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Bestselling author Paul Hawken and a team of 200+ experts have created a detailed plan to not only curb but reverse the climate crisis. And yes, they say, it’s possible.

Contact Earth Paints LLC: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

In 2009, Leah Fanning was to participate in a large gallery and needed to paint full-time to be prepared for it. Around the same time, she discovered that she was pregnant with her first child. In response, she ditched every single toxin in her art studio—from paints, to primers, and thinners.

Leah threw out all her materials because she knew that conventional paints contained a lot of fillers and synthetic materials that are toxic to humans. As an avid environmentalist and health enthusiast, she wanted to use natural paints that would not negatively affect her baby's health.

Drawing inspiration from historical paint recipes, Leah took to nature to find her supplies. “I actually went into the woods and harvested all the pigments myself,” she said, laughing. While running errands in her state of Oregon, “I would never leave home without a trowel and a bag. If I saw beautiful colors in the strata on the roadside, I would jump out of my car and gather the pigments.”

She discovered that using natural pigments and oils creates paintings that are more radiant and archival, where the fillers don’t get in the way of the colors and the luminosity of the paints. “It was so cool to discover that you can make practically edible natural paints,” she said. “And that it was actually a way higher quality than what you can get at the store in a tube.”

Leah did not stop there. She wanted to find natural materials for all aspects of her art. “I found replacements for other toxic things I would normally use such as the solvents and the paint thinners. I figured out how to make my own gesso to prime my canvas, and started using organic canvas and recycled wood.”

After her baby Django was born, Leah started making children’s paints for him to use. She was shocked to discover that in conventional ‘nontoxic’ kid’s paints the most common preservative was formaldehyde. Suddenly, Leah realized the business potential of her natural paints. “That was my epiphany moment. It just hit me that I should create a business about this. I should make oil paints and kids paints and educate the world.” A year later, Natural Earth Paints LLC was born.

Her products, including face paints, fine art supplies, and kids paints and crafts can be found on her website. Natural Earth Paints LLC is Gold Certified member of Green America’s Green Business Network, the highest rank for a green business.

Washington, D.C. – January 9, 2018 – Green America is pleased that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has announced that it is terminating the Department of Energy (DOE) Proposal to provide market-based incentives to coal and nuclear power plant owners. Green America, on behalf of its 250,000 individual and 2,000 business members filed comments in opposition to subsidizing coal and nuclear plants.

“FERC received comments that were overwhelmingly opposed to subsidizing coal and nuclear power,” stated Todd Larsen, executive co-director for consumer and corporate engagement at Green America. “This policy would have been bad for Americans, forcing them to pay higher rates for polluting and dangerous technologies. Rick Perry’s assertions that incentives for coal and nuclear were necessary to preserve grid resilience were contradicted by DOE’s own research, and his proposal was clearly designed to slow the progress of low-cost solar and wind technologies that benefit consumers and the environment.”

“Subsidizing coal and nuclear would be bad for businesses across the United States,” said Fran Teplitz, executive co-director for business and policy at Green America. “At a time when businesses are increasingly looking to purchase power from renewable sources, and when renewables are increasingly cost-competitive and part of a reliable grid, we should be looking at ways to further enhance our use of clean energy, and we encourage FERC to support an electric grid increasingly fed by renewable energy.”

At the same time Green America will monitor FERC's new proceeding to explore resilience issues in Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) and Independent System Operators (ISOs) as this could potentially lead to RTOs, including the PJM Interconnection that services over 65 million customers, to favor coal, nuclear power and/or large scale natural gas generating facilities in their regions.  

ABOUT GREEN AMERICA

Green America is the nation's leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides economic strategies and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today's social and environmental problems. www.GreenAmerica.org

Established in 1892, the Sierra Club has been part of many campaigns and legislation to protect wild lands. The nonprofit helped pass the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. One of the its major initiatives is retiring America’s coal plants and moving the country toward clean energy sources. The Sierra Club also offers outings that give people the chance to experience environment-friendly travel. Currently, it’s collecting money for community-led efforts to help hurricane recovery.

Wildlife Conservation Society

Protecting wildlife and its habitats is the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) mission. The organization funds scientists who study ecosystems in the environment. These scientists find out what threats they face and what we can do to preserve them. WCS has four zoos and one aquarium in New York. These operate with the goal of saving endangered species and learning more about wildlife. The nonprofit works with governments, communities, businesses, and indigenous people to protect wildlife all over the world. It also fights to pass and protect legislation that conserves animal habitats.

Environmental Defense Fund

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) focuses on environmental issues that affect people. These issues include climate change, pollution, and the need for sustainable food production and ocean conservation. The EDF helps shape economic markets, partners with businesses, creates government policies, and uses scientific research to work on solutions to our current problems. For example, the EDF worked with politicians from both parties to create the Lautenberg Act, which President Obama signed in 2016. The act reforms old chemical safety law. This helps make sure products we buy are safer for us and the environment.

Defenders of Wildlife

The Defenders of Wildlife is a voice for wild animals against big oil and other corporations with agendas. Defenders keeps a close eye on government policies that may cause harm to environments these animals depend on to survive. Right now, the nonprofit is watching the HELP for Wildlife Act. This act takes wolves in the Great Lakes region and Wyoming off the endangered wildlife list. It also attempts to weaken the Endangered Species Act. The Defenders of Wildlife also help promote coexistence strategies for humans and wildlife. The nonprofit looks for ways to fight climate change, too.

World Wildlife Fund

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) works in about 100 countries to conserve forests, fresh water, oceans, wildlife, food, and climate for both animals and humans. One of the WWF’s main goals is to educate people about the impact we have on our environment and what we can do to conserve it. The WWF also offers a fellowship to students getting graduate degrees in conservation-related fields. There are chapters in local communities and in the global marketplace.

Rainforest Alliance

Each day, 123,000 acres of forest get destroyed. The Rainforest Alliance aims to preserve forests and their ecosystems and help people find sustainable ways to use land and produce food. The nonprofit recognizes that people rely on land and forests to grow food and make a living. But it also believes we can do that without causing harm to the environment. Rainforest Alliance works with the agriculture, forestry, and tourism industries to change their practices. The nonprofit also offers sustainability training around the world.

World Resources Institute

We all depend on the planet’s natural resources to survive, but humans have been draining them at a rate that’s not sustainable. The World Resources Institute (WRI) conducts its own research to collect data to help us move toward sustainability. The nonprofit then uses this information to educate and influence governments, businesses, and the community. The WRI has projects all over the world. These projects help countries use clean energy sources, conserve forests and water, reduce waste, and lessen our impact on climate change.

Conservation International

Conservation International (CI) works to protect nature for wildlife and humans. CI believes that nature doesn’t need people — but we need its ecosystems for food, jobs, fresh water and air, and our health. If we want to have a future, we need to learn to be sustainable. The organization thinks long term and proposes solutions across government and private sectors. Some issues CI focuses on include making coffee production more sustainable and keeping an eye on sharks in the oceans.

International Institute for Sustainable Development

Often, calls for economic development can conflict with sustainability goals. The goal of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is to bring the two together without sacrificing one in favor of the other. The organization uses its research to work with policymakers and private businesses to reform policies and build sustainable solutions. IISD also works on international trade. One example is North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations.

