing, entrenched cycles of poverty, and pollutants dominating the skies, where carbon capture and storage (ccs) projects are being developed. 

these efforts emerge as political consensus over the uk’s net-zero target for 2050 begins to fragment. the policy framework, originally devised in line with the 2015 paris climate agreement to balance the nation’s carbon footprint, has been thrown into question by domestic politicians over its feasibility. 

as a result, regions like teesside look to bring net-zero back on track.

initiative #1: east coast cluster 

the initial scheme central to these net-zero efforts is the east coast cluster, an emerging decarbonization initiative designed to link the manufacturing hubs of teesside and the humber – an estuary region in northeast england – through a uk-first carbon capture, utilization, and storage (ccus) network.  

“ccus includes all the steps of carbon capture and storage plus a utilization component that means some or all of the captured co2 is used instead of, or before, being stored,” said faizan ahmad, ph.d., a professor and lead researcher in hydrogen and clean-energy innovations at the centre of sustainable engineering for teesside university. this concept, he stated, can involve industrial uses such as producing man-made fuels, as well as biological processes like food production and biofuel generation.  

dawid hanak, a professor in the decarbonization industry at teesside university’s net zero industry innovation centre – a £16 million [$21 million] regional hub recognized for its cutting-edge research, knowledge exchange and consultancy services in the realm of climate activism, and for these three initiatives – has outlined the east coast cluster as part of a much broader developmental process materializing on tees valley soil. 

the once-overlooked district of teesside is beginning to attract green investment into its network of local enterprises, alongside complementary plans for hotels, eco-friendly trail links and retail parks. together, these initiatives offer fresh opportunities to families and businesses across a longstanding marginalized community, which hanak labelled as “one of the main benefits from the societal perspective.” 

however, the practical rollout of sequestration networks, like the east coast cluster, are not always plain sailing, and faces various roadblocks on the road to implementation. ahmad discussed this, highlighting premature technological readiness, scalability constraints, and even public perception as some of the core issues involved.  

“communities may be concerned about safety, environmental impact, or prolonging fossil fuel use,” said ahmad, in reference to the worries people may have regarding the sustainability of carbon capture.  

he emphasized, however, that this can be rectified through publicly accessible environmental reviews, and by engaging communities through consultation, education campaigns, and local benefits sharing such as with teesside’s wider transformation. 

initiative #2: the northern endurance partnership 

to support the east coast cluster project, a joint venture known as the northern endurance partnership (nep) will develop the infrastructure needed to transport and sequester carbon emissions from industrial sites across the east-coast region.

founded in 2020, the nep is a collaboration backed by european energy giants equinor, totalenergies, and bp, aiming to tackle large-scale carbon capture. the project’s endeavors will commence in 2028 and include constructing onshore carbon-processing facilities, laying 145km of offshore pipeline in the nearby north sea, and ultimately managing storage for 1 billion tons of co2.

“the carbon dioxide will be permanently and safely stored in the endurance aquifer, a large, well-characterized reservoir,” said a spokesperson for the nep. this infrastructure, they added, will be “crucial to achieving net zero in the uk’s most carbon intensive industrial regions.”

despite these ambitions, the set-up of this sequestration framework has proved challenging, with the “coordination of complex project timings and investment decisions across difficult industries” hampering development, stated the spokesperson. however, they stressed that the uk’s geographical positioning with access to industrial hubs and “world-class offshore storage potential” has helped alleviate some of these obstacles. 

hanak furthered this discussion into progress, outlining how international political affairs have hindered momentum in the field of carbon capture. 

“we have good links with the us and researchers over there. they’ve been quite badly affected by cuts in grants, unfortunately, because the [trump] administration decided not to support net zero anymore,” said hanak. “so that naturally has [an] impact on what’s going on in europe because everyone is looking at what’s going on over the pond.” 

