The reduce-reuse-recycle philosophy of my youth evoked images of bottles, cans, and paper. My friends and I lamented the poor animals with necks caught in plastic rings from six-packs of cans. To this day, I diligently seek out recycling bins everywhere I go, from restaurants to house parties.
But what to do with my old clothes?
Air pollution, water pollution, and even noise pollution get a significant share of environmental news coverage, and rightly so: research indicates that everything from allergies and stress to cancer and, of course, global warming, could be mitigated by decreasing the pollutants&nb
When temperatures start to fall, few autumn mainstays feel as cozy or as necessary as a scented candle. Whether your scent of choice is pumpkin spice or pine, a go-to candle can get you excited about shorter days and blustery nights.
But are those soothing scents triggering allergies, asthma, or worse?
Everyday, we create waste. It's inevitable. We discard – hopefully into the proper receptacle – items that we no longer want, need, or desperately need to get rid of for sanitary purposes. Food wrappers, packaging, and a handful of undesirable items are hauled off into the landfill. This is a luxury we have by living in a first world country. What I find mind blowing is that along with all our trash we get rid of, we also throw away the earth. It wasn't until I saw a trash bin piled high with yard waste that the absurdity of it all hit me.
Young people are mobilizing to create healthier environmental futures. A packed conference held this February in San Francisco brought together hundreds of middle- and high-school students from nine Bay Area counties to discuss the climate change crisis. A large focus was on creating real transportation choices that minimize air pollution and promote strong families and communities. Young people discussed safe ways to bicycle, carpool, and take public transit.
Maybe you’ve seen algae at a local pond, or returned home after a trip to find your pool teeming with green growth. Perhaps you’ve walked down the aisle of a health food store and seen the bottles and packages of spirulina, chlorella and other green powders, or heard that algae is coming to fuel your life–from your body, to your vehicle. Algae cultivation actually has its own name–algaculture–and while thousands of types of algae exist, the majority of algae being grown commercially is microalgae.
Most people believe smog, or air pollution, is only outdoors, but it actually infiltrates homes and offices all the time. The best way to combat it? Get some air-purifying plants. According to a study done in 2009 by the American Society for Horticultural Science, certain houseplants can help cut indoor smog, which is important, considering 80 to 90 percent of people in industrialized countries spend their time indoors. Want to make sure you're not breathing in smog-filled air?
As humans, although many of us might feel ourselves to be alone or separate from others, we share this planet in coexistence with countless other creatures. And because of the very nature of our being, we are always constantly influencing all of those with which we coexist. In other words, we contribute to the creation of this earthly experience with our every breath. But, despite this inherent ‘power’, many of us do not know how to, or feel empowered to, make a real positive change in this world, fearing our efforts are meaningless in the larger scheme of things.
Let's talk sea vegetables. There are many out there who are skeptical when it comes to eating weeds -- let alone weeds out of the ocean. And yet, any sushi lover plops the stuff in their mouth like popcorn, no questions asked. Seaweed may not look appealing to most in its natural form, but the benefits highly outweigh any reservations one may have about consumption.