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WASHINGTON, D.C. – December XX, 2020 -- After two decades of failed interventions across the cocoa sector, cocoa farming communities are still battling the effects of poverty, child labor and deforestation. That is the key finding of the 2020 Cocoa Barometer report published today. 

The report finds that the industry continues to rely on vague rhetoric and voluntary programs that fall far short of the mark, and is a rallying cry for civil society organizations (CSOs) and governments to move into legal measures and mandatory compliance for industry. 

Antonie C. Fountain, Cocoa Barometer co-author said “As a biennial review of sustainability in the cocoa sector, the 2020 Cocoa Barometer report provides stark details of how little positive impact current and past interventions are having for the farmers at the beginning of the supply chain. Twenty years into rhetoric, the challenges on the ground remain as large as ever. Poverty is still the daily reality for virtually all West African cocoa farmer families, child labor remains rife and old growth forests continue to be cleared to make way for cocoa production.”

Now is an important window of opportunity to move towards justice, as momentum for change is gathering across different stakeholders. Thanks to campaigning by CSOs, the last two years have seen an increasing number of chocolate companies asking for regulation; significant global actors like the EU are committed to putting legislation in place; and the world’s two largest producers of cocoa, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, have formed a cartel to drive up the price for cocoa farmers.

“Coming out on the day that the legal case against Cargill and Nestle for child slavery in their supply chains is being heard at the US Supreme Court, the severity of ongoing problems described in the Barometer remains dire, as does the need for solutions outlined in the report,” said Todd Larsen, Executive Co-Director of Green America.

The report finds that the last two decades of interventions have failed for three main reasons.

• Regulatory efforts have only been voluntary, not mandatory, meaning that across the sector, actors are failing to do what they need to. Within the multitude of government-driven covenants, national multi-stakeholder platforms and sector-wide collaborations, there are no penalties for non-compliance nor enforcement to meet targets. Ironically, however, those at the bottom – cocoa farmers often living below the poverty line – do lose their sustainable cocoa certification if they do not comply. Whilst we’ve seen a significant increase in regulatory processes and commitments to due diligence, they are limited without accountability, transparency and equitable enforcement.

• The underlying problems that exacerbate extreme poverty – including low cocoa prices, lack of infrastructure, and no transparency and accountability as you move higher in the supply chain – remain unchallenged and unsolved. There needs to be recognition that in its current form, the business model for high yields of cocoa means poverty for farmers and excessive profit for chocolate manufacturers. It’s time this changed.

• Efforts to solve complex issues of injustice and unsustainability in the cocoa sector have not given farmers and CSO a seat at the table.  Instead of inviting farmers and civic society to take a respected seat at the decision-making table, problems have been assessed using a top-down industry-based approach. This serves the interests of industry and government, rather than the producer farmers and their communities.

The report makes three key recommendations:

• Regulation that regulates companies, rather than penalizing the farmers. Recognizing that bad farming is not the problem, but rather a symptom of a deeply unfair system, the report advocates for systems change and regulation that creates an enabling environment. Current forms of certification and farm-based standards increase pressure on farmers: instead, we need laws that hold the powerful accountable, rather than laws which demand that farmers change. Compliance criteria are imbalanced and need restructuring so that companies are held accountable to due diligence systems.

• Effective partnerships between producer and consumer countries. If the answer is creating an enabling environment, we need partnership agreements between producer and consumer countries that facilitate and finance this. Processes that set partnerships in motion should be inclusive and deliberative, ensuring that civil society and farmer groups have a respected voice at decision-making tables.

• Deliver on a fair price for farmers. The single biggest positive impact for farmers and incentive for farming sustainably is delivering a fair price for the cocoa they produce. Cocoa and chocolate companies must find ways to redistribute value along the supply chain so that farmers are guaranteed a living income.

Sandra Sarkwah, Coordinator for the Ghana Civil-Society Cocoa Platform (GCCP), supports the publication of the Cocoa Barometer 2020 and said, “Efforts of sector players to change the story of farmers keep on beating about the bush when evidence presents to us the plight of farmers: low income from their hard work is a major threat to cocoa sustainability” she said. “Processors, chocolate manufacturing companies and retailers who earn a large chunk from the value chain must be fair to farmers by paying a living income and this must reach the farmer”. As recommended in the report, Sarkwah confirms “this will require the efforts of various actors, including civil society organisations in both producing and consuming countries, as well as strong farmer cooperatives to demand transparency and accountability for effective delivery of pricing policies for better farm gate prices for farmers”.

The full 2020 Cocoa Barometer report can be read here: www.cocoabarometer.org

ABOUT THE BAROMETER

The  Cocoa  Barometer  is published biennially by a global consortium of civil society actors;  ABVV/Horval, Be Slavery Free, European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT), Fair World Project, Fern, Green America, Hivos, INKOTA-netzwerk, International Labor Rights Forum, Mighty Earth, Oxfam America, Oxfam-Wereldwinkels, Rikolto, Solidaridad, Südwind Institut, Tropenbos International.

Editor’s note only:

The 2020 Cocoa Barometer, an Executive Summary, an FAQ, separate infographics and photographs of cocoa production can be found at https://www.voicenetwork.eu/press/

Media contact:

Antonie Fountain

antonie@voicenetwork.eu

Mob:(+31)06 242 765 17

In the US, Max Karlin

mkarlin@hastingsgroup.com

(703) 276-3255

Editor’s note only:

The 2020 Cocoa Barometer, an Executive Summary, an FAQ, separate infographics and photographs of cocoa production can be found at https://www.voicenetwork.eu/press/

The numbers are in! Professionally managed assets in the U.S. using socially responsible investing (SRI) strategies continue to grow rapidly. According to the US SIF Foundation’s newly released 2020 Report on Sustainable and Responsible Investing Trends, SRI assets now total $17 trillion – a 42% increase since 2018.

This means that one third of all professionally managed investments are now involved in SRI.

In 1995, the first year of the biennial Trends Report, SRI assets totaled only $639 billion.

What is socially responsible investing?

SRI investments take into account the social and environmental impacts of companies and include issues like climate impacts, gender and racial equality, human rights, and labor issues. SRI investing works to create greater corporate responsibility, which can also lead to competitive returns.

Despite recent attacks on socially responsible investing by the Securities & Exchange Commission and the Department of Labor, individual and institutional investors are increasingly seeking to align their investment decisions with their values or missions while meeting their financial goals.

In tracking the growth of SRI, the report examines the integration of environmental, social and corporate governance criteria in investment decision-making; the assets involved in the filing of shareholder resolutions; and community development investments that support economic uplift in marginalized regions.

Highlights of the report include:

• The top 5 issues of concern to institutional investors (such as pension funds, foundations, hospitals, faith-based institutions, insurance companies, and educational institutions) are:
  • Terrorism/Repressive Regimes
  • Climate Change
  • Tobacco
  • Board of Director Issues
  • Sustainable Natural Resources & Agriculture
• The top 5 issues of concern to money managers are:
  • Climate Change
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Board of Director Issues
  • Sustainable Natural Resources & Agriculture
  • Executive Compensation
• The highest number of shareholder resolutions filed between 2018-2020 addressed corporate political activity – both political contributions and lobbying. Shareholder resolutions allow all investors in a company to cast votes that encourage management to take action on a specific issue.
• The next most popular shareholder issues were fair labor practices and equal employment opportunity and climate change issues.
• Community investing assets rose to $266 billion, growing 44% between 2018 -2020. This includes community development banks, credit unions, and loan funds. Assets in community development credit unions are the largest part of the community investing field.

Investors are also responding to major current events. Investors surveyed on the impacts of COVID-19 and SRI trends going forward felt that SRI would continue to grow and that the current pandemic may increase interest in investment strategies that take environmental, social, and corporate governance issues into account. Investors also predicted increased attention to racial and gender equity issues and to the climate crisis.

Investors will likely continue to respond to the police murder of George Floyd and to the broader injustices it has made more visible. Through public statements, support for Black views and insights in corporate engagements, the inclusion of racial justice issues in the investment process, investing in under-served communities, and other actions, socially responsible investors will continue to use the power of their assets to build a better world.

Green America has many resources on socially responsible investing and better banking.

Use the power of your dollar for people and the planet today! Visit:

• Green America’s Finance Campaign for background information
• Get a Better Bank to find community development banks and credit unions and other green options
• Shareholder Action to learn about proxy voting and more
• Fossil Fuel Divestment for investment products & services that avoid fossil fuels
• Financial Planners & Advisors Certified by Green America’s Green Business Network to help you invest to meet your needs and support your values

If you have enough money to open a bank account, you can become a social investor today!

Guest blog by Green Business Network member Decent Exposures, Inc.

Background: In 1986, sustainable business Decent Exposures® began manufacturing the Original Un-Bra, designed by women, for women, with your comfort in mind. Since then, we’ve been successfully fitting women of all sizes, from 30AA to 60L, and every size in between. Over the years, we have expanded our product line to include front closure bras, nursing bras, swimwear, every day and activewear clothing, as well as baby items and accessories, all made from the same high-quality fabrics we use to make our bras and underwear.

Social responsibility is important to us. We use recycled materials for packaging whenever possible, limit our use of plastic, and pass on large fabric scraps to be re-purposed or recycled. We buy organic fabric whenever possible, all of which is made in the USA. In 2016 we were one of 10 finalists for Green America’s People and Planet Award for ethical apparel supply chains. All our products are made in our Seattle office, where most of our employees have been with us for over 20 years. They are paid well above minimum wage, with excellent benefits, and are truly valued for the excellent work they do. We have never bought or sold our mailing lists, as we know quality products and customer satisfaction are the best ways to generate business.

Making the Pivot: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, our production crew used disposable face masks to keep them from breathing in fabric dust. When we needed to order more in early March, there was such a limited supply that we decided to design our own reusable/washable, organic cotton, latex-free masks.  Within a week, we had created 2 styles:  a pleated style, similar to the disposable masks, as well as a more deluxe, fitted version, with extra room around the nose. Guess it's true - necessity IS the mother of invention!

As a small manufacturer in Seattle, WA, we were able to quickly respond to what was needed and now offer for sale publicly:

• Pleated masks, pleated masks with a slit at the top for a filter, and the more fitted, deluxe style
• Kids sizes in each style – just smaller versions for kids under 10 years old
• Fabric ear loops instead of elastic ear loops, for those with elastic sensitivities
• Behind the Head elastic option which works well for those with hearing aids

We had never considered making face masks but pivoting quickly helped our company stay open when our governor issued a Stay Home, Stay Safe mandate in April and all non-essential businesses were closed. As facemasks were and are definitely essential, we were able to remain busy the whole month of April exclusively making facemasks. We have sold over 10,000 masks and have donated over 3500 masks to local food banks and other essential workers.

Our facemasks are available in over 20 organic cotton colors and are a wonderful way for us to use up some fabric scraps created while we make our usual products.

Good News: It’s been fulfilling being able to help with the pandemic in some way, and we’re grateful to our customers who recommended us to their friends and families as the need for face masks became clear.

Trader Joe’s Practices Harm People and the Planet

Trader Joe's has a bad history of leaking dangerous climate pollutants and not disclosing the labor practices in its chocolate supply chains. And the company doesn’t even report how it plans to address these serious issues.

That’s why Green America and the Environmental Investigation Agency have teamed up to hold Trader Joe’s accountable.

We’re telling Trader Joe’s to stop emitting climate-damaging refrigerant gases in all stores and to support efforts to end child labor in its Trader Joe's chocolate.

And we’re urging the company to up its transparency across the board.

Tell Trader Joe's: Don't Discount Our Future!
 

Trader Joe's Damage to the Climate

Trader Joe’s refrigeration is leaking super-pollutant gases that accelerate the climate crisis. It received the lowest score on the Environmental Investigation Agency’s Climate-Friendly Supermarket Scorecard.

In 2016, Trader Joe’s settled with the US EPA and DOJ for violating the Clean Air Act by leaking refrigerants. But there’s no sign that Trader Joe’s has made progress to reduce leak rates or adopt sustainable, climate-friendly refrigerants.

Refrigerants are a major source of climate-damaging emissions. Refrigerant leaks from US supermarkets alone emit 45 million tons of greenhouse gases every year - the equivalent of 9.5 million cars on the road.

Is there Child Labor in Trader Joe's Chocolate?

As for labor, Trader Joe’s received one of the worst scores on Green America’s retailer chocolate scorecard; the company shares very little about what it’s doing to address child labor in its supply chains or rampant deforestation that is caused by the chocolate it profits off.

There are over one million children in West Africa experiencing child labor in cocoa growing; 24% of child laborers are exposed to harmful pesticides that jeopardize their health and the environment; cocoa farmers make less than $1 per day.

It is unacceptable for any company profiting off chocolate to not have a publicly available plan to end child labor and injustices in the chocolate supply chain!

Holding Trader Joe's Accountable

While refrigerants and cocoa sourcing are quite different issues, Trader Joe's inaction on both shows an inexcusable and troubling disregard for people and the planet.

Most companies are becoming MORE transparent, but Trader Joe’s shares next to no information with the public about its sourcing and operations.

Some of the largest and smallest supermarkets provide greater disclosure than Trader Joe’s – leaving no excuse for Trader Joe’s lack of transparency. 

Take Action 

• Sign and share our petition telling Trader Joe’s to increase transparency and only use practices that are sustainable and just for people and the planet. 
• Contact Trader Joe's directly and ask them to be more transparent, address child labor in cocoa, and cut their emissions.
• Investigate your local store's refrigerants in four quick steps.
• Shop from small, ethical chocolate brands prioritizing people and the planet.
• Tell the world's largest chocolate companies to step it up on addressing child labor, deforestation, farmer poverty, and rapidly reducing pesticide usages.

When it comes to caring for your garden, weed management is a priority. These pesky plants can deplete precious nutrients from the soil and take up prime real estate. They can be tedious to control and lead to lower harvests. But weeds aren’t always troublesome—many common weeds can play beneficial roles in your garden and even end up on your plate.

What is a weed?

A weed is any plant that grows in an undesired location—a carrot growing in a bed of kale could be considered a weed. But, it’s the invasive and noxious weeds like crabgrass and thistle that come to mind for most. 

Managing common weeds in your Climate Victory Garden

Climate Victory Gardening rules out the use of synthetic herbicides while building nutrient-rich soil—a perfect combination for weeds that requires gardeners to be creative and consider a more holistic perspective of the role of weeds in the garden. 

Organic weed control methods include applying mulch to suppress plant growth, soil solarization, DIY natural weed killers like salt and vinegar, and of course, pulling weeds by hand. But, before you remove weeds, be aware of their potential benefits to the ecosystem and your garden.

Left in the garden, noninvasive weeds can help cover and protect exposed soil, reducing the loss of rich topsoil from wind and water erosion—weeds are always better than bare soil. Their roots can decrease soil compaction and support underground carbon-sequestering microbes. Weeds can be indicative of soil health and help you troubleshoot issues in the garden. Before they go to seed, some weeds can be composted.

Another reason to embrace weeds in your garden? Many are edible and can be highly nutritious. Eating weeds is economical and ensures these home-grown nutrients don’t go to waste. So, the next time you see a weed, think twice before removing it. These tasty plants might just become a staple on your dinner table!

Common Edible Weeds

Dandelion has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties. The entire plant is edible and has a slight bitter taste that increases as the plant matures. Add raw young dandelion leaves to salad or cook in stir-fries and soups. Flowers can be used to make dandelion wine and flower jam or eaten fresh as a garnish. Roast the root and steep in hot water to make a coffee substitute. 

1 cup of cooked dandelion greens contains approximately:

• 40% of the DV for Vitamin A
• 21% of the DV for Vitamin C
• 17% of the DV for Vitamin E

Lambsquarter has a mild and slightly salty flavor. The leaves, stem, flowers, and seeds can all be eaten young, but avoid mature plants because they contain oxalic acid that accumulates with age. Add young raw leaves and flowers to salads or prepare similar to spinach.

1 cup of cooked lambsquarters contains approximately:

• 43% of the DV for Vitamin A
• 41% of the DV for Vitamin C
• 20% of the DV for Calcium

Purslane leaves, flower buds, and stems can be eaten raw, pickled, or cooked. The plant’s sour taste makes it a flavor-enhancing addition to salads or stir-fries. Purslane has a crisp yet mucilaginous texture similar to prickly pear cactus.

1 cup of cooked purslane is high in omega-3s and antioxidants and contains approximately:

• 13% of the DV for Vitamin C
• 12% of the DV for Potassium
• 12% of the DV for Vitamin A

Stinging nettle may seem intimidating to eat but has been used for centuries to treat muscle and joint pain and alleviate allergies. It has an earthy and grassy flavor and must be cooked to destroy its stinging properties. Wear gloves while harvesting and prepare with caution! Cook the leaves, stems, and roots as you would spinach, and add to soups, pastas, or casseroles. Dry leaves and flowers and steep in hot water to make herbal tea.

1 cup of blanched stinging nettles contains approximately:

• 60% of the DV for Vitamin A
• 33% of the DV for Calcium
• 22% of the DV for Dietary Fiber

Don’t stop with these four examples, as there are likely other edible weeds in and around your garden.

When foraging for edible weeds, avoid harvesting from areas contaminated with environmental pollutants, agrochemicals, and animal feces. As with all plants, be careful to consume only the parts known to be edible. Many plant species look similar to these edible weeds but may be poisonous or inedible. Be sure to do your research and correctly identify the weeds in your garden by using mobile phone apps like Seek by iNaturalist or PlantSnap. If you’re still unsure whether a plant is edible, it’s best to not consume it and let the weed serve other purposes in your garden!