Rocky Mountain Institute

Our collection and burning of fossil fuels is one of the main contributors to the climate change we’re seeing today. The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) works to move the world away from fossil fuel demand and toward sustainable, low-carbon energy sources instead. The RMI provides information and resources that help businesses and other institutions around the world save energy and reduce pollution. For example, its programs in China and on islands with small economies guide both toward clean energy.

Green America

Green America believes sustainable solutions can be put into action by using economies as a driving force behind them. The nonprofit encourages consumers to spend on green products and services. It also encourages businesses to adopt eco-friendly practices. Some of Green America’s successful initiatives include ending True Value and Walmart’s use of bee-killing pesticides, getting a handful of food companies to end the use of GMOs in products, and helping magazines switch to recycled paper.

Healthline

Neat Lemon is a woman-owned and fully-insured environmentally friendly cleaning provider in Massachusetts.

Tired of making the same generic New Year’s resolutions every year that, let’s be honest, you never stick to anyway? Roughly half (45%) of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, with the most common being vows to lose weight, get organized, and save more. (Sound familiar?) Unfortunately, only 8% of people are actually successful in attaining their goals.

So, how can we avoid seemingly inevitable failure? Evidence suggests that setting realistic, specific goals and being mindful can do wonders for sticking to New Year’s resolutions. What better way to be mindful than to focus your resolution on regenerative agricultural? Regenerative agriculture* is an approach to agriculture focused on building and revitalizing soil health to combat climate change. In order to get up to speed on the subject, get the rundown on regenerative agriculture here.

By joining the regenerative agriculture movement this year, you can improve your health in tandem with the earth! Here are some specific, attainable regenerative agriculture-focused goals for the new year. Choose one and take the first step to a healthier, more sustainable 2018!

Composting

Composting is an amazing way to convert your food waste into nutrient-rich soil. This soil can be used for gardening or simply to create a healthier ecosystem while adding less garbage to landfills! Composting is a very simple way to live a greener lifestyle and there are a multitude of online resources that give easy-to-follow instructions as well as multiple methods of composting so you can choose the best fit for you.

If you live in an apartment and don’t have a yard to compost in, there are also services that will pick up your food scraps for you and compost them. Do a quick internet search and see if services like Compost Cab are currently operating in your community.

Planting   

If you’ve never had a garden before, starting one can seem daunting. Start small by planting a few vegetable or herb plants in your yard. You will be rewarded for your work by the freshest and best tasting produce ever, for free! Better yet, you will be reducing your carbon footprint by cutting down on food transportation costs and ensuring a portion of the food you eat is grown sustainably with no harsh chemical pesticides and fertilizers. 

There are many beginner guides to growing organically, like this online guide. Articles like this can guide you on how to use your garden to improve soil health. Limiting tillage (or disturbance of soil), planting perennial plants (these don’t need to be replanted each year!), and using compost are some of the best ways to ensure your garden regenerates soil health. You might be in need of some gardening gear before getting started. If so, look no further than these 9 must-haves from our certified green businesses.

If you live in an apartment and do not have access to growing space, planting in pots by a window that takes in sunlight can provide a surprisingly bountiful amount of food. Another fantastic option is looking for community gardens in your area, or even starting your own!

Cover Cropping 

As long as you’re thinking about planting, why not plant crops that can help mitigate climate change? Cover cropping is an incredibly simple process that can allow you to use your yard for carbon sequestration, helping to slow global climate change. Cover crops also improve soil quality, suppress weeds, and prevent erosion.

Cover crops like rye and buckwheat require little upkeep and maintenance. You simply sow the seeds thickly, wait for them to grow, and then cut or mow them before incorporating them into the soil. Handy guides like this one can help you figure out the right varieties of cover crops to grow and give further details on their benefits and growing process.

Volunteering at farms or farmers‘ markets

Want to resolve to get involved in regenerative agriculture, but don’t have the space for it? Volunteering at a local farm or farmers market is a great way to contribute to the movement, do something active and rewarding, and probably get some fresh produce along the way!

Many small, ecological farms (including urban farms if you live in a metropolitan area) have programs where volunteers can sign up to assist in farm work or help sell at farmer’s markets. The WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) network is one resource which gives you access to organic farms across the country currently looking for volunteers. With options ranging from a one day visit to months of volunteering with housing provided, there are possibilities for multiple levels of commitment. This site is also a great guide to finding small, sustainable farms in your area.

Buying local

If you want to contribute to the health of the food system but don’t have much time to give, changing your buying practices is a wonderful way to make an impact. Most food bought in the supermarket has been transported from afar; meaning produce has often been picked four to seven days before it gets to you and shipped an average of 1500 miles in the process. Why not cut out those carbon emissions and eat fruits and vegetables picked yesterday? Find a farmers’ market in your community today and resolve to do your shopping there instead of the local grocery chain. If market days and times conflict with your schedule, natural food stores and co-ops often sell produce from local farms.

Reducing meat consumption

It has been well established that meat production is one of the leading contributors to climate change and environmental pollution. The meat industryrequires huge amounts of pesticides, fertilizers, and fuel. In addition, meat production and distribution creates ample green house gases, manure, and toxic chemicals which are released into the environment. This year, one of the most effective ways you can decrease your impact on the environment is to reduce the amount of meat and animal products in your diet.

Maybe going vegetarian or vegan isn’t feasible for you this year, but any decrease in the amount of meat you buy makes a difference. Maybe that means Meatless Mondays, or only eating meat on the weekends. Maybe it just means buying higher-quality meat which is raised organically, humanely, and locally. Just resolve to start at whatever level you feel you could
realistically achieve.

Organizations like PETA have resources for transitioning to a vegan or vegetarian diet in a budget friendly, nutritious, and enjoyable way. Eating a plant-based diet has never been easier, with a plethora of companies catering to meat-free diets coming out with new, delicious products all the time. There is also a wide array of appealing vegetarian and vegan recipes you can try out this year to share with friends and family. Eating less meat can be a fun way to break out of a culinary rut and get creative in the kitchen. Resolve to eat less meat and get ready for a delicious, healthy 2017.

Improving bee habitats

Pollinators are integral to plant health and diversity and, by extension, the survival of human beings. Troublingly, colony collapse       continues to occur at high rates. This is happening in part due to the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in conventional agriculture. A noble resolution for 2017 would be committing to reduce the plight of the bees by creating a better bee habitat in your community.

You can improve your yard and/or community green spaces for bees by installing a bee garden, planting native wildflowers, and creating nesting and egg-laying habitat. The Humane Society of the United States provides information on how to do this here. The Xerces Society also has more information on the subject. By simply planting some bee-friendly flowers or building a bee block, you can resolve to make your community a safer, happier habitat for bees in 2017.

A new year is a time for change, growth, and restoration. Why shouldn’t these positive attributes extend to our earth and its soils? By picking one of these regenerative resolutions you can spend this next year sticking to a rewarding goal and feeling great about the strides you’re making for our planet’s future. Thank you and happy New Year from everyone at Green America! 

