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Starting a garden can seem like a daunting prospect, but like anything, you start with just one step. We asked Climate Victory Gardeners to share what they wish they knew when they started to inspire your journey—their answers are surprisingly simple.

On Taking Care of Soil:

“It’s all about the soil, not just the soil, but the life in the soil. So we’re always cultivating the life in the soil because there’s an ecosystem below ground that supports the ecosystem above ground.”    —Nicky Schauder, Permaculture Gardens {GBN} 

"I wish I had known that keeping the soil covered with dead stuff, especially tree leaves or grass clippings, would feed the earthworms who would drag the material underground to feed the myriad other soil creatures: mites, bacteria, fungi, and more. My organic layer was only four inches deep when I started. Now, 28 years later, it’s more than a foot deep!"    —Ah-li Monahan, Climate Victory Gardener 

"I wish I would have known that the whole city was built on sand. The city of Gary is built on the sand. I wish I would have known what I was dealing with before."    —Aja Yasir, Climate Victory Gardener

"I wish I had understood just how important good soil is! For the last two years, 80 percent of my garden budget is being spent on compost, soil conditioner, beneficial nematodes, etc. It’s making ALL the difference!"    —Holly Chesley Annibale, Climate Victory Gardener

On Listening to Nature:

“I started gardening a while back, so I only learned about the need to preserve heirloom vegetables and plant native plants over the years. It would have saved me from false starts if I had known that at the beginning.”         —Chuck Quigley, Climate Victory Gardener 

"I wish I’d known how important it is to track the sun in your garden spot at different times of the year, not just in the day one plants the garden. Also, gauge how the trees grow around your garden area. I had a perfect spot for my greenhouse. Five years later, it’s in the shadow of my neighbors’ growing trees."         —Kim Kuncl Arellano, Climate Victory Gardener

"I wish I would have taken the personal limitation of [having or not having] a green thumb out of the equation. Food is incredibly easy to grow. And you just have to be patient. The seeds knows what it needs to do without us who over-complicate things."        —Jessika Greendeer, Little Sky’s Farm

On Letting Go of Stress:

“I wish I knew how therapeutic it was. It was surprisingly relieving to be able to work outside and look up at the sun and down at the green grass or the green vegetables that are growing and to touch dirt. It was really good for me mental health-wise.”        —Antoinette Lewis, Lewis Farms 

“Have faith in the process. Just plant the seed, give it some water and sun, and watch it grow and see what happens. And then correct yourself the next year.”                —Linda Black Elk, ethnobotanist
 

As the last of the snow thaws in western Michigan, cherry trees herald the return of spring with a bold display of pink and white blossoms. Some see this spectacle as a unique photo opportunity, but Gabrielle Cerberville sees a seasonal vegan treat. 

Cerberville is a graduate student at Western Michigan University on the weekdays and a forager on the weekends. Foraging is the process of finding, identifying, and collecting edible flora and other food resources in the wild. It requires a proficiency in recognizing plant species to determine what discoveries are suitable to eat and what are inedible. 

Foraging Together While Apart

Cerberville is one of several foragers that have grown a community on TikTok, where she shares quick videos about hunting morels, brewing lemonade from sumac berries, and making ramp salt. In one of her videos, she picks a handful of petals from pink cherry blossoms and turns them into a traditional Japanese candy called kohakuto, taking viewers with her from harvesting, to cooking, and eating.

Cerberville started the account under the username @chaoticforager in the spring of 2020 and has since grown a following of 270 thousand and growing. Initially, the account acted as a fun video journal, but soon followers started asking about how to find wild food themselves.

@chaoticforager

Cherry blossom kohakutou! @thecoldestwater #thecoldestwater #foraging #foragingtiktok #ad #learnontiktok #veganrecipes #vegancandy #wildfood #flowers

♬ Rivendell - Howard Shore

“I think foraging connects you to a place and time in a way that few other things do,” says Cerberville. “I wanted other people to experience the joy of walking outside and being surrounded by familiar plant and fungal friends. I also think that the foraging community often looks very white and very male, and as a queer Latina woman I wanted to show more representation.”

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization warned that protectionist measures by national governments could lead to food shortages worldwide. While many people turned to gardening to supplement their food supply and keep busy during the first rounds of lockdown, some turned to wild food. In a July 2020 Civil Eats survey, ten foraging educators and advocates observed between a 25 percent and 500 percent increase in traffic to their websites and classes.

The newfound excitement for foraging is a reason for celebration as more people reconnect with their natural environment. And as more people venture outdoors, harvesting sustainably must be emphasized to avoid overextraction.

Connecting with the Earth

Linda Black Elk is a lifelong forager and teaches foraging and other lessons in food as the food sovereignty coordinator at the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North Dakota. Her experience is informed by learnings from her grandmother, a descendant of several Indigenous tribes in the eastern US, her mother, whose central and east Asian perspectives have taught her about plants as medicine, and her husband and children from the Cheyenne River Reservation and the Standing Rock Reservation. Harvesting sustainably is important to Black Elk because Indigenous peoples have a deep and storied relationship with the land.

“It’s not just a fun hobby to us. This is literally our life,” says Black Elk. “This is the stuff that sustains us and has sustained our ancestors. We look at this stuff as the food that feeds us spiritually as well as physically. So, if people are going to go out there, all we ask is that they do it in a respectful way.”

Black Elk says that before anyone gets started in foraging, they should build a relationship with the natural world. She uses stinging nettles as an analogy for maintaining friendships with other people.

“You have to harvest them in a way that is respectful, otherwise they’re going to sting you pretty badly,” she says. “Once you start thinking of plants as your relatives, as your friends and your allies, you really gain a new respect for them, and it just wouldn’t occur to you to overharvest.”

Black Elk recommends learning only five plants at first and learning them well enough to identify by season. Otherwise, newbie foragers can overwhelm themselves and make mistakes that could hurt themselves and the plants.

Yet, foraging is more than just finding delicious things to eat. Casual foragers can learn the survival skills to handle persistent issues like food insecurity in the US. Cerberville started foraging more often during college when money was tight and the Black Elk family gets up to 40 to 50 percent of their food from wild sources, gardening and by trading with others.

Black Elk is most excited for potential foragers to build a stronger relationship with the natural world. Understanding the interconnectedness of plants, animals, and humans is a large part of the practice.

“My grandmother said to me once that you’re not home if you don’t know the plants,” says Black Elk. “Getting to know them and really feeling at home, feeling connected to a place, is really important.” 

How To Forage Sustainably

Abundance does not equal sustainability. Just because there is a lot of something, does not mean it should be gathered. It is best to pick a little so that the plant can repopulate next year. A rule of thumb is to harvest no more than 25 percent, but it is often better to do much less—as more foragers and animals eat from the same plant, the less likely it is for the plant to come back next year. 

Know what dish you are preparing before foraging. Having this information beforehand will prevent accidental overharvesting or gathering the wrong parts of the plant. 

Collaborate with foraging friends. Sharing and trading with others reduces waste and the likelihood of overharvesting from the same foraging spots. 

Study which invasive plants are edible. Invasive plants can be picked in abundance because they have no trouble repopulating and often choke out native plant species. 

Study the plants you intend to forage—understand how they repopulate, the purpose of each part of the plant in its lifecycle and in your recipes, and its natural history. The deeper your knowledge, the less likely you will be to gather more than you intended. 

Eco-friendly lawns are patches of green space that have the potential to promote clean air, carbon sequestration, and serve as pollinator havens, but only when we abstain from unsustainable products and practices. As you nurture your backyard, watch out for these everyday climate culprits.

1. Lawnmowers 

Lawnmowers are mini tractors packing powerful polluting potential. A gas-powered lawn mower emits 11 times more pollution in an hour than driving a new car for the same amount of time, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to reports from the EPA, running a gas-powered mower for just an hour would be equal to driving a Toyota Camry for five hours. For a leaf blower, an hour of use is equal to a 15-hour drive. That's because many gas-powered models of these machines run on dirty two-stroke engines. 

Swap it:

Whenever possible, it’s best to use people-power over mechanization because of greenhouse gas emissions, and this goes for other machines like aerators, weed whackers, leaf blowers, and the like. Try a low-maintenance push mower for around $100. Plug in electric mowers can be found for under $200—or share the cost and use of a more decked-out style with a neighbor.

An even better option is to let your backyard grow into a Climate Victory Garden or meadow.

2. Peat 

Peat is partially decomposed organic plant material clumped together in spongy form. Peat is the earliest stage of coal formation and when burned it releases energy, which technically makes it a fossil fuel. Peat is a common component in store-bought soil mixes, for use in gardens and with potted plants.

“Peat bogs are one of the largest carbon sinks we have on this planet and harvesting peat moss from century-old bogs releases carbon back into the atmosphere. Recapturing that released carbon, even with re-seeding efforts, won’t happen in our lifetime,” says Charis Smith, Green America’s climate and agriculture networks program manager. 

Swap it: 

While some gardeners and indoor plant enthusiasts struggle to quit peat because of how well it absorbs water, Smith notes that peat does not do anything critical for plant life. Instead, use alternatives like coconut coir and recycled paper fibers.

Compost also builds soil organic matter which vastly improves soil’s ability to retain water. Read about six popular composting options, and then get started with how, and what, to compost.

3. Fire Pits 

You can have a cozy fire to gather around without the problems of burning wood, which releases carbon into atmosphere and it can have severely negative health effects. Burning wood releases pollution in the forms of CO2, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and toxic volatile organic compounds. Older adults, and those with heart or lung diseases can be particularly sensitive to that pollution, according to the EPA. 

The EPA recommends natural gas or propane burners, but those are not truly green, as the drilling and infrastructure to extract them creates methane emissions, which is 28 times more potent of a greenhouse gas than CO2. 

Swap it: 

Educated consumers have increased demand for eco-friendly burning options, which have lead to alternatives made from compressed sawdust waste, compressed cardboard, and even coffee grounds. These options are dryer than wood and burn hotter and longer. They are greener than burning a log in that they are reducing landfill waste, but the wood-based options still emit the same air pollutants as burning a log. Be sure to check that the alternative fuel you buy is recommended for fire pits, as some are only recommended for wood-burning or multi-fuel stoves.

4. Artificial Grass 

For anyone with friends or family still clinging to their artificial turf, this is the summer to help them go green. Sellers of artificial turf often laud its eco-benefits like the elimination of over-watering, fertilizers, and pesticides, but these would not be in a healthy yard anyway. Turfs are made out of plastic like polypropylene, which is non-biodegradable. That means, at the end of its “life,” turf will end up in a landfill. Turf may seem desirable for people in hot climates, but it can get hot, too—30-50 degrees hotter than air temperature, so it might feel more like hot concrete or beach sand under your toes. Artificial grass used at the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada was even measured to be too hot for athletic use, even with shoes. 

Artificial turfs rob insects and pollinators of a natural ecosystem and perhaps most concerning, there is no room for soil underneath layers of plastic to breathe. That means there are few, if any, living insects, bacteria, and other organisms maintaining the soil’s structure, meaning there’s also no carbon sequestration. As long as people, animals, and other living things need to eat, soil will be the foundation for our livelihood, and it must be protected. 

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See baby steps, big steps, and giant steps you can take to create a more sustainable outdoor space at your home in Lawn vs. Garden: How To Stand Up To Your HOA For A Healthier Yard. 

5. Impermeable Surfaces

Impervious surfaces like sidewalks, patios, paved roads, rooftops, and even some very compacted soils can pose serious problems for the environment. These tough surfaces prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground and slowly flowing into local waterways. Instead, water flows rapidly into storm drains and streams, often bringing sediment and pollutants like fertilizers and oil with it into aquatic ecosystems. Heavier storms, which are increasing as a result of the climate crisis, can cause dangerous levels of flooding in communities with poor stormwater management. 

Flooding and erosion of stream banks can damage hundreds of miles of habitat. A sudden increase in volume mixed with pollutants can drive down water quality and displace organisms in the water. The EPA reports that polluted runoff is one of the greatest threats to clean water across the country. 

Swap it:

Use porous surfaces like gravel and explore installing a rain garden or rain barrel to help stormwater flow. If you’re doing a patio or driveway, ask your contractor about permeable pavers, which have a similar look to paved surfaces but let water reach the ground below. Also, make sure your gutter spouts are directed to grass or gravel instead of impervious surfaces. 

If you're ready to get rid of your lawn entirely, or even just partially, consider turning your lawn into a meadow or a Climate Victory Garden!

Whether it is a beach, mountain trail, campsite, or local park, being in a green space has the power to nurture human health. Spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature can lower risks for cardiovascular disease, mental distress, and myopia among children according to an article published in the 2019 issue of Nature. Simply, living near green spaces reduces the risk for mortality, according to a 2019 Lancet Planetary Health study. But for those who live in urban and industrialized environments, finding these spaces isn’t easy. 

Green Spaces for Environmental Justice 

Parks serving majority low-income households are four times more crowded than parks in wealthy neighborhoods, according to a 2020 study by the Trust for Public Land. Communities of color are three times as likely to live in nature-deprived areas as white Americans, according to a 2020 study by the Center for American Progress and Hispanic Access Foundation. In pursuit of greater access to urban green spaces, groups across the country are leading transformative green space projects that will allow everyone to reap the benefits of being in nature. 

“The environmental justice, systemic racism, and socioeconomic issues that come with this work are so big that the way we feel that we’re most effective is to work with one community group at a time and address those pressing needs,” says Cindy Chang, executive director of the nonprofit organization Groundwork Denver. 

Founded in 2002, the organization specializes in neighborhood-based projects that improve Denver’s urban environment. One of its most recent is the creation of Platte Farm Open Space. Completed in August 2020, the 5.5 acre park is a brownfield-to-green space remediation project featuring native plants, walking trails, and playgrounds.

The park is located in the city’s northern Globeville neighborhood—an area where 24 percent of families were living in poverty in 2017 according to the Piton Foundation. 
A brownfield is defined by the EPA as a previously developed land not currently in use that may potentially be contaminated. In this case, in the 1880s, the mining company Asarco moved in and opened a plant which contaminated the land with chemicals. In 1983, Colorado filed a Natural Resources Damages suit under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the federal Superfund law, that designates sites that are hazardous to human and environmental health. Now that it has been remediated, replete with clean soil, prairie grass, and a retention pond to help with frequent flooding in the area, the park is promoting both human and environmental health. 

Healthy Parks, Healthier People 

Platte Farm Open Space is a project promoting both sustainability and justice as nature begins to thrive again in the area. 

The same is true for the Browns Mill Food Forest in Atlanta; with seven acres of land, it boasts the largest food forest in the country. Food forests are gardens designed to mimic nature by including a wide variety of edible plants that grow in a layered design. Through partnerships with the city of Atlanta and nonprofits the Conservation Fund and Trees Atlanta, the project started in 2016 in pursuit of the mayor office’s goal of having 85 percent of residents being within a half mile of fresh affordable food by 2022. Browns Mill, the neighborhood where the park is located is USDA-identified food desert and its surrounding forest was at risk for development. 

To meet community needs, Atlanta’s office of resilience, which handles environmental issues, and Conservation Fund created a steering committee which included residents, high school volunteers, and local organizations like Trees Atlanta which provides community education through park tours and Park Pride, which leads the community garden within the food forest. 

“One of the biggest concerns we heard from the community was about displacement. At the earliest phase, we wanted to acknowledge the possibility that having something like a food forest could raise rents, or increase property values,” says Shelby Buso, chief sustainability officer for Atlanta’s office of resilience. “By selecting a site where most of the houses were owner occupied, the hope was that if property values rise, those that actually live there would receive that benefit.” 