“so i think we lost a little bit of momentum now, but just need to carry on,” he added. 

initiative #3: net zero teesside power 

the third initiative integral to teesside’s net-zero grid is the proposed net zero teesside (nzt) power facility, which aims to be the first gas-fired power station with carbon capture and storage, while connecting to the nep pipeline. 

to be constructed in the redcar and cleveland district, the plant will adopt a first-generation carbon removal technology, featuring a modernized gas turbine and specialized chemicals known as amines to remove 2 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year.

the site also claims it will generate enough electricity to light up approximately 1 million uk homes and create 1,000 employment opportunities once operations commence in 2028.  

these environmental and financial gains are a phenomenon which hanak outlined will “demonstrate to investors that carbon capture technology can work in an economically viable way,” a concept that could improve the cost-effectiveness and overall future of decarbonisation initiatives across both teesside and the uk as a whole.  

despite this optimism, hanak noted that first-generation sequestration systems, dependent on amines, are not perfect, with financial and efficiency flaws. as a result, he and his team are exploring next-generation ccs technologies, with particular focus on porous materials known as solid sorbents, at high temperatures. 

from steel to sustainability 

by overcoming financial, political and public challenges, co2 capture in teesside can sustain a greener future, delivering real benefits to local citizens whilst steering the nation’s 2050 net zero target back on due course. a spokesperson for nzt power emphasised this, stressing that the deployment and operation of their emerging facility should catalyse a movement in the growth of similar technologies locally. 

hanak highlighted this is already coming to fruition, with interest for carbon capture projects arising from sectors that would not usually consider such an approach. 

“so we did work with quorn [a meat-free food company] for example, to see whether they can do carbon capture, even though they are at 15,000 tons [of co2 emissions] a year,” he said. “we are having these discussions with industry and they seem keen on doing carbon capture if they can connect to the [nep] pipeline.” 

the blueprints of the east coast cluster, northern endurance partnership, and net zero teesside power are therefore more than plans – they are a vision. teesside is on the brink of becoming the “heart of the green industrial revolution,” hanak said.

once the hub of smog and steel manufacturing, coined ‘the british engine room,’ the humble community of tees valley has the chance to become britain’s eco-epicenter, offering jobs, regenerative development and societal prosperity.  

for students from families without vehicles, the park may have felt out of reach. not knowing if they would be interested, farquharson encouraged students to take advantage of a transportation program that offered bus service from the city to the park. then one day, farquharson saw a student he recognized walking off the bus at the park.  it was a full circle moment for him.  

“actually seeing people follow through — actually seeing children come back with their siblings or parents — feels gratifying and i am glad to be involved in a program that i can see myself that helps get people out to these spaces,” farquharson said.

the history of the albany nature bus

since 2021, a growing list of state, county, municipal and non-profit organizations have supported a bus that city and county residents can use to reach parks and preserves throughout albany county.

the nature bus, which was started by mohawk hudson land conservancy of the capital region, recognized a need for greater access to outdoor opportunities for city of albany and albany county residents — a need that became especially apparent during the covid-19 pandemic.

the conservancy responded by addressing what they saw as a major barrier to access — transportation. it was evident that many urban residents were not able to reach green spaces across the capital region. in 2020, sarah walsh, a programming specialist at the conservancy, proposed a solution. with no existing model to follow at the time, the conservancy developed an idea that continues to make an impact. 

partnering with organizations across albany county, the conservancy began planning routes, park programming and everything in between. the bus runs on saturdays during the summer, shuttling residents in the city and county to six parks and preserves throughout  the new york state birding trail network. these natural spaces feature waterfalls, fishing docks and around 50 miles of trail — approximately a quarter of which are designed for accessibility. in 2025, the nature bus will offer stops at all six of these sites over 20 weeks from may to october.