*This is an exciting time in the worlds of sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation, when these two fields have the opportunity to collaborate and reinforce one another. This partnership is in its early stages, and terminology is constantly evolving. Regenerative agriculture is a new term that is still being defined and debated. Green America is proud to be a part of this discussion and stands behind agriculture that builds healthy farmlands, supports farmers and farmworkers, protects local environments, benefits consumers, and contributes to the fight against climate change—regardless of the term used to describe it. The organization recognizes that implementation of these agriculture methods will always be site specific and depend on soil characters, crops grown, and local climates. Green America's long-term goal is agriculture production that is regenerative and meets the USDA organic standard, the best way to achieve this is through the Regenerative Organic Certification. Green America supports all farms reducing chemical inputs and enhancing soil preservation techniques to move closer to those twin goals.   

Taking place in San Francisco on 30-31st January, the eighth North American edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit will showcase health impacts, sustainable ingredients, and eco-labels. For the first time, the executive summit will discuss the future of health foods and eco-labelled products in a high-level forum.

Although organic & eco-labelled products now comprise over 5 percent of food sales in North America, there are concerns about the future outlook. Will the ‘mainstreaming’ of the organic food market continue? What other eco-labels are emerging? Is more label fragmentation or some degree of harmonization on the horizon? What disruption is being created by Amazon and other new entrants?

Sustainable Foods Summit North America 2018 Agenda Announced

Following the success of the previous seven editions, Ecovia Intelligence (formerly known as Organic Monitor) is announcing the agenda of the North American edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit (http://www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/namerica). Taking place in San Francisco on 30-31st January, the executive summit will feature health impacts, food ingredients, and organic & eco-labels.

The two-day summit will bring together leading organizations involved in eco-labels and sustainability in the regional food industry. There are four distinct sessions that will cover the following topics....

Session 1: Sustainability Developments

- Conscious capitalism for sustainable development
- Measuring impacts of food and beverages
- Disrupting the sustainable food market by technology - Novel approaches to urban farming
- Developments in packaging materials

Session 2: Food Ingredients for Sustainability

- Advances in sustainable seafood - Innovating with seaweeds
- Ancient grains in modern foods - Creating slave-free chocolate

- Outlook for clean label ingredients

Session 3: Health Impacts

- Healthy food and beverage trends
- GM labeling & certification update - Advances in meat analogs
- Consumer insights into health foods - Encouraging healthy consumption

Session 4: Organic & Eco-Labels Outlook

- US in global market for organic foods
- Fairtrade in food industry
- Developing a sustainability certification scheme - Eco-labels: brands’ perspectives
- Retailing organic & sustainable foods - Targeting the millennials

Confirmed speakers include Doug Rauch (co-CEO of Conscious Capitalism), Amarjit Sahota (Founder and President, Ecovia Intelligence), Chef Mareya Ibrahim (The Fit Foodie), Ahmed Rahim (CEO of Numi Tea), Amit Hooda (CEO of Heavenly Organics), Shauna Sadowski (Sustainability & Industry Relations VP, Annie’s), Cathy Calfo (Executive Director of California Certified Organic Farmers), Christopher Mitchell (Commercial VP of Americas, Futamura), Courtney Pineau (Associate Director, Non- GMO Project), Monica Hadarits (Programs and Verification Director, Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef), and many more.

Registration is now open for this eighth North American edition. A limited number of sponsorship and speaking opportunities remain.

About the Sustainable Foods Summit

The aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry by discussing key industry issues in a high-level forum. The North American edition will be hosted at the Nikko Hotel San Francisco on 30-31st January 2018. More information is available from http://www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/namerica/

About Ecovia Intelligence

Ecovia Intelligence (formerly known as Organic Monitor) is a specialist research, consulting & training company that focuses on global ethical product industries. Since 2001, we have been encouraging sustainable development via our services portfolio: market research publications, business & sustainability consulting, technical research, seminars & workshops, and sustainability summits. Visit us at www.ecoviaint.com
 

More info on: http://www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/namerica/
Email: info@sustainablefoodssummit.com
Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788

For further information, please contact:

Ms. Katie Giorgadze
PR & Marketing Events Assistant Ecovia Intelligence
Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788
Email: press@ecoviaint.com 

Katherine Martinko (@feistyredhair)
Living / Green Home
December 22, 2017

phone book anymore?

In the process, you'll save trees and limit exposure to toxic chemicals.

If your house looks anything like mine, there is probably paper clutter all over the place. Whether it's school notifications, kids' crafts, magazines, catalogs, or receipts, the 'paper plague' often feels inescapable. And when you do take a moment to sort through everything, it just keeps coming.

The Environmental Paper Network (EPN) has put together a list of ways to opt out of at least some of the paper that comes into a typical household. Taking these steps does more than just declutter your home; it reduces demand for paper, slowing deforestation, and limits exposure to toxic chemicals, such as bisphenol A, found in thermal paper receipts.

Here's what you can do:

1) Stop catalogs. Sign up for Catalog Choice, which "has nearly 10,000 titles in the database, from clothing brands to credit card companies to charities." So far this effort has saved an estimated half-million trees.

2) Forgo the phonebook. When's the last time you cracked open a phonebook to find a number? These days most of us store numbers in our phones or we Google it. Despite this, a whopping 4.7 million trees are used each year to print U.S. phonebooks. Opt out by signing up here.

3) Don't take paper receipts. Reaching for a receipt after making a payment is an ingrained habit, but now's the time to break it. EPN writes:

"The Skip the Slip project from Green America is an effort to end the use of over 250 million gallons of oil, nearly 10 million trees, and 1 billion gallons of water each year to make thermal paper receipts, which are not even recyclable and contribute 1.5 billion pounds of waste per year."

You can sign up for Skip the Slip's campaign and pledge. Many businesses will now email receipts for your records, which is a much greener, more clutter-free option.

That is the extent of EPN's suggestions, but I'd add (4) opting out of junk mail at the post office (mine puts a red sticker on the mailbox, which means they won't give me any flyers, etc.) and (5) speaking to your kid's teacher about how much superfluous paper gets sent home. When you do get unwanted paper, use the backs for kids' activities and scribbling notes. You could even purchase a handy Paper Saver notebookin which to use discarded printouts from your home office.

These efforts may seem small, but small actions add up over time.

TreeHugger is the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream. Partial to a modern aesthetic, we strive to be a one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information. We publish an up to the minute blog, weekly and daily newsletters, and regularly updated Twitter and Facebook pages. TreeHugger is part of Narrative Content Group.

Green America recently launched the Re(store) It campaign to educate the public and U.S. corporations about the benefits of regenerative agriculture, an approach to farming which uses methods that rejuvenate the soil and trap greenhouse gases. The campaign will educate consumers about the importance of regenerative agriculture and offer ways to support it.

“We are in a farming crisis and we can no longer continue with our current industrialized, chemical-intensive system of agriculture,” said Anna Meyer, the food campaigns director at Green America. “If we want to sustain farming for future generations and reverse climate change, we must save the soil by adopting regenerative practices.”

“We have already seen the power of consumer voice to push for more organic and non-GMO products,” said Jes Walton, food campaigns specialist at Green America. “Now it is time for consumers to demand a major shift in our food system and push for the mass adoption of regenerative agriculture, which has the potential for even more widespread benefits.”

