The Crimson White Print Edition - April 18, 2024

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2024
VOLUME CXXX | ISSUE X
ALABAMA
THE
BEAUTIFUL
Conference realignment increases environmental costs
Abby McCreary
Sports Editor
The death of old
rivalries, studentathlete
travel time
increasing, concerning
TV money grabs — there’s
a lot not to like about
collegiate conference
realignment. One rarely
addressed concern, though,
is the environmental costs
of sports teams traveling
to their new conference
opponents.
In the Big 12, a trip from
Utah to Central Florida is
about 1,900 miles, as the
crow flies. In the Big Ten,
the Washington Huskies
will have to travel about
2,400 miles to Rutgers
Scarlet Knights. And in the
newly coast-to-coast ACC,
there’s an astounding 2,700
miles between Stanford
and Boston College. If
these 1,000-plus-mile trips
become the new norm, the
environmental impact of
realigned conferences will
grow astronomically.
Of course, these are the
extremes. A 2024 study
from the Sustainability
and Sports Science Journal
explains how the normal
is becoming extreme
as well. In the Atlantic
Coast Conference this
upcoming season, the
average travel distance for
CW / Shelby West
each conference school is
double the average travel
distance in 2010. The Big
Ten’s upcoming season’s
average travel distance
will nearly triple the
2010 distance.
SEE PAGE 5A
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Visit sheltonstate.edu to apply and register!
INSIDE NEWS 2A SPORTS 5A
CULTURE 1B
OPINIONS 4B

2A
news
UA researcher leads team through international research study
Josie Wahl
Contributing Writer
University of Alabama
A associate professor of
geological sciences is part
of a seven-year project
dedicated to researching a
glacier in Antarctica that
has been receding for nearly
a hundred years.
The Thwaites Glacier,
nicknamed the Doomsday
Glacier, has lost near
14 kilometers, or 8.7
miles, of ice since late
1990, according to the
U.S National Science
Foundation.
“New observations
determining where the
ice enters the ocean show
that, while melting beneath
much of the ice shelf is
weaker than expected,
melting in cracks and
crevasses is happening
much faster,” according to
the NSF.
Rebecca L. Totten is part
of a seven-year project
called the International
Thwaites Glacier
Collaboration. Totten and
her students are working
within a team called
Thwaites Glacier Offshore
Research, or THOR.
In 2017, THOR drafted a
proposal to the NSF seeking
funding to research the
history of the Thwaites
Glacier and why it has been
losing ice.
“This project is taking
a look into the past
by reconstructing the
environment so that we
can understand the current
environment and what
the future may have in
store,” said Gabi Barnes, a
junior geology major. “By
understanding the past,
we can potentially figure
out how to respond to the
rapidly changing climate.”
After the initial proposal,
THOR received a $25 million
NSF grant, which is set to
expire this year.
Totten said the recession
of the Thwaites Glacier
is indicative of a broader
problem.
This fascinated me to
no end, and I still see
the magic in the field
to this day. Finding
out that only a couple
dozen people in the
entire world have
the ability to identify
diatoms confidently
piqued my interest
as well, and so I also
found a challenge in
it to get to that level.
Jacob Helgeson
THOR Researcher
“Right now, we see a lot
of ice mass loss, a lot of
glaciers releasing ice to the
sea, raising sea levels all at
the same time,” Totten said.
There are three main
drainage tunnels for the
West Antarctic ice sheet of
which Thwaites Glacier is a
part, and Totten said if one
of the tunnels collapses,
then the sheet will collapse.
The West Antarctic ice
sheet is a “dynamic ice
sheet,” Totten said, due
to how the sheet is below
sea level, and is thin in
comparison to the largest
of Antarctica’s glaciers;
it is contained in East
Antarctica, which sits
mostly above sea level.
According to Yale Climate
Connections, sea levels
would rise about 25 inches
if the Thwaites Glacier
entirely melted.
There have been three
expeditions to the glacier,
one of which Totten and UA
students participated in.
In 2019 they collected the
cores, or samples from the
seafloor, of which colleagues
at the University of Houston
based a study that was
published last month.
UH looked at the shortterm
change within the
past hundred years and
pinpointed exactly when
Thwaites Glacier started
to retreat to its current
position. They believe this
trend started in 1930.
By working with Totten,
several UA students have
gotten involved in the
THOR project, but some
have started their own
subprojects.
Colton Bryne, a freshman
geology and chemistry
major, has worked with
Totten and this project for
over a year. His research
detailing the researchvessel
icebreaker Nathaniel
B. Palmer’s sediment core
22-02 KC04 has earned him
an award nomination at
the Undergraduate
Research and Creative
Activity Conference.
Jacob Helgeson, a senior
studying marine sciences
and biology, has been
working on the project
for over two years. He
was recruited by Totten
to research foraminifera,
which are microorganisms
that have shells that
become ocean floor
sediment after death.
Helgeson now leads
a project documenting
microscopic algae called
diatoms that were living
in the seawater during
the 2022 expedition to
Antarctica, and how
populations may be
responding to different
factors in the ocean and
local climate. He has
started on his master’s
project, which will include
several core descriptions of
diatom composition.
“This fascinated me to
no end, and I still see the
magic in the field to this
day,” Helgeson said. “Finding
out that only a couple dozen
people in the entire world
have the ability to identify
diatoms confidently piqued
my interest as well, and so I
also found a challenge in it
to get to that level.”
Barnes has worked with
Totten on this project since
August 2023. She takes
seabed samples and runs
them through a machine
called a better sizer. She
identifies the samples to
examine how the past
environment may have
been, based on the size
grains of sand, gravel, clay
or silt. Knowing how the
past environment worked
can help researchers
understand how to handle
the present environment.
“Many people’s lives
may be affected by what is
happening to the Thwaites
Glacier right now,” Barnes
said. “People that live in
areas close to the coasts
could be displaced or even
lose their lives if this threat
is not taken seriously.”
THOR’s more recent
extensive research has led
to a unique hypothesis:
an El Nino climate event
occurring in the 1930s or
’40s may be one cause of
the glacier’s receding ice.
Researchers noted that
another glacier was set
The Thwaites Glacier
has lost nearly
8.7
miles of ice since late 1990
back, meaning it started
to decline or recede, at
the same time as the
Thwaites Glacier.
“It sounds
counterintuitive, but that
climate phenomenon
does affect the ocean,”
Totten said.
El Nino is a naturally
occurring climate pattern
that can warm ocean
surface temperatures and
affect how the winds move
and how ocean currents are
organized. Scientists believe
that the warm current
around Antarctica, called
the Antarctic Circumpolar
Current, was shifted by that
El Nino and is now affecting
the glaciers by melting them
from underneath.
“What we're seeing right
now is that the ice shelves
in this area have very
rapidly receded. That's most
likely because of this warm
ocean water that circles
around the continent,”
Totten said. “I'm like a
paleo detective, so much
of what we do is this
curiosity driven science
where we ... try to look at
these areas that haven't
been accessed before.”