This is a former Green America campaign, and progress was made! Thousands of Green Americans wrote to Disney about labor abuses in its supply chain, and Disney responded by taking steps to address abuses in certain factories. Together, we moved Disney and we can hold other massive corporations accountable too.

In June, 2016, China Labor Watch issued a report entitled “The Dark World of Disney” that found appalling labor conditions at two of Disney’s supplier factories in China. Workers in the factories worked 11-hour days for the equivalent of $1.32 US dollars per hour, and were required to work overtime. They were exposed to toxic chemicals without protection or any training in how to handle them. Workers slept in overcrowded dormitories with unsanitary facilities and fed substandard food.

After that report came out and thousands of Green Americans wrote to Disney, the company responded that it dropped one of the suppliers and is pushing the other to improve. But, in November, 2016, China Labor Watch issued a new report documenting yet another Disney supplier factory where employees are working 100 overtime hours per month, are exposed to toxins, and are forced to sign away their rights when they join the company. Investigations of Disney factories revealing multiple abuses now go back 15 years! The company has had ample time to require factories to comply with its code of conduct and all local laws. Yet, time and again, abuses are found at Disney contractors.

Despite the progress made years ago, there are reports that labor abuses are still occurring in Disney’s supply chain and the supply chains of other major toy companies. If you would like to reach out to Disney directly, here are some tips to write an effective letter to companies.

Shop from Green Businesses! Green America's certified Green Businesses are working to create an economy that works for people and the planet and have excellent options for toys.

Skip the big name toy companies and shop second-hand! This helps to keep toys out of landfills. Toycycle is one example where you can find toys that are new to you AND sell toys that you may be ready to part with.

The minimum wage in Bangladesh's garment industry is equal to just US$67 a month. This wage has been fixed since 2013 and is not due to be reviewed for at least another year. Meanwhile the cost of living has increased dramatically: over 6% per year since 2013. Workers who already couldn't cover basic expenses on these low wages are now struggling even harder to survive.

In December, with no other route for raising their frustrations and demands, workers at dozens of factories held peaceful walk-outs and demonstrations for a higher wage. Instead of agreeing to pay a living wage, or even to bring forward a wage review, factory owners brought unsubstantiated criminal charges against dozens of labor leaders and garment workers.

At least 34 activists and workers have been arrested, and as of February 20, five of them still remain in police custody or jail. Some have received threats of torture or death.

Many are being charged under a section of law that has already been removed from the statutes. These charges also include hundreds of "unnamed" workers, allowing factory owners to simply add workers they see as troublemakers to the list whenever they wish. Over 1500 workers have been reportedly dismissed from their jobs and potentially blacklisted from future garment work.

Please sign the petition to call on brands whose clothes are made at the factories behind the complaints to take immediate action for the dismissal of the falsified charges and the release of the jailed activists and workers!

This petition will be delivered to H&M, Gap Inc (owns Banana Republic and Old Navy), Inditex (owns Zara and Bershka), and VF (owns 30 brands including North Face, Jansport, and Lee), which source from the factories pressing the charges.

While no court ruling or monetary sum could undo the hardships faced by thousands of garment workers and their families after the 2013 building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, two recent events help to bring some justice to victims.

First, on June 1, 2015, Police in Bangladesh charged 41 people with murder over the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory complex, including several owners of the factories inside. The trial is set to begin June 28.

Then, on June 10, the Rana Plaza Trust Fund reached its goal of $30 million to compensate injured workers and the children of workers who died in the garment factory collapse more than two years ago. In all, 1,138 people lost their lives, and more than 2,500 were injured.

The Rana Plaza Trust Fund was established by the International Labor Organization (ILO) to collect money to cover loss of income and medical expenses for Rana Plaza victims and their families, some 5,000 claimants.

Brands who manufactured in Rana Plaza, as well as brands who manufactured elsewhere in Bangladesh, were asked to contribute to the fund, based on their size, and involvement in Bangladesh. This was not the first building catastrophe in the Bangladeshi garment sector, and Rana Plaza was far from unique in the way that it was run.

As the two year anniversary of the collapse—and fund deadline—approached, consumer pressure on brands that were slow to contribute mounted.

Green America worked with allies like the International Labor Rights Forum and The Clean Clothes Campaign to pressure Walmart ($482 billion in annual sales), Inditex (owner of Zara) ($18.9 billion), JCPenney ($11.9 billion), Mango ($4.5 billion), The Children’s Place ($1.8 billion), and United Colors of Benetton ($1.6 billion) to contribute, or increase their contribution, to the fund.

In response to pressure, both The Children’s Place and Inditex increased their contributions to compensate victims. The Clean Clothes Campaign maintains a list of which brands contributed what.

After reaching this goal, Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity, shared with The Guardian, “In comparison to the loss of families and victims, compensation doesn’t really alter anything,” Akter says. “But it will still help at least to send these kids to school and to put food on the table for these families. I want to thank every single person who was involved in this campaign, everyone who sent even one sentence to a brand and asked for compensation for these families.”

Thank you to all Green Americans who joined us in putting pressure on clothing brands.

The problem of forced child labor and human trafficking on West African cocoa farms has been known problem since roughly 2000, when a number of investigative reports came out exposing the severity of this issue. These reports spurred a reaction among policy makers and businesses, though for nearly a decade work to reduce the incidences in labor abuse in the sector seemed fragmented and stalled.

However, in the past four years there are clear signs of progress. Consumer awareness of child labor in the cocoa farming sector continues to grow, and with it, an ardent demand for chocolate made without child labor. Green America and many allies have helped hundreds of thousands of consumers communicate their concerns about child labor to the largest chocolate manufacturers, and raised awareness of fair trade certified and direct trade chocolate as well.

Companies big and small have responded to this demand. Smaller fair trade companies like Divine Chocolate and Equal Exchange have been able to expand their markets and their offerings in order to send more money back to the farming communities they work with. Ben and Jerry’s announced that all their ingredients, not just cocoa, would be fair trade by the end of this year, and larger companies like Hershey and Mars have committed to source only certified cocoa by the year two thousand and twenty.

How all this progress in the marketplace translates to progress on the ground for farmers is the question that is addressed in a new report out today: The Fairness Gap: Farmer Incomes and Root Cause Solutions to Ending Child Labor in the Cocoa Growing Sector. Also in the report are recommendations for all actors in the sector.

Key report findings include::

• Many cocoa farming families in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire make around the international poverty line of $2 per day, but with large families, this amounts to roughly 40 cents per person.
• Low earnings make it difficult for farmers to pay hired laborers to harvest the crop at the legally required minimum wage, fueling the need for child labor and, especially in Côte d’Ivoire, the trafficking of casual workers (including children) from neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.
• The majority of cocoa farmers are isolated geographically and must rely on a vast network of middlemen to transport their beans. Farmers also lack price information and negotiating power.
• The average age of cocoa farmers is increasing as younger people seek alternative means of income. This also increases the need for casual workers, who are even more marginalized.
• Company efforts to improve working conditions, schools, and supply certification are getting mixed reviews due to a failure to address the underlying poverty problem in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The full report can be read on the International Labor Rights Forum’s website.

Cooperative Fund of New England Expands Clean Energy

Launched in April of 2010, Energía, LLC is bringing energy efficiency to western Massachusetts.

As a service provider for both residential and commercial properties, Energía has spent the last year and a half saving energy and saving money for its clients, by conducting energy audits and installing numerous energy upgrades, such as high-performance insulation, ENERGY STAR appliances, energy-efficient light fixtures, thermostat controls, and more.

The first year of business was a great success. So, bolstered with a line of credit from the Cooperative Fund of New England, Energía has been able to expand in 2011 to include renewable energy installations like solar hot water heaters and solar photovoltaics. The company has also been able to expand its services to larger clients, such as local universities like Mount Holyoke, Smith College, and Williams College.

The Energia team working on an insulation upgrade project at Mt. Holyoke College.

“By drawing off the line I had with them already, we’ve been able to bring on our third crew of workers,” says Tom Rossmassler, president of Energía, who notes that the expansion means four new jobs for the Holyoke area.

What’s more, Energía’s structure means that the new workers have more than just a job. Via the internal Workers Trust program, after six months Energía’s employees become eligible for company profit-sharing and for participation in governance with board representation.

With such an innovative and people-focused company structure, and a company mission that benefits the local community by diminishing local reliance on fossil fuels, Energía easily fulfills the vision of community-development lenders like the Cooperative Fund of New England.

Going Solar at the Workplace

Dr. David Shuman, veterinarian and pet care specialist, has always had a commitment to green principles at his Santa Cruz, California animal hospital.

Inside his facility, all light fixtures and screw-in light bulbs are fluorescent, the toilets are low-flow (with flow restrictors on sinks and shower heads), and his staff maintains a commitment to recycling and minimizing waste. Visitors to the animal hospital’s blog can find access to such green resources as biodegradable bags for pet waste and eco-friendly methods for getting rid of fleas.

However, there was one green step for his business that always seemed cost-prohibitive and out of reach: going solar at work.

That was before Dr. Shuman discovered his local community credit union’s solar-power loan program. The Santa Cruz Community Credit Union (SCCCU) offers 100-percent financing for the installation of solar energy for commercial property over a term of 15 years. When Dr. Shuman balanced the financing terms offered by SCCCU against the energy savings on his electricity bill that the solar panels would bring, taking out a loan with SCCCU just made good business sense.

photo courtesy of Joop Rubens and the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union

“My hospital’s electric bills have dropped from about $440 a month to about $65 a month,” says Dr. Shuman. “It can only be a guess because prices change, but using today’s electricity rates, it will take about twelve years or so for the savings to pay for the panels themselves, and to close out the loan.”

Meanwhile, the city of Santa Cruz can breathe easier with one more business choosing cleaner, greener power, over dirty fossil fuels. What’s more, the SCCCU loan helped direct more business to local solar installation company Independent Energy Systems, supporting good, local, green jobs.

“Joel Kaufman and his team at Independent solar were A+ to work with,” says Dr. Shuman. “My customers have noticed the installation, of course, and I was very surprised at how many clients have said something. I’ve even had pedestrians walking by the hospital stop in to ask about them. I actively refer anyone interested to Independent Energy.”

In addition to the solar power loans, SCCCU also offers energy-efficiency loans, up to $10,000 for business to purchase energy-efficient appliances and lighting, window replacements, water-saving or low-flow sprinkler systems, and drought resistant or ecological landscaping, or for waste-reduction, recycling, and composting.

It’s all a part of SCCCU’s commitment to “develop new loan products that promote energy efficiency and a clean environment for our members and our community,” says Frank Nuciforo, director of lending for SCCCU. In 2010, the credit union loaned more than $200,000 to local residents and businesses for going solar, for investing in energy efficiency, or for electric or hybrid cars.

Sergio Nuñez de Arco aspires to become the quinoa king, and he’s well on his way. The company he started, one of New Resource Bank’s first customers, rocketed from $635,000 in revenues in 2007 to more than $9.2 million and a 33 percent U.S. market share in 2010, says Nuñez de Arco.

Driven by a vision of promoting sustainable agriculture and raising farmer incomes his native Bolivia, Nuñez de Arco hopes to capture the majority of the U.S. market for quinoa by 2012 with a product that’s 100 percent organic and 100 percent fair trade. A member of the Fair Trade Federation since December 2010, Andean Naturals’ products are also certified by Fair Trade USA.

The relationship with New Resource is essential to the company’s success, Nuñez de Arco says. Not only does the company draw on a line of credit, it needs frequent, complex wire transfers to go through flawlessly. What surprised him somewhat, he adds, is that the bank “did not take it easy on us just because we’re trying to do good. They had a very solid way of analyzing the financials, cost structure and profitability, and telling us, ‘If you want to get to this level, here’s what you have to do.’ I feel like they want our company to be successful.”

Nuñez de Arco helping with the quinoa harvest. (Profile & photo courtesy New Resource Bank)

Quinoa, a complete-protein, gluten-free “grain” (it’s really a seed), has been cultivated in the Andes for thousands of years. Andean Naturals is making it more accessible in the United States by reducing risk for U.S. food purveyors. The company, which has offices in Foster City, California, and La Paz, Bolivia, buys directly from local farm cooperatives and processors, paying them an 8 percent premium for meeting its Royal Quinoa cultivation guidelines. It then sells the crop to leading US food companies. Most quinoa we find today on shelves can be traced back to Bolivia.

“We see ourselves as a bridge between the farm and the U.S. market,” says Nuñez de Arco. “There are risks in importing directly—language barriers, shipments that are not well cleaned, late shipments. With us, customers don’t have to worry about when the container will get there, and we stand by the quality. We’re also transparent about prices, including how much the farmer gets. All this makes it easier for U.S. food companies to incorporate quinoa into their products.”

Organic certified cocoa from Ghana.

Five years ago, if you wanted to buy an organic chocolate bar, you would have had a hard time finding one with cocoa from anywhere in West Africa. Despite the fact that the region is the largest producer of cocoa in the world, providing raw cocoa to companies like Hershey, Mars and Cadbury, it simply did not have organic certified cocoa farms. In Ghana, for example, which supplies roughly 30% of the world’s cocoa, the government long reserved the right to apply pesticides on all cocoa farms in the country to prevent plant diseases they feared could threaten the entire harvest. And, while fair trade production—which limits the use of certain chemicals—launched in Ghana in 1995, organic was still an impossibility for almost two decades.

Recently, however, things have started to change, and several industrious Ghanaian farmers are producing some of the first organic certified cocoa in in the country. Late last year I had the chance to visit Ghana for a series of meetings focused on boosting farmer incomes—an issue we’ve advocated for at Green America for years. At the meetings I was able to meet dozens of cocoa farmers from throughout West Africa. Many of these men and women had produced cocoa their whole lives, and came from long lines of cocoa farmers—so they were experts.

Farmer Francis Otu explaining cocoa production.

Francis Otu is one of the farmers I met. Francis has been cocoa farming for a long time, but started using organic methods in 2006. He is a member of Cocoa Organic Farmers Association (COFA). Located in the Brong Densuso area of Ghana’s Eastern Region, COFA is the first organization producing organic cocoa in Ghana. COFA has four communities (clusters of farms) owned by over 600 different members. Even though Francis started using organic insect repellents in 2006, such as neem, it was not until more recently the government blocked off COFA’s communities from regular pesticide treatments. Combined, members of COFA own 1250 acres of land, which equates to roughly 950 football fields that are no longer being treated with chemicals.

Cocoa pods up close.

Cocoa farming, organic or not, is intense work. Unlike large-scale farms here in the United States that sprawl for acres and rely on machines, cocoa farms are typically are very small, just 3 to 5 acres, and must be harvested by hand. At first glance, the farms don’t seem like farms at all, but forests. On the farm I visited during my visit, the cocoa trees were well spread out; their branches created a cool and quiet canopy for all of us standing below, and the ground was covered in dead leaves. These leaves, which I initially imagined had fallen randomly, were actually part of the farmers’ pest-prevention measures, staving off weeds from growing in the ground.

Francis is passionate about organic farming and using no synthetic chemicals. When I asked why, he stated, “because it is healthier for me, as the farmer, for my land, and for the consumers in Europe who buy my cocoa.” After the three year transition period required to obtain organic certification, he can also make more money. “It’s very difficult to make a living as a cocoa farmer, but as an organic farmer it’s a little better. I make a premium of 20 cedi per bag I sell.” (roughly $5).

Inspecting fermenting cocoa beans.

Cocoa pricing is always a little confusing. In Ghana, COCOBOD, the government’s central cocoa marketing branch, sets the price of cocoa each year. For this growing season, the price was increased to 420 GH¢ per 64kg bag, or $105. Francis and his peers then earn $110 per bag. From conversations I had with several of the farmers attending the conference, it seems 1 acre of land can yield about 4 bags per year, which for most farming families would equate to only $1680 annually. The Cocoa Barometer found that most cocoa farmers in Ghana and their children live on just $0.86 per day, well below the global poverty line of $1.25/day. Child labor, a symptom of extreme poverty, has been a known problem in West African cocoa fields for more than a decade. In a 2015 survey, Tulane University, commissioned by the US Department of Labor, found that more than 2 million children in Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire work in hazardous conditions growing cocoa, such as burning fields, applying agrochemicals, carrying heavy loads, and not attending school.

After the cocoa pods are picked, and the beans inside fermented, they are laid out to dry in the sun.

While organic certified cocoa does command a higher price than conventional, if there is no buyer interested in organic, the cocoa will be sold as conventional. Francis explained that though he started using organic methods nearly a decade ago, earning certification and finding buyers took many years. Right now, COFA sells its cocoa to a Swiss chocolate manufacturer, but still has no US buyers. When I asked what would help Francis and his peers most he said, “more direct relationships with buyers so that we can make long-term investments in our farms and maintain quality.”

Globally, organic cocoa production is still a minute portion of all cocoa sold. The ICCO estimates that just 15,000 tons of more than 300 million tons is grown under organic conditions, or .05%. And less than 30% of this cocoa comes from West Africa, according to the FAO. However, the emergence of organic cocoa in Ghana could not come at a better a time. Consumer demand for organic products is growing at a strong pace, cocoa included. According to Euromonitor International, global organic chocolate sales were estimated to have nearly doubled from $171 million in 2002 to $304 million in 2005.

Francis pointing out one of his cocoa trees.

The purpose for my visit to Ghana was to learn from farmers what challenges they face and what it would take to make cocoa farming a long-term, profitable livelihood for farmers. Cocoa farmers throughout West Africa live in extreme poverty—malnutrition, remote homes, no access to schools, and no regular income–despite the world’s voracious consumption of chocolate. At the meetings, Francis declared to all of us that “just like a cocoa tree needs nutrients like water and sunlight to survive, so too do cocoa farmers. If cocoa farmers can not earn a decent income for their work, there will be no chocolate.” For our part as consumers, we have a delicious job to do—buy and eat more organic and fair trade certified cocoa, to support all the men and women who pick each and every pod.