The land where Browns Mill Food Forest is located was once a family farm and with Atlanta being aptly called the “city in the forest,” organizers are intentionally using the space for both growing food and local environmental education. 

“It’s wonderful to have a site that has a connection to an agrarian legacy, and we want to continue it. The forest is a seven-layer permaculture design that includes a canopy level, mushrooms, shrubs, vines, perennial plants, herbs, soil amendments, and many layers within each level,” says J. Olu Baiyewu, urban agriculture director at Atlanta’s office of resilience. 

The park also has an on-site composting system for gardeners and a community collection program where families can bring fresh food scraps to be made into compost that further enriches Browns Mill Food Forest. 

An Urban Parks Movement 

With such projects, cities like Denver and Atlanta are helping citizens create new connections to the natural world, but there’s still much work to be done around the country. Almost 80 percent Americans live in urban areas, according to City Park Alliance (CPA), and the nonprofit is advocating for the growth of more parks to meet the health needs of both communities and the planet. 

CPA aims to harness the power of public officials, research institutions, design professionals, and recreational experts by creating a network of civic leaders working together to create park access, explains Catherine Nagel, CPA’s executive director. During the summer, the organization will host a virtual conference and workshop series focusing on collaborative models for park creation. 

“Parks and recreation departments have stepped into the role of emergency service providers using green spaces for hospital sites, vaccinations, and food distribution,” says Nagel. “When it comes to the planet, the potential for urban parks to fight climate change is enormous because they provide flexible and multi-functional infrastructure that cities can rely on.”

Jessika Greendeer says the key to farming is getting along with her coworkers. She’s not talking about people. She means the animals, the living soils, and the plants that coexist on the land she works. As a farmer, she doesn’t see herself as in charge of the land, just as a steward of it. The way she manages her farm—regenerative agriculture—is gaining popularity, but for Greendeer and other Native Americans, its practices are traditional.

Greendeer, who is a Ho-Chunk Nation tribal member from Baraboo, Wisconsin, currently works as a farm manager and seed-keeper on the Native-led Dream of Wild Health Farm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grows in her micro-farm in Hudson, Wisconsin, named “Little Sky’s Farm.” Though Greendeer uses the word “regenerative” when describing her farming practices, she and other Native growers are using it as a buzzword while practicing farming from an Indigenous perspective. That perspective comes from a history of not using heavy equipment and the humans in the system recognize they are stewards, not controllers, of the land. 

The regenerative agriculture movement has been growing quickly for about a decade as scientists realized soil health is critical to climate change mitigation. But climate change has been largely perpetuated by the wasteful emissions of white Westerners, with the US historically creating the most emissions in the world, despite making up only about four percent of the world’s population. 

Decolonizing Regenerative Agriculture Means Including All Beings 

In the same way white people came to North America and seized control of the land, forcing Indigenous people to assimilate or die, colonization also affected agriculture practices. 

The opposite of regenerative agriculture is conventional agriculture—which involves fields of only one crop, spraying pesticides, and separating animals into crowded feed lots. These conditions became the norm with the industrialization of agriculture—which happened in waves, the first when humankind shifted from hunter-gatherers to agricultural society, the second during the mechanization of agriculture, and the third during the “green revolution” of the 1950s and 60s when chemical pesticides and fertilizers were introduced. 

Every revolution, including the fourth and current wave of regenerative agriculture, has left out Indigenous communities, according to A-dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa), the director of programs for Native agriculture and food systems at the First Nations Development Institute. 

Decolonizing regenerative agriculture means recognizing and restoring Indigenous food practices, which focus on the health of the entire ecosystem, instead of using regenerative practices to mitigate negative outcomes of conventional agriculture.

“We’re expecting so much of our producers, but we’re forgetting that our producers are a part of the system. Nature shows us that the more stress an animal or a being experiences in a system, the less ability they have to fight off those external pressures whether it be disease, or in this case when we’re talking about humans; depression, suicide, foreclosure, or bankruptcy,” says Kelsey Ducheneaux-Scott (Itazipco Lakota of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe), who is a regenerative rancher and the director of programs at the Intertribal Agriculture Council. “These are all things that most producers in our industry currently are facing and that’s an indication of the system not being healthy.”

Romero-Briones explains that agriculture was used to suppress and “civilize” Native people, because Indigenous people had their own way of stewarding their lands. These practices included stewarding bison for Native Nations in the Great Plains, and planting seeds along commonly traveled routes for other nomadic tribes, to be able to harvest upon returning months or years later. There is also a great reliance and reverence for versatile and hardy species of corn, beans, and squash. But at some point, the systems blended, which she explains as “syncretism,” an amalgamation of two different things that become more than the sum of their parts.

“There’s so many Indigenous people who are both practicing Indigenous identity and agriculture, but creating these whole new ways of existing, growing, and producing foods. That’s really quite dynamic,” says Romero-Briones. “And that’s the idea behind whatever I’m hoping ‘regenerative agriculture’ will become.”

Food Sovereignty and the Pandemic

Sovereignty means having your own power to govern—Native Americans have been advocating for sovereignty of their own people since it was taken from them by colonists and the US government. 

Food sovereignty is another goal of many Native Americans. While Native people fed themselves for thousands of years before the US was colonized, because of genocide, displacement, and continued lack of financial support, Native foodways have been suppressed. This means Native people living on reservations or in urban communities too often experience food insecurity or food apartheid. 

True regenerative farming enhances food sovereignty because it gives back to the same communities it uses resources from, according to Ducheneaux-Scott, who owns DX Beef, located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. 

At the start of the US covid-19 outbreak, even when there had been no reported cases of covid-19 in South Dakota, grocery store shelves on the reservation were already empty because of reliance on grocery store goods being shipped largely from the coasts. Other grocers, off the reservation, still had food on the shelves at that time, Ducheneaux-Scott says.

For food sovereignty to exist on the reservation in South Dakota, Ducheneaux-Scott says, it will take farmers who want to educate as well as customers who want to learn, or who already know, the benefits of buying local regenerative food.

“I can exploit that I have a Native-owned, female-owned food business and I can be exporting 100 percent of my product to the cities and be making three times what current beef prices locally are, because there’s demand from that informed consumer group,” says Ducheneaux-Scott. “But is that really being regenerative and giving back to my local community whose resources I am using in order to derive this profit or is it exploiting it just the same as our conventional row crop production?” 

For that reason, she sells 90 percent of DX Beef products on the reservation, but says customers are often forced to buy what has the longest shelf life because access to local and fresh foods is limited. 

“I feel like as a regenerative operator, I’m contributing to enhancing access to local healthy, quality food to the humans of the system that I work to serve.”

Building Resources from the Ground, Up

In Portland, Oregon, Roberta Eaglehorse-Ortiz (Oglala Lakota/Yomba Shoshone) saw an offer to use a small outdoor space owned by the Portland Food Bank and developed the idea of a garden teeming with traditional and medicinal plants. Though she had no gardening experience, as a doula and lactation specialist who had directed the Oregon Inter-Tribal Breastfeeding Coalition, she was eager to build resources for Indigenous families in the area. Portland is home to over 50,000 Native American people due to Oregon reservation lands being “terminated” by Congress in the 1950s.

Since its start in 2015, the Wombyn’s Wellness Garden is thriving with a wide variety of different plants and with the help of community volunteers and students from Oregon State University. Breastfeeding support for Native communities is also related to the movement for food sovereignty. 

“Our first food is breast milk for all human babies. That’s what we need,” says Eaglehorse-Ortiz. “We also have to nourish the families to grow healthy babies to have healthy recovery. And what better foods is that then traditional foods, Native foods? So that’s what guided me there. And then the seeds just started coming.”

Passing on Seeds and Practices

Seeds are particularly important to Indigenous people as a symbol of life. A-dae Romero-Briones explains that seeds are revered—because entire civilizations depended on a single crop, like corn, for many Native nations on the North and South American continents. 

In commercial agriculture, seeds are a commodity that can be manipulated, and they have greater value when made infertile, she explains. 

“[Commercial seed] has the most value when it’s infertile and can be completely controlled by man,” says Romero-Briones. “That should be the prime example of the two different perspectives on food. You can’t commodify this [seed], the giver of life. But in [industrial] agriculture, everything is commodified, which sucks the life out of the whole system.”

Eaglehorse-Ortiz and Greendeer also have inherited or been gifted seeds, and those seeds serve as a connection to past generations. 

“What motivates me is not only reconnecting with my ancestral seeds, but also helping other people do the same. Everything that I do grow, I've been gifted, or I have a relationship with it,” says Greendeer. “It’s not just a winter squash, it’s this tribal squash with this type of story. It’s not just an item, but it’s more, it’s something that we can all get deeply connected to.”

"You can’t commodify this [seed], the giver of life. But in [industrial] agriculture, everything is commodified, which sucks the life out of the whole system." —A-dae Romero-Briones, First Nations Development Institute

Apply Decolonizing to Your Life: 

Learn about whose land you’re on. If you’re a US reader, most likely you’re on the land of one or more tribes who stewarded the soil, plants, and animals before they were violently pushed out by colonists and settlers. Learn about whose land you’re on at native-land.ca.

Support Native growers. After identifying whose land you’re on, find Native communities that are likely still there tending to the Earth. Support local Indigenous growers by seeking them out or buying from them at the farmer’s market. You can also find a national map of Native producers in the American Indian Foods Program.

Learn about your own food history. Greendeer emphasizes that with so many commercial crops, we are all likely to be removed from the seeds that nourished our ancestors. She recommends doing some research on what your grandmother’s grandmother may have eaten and to find those seeds and grow them. “Make sure future generations can be nourished by the same food,” she says.

In 2018, Dewayne Johnson, a groundskeeper for a school district in the San Francisco Bay Area, filed a lawsuit against Monsanto, claiming that exposure to the common weed killer caused him to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The jury ruled in Johnson’s favor in the first of many trials filed against Monsanto for failing to inform the public of carcinogens in Roundup, costing the company more than $11 billion in settlements.

These lawsuits are a symptom of the bigger controversies of conventional agriculture, which relies on synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Compared to natural alternatives, synthetic versions are often formulated in a lab to be super-potent concentrations. Glyphosate, the synthetic weed- and pest-killing component in Roundup, is credited as the cause of cancer in Monsanto’s costly litigations. 

Synthetic herbicides are one of several chemical additives sprayed on crop fields, gardens, and green public spaces across the nation. These chemicals are used in tandem with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides—and such strong concoctions have considerable consequences for the environment and human health.

The Toxic Reality of Synthetics

Nitrogen is a foundational nutrient that plants need and is the most abundant element in Earth’s atmosphere. Yet nitrogen in the soil, known as nitrate, has become scarce because of industrial agriculture practices. Replenishing nitrate was a constant challenge for farmers until the invention of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer at the turn of the 20th century, which provides nutrients to the plants almost immediately. 

Seth Watkins of Pinhook Farms raises beef cattle in Iowa using regenerative farming practices. He spent years as an industrial livestock farmer before transitioning to methods more in sync with nature. 

“When you’re trying to increase yield, nitrogen is pretty cheap insurance, and there’s no question when you dump it on, you’re going to raise a bunch of crop,” Watkins says. “I think that the problem with it is that it makes us almost overlook the negative. What we don’t take into consideration is the number of impacts it has.” 

“The nurse just looked at me and said, ‘Mr. Watkins, we see that you farm for a living—where do you get your water?’”
—Seth Watkins, Pinhook Farms

Those negative impacts have considerable consequences for environmental and human health. Nitrate-rich fertilizers that leach into groundwater result in nutrient pollution that cause massive algal growth in waterways. Once the algae die, its decomposition consumes oxygen, thereby suffocating and killing other aquatic life. Additionally, synthetic fertilizers release nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Nitrate that finds its way into human drinking water by leaching into groundwater or running off into reservoirs can have significant negative health effects. 

Watkins understands this firsthand. His son Spencer was born in 2001 with a rare syndrome called 49XY, which results in cognitive and physical disabilities. Though 49XY is not heritable, when Watkins and his wife went through genetic testing, they were told that Spencer’s birth defect may have been a fluke. When their daughter Tatum was born a few years later with an abdominal wall defect, doctors knew something wasn’t right.

“The team was reviewing our records, and they’re saying, ‘you guys have done everything right, you’re a healthy family,’” Watkins recalls. “This shouldn’t happen twice. The nurse just looked at me, and said, ‘Mr. Watkins, we see that you farm for a living—where do you get your water?’”

Watkins’ drinking water came from a public municipality. He found out that it contained elevated levels of nitrate, which is related to health complications in babies. The water also contained atrazine, a chemical component in herbicide, which can cause developmental defects in fetuses when the mother is exposed. Watkins didn’t use these chemicals on his own farm, but they were in his water, nonetheless.

“I can’t change the farming practices that led to this, but now we know better,” says Watkins. “Tatum’s doing great, and Spencer and I are going to get a chicken tractor next week. He’s going to raise some chickens and sell some eggs, and Tatum is an incredibly talented young woman that wants to study medicine.”

Regenerating Relationships with the Earth

In the 1940s, the organic food movement started as a counter to the increased reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. At the turn of the 21st century, a regenerative movement started in response to the development of genetically engineered crops designed to work in tandem with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. 

Antoinette Lewis grows and sells produce from her suburban home in the Chicago suburbs, which she calls Lewis Farms, and educates others about the benefits of farming. She felt a pull to start growing her own food when she learned about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the problems with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Initially, Lewis would regrow kitchen scraps like lettuce and spring onions, and participated in her apartment’s community garden and at her mother’s house. Eventually she saved up to buy a home on 1.8 acres to be able to farm at the scale she wanted. 

Lewis did not have a background in agriculture when she started, and as an African American person, she had her Southern grandparents in her ear telling her not to return to farming. Yet as an Army veteran, Lewis found gardening therapeutic and preferred growing food she knew was genetically unaltered and free of synthetics. 

Lewis and Watkins are both part of Green America’s Soil and Climate Alliance, a network that brings together farmers, food companies, retailers, soil scientists, NGOs, policy experts, and investors to scale equitable solutions for soil health, biodiversity, water, climate, and rural prosperity.

“Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are poisoning the planet and our bodies,” Lewis says. “They work together in tearing things down in a way where you need the other one.”

Lewis incorporates organic and regenerative practices into her farm, with her focus on managing the land without harsh chemicals to prioritize the health of microbes in the soil. She also works with local nonprofits to introduce people to growing food with limited space. Lewis believes that one of the solutions to climate change is having more urban farmers in the general population.

 “It takes a change in mindset, especially from my demographic being from up north with grandparents who feel like they escaped the South,” Lewis says. “That created a mentality where farming isn’t really an option—and I’m trying to change that. Because while there’s a palpable connection to slavery that a lot of Black people have relayed to me, you don’t have to relate it to that.”

Growing Healthy Roots

Studies show that gardening improves mental health by reducing depression and anxiety alongside improving physical health by consuming nutritious produce and exercising. Lewis and Watkins agree that when home gardeners avoid synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, they are growing food that is healthier for people and the environment. 

Synthetic fertilizers and weed and pest killers are found in more places than the food system—they are sold in stores to be sprayed on lawns, school grounds, and more—but we can take back control by growing our own food without toxic chemicals or purchasing foods that are certified organic. 

Creating a home garden without synthetics and with regenerative practices such as keeping the soil covered, cultivating diverse plants, and using compost as fertilizer can combat climate change. Called Climate Victory Gardens, these gardens prioritize soil health and the essential microbes within sequester carbon to cool the atmosphere.

Watkins is working to bring the regenerative solutions to scale on Pinhook Farms. Against industry norms, Watkins timed his farm to function in tune with the seasons for the betterment of the cows and the health of the land.