Regenerative agriculture harnesses the relationships between plants and soil microbes to pull excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it in plants and soils where it is a useful nutrient for farmers. These farming methods of storing carbon and re(storing) agricultural soils include the following:

Crop rotation and cover cropping;

Composting;

Zero to low tillage and mulching; and

Planting perennials and diverse crops.

The Re(store) It campaign will release a series of blogs on topics ranging from carbon farming to Christmas Trees, all available at https://www.greenamerica.org/restore-it. The campaign will help individuals to promote regenerative agriculture in their communities, support farmers who are leaders in restoring soil health and encourage food companies to support regenerative agriculture through their supply chains.

The Re(store) It campaign builds on Green America’s prior food work, including its GMO Inside campaign, which over the past four years has successfully persuaded a dozen companies—including General Mills, Mars, Pepsi/Sabra —to remove GMOs from their products and move away from toxins in agriculture.

Each week High Plains Journal and Midwest Ag Journal cover 12 states with five editions in the core of production agriculture, reaching over 50,000 subscribers that include elite and influential producers managing diversified operations.

The Journal's five editions have 96 percent readership, which proves our dedication to excellence in agriculture reporting, advertising, and publishing as successful. Five full-time employees used to keep the publication running, and now 85 employees are proud to work for an industry leader. Many employees of High Plains Journal and Midwest Ag Journal are leading figures in the rural communities they serve and call home.

Cat & Dogma is a 100% organic and comfortably stylish brand for babies. We think babies deserve to look and feel good. We have created a clothing line that is happy and mindful, from the way that it’s sourced, to the way it is designed. Because being parents is our most important title, we do our best to live by example.

• Creating a sustainable lifestyle and low impact product line with a mission to give back, is the example we share with our families.
• We do our part by shopping at farmers’ markets and buying organic and local.
• We cook dinner as much as we can, walk our dogs and spend time with our children.
• We plant vegetable gardens, raise chickens and bike wherever we can.

Cat & Dogma is inspired by our lifestyle. We give back by donating proceeds from our online sales to the Children’s Home Orphanage in Umbergaon, Gujarat, India, near to where our factory is located. Our monthly donation helps provide 35 children with proper nutrition, clean water and shelter.

Here at beyondGREEN, our sole mission is to reduce plastic pollution by offering our next generation technology of dog waste bags and cat litter bags as an eco-friendly alternative to the trillions of plastic pet waste bags used every year. Pet waste provides an environmental hazard towards water pollution and the spread of harmful bacteria that may lead to disease, yet, using a plastic bag to dispose of waste is not the ecological choice our environment needs. Made with natural, renewable material and packaged in recycled material, bioDOGradable's patented vegetable blend promotes minimized pollution and supports sustainable development goals. This allows their organic material to naturally break down in the environment and serves as food to be consumed by micro-organisms, supporting a circular life cycle to work in harmony with the environment. With a market flooded with green-washed plastics, bioDOGradable is the trusted alternative by offering certifications with USDA Biobased, Vincotte EN13432 for Compostability and Home Compostability. BioDOGradable Bags is more than just a product, they are a movement educating consumers on the effects their choices have on our environment, in hopes of leading them towards a future without plastics.

by Kimberly B. Johnson 

Indulgent sweet treats are somewhat apart of American culture, like all the bite-sized chocolates we see around Christmas time or Valentine's Day. Would the gesture of a milk chocolate gift be as warm or romantic, however, if you knew it was produced using child slave labor?

Probably not. And this is the exact conundrum many chocolate producers have found themselves in over the years through inhumane means of production. 

(Photo: Unsplash / Michał Grosicki)

The cocoa bean is primarily found in Latin America and Western Africa, coming mostly from Ghana and the Ivory Coast where 70% of the world’s cocoa is reaped.

But back in 2010, Ivorian government authorities detained three newspaper journalists after they published an article exposing government corruption in the cocoa bean industry. The report found that at that time, farms in West Africa which supply cocoa to chocolate industry giants such as Hershey’s, Mars, and Nestlé were among some of the worst farms in terms of of child labor, human trafficking and slavery.

Somehow, the problem continues to go unseen on a large scale, although its consistently researched and reported on like in the 2010 documentary The Dark Side Of Chocolate and in major publications time and time again.

Some companies have made strides to rectify the issue of child slave labor in chocolate production, however. Hershey's reports a commitment towards sourcing 100 percent certified and sustainable cocoa for all of their products by 2020. Currently, the company is sourcing 75 percent of its chocolate from certified and sustainable growers.

Last year, Green America created this “Big Chocolate Scorecard” illustrating which companies are doing the best and worst to address sustainability and take on the child labor problem. Nestlé earned the highest score awarded (3.5 chocolate bars out of 5) among the big companies, reportedly for its high level of engagement with farmers through its Cocoa Plan program.

(Photo: Getty Images / The Washington Post)

The issue of child slave labor in the chocolate industry is still real, however. In some cases, families are in such dire means of desperation for the money companies contracted by the chocolate industry promise, that they sell their own children into the illegal and inhumane child labor industry. 

Abby Mills, Campaign Director of the International Labor Rights Forum, explains, “Every research study ever conducted in [Western Africa] shows that there is human trafficking going on, particularly in the Ivory Coast.”

Taken into context, the term “slavery” is used to represent some form of human rights violations, such as cases of physical violence like being whipped for working slowly or workers being locked in cages all night to prevent them from escaping. 

While major chocolate corporations have just begun to remedy the harm done by unregulated labor mills used to produce their products, the issue, however, isn't even with the companies directly, it's a lack of visibility or concern for the workers at the perceived lowest end of the totem pole. 

This is the exact reason practices like sourcing from "fair trade" food producers is so important. "Fair Trade is a partnership among food buyers and producers based on dialogue, transparency and respect.

The goal is to use humane and fair practices while achieving greater equity in international trade, contributing to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions and securing the rights for the marginalized producers and workers who are the backbone of these products. 

If we continue to accept and purchase products from companies who bypass and downplay a need for ethical means of production, we're only adding to the suffering of others for a moment of indulgent bliss. It's as we'd say, food for thought.

Konbini is an exciting, groundbreaking and fast growing digital media company. We live and breathe pop culture and are expert at crafting highly engaging and socially shareable stories. Whether it's the written word, imagery or video, we have developed a unique approach to content publication that resonates powerfully with our audience across the world. Our audience is defined by their pioneering attitudes and behaviours, and their ability to influence consumers across the globe.

PlushBeds is a leading online luxury mattress retailer and manufacturer, specializing in natural and organic latex mattresses. All of PlushBeds mattresses are hand crafted in the US with the best quality natural and organic materials - no chemicals, no pesticides, no adhesives, no dyes, no fillers, no synthetic blends. All of PlushBeds mattresses are GreenGuard Gold certified and come with a 100 night free trial. It is PlushBeds’ commitment to excellence in craftsmanship, sustainability, social responsibility and superior customer service, that has driven them to become America’s largest online distributor of natural and organic latex mattresses that are as affordable as they are indulgent.

Climate change is not a purely environmental issue, and neither is the fight for a sustainable food system. Regenerative agriculture, environmental justice, and diversity play a major role in navigating the future of these intertwined issues.

