Vanessa Glavinskas

Chicago

Writer at Freelance

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Articles

6 simple but effective things you can do for the planet this Earth Day

1 week ago | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets to demand action to protect the environment for the first time. Some protested. Others built bike paths or planted trees. Many now look back on that day — the very first Earth Day — as a pivotal moment for the modern environmental movement. Fifty-five years later, with the Clean Air Act and other crucial regulations under attack, it's again urgent to coordinate a movement to protect the planet.
“You can’t undo this:” Grieving mom urges lawmakers not to overturn ban on cancer-causing chemical TCE

1 month ago | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

Emma Grace Findley should be turning 24 this year. But 10 years ago, her family lost her to a rare brain cancer. Her mother, Kari Rhinehart, blames her daughter’s death on exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE), a known carcinogen that contaminated the groundwater in Franklin, Indiana, where the family lived for 20 years. “When I go back to Franklin now, the only thing I see is all the different places where we were poisoned,” Rhinehart says. Franklin’s TCE contamination was first discovered in 1984.
Former EPA chemicals expert says agency cuts leave public vulnerable

1 month ago | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

Maria Doa has spent more than 30 years protecting the public from toxic chemicals. A staunch advocate for people’s right to know what’s in their air, water and food, she spent decades evaluating chemicals for safety at the Environmental Protection Agency. “I strongly believe that people have the right to know what they are being exposed to so they can make informed decisions,” Doa says. Doa is now the chief chemicals expert at the global nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.
Fasten your seatbelt: One reason turbulence is getting worse

1 month ago | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

Bumpy flights. Seasonal allergies. High coffee prices. None of these things seem to be connected, but they are. Planet-warming pollution is making all of them worse. Imagine Earth’s systems as a giant web. Tugging on one thread pulls many others, creating a ripple effect.
What is the Paris Climate Agreement? And why does it matter?

Jan 24, 2025 | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

Shortly after his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order to pull the United States out of the biggest global climate partnership in history — the Paris Agreement. That may have left you wondering, what exactly is the Paris Agreement anyway? The Paris Agreement explainedThe Paris Agreement is a historic, worldwide effort to tackle the causes, and impacts, of climate change.
UN climate talks yield some progress, much more to do

Nov 27, 2024 | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

The UN’s annual climate conference — COP 29 — wrapped up last Sunday after two weeks of difficult negotiations. The conference was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and brought together more than 70,000 attendees from around the world. Here are some of the top takeaways.
The truth about solar energy

Oct 22, 2024 | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

To avoid the catastrophic effects of a warming planet, the world must urgently move away from fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy. But misinformation about solar power is gaining traction and risks stalling the transition. Vital Signs is here to set the record straight. Here’s what you need to know. Is solar really better for the climate than fossil fuels? Yes.
Top takeaways from New York’s Climate Week

Oct 2, 2024 | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

The city that never sleeps surpassed even its own usual frantic pace last week as world leaders rubbed elbows with thousands of climate leaders, from scientists to CEOs to artists and activists, at New York City’s Climate Week. President Joe Biden, in town for the concurrent U.N. General Assembly, highlighted his legacy as the U.S. president who signed the largest public investment to combat climate change in American history.
From coasts to farms to cities, how Biden’s landmark climate plan is helping a community near you

Aug 14, 2024 | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

The Biden administration has invested a whopping $1.5 trillion to fight climate change and support clean energy. That money is taking on America’s planet-warming pollution while creating hundreds of thousands of jobs and helping to protect communities across the U.S. from the worst impacts of climate change. Here’s how. Cleaner air in cities Across the U.S., 131 million people live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution. But now, money is flowing to change that.
Is your neighborhood a toxic chemical hot spot? This new map can tell you.

Apr 5, 2024 | vitalsigns.edf.org | Vanessa Glavinskas

When you think about ways to stay healthy — eating right probably makes the list. Exercising and getting enough sleep are important too. But what about checking to see if any toxic chemicals are being emitted near your home?