Saunas, sustainability, and a city’s mission to look after its citizens. Editor’s Warning: Mentions of death and violence.

Happening in the World: In Brazil, a judge has fined San Paulo city officials and construction companies 48.3 million dollars following the collapse of a building site. The incident occurred in 2007 and resulted in the death of seven civilians. During construction at the location, workers were warned by experts that support structures were urgently needed within the tunnel as a preventative measure, however, these requests were ignored. The sinkhole that emerged as a consequence of this destroyed seven homes and displaced around 200 people. The judge, Marcos de Lima Porta, states the recent fine is due to the trauma inflicted upon the Sao Paulo residents by this disaster. (BBC)

Happening in the US: Saunas are taking over Minnesota as community hubs, and companies are having trouble keeping up with the demand. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Minnesota state residents are taking to the heat to better connect with others and cater to their mental health. This has led to communal sauna centers experiencing a surplus in customers and a necessity to implement wait lists. However, this isn’t the first time saunas have found their way into Minnesotans daily schedules. Minnesota has a long history with saunas as they were first established in the area in the 1800s when Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish immigrants migrated there and, coincidentally, established saunas as communal areas for other immigrants. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: The New York Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show, “Flowers in Fashion”, opened on Saturday. This year’s show focuses on the use of flowers in fashion and will showcase three different mannequin installations of designs inspired by orchids. The garden collaborated with three artists for the exhibition: Olivia Cheng, Hillary Taymour, and Kristen Alpaugh. It will run until April 21, 2024. (The Gothamist)

Happening in our Community: On Monday, February 19th, Columbia University will host “The Role of Life Cycle Assessment in Sustainability Management”, a panel event that will address both the environmental and social impact of consumer products. The event will take place from 6:30 to 9:30 pm and is to be hosted by Dr. Steven Cohen. For more information on the event, please visit Columbia University Events. 

Sauna via Wikimedia Commons.