Climate change is having immense direct and indirect effects on individual human health and the stability of our societies and systems at large. It is a complex issue with drivers across industries, policies, and around the globe. Because of this diversity of sources and vast impacts, we need a multidisciplinary approach towards positive change, but this is largely hindered by existing boundaries—geographical and ideological—and organizational silos around how we talk about and approach the issue.

This term—organizational silos—is rooted in business-speak, referring to when parts of a company or industry don’t want to share information or work together for fear of undercutting their own priorities. Silos may form due to a lack of common language or organizational structure that does not allow for collaboration. With enormous cross-cutting issues like climate change and our broken food system, these silos dramatically reduce progress. We are entering the new territory of a climate-altered world without clear direction, in the face of limited resources and strained political relationships, and we need a multifaceted strategy and collaboration amongst diverse stakeholders for approaching these complex challenges.

Looking at these staggering tasks—climate change adaptation and mitigation—through the lens of the food system is helpful. Similar to climate change, issues within the industrial food system are complex and deeply intertwined with other social, environmental, and economic systems and stakeholders across the globe.

Agriculture is a major driver of climate change, but it also has the potential to be a solution. We’re here to advocate for regenerative agriculture and explore how it can guide our approach to the larger fight to “unsilo” efforts and join forces against climate change. For certain, a diversity of management techniques and knowledge systems are needed to address the twin issues of climate change and a degenerative, chemical-intensive food system. And, without a doubt, environmental justice is central to addressing both cases. A truly regenerative agricultural* system can restore soil health, sequester carbon, protect local communities, improve labor conditions, and provide healthier foods.

Using the Transition to Regenerative Agriculture as a Roadmap

The goal of regenerative agriculture is to restore rich soils that sequester and store carbon that would otherwise act as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. But, proponents of this approach recognize that this does not happen in isolation. Regeneration’s climate benefits can only be realized when healthy farmlands combine with supported farmers and farmworkers, protected local environments, and informed and empowered consumers. These issues, from the local to global, are all intimately related.

As activist Vandana Shiva said: “Regenerative agriculture provides answers to the soil crisis, the food crisis, the health crisis, the climate crisis and the crisis of democracy."

Sure, but how?

We’re already seeing strong partnerships and support for this multi-faceted approach to a complex challenge. Civil society is creating strong alliances across race, gender, social, political, and economic issues—It Takes Roots and The Climate Justice Alliance, are two examples of this approach that joins advocacy, education, and empowerment. The efforts of nonprofit research centers like the Rodale Institute and state-level initiatives like the California Healthy Soils Initiative are supporting this transition with research, testing, and promotion of successful methods. Farmers pioneering regenerative agriculture are engaged and thriving, just look at Singing Frogs Farm. Businesses like Dr. Bronner’s and Patagonia are propelling the movement forward in the marketplace, and consumers will soon look for products that are Regenerative Organic Certified.

These stakeholders come from different silos—individuals, nonprofits, large businesses, and government—but all have the same goal of promoting regenerative agriculture and reducing climate change (along with many other benefits). While the regenerative agriculture movement is still in its early stages, this collaborative approach and systems-level thinking is right on. These groups chip away at the problem from many angles. With such a diversity of drivers and impacts in both climate change and the food system, we need equally unique and innovative solutions. This approach includes the voices of those who are traditionally marginalized to ensure the impacts are not just shifted to them.

Diversity’s Role in Smashing Silos

According to the 2012 USDA Agricultural Census, women were the primary operators (those managing the day-to-day) of 14 percent of farms in the United States, and minorities—including Spanish, Hispanic, Latino, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Black, African American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander—accounted for 9 percent.

This isn’t insignificant. Women and minorities were responsible for approximately $40 billion of the agricultural market that year. And, with this year’s census, we expect this to increase, as statistics show that beginning farmers are more likely to be female and more likely to be minorities. That’s not to mention the immense labor force of migratory and seasonal farmworkers, with population estimates around three million, 80 percent alone who are Hispanic.

Our world is diverse. Our food system is vast. The overarching lesson to be learned from this is the need for inclusivity and a justice-oriented approach to transition, whether we’re talking about the food system or global climate change.

Unlike chemical-intensive industrial farming, regenerative agriculture is knowledge-intensive and has much to gain from nonmainstream approaches and stakeholders. These farmers often have a strong interest in moving towards more sustainable and less chemical-intensive farming practices. Or, some beginning farmers are starting with these methods rather than having to transition to them. In many cases, farmers are pursuing regenerative agriculture because they have a passion for environmental regeneration and the wellbeing of farmers and farmworkers, but also because there is very real potential for greater revenues using these methods. A great example of this is Casitas Valley Farms, where they produce healthy food with methods that build soil, support pollinators, and care for those working on the farm.

From foodies to feminists, Standing Rock to Salinas, if we are going to break out of the silos and transition to more people- and place-based systems, we have much to learn from diversity. Indigenous, minority, and low-income communities are disproportionately exposed to pollutants and are hit hardest by environmental tragedies; they have much to contribute if we broaden our perspective to accept that these issues affect us all.

Regenerative agriculture will have major impacts in the realm of environmental justice, showing the potential and need for similar approaches in climate change. It has the potential for widespread social and economic benefits, not to mention environmental. These methods reduce water and air pollution, while increasing food access. They reduce pesticide use and, therefore, exposure of farmers and farmworkers to harmful chemicals. There’s the potential for green job creation and an increased bottom line for farmers making management decisions that protect their soils. In a regenerative system, immigrant’s rights and women’s rights stand alongside farmer and consumer advocacy.

It is our responsibility to ensure that all these voices are heard, especially those disproportionally affected by the many impacts of a broken food system and global climate change.

Regenerative agriculture thrives on diversity below ground and it cannot succeed in the fight against climate change and industrial agriculture without a diversity of people and efforts above ground. While the silos may seem unsurmountable at times, our diversity and breadth of experience and knowledge are our biggest assets. As more stakeholders join this agricultural movement and transition towards regeneration, the silos matter less and the ultimate goal becomes clearer.

*This is an exciting time in the worlds of sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation, when these two fields have the opportunity to collaborate and reinforce one another. This partnership is in its early stages, and terminology is constantly evolving. Regenerative agriculture is a new term that is still being defined and debated. Green America is proud to be a part of this discussion and stands behind agriculture that builds healthy farmlands, supports farmers and farmworkers, protects local environments, benefits consumers, and contributes to the fight against climate change—regardless of the term used to describe it. The organization recognizes that implementation of these agriculture methods will always be site specific and depend on soil characters, crops grown, and local climates. Green America's long-term goal is agriculture production that is regenerative and meets the USDA organic standard, the best way to achieve this is through the Regenerative Organic Certification. Green America supports all farms reducing chemical inputs and enhancing soil preservation techniques to move closer to those twin goals.   

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Senior Bookkeeper/Accountant

Hours: 32 hours/week, Monday through Thursday

Salary: $44,000 - $48,000, contingent on experience

Benefits: Excellent benefits package, including health insurance, dental & vision coverage, sick days, holidays, and vacation                                                                                    

Supervisor: Director of Finance

Organizational Background

Green America is a national non-profit organization that mobilizes consumers, investors, and businesses to use their economic power to create an environmentally sustainable and socially just economy. We create change in the world with three strategic hubs: 1) Our Consumer Education & Action campaigns create consumer demand that sends signals to the market calling for change, 2) Our Green Business Network is proving that green innovation is not only good for people and our planet, it is also profitable and sustainable, and 3). Our Center for Sustainability Solutions brings together diverse stakeholders along entire supply chains to solve complex sustainability problems that no single business, organization, or leader can solve alone. 