Totten and her team have been working on Thwaites Glacier Offshore Research for the past seven years. Courtesy of Rebecca L. Totten
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The Crimson White, Copyright © 2024

Courtney Stringer
Staff Writer
Lakeside Dining Hall and
the Fresh Food Company
are the University’s only
all-you-care-to-eat dining
halls. Due to their wide
variety of food options, they
are visited by hundreds of
students daily; however,
some students say one of
the dining halls’ practices is
negatively impacting
the environment.
Before the COVID-19
pandemic, the dining halls
provided reusable metal
utensils for students,
minimizing their plastic
waste output. However,
in 2020, they began solely
using plastic single-use
forks, knives and spoons to
prevent the spread of germs.
Metal utensils have
since reappeared at both
Lakeside and the Fresh Food
Company, alongside
plastic utensils.
Director of Dining
Services Kristina Patridge
said metal utensils were
removed from dining halls
because visitors felt that
single-use utensils were
more sanitary.
After recognizing the
impact these practices
could have on the local
environment, Eyram Gbeddy,
a senior majoring in political
science and former SGA
senator, worked with the UA
Environmental Council to
help bring awareness to
the issue.
UA ECo is a student-run
organization dedicated
to sustainability and
conservation on campus and
in the greater Tuscaloosa
community. Gbeddy said
after his election, his first
project was working with
news
Students push for more reusable utensils
ECo to help curb the dining
halls’ single-use waste.
He said while researching,
he found alarming statistics
from the local landfills. The
report from 2022 shows the
overall waste decreasing but
the landfill waste increasing.
“We deduced that the
amount of plastic we were
producing from our dining
halls was a major portion of
the plastics produced in the
Tuscaloosa area,”
Gbeddy said.
It’s important to
start with Fresh
Food and Lakeside
because it’s where
all of the freshmen
eat. It’s where
we’re producing
the most waste,
and that’s where
I think we should
start with fighting
this problem.
Eyram Gbeddy
Former SGA
Senator
Megan Neville, a
senior majoring in sports
management and the
president of ECo, said she
originally became interested
in the use of plastic utensils
as a freshman.
“I realized how much
waste was being generated
in the dining halls from
utensils,” Neville said. “I
started getting curious.”
Neville said ECo met
with representatives from
Bama Dining last semester,
who said that they provide
options for reusable utensils
but that most students
choose plastic.
She said the Bama Dining
representatives claimed that,
as a business, they need to
provide what the people
want, and they refused to
switch over completely.
“They want us to initiate
some sort of campaign to
get students to switch to
reusable on a personal level
rather than eliminating the
plastics themselves,”
Neville said.
Neville said that because
most single-use plastic is
produced from fossil fuels, its
use can have a detrimental
impact on the environment.
She added that plastic
utensils are frequently
littered, affecting wildlife
populations.
Neville said the
Environmental Council does
monthly trash cleanups
along with the Black Warrior
Riverkeeper, a local nonprofit
organization that helps to
remove pollution from the
Black Warrior River and
its tributaries.
“If left, they [utensils] can
harm wildlife who try to eat
these items or get hurt by
them, and they can pollute
the Black Warrior River when
it rains,” Neville said.
Gbeddy said that because
students make up a large
percentage of the Tuscaloosa
population, actions from
campus establishments
such as plastic waste from
dining halls could have a
significant impact on the
city’s environment.
In November, the SGA
Senate passed a resolution
authored by Gbeddy to
reduce the use of single-use
plastics in the dining halls.
According to the
resolution, in 2022 the
University contributed
over 5,000 short tons, or 10
million pounds, of
landfill waste.
The resolution also lists
what it identifies as benefits
of eliminating single-use
plastics, including saving
money due to the costs of
purchasing plastic utensils
and improving the quality of
life of students at
the University.
The resolution asked that
the University make these
changes by the first Bama
Bound orientation session in
the summer of 2024.
Patridge said that since
the resolution passed, dining
halls have begun offering
metal utensils along with
plastic ones, but there are
many cons that come with
using only metal utensils.
“Metal utensils cost more
money because guests
throw them away and take
them back to their residence
halls,” Patridge said.
“Additionally, metal utensils
have tended to cause dish
machine repairs to be higher
when one falls out of the
rack into the track on our
commercial conveyor
dish machines.”
Patridge said she’d like to
see student-led initiatives
to educate students on
sustainability. She also
said that based on ECo’s
recommendations, Bama
Dining has reimplemented
the reusable coffee tumbler
program, recycled used
fryer oil, and implemented
a reusable box program that
allows students to take a
meal from the dining hall
3A
and return the box at a
later time.
Other universities have
recently discontinued the
use of single-use plastics
in dining halls, including
Vanderbilt University, the
University of Virginia, and all
10 University of California
campuses.
Gbeddy said he has seen
developments in UA
dining halls.
“Even though the plastic
utensils still exist as of
right now, all of the stations
often have metal utensils,
which was not even a
thought before I passed the
resolution,” he said.
While other Bama Dining
locations across campus
also use plastic utensils,
Gbeddy said his resolution
specifically targeted the
dining halls.
“It’s important to start
with Fresh Food and
Lakeside because it’s where
all of the freshmen eat.
It’s where we’re producing
the most waste, and that’s
where I think we should
start with fighting this
problem,” Gbeddy said.
Gbeddy said that the
resolution is one of the
things he’s most proud of
during his time in
the Senate.
“I think it’s really
refocused the conversation
regarding single-use plastics
at the University,” he said.
He said he’s proud to
have changed part of the
University experience
and hopes that the dining
halls follow through and
completely revert to using
metal utensils.
“I’m really proud to say
that I use a metal utensil
every single time I eat at
Lakeside and Fresh Food,”
This is our water.
Help UA protect it.
Only rain down the drain.
For questions, comments, or concerns
about Storm Water, contact
Environmental Health & Safety
(205) 348-5905 | ehu.ua.edu | @EHS_UA
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4A
news
Tuscaloosa sewage carries bacteria and threatens biodiversity
Elijah Doomes
Staff Writer
Experts say Alabama has
the most freshwater
fish biodiversity in the
nation, and the state
consistently ranks
in the top five for
overall biodiversity.
Scientists at several
conservation groups
throughout Alabama say
that biodiversity and
human health are being
threatened by pollutants
in the Black Warrior River
and other waterways
throughout the state.
In September 2023,
the Alabama Department
of Environmental
Management sued the
city of Tuscaloosa for
discharging elevated
levels of sewage into
its waterways.
The complaint found
that there was excessive
sewage, dirt and bacteria
in the Black Warrior
River. E. coli, a harmful
and potentially deadly
bacterium, was found
in the city's wastewater
at elevated levels
between July 2018 and
September 2023.
Black Warrior
Riverkeeper
Black Warrior
Riverkeeper is a nonprofit
organization that aims to
improve public health and
maintain ecosystems in
the Black Warrior River.