Check out our Chocolate Scorecard to find organic and fair trade chocolates, and to find out which companies are lagging behind.

Photos by Emilie Schoots and Elizabeth O’Connell.

Student guest workers protest outside a Times Square McDonalds back in March, accusing the company of refusing to pay its workers overtime and wage theft.

Despite the promise of certain legal rights to safe, healthy, and fair work conditions, sweatshops and slavery still exist here in the United States. As exposed in last month’s issue of The Green American, “Fair Labor at Home,” in fleeing from terrible working conditions in their native countries, many immigrants are flung from the frying pan into the fire. Seeing their precarious financial or legal situation, certain unscrupulous employers will sometimes lure desperate immigrants into their employment with promises of a better life, only to subject them to the very conditions many were trying to escape in the first place.

While in very sad cases employers use economic coercion, threats of deportation, or physical force to exploit their workers, part of the battle is knowing your rights as a worker. After all, how can you know when your rights are being violated and thus be incited to action, if you weren’t aware you had rights in the first place?

So whether you’re just touching down on American soil for the first time or have never left it, it’s important to get acquainted with your legal rights. That’s why we here at Green America have compiled a short list of some of your most fundamental rights as a worker.

A quick caveat: The information provided in this post does not constitute legal advice. It is merely a list of certain legal rights and certain resources that can describe your rights more in full. It is my hope that this post will serve as a simpler alternative to the labyrinth of links and pages that is the Department of Labor’s website.

Minimum Wage

There’s a federal minimum wage ($7.25/hour) and your state’s minimum wage (varies) — employees are entitled to the higher of the two. However, there are certain industries (agriculture, industries where tipping is prevalent, etc.) and positions (internships mostly) where it is legal for employers to pay their employees less than minimum wage. Some of these exceptions will be covered below.

Overtime for Hourly Workers

According to Federal labor law, when an employee works over 40 hours in a single week, s/he is owed a minimum of 1.5 times regular pay for every additional hour worked over 40. The week “need not coincide with the calendar week, but may begin on any day and at any hour of the day.” Federal law does not permit averaging of hours over two or more weeks.

Employees are not automatically entitled to overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest. Overtime is about the hours worked in a given week, so as long as the 40 hours plus is worked within a seven day window, the exact days worked doesn’t matter – be it Veterans’ Day, Christmas, or the day of your mother’s funeral.

Keep in mind that many professions are exempt from receiving overtime so make sure to check if you qualify before you go busting any doors down.

Overtime for Salaried Workers

If you make less than $23,600 ($455/week) you automatically qualify for overtime — even if you work in an industry that does not typically allot overtime rates. If your employer cuts your pay when you miss part of the work day, you’re not exempt. However, if neither of the aforementioned criteria applies to you, you may still merit overtime (unless of course you work in an exempt field).

Meal Breaks

There are no federal mandates requiring that employers allot their employees meal breaks during the workday, only state laws. However, not every state has bothered to enact regulations. Only 20 states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia — require that employers to provide some sort of break for meals. Click here for a rundown of your state’s regulations if you’re lucky enough to work in an aforementioned state.

Miscellaneous Breaks

The outlook is even bleaker when it comes to breaks before and after lunch. A paltry nine states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington – require that employers give their workers’ intermittent “rest” periods throughout the workday.

Sick Leave

According to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), in order to merit sick leave you must (1) have worked for your employer for at least 1,250 hours over the last 12 months; and (2) work at a location where there are at least 50 employees employed by your employer within 75 miles.

Those who do qualify are allowed up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for the birth or adoption of a child or for the serious illness of the employee or their spouse, child or parent.

But if the FMLA doesn’t apply to you, don’t give up hope! Many local governments have enacted their own regulations regarding sick leave.

Minimum Wages for Tipped Employees

Some states allow an employer to pay their employee less than minimum wage when the remaining portion can be made up in tips. For example, in North Carolina an employer can pay a waiter, bartender, or hotel maid as little as $2.13/hr as long as they make more than $20 in tips a month. For a full list of wages by state, check out the DOL’s website.

Filing a Complaint

Think one of your rights has been violated? For wage violation employees may find out how to file a complaint by contacting the local Wage and Hour Division office or by calling the program’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243). “In addition, an employee may file a private suit, generally for the previous two years of back pay (three years in the case of a willful violation) and an equal amount as liquidated damages, plus attorney’s fees and court costs.”

For safely or environmental violations, workers or their representatives may file a complaint or request that an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspect their workplace if they believe there is a serious hazard or that their employer is not following OSHA standards via fax, email, or telephone.

Protection for Whistle Blowers

The OSHA will withhold the identity of the whistle blower if requested by the worker. Thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, it is illegal for an employer to fire, demote, transfer, deny a raise, or discriminate in any way against a worker for filing a complaint or using other OSHA rights. Remedies can include job reinstatement and payment of back wages.

Still have questions? Interested in something I didn’t cover? The Department of Labor’s website offers a more comprehensive account of workers’ rights. The AFL-CIO is also a great resource

Yesterday in partnership with Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour and the activism arm of the Nation, Green America and China Labor Watch launched a petition to improve worker health and safety for Apple employees in the factories that make Apple products.

Apple was quick to respond to our campaign, in a statement shared with Computer World, however, their statement falls far short of meeting the demands of the campaign.

First, we are calling for the elimination of the most dangerous chemicals used to make Apple products. Two dangerous chemicals known to be used by Apple include benzene and n-hexane, but there are more. Thousands of chemicals can be involved in making one electronic device, many of which are newly developed and not sufficiently tested. Apple does not disclose the list of chemicals used at its supplier factories. Transparency will be the first step in eliminating the most dangerous chemicals, removing them is next.

Apple pointed out it has led the industry in removing other dangerous chemicals from its products, but its statement did not include benzene or n-hexane. Nor did it indicate that Apple had removed toxic chemicals from the processes of making the parts–simply the final products themselves.

In cases where workers are still exposed to dangerous chemicals, workers must be provided with proper training and protective gear. In China, the legal minimum requirement for health and safety training is 24 hours. Apple’s new EHS training program provides no evidence that trainings will be enforced for workers at supplier factories, only that management will be trained. Additionally, China Labor Watch has issued reports revealing that at one of Apple’s main assembly factories, safety trainings were sometimes only 10 minutes long.

Secondly, we are calling on Apple to ensure that all workers who have been injured are receiving appropriate care. At present, Apple has no mechanism to track worker health and safety at its supplier factories, and therefore has no idea of the pervasiveness of occupational illnesses. Tracking will be the first step, but to be a leader, Apple should ensure that any worker who has become ill making iPhones is receiving proper diagnosis, can access appropriate care, and can afford the care he or she needs. The current process for Apple employees to receive occupational diagnosis and access treatment is bureaucratic, time-consuming, and the care is not sufficient. Apple needs to step in to expedite this process. For workers that have already become ill, sometimes gravely, time is of the essence.

It’s true that Apple has led in its industry, which is why Apple can and should be the first tech company to take this next step for workers.

Additional reforms Apple should take to protect the workers making its products include:

• Disclose the chemicals used in products and to make products at supplier and assembly factories, and a mitigation plan for all chemicals considered to be dangerous
• Disclose incidences of worker injuries and illness
• Require all supplier and assembly factories to conduct pre-hire and post-resignation health exams, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not tested for pregnancy or discriminated against for other diseases like hepatitis B or HIV.
• Disclose all manager safety trainings (including the training content), audit results, inspection results, and steps it took to resolve problems. (Including locations of inspections.)
• Disclose inspection/audit findings to the public

Until this information is public, it’s difficult for consumers to trust what Apple says it is doing. Greater transparency is the first step towards worker safety, and it must be followed by action.

People interested in joining us to push Apple to protect workers and move towards true sustainable manufacturing should sign our petition to the Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook

This short documentary, Who Pays the Price? The Human Cost of Electronics, reveals the worker health and safety abuses and hazards of the electronics industry in China, profiling workers poisoned by chemicals and their struggle for compensation. The film is made by filmmakers Heather White & Lynn Zhang.

Thousands of young people in China enter export factories to make the West's favorite electronic gadgets, only to find they have contracted occupational diseases or worse, leukemia, by the age of 25.

Are you thinking about breaking up with your mega-bank? By switching to a smaller, community bank or credit union, you are choosing to support the green economy by placing your money in the hands of ethical institutions. Joining a green bank is one of the biggest ways you can vote with your dollars, but it is also a major decision. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive when people shift to greener financing, with thanks to This! Is What We Did for answers to some questions.

NGOs and news outlets in the West first shined a light on the issue of child labor and extreme poverty among cocoa farming communities in West Africa in the early 2000s. Since then, major chocolate companies, and the chocolate buying public, have become aware of these ongoing problems.

Yet despite this awareness, and many promises by the chocolate industry to address the problem of child labor, a report released in July 2015 commissioned by the United Stated Department of Labor showed that hazardous child labor in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire is a growing problem. The report found over 2.1 million children across both countries to be conducting hazardous tasks to harvest cocoa. A 2016 exposé in Fortune magazine brought renewed attention to the sustainability efforts of the biggest chocolate industry players.

Companies Are Increasingly Using Certifications

Starting in 2009, several companies began to make commitments to ethically certify their cocoa, as a means to trace their supply chain and deliver farmers a slightly higher price per ton—an important step to addressing one of child labor’s root causes: poverty.

Cocoa certification in West Africa, through Fair Trade International, Fair Trade USA, Utz Certified, or Rainforest Alliance, has led to some improvements for the farmers involved, but certified cocoa still only represents a fraction of the 3.5 million tons of cocoa sold worldwide. Additionally, in terms of impact, not all certifications deliver the same benefits to farmers. Only the Fair Trade certifications guarantee a minimum price to farmers, as well as a guaranteed premium payment of $200 USD per ton, and even that alone is not enough to lift farmers and their families out of poverty.

Moving Beyond Certification

In addition to certification, some chocolate manufacturers have launched their own programs to attempt to prevent child labor in their supply chains. Simultaneously, these chocolate companies are looking to avoid the looming cocoa shortage, as some analysts predict cocoa demand could outgrow supply by 2020. To ensure the future supply of cocoa, most companies have launched sustainability and productivity projects; however very few address child labor specifically. While productivity trainings to increase farmers’ yields seem like a logical argument to increase farmer incomes, this approach often does not take into account additional labor needed to harvest the extra crop—whether that’s in the form of hired day laborers, or children or women working without pay.

In order to tackle the persistent problem of child labor in the cocoa sector it must be addressed head-on, through community-based child labor monitoring and remediation systems. This means that any program touted to be fighting child labor must not only be educating farmers about the problems of child labor, but also regularly looking for child labor. That’s the monitoring part. When child labor is identified there must be clear and swift procedures to ensure the child is removed from harm and appropriate authorities are notified. That’s remediation. Offending farmers must establish a plan and timeline to correct this behavior. If the problem is not corrected a responsible company should choose to cease working with this farmer. Fair Trade International certification includes a child labor monitoring and remediation program. And Nestle, in partnership with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), is rolling out a community-based child labor and remediation program, with a goal of covering all its farmers by the end of 2016.

Learn More:

Our 2017 Chocolate Scorecard grades chocolate companies on their products by assessing their certifications and, when applicable, their progress on commitments to becoming 100% sustainable. Although Fair Trade certifications alone are not enough to eradicate child labor in the field, they are still helpful tools for consumers to make ethical purchases. This scorecard can help you choose consciously as you purchase your next chocolate treat, and more importantly, can help you raise your voice to the world’s largest chocolate brands, to let them know you expect your favorite chocolates to be made without child labor.

Take Action:

Although not one of the top chocolate companies globally, Godiva is found in many American malls and convenience stores. Unlike their larger competitors, however, Godiva has not made any significant commitments to address child labor in their supply chain. Sign our petition to Godiva calling on the company to stop lagging behind its competitors in preventing child labor in its cocoa.

Looking for Better Chocolate Options?

While the major chocolate companies still have work to do to address child labor in their supply chains, many smaller brands already offer fair trade chocolate options—which means they have long-term, direct relationships with their farmers and guarantee a minimum price. Check out these brands.

Want a hot finance tip? Save more money. A lot more. When you save, and then invest your savings, you are creating the future.

The more you invest in affordable housing, education, community, health care, and environmental protection, the more our shared future will manifest these values.

And the more you channel your investments away from pollution, guns, tobacco, and sweatshop labor, the healthier and more equitable our world will be.

Divest from Climate Change

Learn how to pull your money out of fossil fuel companies and invest in a clean energy future.

Further Discover ...

• The basics about socially responsible investing
• How your savings and checking accounts can build healthy communities
• How to demand corporate accountability through shareholder activism
• How to retire with one million dollars in a just and sustainable world

Mutual Fund Performance Chart

Check out the latest in Socially Responsible Mutual Funds that are members of our Green Business Network and US SIF - The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (the association for socially responsible investment professionals and institutions). Socially responsible funds use multiple strategies to promote corporate responsibility, including social and environmental screening, shareholder action, and voting their proxies.

For decades, American companies have legally been allowed to import goods made with child or slave labor —mainly due to a loophole in federal regulations. A bill being sent to President Obama’s desk may finally close that loophole for good.

The Tariff Act of 1930 bars imports into the US that are made with slave, indentured, or convict labor. However, it contains a loophole allowing companies to import goods—like cocoa made by child slaves in Côte d’Ivoire or shrimp caught by enslaved fishermen aboard Thai ships— without penalty, provided those goods aren’t available in the US in sufficient quantities to meet demand.

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) authored an amendment to the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 that would finally close this slave-labor loophole. The US Senate voted 75-20 to pass the bill, including the Wyden-Brown amendment.

A similar bill passed the House last year, and President Obama plans to sign the bill into law next week.

“My friend Senator Brown … and I believe that in 2016 and beyond, Congress cannot allow for the perpetrators of slave or child labor to have any place in the American economy,” Sen. Wyden said in a Senate floor speech just before the bill’s passage. “So the old system that leaves the door open to child or slave labor if it’s used to make a product that isn’t made here in the US—that system absolutely must end, and it will.”

Liz Jardim, Green America’s campaigns director, says that fair-labor organizations have long been working to close this “criminal” gap in import regulations. Green America and our allies submitted official comments to the US Department of Labor (DOL) asking for the closure of this loophole and for the DOL to begin requiring companies to prove that products they import were not made with forced labor.

“The Senate voting to close this loophole is very welcome news,” she says. “We are hopeful that once the President signs this bill into law, the impacts it will have on removing forced labor from global supply chains could lead to major improvements for enslaved workers all over the world.”

US retailers still need to hear from us: Sign Green America’s petitions demanding that Costco stop buying shrimp caught by slaves on Thai boats and that Godiva stop buying cocoa grown using child labor.

For the latest news from our Fair Labor campaign, sign up for Green America’s e-mail newsletter.

As our Skip the Slip campaign reports, in the US, over 3 million trees and 9 billion gallons of water are used each year for paper receipts, producing over 4 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and 302 million pounds of solid waste (from paper production and disposal). The majority of thermal paper receipts are coated with BPA or BPS, posing health risks to workers and customers.

Our Skip the Slip campaign urges businesses to improve receipt practices as one way to cut unnecessary waste. Changes can be made using a variety of solutions as we recognize that every company, from family-owned, local food trucks to large corporations with thousands of stores, will have different needs for receipts based on available technology and customer preference. Our two campaign goals are to see paper receipts become an opt-in process rather than opt-out, and for better paper to be used for those customers wanting a paper slip.

Digital receipts are a part of this solution, and we want to address the valid questions surrounding them:

Proof of purchase

Sometimes a customer is asked to show proof of purchase while leaving the store. Green Americans have raised concerns that if the receipt is digital, a shopper would need to produce the evidence on their phone or the employee will need to check the system to confirm purchase. This may sound cumbersome and would suggest anything but a modern, efficient way to make a purchase.

We urge companies to first consider why certain individuals are being asked to prove legitimacy of their purchases, and not permit staff to profile customers based on racist stereotypes and prejudices, which are too often cause for suspicion of customers. Beyond this, we advise companies that require proof of purchase for all customers leaving the store to incorporate a system for this in transitioning to digital receipts, such as applying a sticker to items to signal purchase.

Negative impacts of digital

This is an issue we have written about and taken on through several campaigns at Green America. It is necessary to highlight the impacts of digital, both the environmental costs of powering data centers and producing electronic items, as well as the social costs of unsafe working conditions for those who make digital products and the disposal of used electronics in developing countries.

However, we believe in a two-part solution. 1) Individuals should strive to reduce consumption of energy, generally, and 2) companies should choose to power their networks and data centers on clean, renewable energy.

Estimates show the carbon footprint of an average email (as how you would receive a digital receipt) is 4 grams of CO2, and an average year of emails totals 300 pounds of CO2 per person. This takes into account the power for data centers and the energy the computer itself uses to send, filter, and read emails. A mature tree can absorb 21,772 grams of CO2 per year. This would suggest one tree can accommodate the emissions of over 70 individuals emailing every year. All this to say, while reducing energy consumption is essential, we must demand companies that use huge amounts of energy to commit to using renewable sources and keep natural forests intact by curbing products which necessitate their removal.

Security concerns or IRS requirements

Another worry is of digital receipts causing trouble with the IRS if your taxes are audited. However, electronic receipts have been allowed to serve as documentary evidence since 1997. As long as it has the vendor name, address, transaction date, and amounts, you’re all set.

