transportation

The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal opens for shipping on 15 August 1914. This 77.1 kilometer canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean across the Isthmus of Panama. It eliminates the need for ships to make a long and hazardous detour around Cape Horn and provides a much faster and safer route between the two oceans.

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Autobahn Construction During the Nazi Regime

The Nazi regime embraces the construction of the Autobahn highway system. Although some of the initiatives appear to consider the environment, aesthetics are the primary motive—not conservation.

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Rivers, Memory, and Nation-Building: A History of the Volga and Mississippi Rivers

Beginning in the pre-modern world, the Volga and Mississippi Rivers both served as critical trade routes connecting cultures in an extensive exchange network, while also sustaining populations through their surrounding wetlands and bottomlands. In modern times, “Mother Volga” and the “Father of Waters” became integral parts of national identity, contributing to a sense of Russian and American exceptionalism. Rivers, Memory, and Nation-Building discusses their histories, through which we derive a more nuanced view of human interaction with the environment, which adds another lens to our understanding of the past.

The Ecological Sustainability of Local Food Systems

Although simply reducing food miles does not guarantee a more sustainable diet, choosing to participate in alternative local food systems instead of the conventional food system is a sure way to increase your access to environmentally friendly food and to support more ecologically sustainable agricultural practices.