The organization’s staff
scientist John Kinney said
that the sewage comes
primarily from sewage
treatment plants, sewer
overflows, industrial
wastewater and runoff.
The sewage then carries
nutrients and bacteria
into the river, where
they can wreak havoc
on local ecosystems.
“Nutrients contribute to
the proliferation of algae
in the river, which has
cascading effects for the
ecosystem and wildlife,”
Kinney said. Some of those
algae blooms are toxic
to humans, and when
they overgrow, they steal
oxygen from the water,
choking out fish and other
native aquatic species.
These pollutants can
make drinking water or
eating fish from the Black
Warrior River watershed
potentially dangerous,
and there are several
signs warning against fish
consumption along parts
of the Black Warrior River.
Additionally, Alabama
has the third most
endangered species of any
state, and Kinney said that
pollutants causing the
collapse of one species can
cause chain reactions with
widespread consequences
for other endangered
plants and animals.
In some of the
areas where
we’re picking up
trash, a lot of it is
individuals. A lot
of people don’t
realize that isn’t
necessarily picked
up, and it goes
out into the Black
Warrior River.
Kevin Shaw
UA Conservation
Biology Society
President
To protect the
watershed, Black
Warrior Riverkeeper
removed nearly 13 tons
of pollutants from the
river in 2023 through
year-round cleanups
where volunteers remove
litter from the water.
Even though they work
alongside several other
conservation groups
throughout the state, it’s
only possible to clean up a
small amount of the trash
that’s in the watershed.
Environmentalists
take action
Alabama People Against
a Littered State is another
organization working to
protect the state’s water
by reducing pollution.
Clean Campus Coordinator
Jamie Mitchell said that
the organization picked
up over 600 tons of trash
in 2023, a key step to
preventing that trash from
reaching waterways.
Mitchell added that
there are several steps
students can personally
take to be more ethical
consumers.
“We can always
try to find ways to be
more mindful about the
Tuscaloosa has fallen victim to many sewage spills over the past few years. CW / Caroline Simmons
products that we use in
packaging,” Mitchell said.
“And definitely try and
recycle when possible.”
Mitchell said students
should avoid using singleuse
packing materials like
plastic and choose brands
with renewable packaging
when possible.
UA Conservation
Biology Society President
Kevin Shaw said that
combating pollution in
Alabama’s waterways is
both an individual and
industrial responsibility.
“In some of the areas
where we’re picking
up trash, a lot of it is
individuals,” Kevin Shaw
said. “A lot of people
don’t realize that isn’t
necessarily picked up, and
it goes out into the Black
Warrior River.”
Kevin Shaw said that
industrial plants also
contribute heavily to
pollution, citing a 2021
incident when local
creeks turned black from
apparent pollution near
coal mines upstream
from Tuscaloosa.
“As far as policy per
litter and pollution, I
think the city already has
a lot in effect,” Shaw said.
“But really, it comes down
to enforcement.”
Tuscaloosa addresses
river pollution
Mayor Walt Maddox
has consistently defended
Tuscaloosa’s handling
of water pollution,
despite criticism from
environmental groups.
According to The
Tuscaloosa Thread,
Maddox said that most
of the sewage overflows
happened because of
historic flooding events,
and he said that the city
deserved credit for selfreporting
its problems.
“Unlike most
communities in our state
and most authorities in
our state who don't [report
sewer overflows widely],
we take the step and do,”
Maddox said. “I'm proud
of our city for being
upfront, honest and
transparent and holding
ourselves accountable."
Maddox added that the
city treats 99.9% of the
sewage that enters
its system and is
currently undergoing a
$300 million renovation
to improve its water and
sewer infrastructure.
Some activists are still
unconvinced that the city
is doing enough. Hurricane
Creekkeeper John Wathen
serves as the primary
enforcer for the Friends
of Hurricane Creek, a
Tuscaloosa conservation
group. Wathen said that
the city’s negligence
enables several sewage
overflows into its waters.
“I consistently find
open, damaged manhole
covers and exposed
sections of sewer lines,
in some cases right in
the floodway of the
creek," Wathen wrote in a
February blog post asking
residents to petition
the city of Tuscaloosa to
improve its sewer systems.
That petition has more
than 1,300 signatures.
“It's easy to see
where the intrusion is
occurring and equally
as easy it should be for
a well operating sewer
department to address
BEFORE disasters strike,”
Wathen wrote.
According to ADEM’s
website, Tuscaloosa’s
water and sewer board has
received 14 noncompliance
violations in 2024. Most
recently, on March 26,
the city’s Hilliard N.
Fletcher treatment plant
overflowed after heavy
rains causing an E. coli
presence five times
the ADEM limit in the
wastewater from the
plant that is emptied
into the river.
On Jan. 9, the plant
received a violation for E.
Coli presence above the
mandated limit after 2.5
inches of rainfall. In both
cases, the plant said that
wet weather increasing
the plant’s flow caused
the violations.
“We are looking at the
issues that we have on wet
weather events and trying
to figure out the best
ways to mitigate these
issues during rain events,”
wrote Steven Shaw, an
operations technician for
the City of Tuscaloosa,
in the non-compliance
notification report.
Kevin Shaw’s best
advice for people who
want to help fight
pollution is simple: Throw
it away.
“The biggest thing is
if you see garbage or
have some trash, throw it
in the garbage,” Shaw
said. “Wait till you get
home. Wait till you get to
your destination.”
The Black Warrior Riverkeeper removed nearly 13 tons of pollutants from the river in 2023. CW / Hannah Grace Mayfield

sports
continued from 1A — Conference
5A
The University of Texas Longhorns will be a part of the 2024 SEC schedule. CW / Riley Thompson
More importantly,
the study examined the
carbon footprints of these
conferences’ football
seasons. As expected, “every
alignment of the Big Ten
conference leads to a rise in
carbon emissions. ... When
Nebraska joined in 2011,
emissions increased by 16%
the following year. In 2014,
with Maryland and Rutgers
joining, emissions rose by
6% compared to the previous
year. ... Projections for 2024
show emissions reaching
56,502 kg, a 2.48-fold increase
from 2023’s 22,790 kg.”
Similar trends are
predicted for the ACC, whose
emissions are expected to
nearly double, and the Big
12, whose emissions are
expected to rise nearly 25%.
The electric future of Crimson Racing
Shelby Shumake
Contributing Writer
In the beginning of his
time at The University
of Alabama, in Lakeside
Dining Hall, Jack Orear was
introduced to Crimson
Racing. Now a senior,
Orear serves as the team
manager and works
alongside other students
to compete against other
universities in Formula
SAE competition.
“Our main goal
is to develop future
engineers and automotive
professionals,” Orear said.
Formula SAE is a
student competition
that challenges teams to
design, build and compete
in small, single-seat,
open-wheel vehicles. The
competition includes
several events over the
course of the academic
year and has expanded
in the last few years to
include electric vehicles
in addition to those with
internal combustion
engines.