While people should choose the filing system that works best for them, there are notable potential issues with relying solely on paper receipts. They can be misplaced, lost in a fire or flood, affected by mold, or even become ripped and faded, rendering them useless.

Many people already scan paper receipts to have digital copies to avoid these situations, however it’s key for the digital copy to be clear and legible. This is an area where digital receipts excel above the other options. In the case of an IRS audit, a digital folder of receipts you can easily print is faster and more secure than sorting through hundreds of paper receipts gathered in a box.

Lack of access to computers and smartphones

Based on a Pew survey, 13 percent of Americans do not have access to or choose not to use the internet. Digital receipts might not be the best answer for these individuals, however this leads us to a key component of the Skip the Slip campaign: make paper receipts an opt-in process.

At present, paper receipts are something you receive automatically and you usually have to ask to opt out (ideally, before it prints, to reduce waste). Green America wants to see paper receipts as an opt-in, so the default will be no receipt, but customers who wish to have one can request a copy to be printed on safer, recyclable paper and given to them at the end of the transaction.

For the sake of employee and customer health, companies must end their use of thermal receipt paper coated in BPA or BPS, which are endocrine-disrupting substances and are absorbed when we touch receipts. We want better paper options for customers who need or choose a hard copy of a receipt. As part of our campaign, we urge companies to use phenol-free paper alternatives along with offering digital receipts for customers who prefer paperless options.

The following letter can be used as a model to explain to your megabank why you have broken-off your relationship with them. After you have closed your account, be sure to send a letter to your megabank informing it why you have left. The letter can be sent to the CEO. Contact information for the CEOs and addresses of the largest banks in the nation can be found below.

Edit to reflect your experience.

Dear (Name of your mega-bank or its CEO):

After (number) years as an account holder, I have closed my checking account / savings account / credit card with (name of bank).

Taking this step has been on my mind for some time. The economic crash of 2008, and the shameful role of the largest banks in driving that collapse, as well as ongoing predatory practices have prompted me to take action.

The continued bankrolling of fossil fuel project driving the climate crisis has strengthened my resolve to switch to a better bank. The nine largest US banks have financed fossil fuels by over $2 trillion since the Paris Agreement. These banks have done nothing to stop the money pipeline to extinction.

I want you to know that I am no longer going to be part of financial institutions that profit at the expense of the majority through unfair fees and especially at the expense of economically marginalized communities and individuals through predatory practices.

I am no longer going to be part of financial institutions that don’t know me and don’t care about my specific needs and questions. I am no longer going to be part of financial institutions that pay their top executives exorbitant salaries – and bonuses – while their clients face foreclosure and economic hardship that could largely have been prevented.

I am no longer going to be part of financial institutions that invest in fossil fuels or fossil fuel infrastructure while the need to be move to renewable energy becomes increasingly dire each day. I am no longer going to be part of financial institutions that are not lending to the small businesses that are the engines of jobs and innovation for our economy.

It is with a sense of pride in what our country and financial system can do, that I am now meeting my household’s banking needs with a Community Development Financial Institution. I now have a smaller community development bank /credit union that works to know me and my circumstances.

My new financial institution is dedicated to the economic uplift of struggling communities, not to extracting profit from those in need. My new bank / credit union is helping me play the constructive role I want to play in making economic well-being a reality for more Americans. I can now tell my family / friends / children about the good that my deposits are doing. I only wish that this had always been the case.

In closing, there are steps that (name of bank) could take to improve its impact on people and the planet, especially your role in financing the fossil fuel industry. I urge you to join other banks, investment firms, and corporations in:

* Inventorying and disclosing your Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions immediately.

* Committing to cut your financed carbon emissions in half by 2030 and to zero by 2050, in line with climate science, and creating concrete step-by-step plans and programs to meet these goals.

* Creating fossil-fuel-free banking products to meet consumer demand.

Thank you for considering these important and timely actions.

Sincerely yours,

(Your Name and Contact information)

Back to the Food Labels Guide

FairTrade International/FairTrade America

• Certified by third-party inspector FLOCERT, which regularly audits participants.
• This certification ensures a fair price is paid to smallholder farmers and a Fair Trade premium is paid, which goes towards the development of the local community.
• Crops are raised sustainably without GMOs, pesticide use is reduced though standards are not as strict as organic.
• FairTrade International only certifies cooperatives.
• FairTrade certified products are mostly food items (coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, rice etc.).
• Has stringent regulations for the ingredient contents within a FairTrade product, if an ingredient is available under the FairTrade standard it cannot be substituted for a conventional variety.

Fair Trade USA

• Certified by SCS Global Services (SCS) a third-party independent verifier which enforces standards and compliance criteria developed by Fair Trade USA.
• Ensures products (most commonly coffee, chocolate, bananas, tea, and sugar) are produced free of forced labor or poor working conditions.
• Establishes a minimum price for goods, so smallholder farmers do not fall prey to market fluctuations.
• Allows for the certification of large farms or plantations as well as corporate owned farms and/or plantations.
• Allows for the use of non-Fair Trade ingredients within a product despite the existence of a Fair Trade version.

Fair for Life

• Certified by the Institute of Marketecology (IMO), an independent third-party certification, which specializes in international inspections of environmental and social standards.
• This product certification is based on a non-product-specific standard. Food and non-food products alike from raw materials to the finished product can be certified. Fair for Life also certifies entire companies.
• Ensures fair and positive practices between producers and the companies that purchase from them.

Sustainably Grown Certified

• Certified by SCS Global Services, a third-party organization that provides environmental and sustainability verification, certification, auditing, testing, and standards development. 
• This certification addresses a broad range of environmental, social, and economic sustainability issues pertaining to crop production. (Note: this standard does not address animal husbandry or welfare). 
• Specific environmental protection issues addressed include production system parameters, soil and water resources, air quality, climate change, ecosystem protection, energy efficiency, and waste management. 
• Social responsibility requirements cover work agreements, wages and benefits, working hours, child labor, non-discrimination and freedom of association, human resource management, health and safety, and community relations. 
• Economic sustainability issues addressed include business accounting and reporting, continuity and resilience, community economic engagement, and product quality and safety. 

How we rated the labels

1. First, we considered whether the label evaluates a practice that could lead to measurable benefits. For example, organic labels are certifying practices that prohibit the use of synthetic chemicals and therefore seek to reduce impacts on the environment and human health. This leads to measurable benefits. By contrast, “farm fresh” is meaningless since it does not define practices that create any measurable benefits.

2. We then looked at whether the label represents a legal or regulatory standard that is clearly defined. For example, the USDA organic standards are clearly defined by the USDA, and those standards are publicly available. By contrast, the words “naturally raised” are not regulated, and are meaningless.

3. We then considered whether the standards set forth by the label are subjected to third-party certification or audit. The use of an outside certifier and/or auditor helps to prevent greenwashing that can easily occur with self-regulated labeling.

Labels that received the highest marks from Green America (4 to 5 stars) are those that scored the highest on the criteria above.

Clean Energy Credit Union CD

Clean Energy CDs have a positive impact on our environment and economy by helping other Credit Union members afford to use clean energy.

Self Help Credit Union CD

This CD includes investment in renewable energy projects and businesses as well as energy efficient affordable homes.

Green America assumes no legal or financial responsibility for the practices, products, or services of any businesses listed. Please read all materials carefully prior to investing.

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Here are some answers to common questions about this campaign.

We are focusing on these companies due to the significant impact the telecommunications industry has on our global greenhouse gas emissions, and the public statements AT&T and Verizon have released about the urgency of climate change. Despite their public statements, in 2016, a mere 1.26% of AT&T's energy comes from renewable sources, and that is largely from natural gas. Thanks to the Hang Up On Fossil Fuels campaign and the tens of thousands of consumers who have voiced their concerns, in 2018 AT&T signed contracts to purchase 520 MW of power from two wind farms in Oklahoma and Texas. This takes AT&T's use of renewable energy from less than 2% to 20%. Verizon is still using less than 2% renewable energy, has issues no targets for reducing total emissions, and lacks transparency regarding its energy usage.   AT&T and Verizon both rely heavily on "energy intensity" as the key metric of progress for their energy use. This is measured by the amount of energy required per unit, or capita, and the lowering of energy intensity can occur through improving equipment or processes. Essentially, both companies are using less energy per unit of data, so while the demands of their customers for data has grown dramatically, overall energy usage by both companies has grown more slowly, which is a good thing.   The problem with solely using this metric to demonstrate increasing sustainability is that it provides very little to no information on the impacts of energy being used overall by a company for its power. In the case of these telecommunications giants, they are reducing growth of their electricity use, but energy use is still growing, and almost all of the millions of megawatts they use is coming from fossil fuels.      

Some tech companies like Google and Apple committed to running on 100% renewables several years ago and are happy to flaunt their progress to the public. AT&T and Verizon are each other’s number one competitors in the US, and up until 2018 have shown a similar lack of commitment to renewables.  In February 2018, AT&T took an important step forward by agreeing to purchase 520 MW of power from two wind farms in Oklahoma and Texas. Prior to T-mobile's announcement of 100% renewable energy by 2021, Sprint had been the leader in renewables. The company was awarded by Carbon Disclosure Project in 2015 for performance leadership. It has set goals to reduce GHG emissions by 20%, reduce electricity use by 20%, reduce GHG intensity by 75%.         

When Robert Haley was a kid growing up in the ’60s, he collected Coke bottles for a nickel or dime.

Today, Haley is the Zero Waste Manager for the San Francisco Department of the Environment and he recycles a lot more than just bottles and cans. After working for both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, Haley realized the government sector was where he could effect the most change.

“I work in this field because it feels good,” he says. “It’s part of my being, the way I want to live.”

In his job, Haley has helped develop a comprehensive recycling program for San Francisco with goals of 75 percent landfill diversion by 2010 and zero waste by 2020.

“It’s an ideal,” he says. “We may not ever get to 100 percent zero waste, but we’d like to get as close as possible.”

And while colored bins and progressive legislation push San Francisco residents to improve their waste management practices, Haley’s own recycling habits have become “almost an obsession,” he said.

“In my office, I don’t have a trash can,” notes Haley, who says he hasn’t thrown away so much as a staple in 13 years. He has a ten-pound ball of staples on his desk “the size of a grapefruit.” Haley and his partner Rachel recycle and compost about 99 percent of the waste that comes into their house.

The zero-waste lifestyle all begins with what he buys.

“I only like to food shop. Occasionally I have to buy clothes, but I really think about whether I need something, if it has toxics in it, and how it is packaged,” he says.

Haley resoles his shoes when they wear out and has become accustomed to telling people he doesn’t need a paper bag or napkin when they offer him one. At the cleaners, Haley takes off the bag from his clothes and hands it back right there.

“If I accumulate extra hangers, I take them back,” Haley says. “I don’t take any waste home.”

Amidst rising concerns about climate change, Haley says he sees the momentum picking up, but worries about whether there’s sufficient political will to catalyze change. Even so, he remains idealistic.

“You should try to do some good while you’re here, leave the world a little better,” he says. “I’m going to do whatever I can do.”

The dairy industry isn’t what it once was: bucolic imagery of red barns and a few cows roaming the grass-covered hills. The industry has become a thing of the past; more concerned with profit and efficiency than the cows themselves. Dairy production is located in only a few states with 86 percent of the milk supply produced on only 26 percent of the farms. While Dean Foods controls 40 percent of all fluid milk sales in the US, some of the largest producers of dairy worldwide are companies such as Nestlé and Kraft, known for their questionable ethics and concerning environmental practices. Due to consolidation, the majority of dairy cows are raised in large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) linked to issues of animal welfare and public and environmental health.

Animal Welfare 

The modern cow’s diet is a direct result of the consolidation of the dairy industry and the CAFO lifestyle. When you drink a glass of milk there is a good chance that unbeknownst to you, you are consuming a product heavily reliant on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Soy and corn are not only the top crops grown in the US, but they are also majorly genetically engineered (GE) with 90 percent of corn, 93 percent of soy, and 90 percent of cottonseed being GMO. These crops are turned into many hidden additives that result in 70% of processed foods containing GMOs, and are widely used in the dairy industry as feed. With such large numbers in a herd and no access to grazing, dairy cows consume a diet of mostly GE corn and soy. Currently over 35 percent of GE corn becomes animal feed. GE crops require numerous inputs such as herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers, not to mention large quantities of water, making dairy feed an extremely resource-intensive crop. Cows were not intended to live on a diet of corn and soy; these feeding practices cause numerous severe health issues and digestive problems.

Organic milk is one step in the right direction, though it is not the end all be all. Organic ensures that dairy cows are not given any hormones or antibiotics, but does not ensure the quality of their living conditions and the diversity of their diets. An organic cow is not necessarily grass-fed and vice versa. The USDA definition of grass-fed is very limited and only refers to the type of feed given to cattle and has nothing to do with living conditions and antibiotic usage. Organic doesn’t always mean local or small producer either; many of the environmental issues associated with dairy are a result of consolidation and organic doesn’t remedy this problem. As described above, corporate dairy consolidation is a trend likely to continue.

When it comes to dairy cows there is one key thing to remember: in order for a cow to produce milk it must first produce a calf (usually through artificial insemination). Every year farm operators impregnate dairy cows so they can spend the year continually lactating and then start the cycle again. Throughout the process of impregnation and lactation, cows live in extremely crowded and unnatural conditions, such as standing on concrete floors surrounded by their own urine and feces, without access to pasture. Once industrial dairy cows have completed their 4-5 prime years of production they are culled from the herd and sold off as hamburger meat (despite the fact that a healthy cow can produce milk for 15-20 years). In industrialized dairy production, calves are seen more as a byproduct of milk production rather than as actual living beings. Immediately after birth they are taken from their mothers; and bull calves are either killed, sent to veal-producing facilities, or raised for hamburger. Therefore, the conventional dairy industry directly supports the production and consumption of conventional meat.

Public and Environmental Health 

Factory farms pose a number of risks to both people and the environment. As a response to crowded and unsanitary living conditions, cows are often given daily doses of antibiotics via feed or injection to prevent the spread of disease and spur growth. The overuse of antibiotics for non-therapeutic purposes has resulted in the prevalence of a number of antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria. These “superbugs” can transfer from animals to humans through contact with animals, contact with infected meat, and the consumption of crops that have been fertilized with manure from feedlots. AR bacteria pose such a great risk due to their ability to horizontally transfer genes to other bacteria that factory farms serve as breeding grounds for life-threatening AR genes to enter the world. According to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) 2013 Threat Report on Antimicrobial Resistance, of the 2 million people who contact AR diseases each year, 23,000 of them result in death. A number of these infections and deaths could be prevented if animal agriculture did not use 80 percent of our antibiotics supply to compensate for poor living conditions.

In order to maintain and even increase the already high levels of milk production, dairy cows often receive hormones. The most common hormone is recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), a genetically engineered synthetic hormone developed by Monsanto. This hormone results in increased cases of infections among the cows leading to a greater need for antibiotics. The EU and Canada prohibit the use of rBGH due to major human health concerns including a connection to various forms of cancer and its likely impacts on reproductive health. Savvy companies such as Chipotle have already transitioned to sourcing hormone-free dairy products, and it’s time that other companies follow suit.

Along with animal health risks from factory farms, this type of concentrated agriculture results in a number of unmeasured environmental externalities. A large number of cattle contained in one area, without access to pasture, creates vast amounts of consolidated animal waste and methane emissions. A report published by the CDC  voices concerns over the environmental and health impacts of CAFOs (farms with 500 or more cows). Animals produce 3-20 times more waste that humans every year. Cattle manure and gases result in high levels of greenhouse gases, a drastic impact to ambient air quality and is a major contributor to climate change. Not only is dairy production extremely water intensive with producers using up to 150 gallons of water per cow per day, the waste can leach into ground and surface water polluting numerous ecosystems and water sources. Such environmental hazards pose a constant and direct risk to communities within a close vicinity to a facility. One region cannot contain the harmful impacts; therefore, ecosystems and communities far and wide are at risk.

Steps Toward Change 

It is easy to lose sight of what milk really is and what it takes to produce it. By opening up the discussion on the impacts of the dairy industry, we are creating a space for conversation and change. Many dairies are incorporating organics and grass-fed principles and it is time they become the norm rather than the exception. How do we do this? Companies such as Dean Foods and Starbucks have massive purchasing power and require such large quantities of a product that they have the ability to create a tidal wave of change and drastically improve our food system. We need to hold them accountable. In 2014, Chobani announced three organic yogurt flavors coming soon, along with a commitment to work with farmers on transition strategies toward a GMO-free and organic milk supply and to explore what 21st century sustainable dairy operations can entail. When consumers band together by encouraging companies to set higher standards and make more ethical decisions in their supply chains, things begin to change.

For the last few years, Green America has been working to educate consumers of the long-term implications and harm posed by genetic engineering (GE). Together we have made great strides in pushing companies to shift away from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and towards organics.

But the biotechnology industry is at it again, this time with gene-edited crops. Gene-editing is an offshoot of genetic engineering, using more recently developed technology, such as CRISPR. This technology allows scientists to target specific traits and either remove or rearrange them.

Here's why this is concerning, and why it is definitely not the answer to fixing our conventional agriculture system.

Twenty years ago GE technology was promoted as the golden ticket that would increase yields, decrease pesticide usage, and all together promote a more sustainable and profitable system of agriculture. So far it has failed to live up to these promises. Gene-editing is being promoted in the same way.

