Environment and Sustainability

Less carbon dioxide absorption, reduction of phytoplankton population, organismal absorption and ingestion of microplastics, human health concerns: all directly tied to oceanic microplastics. The most common types of commonly used plastics are polystyrene, polypropylene and polyethylene. High concentrations of these types of plastics were tested individually in oceanic conditions and under an ultraviolet light for

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the most promising climate crisis solutions. An optimized tax plan could fund carbon capture with a rate of $50 per ton and a 5% growth rate. This provides a basis for an economic plan that would support the funding and development of CCS facilities. A tax model

Oil left in the ocean can have detrimental effects on the health of marine life and the overall ecosystem. Currently, there has not been a solidified solution when it comes to effectively cleaning up oil in the ocean. We chose to test the efficacy of a sorbent, tire powder that has oleophilic properties, in cleaning

Our grand challenge to solve was the problem of reducing plastic waste. Through thorough research, we have decided to focus our solution on the fungus, Aspergillus tubingensis, and its decomposing properties. This fungus has been found to break down the molecular bonds in plastic materials, speeding up/aiding in the decomposition process. We have used the

Plastic pollution is a grand challenge because there is 1) an abundance of plastic used in everyday products and 2) we have nowhere to discard of plastic. This leads to many negative impacts on the soil, waterways, and living organisms in these areas. Rationale: We noticed that there are many alternatives to cleaning up plastic

The growing number of plastic bags being introduced to ocean systems is causing marine animals to accidentally consume harmful plastics, eventually leading to gut impaction and death. Regular plastic bags do not degrade and rely on individuals to recycle them to prevent permanent pollution. Current biodegradable plastic bags require industrial composting and are not digestible