The mass production and disposal of non-degradable fossil-based plastics is responsible for alarming environmental and social issues when not managed responsibly. Towards manufacturing environmentally-friendly materials, biopolymers, that is, polymers synthesized by living organisms, emerge as promising sustainable alternatives as they combine attractive mechanical properties, compostability, and renewable sourcing.
"In the U.S., Latinos are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical step to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is diagnostic testing," write scholar Luz Garcini and co-authors. This research article identifies the barriers and facilitators that must be addressed in order to implement accessible, effective testing.
Luz Maria Garcini, Tommy Tam Pham, Arlynn Ambriz, Sarah Lill, Joel TsevatOctober 31, 2021
The recent shift toward legalization has not been enough to undo the racism endemic to U.S. cannabis policy. The authors lay out policies to improve equity and erase the racist legacy of prohibition.
Katharine Neill Harris, William MartinOctober 1, 2021
Hospital at Home programs offer an alternative care model for acutely ill patients to receive intensive at-home treatment. With better policy and operations, can this model work at scale in the United States beyond the pandemic?
Anaeze C. Offodile II, Celynne Balatbat, Kushal T. Kadakia, Victor DzauAugust 23, 2021
Argentina is a risky place for foreign investors. But the country’s Vaca Muerta offers a case study on how unconventional shale gas investment may be lower risk, with implications that could spur shale production outside the U.S.
Gabriel Collins, Mark P. Jones, Jim Krane, Kenneth B. Medlock III, Francisco J. MonaldiAugust 12, 2021
The authors identify mental health stressors and strategies for coping with distress among underserved Latino communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luz Maria Garcini, Jason Rosenfield, Garrett Kneese, Ruth Bondurant, Kathryn KanzlerApril 24, 2021
The global financial cost of Covid-19 could top $15 trillion. But governments could prevent future pandemics by investing as little as $22 billion a year in programs to curb wildlife trafficking and stem the destruction of tropical forests, according to an international team of scientists including Baker Institute Faculty Scholar Ted Loch-Temzelides.
Ted Loch-Temzelides, Andrew Dobson, Stuart Pimm, Lee Hannah, Les Kaufman, Jorge Ahumada, Amy Ando, Aaron Bernstein, Jonah Busch, Peter Daszak, Jens Engelmann, Margaret Kinnaird, Binbin Li, Thomas Lovejoy, Katarzyna Nowak, Patrick Roehrdanz, Mariana ValeJuly 24, 2020
This study presents an integrated framework for hurricane risk assessment of petroleum infrastructure under changing climatic conditions, calculating risk in terms of monetary loss.
Rachel A. Meidl, Ted Loch-Temzelides, Majid Ebad Sichani, Katherine Anarde, Kendall Capshaw, Jamie Padgett, Pedram Hassanzadeh, Philip BedientJuly 16, 2020