“I just wanted to do right by the cows,” Watkins says. “My productivity actually increased, and my costs greatly decreased. That’s the beauty of letting mother nature take the lead. Mother knows best.”

Natural Pest Control For Your Garden

Despite best efforts to cultivate a balanced ecosystem, pests are a natural part of the environment and may find their way into your garden or organic, regenerative farm. Organic pesticides derived from plants and bacteria can help in such situations. Be mindful of pollinators and know which moths, beetles, and wasps are beneficial.

Neem oil is made from the neem tree and its active ingredient, azadirachtin, makes insects lose interest in reproducing. It works gradually, so spray when you spot the first adult bug. Most neem oil is sold as a concentrate, so read the label for dilution measurements and safety instructions.

Insecticidal soaps contain fatty acids that dehydrate soft-bodied bugs like caterpillars and aphids. Insecticidal soaps only kill pests when sprayed directly. Avoid spraying beneficial critters like bees and spiders (which may be hunting down some of your pests). You can make your own with a tablespoon of dishwashing soap in a quart of water or you can purchase a concentrate from a gardening store. 

Diatomaceous earth is a fine dust made from the fossils of tiny aquatic organisms whose skeletons were made of naturally occurring silica. Use on plant leaves or powder a layer around the base of your plants to discourage slugs. The dust works best in dry conditions, so be sure to reapply after a rain. Be sure to read the label for safety instructions. 

Find more tips about Climate Victory Gardens and learn all about organic fertilizers and other natural pesticides

We’re all yearning to get outside. After a year indoors, the sun coming out as hundreds of millions American receive covid-19 vaccines holds promise of reuniting with loved ones and feels unbelievably hopeful. We are getting outside, too. 

In the past year, gardening became a national pastime. Green America saw Climate Victory Gardens swell to 9,170 across the country—which is no wonder, since gardeners spent 42 percent more time in the dirt last year, according to a November survey from Axios. National Parks Service reported that 15 parks set visitation records in 2020 and hiking and nature walking soothed our souls in state and local parks too. 

Being outside, whether that’s sitting on a bench in a public park or foraging for wild edibles in the forest, has healing power. Year after year, studies show that being around nature in any form can improve mental health and even physical health by lowering blood pressure and stress hormones. This summer, we want to celebrate everyone embracing that healing for themselves and for the Earth. 

We can start by getting personal—there are so many ways we can learn more about the Earth and take care of it better, without going very far past our front doors. If you have a yard, start by checking if there’s anything you can do to make it work better for the earth—swap out elements that might be climate hazards in 5 Steps to a More Sustainable Backyard.

Order Your Copy of Green American Magazine

If you’ve started to think about starting or expanding gardening but have felt overwhelmed. Every journey begins with one step—you can get inspired by reading what gardeners, farmers, and foragers wish they knew when they started. Maybe you’ve tried gardening, or even just letting your lawn get wild, and gotten pushback from a homeowners’ association or your neighbors. Readers ask us about this from time to time so we got answers from two seriously impressive Climate Victory Gardeners who fought for their gardens, in Lawn vs. Garden: Stand Up to Your HOA for a Healthier Yard. 

Not all of us can afford or want our own green space to care for, but we can all appreciate a park picnic or stroll in the shade. For urban populations, a necessary escape to a park may not be right down the street, especially in Black and Brown communities. Environmental justice advocates are working to bring parks to parts of cities that need them most in Access to Green Space is an Environmental Justice Issue.

People in urban areas and rural ones have both turned to foraging edibles in nature. The practice has a foundation that goes deep in human history to the first gatherers, all the way to today. Modern foragers are picking up the practice thanks to experts like the ones in Forage to Fork: Eat Local with Wild Foods. 

Growing food can be the most gratifying connection with the Earth, when something starts from seed, grows out of the dirt, and ends up nourishing ourselves and our families. Toxic, synthetic pesticides and fertilizers became popular for their ability to increase yields and shrink losses, but at a cost to the health of the soil and the organisms who come in contact with the chemicals. Farmers in The Toxic Problem with Pesticides and Fertilizers turned to regenerative practices and found their soil, crops, animals, and selves were happier because of it.

Regenerative agriculture has gained popularity in recent years, but its roots are very old. The practices farmers are taking on to mitigate the climate crisis are the same that Indigenous growers have been using for millennia to steward the Earth. In Native Growers Decolonize Regenerative Agriculture, Native American growers from across Turtle Island (North America) share their perspectives on what regenerative means to them and where they hope the movement will go, and how they are working towards food sovereignty for Native peoples in their own communities. 

What ties these stories together is that what’s natural is healing—as people move closer to respecting and restoring natural ecosystems, the health of the people, plants, and planet improves. What’s healthy isn’t always what’s easy, but Climate Victory Gardener Aja Yasir has had her share of fighting for what’s green and the fight was worth it. When she goes to her garden, she feels empowered and works toward healing. 

“I [can] go into my garden. I could look at all these flowers. I can be amongst all this fruit, all these vegetables. I can just touch the soil, I can gather rainwater, and I just felt so at peace.” 

Let’s join Aja in creating that healing and finding that peace for ourselves and for the Earth.

Purchase This Issue of Green American Magazine

The increased national attention to racial justice movements following the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the summer of 2020 sparked a flurry of pledges from companies promising to do better on racial justice issues. Now, shareholders are increasingly asking for reports on how racism affects company proceedings—and making sure last year’s pledges weren’t empty promises. 

When a person owns stock directly in a company, rather than through a mutual fund, they have specific shareholder rights. Shareholders are entitled to vote on issues brought up at a company’s annual meeting, or they can submit resolutions to propose issues to vote on. Over the past few decades, groups like union pension funds, endowments held by universities, religious organizations, nonprofits, foundations, and other socially responsible investing groups have become more involved in putting together and filing resolutions. 

According to the 2021 Proxy Preview report, 46 shareholder resolutions have been filed in the 2021 proxy season asking companies to address a human rights issue in their operations. Of those 46 proposals, 18 of them are new resolutions asking for reports on how racism affects a company’s operations and how they plan to address these problems. 

Changing Company Cultures

Olivia Knight, the racial justice initiative manager for As You Sow {GBN}, an organization that educates and advocates on shareholder issues and that files resolutions, says that resolutions have been filed to make sure that companies are following up on their promises for racial justice measures. It has filed resolutions with four companies on this matter. 

“These companies did come out last summer and make all of these very broad promises, all these sweeping statements about how equitable and transparent they are, and how they want to do better on issues of racial justice,” Knight says. “Honestly, most of them have not been following up with their promises.” 
Resolutions are making a variety of requests to ensure that companies are keeping their promises. As You Sow filed resolutions with Charles Schwab, Monster Beverage, Abbott Laboratories, and Foot Locker to ask each company to prepare racial equity audits to analyze each company’s “adverse impacts on nonwhite stakeholders and communities of color,” according to the text of the resolutions. 

Knight says that, simply put, the resolutions are asking companies to report what measures they have taken to make their operations more racially equitable and to disclose data around hiring, promotion, and retention rates with regards to employee demographic data. 

“We’re hoping to see more education in these companies around anti-racism and around building a more equitable framework, but to do so, you really need to start off with disclosure and transparency,” Knight says. 

Addressing Long-Term Problems

Trillium Asset Management {GBN} has filed two resolutions with Johnson & Johnson, one of which asks for a racial equity audit. Johnson & Johnson’s influence in pharmaceuticals and consumer health, combined with the racial disparity that is already present in healthcare, is the driving force behind this resolution, according to Susan Baker, the director of shareholder advocacy for Trillium Asset Management. 

There is also the hope that, after this proxy season, racial justice resolutions will continue. 

Ivy Jack, the head of equity research for NorthStar Asset Management {GBN}, has been working in the field of socially responsible investing for about five years; before that, she worked on traditional Wall Street. The issues of race and diversity in the workplace aren’t new issues—but she does hope that the current public interest in the issue is sustained. 

“At NorthStar, we believe that diverse representation is just the first step. Ultimately, companies need to understand how systemic racism shows up in everyday work culture,” Jack says. “This is a huge undertaking, akin to running a marathon; interestingly, some corporations have signed up to run this marathon without really understanding what’s required.”

So far, Amazon, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Johnson & Johnson have all appealed to the Securities and Exchange Commission to have resolutions filed by shareholders omitted, saying that the proposals were either too vague or asking for initiatives that have already been put in place. The SEC has so far disagreed with these arguments. 

Out of the 46 racial equity resolutions filed this year, there has been one vote, five withdrawals, and 14 outstanding Securities and Exchange Commission challenges as of mid-February.

What Companies Should Do 

Many Green Americans will be wondering—“how can you tell if a company is doing enough? What does a truly antiracist company look like? How do we want companies to react to these shareholder resolutions?” 

Some corporate reports have teeth, but some don’t—we know they’re PR pieces. The same will go for racial justice reporting. —Fran Teplitz, Green America

 These are crucial questions about real change and shareholders can play a role in getting the answers. Fran Teplitz, Green America’s executive co-director for business, investing, and policy, explains that to start, transparency is often the goal. 

“Over the decades in the green movement, we went from no sustainability reporting to tons of it, but that doesn’t mean there’s more sustainability at every company,” Teplitz says. “Some corporate reports have teeth, but some don’t—we know they’re PR pieces. The same will go for racial justice reporting.”

She also points out that the wording of the resolutions is broad—while some may ask for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) data, others (like those in this article) ask for racial justice impacts or reports on racism within the companies. 

“The immediate benchmark in the resolutions isn’t to end racism, it’s to show us data, reports and plans that can help lead to fundamental change,” Teplitz says. “Shareholder action is an important form of pressure and signaling of what needs to change in society, and often works best when it reflects broader social movement, as we are seeing today for racial justice.” 

If You Own Stocks

Vote your proxies: Investors can expect to see these resolutions reflected on their proxy statements in the coming year at companies where resolutions have been filed. Companies may see the benefit to making requested changes or developing reports, even if only a small percent of shareholders vote in support. Check if companies where you own stock have social or environmental resolutions on the ballot.

Call your mutual funds: Individuals with their money in mutual funds can call fund managers or check online to see how these funds vote on sustainable investing resolutions. Most mutual funds vote as directed by corporate management, which too often opposes social and environmental resolutions. It is therefore important to contact your mutual fund company to say how you want it to vote. 

Keep up the momentum: Jack says that, while it’s important to recognize the good that can come from these resolutions, it’s even more important to give credit to the activists and communities that first started pushing for change. 

“Corporations are taking a stand because they're being pushed,” Jack says. “Change happens at the margins, but oftentimes, the people who get credited with the change are the people in power.”

Green Eco Dream is an online store that has been created with the idea to make sustainable shopping easy and widely available. Single-use plastic and excessive use of harmful chemicals in everyday production are taking a toll on our environment and our health in general. That is why we created a one-stop shop where you can find all you need for your household, laundry, personal care or when you are on the go. All the products in our store are consciously curated, ethically produced and sourced, fair trade and made with Earth-friendly ingredients. The way we ship your packages also matters! That is why we provide 100% plastic-free and compostable packaging.

We are all together on this mission to reduce impact on our Planet and spread the awareness about issues our Planet is facing! Let's make better choices together!

"This is a start of a beautiful friendship!"

We're all yearning to get outside. After a year indoors, the sun coming out as hundreds of millions of Americans receive the COVID-19 vaccines hold promise of reuniting with loved ones and feeling unbelievably hopeful.

Hours: Full-time (4 days, 32 hours/week)
Start Date: Immediately. Applications accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Job Location: Remote location reporting to our Washington, DC office.
Salary: $43,000-$48,000
Benefits: generous paid leave, medical, dental, disability, vacation, sick days, paid holidays, 4-day work week.
Supervisors: Editor in Chief and Green Business Network Membership & Marketing Manager

Green America, founded in 1982, is a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating a socially just and environmentally sustainable society by harnessing economic power – the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace. Our key program areas include clean energy and climate action, regenerative agriculture, fair labor, responsible finance, and green living.  We carry out our work in three strategic and overlapping hubs: 1) Consumer & Corporate Engagement Programs, 2) Green Business Network, and 3) Center for Sustainability Solutions focused on large supply chains.

Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors and businesses.  The Green Business Network® (GBN) works directly with socially and environmentally responsible businesses to help them emerge and thrive. Our workplace reflects our goal of creating a more cooperative, environmentally sound economy. 

The primary responsibility of the Associate Editor role is to assist the Editor in Chief and the Communications Team to report, write, copy edit, and fact-check our publications (Green American, and Your Green Life), online content, and other materials. 

The primary responsibility of the Green Business Communication Specialist role is to assist the Green Business Network team in maintaining and growing the network; telling the stories of the members of the Green Business Network by writing blogs, articles and other social media content and by soliciting guest blogs from business members; ensuring green-certified members receive a timely response and quick access to and support for creating their profiles at GreenPages.org. The position is a great opportunity to learn more about small- to medium-sized eco-businesses and how they work to deepen their actions in environmental and social responsibility. 

Associate Editor Responsibilities - 50%

1.  Editorial and Writing: Work with Editor and the Communications Teams to create content for our publications and communications. 

• Write features and columns for our publications.
• Find/choose photos for print and web.
• Write blog posts and green living content for web as assigned.
• Work as part of a team with the editorial team on the copyediting, proofreading, and photo permissions for each publication.
• Assist in the fact-checking and proofreading processes for each publication as needed.
• Assist with preliminary research and outlining of each publication. 

Green Business Communications Associate Responsibilities – 50%

1.  Digital Marketing and Content Creation: 

• Working with Membership & Marketing Manager and the Communication Team, post regular updates to GBN’s Facebook and Twitter pages and engage with members and prospective members.
• Run paid social media promotions to direct traffic to the GBN website/blog. Report out on performance metrics and make adjustments as needed to ensure maximum reach and engagement.
• Research and write blog posts about emerging issues related to green business and social entrepreneurship.
• Conduct interviews with Green Business Network members to tell the green economy story in our ongoing business spotlight series.
• Assist with the production of mass email communications to members.

2.  Member Services and GreenPages.org Support:

• Working with Membership & Marketing Manager, execute member communications strategy (emails, phone calls) to encourage certified members to build out their Member Profiles on GreenPages.org.
• Assist members as needed with Member Dashboard and GreenPages.org functions, including how to add a listing description, choose categories, populate keywords, add logos, add photos, etc.
• Work independently to populate Member Profile data (including keywords) as necessary.
• Provide additional support for Membership & Marketing Manager as needed.

Other Responsibilities

All Green America positions also include:

• Participate in Cross Departmental Teams: The success of our organizational work includes the voluntary participation of staff members from all levels of the organization in cross departmental teams addressing a range of issues to strengthen our impact and planning, as time and other work commitments allow
• Participate in all staff meetings and departmental meetings as needed.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills
• One year+ interviewing, writing, and editing experience
• Excellent proofreader, familiarity with AP style is a plus
• Experience using a CMS (we use Drupal 9) is a plus
• Experience using a CRM (we use Salesforce) is a plus
• Experience using an email marketing platform (we use Act-On) is a plus
• Basic to moderate HTML skills
• Passion for green-economy work

To apply: please send resume, cover letter, and 2-3 writing samples for a general audience, not academic papers, to CommsAssociate@greenamerica.org. Applications submitted through third-party jobs sites (Indeed, etc.) will not be reviewed.

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Green America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding: actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, breastfeeding, or reproductive health disorders), age (18 years of age or older), marital status (including domestic partnership and parenthood), personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, citizenship status, credit information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Harassment on the basis of a protected characteristic is included as a form of discrimination and is strictly prohibited.

Green America’s Get A Better Bank campaign, and similar initiatives across the country, are gaining momentum! Did you know that Big Banks continue to invest massively in fossil fuels, driving us toward greater climate catastrophe? They also have a long history of predatory and racist practices that have harmed people of color for generations.