As the automotive
industry shifts toward
environmental
consciousness, the
Crimson Racing electric
vehicle program is
dedicated to helping young
engineers learn about
battery technology and
safety systems.
Christopher Rodriguez,
lead engineer for the
Crimson Racing electric
vehicle program, founded
the program alongside
fellow student Hunter
Melahn. Together, through
designs, simulations and
plenty of calculations, the
duo turned an idea into a
tangible product.
The team will be
sourcing battery cells to
The SEC is expected to rise
as well with the addition
of Texas and Oklahoma.
However, because these
teams are more local
compared with the
transcontinental opponents
of the other conferences, the
SEC’s emissions are projected
to rise only 5%.
The big picture is that the
miles are increasing, the
travel times are lengthening,
and the carbon emissions are
skyrocketing.
And that’s just the football
programs.
While other sports
programs usually aren’t as
large as football, each Power
Five conference has an
average of 20 other programs
that will need to travel to
compete as well. Conference
competitions that were a
create its own battery
packs. Members will find
what cells and how many
are needed, calculate their
efficiency, and learn how
it interacts with the other
parts of the car.
The EV program’s
current goal is to create a
competitive and safe car
but, most importantly, give
hands-on experience to the
younger team members.
“The hardest thing
for me was definitely
organizing myself so I can
learn all the things I need
to learn, and then getting
organized with all of that
information and giving it
to the younger members,”
Rodriguez said. “You’re
essentially starting with a
blank sheet of paper.”
CC LeBlanc, assistant
lead for EV power systems,
said electric vehicles are
not inherently better for
half-day bus trip become trips
to the airport and a flight —
maybe multiple flights. Factor
in die-hard fans, parents of
student-athletes, and anyone
else looking to travel to watch
their favorite team, and the
emissions continue climbing
and climbing.
These realignment deals
are arranged mostly for
football and TV and often
don’t take into consideration
smaller sports or even the
universities’ ideals.
As one of the newest
members of the Big Ten, the
University of Washington is
more than 900 miles away
from all but one of its new
conference opponents,
meaning a sports event
involving the Huskies
probably bears the brunt
of many of those carbon
the environment than
internal combustion
engines. It is true that
electric vehicles produce
less emissions than
traditional vehicles, she
said, but the degradation
and improper use of the
batteries can have an
adverse effect on t
he environment.
Crimson Racing ensures
that every one of its
members has access to the
proper training to safely
and correctly handle them.
In 2021, the National
Transportation Safety
Board released a report
about the safety risks for
emergency responders
from battery fires of
electric vehicles. According
to the report, electric
vehicle battery fires are
incredibly difficult to
suppress, and often there
is not enough information
emissions statistics. Ironically,
though, one of the University
of Washington’s initiatives
is in direct opposition to this
environmental reality.
The Population Health
initiative has three major
pillars, one of which is
environmental resilience. It
advocates for “healthy people,
healthy planet” and “factors
that influence how long and
how well we live,” including
climate change. Traveling
to compete in a conference
mainly located across the
country does not support
that initiative.
Furthermore, having
student-athletes spend their
time traveling rather than
preparing, training, recovering
or, most importantly, studying
does not promote
“healthy people.”
Crimson Racing’s CR22 takes to the track during a testing day. Courtesy of Crimson Racing
on what to do if one
occurs. Also, the report
stated that these fires
could result in the release
of toxic chemicals or gases,
which could threaten
occupants of the vehicles
and first responders.
It is impossible to stop a
battery from degrading, but
proper practices and safety
measures can prolong the
lifespan. Electric battery
fires tend to last longer
than those from internal
combustion engines,
and they are much more
difficult to extinguish.
“This is why it’s
important for Crimson
Racing to instruct newer
members about battery
safety and ensure our
battery cells are properly
stored and taken care
of,” LeBlanc said. “The
consequences can be fatal
if safety measures
Now, to put it all into
perspective, perhaps a few
extended flights from a
couple of colleges’ sports
programs won’t make a
difference in a world of
private planes, factory fog
and gas-guzzling vehicles.
Perhaps reducing travel for
intercollegiate athletics can’t
help the impending sense of
doom that this generation
feels about the future of the
Earth. However, it certainly
can’t hurt.
As the world of college
sports continues to take
shape in conference
realignment, the
environmental costs must
be considered just as much
as TV deals, student-athlete
health and fan enjoyment.
aren’t followed.”
After becoming lead
EV engineer, Rodriguez
completed a co-op position
at the Mercedes battery
plant. There he received
high-voltage safety
training, a skill he has
since brought back to
his team.
Outside of competition,
the team spends hours
together working on
improving the car. What
started as a group of
acquaintances, turned to
colleagues and now friends
who work together towards
a common goal.
“They’re the best group
of people I have ever gotten
to know,” Orear said.
Editor's note: Assistant
photo editor Riley
Thompson is the
communications lead for
Crimson Racing.

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culture + sports
1B
Passion drives progress at Natural Resource Conservation Lab
Luke McClinton
Staff Writer
When asked about
her work with the
University of Alabama
Natural Resource
Conservation Lab,
geography graduate
student Jayla Blanke
described a simple yet
profound motivation.
“I enjoy trying to find
explanations for changes
to an environment
through data analysis,”
Blanke said. “I think of it
like problem solving
in reverse.”
It’s a remarkably
concise way of capturing
the lab’s mission. The
methodology can be
complex, and it would be
a disservice to water down
what is very skilled and
dedicated work, but at the
heart of it all is a noble
goal: figuring out what’s
hurting the natural world
and finding ways to
stop it.
At the helm of the lab
is Michael K. Steinberg,
a professor of geography
with research areas
including cultural
ecology, biogeography
and endangered species.
With a bevy of experience
and a wide expanse of
knowledge, Steinberg
exemplifies the motivation
and aptitude one would
At The University of
Alabama, plans for
a new arena are stirring
excitement among
students, faculty and
University stakeholders
alike. Yet, amid the
intensity of construction,
one critical aspect
remains undervalued:
the opportunity to make
this arena a beacon
of environmental
responsibility.
As the University is going
through the process of
building the new arena, it
is imperative for Alabama
to prioritize eco-friendly
features in the construction
of the new arena.
Building an arena is not
merely about erecting walls
and laying foundations; it is
about making conscientious
choices that will shape
our environmental legacy.
As the Capstone prepares
to break ground, it must
prioritize sustainable
construction practices.
Embracing sustainability
in the construction and
utilization of this new arena
could not only redefine
the campus landscape but
also set a precedent for
sustainable development
in collegiate sports
arenas nationwide.
But constructing a
sustainable arena is just
the beginning; maintaining
its environmental
integrity requires ongoing
commitment. Energyefficient
lighting, watersaving
fixtures and wastereduction
strategies are just
a few measures that can be
implemented to ensure the
arena operates in harmony
with its surroundings.
In Washington, the idea
of a sustainable arena
became reality. Seattle
made history by having the
first ever net-zero-carboncertified
arena in the world.
