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,…
Attacks on a socially responsible investing strategy called ESG (that considers environmental, social, and governance criteria) are being used—like accusations of widespread voter fraud or teaching critical race theory—as a wedge to divide and mislead Americans and halt social and environmental progress.
Lawmakers in 10 states, including…
The Earth is a place of incredible resources: powerful winds, rich soils, strong currents, and resilient life. When it comes to fighting climate change or investing in a greener future, our most crucial asset may be each other. For every harmful policy or practice, there’s a green strategy or innovation to make our society better and heal our…
Industrial agriculture has changed our relationship with the land—instead of picking a tomato by hand, many Americans pick it out of a lineup on the grocery shelf. But cultivating the land is a fundamental practice of humanity, stretching back millennia. Many traditional gardening methods from around the world maintained a natural balance between…
The United States is a country of dichotomies. Few things illustrate this better than access to healthy food. Take for example the affluent city of Beverly Hills, which boasts nine supermarkets that serve its 32,000 residents. By contrast, 30,000 residents of Detroit, Michigan, lack access to even one grocery store with fresh food. Instead,…
Almost two billion people worldwide partake in the culinary delight of bugs. In Thailand, fried caterpillars are common treats at street markets. In Mexico, cooked grasshoppers are bar snacks and taco fillings. And in Uganda, flying African termites, which have more protein than vertebrate meat, are eaten à la carte.
Yet many Americans are…
A forest is a family. Surveying the soil, you’ll uncover an impressive network of roots. These subterranean connectors kiss at the tips, passing nutrients and strengthening the whole forest in the process.
Humans are not dissimilar. Communities grow lush through distributed care. And when relationships get disrupted at the roots, people branch…
It happens every week: past the produce and beyond the breads, the towering wall of egg cartons brings you to a crossroads. Purchasing ethical eggs has turned into a multiple-choice test: organic or non-GMO, pasture-raised, free range, cage free, or the mysteriously on sale and unlabeled. And they come in different colors, too? In deciding which…
Green doesn’t have to be your favorite color for you wear it well! Figuring out whether fabric is sustainable and socially responsible is a much harder task than identifying the color, unfortunately.
Here’s Green America's ranking of the most popular fabrics, with expert advice from Kari Morales of OrganicCottonPlus.com, a company that sells…
Take a time machine back to the Paleolithic Period, and you might spot early humans sporting animal hides—the precursor to modern leather. Tanned skins remain popular 400,000 years later, but now they’re mass produced. In 2020 alone, the nonprofit Textile Exchange estimates the international-leather industry produced 12.5 million tons of product—…
Your life is about sustainability, but what about the end of life? Funerals have shockingly high environmental impacts—one burial is equal to driving over 2,400 miles, according to a 2017 study in France. Choices made for the end of one’s lifecan also be a beautiful celebration, especially when part of your legacy is care for the Earth. Many…
When it comes to taking care of your little one’s bum, we understand that clean might be a higher priority than “green,” but at Green America, we field many questions about the best ways to make diapering more eco-friendly. From recommended products to cleaning hacks—whether you opt for cloth or disposable—here is an all-in-one green guide for…
On any given day, a child will have innumerable questions about anything and everything, from global events to soccer practice. Kids are smart—they know when something’s going on.
Learning is a crucial part of growing up, but it can also be hard, especially with densely complex topics that are hard and emotionally taxing to teach, like climate…
As they grow, children take their cues from adults. Parents and guardians exercise particular power in shaping perceptions about food.
“Kids are a vulnerable population,” shares Dr. Vanita Rahman, a physician, nutritionist, and clinic director with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “They eat what adults offer them and…don’t…
As children, it almost felt like a punishment—receiving a wrinkled shopping bag of haphazardly folded hand-me-downs from distant cousins or…don’t even say it… older brothers. But now, as retro trends are dominating the fashion scene, grandma’s closet might be a goldmine.
When 74% of consumers say that secondhand apparel is more socially…
Perhaps you’ve already taken steps to ensure your finances are green by switching to a community development bank, but check your wallet—do you own a socially responsible credit card?
Is your bank funding the fossil fuel industry? How can you best protect your credit score? Is there a credit card better matched to your values and needs out…
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the wedding industry’s commitment to sustainability.
According to a 2017 Stanford Mag article, the average carbon footprint of an American wedding is 56 tons. In 2022 alone, 2.5 million weddings are expected to take place, producing 140 million tons of emissions.
Don’t panic–your day can…
All natural, Eco-friendly, Earth-safe…
What do all these words have in common?
They don’t mean anything! These marketing buzzwords are meant to grab your attention, but none prove the sustainability of the product or the company.