Whether or not you believe the science of genetic engineering itself has merit, the system of agriculture that it promotes is extremely unsustainable and continues to be one of the largest contributors to climate change. With genetic engineering we have seen the mass propagation of monocropping and the overuse of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. The mass use of gene-editing technology will further our dependence on these toxic chemicals. So far gene-editing companies are focused first on developing herbicide-resistant varieties, with some attention to drought. This is a similar development trajectory taken by those behind GE crops, and after 20 years we have yet to see any improvements in drought tolerance, water-use efficiency, or energy-use efficiency. Additionally, the crops engineered for herbicide-resistance resulted in the unfortunate and unintended creation of herbicide-resistant superbugs and superweeds.

Waiting to act to lessen the impacts of agriculture on climate change is not an option. In order to mitigate conventional agriculture’s negative impacts we need to be moving away from the idea of magical fixes. There are a number of changes that can be made right away that will make a huge difference, such as crop rotation, using composted material (manure and food waste), and cover cropping. All of these are a much better solution than waiting to see how gene-editing technology plays out over the next ten years.

There is still a great deal that scientists still do not understand when it comes to genomes and how they interact with one another, which raises serious concerns for the unintended consequences of gene-editing. So far the federal government has failed to see any sort of distinction between this technology and conventional breeding techniques and at this point has decided to allow it to go unregulated.

This technology is not limited to the editing of plant DNA. Gene-editing has huge ethical and moral implications as scientists around the world are working to see how this technique can be used on animals and humans. Scientists in China recently bred gene-edited monkeys and have made the first alterations to human embryos. Consumers and many scientists are calling for a ban on this technology until further research can be done and the ethical implications are weighed.

In reality, gene-editing is genetic engineering 2.0. If left unchecked it will sneak its way onto every grocery store shelf. In this area, a more precautionary approach is a must.

Gene-editing using CRISPR technology is already on the horizon for wheat, one of the world’s most important food crops. Sign the petition to stop the development of GE wheat, including by methods derived from gene-editing.

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Brought to you by Green America and Social(k), national leaders in advancing socially and environmentally responsible investing (SRI).

Whether you are an employee or an employer, you may have questions about how to make socially responsible retirement options available at your workplace.

Are you:

• An Employee wishing your employer offered a retirement option that reflects your values and that promotes corporate responsibility?
• An Employer wishing you had straightforward tips at your fingertips for how to offer your employees retirement benefits that reflect your business/organization’s values and that give employees investment choices that speaks to their values?

If so, then you need our free resource — Plan for a Better Future: How to Add Socially & Environmentally Responsible Investment Options to an Employer’s Retirement Plan.

Whether or not the employer currently offers any kind of retirement plan -- this resource lays out what both Employees and Employers can do to:

• Jump-start the process of expanding employer-provided retirement benefits so they include sought-after investment choices that work for people and the planet;
• Learn more about SRI – including how to find updates on SRI mutual fund performance, contact information for financial services providers, SRI news, and more;
• Implement clear steps to set up your new plan.

This “how to” guide also includes a sample employee questionnaire you can use to determine employee interest in retirement investment, pointers for helping your workplace decide to offer SRI retirement options, and answers to questions about costs and changing retirement plans.

By pursuing SRI retirement investments:

• Employees can align their financial goals with their social and environmental priorities,
• Employers can align their benefits package with the values of their company/organization and of their employees – and strengthen employee morale and retention by offering a more robust benefits package.

Download your FREE copy now of Plan for a Better Future: How to Add Socially & Environmentally Responsible Investment Options to an Employer’s Retirement Plan!

Your investments make a difference for people and the planet! Socially Responsible Investing and Investments are a key to a greener economy and cleaner finances.

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Carter’s is the nation’s largest baby and children clothing company and boasts that it sells 10 items of clothing for every kid born in the U.S. But, while Carter’s is a leader in sales, it is a laggard in disclosing which chemicals are in its clothing. That’s a big concern, because the textile industry uses thousands of chemicals, and many of them are toxic.

We're asking Carter's to adopt a strong, public chemical management policy that will protect workers and consumers, starting by disclosing what chemicals are being used in its supply chain. We also want Carter's to develop plans to restrict/replace the most toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, and we want Carter's to publicly report on its timeline and progress. Join us by calling on Carter’s via social media or phone!

The Problem with Carter's

In the apparel industry, there isn't widespread transparency on what chemicals are being used - nor their effects on human health and the environment. Workers work with these chemicals - and are not always provided with adequate safety protection, exposing them to increased risks of diseases. Over 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles. Currently:

• Approximately 20% of industrial water pollution comes from textile manufacturing. 
• Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally. 
• The fashion industry alone emits 10% of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping. 
• 43 million tons of chemicals are used in textile production every year. 

Meanwhile, rivers - that communities rely on - in manufacturing countries are heavily polluted, becoming so toxic that they cannot sustain wildlife. And once clothes hit our stores, residual chemicals can affect consumer health too. Odor-wicking, anti-wrinkle, flame resistant - our clothes are treated with chemicals to make them this way.

The Solution

Better and transparent chemical management policies! Workers should not be risking their lives to make our clothes. Environments and communities should not be polluted to satisfy our shopping needs. And clean clothes should be readily accessible to all consumers, not just those who can afford to pay a premium on clothing. That's why Green America is calling on major American apparel companies to clean up their act and remove Toxic Textiles from their supply chain. 

Take Action

We're calling on companies, starting with Carter's, to adopt strong chemical management policies, starting by disclosing what chemicals they're using to make our clothes - and their plans for restricting and replacing the most toxic chemicals. To start, Carter's needs to adopt a strong public Manufacturer's Restricted Substances List (MRSL) to protect workers and communities and a Restricted Substances List (RSL) to protect consumers.  And once that happens, we'll keep pushing them to continue adopting policies that protect workers, the environment, and consumers.

Send Carter’s the message that we need to know what toxic chemicals we are being exposed to on Twitter and Facebook:                                     

Paste the below message in your Facebook status or on Twitter:

@Carters, you need to be transparent about toxic chemicals – share an RSL & MRSL with customers now! As a customer I want to #lovecarters, but you need to ditch #toxictextiles with @GreenAmerica today: https://www.greenamerica.org/2019-toxic-textiles-scorecard

Or contact Carter’s on Facebook Messenger.  

Call the Customer Line

Call: 888-782-9548

*Once the menu is presented to you, press 4 to contact corporate customer affairs.

"Hello, my name is _______ and I'm a Carter’s customer. I am very concerned about the chemicals that Carter’s is exposing my child [or grandchildren, niece/nephew, or just children] and workers to. The toxic chemicals may have lasting, negative effects on not just children, but workers and their communities, and I deserve to know what is being used.

I am joining Green America in asking Carter’s to be transparent and disclose its restricted substances list and its manufacturing restricted substances list, if there is one.  Carter's customers deserve to know what toxic chemicals may be in their children's clothes and what Carter's is doing to eliminate those toxins. Thank you and have a great day." 

Sustainability: it’s not a word usually associated with the fashion industry, yet one that consumers are increasingly seeing more when we go shopping. But is sustainability just the next “trend” in fashion - or something that companies are actually moving towards?

Currently:

• Approximately 20% of industrial water pollution comes from textile manufacturing. 
• Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally. 
• The fashion industry alone emits 10% of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping. 
• 43 million tons of chemicals are used in textile production every year. 

Green America's new report explores a variety of environmental and social challenges in the fashion industry in this report and looked at 14 major American apparel companies frequently found in shopping malls to see what, if anything, they are doing to address these issues in their supply chains. We reached out to companies with detailed surveys, read corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports when available, and reviewed corporate websites. Our partner, Fashion FWD, also contributed to this report. 

See the full report here.

Some of our key findings include:

• Large commitments without concrete plans, metrics, or timelines: Companies often say that they have a policy addressing an environmental or labor issue without going into detail about what they are doing to measure their progress or achieve their goal.

• Transparency is improving but mostly still lacking: four companies (Target, VF (which owns The North Face and Jansport), Nike, and Gap) identify chemicals used in their supply chains through a Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL), and an Restricted Substances List (RSL), while three companies (Ascena Retail, The Children’s Place, Urban Outfitters) rely on an RSL as their chemical management policy. An MRSL restricts chemicals used in the manufacturing process, while an RSL restricts what chemicals can be found in the final consumer product. Meanwhile, six companies (Target, VF, Nike, Gap, Ascena, Abercrombie & Fitch) list factories that they source from.

• Token sustainability initiatives and brands: Companies are increasingly incorporating sustainability efforts into their policies, but often will use one policy that addresses an issue in some detail or produce a line of clothes made a little more sustainably to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability when in reality, they are not addressing most issues in their supply chains.

• Leaders and laggards overall: While none of the major brands are true leaders in the field, Green America identified the following companies as having better environmental and labor practices – Target, VF, Nike -- and several companies that were clearly laggards – Carter’s, J.Crew, Forever 21.

Overall, we found that companies are starting to move in the right direction, but much more has to be done to fully address the scope of the environmental and social challenges in textile supply chains.

Read more about the scorecard here.

Consumer interest in reducing waste and consumption has led to increase in in-store recycling programs and the rise of the secondhand market. While the solutions are not always perfect, they are steps in the right direction.

When consumers want something, the markets listen – and we must continue to demand more of companies.

Read the full report Toxic Textiles.

When you invest your money in community banks, you create enormous positive impacts in your community. 

When you deposit money to a bank, it does not simply sit there. It goes to work in investments or loans that help the bank make money. Most banks don’t tell their customers what companies they invest in—it could be fossil fuels, agribusiness, anything.

New Resource Bank, which opened its doors in California’s Bay Area in 2006, provides loans primarily to socially responsible individuals and companies.

“We were founded with a very different triple-bottom-line mission to not only value profit, but [also] the environment and society. No one of those three is more important than any other,” says Stephanie Meade, the bank’s director of marketing and culture.

Initially, to get business off the ground—and to weather the 2008 financial crisis—it also granted loans to real estate-companies, small businesses, and individuals who didn’t necessarily share the bank’s mission.

However, as more and more socially responsible companies popped up and looked to responsible banks for funding, New Resource Bank hit its stride and began growing by 15 to 20 percent per year. The small bank that once had 14 employees and $40 million in assets is now celebrating its 10th anniversary, with 48 employees and over $300 million in assets. It just opened a loan office in Boulder, Colorado. (In 2018, New Resource Bank was acquired by Amalgamated Bank, which has committed to maintaining the bank's commitments to social and environmental responsibility.)

Today, 89 percent of its loans support sustainable businesses, nonprofits, green real estate, clean energy, and organic and natural products. Before receiving a loan, companies applying must fill out an impact assessment, including their mission and values.

“We believe that companies that are socially and environmentally responsible are better companies, are stronger companies, and hopefully will be more profitable and less risky companies,” says Meade.

One of the many success stories that New Resource Bank has supported through loans and advising since 2014 is Old Skool Café, a nonprofit jazz-themed supper club started by a former juvenile corrections officer. The restaurant trains and employs at-risk youth ages 16-22 in its San Francisco location. The young people learn to run events, the kitchen, dinner service, and musical performances. 

The café’s founder, Teresa Goines, came up with the idea after the gang-prevention group she ran lost its funding. She funded Old Skool herself for six years but cashed out her retirement, savings, and inheritance to do so. With financial assistance from
an ongoing community grant, she could afford to rent a space for the restaurant from a church. But when the space went up for sale, she only had funding for about half of the $550,000 purchase price. A friend referred Goines to New Resource Bank, and she was able to secure a real-estate loan for the rest of the money.

“We love what [Old Skool does],” says Skyler Webster, the New Resource banker who works with the café. “They’re right here in the community, and they’re giving at-risk youth a real path.”

But New Resource isn’t just trying to “preach to the choir,” as Meade puts it. The bank will work with companies all over the spectrum of social and environmental commitment, so all can grow into green champions. The bank offers free events, online resources, and networking opportunities for clients to improve as sustainable businesses. Every year, borrowers retake the assessment to gauge their progress.

Individual account-holders have to be in California. New Resource will work with companies from around the country who need loans, or individuals across the US who are looking to open an impact CD, in which the money you invest is loaned out to high-impact nonprofits, organic- and natural-product companies, and clean-energy companies while you earn interest.

Wherever you live, Meade thinks it’s important to find a bank that shares your values. “I just encourage people to make sure their values line up in all aspects of their lives, not just in certain ones, like buying organic food,” says Meade. “Where you bank actually reflects your values in a lot stronger of a way than you’d think it would, because finance and banking is the foundation of our economy. Banks determine what businesses get funding to grow and thrive.”

Through the purchases you make, and those you choose to avoid, you have the power to create an economy where child labor and sweatshops cease to exist. And your voice, together with the voices of others, can help encourage companies here and abroad to ensure that all workers are paid fairly and treated with respect.

By taking one or more of the steps outlined below, you can make a real difference to end sweatshops.

1. Demand sweatshop-free products where you shop

Ask companies you do business with to ensure that no sweatshop or forced child labor is used in the manufacturing of the products they sell. The next time you go shopping for clothes, shoes, or household items, take a minute to fill out a customer comment card and ask the company to work with their suppliers to make sure that workers are paid a living wage and treated fairly. Or visit the company's web site and send a message online.

Check out the apparel category in our Sweat-Free Guide.

2. Buy union-made, local, and secondhand

For clothing and household items, check out your local secondhand or consignment stores. When buying new clothing, look for the union label on the clothing you buy, or make your purchases from the socially responsible businesses listed in on GreenPages.org.

3. Buy Fair Trade

Fair Trade is an economic system that ensures healthy working conditions, self-determination, and fair wages for workers. When you purchase Fair Trade products, you help ensure a sustainable livelihood for farmers and workers. Look for coffee, tea, chocolate/cocoa, bananas, mangoes, pineapples and other fresh fruit bearing the Fair Trade Certified™ label. If your supermarket or local health food store doesn't stock fair trade products, ask them to do so and explain why. At restaurants, suggest the addition of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee and tea to the menu. Also Fair Trade Certified sugar is now available as well.

You can also buy crafts, clothing, jewelry, and other household and gift items from companies that belong to the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).

FTF members are also members of Green America's Green Business Network™ and are listed on GreenPages.org.

Learn more about fair trade.

4. Ask questions

If you are unsure about whether or not a company is working to transform the factories that make their products into places where people are paid a living wage and treated fairly, then ask.

Use our "Consumer Checklist" below to help you write a letter or send an email to a company asking about their sourcing practices. If the company does not have good answers for these questions, it is not doing enough to stop sweatshops.

• Does your store know how the workers who made this product were treated?
• Do you have a list of all the factories around the world that make your products? Does it include the wages and working conditions in each factory? Can you provide me with a copy of it?
• Does your store guarantee that the workers who made this product were paid a living wage, enough to support their families?
• Does your store have a code of conduct that protects human rights and forbids child labor and unsafe conditions in all the factories that make the products you sell? How do you enforce these rules? Are your factories monitored by independent, third-party sources?
• Are you providing development programs in the communities where your workers live? Are you working with others in your industry to apply meaningful labels so consumers can know that exploited labor was not used to make your product?

5. Mobilize at your workplace, school, or in your community

Encourage local businesses to source sweatshop-free products. Work with your coworkers to ensure that the company t-shirts are sweat-free. Work with members of your faith community to develop a sweatshop-free purchasing policy. If you are a student or affiliated with a university, demand that your institution buy items such as uniforms, sporting equipment, and other goods from companies that monitor conditions along the supply chain and guard against employee abuse at all stages of production.

Get a free copy of Green America's Guide to Ending Sweatshops to help you with your efforts. Bulk pricing is available. Call (800) 584-7336 or email info@greenamerica.org to order. 

6. Use shareholder clout to end sweatshops

If you own stock in individual companies, check the proxy ballots that you get in the mail and be sure to vote in support of any shareholder resolutions that require the company to improve its labor policies.

Also, if you put money into mutual funds, your investments can still work to improve the way companies treat their employees. Some mutual funds refuse to invest in companies that demonstrate indifference to workers' welfare, while others engage in the practice of shareholder action to get companies in which they invest to improve their labor practices. Over the past few years, mutual funds such as Calvert and Domini Social Investments have been working to get companies such as Dillard's and Wal-Mart to adopt policies designed to ensure that their products aren't being made under sweatshop conditions.

To find a mutual fund that screens out companies with bad labor practices or engages in shareholder advocacy, consult the financial planning section of Green America's Green Pages.org. You can also order a copy of Green America's Guide to Shareholder Action for a small fee. Call 1-800-58-GREEN.

Learn more about shareholder action.

7. Educate Others

Let the people around you know what they can do to put an end to sweatshops. Send an email to your friends letting them know about this online resource.

One way to spread the word is by giving your friends and family gift memberships to Green America. They'll receive a free copy of the GreenPages.org with their membership to help put them on the road to sweatshop-free purchasing.

Learn how you can find sweatshop-free and fair trade products.

The 2025 shareholder resolution season is underway – but scaled back from previous years. Shareholders filed 355 environmental, social, and governance proposals as of February 21, 2025 – 34% less than the 536 such proposals in 2024.  

Why is the number of shareholder resolutions down this year?  

• Shareholders who filed resolutions in previous years decided not to file this year until they could assess the direction of the new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

• The change in presidential administration has dramatically shifted policy at the SEC, which is excluding many more proposals now than in previous years. 

• More companies engaged in dialogue with shareholders to avoid the need to vote on resolutions that could draw attention given the current political attacks on DEI and climate. 

Still, there are many important shareholder resolutions to vote on in 2025, including: 

• 85 proposals that address climate change 

• 77 proposals on corporate political influence 

• 52 proposals on environmental management 

• 37 proposals on human rights 

• 36 proposals on diversity at work 

If you own company stock directly (not in a mutual fund), we urge you to vote your values on the company's resolutions.  