Fortunately, there are better banking choices!  And people everywhere are making the switch! Our interview with Annalisa B. describes her motivation for supporting green financing in order to put her money to work for communities – and to avoid supporting fossil fuels. As you’ll read, it doesn’t hurt to reward yourself with chocolate chips as you move through the steps of switching to a better bank or credit union.

Fran: First off, tell me a little about yourself, where you live, what you do for a living.

Annalisa: Hello, Fran! I’m a teacher at a music nonprofit in New Haven, Connecticut. We teach free string instrument lessons to kids from all over New Haven, and we also provide instruments and transportation. I teach ages 6-18, so my students run the gamut from bright-eyed children to bright-minded teens!

Fran: How did you embark on the quest for a green bank? What motivated you and what didn’t you like about the bank you were using?

Annalisa: I have a friend who’s always ahead of me on environmental issues - the sort of friend you listen to because they’re on the right side of history! She posted BankForGood.org in a group chat, and I decided to check it out. They made it as smooth as possible to put my money where it could support my ethical and financial goals instead of undermining them with business as usual.

It can be hard to switch when you do actually like your bank. That’s how I felt about Ally Bank. It served my immediate needs well. But, long term, a big commercial bank doesn’t serve the needs of local communities or the environment, so I felt accomplished when I put my money into a bank that can support the “big picture” future of the planet.

Fran: How did you learn about Big Banks financing of the climate crisis?

Annalisa: I first learned about the concept of “divestment” - moving money to places where it supports your values - from stories of college students who pressured their universities to divest from fossil fuels.  I was also inspired by the movement in the 1960s-90s to disinvest in South Africa in protest of the Apartheid system.

Fran: What do you like about your new bank? How did the bank switching process go overall?

Annalisa: I like that signing up for Amalgamated Bank was quick and easy online, and that they do everything I need them to do. They have a mobile app with account balances and internal and external transfers, and they work with all of the other financial apps like Mint, PayPal, Venmo, Betterment, etc. I also really appreciate that they offer unlimited savings accounts so that I can organize my money within my savings (gotta keep that Emergency Fund separate!).

Switching did require some extra attention. The automated systems for connecting banks to apps struggled to connect with Amalgamated. I had to use a work-around process to verify that it was actually my account. Ultimately it worked.

Fran: Did you find it worth a bit of time to align your banking with your values?

Annalisa: I did! Sometimes modern conveniences for some are built on profits that take advantage of others, or that don’t serve the long-term needs of the planet. It was totally worth it to me to put in the administrative time - probably 10 hours overall - and know that I was investing that time in a move I was proud of.  Also, when I support a small bank, I support their ability to create apps or experiences with all the bells and whistles of a big bank, but without the ethical downsides.

Fran: You mentioned to me that you had the opportunity to inform the customer service reps at your initial bank about Big Banks’ bankrolling of the fossil fuel industry and your reasons for leaving a conventional bank – did you also communicate that in writing to bank management?

Annalisa: Yes! Green America made it easy for me to send a breakup letter to Ally by using your template.

Fran: What advice or recommendation do you have for folks still using a conventional Big Bank?

Annalisa: Since I’m a teacher, I love reward systems. Set yourself up for success with a bag of chocolate chips! Every time you take one step closer to switching banks - signing up for reminders at BankForGood, opening a new account, closing an old account, calling customer service - reward yourself with a treat. Both your taste buds and the earth will thank you!

Or, find a teammate. There’s nothing like having a friend, family member, or community member to check in with, complain with, and be accountable to.

Lastly, you can do it! And you’ll feel good once you do.

There are many resources to help you switch to green financing and a better banking institution, here are a few so you can get started:

• Green America’s map to Get a Better Bank
• Green America’s 10 steps to break up with your Big Bank
• Bank for Good
• Mighty Deposits
• Better Banking Options
• Read Jim's story about how he broke up with his mega-bank

Does your favorite chocolate cost the Earth, or is it as sweet on sustainability as it is to your tastebuds?

This week, the Rotten Egg Awards ranked 31 chocolate companies around the world for their performance on sustainability and human rights. And what’s clear from the ranking is that some companies are doing a far better job than others of keeping their tasty treats guilt-free.

Out ahead of Easter, which this year lands April 4, the results indicate that many of the world’s largest confectioners are cleaning up their act on critical issues like child labor and deforestation, most have plenty of room for improvement. And some—the eponymous Rotten Eggs—scored poorly in almost every area.

On the other hand, the top-scoring companies offer chocolate lovers new, ethical options to consider when it comes to fulfilling their cravings.

Read full article here

Hours: Full-time (4-days, 32 hours/week)
Salary: $70,000 - $80,000
Benefits: medical, dental, disability, vacation, holidays, sick days
Supervisor: Senior Director, Clean Electronics Production Network
 

Green America is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive change. Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors and businesses to create a world that works for all. We deploy marketplace solutions to solve the most pressing social and environmental problems facing society today.

The Clean Electronic Production Network (CEPN) is a multi-stakeholder, cross-industry collaboration that launched in 2015. The goal of the network is to move the electronics industry towards zero exposure to toxic chemicals in the manufacturing process. CEPN is launching a commitment program with leading electronics companies to protect workers from chemical hazards in the electronics supply chain. 

CEPN is an Innovation Network of the Center for Sustainability Solutions. The Center builds on Green America’s work over the years, where we have brought together industry groups across supply chains to create major shifts in areas such as electronics, solar, community investing, sustainable agriculture and fair labor. The Center supports Innovation Networks, focused working groups of stakeholders with the objective of making significant, industry-wide system change. Current networks focus on clean electronics, climate and banking, regenerative agriculture, carbon farming.

This is a new position on the CEPN team. Working closely with the Senior Director, the Senior Programs Specialist will lead the management and growth of the new commitment program, focusing on program execution and new participant outreach. The Senior Program Specialist will also support the Senior Director in providing strategic direction and program management for CEPN and its ongoing initiatives.

Post-pandemic, this position will involve travel for Network meetings, conferences and business cultivation meetings, staff training, and other purposes. Most travel will be domestic, but there may be two or three international trips each year. 

CEPN staff members work virtually; the position may be housed in Washington, DC at the Green America offices, but may also be filled remotely.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Management

1. Lead the management and growth of the commitment program, focusing on new participant outreach and program execution including maintaining and refining program requirements, developing materials to effectively communicate the program, and oversee third party verification.
2. Work closely with the Senior Director to manage the CEPN Network and its priority programs and initiative groups, including the safer substitution program, worker engagement and participation and the process chemicals data collection tool.
3. Lead and work collaboratively with the Senior Director to develop of key project deliverables, such as workplans, summary and meeting reports, spreadsheet and database development, invoicing/billing, membership tracking, fundraising materials and other outputs. 
4. Function in a leadership role within CEPN and maintain a strong working knowledge of trends in network areas of focus. Represent the organization with professionalism.
5. Participate in the design and planning of CEPN meetings and events in collaboration with the CEPN team.
6. Organize CEPN meetings and events that run smoothly and achieve desired outcomes, including meeting facilitation and support, managing logistical arrangements (e.g. securing meeting venues, hotels, meals, communicating with event participants procuring A/V), and preparing meeting reports.

Communication, Engagement and Fundraising

1. Lead outreach to new CEPN members to build the Network, as well as new commitment program participants to expand and grow the program.
2. Develop communication plans and materials to support outreach to current and potential Network members and commitment program participants, including preparation of a quarterly newsletter and other communications materials.
3. Enhance CEPN’s and the commitment program’s online presence to include maintaining and improving both websites, moderating the LinkedIn groups, and regularly posting on social media channels.
4. Contribute to growing and diversifying CEPN’s sources of funding by identifying potential new funders and helping to prepare grant applications and fundraising materials.
5. Participate in donor stewardship to include tracking the completion of grant deliverables and preparing donor reports.

Participate in Cross-Departmental Teams

1. Provide operational support to the Center for Sustainability Solutions, as needed.
2. Ensure that knowledge gained is converted into “knowledge capital” for the Center for Sustainability Solutions by documenting work processes involved in managing Innovation Networks and successful strategies used in CEPN operations.
3. Participate in Green America staff meetings and processes and other duties as required.
4. Participate in Green America Cross Departmental Teams: The success of our organizational work includes the voluntary participation of staff members from all levels of the organization in cross-departmental teams addressing a range of issues to strengthen our impact and planning, as time and other work commitments allow.

Qualified Candidates should have the following skills and qualities:

• Demonstrated project management skills, with 10+ years of experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to develop trusting relationships with senior executives and high-level leaders.
• A team player and strategic thinker.
• Ability to understand and converse competently about complex supply chain issues with a broad range of stakeholders, and to provide useful frameworks for analysis and action on key supply chain issues.
• Negotiating experience and the ability to move groups both quickly and collaboratively on key priorities. Experience facilitating large and small group discussions.
• Strong written communication and research skills; able to synthesize and effectively communicate complex ideas and concepts; attentive to details.
• Strong verbal communication skills.
• Strong technology skills, including videoconferencing and website platforms (e.g. Squarespace), newsletter email software, etc.
• Bachelor’s degree required and advanced degree strongly preferred; example fields of study include sustainability, chemistry, toxicology, engineering, supply chain management or related field.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Experience in the electronics industry, industrial hygiene and/or worker engagement.
• Experience with sustainability assessment schemes, ecolabels and/or verification.
• Experience developing collaborative programs and systems.
• Experience with business development and fundraising.

To Apply: Email your resume and cover letter to pbrodyheine@greenamerica.org.

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Green America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding: actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, breastfeeding, or reproductive health disorders), age (18 years of age or older), marital status (including domestic partnership and parenthood), personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, citizenship status, credit information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Harassment on the basis of a protected characteristic is included as a form of discrimination and is strictly prohibited.

Compensation: $16/hour 
Supervisor: Scott Kitson, Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications 
Dates: Starting Summer 2022, 12 weeks 
Location: Remote location reporting to our Washington, DC office 
Hours: 20 hours/week (Monday – Thursday) 

Green America's Green Business Network® is the first and most diverse network of socially and environmentally responsible businesses in the country. This internship works with some of the most cutting-edge, social enterprise businesses in the county. Comprised of 1,500 small to mid-size businesses, the Green Business Network is home to both rising social and eco enterprises and the most established green businesses around. We provide the tools, the information, and the consumer base to help businesses thrive in today's competitive green marketplace. 

Responsibilities for the Green Business Network Intern may include: 

• Researching and writing blog posts about emerging issues related to green businesses and social entrepreneurship. 
• Assisting with production of print and online materials, such as newsletters, social media posts, website updates, and membership renewal invoices. 
• Database maintenance, including updating addresses and other membership information. 
• Membership services assistance, including helping certified members update or create their profiles on our GreenPages.org dorectpru. 
• Outreach to prospective members. 
• Participating in monthly Green Business Network department meetings. 

In addition, this internship provides an inside look at how a nonprofit, green business association operates. 

Qualifications: 

• Available at least 20 hours/week. 
• Strong eye for effective and eye-catching design. 
• Detail oriented and effective problem-solver.
• Self-starter and willing to speak up and make recommendations to improve processes. 
• Comfortable with multiple tasks and competing deadlines; ability to prioritize. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, SharePoint, Outlook). 
• Experience with content management systems (preferred, but not required). 
• Experience with constituent management systems (preferred, but not required). 

Visit our website to learn more about the Green Business Network. 

How to Apply: 

If interested please send cover letter, resume, and 2 writing samples to Scott Kitson at businessintern@greenamerica.org. No phone calls please. 

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Green America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding: actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, breastfeeding, or reproductive health disorders), age (18 years of age or older), marital status (including domestic partnership and parenthood), personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, citizenship status, credit information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Harassment on the basis of a protected characteristic is included as a form of discrimination and is strictly prohibited.

Update: First-Ever Walmart Shareholder Resolution on Climate-Damaging Refrigerants Passes Key Threshold for Support 

Why are Walmart’s refrigerants a major climate issue?

Highly potent greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are leaking out of Walmart facilities and contribute nearly half of Walmart’s direct climate-damaging emissions. HFCs have up to thousands of times the warming power of carbon dioxide and are commonly used as refrigerants.

Walmart emits over three million metric tons of HFCs, which equates to more than half a million cars on the road, each year.

HFCs alone make up a staggering 48 percent of Walmart’s direct emissions.

The United Nations reports that eliminating HFCs can prevent nearly half a degree of global warming, crucial to staying under the 1.5-degree Celsius limit to prevent the harshest and deadliest effects of climate change.

What did the shareholder resolution ask Walmart to do?

Walmart’s HFC emissions have been steadily increasing for the past 15 years – despite the company taking a pledge in 2010 to begin reducing HFC emissions. Walmart has finally announced a goal to transition to “low-impact” refrigerants by 2040 but has not provided any details on how it will meet this target nor specifics on what refrigerants it considers “low-impact.”

The company’s history of inadequate action to cut its HFC emissions makes the twenty-year timeline and vague details of its current refrigerants goal more concerning. Walmart’s 2040 target is inconsistent with global efforts and domestic policy to phase down the use of HFCs.

That’s why the Rhode Island Treasurer’s office filed a shareholder resolution to address these issues, stating that its current statements on refrigerants lack rigor and clarity:

Shareholders request that Walmart issue a report, at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, describing if and how it plans to limit its impact on climate change by increasing the scale, pace and rigor of its plans to reduce refrigerants released from its operations.

What are the financial risks of not tackling refrigerants?

Walmart’s history of using climate-damaging refrigerants and its emissions from rampant leaks undermine its efforts to become a climate leader in the retail sector.

Its inaction on refrigerant emissions has made the company and its shareholders vulnerable to the following financial risks:

• Market risks: Several of Walmart’s competitors in the U.S. market have advanced their refrigerant practices in recent years, including ALDI US, Target, and Whole Foods. This positions these companies to meet their climate goals as well as prepares them for the changing regulatory landscape of HFCs.
• Regulatory Risks: Phasing down HFCs and improving refrigerant management has support from the Biden-Harris administration, the refrigeration industry, as well as bipartisan members of Congress. In recent months, there has been significant policy progress on refrigerants and companies improving refrigerant practices now are well-positioned to navigate the changing regulatory landscape.
• Reputational Risks: Climate-damaging refrigerant emissions have received increased attention by advocacy organizations in recent years, leading to more consumer engagement and media attention on the issue. Walmart’s history of inaction on its HFC emissions and inadequate targets pose risk to the company’s claims that it is “deeply committed to addressing climate change.” Failing to reduce this major source of Walmart’s emissions threaten the brand overall.

For more details on Walmart’s refrigerant emissions and the associated financial risks, please see Green America and Environmental Investigation Agency's full investor brief. 

Hours: Full-time (4-days, 32 hours/week)
Salary: $43,000 - $48,000/Grant Track Position
Benefits: medical, dental, sick days, holidays, vacation
Supervisor: Director Network Engagement, Soil & Climate Alliance and Senior Director, Clean Electronics Production Network 

Green America is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive change. Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors and businesses to create a world that works for all. We deploy marketplace solutions to solve the most pressing social and environmental problems facing society today.

The Center of Sustainability Solutions builds on Green America’s work over the years, where we have brought together industry groups across supply chains to create major shifts in such areas as solar, banking and investing, sustainable agriculture and fair labor. The Center supports Innovation Networks, focused multi-stakeholder working groups with the objective of making significant, industry-wide system change.