the albany nature bus is just one of many transit programs that are looking to connect communities to the outdoors. in new york alone, there are at least two other free bus programs that take people to outdoor spaces — one in erie county and one in ulster county — that have been established following the success of the nature bus. similar initiatives exist across the united states, from new jersey to washington state. the albany nature bus is not state or federally funded so it relies on funding and support from the conservancy, its partners and other community organizations.  

the program has also caught the attention of senators and congressmen from other states. in 2023, congressman jimmy gomez (ca-34) and senator cory booker (d-nj) introduced a bill to fund similar opportunities for americans in underserved communities across the country — the trails to transit act. for the albany nature bus, the bill could enable the program to expand, providing communities with additional transportation opportunities and greater accessibility.

although there have been no updates since its introduction in 2023, advocates remain hopeful the bill will pass  making programs like the albany nature bus more common across the country. new york state is home to one of the largest park systems in the united states, with over 360,000 acres dedicated to state parks alone.

because the nature bus is a free program — riders do not have to scan or pay to board the bus — collecting ridership data can be a challenge. nevertheless, bus driver estimates suggest that ridership has grown since the program began. the conservancy and its partners have raised public awareness of the program with flyers posted around the city, local outreach, social media marketing and press releases. as awareness and ridership have grown, the nature bus program’s support network has expanded to a cohort of 80 community partners. 

while the promotion of the nature bus has continued to grow over its first three years, albany mayor kathy sheehan says the program aligns well with the types of recreational opportunities families in the city are looking for.  

“this is a great thing to do and an opportunity for something different,” she said. “people are always looking for family friendly activities for their kids, so this is a nice addition to that list of opportunities.”  

so, grab your binoculars, double knot your sneakers and meet me at the bus stop. let’s take a ride on the nature bus! 

did you know there are over 50,000 charging stations for electric vehicles in the united states? however, with more americans buying electric and hybrid vehicles, many more stations need to be built to keep up with demand. voltpost is a startup that retrofits lamp posts into charging stations for electric vehicles. “we recognize that in order for people to go from gas to electric, they need convenient and affordable charging access,” said jeffrey prosserman, a voltpost founder. they have voltpost stations available to the public in michigan and are hoping to have volpost available in more states in the coming months.

detroit has always been a city of reinvention, and the latest wave of startups at newlab proves that innovation isn’t slowing down. through a partnership with ford’s michigan central, newlab fosters a community of forward-thinking entrepreneurs tackling sustainable mobility. among them is shandoka, an electric motorcycle startup led by ceo ernest eich, who is reimagining two-wheeled transportation. instead of building new electric motorcycles from scratch, shandoka retrofits existing models with eich’s structural adapter — an innovative power solution that replaces combustion engines. this approach reduces waste and accelerates the transition to cleaner transportation.

this shift aligns with the broader goals of a just transition — ensuring that workers and industries impacted by decarbonization aren’t left behind. newlab’s ecosystem provides essential resources, from state-of-the-art tools to industry expertise, helping companies like shandoka scale their greenhouse gas emissions impact. according to the epa, transportation accounts for nearly 29% of u.s. greenhouse gas emissions, and motorcycles contribute to air pollution that exacerbates asthma and heart disease. by transforming existing motorcycles into zero-emission vehicles, eich and his team are designing a product that contributes to a cleaner future.

can urbanization actually be good for the environment? this video explores this question through conversations with students, professionals and people with both positive and negative personal experience with urbanization and urban environments.

a majority of the human population lives in urban areas, or will soon. there are ways that this can be used as an opportunity to address some of the most pressing issues we face today as a global community.

studies show that communities near landfills face increased exposure to toxic “forever chemicals” that may pose significant health risks. for long island residents in new york state living near legacy landfill sites, escaping these chemicals may become impossible.

concerns about these “forever chemicals” and their risks continue to grow. the new hampshire department of environmental services describes “forever chemicals” as synthetic chemicals, often used commercially or industrially, that are particularly resistant to breaking down. these chemicals are especially prevalent near landfill sites.