Below you will find a list of 2025 shareholder resolutions as of February 21, grouped by company name and by issue.  

Read your proxy ballots carefully and cast your votes to reflect your values. Here are quick tips on how to read a proxy ballot. 

**Please note that each company's proxy ballot may not exactly match the shareholder resolutions we list here. This list is based on Proxy Preview, which is published in March. Often companies challenge shareholder resolutions at the SEC, or a resolution may be withdrawn by its sponsor. If that occurs after Proxy Preview goes to print, you may not see that resolution listed on the company's proxy ballot.

*Here are definitions of key abbreviations and terms you’ll see in our short descriptions of the shareholder resolutions: 

*GHG = greenhouse gas 

*Net-zero GHG emissions = “net zero means cutting greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions re-absorbed from the atmosphere, by oceans and forests for instance” – United Nations 

*Paris-compliant = Ensuring that actions support the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. U.N. Climate Change; The Paris Agreement 

*Scope 3 = “….emissions a company is responsible for outside of its own walls—from the goods it purchases to the disposal of the products it sells? In fact, the majority of total corporate emissions come from Scope 3 sources,…” Greenhouse Gas Protocol 

*ILO Labor Standards = International Labor Standards; United National International Labor Standards 

Thanks to As You Sow, Empowered Venture Partners, and Proxy Impact, publishers of the 2025 Proxy Preview, for assistance in compiling the lists below that provide a sample of some of the key resolutions facing Corporate America. 

Green America is proud to co-sponsor the 2025 Proxy Preview - download your free copy for information on important shareholder resolutions trends and upcoming votes. 

As a share owner, you are a part-owner of the company, and voting your proxy is an important responsibility.

Learn about your shareholder rights! Shareholder Proposals: An Essential Investor Right, by the Shareholder Rights Group, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and US SIF, catalogues the role of shareholder resolutions in creating a powerful platform for challenging and improving corporate policies, practices, performance and impacts, and in surfacing investor perspectives on material issues. 

Thank you for voting your values! Post this “I'm voting” badge on social media and let people know you're proud to raise your voice on important issues as a shareholder. Click to share to Facebook or Twitter.

New app makes rocking your proxy votes easy! Learn about As You Vote from our allies at As Your Sow, with an individual investor app on the iconik platform.

Green America is not an investment adviser nor do we provide financial planning, legal, or tax advice. Nothing in our communications or materials shall constitute or be construed as an offering of financial instruments or as investment advice or investment recommendations.

Additional Resources 

• Are Corporations Accountable for Their Political Spending?
• The State of Shareholder Activism
• Shareholder Resolution Highlights 
• New App Makes Rocking Your Proxy Votes Easy
• Vote with Your Dollars for a Better World 
• Shareholder Activism Advances Labor Rights
• FAQs About Shareholder Activism 
• Anatomy of a Proxy Ballot 

There is a new glow for nuclear energy. With the growing energy needs of artificial intelligence, major tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are looking to nuclear energy – including everything from re-opening Three 3-mile island to building smaller nuclear plants around the country – to provide low-carbon energy. But nuclear fission power is not a climate solution. It may produce lower-carbon energy, but this energy still comes with a great deal of risk. 

Solar power, wind power, geothermal power, and aggressive energy efficiency are climate solutions that are safer, cheaper, faster, more secure, and less wasteful than nuclear energy. Our country needs a massive influx of investment in these solutions if we are to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, enjoy energy security, jump-start our economy, create jobs, and work to lead the world in development of clean energy. 

Here are 10 reasons why nuclear energy is a bad idea: 

1. Nuclear waste:

 The waste generated by nuclear reactors remains radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years and needs to be kept contained for one million years. Currently, there are no long-term storage solutions for radioactive waste, and most is stored in temporary, above-ground facilities. These facilities are running out of storage space, so the nuclear industry is turning to other types of storage that are more costly and potentially less safe.  

2. Nuclear proliferation:

There is great concern that the development of nuclear energy programs increases the likelihood of proliferation of nuclear weapons. As nuclear fuel and technologies become globally available, the risk of these technologies falling into the wrong hands is increasingly present. To avoid weapons proliferation, it is important that countries with high levels of corruption and instability be discouraged from creating nuclear programs, and the US should be a leader in nonproliferation by not pushing for more nuclear power at home. 

3. National security

Nuclear power plants are a potential target for terrorist operations. An attack could cause major explosions, putting population centers at risk, as well as ejecting dangerous radioactive material into the atmosphere and surrounding region. Nuclear research facilities, uranium enrichment plants, and uranium mines are also potentially at risk for attacks that could cause widespread contamination with radioactive material. 

4. Accidents

In addition to the risks posed by terrorist attacks, human error and natural disasters can lead to dangerous and costly accidents. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine led to the deaths of 30 employees in the initial explosion and caused a variety of negative health effects on thousands of people across Russia and Eastern Europe. A massive tsunami bypassed the safety mechanisms of power plants in Fukushima Japan in 2011, causing three nuclear meltdowns, resulting in the release of radioactive materials into the surrounding area. In both disasters, hundreds of thousands were relocated, millions of dollars spent, and the radiation-related deaths are being evaluated to this day. Cancer rates among populations living in proximity to Chernobyl, especially among children, rose significantly in the years after the accidents. 

5. Impacts on Local Communities and Ecosystems

Nuclear power plants, which use enormous amounts of water as a coolant, increase the temperatures of local water bodies, which can harm local ecosystems and kill aquatic wildlife.  Also, with climate change creating increasing water shortages, nuclear power plants are at risk of temporary shut downs since without water they can’t be cooled.  In addition to the significant risk of cancer associated with fallout from nuclear disasters, studies also show increased risk for those who reside near a nuclear power plant, especially for childhood cancers such as leukemia. Workers in the nuclear industry are also exposed to higher-than-normal levels of radiation, and as a result are at a higher risk of death from cancer.  

6. Energy production

The 440 nuclear power plants currently in existence provide about 9% of the world’s energy. Studies show that in order to meet current and future energy needs, the nuclear sector would have to scale up to around 14,500 plants. Uranium, the fuel for nuclear reactors, is energy-intensive to mine, and deposits discovered in the future are likely to be harder to get to. As a result, much of the net energy created would be offset by the energy input required to build and decommission plants and to mine and process uranium ore.  

7. Not enough sites

Scaling up to 14,500 nuclear plants isn’t possible simply due to the limitation of feasible sites. Nuclear plants need to be located near a source of water for cooling, and there aren’t enough locations in the world that are safe from droughts, flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes, or other potential disasters that could trigger a nuclear accident. The increase in extreme weather events predicted by climate models only compounds this risk. 

8. Cost

Unlike renewables, which are now the cheapest energy sources, nuclear costs are on the rise, and many plants are being shut down or in danger of being shut down for economic reasons. Initial capital costs, fuel, and maintenance costs are much higher for nuclear plants than wind and solar, and nuclear projects tend to suffer cost overruns and construction delays. For example, the recently constructed Vogtle nuclear plants in Georgia came online 7 years late and $17 billion over budget. The price of renewable energy has fallen significantly over the past decade, and it is projected to continue to fall. 

9. Competition with renewables

Investment in nuclear plants, security, mining infrastructure, etc. draws funding away from investment in cleaner sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal. Financing for renewable energy is relatively  scarce, as compared to fossil fuels, and threatened by political headwinds, and increasing nuclear capacity will only add to the competition for funding. 

10. Energy dependence of poor countries

Going down the nuclear route would mean that poor countries, that don't have the financial resources to invest in and develop nuclear power, would become reliant on rich, technologically advanced nations. Alternatively, poor nations without experience in the building and maintaining of nuclear plants may decide to build them anyway. Countries with a history of nuclear power use have learned the importance of regulation, oversight, and investment in safety when it comes to nuclear. Dr. Peter Bradford of Vermont Law, a former member of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, writes, "A world more reliant on nuclear power would involve many plants in countries that have little experience with nuclear energy, no regulatory background in the field and some questionable records on quality control, safety and corruption." The U.S. should lead by example and encourage poor countries to invest in safe renewable energy technology. 

Conclusion

Nuclear energy is not the answer to the climate crisis. Energy efficiency, solar and wind power are the real climate solutions. 

Ready to take action? Demand corporations rapidly scale up the use of renewable energy that advances energy justice in the US and abroad. 

This piece first appeared on August 22, 2020 in the publication New Labor Forum.

The climate crisis is the greatest challenge facing the world today. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned us that to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, we need to reduce emissions by 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Proponents of nuclear power as a climate solution, including Gary S. Was and Todd R. Allen, authors of  “The importance of nuclear energy in our future energy mix,” highlight the fact that nuclear reactors do not emit greenhouse gasses during operation while providing baseload generation.  Nuclear, wind, and solar power all have significant and comparably lower lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than coal and natural gas plants.[i] However, the proponents of nuclear power, such as Was and Allen, and billionaire Bill Gates, are overlooking the significant risks inherent in the technology and the fact that scaling up nuclear power would take too long and is too costly to be an effective climate solution.

Instead, we need to scale up renewable energy technologies like wind and solar to increase zero-carbon generation, while accelerating energy efficiency and storage technologies nationwide.  Together, these solutions will provide consistent power and address baseload capacity traditionally provided by coal and nuclear plants.

Nuclear Power is Inherently Risky

Was and Allen argue that nuclear power is safe, and even good for your health.  However, the significant risks inherent in nuclear power are well-documented, understood by the general public who are justifiably wary of the technology, and can be avoided by shifting power generation rapidly to renewable energy instead.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) summarizes the risks of nuclear power well: ‘‘Barriers to and risks associated with an increasing use of nuclear energy include operational risks and the associated safety concerns, uranium mining risks, financial and regulatory risks, unresolved waste management issues, nuclear weapons proliferation concerns, and adverse public opinion.’’[ii]  Collectively these risks make nuclear power a non-starter for addressing climate change.

Nuclear power plants rely on radioactive uranium for fuel.  Uranium mining is inherently risky and produces radon emissions and soil and water pollution. Uranium mining frequently occurs in areas where Indigenous peoples live and in sensitive ecological areas.  The largest release of radioactive materials in U.S. history occurred in the Church Rock mines in New Mexico in 1979. Over 1,100 tons of solid radioactive mill waste and 93 millions of gallons of radioactive tailings contaminated 80 miles of riverbed of the Puerco River, deeply impacting the Navajo Nation.[iii] Despite this history, the Trump Administration is currently working to expand the mining of uranium, potentially putting the Grand Canyon and American Indian tribes at great risk.

Nuclear power plants pose potentially catastrophic risks during operation.  The accidents and catastrophes at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima highlight the inherent risks of nuclear power, and scientists have estimated the likelihood of another Fukushima-like event to be 50 percent within 60-150 years, with smaller accidents occurring every year.[iv] In The U.S., the current fleet of reactors is aging, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is often extending the licenses of plants for an additional 20 years, even though an extensive report by the Associated Press of NRC records found that the agency colludes with industry to weaken regulations and ignore significant risks from cracked concrete, leaking valves, and corrosion at aging plants.[v]

Spent nuclear fuel poses a long-term risk as well.  Some of this waste can remain radioactive for tens of  thousands of years, posing risks to future generations, including risks of weaponization and proliferation.  The common consensus is that nuclear waste is most safely stored in deep geological burials, but no country has yet done this for civilian reactor waste.  In the United States, the proposed Yucca Mountain repository has been actively opposed by residents and legislators from Nevada and delayed for years, and the Trump Administration is now opposed to it, resulting in ongoing riskier temporary storage in 35 states nationwide.

As a result of these risks, nuclear power faces significant opposition from the U.S. public, while renewable energy is widely supported, which makes the path forward for renewables much easier.  Opinion polls demonstrate that 51 percent of the public opposes nuclear power, with 21 percent strongly opposing it,[vi]  compared to 92 percent support for solar and 85 percent for wind.[vii] 

Nuclear Power is Too Expensive and Too Slow to Scale

Was and Allen argue that nuclear power is the most reliable and cost-effective source of baseload generation.  They are ignoring the major delays and cost overruns of nuclear power plant construction in the United States and abroad that make it clear that scaling up nuclear power to address the climate crisis is simply not cost effective or timely.

In the mid-2000s, as United States utilities planned to construct new nuclear power plants, construction costs were already soaring to $5,500 to $8,500/Kw or $6-$9 billion per unit.[viii]

The actual cost of construction is even higher. Two nuclear plants were pursued in South Carolina and two in Georgia, each utilizing the Westinghouse AP1000 design. The South Carolina plants were abandoned due to construction delays and cost overruns,  and are the subject of a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit alleging investors were defrauded after $9 billion was spent.[ix] The Georgia plants are still under construction, but five years behind schedule, and experiencing significant cost overruns.  Originally budgeted at $14 billion, they are now projected to cost over $28 billion.[x]

Delays and cost overruns are not limited to plants in the U.S. alone.  Several nuclear reactors are years behind schedule in Europe as well, including the Hinckey Point-C plant in the UK, a plant in Flamanville France that is eight years behind schedule, and the Olkiluoto lll plant in Finland, which is 11 years behind schedule.[xi]  Extensive delays have resulted in significant cost overruns throughout the history of nuclear plants worldwide, on average nearly 20 percent.[xii]  Significantly, the construction of nuclear power plants today costs 60 percent more than earlier generations of reactors,[xiii] at a time when the cost of wind and solar technologies are rapidly declining.

Proponents of nuclear power state that advanced reactors, including new, smaller modular reactors, will solve the cost issues, since they can be built in factories and do not require the same active safety systems as current reactors. But modular reactors are not ready for construction, their safety systems are not foolproof, and they will need substantial government subsidies.  

The Secretary of Energy Advisory Board concluded in 2016, “there is no shortcut to reestablish a vigorous U.S. nuclear power initiative that could be a major source of carbon-free generation”, and found that new technologies could take 25 years and nearly $12 billion to develop.”[xiv]  Notably, the commission was looking at “the capability to deploy new nuclear power plants at scale, at the rate of 3 to 5 gigawatts electric (GWe) per year, in the time period 2030–2050.”  That extended time frame means nuclear power will not be able to scale up rapidly enough to help us avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Efficiency and Renewables are the Way Forward

Pursuing new current-generation nuclear plants or advanced nuclear energy technology is a dead-end, and more importantly, would take resources away from scaling up the proven technologies of solar, wind, storage, and energy efficiency that are already paving the way to zero-emitting energy generation. As we scale renewables up, we can retire coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants.

As the IPCC states, in its special report on climate: “The political, economic, social and technical feasibility of solar energy, wind energy and electricity storage technologies has improved dramatically over the past few years, while that of nuclear energy and carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in the electricity sector have not shown similar improvements.”[xv]

The IPCC is understating the case for renewables. Moving to 100 percent renewable energy worldwide is entirely possible. Researchers at Stanford University mapped a transition to 80 percent renewables (wind, hydro, geothermal, and solar) by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050 for 139 countries worldwide. The transition is technically and economically feasible, would meet the goal of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, would require no new hydropower, and would create 24 million net new jobs worldwide.  It would also require a maximum of only .22 percent of new land across the countries, with significant solar going on rooftops and onshore wind integrating with other land uses.[xvi]

In the United States, as the cost of wind and solar energy plummeted, electricity from renewable energy doubled between 2008 and 2019, with 90 percent of new renewable capacity coming from wind and solar. [xvii] Renewable energy now provides nearly 20 percent of U.S. energy generation,[xviii] generated more power than coal in April 2020,[xix] and is rapidly increasing to 76 percent of new energy generation in the U.S. as utilities choose renewables solely based on cost.[xx]

To ensure wind and solar can provide consistent power and meet baseload generation as fossil fuels and nuclear plants phase down, energy storage technologies and installations are proliferating.  Two new projects demonstrate the potential.  Southern California Edison will bring 770 MW of battery storage facilities online in California in 2021, and a 409 MW storage facility will go online in 2021 in Florida as well.[xxi]  A typical coal-fired power plant generates 600 MW, so these storage facilities are game changers.

And, to reduce the need for baseload power, the United States could gain considerably from increases in energy efficiency. A McKinsey and Company report found that fully deploying residential, commercial, and industrial energy efficiency measures in the United States could cut energy use by 23 percent nationwide and save $1 trillion.[xxii] 

Renewable energy and energy efficiency are also major job creators. As of 2019, nearly 350,000 Americans were employed in solar energy, nearly 115,000 in wind, and 84,000 in storage, compared to 61,000 in nuclear. There are already nearly 2.4 million jobs in energy efficiency as well. Notably, until the novel coronavirus outbreak, wind, solar, storage, and energy efficiency jobs were increasing, while nuclear experienced job losses.[xxiii]

We don’t have time to lose.  With the novel caronavirus wreaking havoc on the broader economy, and at least 35 million jobs lost, including tens of thousands of clean energy jobs, now is the time for the federal government to fully invest in a Green New Deal, and keep truly clean energy growing.  Doing so would create several million green jobs, including in the growing renewable energy, storage, and energy efficiency sectors.  It would also put the U.S. on a pathway to 80 percent renewables by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050, helping ensure our country is doing its part to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius or less

Please also see Green America's 10 Reasons to Oppose Nuclear Power.

Long gone are the small-scale family farms that provide dairy to local cheese producers and families. This is the era of industrialized agriculture and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). One of the many dirty secrets of the dairy industry is the use of antibiotics. CAFO operators use antibiotics to make up for the concentrated confinement of animals, unsanitary living conditions, and the use of hormones.