The Center of Sustainability Solutions currently houses three active Innovation Networks:

• Soil & Climate Alliance
• Clean Electronics Production Network
• Climate Safe Lending

This position will be split between the Soil & Climate Alliance (two-thirds time), led by Jessica Hulse Dillon, and the Clean Electronics Production Network (one-third time), led by Pamela Brody-Heine, with occasional adjustments of time relating to meetings or events. The Soil & Climate Alliance focuses on working with the food and agriculture supply chain in North America to shift 90% of the acres in production to regenerative practices in order to rebuild soil health, sequester carbon, and ensure farm profitability. The goal of the Clean Electronics Production Network is to move toward zero exposure of workers to toxic chemicals in electronics manufacturing globally.

This position will primarily support Soil & Climate Alliance and Clean Electronics Production Network, with occasional support for other Networks or projects within the Center for Sustainability Solutions. The Center for Sustainability Solutions operates virtually, with staff across the country. Our preference is for the position to be housed in Washington, DC at the Green America offices, but it may also be filled remotely. The position may also involve travel 2-3 times per year for 2+ days for working group meetings and events.
 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

Communications & Research

1. Support and engage in the development of key project deliverables, including preparing meeting materials and notes, compiling summary reports, and other outputs. Ensure that these deliverables are planned and produced in a timely manner with a high level of attention to detail.  
2. Support the development and maintenance of Social Media accounts to share relevant information as needed.
3. Responsible for quick turnaround on research projects focusing on urgent and emerging needs ranging from identifying specific experts and speakers for consideration by the team to specific current and historical data needed for decision making and advocacy as well as other developing needs.

Meeting Logistics & Team Coordination 

1. Responsible for logistics related to planning network meetings and related events for up to 150 participants held virtually, including: setting up registration systems and monitoring registration, communicating with meeting participants, coordinating technology needs among participants.
2. Responsible for logistics related to planning in-person network meetings including: securing meeting venues, hotels, meals, and staff transportation; communicating with event participants; procuring A/V and meeting materials; and ensuring many other aspects of event production are implemented flawlessly so meetings flow seamlessly for participants.
3. Support and engage in the development of meeting materials and event website including daily updates as the meeting progresses. 

Project Management Support 

1. Manage Green America’s process for generating and securing participation fees including: regular invoicing of participants, working with accounting department to create and send customized invoices, track payments, communicate with participants to secure commitments and maintain and update participant records. Coordinate with subsidized participants to process reimbursements. 
2. Coordinate the regular communication among team and, including scheduling regular meetings and supporting seamless technology connections as needed. 
3. Provide occasional support for other Networks or projects within the Center for Sustainability Solutions.

Participate in Cross-Departmental Teams

1. Provide operational support to the Center for Sustainability Solutions, as needed.
2. Ensure that knowledge gained is converted into “knowledge capital” for the Center for Sustainability Solutions by documenting work processes involved in managing Innovation Networks and successful strategies.
3. Participate in Green America staff meetings and processes and other duties as required.
4. Participate in Green America Cross Departmental Teams: The success of our organizational work includes the voluntary participation of staff members from all levels of the organization in cross-departmental teams addressing a range of issues to strengthen our impact and planning, as time and other work commitments allow.

Qualified Candidates should have the following skills and qualities:

• Demonstrated project management skills, with experience managing several projects simultaneously.
• A passion for and strong knowledge of environmental sustainability, the electronics industry and/or agriculture
• Written communication and research experience; able to take notes during calls including technical content
• Strong verbal communication skills
• Strong technology skills, including videoconferencing and Square Space, newsletter email software, etc.
• Background researching event related needs, including venues, restaurants and catering, and AV needs.
• Bachelor’s degree required

How to Apply:

Please email your resume and cover letter to jhulsedillon@greenamerica.org.  

Applications will be accepted until Monday, May 17th.

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Green America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding: actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, breastfeeding, or reproductive health disorders), age (18 years of age or older), marital status (including domestic partnership and parenthood), personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, citizenship status, credit information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Harassment on the basis of a protected characteristic is included as a form of discrimination and is strictly prohibited.

By Kristine Solomon & Lela Nargi

Yes, big changes are needed, but little ones add up. These simple lifestyle choices can reduce your carbon footprint—and make a major impact.

It’s pretty easy being green

Scientists around the world are in almost unanimous agreement that our planet is facing a catastrophic climate crisis. Carbon emissions and greenhouse gases are on the rise and wreaking havoc on the Earth’s atmosphere, and experts believe that human activity is largely responsible. When Earth Day rolls around every year, we’re reminded of how dire the situation is and feel spurred to action, especially after reading some inspiring Earth Day quotes. But, of course, instead of simply sharing these sorts of things on social media, we need to figure out exactly how to help the environment every day.

While instituting environmental changes on a grand scale would help reverse the problem, the little things do add up. And right now, most of us are definitely on the wrong path. Research shows that each of us needs to get our carbon footprint down to 1.87 tons per year by 2050 to make a meaningful difference. (In the United States, we’re currently averaging a whopping 18.3 tons apiece.) To reduce your carbon footprint, first, calculate what it is and then try making the small changes suggested in this article. These 31 ways to help the environment are so easy, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try them before.

RELATED: Earth Day Quiz: How Well Do You Know Our Earth?

Change your eating habits

We don’t need crazy ideas to save the planet. One way to help the environment is by reducing your food waste, and all you need to do is use a smaller plate. Seriously. It’s really true that our eyes are (metaphorically) bigger than our stomachs, and by tricking ourselves into taking less, we decrease our chances of serving more than we can reasonably eat. And there’s no shame in going back for seconds! Learning to love leftovers is another way to waste less. Almost anything you can cook or order in will taste just as good, or even better, the next day. Plus, there’s the added benefit of providing an extra meal or two that you didn’t have to cook on a busy evening or spend extra money to buy.

Bought too much at the bulk discount store? Considering donating unopened, unused items to a food pantry or slipping them into one of the numerous community fridges that have popped up during the pandemic to help our neighborhoods. You can also donate extra produce you’ve grown to organizations like Ample Harvest, as well as learn how to compost what you can’t eat or donate. Here’s where else you can donate practically anything.

Read the rest of the article here.

What is an easier way to tell your mother you love them than with fresh flower bouquets?

Fresh cut flowers are used to mark important occasions, both celebratory and mourning alike. It is an easy gift that does not require much planning, as arranged bouquets are ubiquitous in supermarkets around springtime holidays. That also makes it a big business—a $7 billion dollar one in the US alone. Americans were expected to spend $2.56 billion on flowers for Mother’s Day in 2020. 

However, those fragrant flower bouquets stink of environmental pollution. 

Find Eco-Friendly Gifts for Mom

Fresh Cut Flowers Contribute to the Climate Crisis

80 percent of flowers sold in the US are imported from other countries.

93 percent are grown in Colombia or Ecuador, the second- and third-largest exporters of cut flowers in the world, respectively. The warm climates of these Latin American countries during the winter months of the US, as well as their cheaper labor, contribute to their dominance in the global flower trade.

California, the leading producer of domestic roses, cannot keep up with the sheer volume of flowers expected to be purchased by shoppers during Valentine’s Day. Therefore, transporting fresh cut flowers internationally result in excess carbon emissions that contribute to the climate crisis. 

Additionally, fresh cut flowers must be refrigerated to prevent wilting. Often, fresh cut flowers are stored in a refrigerated warehouse before being transported in a cargo plane, then are sent to another refrigerated warehouse where they wait to be purchased.

Most refrigerated containment systems emit hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are greenhouse gases estimated to be 9000 times more potent than CO2 at warming the atmosphere.

Walmart, which sells bouquets for less than $10, emits over 2.8 million metric tons of HFCs every year—the energy equivalent of powering all the households in San Francisco. 

Fresh Cut Flowers Contribute to Toxic Pollutants

Fresh cut flowers are also treated with synthetic pesticides, which persists on the bouquets that make it to supermarkets and some commercial florist shops.

Synthetic herbicides and pesticides like glyphosate are known carcinogens that can pollute waterways and seep into drinking water supplies.

Plus, it's a health risk for workers handling the chemicals.

Additionally, insecticides kill both harmful and beneficial bugs alike, contributing to the alarming decline of key pollinator species. 

While there are rules that dictate the use of synthetic pesticides on edible crops, the flower trade can skirt these regulations because they are not classified as food. Methyl bromide—a highly effective gas fumigant—has been used in floriculture to eliminate pests like rodents, insects, and fungi.

The pesticide is also highly toxic and long-term exposure can result in neurological effects in humans and animals, according to the EPA.

What’s the Alternative?

Surprising your loved ones with fresh cut flowers doesn’t have to have a negative impact on the environment or human health.

Certified and "Slow Flowers"

The “slow flower movement” is a push for synthetic pesticide-free, local, and seasonal bouquets. Florists that operate under these principles grow and cultivate native plants and is a great alternative to the harmful effects of the floriculture industry.

Seek out certified green businesses, like Good Old Days Florist, which conduct business practices that do the least harm to the environment. 

Grow Your Own Flowers

Homegrown flowers might not be as hard as you think and circumvent the carbon emissions associated with imported flowers simply because they don’t need to be transported.

Additionally, homegrown flowers can mean that much more since it took time and care to cultivate. If you grow flowers in your yard or on a windowsill, you will also be supporting beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies. 

Gifts Other than Flowers

Trees for a Change offers the opportunity to dedicate a loved one the gift of a tree. The green business plants trees in US National Forests damaged by wildfires and is the only tree gifting company that allows you to track the location of the tree so you may visit it. Unlike cut flowers, trees can live on for decades and help restore crucial habitats.

Yet the most environmentally-friendly gifts are those that are handmade from repurposed items or regifted. While these may take a little more time and some foresight, the thoughtfulness and message can go a long way in showing how much you care.

Get Green Gifts

Below is a suggested letter that you can send to Amazon either over email or by mail. The letter focuses on both climate and labor justice recommendations to the corporation. This resource provides additional tips for writing to a corporation.

Letter to Amazon:  

Email to:

jeff@amazon.com 

Mail to:

Jeff Bezos

Chief Executive Officer

410 Terry Ave. North,

Seattle, WA, 98109-5210

Dear Jeff Bezos,

Amazon is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, and with that comes a great deal of responsibility to consumers, workers, and the planet.

Unfortunately, Amazon is not meeting that responsibility. While Amazon is starting to take action on the climate, your company’s carbon emissions increased by 15% in 2019; Amazon’s emissions are equal that of the entire country of Norway, and stakeholders deserve greater transparency regarding the company’s commitments to get to net zero emissions by 2040. In particular, despite Amazon’s goals to address its climate impacts, there appears to be no commitments to addressing the harm Amazon causes to communities negatively impacted by its operations, such as the fulfillment centers where constant vehicle traffic impacts air quality in communities of color.

Amazon also has a poor track record on respecting the labor rights of those that make its profits possible. The addition of an Amazon  warehouse in a community tends to make the average warehouse wages fall; the injury rates in Amazon warehouses well-exceed the industry average; delivery drivers for the corporation report having to pee in water bottles due to unrealistic workplace expectations; and unrealistic quota expectations also negatively impact warehouse workers who report not being given enough time to sanitize their workstations or wash their hands. In addition, the repetitive motions at a high speed required of warehouse workers leads to more workplace injuries. And Amazon has fired or threatened to fire workers that organized to protect their health and have their rights respected in the workplace.

In addition to Amazon’s responsibility to workers within its US operations, Amazon is responsible for ensuring those in its supply chains, across products, have their rights respected. In recent years, Amazon has become a leading apparel retailer and brand, with over 80 private label clothing, footwear, and accessory brands. Due to this, Amazon should take a particular focus on improving the working conditions within the textile manufacturing industry. The pandemic has led to an even more dire situation for garment workers; many workers reporting being laid off, not being paid their regular wages, or even struggling to feed their families due to financial insecurity.

I appreciate that Amazon did not follow the approach of other apparel companies at the start of the pandemic and has paid for its orders throughout the year. However, I would like to see Amazon take this a step further by committing to wage assurance for garment workers throughout the duration of the pandemic; signing on to a negotiated severance guarantee fund; and ensuring the garment workers’ right to organize and collectively bargain is respected.

Further, the chemicals used to manufacture clothing take a huge toll on people in the planet. Chemical exposure is a particularly pressing issue for workers, as 50% of occupational deaths are due to toxic chemical exposure. While Amazon has taken steps to address the impacts of highly hazardous chemicals of other products, I would like to see Amazon implement a robust chemical management policy for its own branded textile products and third-party vendor textiles. I would appreciate increased transparency about what chemicals are used to manufacture the clothing of both Amazon branded textiles and third-party vendors on Amazon’s platform, as well as requiring Amazon owned brands and third-party vendors to phase out all highly hazardous chemicals including carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants (CMRs), and persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals used to manufacture textiles, including all PFAS within the next five years.

As a longtime customer of your company, when I learned about Amazon’s extractive business model that causes harm to both people and the planet, I was deeply disappointed in the prioritization of profits at all costs. It is important, now more than ever, that your company takes responsibility to address its negative impact on our society. As an extremely profitable corporation, Amazon has the potential to lead industry-wide changes in climate and social responsibility.

I am writing to ask your company to commit to the following:

1. 100% renewable energy within two years and create a clear timeline with metrics for reaching Amazon’s goal of net zero emissions by 2040, including measures the company will take to address the communities impacted by Amazon warehouses.
2. End your efforts to sell Amazon Web Services technology to the oil and gas industry to support increased exploration and drilling immediately.
3. Submit complete and accurate data to the Carbon Disclosure Project documenting Amazon’s climate emissions, starting in 2021.
4. Meet all workers’ demands to protect their safety, including addressing unrealistic quotas imposed on workers and eliminating time off tasks. Amazon should provide paid sick leave that is not limited to those that test positive for COVID-19 as testing in the US remains difficult to access. Amazon should also cover the cost of health care and testing for any employee or contractor that has potentially been exposed. 
5. While COVID-19 puts warehouse workers' health at risk, Amazon should, at a minimum, continue its $2/hour pay increase and double overtime pay.
6. Develop and release a Restricted Substances List and a Manufacturing Restricted Substances List for all private label apparel. Phase out all highly hazardous chemicals from Amazon’s own brand textiles and third-party sellers’ textile products including carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants (CMRs), and persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals used to manufacture textiles, including all PFAS within the next five years
7. Commit to demands of the Pay Your Workers campaign, including signing on to the severance guarantee fund, commit to wage assurance throughout the pandemic, and protect workers’ right to organize and collectively bargain.  
8. At a minimum, ensure that companies manufacturing products for Amazon are in compliance with local laws regarding wages and hours, providing a safe work environment, allowing for unions, providing mechanisms for workers to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. Amazon should support all suppliers in efforts to pay workers in its supply chain a living wage and prioritize sourcing from unionized facilities.

I would like to keep buying from you, but my continued support will depend on your taking action and reporting what you do to protect people and the planet to me and the public. As an industry leader in online sales and web hosting, Amazon should prioritize becoming a leader on social and environmental justice, too. 

Thank you,

[Your Name]

Hours: Full-time (4-days, 32 hours/week) 
Salary: $43,000 - $48,000
Benefits: medical, dental, disability, vacation, holidays, sick days, disability  
Supervisor: Beth Porter, Green America’s Climate Campaigns Director 

Location: Remote possible (working EST), with preference for candidates located in DC, Virginia, or Maryland. 

Green America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive change. Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors, and businesses. Our workplace reflects our goal of creating a more cooperative, environmentally sound economy. We have a participatory decision-making process, which aims to build consensus within the departments and teams. 

We are looking for someone to support the digital needs of our climate, food, finance, and labor campaigns. We will offer the position at the position at the Campaigns Associate level to a qualified candidate with minimum 2 years’ professional experience. 