the presence of toxic chemicals near landfill sites has sparked outcries from nearby residents. according to suffolk county legislator rebecca sanin, who served as the former health and welfare council ceo, “living near dump sites leads to increased asthma and respiratory distress depending on other kinds of autoimmune issues and other kinds of health challenges.”

confronting the legacy of pollution

landfills can have detrimental impacts on both the communities and environments they are built in, polluting water sources with “forever chemicals” and lowering the value of nearby homes, according to a study published in pubmed.

the environmental consequences of dumping this toxic waste can harm surrounding communities and pollute their water supplies for generations.

the superintendent of the hicksville water district, paul granger said, “the legacy landfills have already impacted the groundwater contamination, it’s kind of co-mingled, and water systems are probably seeing the impacts from sins of the past.”

according to the nassau suffolk water commissioners’ association, all of long island is dependent on groundwater aquifers for clean water. granger said, “our water comes from groundwater, and we live, work, and play on top of our water supply.” 

with all of long island’s communities dependent on groundwater, the problem of contamination becomes detrimental to local communities.

on long island, the impacts of landfills on public health can be seen ravaging local communities. in the town of brookhaven, an elementary school was built less than a mile from a notorious waste dumping facility. according to the stony brook school of social welfare, 35 faculty members have since contracted cancer-related diseases. of those 35 teachers, 11 have died.

brookhaven and new york state officials have denied any correlations between this landfill site and illness within the surrounding community, stating that there is no statistical significance in this data.

even with constant advancements in the field of waste management, landfills continue to grow in size across america, according to a study published by geosciences. this is due to landfills having the lowest cost of operation out of any waste site as well as a lack of regulations.

research done by verisk maplecroft, a waste management company, found that the united states, while only accounting for 4% of the world’s population, produces 12% of global municipal waste.

according to a review published in the wiley online library, lead exposure is just one of the many risks faced by communities living near landfills. the review determined that there had been direct increases in blood lead levels, particularly in children, in populations that lived near or on-top of landfill sites.

the world health organization states that lead exposure in children can lead to permanent developmental disorders and even convulsions and death, in high enough quantities. even lower levels of lead exposure, experienced by populations near landfill sites, remain detrimental to child development, lowering iq points, reducing attention span, and increasing antisocial disorders.

another major concern is exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as pfas, which can remain in soil and water supplies almost indefinitely. these chemicals can pose significant health risks to the general population, according to the agency for toxic substances and disease registry. 

sanin emphasized the potential dangers of these chemicals, saying, “we worry pfas in our water supply… i am concerned about all chemicals and carcinogens and how they impact our crops and the soil we grow them in.”

pfas are chemicals that are designed to have non-stick and stain-resistant properties, according to an article published by the u.s government accountability office. these chemicals are found in many common household items, ranging from non-stick pans to carpets. even products that are meant to be used daily such as toothpaste and dental floss have been found to contain these chemicals. 

a survey by the government accountability office found that 77% of public water systems have not enforced measures to fully remove pfas from water supplies. the companies in charge of running these public water systems often are uninformed on the dangers of these chemicals and how to properly remove them from drinking water supplies. 

there has been at least one pfas chemical found in 45% of america’s total drinking water, according to a study published in the environment international journal. this study further noted that every single american has faced some form of pfas exposure in their lifetime. 

when exposed to these chemicals for prolonged periods of time, people may suffer enzyme changes, according to the agency for toxic substances and disease registry, which can affect an individual’s ability to process cholesterol and regulate their liver, wreaking havoc on their daily life. these chemicals have also been known to weaken immune system response, especially in immunocompromised groups.

within communities that are exposed to these chemicals, there are higher rates of kidney and testicular cancers, according to a study published in pubmed. the study claims, “increases in risk of adverse health effects have been reported near individual landfill sites and in some multisite studies.”