We organize our national network of 250,000+ consumer activists, 2,000 Green Business Network members, and our growing list of corporate and supply chain partners around four core issue areas: 1) Safe Food & Sustainable Agriculture, 2) Clean Energy & Climate Action, 3) Fair Labor & Social Justice, and 4) Responsible Finance & Better Banking. 
 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Accounts Payable

• Process vendor invoices, employee travel reimbursements and other check requests and make payments via check and ACH.
• Insure that there are funds in the appropriate bank account to cover all required vendor payments
• Maintain the vendor file in Intacct including the Tax ID information (W9 or W8) and 1099 status for all vendors.
• Prepare and issue Form 1099 to all appropriate vendors.
• Reconcile the General Ledger Accounts Payable balance with the Accounts Payable sub ledger and Vendor Aging report.
• Maintain AP related forms and update as needed due to changes in the chart of accounts or department codes. 
• Review monthly bank reconciliations, verify that checks clear in a reasonable time frame and perform research as needed.

Payroll

• Enter employee information into the payroll system and process payroll on the scheduled dates.
• Review payroll reports and pay checks/stubs to verify that the payroll was processed accurately.
• Prepare journal entries to record all payroll related activity.
• Setup, process and monitor all payments to payroll related vendors (Metro, retirement, etc.) and tax agencies in a timely and accurate manner.
• Insure that there are funds in the appropriate bank account to cover all required payroll and related payments.
• Reconcile all relevant GL account balances with payroll and related reports.  Insure that all balance sheet and expense accounts match the payroll reports and create subsidiary Excel schedules when needed.

Revenue Journal Entries

• Obtain the necessary transaction source for all revenue related entries (cash based) and make the required journal entries into the accounting system.

Cash Management

• Monitor cash accounts and request transfers between accounts as needed so that payroll, accounts payable and other payments, including checks, ACH and wire transfers are fully funded.
• Prepare any intra-GA cash transfer entries and record in Intacct.
• Assist in the preparation of the monthly bank reconciliations, as needed.

Miscellaneous

• Work with Green America’s external auditors on the annual audit and tax return.
• Ability to work with and maintain confidential and sensitive information.

List of software this position will utilize:

• Intacct Accounting Software
• Paychex
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Online banking
• PayPal
• ACH via vendor sites
• Metro
• Retirement plan vendor

You will be a good fit for this position if:

• You’re well versed in financial concepts.
• You are meticulous as it relates to accuracy, detail and organization, and can work independently as needed in a high-volume environment.
• You recognize that an accounting and finance function in any organization has a responsibility to support other departments so that they can get their work done more efficiently.
• You have a solid understanding of accounting software, online banking, payroll software, and the Microsoft Office suite of software, and how to best use those tools to get the job done.

Qualified Candidates should have:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 3-5 years work experience in each of the job duties listed
• Outstanding references

Hours of Work:

• 9:00 to 5:00, Monday through Thursday, and some evenings and weekends as needed.  No telecommuting.

How to Apply:

Send cover letter and resume to hract@greenamerica.org.

No phone calls, please.

Green America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding: age, class and economic circumstance, ability/disability, physical appearance and body size, race, ethnicity, country of origin or nationality, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation and identity.

Green America values diversity within our staff, fellows, and interns. We believe the diversity of experiences, ideas, individuals, and organizations in our community and the sector makes us stronger. To create a more just and engaged world, we must embrace and celebrate diversity, practice inclusion, and exercise our role as a champion of equity.

View a larger version of the infographic here. 

This is an exciting time in the worlds of sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation, when these two fields have the opportunity to collaborate and reinforce one another. This partnership is in its early stages, and terminology is constantly evolving. Regenerative agriculture is a new term that is still being defined and debated. Green America is proud to be a part of this discussion and stands behind agriculture that builds healthy farmlands, supports farmers and farmworkers, protects local environments, benefits consumers, and contributes to the fight against climate change—regardless of the term used to describe it. The organization recognizes that implementation of these agriculture methods will always be site specific and depend on soil characters, crops grown, and local climates. Green America's long-term goal is agriculture production that is regenerative and meets the USDA organic standard, the best way to achieve this is through the Regenerative Organic Certification. Green America supports all farms reducing chemical inputs and enhancing soil preservation techniques to move closer to those twin goals.   

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—DECEMBER 5, 2017 —Green America today launched the Re(store) It campaign to educate the public and U.S. corporations about the benefits of regenerative agriculture, an approach to farming which uses methods that rejuvenate the soil and trap greenhouse gases. The campaign will educate consumers about the importance of regenerative agriculture and offer ways to support it.

"We are in a farming crisis and we can no longer continue with our current industrialized, chemical-intensive system of agriculture,” said Anna Meyer, the food campaigns director at Green America. “If we want to sustain farming for future generations and reverse climate change, we must save the soil by adopting regenerative practices."

“We have already seen the power of consumer voice to push for more organic and non-GMO products,” said Jes Walton, food campaigns specialist at Green America. “Now it is time for consumers to demand a major shift in our food system and push for the mass adoption of regenerative agriculture, which has the potential for even more widespread benefits."

Regenerative agriculture harnesses the relationships between plants and soil microbes to pull excess carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it in plants and soils where it is a useful nutrient for farmers. These farming methods of storing carbon and re(storing) agricultural soils include: 

• Crop Rotation and Cover Cropping 
• Composting
• Zero to Low Tillage and Mulching
• Planting Perennials and Diverse Crops 

The Re(store) It campaign will release a series of blogs on topics ranging from carbon farming to Christmas Trees, all available at https://www.greenamerica.org/restore-it.  The campaign will help individuals to promote regenerative agriculture in their communities, support farmers who are leaders in restoring soil health, and encourage food companies to support regenerative agriculture through their supply chains.

The Re(store) It campaign builds on Green America’s prior food work, including its GMO Inside campaign, which over the past four years has successfully persuaded a dozen companies – including General Mills, Mars, Pepsi/Sabra – to remove GMOs from their products and move away from toxins in agriculture.

###

ABOUT GREEN AMERICA

Green America is the nation’s leading green economy organization. Founded in 1982, Green America provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to solve today’s social and environmental problems. http://www.GreenAmerica.org

INFOGRAPHIC: Available at https://greenamerica.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/RestoreIt_Infographic.pdf

MEDIA CONTACT: Max Karlin for Green America, (703) 276-3255, or mkarlin@hastingsgroup.com

Local and organic foods have some climate benefits, but choose local, organic, AND regenerative for the greatest impact!

Our food choices are important. They affect our personal health, the wellbeing of farmers and rural communities, and the state of the environment. Increasingly, we’re coming to understand the major impacts food and agriculture have on the most pressing and comprehensive issue of our time—climate change.

