Ready to start living your green life? The 5-Day Waste-Less Challenge is designed to help you kick start your green journey to zero waste!
Day 1: Conduct a Trash Audit
Before we can reduce our waste, we must first dig into the trash we make—both figuratively and literally.
If you have a full trash bin already, you can start immediately…
Cathy Cowan Becker, Green America’s responsible finance campaign director, works with an organization in Ohio to stop fracking in state parks. The state-wide Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission that will decide the matter recently held a public meeting in Columbus seeking input from citizens. But in order to provide your perspective as an…
Imagine if there were a store where all the items on the shelves were free—where you could grab a toaster, a textbook, or even a business suit, all without paying a dime. Sounds unlikely, right?
It’s not a dream. It’s a very real reimagining of our economy, one that centers giving, sharing, and community—a gift economy. Online BuyNothing…
We’ve all been there—a wedding, a job interview, that themed party you want to nail. You have to dress your best… but you’re also on a budget and a sustainable closet is important. Can both realities co-exist?
This was my exact situation in July. My cousin was getting married, and the dress code was “summer elegant.” I rifled through my…
1977
Exxon researchers determined that the burning of fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases. These human-caused emissions would warm the planet and have grave consequences. James Black wrote an internal briefing paper called “The Greenhouse Effect.”
1990
The first Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report…
“People often ask me what one thing I would recommend to restore the relationship between land and people. My answer is almost always, ‘Plant a garden…its power goes far beyond the gate.’”
Community gardens are public spaces for community events, activism, and learning. Like-minded people across the country have transformed neglected public…
Libraries have always been a place to explore the magic of books, but that’s far from all they do. Around the country, libraries are responding to community-building needs, offering more items and services than just books or a hush—proving what’s good for the Earth is good for people and vice versa.
Get inspired by libraries whose offerings…
A number of IRA incentives are geared towards helping people with modest incomes to make sure that everyone benefits from going green.
If you were thinking of updating your home—from A/C to hot water heater to stove—now is the time to take advantage of tax credits that will save you money as you help to save the planet.
Over a year after…
Growing up, kids spend a lot of time at school—learning, honing talents, and extracurricular activities—so why not add environmental advocacy and literacy? There are many ways to make sustainable schools a reality and encourage students, parents, teachers, and administrators alike to consider sustainability in all they do.
A is for…
Sustainable foods are a great way to make an impact in your daily life—in your own way. Finding your true green is all about the intentional choices you make in your unique sustainability journey. What you bring into the kitchen is no exception—in fact, it is a powerful way to lower your household’s carbon footprint.
“Carbon emissions” might…
Mid-century modern, bohemian, colorful, or minimalist—furniture companies cater to our tastes by selling a gluttonous amount of furniture every year. The e-commerce furniture market was worth more than $27 billion in 2021—and a report from Next Move Strategy Consulting projects that it will surpass $40 billion by 2030.
But many of those…
Having a sense of style is free, but unfortunately, the environmental and social costs of the fashion industry are high. There are always new players arriving in the $1.5 trillion industry, with compelling ads on social media and slick branding making us want the trends, now. Where fast fashion adds hundreds of styles a month, drop-shipping means…
When someone asks, “what are you wearing?” would you respond with “plastic”?Probably not.But there is plastic in many of the clothes we wear.
One way we express ourselves is through clothing—our style can say who we are, what we like, and sometimes, how we like to spend our time. Florals are fun; athleisure is comfortable and workout-ready;…
Sleek, efficient, and quiet; in a growing energy crisis, electric cars are quickly becoming the it alternative to fossil fuel vehicles. Almost half of Americans said they would consider an electric car as their next vehicle, according to a poll by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and the Associated Press. Before asking…
Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) is an approach to investing that is becoming more common and increasingly attacked by right-wing foes. With dominating headlines, it’s important to understand ESG investing myths and why they’re dangerous.
ESG criteria considers three issues before investing in a company:
Environmental:…
Green America and the certified Green Business Network members mentioned in this article, which meet or exceed Green America’s standards for social and environmental responsibility, are here to help.
Sustainable companies that promote green practices can support you and your community to work together to promote positive environmental…
From product labels to marketing tactics, there are many commonly used sustainability buzzwords that can quickly become hard to decipher.