forever chemicals aren’t the only issue caused by landfills

landfills are responsible for the production of landfill gas emissions, known as lfgs. these gases further pollute the environment and even directly contribute to global warming. lfgs form when the organic materials within the waste decompose, often due to sun exposure, and can continue emissions for upwards of 20 years, according to a study published by geosciences. 

when these landfills are exposed to rain, toxic chemicals known as leachates begin to seep into the groundwater and soil around the site. these leachates carry a variety of toxic heavy metals and chemicals that lead to long-term pollution of a community’s environment and agriculture, according to the study.

this problem becomes increasingly prevalent when looking at how socioeconomic factors can play a role in a persons level of exposure. low-income communities are often disproportionately affected by these dangerous chemicals coming from waste sites, as stated in a paper published by taylor and francis.

according to sanin, “folks who are harming our environment are often doing so in low-income communities, so it has a huge factor, a huge impact, that people are often disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards.” 

this is due to the ever-growing issue of environmental racism. environmental racism refers to the deliberate placement of environmental hazards and contaminants in both communities of color and communities of low-income, according to a study published in the environmental research letters. communities that face these issues are known as environmental justice communities.

though public concerns continue to grow, work is being done across long island to combat these issues. sanin said, “long island has grants available to communities to do mitigation work when they are deemed an environmental justice community.” 

grants aren’t the only way long island is combating this crisis as environmental scientists are constantly working on new technology. granger said, “our budget for laboratory analysis of pre-emerging contaminants, around 2019 or even earlier, was about $100,000, now we’re spending close to $250,000.” these budget increases are due to technological improvements, which allows for better detection of potential contaminants. 

in 2023, new york governor kathy hochul allocated $3.5 million towards new york environmental justice initiatives, with $200,000 being put towards projects in long island, according to new york state’s government website.

sanin said, “that’s really what this is about, making sure that we’re doing the mitigation work and that we’re preventing future harm to our land.”

after hurricane sandy hit new york city in 2012, parts of the city were inundated. more than 40 people died, millions of new yorkers were without power, and hundreds of homes were destroyed. 

joe christo, who helped lead the city’s recovery efforts, said the storm was a wake-up call to the dangers of sea level rise. the hurricane cost the city $19 billion in damages, according to a report by the new york city comptroller. 

christo now works as managing director of the stone living lab, a boston-based partnership between the university of massachusetts boston’s school of the environment, boston harbor now, the city of boston, and other state and local environmental groups.

“a sandy-like storm will hit here,” christo said about boston. “and we want to try to be as prepared and ready as possible.” coastal communities are most at risk when sea level rise combines with high tides and a severe storm like sandy — the triple threat that slammed manhattan. 

to the north, about one-sixth of boston sits on landfill, making it particularly vulnerable to sea level rise. this vulnerability is made worse by sea levels rising faster — scientists predict about 1 inch every eight years. at this rate, by 2050 boston could see over a foot of sea level rise compared to 2016.

as part of the climate ready boston initiative, the city developed coastal resilience plans for all 47 miles of its coastline. the plans include developing coastal parks, raising harbor walks, building seawalls, and adapting waterfront buildings, with a focus on completing projects in high flood-risk areas by 2030.

the stone living lab’s goal is to scale up nature-based approaches as a defense against sea level rise. 

“a traditional vertical seawall works against water, and nature-based approaches work with water,” christo said. “water’s always going to win, so you want to be working with it and be able to absorb and adapt instead of trying to fight against it.”

nature-based approaches include restoring salt marshes, building oyster reefs, protecting sand dunes, and building coastal parks. christo said these approaches protect the shorelines and also bring co-benefits, like increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon. 

most recently, the lab has been testing out a living seawall and an erosion prevention project. the hope is that these projects can provide compelling evidence for the benefits of nature-based approaches so that they can become more mainstream. 