As conscious consumers, it can be difficult to navigate and understand the many labels and claims that come with our food. Organic. Regenerative. Local. You may have come across these words in the grocery store, at farmers’ markets, or in restaurants. And—while local and organic are great all-around choices—if you care about solutions to climate change, regenerative organic agriculture* and healthy soils deserve some extra attention.

When talking about the food system, the climate changing greenhouse gases we’re most concerned about are carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Human activities have increased the concentrations of these gases in our atmosphere, where they trap the sun’s heat and change the climate. Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change, but this could be lessened and even reversed with the adoption of organic, regenerative, and local practices.

Organic Agriculture: Great, But We Can Do Better

Organic is an easy place to start, because it has a legal definition with strict requirements. It prohibits the use of synthetic, nitrogen-based fertilizers that require a great deal of energy to produce (with associated carbon dioxide released) and turn into nitrous oxide if not managed correctly.

Organic agriculture diverts methane-producing waste from landfills, converting the waste to rich organic matter through composting. Organic methods may also reduce carbon dioxide emissions that come from transporting chemical inputs to farms, because these methods naturally enrich the soil with on-farm resources and eliminate the need for chemical inputs. The many benefits of organic agriculture have long been recognized, but of particular importance in this era of climate change is the fact that these richer soils are also better at sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.

New research shows that organic soils have the potential to store 26 percent more carbon than soils on conventional farms, resulting in less harmful carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Additional research from the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization found that 40-65 percent of agricultural greenhouse gases could be offset if the world’s farmers switched to organic agriculture.

So, organic clearly has an important role in the fight against climate change, but why isn’t it the end-all, be-all?

It’s a great start, and any conventional agriculture that’s converted to organic agriculture is a step in the right direction. Organic methods help reduce emissions. But, they don’t explicitly focus on climate benefits—that is, the building and protecting of soils and their ability to sequester carbon and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere—which is where the major potential for reversal of climate change lies. Slowing emissions is important, but we’ve reached a point where removing the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere is a priority.

Regenerative Organic Agriculture: Restoring Soils to Reverse Climate Change

In September 2017, several organizations joined together to create certification criteria for regenerative organic agriculture. The criteria use USDA organic requirements as a baseline, meaning they include all the benefits in the organic section above with, an additional focus on animal welfare, treatment of farmworkers, and restoring and protecting soils that act as sinks for carbon dioxide.

Green America’s Center for Sustainability Solutions is convening a carbon farming network that will focus on increasing the acreage under regenerative agricultural production by creating pathways for farmers to move along the spectrum of regenerative practices. The Center is also working throughout the supply chain to develop market support for regenerative agriculture production.

Important soil building practices in regenerative organic agriculture include composting, cover cropping, conservation tilling, planting perennial crops, and intensively managed grazing. Research from the Rodale Institute suggests that a switch to these regenerative methods has the potential to sequester 100 percent of current carbon dioxide emissions with numerous other social, environmental, and climate benefits.

You read that right. 100 percent!

Much of the research focuses on carbon, but the benefits of regenerative organic agriculture extend to other greenhouse gases. Conservation tillage reduces the release of nitrous oxide and methane into the air. Livestock produce less methane when grazed with regenerative methods on high quality pastures. Similarly, less methane and nitrogen dioxide are released from the excessive manure build up that is seen in CAFOs or other confined animal situations, because it is evenly distributed over pastureland in regenerative land management practices.

Local, Regenerative Organic Agriculture: The Best of All Worlds

While it might seem like regenerative organic agriculture is the answer, we have to consider the fact that all these climate benefits are negated if responsibly-grown food is shipped around the world to consumers. Of course, there are many complex elements to consider from field to fork, but local foods generally have a lower carbon footprint and higher nutritional value. So, we’re here to advocate for local, regenerative organic agriculture.

The majority of climate benefits associated with local food come from less transportation and, therefore, less carbon dioxide emitted. So, buying locally grown food limits the shipping distance, but it also reduces the energy and associated emissions that come with refrigeration, storage, and packaging that come with long distances. Local foods are often less processed, which is energy intensive, and the emphasis on seasonal eating has a ripple effect of reducing demand for foods shipped from far away.

It’s imperative to consider climate benefits when making food choices. Let’s make the ultimate goal to buy food that’s grown locally and produced using regenerative organic methods. Not sure how to do that? We encourage you to talk to vendors at farmers’ markets. If you find producers with methods you love, spread the word through your networks on social media or word of mouth. Fill out comment cards at grocery stores and speak directly to managers at food retailers.

Let them know the climate matters to you. 

*This is an exciting time in the worlds of sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation, when these two fields have the opportunity to collaborate and reinforce one another. This partnership is in its early stages, and terminology is constantly evolving. Regenerative agriculture is a new term that is still being defined and debated. Green America is proud to be a part of this discussion and stands behind agriculture that builds healthy farmlands, supports farmers and farmworkers, protects local environments, benefits consumers, and contributes to the fight against climate change—regardless of the term used to describe it. The organization recognizes that implementation of these agriculture methods will always be site specific and depend on soil characters, crops grown, and local climates. Green America's long-term goal is agriculture production that is regenerative and meets the USDA organic standard, the best way to achieve this is through the Regenerative Organic Certification. Green America supports all farms reducing chemical inputs and enhancing soil preservation techniques to move closer to those twin goals.   

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Christmas trees in the United States are a big deal. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 25-30 million are sold every year. Many environmentalists cringe at this thought, but there are lots of options for making this once-a-year practice more sustainable.

Rent a Tree!

Yes, you read that right. Find a local business that grows live potted trees, delivers them to your doorstep, and then picks them up after Christmas. These trees are less of a fire hazard, help your indoor air quality, and drop less of those annoying pine needles everywhere.

Feeling attached to your tree? Don’t worry. Hug away. And, you can rent the same one year after year.

Start a Personal Forest?

Okay, so you’re ready to commit? Then this option might be right for you: you can purchase a live tree with root ball intact. After Christmas, remove the decorations and give the tree a new life outside in your yard or in a nearby forest. You might also consider a non-traditional option, like a fruit tree or other plant that might better compliment your space.

Here’s some guidance around tree planting.

No, I Like the Tradition of a Cut Tree.

That’s okay! As these trees grow on the farm, they release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. You can opt to cut one yourself on National Forest land. The US Forest Service guidelines help ensure that you remove trees in a responsible manner that may even benefit the forest.

Or, visit your local tree farm! Christmas tree farms provide around 100,000 jobs, which is something you can feel good about. Choose organic where you can, so you’re not exposing the environment or your home to toxic chemicals.

After Christmas, make sure to recycle your cut tree at one of 4,000 recycling centers across the country, where it can be turned into mulch or otherwise used in conservation and restoration efforts. Many towns have local pick up service as well.

The Great Christmas Tree Debate: Fake or Real, which is Best?

You might notice that we didn’t include artificial trees in our list of sustainable options.

There are many reasons for this. Artificial trees are made from petroleum-based products and many contain chemicals that are harmful during production, in your home, and after they’re discarded. 85 percent of these trees are imported from China, so their carbon footprint is quite large. And, while many point to the long-life of these trees, consumers only keep them for an average of 6 years before they are sent to spend eternity in a landfill, where they have many negative impacts. If you’re interested in an artificial tree, see if you can rescue a used one!

