New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Sustainability has become a marketing tool. Greenwashing tricks customers into spending money on unsustainable products under false pretenses. (Staff Illustration by Alexandra Chan)

Greenwashing: How companies are putting up an eco-friendly front

Greenwashing dupes consumers into spending their hard-earned green on unsustainable and unethical products.
Sam Brinton, Beauty & Style Editor May 6, 2021

This past Earth Day, I opened my email expecting the usual obnoxious junk and spam. What I received was something that annoyed me even more: Earth Day marketing emails. Why were...

Protestors march in Manhattan as part of a climate strike. Sustainability movements must recognize the need for intersectionality. (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Opinion: Let’s include voices of color into the sustainability movement

The sustainability movement needs to take strides to become more intersectional and community oriented.
Batoul Saleh, Staff Writer May 5, 2021

For the most part, Earth Day inspires people to post on social media with calls to action about the climate, the environment and how we, as individuals, can combat these changes....

A picture of Sunrise NYU members protesting for policing abolition. Sunrise NYU is a chapter of the nationwide Sunrise Movement, a youth-led organization dedicated to fighting climate change, promoting social justice and campaigning for the implementation of the Green New Deal. (Photo Courtesy of Sunrise NYU)

Meet Sunrise NYU: A youth driven movement fighting for a greener planet

Youth-led activist organization Sunrise NYU is on a mission to create a more sustainable and environmentally just community for NYU students and New York City at large.
Natalie Melendez, Staff Writer April 15, 2021

If you’ve ever come across a group of students making protest signs in Washington Square Park or hanging environmental and social justice flyers around campus, then you’ve...

NYU climate action must prioritize Indigenous knowledge

NYU climate action must prioritize Indigenous knowledge

In order to combat this climate crisis, we must rework spaces of environmental action to prioritize Indigenous knowledge.
Michelle Han, Contributing Writer March 24, 2021

Though discussions around the climate crisis have taken a back seat to COVID-19, the pandemic has reinforced the speed with which natural disasters can break down our understanding...

An activist group named Extinction Rebellion covered their mouths with black duct-tape and protested outside City Hall Monday morning. They handed out flyers urging climate change action, holding up notebooks with letters that make up “Decarbonize, Democratize, Decolonize.” (Photo by Andrew Califf)

Activists Demand Climate Change Education Reform With Duct-Taped Mouths

Activist group Extinction Rebellion duct-taped their mouths and handed out flyers outside City Hall on Monday morning to urge climate change education.
Andrew Califf, Contributing Writer March 10, 2020

It was up to the discretion of those walking past City Hall on Monday morning to accept or refuse flyers from Extinction Rebellion — a group committed to educating people about...

The Slow Progress of the Plastic Bag Ban

The Slow Progress of the Plastic Bag Ban

Though New York’s recent ban on single-use plastic bags is well-intentioned, it doesn’t do enough to solve the plastics crisis in the state.
WSN Editorial Board March 2, 2020

Yesterday, New York State’s ban on single-use plastic bags officially went into effect. It was implemented after the state legislature voted to include the ban in this year’s...

A plastic bag litters the streets of Manhattan. A statewide plastic bag ban will go into effect in New York City on March 1. (Staff Photo by Jake Capriotti)

Wagner Professor Calls for Stricter Waste Reduction Legislation

As New York State prepares for the enactment of the Bag Waste Reduction Law, NYU Wagner Professor Tatiana Homonoff explains why this may not be enough.
Aarushi Sharma, Staff Writer February 27, 2020

#BYOBagNY is trending on Twitter as New York State gears up for the plastic bag ban, effective on March 1, 2020. But one NYU professor says the ban is not enough. NYU Wagner...

The Cultured Meat Solution

The Cultured Meat Solution

Cultured meat is an eco-friendly and efficient mechanism to feed people, yet a lack of government funding has created a delayed start for a phenomena that could alleviate impending global issues.
Gabby Lozano, Deputy Opinion Editor February 13, 2020

Who knew the potential solution to global crises would take shape in the form of a hamburger? Well, not your average hamburger. Clean meat, cultured meat, lab grown meat: while...

NYU scientists have found record levels of warm water in Antarctica. (Image Via Pixabay)

NYU Scientists Discover Record Warm Water Under Glacier in Antarctica

A team of scientists from NYU discovered warm water in January under the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, signaling alarming global rises in sea level.
Lachlan Hyatt, Contributing Writer February 4, 2020

NYU scientists discovered record warm water beneath the most vulnerable and most significant glaciers in the world last month, pointing to impending climate threats and drastically...

The Significant Climate Impact of the USMCA

The Significant Climate Impact of the USMCA

With the likely implementation of the USMCA in North America, it is important to understand its disastrous effects on the environment.
Jun Sung, Opinion Editor January 31, 2020

On Jan. 29, President Trump signed into law the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement, a free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada that builds upon the...

NYU Sydney responds to the Australian bushfires. (Photo by Jess Chapel)

NYU Sydney Students Describe Red Skies and Foggy Smoke During Bushfires

Students and faculty at NYU Sydney reflect on their time at the abroad site in the face of this year’s particularly devastating bushfire season.
Lisa Cochran, News Editor January 27, 2020

As bushfires ravage Australia, NYU Sydney students and faculty recounted their experiences, describing bright red skies and the persistent smell of smoke on their commutes to class. While...

12 - 05 Feature Climate Activist Stories

12 – 05 Feature Climate Activist Stories

Kate Lowe, Deputy Managing Editor December 6, 2019