Can cleaning vacant lots cause a chain of events that curbs child abuse or stops a teen from falling victim to violence? That’s the provocative question behind a new research project to study whether maintaining vacant lots and fixing up blighted properties in high-crime areas reduces incidents of youth and family violence. The National Institutes of Health awarded Tulane a $2.3 million grant to test the theory in New Orleans.

“The addiction takes over." Patricia Kissinger, quoted in the Los Angeles Times article, “Two crises in one: As drug use rises, so does syphilis.” Kissinger is a professor of epidemiology and infectious disease at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

After analyzing the diets of 16,000 Americans, researchers led by Diego Rose, professor of public health, found that preparing meals with a small carbon footprint is as simple as using less animal protein. “People whose diets had a lower carbon footprint were eating less red meat and dairy — which contribute to a larger share of greenhouse gas emissions and are high in saturated fat — and consuming more healthful foods like poultry, whole grains and plant-based proteins,” he said.