Climate Pledge Arena is
home to the Seattle Kraken
of the NHL.
look for in the leader
of such an important
organization.
Passion for his work
seeps through seemingly
everything Steinberg does.
In the academic scene,
he is an inquisitive and
highly driven explorer;
Blanke spoke of his
unmistakable devotion
when doing field work,
and fellow geography
graduate student Sophie
Williams attested to his
“incredibly infectious
energy” and “calm sense
of curiosity.”
“Dr. Steinberg is an
amazing teacher and
mentor, and I feel lucky to
be a member of the lab,”
Williams said. “I come
away from every meeting
we have feeling excited
about what I’m doing.”
Steinberg’s love for
the natural isn’t only
evidenced by his behavior
in a classroom or research
lab. Perhaps the most
authentic and endearing
sign of his affection is
the time he spends in the
outside world. It isn’t all
fieldwork and observation
— he displays an element
of youthful wonder from
simply being in nature.
“Even as a kid I was
really interested in birds,
plants, snakes, etc.,”
Steinberg wrote. “I roamed
the woods and streams.
... I [was] never inside on
The arena took its name
not from a corporation,
but from the Climate
Pledge movement founded
by Amazon and Global
Optimism in 2019. The
movement started in hopes
for companies to commit to
becoming net-zero carbon
by 2040.
International Living
Future Institute CEO Lindsay
Baker explained in a press
release how the arena works
to ensure the safety of
the environment.
“Our Zero Carbon
Certification recognizes
highly energy efficient
buildings that are designed
and operated to fully
account for their carbon
emissions impacts,” Baker
said. “All operational energy
use must be offset by new
on- or off-site renewable
energy and all embodied
carbon emissions associated
with construction and
materials must be disclosed
and offset. This is a
significant undertaking,
especially for as large
a computer or phone. As
I got older and went to
college, I just gravitated to
anything outdoors.”
This isn’t just romantic
hearsay. If one looks at
Steinberg’s day-to-day
and complex a project as
Climate Pledge Arena. We
are thrilled to see the arena
become the first arena to
achieve this.”
Given the context of the
University’s environmental
preservation commitment,
it is imperative that this
dedication be showcased
through concrete measures
implemented during its
arena’s construction.
“I’m not sure the
University has any concrete
sustainability goals that
they are pursuing,” said
Megan Neville, the president
of the UA Environmental
Council. “Everything I’ve
ever seen is very vague in
that regard.”
In discussions
surrounding the
construction of Alabama’s
new arena, sustainability
emerges as a central
theme, echoing the
growing global imperative
for eco-conscious
development. UA professor
Yunyang Ye, a leading
voice in environmental
life or peruses his social
media, such gravitation
toward the outdoors is
unmissable. One can find
him taking pictures with
massive tarpon, fly-fishing
off the end of johnboats
or simply basking in the
vibrance of tree-canopied
rivers.
Professor Steinberg has dedicated his career and research to protecting wildlife and conservation areas.
Courtesy of The University of Alabama
engineering, emphasizes
the multifaceted
approach required for true
environmental stewardship.
“When discussing the
construction of grain
buildings, resilience
becomes a significant
concern as well.” Ye said.
“Therefore, it’s essential
that we prioritize enhancing
local resilience. This
implies that our initial
infrastructure efforts
should focus on sourcing
clean materials that
inherently provide sufficient
durability for the buildings
to withstand various
challenges, additionally,
we should aim to optimize
resource utilization, such as
incorporating solar panels,
into our designs.”
What some do not realize
is the effects of the arena's
construction. While the
University is always under
construction, this build is
considered higher impact.
“The new arena
will certainly have an
environmental impact;
SEE PAGE 3B
Opinion | New arena must reflect environmental sustainability
Callie Cassady
Contributing Writer
A new arena is in the works for the Crimson Tide. CW / Riley Brown
however, I think it’s
important to keep in mind
that UA is constantly in a
state of construction for so
many different buildings
and renovations,” Neville
said. “This one [the arena],
due to it being so large,
will probably have more
of an impact.”
Alabama’s new arena
has the potential to be
more than just a sports
arena; it can be a symbol
of progress in the fight
against climate change. By
prioritizing environmental
sustainability, the University
can send a powerful
message to the world:
Economic development and
ecological preservation are
not mutually exclusive.
By embracing green
principles, the arena
can serve as a model for
sustainable development,
inspiring other institutions
to follow suit and
contributing to a healthier,
more resilient planet for
future generations.

2B
culture
Black Warrior Riverkeeper protects nature and wildlife
Anna Hill
Staff Writer
Taylor Paton
Contributing Writer
Black Warrior Riverkeeper is
a citizen-based, nonprofit
organization that helps
protect, maintain and restore
the Black Warrior River.
To restore and protect
the river, Black Warrior
Riverkeeper uses a watershed
approach to make sure the
water is clean and that the
recreational and natural
aspects of the river are well
kept up. This upkeep is done
by Alabamian volunteers.
Charles Scribner, executive
director of Black Warrior
Riverkeeper since 2010,
leads the staff members and
oversees the organization’s
events, outreach and
collaborations.
Scribner is involved with
the organization’s role in
Waterkeeper Alliance, a
movement founded in
1999 that offers “legal,
scientific, and capacitybuilding
advice, provides
networking opportunities,
and often advocates for
issues common to multiple
local Waterkeepers,” he said.
The alliance consists of over
350 organizations and helps
further connect and support
the waterkeepers in Alabama.
Black Warrior Riverkeeper
provides various volunteer
opportunities and community
participation events that
help the environment. The
organization publishes
monthly volunteer
newsletters with upcoming
opportunities, events and
updates for those interested
in contributing. It has held
five cleanups this year, with
Libraries help build
a community of
sustainability through the
foundation of donating and
reusing books. Resources
like. The Tuscaloosa
Public Library and Little
Free Libraries aim to
provide a neutral space
where students and the
Tuscaloosa community
can come together in a
supportive environment,
while also saving their
physical environment. .
The Tuscaloosa Public
Library
In 1979, more than
two decades after its
original opening in 1922
in the basement of the
old Tuscaloosa County
Courthouse, TPL moved to
its current location near the
Black Warrior River.
This library serves the
residents in the Tuscaloosa
community and provides
resources such as e-books,
digital magazines,
audiobooks, movies and
television shows, as well as
hard-copy books.
Jennifer Estes, the
director of library systems,
said that the on-site
Friends of the Library
bookstore, whose proceeds
go directly to the library,
accepts all book donations,
and that TPL donates
materials to the prisons
and public school libraries
to help continue the goal
of reusing and recycling
books.
“Tuscaloosa Public
Library offers a supportive
study environment, away
from the distractions of
campus life,” Estes said.
“The library also offers
over 60 volunteers who
picked up over 2,600 pounds
of trash, according to the April
volunteer newsletter.
“I would be honored to lead
any of the 350+ Waterkeeper
Alliance organizations across
the world, but it is particularly
inspiring to lead this one
in Alabama, America’s
leading state for freshwater
biodiversity,” Scribner said.