Using antibiotics for non-therapeutic purposes, any use of antibiotics in food animals without disease or documented disease exposure, has led to the development of antibiotic resistant (AR) bacteria, which have infiltrated our food system and pose a major risk to human health. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 22 percent of AR infections originate from foodborne pathogens. This was never an unexpected outcome, in fact in his 1952 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech Alexander Flemming warned of the creation of superbugs from the misuse of antibiotics, a warning we ignored. The big question is what happens when even our strongest antibiotics no longer win out against the toughest bacteria?

Antibiotic Use in the Dairy Industry

Following the “get big or get out” mantra from policy leaders, the agricultural industry adopted heavy use of antibiotics. The most common non-therapeutic uses of antibiotics are for prevention of disease and growth promotion. Of the 29 million pounds of antibiotics used each year 80 percent goes to livestock. Entire herds or flocks are continually given low doses of antibiotics in their feed or water to prevent disease and promote growth, two things that would happen naturally if animals had more natural living conditions and access to pasture.

CAFOs (or factory farms) are large-scale animal housing operations that raise a large number of animals, most commonly cattle, chickens, and pigs. These facilities focus on efficiency, measured by how quickly the operator can raise an animal and send it to market for slaughter. As a result, animals live in extremely crowded conditions with little to no access to the outdoors. These conditions increase animal stress and poor hygiene, which increase pathogen development and decrease growth. With so many animals concentrated in one area there is a vast amount of manure creating the perfect home for the proliferation of bacteria. A 2014 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlights the connection between non-therapeutic antibiotic use in animals and an increase in bacteria populations. These situations increase the potential for infections such as environmental mastitis, an udder infection in dairy cows that is caused from environmental conditions rather than a traditional bacterial infection.

The Dangers of Antibiotic Resistance 

The threat of AR to human health starts at the farm and follows the food chain all the way to your dinner plate. Farms serve are as hotspots for AR; in fact anyone who lives near CAFOs or fields fertilized with animal manure is at a greater risk to superbug infections. These fields can pose a risk because bacteria from the manure can be transported from its original source to fruit and vegetable production. Once these products go to market the bacteria can follow them; and if they are not properly cleaned, can transfer to humans. According to the CDC AR causes infections that are more difficult to treat resulting in prolonged and costlier treatments, an increase in healthcare costs of $20 billion a year, and an overall expense to the economy of $50 billion. In 2019, the CDC found that 2.8 million Americans contracted antibiotic-resistant infections and more than 35,000 people were killed by these infections. Clearly, this is a real and imminent threat.

One of the greatest risks of AR genes is that they have a number of ways to enter the environment. AR bacteria can spread to rodents and flies and can be carried from one place to another across borders and seas (think black plague). The bacteria themselves possess the capability to horizontally transfer genes allowing one form to share its new supper genes with all of its friends and family. Since AR bacteria have reached such prevalence in our food system even animals raised without antibiotics or organically may still be carriers of AR bacteria. The CDC, along with many medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, oppose non-therapeutic uses and are calling for changes in farming practices to save antibiotics for humans.

Antibiotics in Dairy

The current dairy industry is one that promotes industrialization and consolidation over the health and wellness of the herd. In an effort to achieve higher levels of so called efficiency, dairy producers predominately use CAFOs and the hormone rBGH to increase milk production. rBGH or recombinant bovine growth hormone is a genetically engineered synthetic hormone created by Monsanto to increase milk production levels. Studies have found that rBGH usage results in increased cases of mastitis infections, which ultimately requires higher levels of antibiotics.

The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) of the USDA is responsible for inspecting meat for contamination with residual antibiotics, pesticides, and heavy metals. “Residue” makes its way into the food supply when producers bring animals to slaughterhouses while they have contaminants still in their system. When dairy cows are culled from the herd due to incurable infections they are processed into ground beef. Often, cows are processed before the proper withdrawal period, therefore the antibiotics are still in their systems when they are converted into meat for human consumption; antibiotics are then passed on to humans. While the cows are being treated with higher levels antibiotics for an infection, their milk is supposed to be pulled from human consumption but is often fed to calves. These calves will likely be processed into veal likely with residue of antibiotics from being fed tainted milk.

By purchasing dairy consumers also support the meat industry. In 2009, of the 33.3 million cattle used to produce beef 2.9 million were dairy cows. In 2008, plants processing dairy cows and veal were responsible for 90 percent of the residue violations. This begs to ask the question of who is really looking out for our milk and why antibiotics are not more heavily monitored. FSIS, EPA and FDA jointly monitor residue violations through the national residue program. The USDA’s Office of Inspector General released a report stating that the national residue program “is not accomplishing its mission of monitoring the food supply for harmful residues.”

The CDC suggests that the use of antibiotics for growth promotion should be phased out. Doing so would follow the trend of many European nations. Since implementing the ban they have seen a steady decline in the number of cases of AR.

Take Action

It is time for consumers to call on the dairy industry to change their way! Join us in urging Dean Foods and Starbucks to make an organic milk commitment. By doing so, these companies will help transition the current CAFO dairy system to one that does not rely on concentrated confinement and antibiotics. The future of antibiotics in the US depends on it.

Whether you’re a beginning gardener or seasoned expert, this Climate Victory Gardening toolkit is for you. The toolkit begins with a bit of history and context. It also revisits the basic science of how your garden sequesters carbon to fight climate change. Knowledge is power, but practical advice is important too.

In this toolkit, you’ll find 10 practices with tangible actions that you can implement in your own garden, today. You’ll also find a timeline with suggested steps to take before, during, and after the growing season. Ways to connect with other gardeners and resources for deeper dives into many topics also come at the end of this toolkit. You can find more information at our website. Or, feel free to contact us with questions at ClimateVictoryGarden@GreenAmerica.org.

You can also download the PDF here.

Toolkit Contents

Rooted in History           Food as a Solution           How It Works           Carbon-Capturing Practices

Growing a Climate Victory Garden          Health Benefits          Joining the Movement           Resources 

The History of Victory Gardens

During the victory garden movement of World Wars I and II, Americans planted gardens to feed and support both their local communities and troops overseas. These efforts were wildly successful. By 1944, nearly 20 million victory gardens produced 8 million tons of food—around 40 percent of the fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the U.S. at the time. This incredible show of grassroots organizing and community efforts are the inspiration for today’s Climate Victory Garden movement.

The time has come when citizens can again use their gardens as a force for good—this time to fight climate change. Garden movements empower and inspire action at the individual and community level. These grassroots efforts chip away at much larger issues that otherwise may seem overwhelming and out of reach. And, if millions of people plant Climate Victory Gardens, it will have a significant impact on climate change. Both then and now, change is possible through the food system.

Food as a Solution

Our global food system is a major player in climate change. It contributes up to 29% of greenhouse gas emissions. It doesn’t have to be like this.

Food grown using regenerative methods can be part of the climate change solution, rather than a major contributor to the problem. In fact, research from the Rodale Institute shows that regenerative methods—widely adopted—could sequester more than 100% of current carbon dioxide emissions.

Climate change is already having devastating effects around the world. The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report makes clear that we only have 12 years to meaningfully address climate change. We need action at all levels, from the largest institutions down to the community and individual level. Green America’s Center for Sustainability Solutions is working with the supply chains of food companies—large and small—down to the farm level to institute regenerative practices over the next decade. Climate Victory Gardens give individuals and communities the opportunity to fight climate change on the ground and in their backyards, in the very soil beneath their feet—today.

Throughout the U.S. we have 40 million acres of lawns. Lawns are water hogs, they leach chemicals into freshwater sources, and they sequester very little carbon. Imagine if just half of these lawns were converted to Climate Victory Gardens. We’d sequester massive amounts of carbon and grow healthy food for millions of Americans.

How? It’s all about soil health.

How Climate Victory Gardens Work

Plants use the sunlight’s energy to turn carbon dioxide into the sugars it needs to grow. This may sound familiar—it’s a process called photosynthesis. All crops grow this way, and all crops pull carbon out of the air. Some of this carbon is used to form the basic building blocks of growing plants and their roots. Some is released underground through roots to feed the abundant soil communities — earthworms, bacteria, fungi, and millions of other species. In turn, these organisms build healthy soil and provide nutrients for the crops.

Carbon is important and necessary for growing healthy food. But if all agriculture pulls carbon from the air, why do we need Climate Victory Gardening?

It’s important that sequestered carbon stays underground, where it contributes to soil health rather than reentering the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. Conventional farming and gardening practices often lead to soil depletion and low soil carbon levels, while Climate Victory Gardening uses methods that minimize soil disturbance and improve the soil’s ability to hold carbon.

The healthier the soil, the better it is at keeping carbon underground (and growing food!).

10 Carbon-Capturing Practices

Whether you’re an experienced horticulturalist or novice gardener, these simple practices can be integrated into any plot. Here’s what you can do to transform your garden into a Climate Victory Garden. While we understand that not all of these practices can be implemented everywhere by everyone, we encourage you to do your best and commit to incorporating as many into your garden as possible. And, over time, we hope that you will be able to adopt them all.

Click on either image below to view our handy 10 Carbon-Capturing Practices Infographic.

Growing a Climate Victory Garden

Everyone’s gardens are going to look different, so it’s hard to give specific steps on how to either start or convert an existing plot into a Climate Victory Garden. But, we hope the steps below will help you get started. Think of this as a very loose timeline, with actions to take during three different times: before, during, and after your main growing season.

PRE-SEASON: PLANNING

Many gardeners think they can skip this, but it’s one of the most important and involved steps in the process, especially when you’re considering carbon capture.

• Choose your site. Consider zoning laws, HOA restrictions, exposure to the elements, sun and shade, and previous uses in that area. It’s especially good if you can see your garden from the kitchen window so you’re reminded to harvest and care for your garden often. If you don’t have space at your home, consider community or school gardens, city allotments, or join a neighbor in their efforts!
• Test your soil. This is a good way to figure out what may be lacking in your soil. Soil tests also identify possible toxins that you don’t want in your food. If you’re interested in comparing soil carbon levels year-to-year, you can test for that too.
• Build garden beds. Consider beds narrow enough to reach the middle, so you’re not stepping on and compacting your healthy soil. Transfer soil from paths to beds to build them up and delineate clear walking areas. Where possible, use permeable materials if you want a “paved” walking area. Don’t go too big on your first garden, they can be more work than expected (try 10 square feet if you’re a first-time gardener).
• Build your soil. Remember that this takes time and should be done throughout the year, but it’s easiest to apply compost, manure, and natural amendments before planting for easier integration into the soil and less disturbance of your plants. You’ll know what amendments to add based on your soil test. And, you can always be working on your compost.
• Choose your seeds/plants. You may choose your favorite vegetables, produce with a high price tag in the grocery store, easy beginner veggies, or coordinate with your neighbors. Consider native plants and those best adapted for your area. Learn your planting zone and choose seeds that thrive in your zone. Explore companion plants and those that add nutrients to your soil. You can find seedlings at your local nursery, but quality may be an issue, so grow from organic seeds when you can.
• Sketch a plan. Physically measure the outline of your garden/beds and sketch on a piece of paper (it doesn’t have to be pretty, consider using the ratio of 1 square inch on the paper to 1 square foot in the garden). Read your seed packets closely to determine plant spacing needs and draw this onto your sketch. Space is one of your plants’ most important resources; use your sketch as a map during planting and keep it to ensure you’re rotating plants next year.

DURING THE SEASON: PLANTING AND MAINTAINING

The Gangsta Gardener, Ron Finley, August 17-20 2018 photo: US Embassy

This is what comes to mind when many think of gardening. Successful planting depends on careful planning, so don’t start this until you’ve closely considered the steps above.

• Know your frost dates. Most seed packets have information about when to plant seeds, often written as “# of weeks before/after last frost.” In some parts of the country, this will mean starting some seeds indoors.

• Plant your seeds. Depending on where you live, you may want to invest in some indoor growing lights, a spray bottle for watering, and seedling trays to get a head start on spring. Plant more than you think you’ll need, as you should expect some losses during this fragile phase. Share any extras you have in seed/seedling swaps. Transplant your seedlings or plant your seeds outside according to seed packet information or planting calendars. Remember to disturb the soil as little as possible to ensure it retains carbon.
• Maintain. This is the daily work of weeding, watering, monitoring for pests, composting, and harvesting. Remember to only remove weeds that may harm plant growth; the others add biodiversity and coverage for your soils. Revisit the Climate Victory Gardening practices on pages 5 and 6 and integrate into your daily practices. Team up with neighbors to share and help out. Experiment to find what works for you and your garden.
• Observe. Continue adding to the plan/map you made at the start of the season. This observing can be done in the form of journaling, photographs, sketches, notes on your calendar, and there are even phone apps for this. Many find it useful to have a physical notebook for taking notes in the garden. Look for plants thriving or failing, pests, moisture levels, sunlight, etc. Dates are important too.

POST-SEASON: PREPARATION

After the excitement of summer harvesting is over, it’s time to prepare your garden for the winter and future growing seasons.

• Save for the future. If you’ve allowed plants to go to seed or fruit to stay on the plant, consider saving these seeds. You can preserve excess harvest by freezing, drying, or canning. Or, share with friends.
• Update your sketch. Things change over the course of the season, so be sure to update your garden sketch to have the most accurate representation for starting the process again next year.
• Cover soils. The easiest thing here is to leave plant residues, that is, the spent plants from the growing season. You can also add mulch, straw, leaves, or grow cover crops if your weather allows for it. It’s a good idea to add compost before snow falls. Continue to maintain your compost during the off-season, so you’ll have plenty to start with next year.
• Prepare for spring. You have all winter to research new varieties, and many gardeners find great joy in perusing seed catalogs as research. Review your sketches, notes, and journals to determine what plants and/or methods didn’t work, and plan accordingly for next year. Create long-term goals for your soil and reevaluate goals for the season passed. Consider what carbon-sequestering methods you used and how to improve upon these.

Health Benefits

In addition to providing nutritious foods, beautiful landscapes, and carbon sequestration, gardening offers a variety of health benefits. There is so much to gain from gardening, whether you are just starting your very own garden or you have been doing it for years; there may be more to gain than you realized. There is increasing evidence that gardening provides substantial health benefits.

• Stimulates hands-on learning
• Tunes motor skills
• Raises social-responsibility awareness
• Supports stress release
• Engages the creative process
• Helps keep the brain young l Boosts immunity
• Provides social opportunities
• Builds a sense of community
• Reduces food insecurity
• Connects people to nature
• Promotes exercise
• Improves mental health
• Increases exposure to Vitamin D
• Decreases risk of dementia

Engaging children in gardening promotes learning, supports development of new skills, strengthens social interactions, encourages environmental appreciation, and improves focus—all while encouraging them to eat healthier. Whether the garden is located in the backyard, at school, at church, or in pots on an apartment balcony, kids who are engaged in the process develop a sense of confidence and ownership that connects them to their food.

Joining The Movement

Climate Victory Gardening is a movement that’s happening in your community, across the country, and even online. Enrich your experience by getting involved on each level.

Your Community

• Commit to carbon-sequestering practices in your own garden.
• Talk to your local garden groups or community garden about sequestering carbon and building healthy soils.
• Consider starting a garden in a public/open access space so more people can experience and enjoy its benefits.
• Explore partnerships with institutions (schools, hospitals, workplaces, etc.).
• Gardens at these institutions can have a positive impact on peoples’ psychology, while also sequestering carbon and preventing water run-off. 

National

Join others around the U.S. (and world!) in your commitment to carbon-sequestration by registering your garden online. Search our map to find your fellow gardeners all across the country, or even in your own neighborhood.

Online

Partake in discussions on the Climate Victory Garden facebook group, where gardeners share best practices, ask questions, and brag about their gardens

Resources

We hope you’ll be able to get your Climate Victory Garden started with this toolkit. But, there are many more resources that can help you take your understanding and adoption of carbon-sequestering techniques to the next level.

• Curious about Climate Victory Gardens? Green America’s Climate Victory Gardens Campaigns
• Wondering who to contact about testing your soil? Cooperative Extension Services
• Concerned about contaminated soils? Soil Safety Resource Guide for Urban Food Growers
• Excited about seeds? Free Garden Seed Catalogs and Online Plant Sources
• What growing zone are you in? USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
• Looking for your frost dates? First and Last Frost Dates
• Need a timeline for planting seeds? Planting Calendar: When to Plant Vegetables
• Unsure of what food perennials to plant? 20 Perennial Vegetables
• Searching for plants that help each other? Companion Planting Chart for Vegetables
• Interested in saving seeds? Seed Saving: Where to Start?
• Need more information on integrating animals? Livestock in Urban Environments
• Ready to take it to the next level? Master Gardener programs by state
• Experiencing the effects of climate change in your garden? Gardening in a Warming World: A Climate Smart Gardening Course Book
• Need federal resources for your urban agricultural project? Urban Agriculture Toolkit

Your garden has the power to be part of the climate solution as a Climate Victory Garden. 

As an environmentally-conscious gardener, you can adopt gardening practices that protect the soil—this is where we’re storing carbon—while minimizing climate impacts beyond the boundaries of your garden. For example, when you skip store-bought synthetic chemicals, you’re protecting the life in your soil and its ability to capture carbon, as well as avoiding the emissions associated with the production and transportation of these products. 

The good news is that if you're new to gardening, these Climate Victory Gardening practices are easy to adopt. If you're already a seasoned gardener, chances are you’re probably already doing some of these practices. All gardens are going to look different, and these Climate Victory Gardening practices are intended to inform the hundreds or even thousands of decisions you make in your garden each season. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned gardener, there’s something for everyone.