The Campaigns Associate will join Green America’s Corporate Responsibility Programs team, which works to educate consumers about various social and environmental issues and to push large companies to improve their practices. The Campaigns Associate is a new position created to support programmatic and communications work across the climate, labor, and food campaigns. The ideal candidate will have a wide range of skills (including time management), enjoy different tasks and learning, and thrive in a role in which no day looks the same. 

The initial focus will include developing campaign briefs, creating a fact checking system across the issue areas, increasing reach of the campaigns via digital platforms, and analyzing current campaign materials to identify areas for improvement. This role will provide the opportunity to work with and learn from both programmatic staff and the communications team, gaining a wide range of experiences. 

Duties and Responsibilities:  

• Collaborate with Green America’s Communications Team to create engaging content to promote campaigns online and in print, including social media, email blasts, web articles, and earned media promotions to reach a growing and diverse audience. 
• Support Directors in report writing, infographic design, publications, web articles, social media posts, and other campaign materials. 
• Ensure all campaigns include quality content with diverse supporting information, outreach, and communications that engage our audiences and maximize conversions. 
• Help create and test out new fact checking process across campaign areas.  
• Work across issue areas to ensure content makes important links between the work we are doing in different sectors of the economy.  
• Identify opportunities to reach new audiences and advance organizational goals on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). 
• Contribute to brainstorming and strategic planning for optimal education and mobilization of our base. 
• Engage in external outreach to partners. 

Skills and Qualifications:  

• A minimum of 2 years of relevant, professional experience. 
• Interest and knowledge of all/any of climate, food, finance, and labor issues desired, with preference for previous experience in one or more of these areas.  
• Proven ability to use social media creatively and effectively to engage users to take action, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
• Strong research and writing skills. Experience creating content for various audiences and for web and social media. 
• Ability to communicate clearly online (website, newsletters, social media), in print (magazine and other publications), and through presentations (and other events). 
• Experience with outreach to diverse communities including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, environmental justice, frontline communities, and/or international communities. 
• Experience with corporate campaigning preferred, but not required. 
• Experience with Salsa Labs or similar email platforms, Drupal or similar website CMS preferred. 
• Bachelor’s degree preferred, as well as previous professional experience. 
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once and meet deadlines. 
• Works well both independently and with a team.  

To Apply: Email your resume, two writing samples demonstrating the ability to write for different audiences (between 2-4 pages each), and cover letter to Beth Porter: BPorter@GreenAmerica.org. No phone calls, please. 

Applications will be accepted until Monday, May 10.

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Green America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding: actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, breastfeeding, or reproductive health disorders), age (18 years of age or older), marital status (including domestic partnership and parenthood), personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, citizenship status, credit information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Harassment on the basis of a protected characteristic is included as a form of discrimination and is strictly prohibited.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Do Your Investments and Financial Plan Align With Your Values? At Green Future Wealth Management, They Will. We help our clients construct financial plans and investment portfolios that are in harmony with their beliefs. Founder Nick Cantrell has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors in the country, and he has created a firm dedicated to helping clients integrate their assets with their values to achieve their Green Future. 

You don’t have to be rich to be a social investor. All you need is the will to use your money to support your values—and the kind of world you want to see for the future. People who bank and invest in a socially responsible manner arguably have never been more important to the health of humanity and the Earth.

Green America in the News (April 8, 2021) Green America’s Green Business Network “currently certifies businesses across 38 different industry sectors, including apparel, banks and credit unions, cleaning products, housewares, travel, farming, and more. GBN is always looking to fill industry certification gaps and is currently working to create a new certification standard for hemp-derived CBD (cannabidiol) products that are legally compliant (oils, salves, creams, etc.)…….”   The comment period for the new standard found at http://bit.ly/CBDgreensurvey) and will remain open until May 1, 2021.  

Read full article here.

Hours: 32 hours/week, flexible 4-day work week (full time)
Salary: $72,000 - $77,000
Benefits: Excellent benefits package, including health insurance, dental and vision coverage, sick days, holidays, and vacation. Friendly, collaborative work environment.  Option to work remotely.
Supervisor: Director of Development & Organizational Advancement

Organizational Background:

For 40 years, Green America has been harnessing economic power – the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace – to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.  We are working to create an economy that works for all people and our planet, and we are searching for a dynamic development professional to join our team.

Our Center for Sustainability Solutions (“the Center”) uses a systems-level approach to solve pressing social and environmental problems – from climate change to food systems breakdown. The Center brings together diverse stakeholders through Innovation Networks that aim to shift entire industries towards sustainability. Active Innovation Networks include the Soil & Climate Alliance, the Climate-Safe Lending Network, and the Clean Electronics Production Network.

The Senior Manager of Foundations and Corporate Giving is an exciting new position created to lead the management, cultivation, and stewardship of the Center’s foundation and business supporters, grow the pipeline for both revenue streams, and manage a portfolio of $2M+ in active grants.

Duties and Responsibilities

• In concert with the Center’s senior staff and talented team, develop and implement fundraising strategies for the Center and its networks
• Steward current foundation and corporate donors with special communications and personalized gift/grant acknowledgements
• Manage a portfolio of $2M+ in active grants and ensure the timely submission of reports, financial updates, and renewal proposals for active funders
• Identify and work to develop productive relationships with prospective foundation and corporate donors
• Craft and submit grant proposals and letters of inquiry for new sources of foundation and corporate support to help meet or exceed the Center’s financial goals
• Maintain records of all interactions with business supporters and foundation prospects in our fundraising database, Raisers Edge
• Participate in cross-departmental teams as time and other work commitments allow.

Desired Skills and Experience

• Exemplary communications and interpersonal skills, professionalism, and ability to build long-term relationships with senior executives and leaders across a range of sectors
• Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of foundation and corporate/business fundraising experience
• Track record of securing 5-7 figure gifts and/or meeting 7-figure annual goals
• Strong project management and organizational skills with capacity to meet deadlines, identify areas of synergies across teams, and develop new fundraising strategies
• Demonstrated ability to craft compelling, effective messaging for letters of inquiry, proposals, sponsorship requests, and progress reports
• Comfort logging activities and notes in CRM software (Raiser’s Edge familiarity a plus)
• Funder research skills and the ability to effectively identify, segment, and prioritize prospective business supporters and foundations
• Ability to travel: The position involves travel time of up to 25% for network meetings, conferences, foundation/business client meetings, staff training, and other purposes.
• Passion for creating a more socially just and sustainable society, including personal interest and/or experience in Green America’s issue areas
• Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) certification a plus.

How to Apply:

Email your resume, cover letter, and a writing sample to: partnerships@greenamerica.org. Please note in your cover letter where you learned of this position.

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Green America is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding: actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, breastfeeding, or reproductive health disorders), age (18 years of age or older), marital status (including domestic partnership and parenthood), personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, disability, matriculation, political affiliation, citizenship status, credit information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Harassment on the basis of a protected characteristic is included as a form of discrimination and is strictly prohibited.

Saturna Capital, manager of the Amana, Saturna Sustainable, Sextant, and Idaho Tax-Exempt funds, draws upon years of investment experience to aid investors in navigating today’s complex market environment. Founded in 1989, Saturna has helped individuals and institutions build wealth, earn income, preserve capital and achieve their financial goals for more than thirty years.

Saturna’s deep-rooted belief in value investing permeates all of our investment decisions. We don’t follow trends, we analyze opportunities through detailed research exploring geopolitical developments, industry themes, technology trends, competitive environments, and corporate leadership. We are long-term, valuesbased, and socially responsible investors. We view consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors as essential in forming portfolios of high-quality companies that are better positioned to reduce risk and identify opportunities. We believe that companies proactively managing business risks related to ESG issues make better contributions to the global economy and are more resilient.

At Saturna, we believe in making your investment dollars work hard for you and that your interests always come first. Saturna strives to not only offer the best investment opportunities from mutual funds to IRAs, but to match those sound investments with superior customer service.

Please consider an investment’s objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain this and other important information about the Amana, Sextant, Idaho Tax-Exempt, and Saturna Sustainable Funds in a current prospectus or summary prospectus, please visit www.saturna.com or call toll free 1-800-728-8762. Please read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

The Amana, Sextant, Idaho Tax-Exempt, and Saturna Sustainable Funds are distributed by Saturna Brokerage Services, member FINRA / SIPC. Saturna Brokerage Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saturna Capital Corporation, adviser to the Funds

It’s a very good thing that there are so many sustainability labels in the world, although it may feel confusing at first. These certifications are proof positive that lots of people care about how workers are treated and that they want products that are made without hurting animals or the ecosystems we all depend on. 

There are many of us willing to vote for less-harmful products with our spending. 

But with the plethora of certifications, marks, and labels, it can be hard to know what means what, and sometimes there's more than one organization seeking to guide consumers for a given product area. Sometimes this is because certifications began in different parts of the world, but then became large enough to cross borders — and sometimes it’s because two groups came up with a similar mission but have a different perspective on what they think is important. 

This means that some of these labels are stricter than others. Some organizations see stringency as a top priority, while other groups want to bring together as many companies under the umbrella of sustainability and guide them to greener choices over time. Then, of course, there are some of these organizations that have been accused of greenwashing. We’ve indicated where there is controversy on this issue. 

We hope this listing will be useful as you shop — or if you're just curious about what a certain certification means on something you’ve already bought. Keep in mind that in quite a few cases, these standards or certifications do change over time, with quite a few organizations on this list regularly updating their criteria, so to get more specific info than is presented here, you can always go to the website of the label or standard you’re curious about. 

General Certifications and Programs

Below, we look at a number sustainability certifications and programs that most businesses could participate in, including those that ensure good labor practices.

Certified B Corporation

• Also Known As: B Corp
• What It Certifies: companies

More than 3800 companies in 74 countries are certified as B Corporations: That means they must achieve a minimum score on the organization’s B Impact Assessment, which includes what they call a “rigorous assessment” of the company’s impact on environment, workers, community and customers.

For each company, this information is verified and posted on the B Corporation website. In addition, those companies who are Certified B Corporations must change the governing documents for their company so that the board of directors’ mission reflects the B Corp mission of “balancing profit and purpose.”

Cradle to Cradle Certified

• Also Known As: C2C
• What It Certifies: clothing , textiles, fashion accessories, building products, home decor, personal care, cleaning products

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute was founded by Wiliam McDonough and Michael Braungart, coauthors of the book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Ways We Make Things. The design principles laid out in that book were the foundations of the Cradle to Cradle Product Standard, which has gone through several iterations which are determined via a stakeholder engagement process that includes input from the public, as well as technical experts and market leaders.

The Cradle to Cradle Certified label is meant to be a “measure of safer, more sustainable products made for the circular economy.” Towards that end, each Certified product is assessed in five categories, “material health, material reuse, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness.” Each products is then assigned a one of 5 levels (Basic to Platinum) for each category, and all details are available on the organization’s website.

Disclosure: The author of this article worked for the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute for four years but was no longer employed there when she wrote this article. 

Green America's Green Business Certification

• What It Certifies: businesses 

This certification is for a variety of businesses and is less product-driven than others on this list but is more about certifying a company which adopts “principles, policies and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, employees, communities, and the planet.”

The certification is awarded to those companies that actively use their business as a “tool for positive social change;” source, market and manufacture their products in an environmentally responsible way; are committed to practices that are socially equitable and have “extraordinary” practices that benefit workers, the community and the environment; and businesses that function with radical transparency.

Businesses must apply for certification and there are a host of requirements depending on what kind of business the company applying is involved in, from candlemaking to banks, from electronics to resorts, to packaging companies and many more.

1% for the Planet

• What It Covers: any company can participate

This organization was founded in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies. It aims to fund a diversity of environmental organizations by connecting them with companies which promise to give the equivalent of 1 percent of their gross sales (which can be money, in-kind, and promotional support) directly to environmental charities.

The 1% for the Planet Organization facilitates the connection and certifies the companies’ giving, so they can use the seal or logo on their products. Over $250 million has been given via the organization so far, and they recently launched an option for individuals to give 1 percent of their salaries through a separate program. 

Although 1% for the Planet business members are often engaged in various sustainability efforts, participation in this giving program does not necessary mean that all of a business' products are eco-friendly.

Fair Trade Certified

• Also Known As: Fair Trade USA
• What It Certifies: clothing, food, beverages

Fair Trade Certified is the global brand of Fair Trade USA, the nonprofit organization. There is a reciprocal agreement with Fairtrade International (see below).

That means that producers who have the Fair Trade Certified seal might have certification via Fair Trade USA or Fairtrade International standards. The idea is to discourage duplicate audits of the same product. Fair Trade USA has different certifications that can cover an “entire product, an ingredient in the product, or the facility where that product was made.”

Fair Trade Certification requires all businesses that work with them to be held to standards that include “income sustainability, community and individual well-being, empowerment, and environmental stewardship.” That includes requirements, which are updated regularly, around worker’s rights, fair labor and sustainable land management.

Fairtrade International

• What It Certifies: clothing, textiles, food, tea, coffee

Fairtrade International runs the Fairtrade mark, which is different visually from Fair Trade Certified, but with which they have a reciprocal agreement (see above). More than 30,000 products carry the Fairtrade mark, and the standard is a combination of social, economic, and environmental criteria that “support the sustainable development of small producer organizations and agricultural workers in the Global South.”

Environmental standards are set so they both reduce impact on the planet and also meet the realities of local populations—but they do include a ban on certain pesticides and GMO seeds. Economic standards are designed around more equitable distribution of profits, traceability, and transparency. The Social standards cover working conditions, enable worker organization, and ban exploitative child labor, and discriminatory labor practices.

Agricultural Certifications

These certifications independently verify that certain agricultural practices are being followed.

Non-GMO Project Verified

• What It Certifies: food, beverages, personal care products

This label rigorously verifies that all ingredients are GMO free in a product that bears this label. That includes testing of ingredients that might be cross-contaminated. The Non-GMO Project is the only organization that has such a thorough and well-developed vetting process (they are into the 16th iteration of their detailed standard) to determine this information, although other labels include GMO foods as part of their screening process.

USDA National Organic Program

• Also Known As: USDA Organic
• What It Certifies: Food, drink, personal care, textiles

The United States Department of Agriculture manages the USDA organic certification. It details the requirements for the types of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that are allowed to be used on crops that can be labelled USDA Organic. The program has an allowable list of these substances, as well as specific amounts and circumstances where they can be used. 

The standard also disallows genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge. The seal is overseen by certifying agents authorized by the USDA National Organic Program. 

Building and Home Certifications

The following certifications ensure that a range of buildings are constructed or renovated with health and/or sustainability in mind. 

Environmental Protection Agency Lead-Safe

• What It Certifies: building interiors

The US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies construction and repair companies with this seal. To get it, contractors must take a one-day training course to understand how and why lead paint is harmful to human health and how to remove it/abate it properly. Any renovation or repair contractors that work in pre-1978 homes, schools, or day care centers (and disrupt more than six square feet of lead paint) are required to become EPA Lead-Safe Certified.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

• Also Known As: LEED
• What It Certifies: buildings, cities, communities

The United States Green Building Council runs the LEED certification, which aims “help people, and the communities and cities they reside in—safely, healthily and sustainably thrive.” The certification looks at the health and environmental impacts and social benefits of materials used for construction or reconstruction.

They do this by certifying buildings via an independently verified points system—for each project, green building strategies and their impacts are assessed. Those points then indicate whether a project is Certified LEED, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. There is also a LEED Zero certification for projects with net zero goals in carbon and/or resources. The LEED Cities and Communities Pilot program measures and manages a city’s “water consumption, energy use, waste, transportation and human experience.”