When determining where to spend your money, it can be easy to get lost in the cloud of common sustainability-related terms. Using claims that sound good but are tough to verify is a common marketing tactic…
If you own shares of stock in any publicly traded company, you have a voice in how that company is run.Each year, hundreds of shareholder resolutions are filed on a wide range of environmental, social, and governance issues at companies across all sectors of our economy. Examples include asking companies to set goals to reduce greenhouse gas…
If you ask multiple financial advisors for generalized advice on money matters, they’ll likely tell you that every person’s finances are different and ever-changing based on goals and plans. If they’re advisors who specialize in socially responsible investing (SRI), they’ll also agree that no matter how much money you have, you can use your money…
Not all banks are created equal. Whichever bank you use, your money will be there when you want it. But while it’s in your account, the bank can use your money how it wants, which could be aligned with your values, or not.
You can put your money to good use simply by doing your banking with a community development bank or credit union to meet…
The Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, in February 2023 illustrates why socially responsible investing is so important.
Norfolk Southern, owned 63% by institutional investors including Wall Street banks, ranks poorly on corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) guidelines, and the company’s conduct…
With roots in the civil rights, anti-poverty, and other progressive movements, the mission of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) is to create more equitable access to financial products and services, particularly for low-income neighborhoods and communities of color which have faced discriminatory financial policies. CDFIs…
When coronavirus arrived in 2020, it hit the food sector hard—including Urban Growers Collective, a Black- and women-led nonprofit in Chicago working to build a more just and equitable food system.
With eight operating farms on 11 urban acres and almost 30 employees, the Urban Growers Collective needed a Paycheck Protection Program loan to…
Green America and the certified Green Business Network members mentioned in this article, which meet or exceed Green America’s standards for social and environmental responsibility, are here to help.
If you want to
Get problematic industries like tobacco, fossil fuels, weapons, and others out of your portfolio.Invest in forward-thinking…
You know by now that socially responsible investing (SRI) does make a difference in the world, but perhaps you’re wondering what kind of financial difference it will make in your portfolio. Will you sacrifice financial returns if you align your investments with your values?
The evidence, amassed through hundreds of studies, shows that…
Now is the time to break up with your megabank. Find a community development bank or credit union on our Get a Better Bank map.
What if you found out the money in your bank account was being used to fuel fires and floods, leading to contaminated water from fracking or coal mining, or air pollution where you live? If you bank with…
Shareholder action or shareholder activism, describes the efforts investors use to influence corporate behavior. Today, shareholders are more concerned than ever about how companies are being held accountable on issues such as climate change, reproductive health, political influence and human rights.
These environmental, social and governance…
Pressure is rising, creating real progress. Workers are pushing for unions and an end to poor treatment at some of the country’s most recognizable companies. Meanwhile, workers in every sector of the economy are recognizing a need for work/life balance and interest in the four-day workweek is growing.
At the same time, there have been alarming…
In movies, robots oscillate between good and evil. Wall-E cleaned up trash on an abandoned planet while childlike M3gan committed murder without remorse.
In the workplace, robotics issues looks more like 2019’s Oscar winning documentary “American Factory,” which shows automation bringing an Ohio glass-making factory back to life, but not…
Anna Ortega is a lifelong resident of San Bernardino, California. That city is part of the “Inland Empire” north of Los Angeles, once known for its agricultural industry, now known for being a center for warehousing, trucking, and shipping. In April 2021, Amazon started air operations at the San Bernardino airport. In November of that year,…
The economy can thrive without harming the environment or the beings that call our planet home. This is at the heart of Green America’s mission and why we work for a green economy. Yet that vision seems hard to reach when good jobs and workers’ rights are pitted against the environment—a narrative that doesn’t have to be true.Historically,…
In Latin American countries and lower-latitude communities around the world, researchers are finding a rise of chronic kidney disease in outdoor workers—a consequence of persistent dehydration.
“There are researchers who are saying this is the first epidemic of climate change,” says Dr. Kristina Dahl, a principal climate scientist for the…
For 40 years, Green Americans have been supporting workers. You’ve signed petitions to pressure and change companies with poor worker safety practices. You’ve joined picket lines with loud voices and poster board to spare. And you’ve incorporated activism into your own workplaces. Safe and healthy workplaces that pay good wages are essential to…
For the health of people and planet, people are reevaluating relationships with work and productivity, and pushing for a 4-day work week.
“No one on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time on my business,’” said lawyer Arnold Zack to his friend with a cancer diagnosis. The quote has since been repeated by uncountable people who…
Don’t think child labor in the US is a thing of the past. In 2022, the US Department of Labor (DOL) discovered over 100 children, aged 13-17, employed in dangerous jobs at meatpacking plants across the country by Packers Sanitation Services Incorporated (PSSI).
