http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider Students talk about life and learning at the Nicholas School daily 1 2008-08-29T15:31:42Z http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/courtneysblog/new-1 I am completely terrified of building up resistance to common household medications. However, last weekend I came down with a particularly virulent flu-cold hybrid that refused to go away and I had to officially declare war. No publisher courtney Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/talisblog/i-toured-america2019s-10th-largest-coal-fired-power-plant-how-was-your-friday As part of my Air Quality Management class, I got to tour the Roxboro Power Plant just an hour northeast from Duke. Being a hands-on kind of guy, I usually have to see things to get them. Now that I have walked inside a scrubber, I can tell you, I get it. The visit finally made sense of a year’s worth of power plant diagrams. No publisher tali Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/valsblog/let-the-holiday-madness-begin The holidays have been over market-ized. We're hoping to simplify things at our house this year. No publisher val Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/valsblog/public-perception Here is a little reminder to us all to not forget that most people are NOT trained in climate science or any real science at all. Public perception is everything and maybe the climate issue needs a marketing makeover No publisher val Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/courtneysblog/the-great-divide I have spent the past few week going crazy watching the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733) pathetically crawl through the Senate. Yes, I know that it was only introduced on September 30, but we are talking about climate change, aka a really big deal! The prospects of a Senate vote in favor of the bill before COP15 are basically zero, which means that the likelihood of the United States making a meaningful contribution to the negotiations is dwindling. But I am not going to bore you with stories of how this situation makes me lose sleep at night. Instead, I want to share some really interesting research that I learned about last week regarding the clear partisan split within Congress concerning climate change. No publisher courtney Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/valsblog/i-thought-it-was-thursday I lost a day this week and could really use it back. No publisher val Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/courtneysblog/eating-for-people-planet-and-animals I am not a big fan of Halloween. My scare tolerance is zero, my costumes tend to be "too weird" (apparently dressing as a 'carnivore' is a little much), and I really despise all things gory, even fake gory. So, it should not come as a surprise that I decided drink tea and catch up on work instead of join the gathering of characters last conveyed last night. However, this morning I bounced out of bed because today is World Vegan Day! No publisher courtney Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/nemosblog/network-or-not-work Networking, as I look at it, consists of putting my social skills into professional action. I had the opportunity to practice at a conference that I have recently attended in Boston. No publisher nemo Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/talisblog/national-treasure-amory-lovins I spent an amazing summer interning at the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The Chief Scientist in question is Amory B. Lovins, also the Cofounder and Chairman of RMI. If you want to know why Time Magazine named him one of 2009’s 100 most influential people in the world, please read on. No publisher tali multimedia Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/courtneysblog/where-are-the-other-fish-in-the-sea Have you ever heard the adage, "there are other fish in the sea?" Although this is commonly used following unfortunate dating experiences, I could not shake the phrase last week despite the fact that school was my sole activity. Apparently, the phrase became integrated in the United States in the early 1900s and continues to find its way into daily conversation despite the fact that it is dangerously close to becoming a fallacy. No publisher courtney Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/talisblog/ode-to-the-south-part-deux For Fall Break, I explored Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Both were over-the-top welcoming, with friendly folks, sumptuous feats, and gorgeous nature. Both are easy-going drives down I-95, perfect for a weekend adventure, and I’m sad to say, put Wilmington to shame. No publisher tali Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/valsblog/cheetah-wheelies A short post for a busy week. No publisher val Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/nemosblog/fairy-tales-about-the-environment How to win an environmental competition in the EU, Hungarian style. No publisher nemo Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/courtneysblog/linking-it-all-together Every Monday afternoon I take a class with students from the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. One of my professors is in Washington, D.C. and the other professor is in Durham. Does that sound impossible? It's not, thanks to the LINK Teaching and Learning Center. No publisher courtney Blog entry http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/insider/trenches/valsblog/stay-local As a pregnant grad student my thoughts often turn to food. Here's a little post on trying to stay local. No publisher val Blog entry