Author Archives: Liliana Varman

Some call it “Darth Vader’s Summer Palace.” Stretching across approximately 150,000 square feet of land at 55 Lock St., the dark, looming structure that houses the Yale University Health Center may look formidable to some. But the interior floods with natural light — just one aspect of the structure’s sustainable design initiatives. Thirty-four percent of »

After a months-long restoration process, the New Haven Green has fully recovered from the damage done to it by the Elm City’s Occupy encampment. The restoration process, which began within a week of Occupy’s eviction in April, required the city to completely replant the grass on the Upper Green, said Christy Hass, deputy director of »

A proposed Yale project to beautify Prospect Street — at the expense of its 18 Norway maple trees — has been met with criticism from city residents. University spokesman Tom Conroy said Yale would fund the entire project, which includes creating a planting bed and curb on Prospect Street, as well as replacing the maple »

Updated Aug. 12, 7:22 p.m. The suspension of Will McHale’s ’13 football captaincy, announced Saturday, comes as McHale faces an infraction charge of creating a public disturbance for allegedly punching another male student at Toad’s Place on May 15. A witness to the altercation said McHale threw a drink at a friend of Marc Beck »

Although Occupy New Haven was evicted from its encampment on the Upper Green April 18, it may take months for the city to undo the damage the protest did to the Green’s trees and soil. Restoration of the Green began immediately after last Wednesday’s eviction, said Christy Hass, deputy director of the city’s parks department. »

This year, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is out to protect the state’s only native lizard species, the five-lined skink. DEEP’s efforts to protect these lizards — which are currently on the state’s threatened species list — are in conjunction with the nonprofit Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation’s 2012 “Year »

The Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies hosted several organic farming and public health leaders at the 30th annual National Pesticide Forum last weekend. Held in Kroon Hall, the conference aimed to support the efforts of regional grassroots organizations focused on organic land care and organic food, said conference organizer John Kepner, who is »

The Connecticut General Assembly’s environment committee recently okayed two bills that would limit the use of two toxins found in common commercial products. One bill would ban products containing the flame retardant Tris from being marketed for children ages three and younger, said state representative Philip Miller, vice-chair of the environment committee. The other bill, »

The U.S. Department of Energy is giving Connecticut over $480,000 to improve rooftop solar panel installation through research. Last Thursday, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced the $481,473 grant, which Connecticut’s Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) will use to research methods of reducing rooftop solar costs in future applications, said CEFIA spokesman David Goldberg. Connecticut’s »

Two graduate students are the recipients of the 2012 Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy’s research prize fellowship. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies students Vanessa Lamers FES ’13 SPH ’13 and doctoral candidate Xin Zhang FES ’13, will each receive $7,500 to fund their research proposals. Zhang’s prize money will help support »

This spring, members of the Yale community have the chance to hunt for frogs as part of the Peabody Museum’s frogwatch citizen scientist program. The Peabody program — which is open to members of the Yale community for the first time this year — is a chapter of FrogWatch USA, a national effort by the »

Ecuadorian ambassador to the United States Nathalie Cely Suarez made her first official visit to the New Haven area on Friday to meet with local leaders, including New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. Cely’s trip, planned to discuss potential business connections between Ecuador and New Haven, came in »