Well Building Standard

• Also Known As: WELL Certified
• What It Certifies: buildings

This standard is applied to building interiors and its overall aim is to use scientific research to “advance human health through design interventions and operational protocols and policies and foster a culture of health and wellness.” It takes into consideration ten main strategies, including air, water, light, movement, nourishment, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community — and within each of those are features, so the certification is incredibly detailed and looks at a variety of aspects of building health.

To keep track of these details, the certification works on a points-based system with 110 points available for each project. Parts are weighted based on possible impact. WELL is currently used in over 60 countries by more than 4,000 projects. 

Chemical Safety Certifications

There are a number of third-party organizations that verify that consumer goods are free from toxic ingredients, residues and other chemicals of environmental concerns. Some of these certifications also ensure eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Below are some of the most common. 

eco-INSTITUT

• What It Certifies: construction products, flooring, mattresses, bedding, furniture, furnishings

This Germany-based label specifically looks at how products used in homes offgas, which affects indoor air quality.

They label low-pollutant and low-emission products with their label, based on “extensive lab tests” which focus on emissions testing (AKA offgassing) and they analyze compounds based on select parameters including heavy metals, pesticides, and others—what they test for depends on the product. 

Environmental Working Group Verified

• Also Known As: EWG Verified
• What It Certifies: skin care, personal care, hair care, cleaning products

The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit that tracks chemical safety. They employ scientists and rely on peer-reviewed research to look into water safety, agricultural chemicals, and consumer product ingredients. The organization’s EWG Verified mark has been given to over 1700 products and is an offshoot of their popular Skin Deep database where consumers can find details on over 70,000 personal care products.

The EWG Verified mark indicates that those products that have the label are free from EWG “chemicals of concern” and that they product meets the organization’s strictest standards for health.The list of “unacceptable” ingredients includes any with “health, ecotoxicity, and/or contamination concerns.” The mark also means that Verified products have to be transparent, listing all their ingredients.

GreenGuard

• What It Certifies: building materials; furniture, electronics, cleaning products, certain medical devices

The majority of chemical exposures most people have are via the air in their own homes, offices, or schools, GreenGuard exists to certify products with lower Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) — since VOCs offgas into the air, contributing to poor indoor air quality.

VOCs are incredibly common, found in products for building and maintaining buildings, interior furniture, cleaning products and personal care products. The idea is that consumers can look for the GreenGuard certification and know that they are helping to reduce indoor air pollution.

Made Safe

• What It Certifies: apparel, bedding, personal care, childcare items, menstrual products, apparel

Over 6500 chemicals are banned from being used in any Made Safe certified product. The organization’s goal is to ensure that products are made with “safe ingredients not known or suspected to harm human health.”

They do this by asking companies interested in certifying their product to send them a list of ingredients (including sub-ingredients), which the organization first runs against their list of banned chemicals. If it passes that process, then ingredients are put through the organization’s toxicant database screening which may verify some chemicals as permitted. Other chemicals are checked for bioaccumulation, environmental persistence, soil and water toxicity, human health effects, and more. Then a report is issued.

Animal Welfare Certifications

In this group of certifications, we look at various standards that seek to ensure better animal welfare. Some of these standards certify that animal products are collected in humane ways, although the product (like down) may be the result of animals being killed. Others, like Certified Vegan, ensure that no animals are used in the process of creating a product. If you are a vegan, it’s worthwhile to know the difference. 

Downpass

• What It Certifies: pillows, down products

Downpass is an animal welfare standard that aims to independently verify products the goose and duck down found in bedding products and clothing. In order to qualify for the standard, the origin of down and feathers must be proven, and on-site inspections of farms and plants are included.

Announced and unannounced visits by auditors several times a year monitor the “rearing conditions and keeping of the animals.” Material from foie-gras farms or farms that live-pluck is prohibited. Each product audited to the Downpass standard can be traced with a verification number on the label.   

Global Traceable Down Standard

• Also Known As: Global TDS
• What It Certifies: down, feathers and products that contain them

This standard is focused on ensuring that down and feathers are made without causing “unnecessary harm” to the animals that provide them. Those producers that use the label must follow local animal welfare laws and best practices based on the International Finance Corporation Good Practice Note on Animal Welfare in Livestock Operations.

The label doesn’t allow live-plucking of animals, nor feathers from foie gras producers. The welfare of the animals in the standard are evaluated by “visually inspecting animals and verifying handling practices with veterinarians and others directly in contact with the animals.” The Global TDS follows the chain of custody so that all parts of the supply chain are verified, to ensure that conventional down and certified down aren’t mixed together. 

Leaping Bunny

• What It Certifies: cosmetics, household products

Over 2,000 companies are Leaping Bunny Certified, which indicates that not only is the final product not tested on animals, but no ingredient, formulation, or product from a third-party supplier is either. Even if animal testing is required by the regulatory agencies of other countries, the product cannot be certified. The certification requires that companies have a supplier monitoring system. Companies with the seal must re-commit annually.

Note that the Leaping Bunny seal does not guarantee that a product is vegan.

Responsible Down Standard

• Also Known As: RDS
• What It Certifies: feathers, down and products that contain them

Textile Exchange manages this standard, which seeks to ensure that down and feathers come  from “animals that have not been subjected to any unnecessary harm.” The standard both monitors current practices and seeks to reward better treatment of animals by incentivizing humane treatment by producers. RDS also provides a format so that consumers know the claims made about the down or feathers used in their clothing or bedding are accurate.

Live-plucking and force-feeding practices are not allowed, the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare must be followed, and third-party audits of all of the above are a part of certification. Only products that are made with 100 percent certified down or feathers can carry the logo. 

Responsible Wool Standard

• Also Known As: RWS
• What It Certifies: wool yarn, apparel made from wool

Also run by the Textile Exchange, the Responsible Wool Standard can be attached to wool that comes from farms that have progressive land management and have respect for animal welfare —like the RDS, that includes adherence to the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare. All entities in the wool-creation process must be certified by RWS, including the farmer, traders, yarn, fabric, and final garment. 

Vegan Certified

• Also Known As: Vegan
• What It Certifies: food, drink, personal care, textiles, clothing, shoes, bags, accessories, mattresses, pillows, linens

The Certified Vegan logo is on products worldwide, but they must come from companies in the United States (and US territories), Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Currently over 1,000 companies and tens of thousands of products include the logo, and it is used on products that don’t contain animal products or byproducts—and those that haven’t been tested on animals.

That includes insects and insect-derived products (like honey) or silk or silk derivatives, or any animal-derived GMOs, as well as sweeteners filtered with bone char, or liquids clarified with animal-derived products. The certification is managed by the nonprofit organization Vegan Awareness Foundation (AKA Vegan Action).

Electronics and Appliance Certifications

The following certification programs help shoppers find appliances that use resources like water and energy wisely. 

Energy Star

• What It Certifies: home appliances, new apartments, homes

Energy Star is a labelling program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to promote energy efficiency in American homes and businesses. For appliances, meeting the Energy Star standard means the product meets a standard for energy savings over other similar machines or products (specifics on savings vary by the product category) .

Appliances included in the Energy Star program include washers and dryers, refrigerators, pool pumps, light bulbs, and more. For new homes or apartments to qualify for Energy Star labelling, they must be at least 10 percent more energy efficient that homes built to code. The program also works with buildings and industrial plants on who want to acquire an Energy Star label. 

Electronic Product Environmental Assessment

• Also Known As: EPEAT
• What It Certifies: electronics

Managed by The Global Electronics Council (GEC), the EPEAT ecolabel is the leading environmental certification system for electronics including TVs, computers, servers, mobile phones, solar panels, and more. The organization provides third-party verification of the products listed in its registry, which is updated daily.

The materials criteria for each type of electronic is different, and the standard is regularly updated. It includes criteria to address a product’s entire lifecycle, including energy conservation, toxic materials, product longevity and what happens to it when it has reached its end of life. The aim is to reduce greenhouse gasses, hazardous waste, and solid waste.

WaterSense

• What It Certifies: toilets, sinks, urinals, shower heads, sprinklers, irrigation controls

The WaterSense logo is the EPA’s label that indicates a product is at least 20 percent more efficient than average products. Labelled products must also perform as well or better than their less-efficient competitors.

Builders can also be certified by the WaterSense program if they are constructing homes that “meet the WaterSense specification for homes.” The label is verified by independent, third-party certification partners who test and verify products for efficiency, performance and specifications.

Forest Product Certifications

Global deforestation is a serious issue, which threatens to damage biodiversity and speed up climate change. The following certifications aim to ensure that products aren’t contributing to forest loss, but some programs have come under significant criticism. Below, we look at these different programs.

Forest Stewardship Council

• Also Known As: FSC
• What It Certifies: paper, sanitary paper products, wood products 

The Forest Stewardship Council’s Certification promotes more sustainable forest management practices and labelling to indicate that some or all of a product’s ingredients are from such forests. The forest management standards include preserving biological diversity and benefiting people local to the forest, including economically.

The FSC tracks certified material “from the forest to the consumer” and includes processing, manufacturing, and distribution. There are three FSC labels: 100% Products contain material only from FSC certified forests; Mix Products contain material from FSC certified forests and recycled material; and Recycled Products contain post-consumer material and pre-consumer content. 

Rainforest Alliance Certified

• What It Certifies: food, beverage, personal care, forestry products, tourism businesses

The Rainforest Alliance seal indicates that the product (or ingredient in another product) was made in a way that supports social, economic, and environmental sustainability. This is verified by independent, third-party auditors, who evaluate producers in those areas.

The seal varies in its more specific requirement depending on the product: Agricultural products are certified according to their specific standards and/or the UTZ Code of Conduct. For herbs and spices, they recognize the Union for Ethical Biotrade (UEBT) standard, combined with additional requirements. For forestry products, the FSC standard is used (Rainforest Alliance is a founding member of FSC), and the applying business is a part of Rainforest Alliance’s Forest Allies Initiative.

For tourism businesses, certification is via: “Preferred by Nature's (formerly NEPCon) Sustainable Tourism Standard, recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.”

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

• Also Known As: RSPO
• What It Certifies: palm oil (used in food and personal care products) 

As palm oil has grown in popularity for food manufacture (especially for snack/junk foods), it has been implicated in the rapid deforestation in Malaysian Borneo, Indonesia and elsewhere. Often, palm oil plantations were created on land that was formerly the forest home to endangered animals like orangutans, tigers, elephants, and rhinos.

The RSPO certification works to prove that a palm oil is produced sustainably. All parts of the supply chain, from plantation to collection ports, refineries and manufacturers are audited to ensure that RSPO-certified palm oil isn’t mixed with non-sustainable products — and that supply chain is traceable.

This label has also come under fire for being too lenient with palm oil plantations that have more recently been converted from forested land. Studies have found that some of the RSPO plantations were forested land that was home to elephants, orangutans, and other animals as recently as 30 years ago. The idea that forest can be razed for palm oil plantations and then be certified as sustainable makes it a “meaningless certification” according to researcher Roberto Cazzolla Gatti.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

• Also Known As: SFI
• What It Certifies: wood, paper products, other forestry products

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is a non-profit organization that aims to inform consumers that fiber in a product “is certified to the SFI 2015-2019 (Extended through December 2021) Fiber Sourcing Standard, or comes from recycled content, or from a certified forest.” They state that all fiber must come from “non-controversial sources,” and all certified forests must go through independent audits of forests via accredited certification bodies. 

There are significant criticisms of SFI’s practices and some environmental organizations consider it a significantly less-robust label than FSC Certification (detailed above), due to lower transparency and standards, and the fact that it was founded by logging industry groups. Some critics even go so far as to allege that the label is an example of greenwashing. A 2020 article in the journal Forests also finds SFI to have comparably lower standards than other forest certifications. 

Textile Certifications

Have you ever wondered if clothes or furniture you buy is sustainable? The following certifications let you know which products are made with eco-friendly fabrics. 

blueSign

• What It Certifies: clothes, textiles

BlueSign is an independent verification system for sustainability in textiles. In order to carry the blueSign label, a piece of clothing or product must include at least 90 percent blueSign-approved textiles and 30 percent approved accessories. The goal is for the company to work toward 100 percent for each product.

Since textiles go through a complicated supply chain, including raw materials, processing, dyeing, finishing, each step of the process must be assessed. This is to ensure that there are no “missing links in sustainable materials and work steps — from raw material to finished product,” according to the bluesign website. 

Global Organic Latex Standard

• Also Known As: GOLS
• What It Certifies: latex products, mattresses, pillows

The Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS) is seen most often in the sleep-products sector (mattresses and pillows) but can also be found in other types of furniture, like couches and chairs, which use latex padding.

To achieve the standard, a product must contain more than 95 percent certified organic raw latex. Qualifying products may have other polymers and fillers, but the finished product is subject to emission tests and there are specific limits to harmful substances. Both rubber plantations, where organic latex is extracted from the trees, and processing units, including the final retailer of a product, can be certified. The standard tracks this via transaction certificates at every sales point along the supply chain. 

Global Organic Textile Standard

• Also Known As: GOTS
• What It Certifies: clothing, home textiles, mattresses, fiber products, yarns, fabrics, food-contact textiles, personal care products

The GOTS standard was developed in 2006 by a working group of four organizations: The International Association Natural Textile Industry, the Japan Organic Cotton Association, the Organic Trade Association, and the Soil Association.

This widely used certification has two levels: Labelled organic for products that contain 95 percent or more organic material, and another for those that have 70 percent to 94 percent organic material, in which case they have to disclose the percentage on the GOTS label. The label certifies the entire process the material travels through, not just the final product. The entire supply chain, including processors, spinners, weavers, dyers and other manufacturers, and textile traders must be certified.

This process must be transparent and reported to the independent certifying body who approves the label for use. As part of the labelling requirement, in addition to the GOTS logo, the license number (or name) of the certified supplier database must be included, so consumers can look up the information for the item they have purchased. 

OEKO-TEX

• What It Certifies: textiles, leather

There are three OEKO-TEX certifications: Made in Green, Standard-100, and Leather. The Standard 100 is the most well-known, and it means that every part of a finished piece, including threads, buttons or other accessories, has been independently tested for “harmful substances and therefore is harmless to human health.” The Leather standard also has a specific test for chemicals that are harmful to human health.

The Made in Green Label can be applied to all textiles, including leather and non-leather goods and goes beyond the Standard 100 and Leather certifications. This label indicates that in addition to the chemical standards, an item with the label is also guaranteed to have been manufactured “using sustainable practices and under socially responsible working conditions.” Every Made in Green-labelled product also has a traceable code so consumers can find out more about that particular item.

We are addressing global plastic pollution.

Gondwana Ecotours specializes in small group and private tours to exciting destinations around the world. Our itineraries are carefully curated to include both unique nature and culture, and the fun activities are suitable to most travelers. Traveling with local guides who live in the communities we visit add depth and authenticity to the experiences.

We are committed to providing environmentally sustainable travel. We've carbon offset guest flights since the company's inceptions and are in the process of making all of our tours certifiably carbon neutral. Travel is a privilege that we don't take for granted and we make a point to support local programs that are focused on preservation and/or sustainability in an effort to reduce our collective footprint. 

We invite you to join us on one of our upcoming adventures, whether it's catching the Northern Lights in Alaska, visiting endangered gorillas in Rwanda or enjoying a beautiful vista on a hike in Patagonia. 

Thanks to the pressure of nearly 40,000 action takers Godiva has issued a public policy on responsible cocoa! Within this policy, Godiva commits to taking steps to scale child labor monitoring and remediation systems to 100%, commits to working with suppliers so that cocoa farmers earn a living income, and to no deforestation, among other commitments.

The policy and commitments are a positive step in the right direction. But, Godiva is still behind many other major chocolate companies in addressing social and environmental issues from cocoa.