“This isn’t kids working at Dairy Queen for too many hours, it’s kids working in…
In the exasperated words of Dolly Parton, “Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living!”
The world of work is evolving, such as strictly in-office workspaces becoming hybrid-remote, to robots in the workplace. Many of today’s workers seek to bring personal interests and causes to their job.
It is possible to bring these interests in…
In March 2020, our country experienced a profound shift. Streets emptied, classrooms turned virtual, office buildings closed—and a spotlight turned brightly on a workforce that had been historically overlooked and undervalued.
“For the first time ever, frontline workers were a central part of the picture,” says Gina Falada, associate director…
Buying from local farmers can be an excellent way to green the economy and support climate- and community-friendly practices. Many of us do this by shopping at farmers markets or farm stands, subscribing to Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), or eating out at farm-to-table restaurants.
What you may not know, is that shopping at a grocery…
Small businesses aren’t just nice to support, they support local economies, fill needs, and create jobs. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 44% of US economic activity. But starting a business, to fill a community need or support a family, has historically and systemically been unavailable to Native…
You might have seen the green and white bumper sticker proclaiming, “No Farms, No Food.” It’s true—almost all of our food begins on the ground, from the grains that become bread to trees bearing fruit and the grasses and grains livestock eats. And that food starts on farms, from small, local businesses that sell into our farmers markets to…
Under expansive blue skies and rolling grass plains in Chester, Montana, a certain farm is modeling healthy relationships among the producers, distributors, and land. Tyler Streit is a fifth-generation farmer, who used to monocrop wheat across his family’s 20,000 acres, about the size of Manhattan. Today, with his wife Jill Streit, they grow 19…
Fifteen years ago, when Swati Srivastava and Mark Bartosik, expats from India and England, looked out at their “typical American lawn” in Bayshore, New York, they felt they had two options: water, water, water to dispel those pesky yellow patches of dying grass or transform the space entirely.
Planting to Problem Solve
Srivastava and…
Jesse Smith fervently claims the Central Coast of California as his home. It’s where he was born and raised, where he met his wife and started a family, where he works to build land resiliency and community around local food as the director of land stewardship at White Buffalo Land Trust. But he didn’t always know he was going to be working the…
On the rolling hills of Southeastern Washington state, Ariel Zakarison drives a tractor over her family’s farm, which, at 600 acres, is a relatively small farm on the scale of US agriculture. But her family’s land isn’t trying to be like every other farm. The Zakarisons use their land on the Palouse, a region that includes parts of Washington,…
There are Climate Victory Gardens in the Midwest doing inspiring work—fighting for food equity in Minnesota. When you read the name of the organization running these gardens, Project Sweetie Pie (PSP), its founder, Michael Chaney, wants to evoke the feeling of an elder lovingly calling you “sweetie pie,” who wishes for and sees the best in you…
It was neck-deep in the dirt, digging lines and building drainage, where Tom Cotter’s journey as a regenerative farmer began.
“I would spend weeks in trenches, four, five feet down, running tile lines [irrigation] and the soil always smelled dead, smelled stale,” says Cotter. “And then when we started doing cover crops, I realized, wow, it…
For Osei Doyle and Brendalyn King, one conversation changed everything, taking them on a journey to explore Black Americans’ connection to land.
“We were walking down Myrtle Avenue, and I asked her: ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’”
His question sparked a conversation about their community and what they could do to create a better…
When it comes to green business, caring for the earth is a given. But Yamacu and Velasquez Family Coffee surpass this mission as they forge worldwide connection through cuisine. Salimata Bangoura, CEO of Yamacu (and Green America board member), sells West African food and drink to support her community in Mali. Cathy and Guillermo Velasquez,…
“We shall come in drag, which means men wearing women’s costumes,” declared an 1870 party invitation printed in the UK’s Reynolds Newspaper.
It was the 19th century and drag as we understand it today—the exaggerated performance of gender—was being defined and shaped for the first time. Of course, drag existed long before, in the days of…
Your ambitions for the new year might be big or small, but lifestyle changes of any kind take some work to practice and perfect. Indeed, 80% of all New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by the end of January. That’s why, instead of New Year’s resolutions, we’ve come up with five green goals to strive for in the new year that you can try, tweak,…
