Category: Written Work

By Julliana BravonPublished in The Daily CampusnMay 11, 2023nnhttps://twitter.com/FionaVernal/status/1629572928168681472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1629572928168681472%7Ctwgr%5E07be111e5945226aba5d355b7ecfe02ef160024d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdailycampus.com%2F2023%2F03%2F07%2Fepoch-and-connecticut-humanities-address-the-history-of-housing-insecurity%2FnnEPOCH partners with Connecticut Humanities to address Hartford’s history of housing insecurity while providing history majors a research space. nnFiona Vernal, associate professor at the University of Connecticut, has recently partnered with Connecticut Humanities to continue her work with Engaged, Public, Oral and Community Histories, or EPOCH. nnEPOCH is a program in the history department at the University of Connecticut that connects undergraduate and graduate students, K-12 schools and museums to create a new way of teaching, learning and presenting history. nn“EPOCH is the formalization of work that I have been doing for a long time and very much inspired by undergraduate classes,” Vernal said. nnVernal said her work began in 2008 while she was a professor at UConn teaching South African history. During the Recession, she said her students became worried about their future job prospects as history majors. This worry created an ongoing conversation about how marketable their degrees would be once they pursued careers.  nn“Students were also completely bored with lectures and Socratic methods,” Vernal said. nnVernal also questioned the functionality of an end-of-semester paper that would be graded and eventually thrown away. She said she believed this was not a way to engage with history.  nnWith the help of her students, Vernal said she created a new syllabus for the class in one day. She said she reworked it so students could engage with history instead of just hearing about it. She said she wanted her students to know that they too could be a part of producing original research. More specifically, they would go to archives and listen to 10 oral histories. At the end of the semester, instead of a term paper, they would produce an exhibition named “Children of the Soil: Generations of South Africans.” nnFive exhibitions later, Vernal said she has much more experience with engagingly telling history. She said the Connecticut Humanities grant will allow Vernal and EPOCH to ensure that historians tell oral histories correctly and with the proper resources. nn“These exhibitions are meant to be iterative. They’re not one and done,” Vernal said.  nnVernal and her team incorporated the history of public housing, housing reform, urban renewal and slum clearances. Although each exhibition focuses on a different part of history, she said they can coexist. nnAfter her first exhibition, Vernal said she received feedback that people wanted the incorporation of contemporary and modern housing issues. So, she and her students dug further. She said they followed the ongoing “No More Slumlords!” campaign in Hartford and captured it in real-time. Here, Vernal and her team interviewed tenant activists.  nn“We worked on the history of housing and wanted to focus on contemporary activism that resonated with what was going on in the community,” Vernal said in an email. nnHousing issues persist today with an ongoing debate in the Connecticut General Assembly about incorporating public testimonies, Vernal said. Last year, the CGA discussed a right to housing and the right to counsel during an eviction. This year, the CGA discussed laws about municipalities contributing their fair share. nn“Connecticut cities share a disproportionate burden of affordable housing. Notions of home rule and NIMBYism [Not in my Back Yard] undermine efforts to create affordable housing, accessory dwelling units, multi-family properties and other forms of housing that maximize density and affordability.” Vernal said in an email. nnWith the help of Connecticut Humanities, Vernal said, EPOCH will continue to answer these questions, and the exhibition will continue to add panels.  nnVernal said she doesn’t believe one person should own a piece of history. EPOCH also partners with K-12 schools to introduce exhibition work. They partner with other museums and exhibitions to share the panels as well.  nn“It’s reused again and again, and we need to promote the effort to continue use beyond the original programs,” Vernal said. nnVernal said she wants the exhibition to have an afterlife. For Vernal, inclusive teaching and being able to work with communities have been central to how EPOCH operates. 

By Julliana BravonEnvironmental Journalism, UConnnApril 22, 2023nn

nnTowns and cities across the United States are expected to have fewer freeze-free days, leading to a more extended allergy season. nnAccording to a recent report by Climate Central, temperature data show that freeze-free periods have increased by 15 days since 1970. Brooke Lappe, a doctoral student at Emory University, said a freeze-free day is a day in which temperature does not go below 32ºF. In agriculture, freeze-free days indicate the start of the growing season. The warmer temperature is an indication to plants to start flowering and produce pollen. The earlier the freeze-free days occur, the earlier plants flower and produce pollen. Pollen is the main culprit for seasonal allergies for many Americans. nn