We will continue to monitor Godiva’s progress. The new policy is a shift in the right direction, however the policy and commitments must be met with swift, meaningful action.

Amazon is dominating the online retail space and rapidly expanding across industries. In fact, Amazon is the largest US retailer of apparel. While Amazon is full of deals, those deals come at a big cost to people and the planet.

Why is Amazon bad?

• Amazon's net profits increased by 84% according to Forbes, and it made over $20 billion in profits last year, but it is not paying workers hazard pay during the pandemic. And, Amazon worked relentlessly to stop workers from exercising their basic right to a union.
  
  
• Amazon's carbon footprint INCREASED by 15% in 2019 and is equal to the entire country of Norway's! 
  
  
• Injury rates at Amazon facilities are reportedly double that of the industry average. And, Amazon workers sustained more than 24,000 serious injuries in 2020, according to the Strategic Organizing Center.   
  
  
• Amazon has a history of selling unsafe products to consumers. Consumers have reported products exploding, catching on fire, or melting. Children's toys listed on Amazon have been found to have way over the legal limit of lead.
  
  
• Amazon does not have a public chemical management policy for apparel, meaning there could be harmful chemicals in the clothing purchased from Amazon.

Amazon relies on customers to generate its enormous profits, so as consumers, we can have real influence on this corporation. Due to consumer, investor, and worker pressure, Amazon has committed to being powered by 100% renewables by 2025 - consumer action works!   

Read more reasons why to pass on shopping from Amazon, how Amazon violates human rights, and 5 reasons to skip Amazon electronics. 

Take Action

Together, we can hold this massive corporation accountable!

Join over 100,000 people calling on Amazon to take meaningful action to address climate change and treat workers with the respect and dignity they are owed:

Take Action

Together, we can hold this massive corporation accountable!

Join over 100,000 people calling on Amazon to take meaningful action to address climate change and treat workers with the respect and dignity they are owed:

Support small, green businesses that put people and the planet first, unlike Amazon. Use your purchasing power to shift the market demand.

Contact Amazon directly to raise your concerns! You can call Amazon at (888) 280-4331 or write a letter to the company. It may be challenging to get ahold of a person when calling Amazon, but if you reach someone, have the reasons for why you are calling ready and feel free to pull from the list above or any of Green America's resources!

Major Uptick in Climate-Friendly Gardens Continues with Numbers Nearly Quadrupling in Just One Year; New Resources and Video Available for Climate Victory Garden Beginners and Pros.  

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 24, 2021 – Gardeners are ready to go for spring planting and Green America, the nonprofit promoting Climate Victory Gardens, has a major new resource for them: a new beginner gardener guide with information on planning, planting, soil health for carbon capture, and maintenance. Since last April, Climate Victory Gardens have almost quadrupled to over 8,600 registered gardens, due in large part to COVID-19 and social distancing.

This year, Green America also released a new video outlining the 5 steps for starting a Climate Victory Garden. Anyone can garden for the planet, and resources are available for all gardeners no matter if they are pros or starting at square one.

Jes Walton, former food campaigns director at Green America, said: “As home gardening grows in popularity, it’s important for gardeners to understand that the techniques they use can have an impact on the planet for better or worse. Climate Victory Gardens are a great alternative to chemical-intensive lawns, they provide food and biodiversity, and when we keep the soil healthy, it can absorb the carbon dioxide driving the climate crisis.”

The new resources for beginner gardeners cover popular topics such as:

• Container gardening
• Raised garden beds
• Growing food indoors
• Seeds vs. transplants
• Soil testing
• Composting
• Finding local help

Climate Victory Gardens help to fight climate change by fostering healthy soil that can draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Inspired by the “Victory Gardens” campaigns during WWI and WWII that produced 40 percent of the fresh produce consumed in the U.S. at the time, Climate Victory Gardens empower Americans to grow gardens with regenerative agriculture techniques to help address the climate crisis.

Green America estimates that current gardens are offsetting the equivalent of over 40 million miles driven, which shows how Climate Victory Gardens are a meaningful way for people to do something about climate change.

Climate Victory Gardens are being tracked through Green America’s searchable map. To add your own Climate Victory Garden to the map, visit: https://greenam.org/garden.

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

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

By David Vetter

Does your favorite chocolate cost the Earth, or is it as sweet on sustainability as it is to your tastebuds?

This week, the Rotten Egg Awards ranked 31 chocolate companies around the world for their performance on sustainability and human rights. And what’s clear from the ranking is that some companies are doing a far better job than others of keeping their tasty treats guilt-free.

Out ahead of Easter, which this year lands April 4, the results indicate that many of the world’s largest confectioners are cleaning up their act on critical issues like child labor and deforestation, most have plenty of room for improvement. And some—the eponymous Rotten Eggs—scored poorly in almost every area.

On the other hand, the top-scoring companies offer chocolate lovers new, ethical options to consider when it comes to fulfilling their cravings.

Read full article here.

Bethesda Green works to address environmental challenges locally by creating a sustainable, green community, built collaboratively through citizen engagement, environmental education, government partnership and innovative business development. We do so through our Innovation Lab, which works to cultivate innovative “eco-entrepreneurs” and incubate green business development to ensure compatibility between economic development and environmental protection. We also advise existing local businesses through B-Corps certification on best practices for sound governance, support for workers, and sustainability. We build a green urban ecosystem through our Be Green Living program that works to elevate community engagement and engage in programs that address environmental challenges through projects that enhance the quality of life for local residents. Part of this community-driven work includes an Environmental Leaders program to support environmental education, cultivating the next generation of visionary green leaders.

Is this your year to start a garden? Make it a Climate Victory Garden! Get started and see results before you know it. 

Imagine it’s an early summer morning and you step outside to look at your garden just as the sun is evaporating the dew off the grass. You see new leaves on your herbs and some baby zucchinis starting to form under huge green leaves. You breathe in the fresh air and feel excited to see your garden thrive this year, and a sense of calm knowing it is doing important work for the Earth.

With a Climate Victory Garden, everyone can take meaningful action for soil health and emissions. This list for beginners is a jumping off point for learning the basics and starting on a path towards gardening for the planet. Start by asking yourself these important questions: 

Am I protecting the soil?

Soil puts "climate" in climate victory gardening by pulling the powerful greenhouse gas carbon dioxide out of the air and storing it underground where it feeds our plants and soil microbes. Avoiding tilling and keeping soils covered are examples of protecting the soil. 

Am I choosing climate-conscious products? 

When you choose what you put into your garden, you may make a climate impact in the wider world as well. Minimize those effects by making decisions that help reduce emissions. When possible, opt for natural and organic alternatives to synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Use sustainably harvested or repurposed materials whenever possible.

For example, instead if using synthetic chemical fertilizers—and their associated pollution and emissions from production and transportation—fertilize your garden with compost that supports soil life and keeps food and other organic waste out of the landfill where they produce the potent greenhouse gas, methane.

1. Set Goals for Your Climate Victory Garden

Think about your dream garden. What do you see, hear, and smell? Consider drawing or writing about it. Think about how much time you have to commit to your garden—be realistic and start small. If you have just a few minutes a day, consider a container garden—maybe just one pot. If it’s your first time ever gardening, consider a plot ten square feet or smaller, which requires two to three hours per week.

While it will take some time to achieve a dream garden, your vision and goals will guide you through the process. What does success mean to you? Maybe your top priority is growing delicious food to save money on groceries, getting your kids outside, or creating a habitat for pollinators. 

2. Choose Your Plants

First things first—grow what you love! Here are some additional considerations for deciding what to grow: 

• Look at your favorite recipes and grow the ingredients. 
• Plant veggies and herbs that are expensive or hard to find at your grocery store. Veggie blossoms can also support pollinators!
• Consider how much space you have and grow accordingly—herbs are great for small spaces, while squash need several square feet for each plant. 
• Grow plants that are suited to your climate—find your area’s hardiness zone and match that to the zone to information on the back of your seed packet. 
• Consider perennial plants that don’t have to be replanted each season because they’re great for supporting soil heath and are less work for you.

Choosing between seeds and transplants

Beginner gardeners will have the best luck with transplants, because they’ve been nurtured past their vulnerable seedling stage. Transplants are also quicker to mature because they’re several weeks old by the time you get them. Because of that, they’re also more expensive than starting from seed. When buying transplants from your local nursery or neighborhood farm, choose plants that were grown without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. 

If you’d like to try to start some plants from seed, opt for the easy-to-grow plants like peas, beans, radishes, leafy greens, and sunflowers. 

3. Find the Perfect Place

Before you get too excited, be sure to check your zoning laws, any HOA requirements, and—if you’re a renter—talk to your landlord about starting a garden. If you don’t know the entire history of your property, consider getting your soil tested for toxic chemicals like lead paint. If your soil is permanently damaged, you can still grow food in raised beds and/or containers. 

When choosing a spot for your garden, the easier it is to see and access your garden, the more you’ll be reminded to care for it. Choose a site that’s visible from a room where you spend a lot of time. It’s also helpful to have a nearby water source, like a hose or spigot to fill your watering can.

If you have strict landscaping rules where you live, experiment with including beautiful edible plants in with your ornamentals. 

Think you’ve found the ideal spot? Take some time to observe the area to make sure it gets enough sun—most crops prefer 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day. Look for other environmental factors like wind and drainage as well. 

No yard? No worries! 

If you don’t have a lot (or any) outdoor growing space, it’s time to get creative. Maybe you can grow along fence lines; in the parkways between sidewalks and curbs; at family’s, friend’s, or a neighbor’s house; or other open areas in your neighborhood. Or, you might be able to get a plot at a local farm or community garden. Have a balcony, sunny windowsill, or a little extra space on your counter-top? You can grow a Climate Victory Garden in containers indoors or outdoors too!

4. Time it Right

If you’ve purchased transplants, keep them indoors until the risk of frost has passed. When you’re ready to plant outside, help your seedlings adjust to their new home by hardening off—that is, placing them near their future planting site for a few hours each day and increasing the time gradually until they’ve spent a night outdoors in their pot. 

When planting, first water the ground thoroughly. Dig a hole twice as large as the pot, take the plant out of the pot and place in the ground, and lightly pack the soil around the roots. Water thoroughly again and maintain a consistent watering schedule to avoid shocking the plant. 

Planting from seed is more difficult, as they need regular watering and close attention. Look for seeds that can be direct-seeded right in the dirt of your garden or container, which will be on the back of the seed packet, along with seed depth, row spacing, and dates to plant. 

No matter what you plant, make sure you incorporate pathways into your layout and beds that you can reach the middle of for weeding and harvesting. 

5. Protect Your Climate Victory Garden Soil

Soils are rich with life that supports nutritious crops and carbon capture. There are many ways to protect and build soil health, and these are a lifelong part of the gardening process. 

• Avoid chemicals that reduce biodiversity 
• Add compost to support soil life 
• Mulch to protect soils from the elements 
• Allow weeds to cover uncultivated soils 
• Minimize digging to reduce disturbance of fungi and earthworms 
• Keep old plants in the ground over the winter for pollinator habitat and to anchor soils 
• When removing old plants to plant more, cut at the soil level, leaving the root underground 
• Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned gardener, it’s all an experiment. There will be ups and downs. 

Looking for more information about how to do any of the above steps? Check out our Beginner Gardener’s Toolkit.

When people of color lack access to financial services, their schools, housing, and businesses are affected. Delegate Jazz Lewis of Maryland details the economic repercussions for constituents like his. 

As the global pandemic disproportionately affected communities of color and activists took to the streets following the police killing of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, national attention turned to enduring systemic racism in American society. Among the many challenges facing Black Americans, Black communities are drastically underserved economically, and Black families lag far behind white families in terms of wealth, a phenomenon known as the “racial wealth gap.”

Despite the gains of the Civil Rights Movement, a 2020 report by Citibank on the racial wealth gap and its enduring effects found that the gaps in “unemployment, net worth, debt levels, wages, peak income, financing for businesses, [and] spending on education” are higher than ever. 

The Economic Costs of Racism

To learn more about the economic costs of racism, including how racism doesn’t just harm individuals but the economy as a whole, I spoke with Delegate Jazz Lewis, who represents the 24th Legislative District (Prince George's County) in Maryland’s House of Delegates. Lewis recently wrote an article for the Brookings Institute about how states can help close the racial wealth gap and has worked with Maryland pension funds to increase diversity in management teams to ensure more equitable investments. Prior to his work in the legislature, Lewis worked as a community organizer for the Service Employees International Union in 2011 and 2012 and helped ensure consumer protections for Baltimore City residents. In our interview, he spoke about how racism and racial inequality holds all of our people and our economy back, as well as how people are working to close the gaps. This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Green America/Asher Weinstein: What do you see as the economic costs of racism for the country and our society, and why?

Del. Jazz Lewis: I worked as a community organizer on the streets of Baltimore. And a lot of my experience there taught me that if you give small businesses and minority-owned businesses, an opportunity, they’re going to hire the people who live in their communities. But they aren’t always getting those opportunities, and that has pretty far-reaching effects. The Citi report showed that because of inequities in who gets approved for housing and other elements of the wealth gap, [the US economy] was missing out on about $16 trillion worth of economic activity over 20 years. 

This is because these issues are disproportionately hurting the African-American community, and because of that, the negative effect spreads beyond just the businesses and people who didn’t get loans or assistance. That’s because those are jobs that people could have had, not just within the African-American community, but whoever they would have hired, and the stuff that they could have purchased. 

Green America: Speaking of access to credit and wealth, in your Brookings article, you highlight that community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and local credit unions outperform megabanks in giving loans and credit to minority and low-income communities. Why is that, and how did it affect communities of color during the covid-19 crisis? According to a paper in the National Bureau of Economic Research, the first round of PPP funds “was disproportionately disbursed to non-minority communities.”

In his Brookings article, Lewis suggests establishing a state-run “domestic emerging market fund manager, a person more likely to invest and allocate capital in non-traditional low income urban and rural communities, to increase the flow of capital to minorities.”

Lewis: One of the big reasons that traditional lenders don’t help minority-owned businesses is the corporate consolidations of these megabanks, which has meant that their underwriting costs (costs for the lender) for a loan are the same, regardless of if it’s a $50,000 loan or a million-dollar loan. From a business standpoint, you’re going to try to have your staff spending all their time on the higher-end loans instead of the low-dollar loans.

Unfortunately, we’re seeing fewer and fewer community banks, which are the bread and butter for a lot of these smaller Black-owned businesses.

And during covid-19 specifically, we noticed that in the later rounds, a number of minorities weren’t able to get their PPP loans when they needed them most. And as a result, 41 percent of businesses that closed during the pandemic were Black-owned, despite only making up only 3 percent of all the businesses in the US. In addition to no longer being able to hire people, these small business owners are major figures in their community, so you can imagine the impact that’s gonna have on those communities.

Green America: In addition to ensuring access to lenders, you’ve been working to improve diversity in Maryland’s pension funds. How can lawmakers and individuals put pressure on these pensions, as well as lending institutions to improve their practices?

Lewis: We can tell pension funds and other institutional investors that their guidelines should require them to have diverse fund managers, because they tend to be under-capitalized (lack sufficient funding to conduct regular fund operations), but they over-perform compared to their counterparts. 

As Lewis points out in his Brookings article, in 2018, “minority-owned equity firms represented 34 percent of the top quintile of performers but managed less than 1 percent of available capital.”

We can put pressure on them because they should have a policy requiring diverse fund managers to begin with. You can also tell funds they need to set some percentage of their investments set aside for non-traditional investments, because of the larger growth potential of the societal impact. After all, if a minority-run and a non-minority fund would invest in the exact same things, you’re not expanding equity or addressing racial wealth inequality.

Asher Weinstein is a former communications and editorial intern for Green America and is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Policy at American University.