“we want these lessons to be applied to other coastal areas throughout north america and throughout the world,” christo said. 

the stone living lab’s nature-inspired seawall

in east boston’s harbor, a handful of snails, two mussels, and species of algae are nestled into the crevices and divots across the surface of concrete panels installed on a vertical seawall. 

the species are able to call this spot their new home thanks to the living seawalls pilot project, a nature-based solution spearheaded by the stone living lab that turns traditional seawalls, usually devoid of life, into a space for marine biodiversity. in october, panels were installed at two existing seawalls in east boston and the seaport. 

the 40-pound, 2-by-2-foot panels were 3d printed to mimic natural habitats along the shoreline. they were installed along the intertidal line of the seawalls to be submerged at high tide and exposed at low. the whole project cost $400,000, according to christo.

the panels are regularly monitored by a group from project partner umass boston for changes in marine life, with portions of the seawall left without panels to serve as a comparison. 

jarrett byrnes, the project lead and associate professor at umass boston, said seawalls are an inevitable part of combating sea level rise, especially in urban areas where space is limited. but a slab of concrete or stacks of granite blocks is not ideal for marine biodiversity. 

“what we are trying to do with the living seawall project is create a habitat for native biodiversity to survive and thrive,” he said. “we’re trying to turn what is a win-lose into a win-win.”

the panels provide a rocky intertidal habitat — places with shade and moisture where species like mussels, crabs, and algae can thrive.

although it’s the seawall structure that protects against rising waters, byrnes said it’s possible that species growth on the panels could dampen wave action, a potential added benefit. 

byrnes is excited to know what the surface of the living seawalls will look like in a year. he predicts that because each panel is uniquely textured, different species will thrive on certain panels. 

“as we continue to armor our shorelines, i’m hoping that this is going to be one arrow in our quiver of making sure that coastal armoring doesn’t mean reducing nature,” he said. 

installing cobble berms across massachusetts’ coast

a strip of cobblestones along the coastline may look unassuming in massachusetts, where rocky shorelines are common. but these strips of 3- to 10-inch sized rocks, otherwise known as cobble berms, protect against sea level rise and storm surge. 

cobble berms are often naturally occurring on rocky coastlines. stones are pushed toward the back of the beach by waves, forming a berm, or a flat strip of raised land. the berms absorb wave energy and protect coastal banks and dunes from erosion. 

seawalls often have waves crashing over them and can cause erosion to the beach in front of them. cobble berms act differently. 

“if you think about a cushion, the cobble berms will move and act as a cushion to some of that wave energy, as opposed to say, a concrete seawall,” said kirk bosma, a senior coastal engineer at the woods hole group. 

the stone living lab, in partnership with the woods hole group and massachusetts office of coastal zone management, recently launched a cobble berms monitoring project. several man-made berms and enhancements to natural ones were installed at six sites across massachusetts, including one in boston. 

over the past two years, research staff partnered with the stone living lab have regularly surveyed the berms. 

data is still being gathered, but from preliminary findings, bosma said that in all six locations, erosion was reduced in areas behind the cobble berms. the data also showed an increase in species richness between cobbles and near the cobble berms, and further analysis is underway. 

“there is some added benefit beyond what they are able to do from a resiliency perspective,” bosma said. 

bosma hopes to install a pilot cobble berm in boston for an in-depth study. he envisions testing out different designs with varying shapes and sizes of cobbles, as well as tagging the cobbles to see how they move over time. 

“we’re learning … what mother nature wants to do to provide resilience,” bosma said. 

denmark is one of the best recycling nations in the world, thanks to an extensive waste management system. waste in denmark is sorted into various categories, such as plastics, metals, glass, food waste, cardboard and more. this kind of waste sorting happens at both a household level, where residents sort their small, everyday items, and at a larger, citywide level, where residents and companies drop off their sorted waste at recycling stations. i visited a recycling center in copenhagen to get a sense of what kinds of strategies are implemented to create such an effective waste management system.