nnLappe also said climate change has elongated the allergy season—a warmer year caused by climate change has caused pollen production to begin earlier. However, it isn’t the same in all parts of the United States. In Connecticut, for example, allergy season began around mid-March where in previous years, it would typically start in April. Shown by this graph, freeze-free days have increased by 22 since 1970 in Hartford. In Atlanta, where temperatures are generally warmer over the year, allergy season started at the end of January or the end of February where it usually would begin around March, Lappe said.nnHigher levels of carbon dioxide also ‘super-charges’ plant growth, Lappe said. Laboratory and research studies have shown an increase between CO2 and pollen production. CO2 can increase photosynthesis in plant species that use a C3 photosynthetic pathway, Lappe said. “Rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere can cause plants to produce more pollen,” Lappe said.nnClimate change has also caused an increase in extreme weather events such as thunderstorms. Paula Schenck, director of indoor environments and health programs, said this puts vulnerable populations at risk for water damage in their homes which increases risk of mold developing indoors. If those homeowners have nowhere else to live, they will have to reside in their unsafe home, said Schenck. Thunderstorms and mold are another way climate change can affect human health. Although thunderstorms in themselves don’t increase pollen production, it breaks the pollen down even further to facilitate entry into the lungs, Lappe said.nn“One of the obvious effects of climate change is that it’s getting warmer earlier in the year,” Pamela Diggle, the department head of ecology & evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, said. The earlier spring temperature causes plants to flower earlier, Diggle said. nnDiggle said that wind-pollinated trees, such as oak, birch, poplars, beech, and pine, are the type of trees that cause seasonal allergies. A wind-pollinated tree produces dry pollen that doesn’t form in clumps. Diggle said that the way pollen dangles from oak trees makes it easy for the wind to pick up pollen. Some flowers also start budding before the leaves do, leaving nothing to block the wind along the way. Diggle also suspected that homeowners are more inclined to plant male trees, which produce pollen, as opposed to female trees, which have fruits, because of the maintenance female trees require.nn

nnClimatologists and plant and tree experts aren’t the only ones that have noticed a longer allergy season. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 26% of adults and 19% of children suffer seasonal allergies. Symptoms of seasonal allergies range from congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose, and can affect people to different degrees.nnMeg Walsh, an ecologist at USDA, suffers from severe seasonal allergies. Walsh recalls her allergies being severe ever since she was a teenager. Every year around April, she experienced eye and nose swelling as well as coughing. Her allergies were so bad that a routine allergy shot, an injection with a small amount of the allergen in hopes of building immunity to the allergen, sent her into anaphylactic shock. nn

nnWalsh said she loves being outside and in nature. However, no matter how many antihistamines she is on during the springtime, she needs to limit the amount of time she spends outdoors. Walsh doesn’t see a difference in her allergies when she travels to different towns and cities because she finds that horticulture trees which produce allergenic pollen are everywhere. However, when she has the chance to travel to the tropics, she feels fewer symptoms of seasonal allergies, she said. Walsh knows her allergies will start in April, so she takes preventive measures such as antihistamines, inhalers, and eye drops. However, this year spring came too early and she was unable to do so.nnPamela Angelillo, a registered nurse at UConn Health, said that she started seeing patients with symptoms of seasonal allergies in February instead of in mid-March. She also mentioned the extension of allergy season might become a problem for seasonal allergy sufferers and even those who don’t have seasonal allergies. “People could have no [seasonal allergy] symptoms five years ago, but bodies change,” Angelillo said. Skin testing and allergy shots are the most common for patients with more extreme symptoms, Angelillo said.nn

nnDr. Kevin McGrath is an allergist in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He said seasonal allergies cause several issues in his patients, such as fatigue and nasal congestion that can disrupt a peaceful sleep. Although patients might sleep for the recommended eight hours, they will wake up tired, sore, and achy, said McGrath. He also said patients could become resistant to medication because of how frequently they take them. However, McGrath believes that studies on the relationship between global warming and the longer pollen season are not definitive yet and still debatable. nnAngelillo has some advice for seasonal allergy sufferers. First, taking a shower before bed can help get rid of the pollen on your body and out of your hair. If you garden or do lawn work, wearing a mask can help prevent breathing in the pollen. She also advises not to sleep with the window open as it can bring pollen from outside into your home. Lastly, she recommends nasal rinses to flush out any pollen that might be trapped in your sinuses from the day.nnLappe wrote her doctoral dissertation on the relationship between pollen, climate change, and the risk to vulnerable populations. Lappe said that those vulnerable populations include children, elderly, and Hispanic and Black communities. nn“The sudden rise in environmental pollutant levels due to industrial development and urban motor vehicle traffic has affected air quality and consequently, the severity and mortality from allergic diseases” said a study published in the National Library of Medicine. Those exposed to traffic pollution typically live in urban areas, most of which are minority groups, Lappe said. nn“When you add an environmental exposure, you increase risk,” Lappe said. Past research has also focused on the age trend in emergency department visits, but not a race trend, Lappe said. Indicating the importance of conducting more research. nnWhile seasonal allergies affect people from all over, Connecticut has been a hot spot for those who suffer from seasonal allergies. The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America lists Hartford and Bridgeport among the Top 100 worst asthma and allergy cities in the nation. Dr. Angelillo said that this could be because of the types of trees in that area that produce a lot of pollen, like Maple and Juniper. Schenck said that this list reflects the qualities of housing in urban areas and the burden that air pollution has created in urban areas as well. Right now, humans are left to adapt to the outside environment to reduce their own risk. “Because addressing the root cause is so difficult, we have to rely on adaptation.” Schenck said.

