Yearly Archives: 2025

The Gowanus Canal is a waterway that runs through the heart of Brooklyn, known for its rich history and, unfortunately, a significant amount of industrial pollution. It should be noted, however, that recent efforts have been made to clean up the canal's murky waters and revitalize the surrounding ecosystem....

400 years ago, the first European buildings in Brooklyn were made of wood. This remained the case for the next 200 years, until a series of fires beginning in 1776 began to destroy the city. After the Great Fire of 1835 in New York, which also affected Brooklyn homes,...

Today, innovative landscape design in Brooklyn reflects broader industry trends, focusing on sustainable design, the integration of smart technologies, and the implementation of natural solutions to urban environmental problems. It is now becoming fashionable and relevant in Brooklyn to seek out landscape architects and designers who specialize in unique...

Most likely, when it comes to bees, everyone thinks of this insect exclusively as a honeybee. The stereotypical imagination draws a black-and-yellow-striped bee living in a hive ruled by a queen or even a queen. Its subordinates work tirelessly to produce honeycombs. It is also known about bees that...

Recently, experts have noted a steady improvement in air quality in Brooklyn. But at the same time, it can just as easily deteriorate. The main sources of air pollution in the state are vehicle exhaust emissions and out-of-state emissions. This leads to the formation of ground-level ozone, a harmful...

The history of heating systems is a fascinating journey through time, innovation, and technological progress. From Ancient Rome to the present, the evolution of heating systems has been an essential component of comfort and, if not survival, then at least comfortable living. The earliest heating systems can be traced...

Historians traditionally study human history through preserved texts, while architecture is analyzed through images. However, the living world offers its own unique way of understanding the past. A particularly striking example is the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Though now widely considered a weed, this tree was once an...

The massive gray buildings of the cement factory stretching along the Sunset Park waterfront between 30th and 37th Streets are the remnants of Brooklyn’s largest industrial park—Bush Terminal. This complex was the brainchild of Irving T. Bush, the son of an oilman turned yachtsman. Today, these buildings are known...

Consumers worldwide demand greater transparency about where and how their food is grown. However, most urban dwellers remain tied to an industrial food system that delivers high-calorie, low-nutrient food, often transported from across the globe. This harms both human health and the planet while disconnecting consumers from the people...

Richard Levins was born in Brooklyn in 1930. Like many Brooklynites, his family had immigrated to the United States. He had both Ukrainian and Jewish roots. From a young age, Levins displayed remarkable intelligence and an intense interest in science. At just eight years old, he read Microbe Hunters...