Andrew Hall, a senior
majoring in political
science and management
information systems at
the University, grew up in
Alabama and has learned
a lot about environmental
impact, species of plants
and animals and more from
volunteering with Black
Warrior Riverkeeper. Hall
volunteers mainly at the
Locust Fork, one of three
major headwater streams of
the Black Warrior River along
with the Sipsey Fork and the
Mulberry Fork, according to
work study opportunities
and has teamed up with
BAMA Tutors to give UA
students the chance to get
to know their community
better while giving back.”
Public libraries
function on the core goal
of providing educational
resources through reusing
books and online materials,
which helps cut down
on the amount of waste
that comes from firsthand
books. While having
personal copies of books
allows people to hold on to
their favorite stories, using
a public library, like TPL, is a
more eco-conscious option
for reading.
The public library is a
great way to support the
the organization’s website.
“Joining the Black Warrior
Riverkeeper, I just really got
to know more about the
Alabama landscape and how
all the unique species that
we have are being impacted
by issues like coal plants,”
Hall said.
Hall mentioned the
happiness that comes with
cleaning the environment and
“recognizing that I’m doing
a real change by cleaning
out these rivers so people
can go and enjoy them and
fish without worrying about
microplastics and trash bags.”
Alek Ledvina is another
student who had the
opportunity to volunteer
for the Black Warrior
Riverkeeper and is a senior
majoring in economics and
finance. He assisted in the
cleaning of District 1 in North
Birmingham on Jan. 15.
That day the Black Warrior
Riverkeeper celebrated a
Tuscaloosa residents come together to try and keep the Black Warrior River clean. CW / Hannah Grace Maylocal
community, connect
with new people and
support sustainability.
Little Free Libraries
The Little Free Libraries
were started by UA student
Cassidy Matwiyoff, a
sophomore majoring
in political science and
biology, as a way to
encourage community
engagement with literature.
“I believe the system
of the Little Free Libraries
does decrease the amount
of waste that comes
from buying new books,”
Matwiyoff wrote in an
email. “The universal
purpose behind the LFLs
is to ‘take a book, leave
a book.’
Matwiyoff said that the
Little Free Libraries operate
on an honor system and
rely on students to leave
a book after taking one
in order to recycle books
throughout the community.
Matwiyoff wrote that
she was inspired by a club
she was in during high
school called Architects of
Change, which hand-built
a Little Free Library for the
groundbreaking cleanup,
removing over 2,000 pounds
of trash.
“The roadside that
we cleaned was totally
unrecognizable, and I know
that we had an impact on the
community,” Ledvina said.
He also touched on how
efforts like these are critical
to realizing the Black Warrior
Riverkeeper’s mission as they
are ground zero for keeping
trash out of our waterways.
He stressed the importance of
student involvement, noting
that students can contribute
to the integrity of some of the
most biodiverse watersheds
in the country.
Along with directing
volunteering opportunities to
combat littering and receiving
voluntary donations, Black
Warrior Riverkeeper holds fun
community events. On April
20, the organization will host
Earthbound’s Earthfest, an
outdoor rock concert
community. Because of the
success she had with that
project, Matwiyoff took
what she had learned and
wrote an act during her
time as a member of the
SGA’s First Year Council.
Now there are little
libraries for students to
use at the SGA office, in
Reese Phifer Hall and in the
Honors College.
“It has been enlightening
to hear that the Little
Free Libraries have had
a positive impact on the
students and campus
community,” Matwiyoff
wrote. “I have heard from
members of the Honors
College, both students
and faculty, that their
library is consistently filled
with books and the bus
drivers will leave books for
students and take some to
read for themselves.”
The libraries are filled
and monitored by the
academic affairs cabinet,
but students can pick
up and drop off books
whenever they want.
Little Free Library is
a nonprofit organization
that believes that
at Avondale Brewery
in Birmingham.
“The family-friendly
outdoor event is open to
pets and people of all ages,
although guests under 21
must be accompanied by a
parent or guardian,” Scribner
said. “Suggested $5 donations
at the door will support Black
Warrior Riverkeeper, as will
proceeds from merchandise,
art and food trucks.”
Hall commends the work
the organization has done in
maintaining the quality of the
Black Warrior River.
“Black Warrior Riverkeeper
is doing a very good job
of doing hands-on work
and making a difference
everybody can join in,” Hall
said. “All it takes is one person
to pick that bottle up and it
instantly makes Alabama
more safe and beautiful.”
Libraries promote sustainability with used books
Ava Morthland
Staff Writer
It has been
enlightening
to hear that
the Little Free
Libraries have had
a positive impact
on the students
and campus
community. I
have heard from
members of the
Honors College,
both students
and faculty, that
their library is
consistently filled
with books and
the bus drivers will
leave books for
students and take
some to read for
themselves.
Cassidy Matwiyoff
UA Sophomore
The Tuscaloosa Public Library serves residents in the community. CW / Caroline Simmons
everyone should have the
opportunity to discover
new books.
“We believe all people
are empowered when the
opportunity to discover a
personally relevant book
to read is not limited by
time, space, or privilege,”
the organization’s
website states.
Other resources in the
Tuscaloosa community
Tuscaloosa is filled with
a diverse range of ways to
help protect sustainability
and connect with literacy.
The House Tuscaloosa is
an example that provides
the Tuscaloosa community
with used books at a
discounted price and a
place to study. This third
space is open from 3 p.m.
to 8 p.m. Monday through
Thursday.
Students are also able
to find used books at the
Book Rack, 2nd & Charles
and Goodwill, as well as the
on-campus libraries like
Gorgas Library and Rodgers
Library.

culture
continued from 1B — Steinberg
3B
His academic
accomplishments should
be telling enough: In
addition to a doctorate
from LSU, he has
published books on a
range of topics within
the field, including brook
trout pilgrimages and
the supposedly extinct
ivory-billed woodpecker.
If that weren’t sufficient,
his earnest, recreational
affinity for the outdoors
affirms his credibility.
It also provides a solid
foundation for the work
of the Natural Resource
Conservation Lab. As
Blanke detailed — and
in line with Steinberg’s
passion for nature — the
lab is rooted in protecting
the environment by
pinpointing its threats.
“Mostly what I do these
days is ‘conservation
mapping,’” Steinberg
wrote. This involves using
spatial technology like
satellite imaging to map
crucial conservation areas.
“These include mangroves,
sea grass, coral reefs —
anything that resources
managers need mapped to
better manage and
protect them.”
He boiled it down to
terms that resonate: “We
can’t really protect plants,
forests or, animals if we
don’t know where they are
and the threats they face.”
The lab’s website
instances many of the
specific research projects
that are currently at
work. They are numerous
and diverse; the lab
is involved with Cuba
fisheries in Ciénaga de
Zapata National Park,
red-cockaded woodpecker
management in the
Talladega National Forest,
mangrove mapping in
Mexico and sea turtle
nesting in Belize, among
many other activities.