By Julliana BravonPublished in The Daily CampusnMarch 10, 2023nnNorthern Central California is currently under a winter storm warning. Reports state that California has had over six feet of snow and wind gusts up to 70 mph. While California has seen snow in the past, especially in the mountains, what’s different now is the amount of snow.  nnIt also raises questions and concerns about how communities and vulnerable populations will deal with the weather. It has also opened a conversation about future adaptation to extreme weather.  nnChristopher Burton is a professor at the University of Connecticut. He specializes in the social characteristics of communities that come back from natural hazards and those that don’t. Burton said labeling a particular group as more or less vulnerable than others isn’t easy.  nnBurton said social vulnerability is defined as characteristics that create potential loss or harm. However, determining what those characteristics are is difficult. Many scientists have different definitions of what those characteristics are making it difficult to reach a consensus across the scientific community.  nnAccording to Burton locals aren’t the most vulnerable group. He said locals who live in the California mountains are savvy. Residents likely have four-wheel drive pickup trucks, generators and a long food supply. nnRather, those who are vulnerable are likely to be tourists and the elderly, according to Burton. Recent reports found many tourists in the mountains rented houses for vacation. Burton said they likely only had food for the weekend and now are stranded there. Another group at risk is the elderly, who move slowly and have a greater risk of injury.  nnAnother issue with the amount of snow is the weight of it on roofs, which leads to house collapses. Burton speculates that these houses aren’t equipped for that much snow weight, which might result in new infrastructure laws if extreme snow continues to hit California year after year. nnBurton said that for the past 20 years, California has seen extreme weather on various ends. First, extreme drought, then extreme rainfall and now, extreme snow. nnThere are long term effects of this amount of snow. When it melts, Burton said, it floods towns like Sacramento and San Francisco, putting them at a huge flood risk. nn

nnBut, in the past years, California has seen wildfires. Burton said that these two extremities can create even bigger issues with flooding. nn“That burning of the vegetation in the trees is going to cause erosion issues and more water runoff because where that water would otherwise get soaked into the groundwater … we could wind up with more water down in the valley,” Burton said.  nnBurton said it also raises concerns about tourism and how that will affect the economy. San Francisco is a huge tourist destination, so if it falls to environmental hazards, that might put the city at risk economically.  nnExtreme weather can also be found on the other side of the coast in Connecticut. Hurricane Isaias was detrimental to the Caribbean and east coast of the United States, including Connecticut. Burton remembers not having power for 10 days.  nnBurton said that populations have a difficult time dealing with the extremities. When Burton was a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, he remembers many people from other states coming to Columbia, where USC is located. However, Columbia has an inadequate public transportation system, so people couldn’t go into the city to find jobs and many nearly or did become homeless. nnBurton said the future of human interaction with the environment would depend on where you live. However, he emphasizes that people should be smart about where they purchase or build a home. nn“We tend to, as a culture in the US, build in certain areas where we really shouldn’t because it’s prestigious… it’s the coastal view, it’s the mountain side view… it’s gorgeous, but when you have these [natural disaster] events, they slide down the mountainsides!” Burton said.  nnBurton said that insurance pays those residents, and they can rebuild them with stronger and better equipment, but he believes they shouldn’t build them in the first place.  nnBurton said land use planning is important to determine how dangerous a living situation might be if an extreme event occurs. However, he said economic values sometimes trump science and land use planning. nnBurton said there is still a long way to go in the science community. One of the biggest questions scientists face is what to measure. Engineers, ecological or environmental scientists, and social scientists, for example, all might have different definitions of resilience, Burton said. Their definition is also different from the government’s definition. This lack of communication can make it difficult to come to a conclusion and thus proceed further with a plan.  nnHowever, Burton has hope for the future of resilience to extreme weather events. In the past, many communities have been caught off guard by extreme weather. Now, they know the extremes. Many states, counties and cities have disaster resilience groups that plan ahead of time. Burton also said learning from each other requires a state, nation and worldwide conversation.nn