Why do we support real Christmas trees as a more environmental option? Well, their climate impact is one major reason. Like all plants, Christmas trees grow by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air; this carbon makes up around half of the tree’s dry weight. So, these trees spend their average lifespan of 7 years providing this service, and they are ultimately biodegradable. When you buy a real Christmas tree from a farm, it’s a crop grown specifically for this purpose, oftentimes on soil that can’t support other agriculture. And, while it’s growing, it may be preserving green space and habitats.

Research shows that the amount of carbon dioxide released from an artificial tree’s life cycle is around 18 pounds per year (based on its average 6 years of use), whereas a real tree releases around 7 pounds (if the tree is incinerated after use).

Note that when a tree is burned or otherwise allowed to decompose, the tree’s carbon is released back into the air—a major reason why we advocate for real trees that live past the holiday season.

Bonus, there IS a Regenerative Option!

Check out this Christmas tree farm that uses regenerative methods. These farmers are coppicing trees to produce a new Christmas tree every decade on rootstocks that have been around since the 1950s! Less disturbance of the soils means more carbon sequestered or drawn out of the atmosphere, so you can feel great about the climate benefits of this option. This is our #1 recommendation for the greenest possible Christmas trees, but only those near the Massachusetts farm may really be able to benefit.

Maggie’s Organics began in 1992, when an organic blue-corn farmer inadvertently taught us the ‘true cost’ of conventional cotton growing. Once we learned that cotton is the second most pesticide-laden crop on Earth, responsible for 10 percent of the world’s pesticide consumption, and nearly 25 percent of the earth’s insecticides, we knew we had to find a different path.

Having no business models to follow, we took our newly harvested organic cotton to various US mills, and quickly realized that the pesticides were only the tip of a confusing, convoluted and chemical-laden supply chain that included heavy metal dyestuffs, formaldehyde, and disenfranchised piece-paid workers.

We set our sights on changing the apparel industry by creating basic, comfortable, durable and affordable clothing while treating both the earth and all human resources with dignity and respect.

Twenty-one years and many successes, failures, awards, and tears later, today our line of socks, tights, leggings, scarves, hairware and apparel are made from organic wool and organic cotton grown by close to 3000 family farmers, and are produced by three supply chains that include worker-owned cooperatives, family-owned and -operated U.S. sock mills, and long-term relationships (more below).

We are thrilled to be nominated for this award, as Green America's members and staff have played such a key role in our growth and success. Green America has always been there: connecting us to like-minded creative business leaders, serving as our sounding board when we could see only failure, challenging us to keep going when obstacles seemed insurmountable, inspiring us to connect with consumers who really do care.

If chosen for this award, we will dedicate the funds to bringing more of our cooperative producers to meet and interact with our customers, through seminars and educational events. It is our belief that this connection can truly change the world.

http://www.maggiesorganics.com/

Bio-Beetle was the very first to rent out 100-percent biodiesel cars and offer the most eco-friendly cars into the rental world. Ethical living and sustainability is our driving force. Shaun Stenshol and Pamela Miedtke-Wolf started Bio-Beetle in 2003, with the idea of showing people that green options are available, today. If someone needs to drive, they can reduce their fossil fuel use and help make a difference.

"We live by our beliefs and we will only do business in the same way," says Pamela. "We rent the most eco-friendly cars available in Maui -- biodiesel, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and 100-percent electric. But more than just green cars, we strive to make everything about the company green while doing as much for our renters, as for the planet."

Bio-Beetle began with one biodiesel car, fueled with sustainable biodiesel made on Maui from recycled cooking oil. After adding several more biodiesel cars over the years (Beetles, Golfs, Jettas, a Jeep Liberty), Bio-Beetle added the most fuel-efficient hybrid they could get, a Toyota Prius, and most recently the gas/electric Chevy Volt, and 100-percent electric Nissan Leaf.

Renting a car from Bio-Beetle is not all that different from renting from the other guys, the prices are comparable, and in most cases renters will get picked up curbside at the airport, or cars can be delivered elsewhere on the island of Maui. But you also deal with a real person, meaning better customer service and a more personable atmosphere. 
In the cars, Bio-Beetle uses Earth-friendly coolants, synthetic engine oil, and nontoxic cleaners, which are okay for individuals with chemical sensitivity.

Bio-Beetle also lends out, for free, coolers, boogie boards, beach accessories, reusable shopping bags, local hiking books, etc., to help reduce needless consumerism, particularly of throwaway items that hurt the planet, making our renters' trips more economical and eco-friendly.

Bio-Beetle is a big believer in the concept of "reduce/reuse/recycle/repurpose," always using 100-percent recycled or tree-free paper in the office, organic cotton or resale clothes, and recycled items when available. Bio-Beetle logo shirts were made in the USA with organic cotton grown in the USA. Plus we encourage renters to bring in the recyclables they accumulate during their Maui stay and choose other eco-travel options when available.

Shaun and Pam truly believe in zero waste. Besides renting cars, they also own and operate a recycling company, they live off-grid, with solar energy, and a rainwater catchment. They're vegan, and grow a lot of their own food. Plus they created a cat sanctuary for around 100 homeless cats that had nowhere else to go.

" We believe it is important to know where your money goes," says Pam. "Just because you might be able to rent a hybrid now, from another rental company, for example, what does your money support? It matters! We’re trying to give people who come to Maui the greenest options available. Thank you Green America, for choosing us as a finalist, in the People & Planet awards, and for the opportunity to share what we are doing. If Bio-Beetle is awarded the $5,000, we will use it to help add another car to the fleet, plus help pay for cat food!"

Agriculture and crop production rely on photosynthesis to combine sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide for plant growth. This carbon dioxide is pulled from the air—a process known as sequestration—and used to build plant matter, roots, and soil.  

Regenerative agriculture* focuses on keeping this carbon out of the air, where it acts as a greenhouse-warming gas, and using it as a fertilizer in the soil. It also aims to keep carbon that originated from the soil in place. The practices that help keep carbon underground include: zero to low tillage, mulching, cover cropping, crop rotation, composting, planting perennials and diverse crops, and managed grazing.  

These methods limit or reduce the disturbance of fields and pastures, so soil carbon isn’t exposed to the air and oxidized into carbon dioxide. The methods also focus on keeping the delicate soil communities healthy and protected by covering the soil, feeding it rich organic matter at many depths, and avoiding the use of harmful chemicals like pesticides and herbicides.  

Download the PDF of the infographic here. Want more details? View the infographic sources here. 

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Explore Maui’s road to Hāna, Haleakalā National Park, Iao Valley, Upcountry Maui, Makawao and more on one of our 3 Maui tours. Experience a majestic Haleakalā sunrise or journey down the road to Hāna to find a black sand beach, waterfalls and incredible coastal vistas. Mauiʻs mountains are on full display during our Volcanoes of Maui tour, visit the spectacular Iao Valley & Summit of Haleakalā  in our custom passenger cruisers, that are built for Mauiʻs roads so you can see it all totally relaxed and stress-free. Comfortably walk-into our industry leading wide captain seats and oversized viewing windows. We make sure a day with Valley Isle Excursions’ Certified, expert tour guides is your best day on Maui. Learn more at tourmaui.com