Being part of the
organization also entails
interdisciplinary courses
emphasizing experiential
and hands-on learning.
Like the lab’s research
projects, the list of courses
is long and colorful, with
the lab’s website featuring
the likes of “Belize Field
Conservation,” “The Arts
and Science of Fly Fishing”
and “Environmental
Literature.” Steinberg
even forecast a planned
future course in which
students would travel to
Spain to study its “culture,
environment and wine
growing.”
This wide array of
educational and research
opportunities should,
beyond garnering
appreciation from the
geography casual, inspire
those with genuine
interest to consider
joining.
The benefits are
twofold. On one hand,
it equips students for
careers in environmental
conservation, building
skills in spatial analytical
tools and technology. On
the other, it bestows a high
amount of intellectual
freedom; according to
Blanke, Steinberg grants
his protégés freedom to
follow their passions.
Both Blanke and Williams
wrote at length about
Professor Steinberg seeks to halt the human-driven damage to the environment. Courtesy of The University of Alabama
their respective projects,
exuding a zeal that came
from being at liberty to
follow their desired paths
of exploration.
These individual
strengths make for a
venerable whole. Whether
one resides outside the
field or is a geography
student with prospective
interests, the lab is an
admirable example of
environmental protection
infused with genuine care
for the natural world.
Led by a thoroughly
knowledgeable lover
of nature and housing
limitless curiosity, it
thrives on finding threats
to nature so that they can
be eliminated.
As Blanke put it,
“conservation is about
mitigating anthropogenic
threats to the natural
environment.”
In simpler terms,
it’s about putting a
halt to human-driven
damage to the world of
nature. At the Natural
Resource Conservation
lab, Steinberg and his
students are using that
reverse problem-solving to
progress toward this goal,
one impactful and deeply
motivated step at a time.
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4B
opinion
Mayor Maddox, keep the sewage out of our water
Alyssa Walker
Contributing Writer
Just across the road from
campus, students and
local citizens stroll along
Tuscaloosa Riverwalk,
gazing peacefully upon
the Black Warrior River. Its
waters glisten in the early
spring sunlight as they
float lazily by. Its surfacelevel
beauty is enticing
but disguises the ugliness
hidden underneath.
Black Warrior
Riverkeeper is an
organization dedicated
to protecting the Black
Warrior River and other
water sources in the
Tuscaloosa area. Recently,
the organization has
begun protesting to the
city of Tuscaloosa for what
it says is a decades-long
neglect of the local
sewer system.
In fact, according to
a notice it released last
October, “nearly 42 million
gallons of sewage have
spilled into Tuscaloosa’s
streets, backyards, and
streams since 2018.” The
city’s apparent inability to
maintain its sewer system
is having drastic effects
on the local clean water
supply and the
local population.
Only a 15-minute drive
from The University of
Alabama lies Hurricane
Creek Park. A popular
destination for families
and college students, the
park boasts winding trails
with stunning views of
the burbling creek. On
warm weekends, it’s quite
common to find locals
soaking in the sun as
children splash and play
in the water.
What a tragedy it is to
realize how dangerous
this seemingly innocent
activity could be. Research
from Black Warrior
Riverkeeper reports that
“approximately 2 million
gallons of raw sewage
spilled in Cottondale
Creek, Hurricane Creek,
and Little Hurricane
Creek alone since 2018,”
including pollutants like
“chloride, aluminum,
barium, manganese, iron,
and sodium.”
It is a shame to hear
how local streams and
rivers we all know and
love have been desecrated
by a city failure. A failure
that was only finally
noticed by those outside of
Tuscaloosa last September.
In September 2023,
the Alabama Department
of Environmental
Management sued the city
for its illegal discharge
of sewage. Unfortunately,
nothing has come of the
lawsuit yet.
The mayor of
Tuscaloosa, Walt Maddox,
has even spoken out in
defense of the city’s sewer
system. WBRC received
his statement claiming
that “from 2018-2022, 99.9
percent of the 32.7 billion
gallons of sewage entering
our sewer system were
treated and returned to
the Black Warrior River
with a higher water
quality than the
river itself.”
However, this still does
not excuse the millions
of gallons of sewage
that have been allowed
to leak into our streams
Since 2018, nearly 42 million gallons of sewage have spilled into Tuscaloosa’s streets and streams. CW / Natalie Teat
and rivers without
consequence. It does not
excuse the risk posed to
the over 110,000 people
who call Tuscaloosa their
home. How can we even
trust our own water
supply when the city
continually fails to prevent
and clean leaks?
Just by looking at
the website for the city
of Tuscaloosa, you can
see that there were five
sewage leaks in March
alone, and these are only
the ones we have official
notices for. The largest of
these spilled over 20,000
gallons of sewage into
Duck Creek.
The sheer rate of these
sewage spills prove that
protests have yet to make
a significant impact on the
city’s negligent behavior.
In Alabama more than
anywhere, it is vital that
our water resources are
protected with vigilance.
Our waterways are
critical for a variety of
purposes, from providing
clean drinking water to
powering hydroelectric
plants. According to the
Encyclopedia of Alabama,
they also support “some
of the most biologically
rich and diverse plant and
animal communities in
North America.”
If that’s not reason
enough, think of how
the polluted water
supply affects you as an
individual. Will you feel
safe swimming in the
waters of Hurricane Creek,
or be able to fully enjoy
a walk by Black Warrior
River knowing what may
lie beneath, poisoning
the waters? If not, it’s up
to you to take action and
protect our community.
Black Warrior
Riverkeeper is petitioning
Maddox and the
Tuscaloosa City Council to
initiate change and stop
sewage spills. Be a part
of the solution and sign
the organization’s online
petition to help reach its
goal of 1,600 signatures.
Protect our water, protect
our city.

Mary Claire Wooten
Staff Columnist
Transportation has been
regarded as the largest
environmental threat
since the 1960s, when Arie
Haagen-Smit, a California
researcher, discovered
smog's nature and causes
looming over Los Angeles.
Soon after this realization,
the Environmental
Protection Agency began
regulating vehicle emissions.
Under the authority of the
1970 Clean Air Act, the EPA
was tasked with reducing
automobile emissions by
90% by 1975.
Initially, the EPA focused
solely on nitrous oxide
emissions, setting more
stringent restrictions
throughout the 1980s, before
widening its view to include
other greenhouse gases like
carbon dioxide, the greatest
contributor to warming
associated with vehicles.
While grappling with
the current and further
impending warming,
sustainability in
transportation is essential.
The ongoing transition to
electric vehicles received
overwhelming backlash
from industry and
autoworkers, prompting
the Biden administration
to slash its projected 67%
adoption of electric vehicles
by 2032 to 35%.
The EPA has since
focused its efforts on a
“technology-neutral”
approach, looking at
gas-electric hybrids as a
compromise for cutting
emissions while still
promoting the automotive
industry. While the rules
opinion
Save the environment. Ride a bus
have been softened, the EPA
still predicts a dramatic
emission reduction.
