This Week on Earth: April 22-28
Ducks off Clark St. Beach at Sunset. (Arthi Venkatesh/ION)
Evanston
In 2023, local collective Evanston Grows was awarded a $350,000 grant through the city's participatory budgeting. Since, they have proposed the construction of an urban farm in Evanston’s 5th ward. All plan iterations thus far have sought to establish the farm in one of the community’s parks. The organization’s mission is to reduce food insecurity in Evanston through sustainable development.
Many 5th ward residents have expressed dissatisfaction with current proposals. The parks serve as important community and recreational facilities, particularly for children and families. If the plans were approved, one would be entirely repurposed.
The 5th ward has been historically underserved by Evanston local governance policy, facing systemic neglect as a result of 1960s redlining. Consequently, the ward has limited green space compared to the rest of Evanston.
Critics of the current proposals say that establishing the farm in one of few 5th ward parks would deepen inequalities. Evanston Grows is currently planning a third community engagement meeting to address community concerns.
United States
A notice issued on April 21, the day before Earth Day, alerted EPA employees to 280 layoffs scheduled for July. An agency spokesperson stated that an additional 175 employees are being reassigned to other offices.
The alert follows a series of mass layoffs of federal employees by the Trump administration. Federal agencies involved in public health, research and public service delivery, such as the CDC and NIH, have been most prominently affected.
Furthermore, the White House issued a statement praising the Trump administration’s “sound forest management” policy, which seeks to increase logging nationwide. According to a Reuters investigation, the consequences of these changes alongside slashed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy will disproportionately impact low-income and minority communities.
Türkiye
On April 23, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred along the Marmara Fault near Istanbul, the site of previous major historic quakes. Tremors reached the Turkish capital city of Ankara around 275 miles away.
There are no recorded deaths, but 151 individuals were injured after reportedly “jumping from heights due to panic,” while fleeing affected buildings. Around 6,100 emergency calls were received.
As aftershocks continue to rock the city, apprehensive residents pitched tents in parks in fear of another quake. According to a BBC report, residents are increasingly aware of the city’s lack of preparedness for potential future disasters.