People are more interested in sustainable products than ever—65% of consumers believe brands have as much…
Pets make loyal companions, at your side through all seasons of life. But can they accompany you on the path toward a greener existence?
Yes! Taking steps toward sustainability now can make miles of a difference in the long run. First, adopt—don’t shop, and spay or neuter your pets.
Below, we answer common questions about eco-friendly pet…
Whether you’re a college student, newly minted graduate, or relatively fresh addition to the work world, finances are likely top of mind. If money management feels overwhelming, know you’re not alone: The Investopedia Financial Literacy Study found only 46% of Generation Z (ages 18 to 25) is confident about their financial understanding.…
As one hemisphere prepares for the chill of winter and the other swaps coats for bathing suits, it’s time to look at how you use energy in your home.
How we use energy at home is a major factor in the fight against climate change. The residential sector accounts for roughly a fifth of the total energy usage in the US, with more than half of…
Masks and distancing remain as COVID cements its presence, but the world still calls. Traveling is happening again, as weddings resume and that private rental on the beach beckons.
But while traveling is a great way to appreciate the world, or, more safely, your city or state, by immersing yourself in diverse lands, histories, and traditions.…
We don’t have to tell you—choosing a home is all about location. But what’s important to some might be less important to others, like a good school system or an area that’s not stifling hot in the summer. Maybe you want to be near family or are moving across the country for work. Whichever location you choose, climate change is already a concern…
I once thought I had to choose between advocating for my Black identity and the planet,” author, activist, and founder of Intersectional Environmentalist Leah Thomas writes in her new book, The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet.
Leah Thomas makes a compelling case that we can…
Imagine you’re driving. Your partner in the passenger seat says to you, “Oh, looks like you’re driving with your parking brake on.” What do you do? You disengage the brake and have a smoother drive. If you were a new driver, you might ask, “How do I do turn it off?” What you wouldn’t do is say, “I like driving with the brake on.”
Daryn Dodson…
We’re stronger together. United we stand, divided we fall.
When it comes to hardships, many of us take comfort and heartily believe these expressions. But when it comes to the economy, capitalism itself, it’s every person for themselves, let the free market decide, and pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
This kind of thinking costs us, a…
In the beginning, a woman fell from the sky, clutching seeds and fruits. The animals helped her find safety on the back of a turtle and brought her mud, from which she grew the seeds and fruits into a wilderness. In these moments together, the animals and Skywoman created Turtle Island, later named North America by European colonists.
This…
Families ripped apart. People stripped of second chances. And the inability to have a secure, financial future. All these are consequences of incarceration.
The prison system makes a profit off the lives of incarcerated peoples and their loved ones while deepening the wealth gap for Black and brown communities that are disproportionately more…
Being the first in your family to have success can be empowering––and draining. When someone experiences upward mobility, it typically affects their immediate family. However, for Black people, sometimes someone making it can mean the entire family makes it. After all, it would take 228 years for the average Black family to obtain the same amount…
In any given month, white Americans save and invest hundreds of dollars more into their accounts than their Black counterparts—76% more, to be exact. This information comes from the 2020 Ariel-Schwab Black Investor Survey (Ariel is a Black-owned investing company), highlighting the discrepancies faced by Black Americans when it comes to financial…
Home ownership is a huge part of what makes families able to maintain and grow wealth over generations. But even decades after the civil rights movement, People of Color are disproportionately locked out of this path, keeping families, neighborhoods, and even whole cities economically depressed. Only 44% of Black Americans own their homes,…
Choosing the eco-eating lifestyle doesn’t have to be boring—it’s not just shopping at a health food store and eating organic bran (but it can be, if that’s what you’re into). Whether you’re all-in for a nontoxic pantry or just dipping your toe into farmers market shopping, follow these tips for a menu that’s whole-planet oriented.
Sunday:…
The refrigerator is stocked with fresh veggies, the pantry is full of whole grains, and the windowsill is glowing with sun-kissed tomatoes and herbs. Yet the pots and pans hiding in the cabinets threaten to derail all your carefully laid efforts to eat healthy.
What’s the Problem with Nonstick?
Nonstick cookware is popular because it’s…
We spend 90% of our time inside, where the concentration of air pollutants can be two to five times higher than outdoors. One 2019 study from the University of Colorado found roasting meat and vegetables for just a few hours can produce higher amounts of air pollutants than the streets of Delhi, India, one of the most polluted cities worldwide…
When it comes to eating green, making sure your leftovers don’t go to waste is important. But not all storage containers for those leftovers are created equal. Avoid harmful chemicals entering your food by choosing safer storage and cooking options.
Avoid plastic containers (plastic numbers 1-7)
You might have heard of BPA (p. 14), a…