Even with the progress
toward electric vehicles,
there’s more that could
and should be done at the
community level, especially
regularly using public
transportation.
Buses and trains
are capable of cutting
greenhouse gas emissions
by two-thirds compared
with private transportation
and the U.S. public
transportation systems
already save 37 million
metric tons of carbon
dioxide each year. On
average, every mile driven
in a private vehicle emits
almost one pound of
carbon dioxide.
We’re building and
exporting more and more
cars, like the $11 billion
worth of vehicle exports
from Alabama alone in 2023,
that we have to account
for by also building more
roadways.Each additional
bus could mean up to 30
fewer cars on the roads at a
given time.
In 1998, the Tuscaloosa
Transit Authority made the
switch to the trolley illusory
after a study it conducted
found that smaller and
more economical buses
were needed that also fit the
historical aesthetics of the
city. The buses are ElDorado
Transmark RE buses painted
to look like trolleys in a tip
of the hat to Tuscaloosa’s
past.
It seems the biggest
reason that more people
The Crimson Ride is the University’s transportation system for students and falculty. CW / Shelby West
don’t utilize public
transportation in Tuscaloosa
is a lack of knowledge about
its routes and how it works.
The Tuscaloosa Trolley
runs seven different
fixed routes through and
surrounding Tuscaloosa,
including a University
Shuttle route designed to
accommodate University
students and employees. On
the University Shuttle route,
there is no fare for students
with a valid UA ID.
Fares for all of the fixed
routes are $1 in cash, and a
reduced fare of 50 cents is
available for K-12 students
Monday-Friday from 6:30
a.m. to 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
until 4 p.m.
Adults over 60 with
a senior card and those
with a Medicare card may
also receive the reduced
fare during the trolley’s
operating hours, 5 a.m. to 6
p.m., Monday-Friday for six
of the seven routes. Route
5, which travels to and from
Shelton State Community
College, correlates with the
college’s class schedules.
In 2019, the Tuscaloosa
Trolley served just under
300,000 passengers, and it
continues to be an asset
to the community. But
without proper ridership
and interest in expanding its
hours of operation, funding
will decrease.
According to the American
Public Transportation
Association, 45% of American
households can’t even
access a mode of public
transportation if they want
to. Living in an area like
Tuscaloosa where public
transportation is available to
use appears to be a luxury.
Integrating public
5B
transportation into our daily
lives, a simple trade-off from
a private vehicle would have
massive long-term effects by
decreasing air pollution and
combating rising emissions.
With the convenience of
the Go Tuscaloosa app, it’s
easy to plan your local daily
commutes around town by
tracking the buses and their
routes, and you can even
access the arrival times of
your bus. It’s eco-friendly,
economical and easy.
Public transportation
is one ride we must all
get on to make it succeed
and reduce our carbon
footprints. Through
collective actions and a
drive toward sustainability,
we can minimize emissions
and enjoy a carefree ride.
An overlooked issue in the presidential race? Planet Earth
John Armstrong
Contributing Writer
The list of political rifts
between Joe Biden and
Donald Trump is seemingly
endless and includes
explosive topics such as
gun control and abortion.
Among these issues, yet often
overlooked, is environmental
policy.
Both candidates have
climate-centric plans to
win the White House in
November. As with other bigticket
issues, the differences
in views are often stark. Each
plan would greatly affect
the country in very
different ways.
Trump is promising a
resurgence of American oil
and a decline in large-scale
regulation. Biden’s proposed
policies would expand upon
environmental protections
and clean energy.
In many ways, their
differences show one
consistent contrast between
the two candidates: Biden’s
policies reflect an interest
in reshaping the economy
for long-term benefit, while
Trump’s promote immediate
economic upturn through
deregulation.
That much was obvious in
both presidents' first terms.
Just three months after
taking office, Trump targeted
Barack Obama’s Clean Power
Plan, which was supposed
to drop carbon dioxide
emissions from electric
power below 2005 levels
by 2030. Trump revoked a
national regulation on carbon
pollution, resulting in lawsuits
from 21 states that found the
new plan ineffective.
The Trump administration
also left the Paris Agreement
in 2020. The agreement,
signed by 175 countries,
aimed to prevent global
average temperatures from
rising another 2 degrees
Celsius above the preindustrial
norm. As the
United States faced COVID-19
and economic turmoil,
Trump exited to rid the U.S.
of regulatory burdens that
he saw as ineffective and
damaging to the economy.
On Biden’s first day in
office, his administration
rejoined the Paris Agreement.
The beginning of Biden’s
presidency was also marked
by the cancellation of the
Keystone XL pipeline project,
which sought to connect
Alberta, Canada and Nebraska
but was delayed for years
amid opposition from
environmentalists and Native
American tribes. The pipeline
would have carried 830,000
barrels of crude oil each
day; its cancellation echoed
Biden’s focus on transitioning
to clean power and protecting
land but also abruptly ended
thousands of temporary jobs.
However, Biden's most
notable environmental
action during his term was
his successful push to enact
the Inflation Reduction Act
of 2022. While the act has
a broad focus on multiple
fronts, including taxes and
Medicare, it also invested over
$300 billion in climate change
programs; these actions seek
to lower carbon emissions by
around 40% by 2030.
In Alabama, the IRA aims
to reduce asthma attacks
by 100,000 by 2030, cover
up to 100% of the cost of
installing electric appliances
for hundreds of thousands of
low- and moderate-income
households, and invest nearly
$500 million toward clean
power generation and jobs.
Looking toward holding
on to or retaking the Oval
Office, both candidates seek a
continuance of their previous
environmental policies.
Trump’s allies have
articulated a desire to exit the
Paris Agreement again and
set up barriers to reentering
it. The conservative view is
that since China and other
climate-endangering global
competitors are less restricted
by the agreement, the U.S. is
self-sabotaging its economic
position by remaining a part
of it.
There are also plans to
attack many of the cleanenergy
and electric-vehicle
tax breaks established by
the Inflation Reduction Act,
thereby stripping it of some
of its climate and financial
impacts.
Trump also seeks to revoke
Biden’s regulations on U.S.
coal, oil and gas production,
which Republicans also see
as making the country more
reliant on China.
Yet, contrary to Biden’s
and Trump’s messaging,
U.S. oil production was the
highest on record in 2023
and outpaced the rest of the
world.
As November approaches,
Biden is continuing to use the
White House to bolster his
environmental bona fides.
On April 4, his administration
announced $20 billion in
funding for climate and clean
energy projects nationally.
In his State of the Union
speech, Biden emphasized the
“climate crisis” and pushed
his new effort to create an
American Climate Corps,
which would train American
young people to perform
highly demanded cleanenergy
jobs nationwide.
The election is fast
approaching, but the impacts
of each president’s policies
will be measured over
decades if not centuries.
Neither candidate will live
long enough to see the true
impact of his political agenda.
Young voters, who
will actually see the
consequences, need to help
realize the future they want
through the ballot
this November.
CW / Shelby West