A round-up of this week’s environmental, green and ecofriendly news and updates.
Are your children or grandchildren telling you what they want for Christmas? Perhaps a new gadget or computer games or some other “stuff” is on the list?
A wonderful organization called Things of My Very Own helps abused and neglected kids in New York. Each year they have a drive, and kids write what they want. Here are some examples:
- A 6-year-old boy wrote “This Cristmis I want food for my mom”.
- A 12-year old wants to help his older brother get food for him and his 2 brothers.
- An 11-year-old girl who loves blue would love warm blankets and a coat.
- And a 10-year-old boy wants school snacks “so I’m not the only one not eating during snack time at school”.
Don’t these just break your heart? Find out more about how to help and donate at the organization’s website, or go to your local Salvation Army, children’s shelter, charity or food pantry to help children in your own community.
We all know it’s good to be kind to others. But did you know that there are HUGE benefits to doing so?
You’ll be amazed at what you will gain when you do random acts of kindness – although they must be done in a certain way for you to benefit fully.
Not only will you see the massive benefits, but I’ve also put together a HUGE list of random acts of kindness ideas – 101 of them to be exact!
Phew – it was a lot of work. But it’s worth it.
Check out this post now, and do a random act of kindness – some are so simple you can do them right away! (And nearly all of them won’t cost you a thing).
My Recommendation of the Week ties in perfectly with the shopping sprees that happen at this time of year. And even better, it’s also perfect for the New Year when we all know we’ve indulged too much and need to lose some weight!
This time of year is tough on the planet. So when you’re buying a gift, make sure it’s ecofriendly. I recommend Teeki ActiveWear. It’s great for normal wear as well as yoga, sports and any form of exercise.
Why Teeki? It’s made from recycled plastic – those horrible plastic bottles that you see everywhere. The clothes look really great – and don’t feel at all plastic-y. The company really wants to help protect the environment – and that’s SO important.
Read more about Teeki and see some examples of their unique patterns and styles here.
Global Green News:
Australia now has the world’s largest battery plugged into its grid, thanks to Tesla. Its 100-megawatts can power 30,000 homes for an hour. It’s part of a wind farm – some 40% of South Australia’s electricity comes from wind. But there were blackouts, and high costs, so Elon Musk suggested his batteries could be a solution, then promised to have a system up and running in 100 days (he did it in 63). It wasn’t cheap, but the grid is now more reliable. And if it pays for itself, we’ll be seeing a lot more batteries!
Swedish clothing brand H&M sells a lot of clothes, and it’s not known for being particularly green. But now it’s using unsold and damaged clothes to provide fuel for a power plant that supplies electricity to 150,000 homes. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than using coal or oil!
US Green News:
The Tax Bill that the Senate passed over the weekend was about much more than taxes. Sadly, oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is now also approved. There is strong opposition amongst Republicans and Democrats to drilling in the Arctic. How did it get approved? Normally, drilling in protected areas needs bipartisan support and 60 Senate votes (that’s why it hasn’t been approved before now). But packaged as an amendment to the tax bill, the drilling provision sailed through Congress without undergoing the normal process. Shocking.
The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season is officially over. It’s been one of the worst in history:
- It’s cost over $200 billion in damages
- 47,000 flood victims are still living away from home after Harvey
- After Maria, Puerto Ricans have been without electricity for more than 2 months (the biggest blackout in US history)
- 200,000 Puerto Ricans are now in Florida
Despite protests, President Trump has cut massive chunks out of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments. 80% of Bears Ears and 45% of Grand Staircase are now open to fossil fuel extraction.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Please spread the Green word and share this info.
And if you’re on Twitter, get a daily green tip by following me – @EcoExpert1 . See you there!