5 Beginner Gardening Practices

Grow food

• Here's how: plant your favorite foods, share with your neighbors
• Why it's important: reduces food miles, decreases grocery bills, encourages seasonal eating, establishes a close relationship with food

Cover soils

• Here's how: apply mulch, leave plant residues, plant cover crops, strategically allow weeds 
• Why it's important: decreases water use, curbs erosion, and protects local water sources

Compost

• Here's how: compost kitchen and yard wastes, apply compost as fertilizer, share with your neighbors
• Why it's important: repurposes waste, reduces methane (a greenhouse gas) from landfills, and increases quality of soil and nutrient density of foods

Ditch the chemicals

• Here's how: fertilize with compost, plant companion crops, use integrated pest management
• Why it's important: decreases pollution from production to run off, reduces input costs, ensures your safety

Encourage biodiversity

• Here's how: grow many different plants, feed soil life with compost, plant pollinator habitats
• Why it's important: ensures healthy soils and nutritious foods, balances ecosystems, and keeps pests in check

Your beginner gardening questions are answered here.

5 More Gardening Practices

Add perennials & native plants 

• Here's how: reduce disturbance of soil, plant trees, choose perennial grasses, shrubs, and herbs
• Why it's important: allows for multiple harvests from a single planting, protects garden from the elements, promotes diversity, and controls weeds

Consider animals

• Here's how: allow chickens, goats, and other small animals to forage for insects or eliminate weeds
• Why it's important: decreases pests and increases fertilization naturally

Rotate crops

• Here's how: choose different crops and new locations each season, consider nitrogen fixing plants
• Why it's important: ensures balanced soil nutrients and keeps pests to a minimum, reducing chemical input use

Use people power

• Here's how: hand-pull weeds, rake instead of using blowers, choose push mowers over gas powered, and bike to your garden or market
• Why it's important: reduces dependency on fuel, decreases emissions and costs

Observe and Improve

• Here's how: test soil for nutrients, monitor moisture, and remove pests and diseased plants quickly 
• Why it's important: determines how water, inputs, and other management can be applied most efficiently

Your seasoned gardening questions are answered here.

Have questions about how to do any of these? Check out our resource pages for more info. These gardening practices also have tangible climate benefits. Your garden can support the environment, so consider adding yours to the Climate Victory Garden map!

Frequently asked questions about chemicals in clothing.

Natural Gas pipelines explode with alarming frequency in the US, killing and injuring people, and causing millions of dollars in damage. Interstate pipelines are permitted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which has approved all but one pipeline over the past 30 years, and routinely rejects legitimate concerns raised by impacted communities.

In just 2015 to 2017, there were 12 deaths and 10 injuries reported from natural gas pipelines in the US. Pipeline explosions also cause millions of dollars in damage and evacuations. This list does not include the many injuries, deaths, and extensive property damage reported from natural gas explosions reported at homes, apartment buildings, businesses, from local natural gas infrastructure.

From June 2015 to June 2017, the following incidents have been documented

February 17, 2017: A natural gas pipeline operated by Kinder Morgan in Refugio Texas exploded creating a massive fire. The explosion shook homes 60 miles away.

February 10, 2017: A natural gas pipeline operated by Phillips 66 Pipeline in St. Charles Parish, LA exploded, injuring 3 workers.

February 1, 2017: A DCP pipeline in Panola County TX exploded and created a crater in an airport runway, shutting down the airport for a month. (Editor's Note 1/13/20: Two stories no longer available online)

January 17, 2017: A natural gas pipeline operated by DCP Midstream exploded in Spearman, TX, which led to multiple fire crews being called to the scene.

August 20, 2016: 10 people in New Mexico were killed when they were camping near an underground natural gas pipeline operated by El Paso Energy that suddenly exploded.

April 18, 2016: 2 workers were killed when they struck a pipeline at the Southcross Gas Processing Plant in Bonnie View, TX.

April 29, 2016: A 30-inch pipeline in Salem Township, operated by Spectra, exploded, severely injured a worker, and caused the evacuation of local businesses and homes.

January 9, 2016: A 30-inch pipeline operated by Atmos Energy in Robertson County, TX exploded and forced the evacuation of several families.

August 26, 2015: Two workers were injured when a Boardwalk/Gulf South Pipeline Co underwater pipeline off the coast of Louisiana ruptured and exploded.

June 27, 2015: Four workers were injured when a pipeline exploded at a gas booster station in White Deer Texas.

June 17, 2015: A pipeline operated by Energy Transfer Partners ruptured in Cuero, TX and caused a massive blaze and the evacuation of 7 families. 165,732 pounds of volatile organic compounds may have burned.

The incidents documented above represent a continuation of and ongoing trend of repeated natural gas pipeline disasters in the US

From 2010 to 2016 -- Gas companies reported 35 explosions and 32 ignitions at their transmission pipelines, according to federal records. The explosion killed 17 people and injured 86. A September 2010 explosion in San Bruno, Calif., killed eight and injured 51 people.

Dangers From Liquified Gas

In addition to pipeline explosions, there are risks from compressor stations and liquefied natural gas export facilities, including a 2014 explosion at a rural Washington State LNG storage facility that injured several workers and resulted in evacuations. The explosion called into question the safety of LNG storage facilities located near population centers nationally.

Q. What are sweatshops and how bad is the problem?

A. The US Department of Labor defines a sweatshop as any factory that violates two or more labor laws, such as those pertaining to wages and benefits, working hours, and child labor. Anti-sweatshop advocates go further to say that beyond following the letter of the law (which can be very weak in many countries that attract sweatshops), a factory must pay a living wage in safe working conditions, enforce reasonable work hours, provide for sick leave and maternity leave, and allow workers to organize to avoid being labeled a sweatshop.

Because no single definition exists (and because sweatshop owners don't want their factories to be revealed), it’s difficult to assess the worldwide scope of the problem. Compounding this difficulty is the “race to the bottom,” which means that companies don’t always let their sweatshop factories stay in one place, if they can shift their manufacturing to ever-cheaper and less-regulated locations. For example, the number of sweatshops in Mexico soared in the 1990s after NAFTA enticed companies to close their US operations and move south. As global manufacturing costs continued to shift, many companies then moved their operations from Mexico to even more attractive Asian countries. And more recently still, after the US-Jordan Free Trade agreement went into effect in 2000, the number of sweatshops in that country exploded as well. Between 2000 and 2005, apparel exports from Jordan to the US soared 2000 percent, often due to the round-the-clock labor of guest workers from poor Asian countries who were following the jobs as they moved.

Q: But if companies have to cut costs to stay competitive, aren’t sweatshops inevitable?

A: No. Low prices are only one of many factors consumers take into account when they shop, and most consumers don’t intentionally purchase goods made in sweatshops.

Reporting for Dollars and Sense magazine in 2006, sweatshop expert John Miller, a professor of economics at Wheaton College, explained how paying decent wages to workers at the beginning of the supply chain has little effect on a company’s competitiveness. “In Mexico’s apparel industry, economists from the Political Economy Research Institute found that doubling the pay of non-supervisory workers would add just $1.80 to the cost of a $100 men’s sports jacket,” explained Miller. “And a recent survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research Found that US consumers would be willing to pay $115 for the same jacket if they knew it had not been made under sweatshop conditions.”

Living wages and reasonable working hours would not threaten companies’ overall profitability. No one should have to work 17-hour days just so Americans can save a few dollars on clothes.

Q: Doesn’t low-wage sweatshop employment help alleviate poverty? Aren’t sweatshops a necessary step on the road to economic development?

A: No. Sweatshop workers are trapped in a cycle of exploitation that rarely improves their economic situation.

“In many cases, countries’ minimum wages are insufficient to climb out of poverty,” says Todd Larsen, Green America’s Executive Co-Director for Consumer & Corporate Engagement. “What’s more, sweatshop watchdog groups continually find factories that pay illegal wages, lower even than the minimum.”

Consider the example cited in a 2003 National Labor Committee report on a Honduran worker sewing clothing for Wal-Mart at a rate of 43 cents an hour. After spending money on daily meals and transportation to work, the average worker is left with around 80 cents per day for rent, bills, child care, school costs, medicines, emergencies, and other expenses.

If sweatshops were a necessary step toward economic development, they would not exist in the world’s most developed economies; however, sweatshops continue to be uncovered even in the United States. The US Department of Labor regularly uncovers sweatshop abuse in American factories, which are often contracted to make fast fashion clothing for American brands.

Q: Isn’t it time-consuming and expensive for corporations to track their goods’ origins?

A: No, most corporations already track their goods to the subcontractor or factory level in order to monitor the quality of their products.

“In competitive industries like the apparel industry, all companies have quality control,” says Nikki Bas, executive director of Partnership for Working Families. “If companies are able to send representatives to inspect the quality of a garment, they can inspect the quality of their factories as well.”

Q: Do some companies track their goods to keep sweatshop labor out of their supply chains, and mark their products with a special label?

A: Unfortunately, no overarching “sweatshop-free” label exists, though a union label is a good indicator that at a minimum workers are free to organize and have a voice. In addition, since the mid-1990s, a number of “social auditing” organizations have emerged, and companies may now coordinate with one to inspect their factories for sweatshop abuses, to greater or lesser degrees of success.

These organizations operate under a number of different structures. For example, Verité, operates as a nonprofit organization, inspecting factories on behalf of their client companies, which pay Verité a fee to perform audits and help facilitate follow-up correction programs for violations. (Verité does not make its findings public because conditions can change so quickly in faraway factories.)

Another example, Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production (WRAP), operates as a 501(c)6 corporation, and makes its list of inspected and certified factories available on its website, searchable by country, as a resource for companies in search of factories. Established by the American Apparel and Footwear Association, WRAP has come under fire from anti-sweatshop organizations as having weak codes of conduct and operating too closely with the apparel industry.

Similarly, the Fair Labor Association, which contracts with specific companies to perform inspections, has fallen out of favor with many activists over concerns about poor enforcement and corporate influence.

Whichever monitoring organization a company might use (and there are many more), the bottom-line concern among anti-sweatshop activists lies in the lack of transparency to the consumer of the findings, as well as the inability of inspectors to stay aware of factory conditions at all times. Instances of factories improving their conditions specifically for inspections are well-documented, and critics further charge that monitoring organizations lengthen the supply chain, relieving companies of their responsibility to vouch personally for the conditions of their factories.

Q. If something is made in the USA does that automatically mean it is sweatshop-free?

A: Unfortunately, just because something is Made In The USA doesn't mean it isn't made in a sweatshop. In general, countries with strong labor laws (not just the US, but several European countries, Cambodia, and others) may produce fewer sweatshop abuses than countries with weaker or non-existent laws, but no one country is automatically sweatshop-free.

For instance, the Department of Labor conducted random inspections on 77 garment factories in southern California in November 2016, and discovered that 85% of the inspected factories were violating federal labor laws. Major retailers including Forever 21, Ross, and T.J. Maxx, contracted these factories to create bargain-price clothing, at the expense of the industry's primarily immigrant workforce.

Grievous sweatshop abuses have not only been uncovered in U.S. factories, but also in factories located in U.S. territories. These factories may also use the "Made in the USA" label, despite being exempt from certain U.S. labor laws.

For example, for many years garment workers in Saipan, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) have been exploited under the islands’ exemption to US labor laws. Efforts to bring CNMI under US law have long been stymied by lobbyists and lawmakers sympathetic with exploitative garment businessess, though as this guide was going to press, the US Senate voted to finally extend federal labor and immigration laws to CNMI.

Q. How do I learn more?

There may be common items or foods you did not know were made with working conditions that endanger people and the planet. Here are eight things made with sweatshop labor. Green America is working to end sweatshop labor. Join us! Here are steps you can take to end sweatshop labor.

When you hear the word “sweatshop,” what comes to mind?

Most likely shadowy factories in faraway places like China or Bangladesh, where exploited workers are packed into small spaces with their machinery, breathing in dust-filled air and working 14- to 18-hour days for poverty-level wages. Anyone who has ever read about sweatshops knows that abusive working conditions are the norm in such places.

But they’re “over there,” not here in America, right? With our better labor and environmental laws, surely sweatshop conditions don’t occur on US soil?

It’s a popular myth that even the most knowledgeable Green Americans may believe. In fact, after Green America’s online editor Andrew Korfhage posted a link to a story on the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh back in April, one commenter urged people to buy “Made in the USA” to avoid purchasing from companies that do business with sweatshops.

If only it were that easy. Unfortunately, exploiting workers—horrific, inhuman abuse—does occur in the US, and it’s more prevalent than you think.

“Fair Labor at Home,” the July/August issue of the Green American covers in-depth how workers in US restaurants, farm fields, domestic labor situations, and workplaces tied to national corporations like Walmart, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s are regularly subjected to sweaetshop-style working conditions. Because they may still be learning English or may be unfamiliar with US labor laws, recent immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are among the most exploited workers in the country, enduring wage theft, dangerous working conditions, discrimination, and even physical assaults.

In 2012, student guest workers from Latina America and Asia on J-1 cultural visas won a settlement against McDonald’s, which agreed to pay them $213,000 in stolen wages and $141,000 for health and safety violations the students endured in the workplace.

Warehouse Workers for Justice (WWJ), a coalition of workers at US warehouses in Walmart’s supply chain, has, to date, recovered over $700,000 in stolen wages through lawsuits against Walmart-contracted warehouse companies, with more suits pending. The majority of the workers are people of color, says WWJ’s Leah Fried, with up to half of them being immigrants.

And farmworkers picking tomatoes for Wendy’s say the company isn’t doing enough to protect workers from abuse and assault, and it hasn’t raised its wages of 50 cents per 32-pound bucket of tomatoes for 30 years. Almost all of the top fast food chains in the country have signed onto the Fair Food Program—an agreement spearheaded by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in which they agree to pay a penny per pound premium to tomato pickers and implement real protections for workers. Wendy’s, however, is the lone holdout, and has faced campus protests in 2019 over their refusal to join the Program, which would guarantee that laborers are paid at least the local minimum wage.

The “Fair Labor at Home” Green American has more details on each of these cases. But imagine our editors’ surprise (not really) when, as we sent the issue to the printer, news broke that 7-11 was being investigated for luring more than 50 Pakistani immigrants into the country to work for 14 7-11 stores in New York and Virginia. Upon their arrival, the workers had to put in 100-hour workweeks (That’s right—at least 14-hour workdays.). In addition, they were forced to live in employer-owned boarding houses and had “rent” money deducted from their paychecks. In fact, the money that was left over was so miniscule that the New York Times referred to the scheme as a “modern-day plantation system.” The federal government is also investigating allegations that the 7-11 employers stole additional, “substantial” money from the workers’ paychecks.

The 7-11 franchise owners also stand accused of committing identity theft to give the workers false identifications and conceal their trafficking scheme. The 7-11 corporation did little to monitor the situation, even though its records showed that stores in two different states had several workers with the same name and Social Security number on their employee rolls.

7-11 stores in at least seven other states are under federal investigation for similar trafficking and labor violations.

As we noted in the Green American, “The immigrant rights movement is not about handouts, but about ensuring that every US immigrant’s situation is handled fairly and with compassion—and that exploitation of this vulnerable worker population comes to an end.”

As we work together to promote Fair Trade and stop worker exploitation around the world, join with us at Green America to also call for the rights of workers inside our borders.

How you save and invest your money has as much an effect on the world as how you spend your money. If you’re tired of seeing your banking and investment dollars support projects you don’t believe in (like fossil-fuels or weapons manufacturing) or practices you can’t endorse (like deceptive lending or huge bonuses to their CEOs), then make this the year you break up with your mega-bank and start investing in communities.

Green America’s Community Investing Guide provides an introduction to community development financial institutions, or CDFIs – banks, credit unions, and other financial groups with a mission to direct your banking and investing dollars into projects that improve people’s lives.

Download the PDF

Whether you need a bank for depositing a weekly paycheck, or an investment opportunity for a larger sum – or anything in between – our Community Investing Guide gives you the resources you need. With the global economic crisis focusing even more public scrutiny on the greed and mismanagement of the corporate mega-banks, it’s clear: community investing is more important now than ever before.

Did you know there is a whole sector of American workers who do not have the right to organize, to overtime pay, or legal protection from workplace discrimination and harassment?

Domestic workers, such as those providing care for children and the elderly, are actually exempt from a large number of the employment rights many Americans take for granted. Excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938, this sector was left out of many of the legal protections.

This means that many domestic workers

• Do not have a right to minimum wage
• Do not have a right to unpaid maternity leave
• Do not have a right to weekends or time off
• Do not have a right to overtime pay
• Often face sexual or emotional harassment

The potential for exploitation faced by domestic workers is made even more dire by the fact that many of these workers are recent immigrants without the English language skills and supportive social networks to fight back against abuse.

Fortunately, activists have already successfully passed a bill in New York, making it the first state to recognize domestic workers as real workers under state law and granting the sector many of the protections that other workers enjoy.

Now they’re taking the fight to California, Illinois, and Massachusetts — here’s how you can get involved.

California

Go to the National Domestic Workers

Alliance’s California Bill of Rights campaign page to:

• Take part in their letter -writing campaign
• Take part in their phone-in campaign
• Make a donation to Mujeres Unidas y Activas
• Promote this bill through your social media handles

Illinois

Are you an Illinois resident? Click here to tell your representative to support the Illinois Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights (note that while the website notes an April date, the bill is still in the works and you do have time to make your voice heard) . Also — go to the NDWA’s campaign page or Arise Chicago to stay in the loop about developments on Domestic Worker Rights in that state.

Massachusetts

You can support the Massachusetts campaign in a number of ways.

Go to NDWA’s campaign page to

• Sign a pledge card
• View photos
• Learn more about the campaign

You can also stay in the loop by liking the Massachusetts Coalition for Domestic Workers’ Facebook page.

Fair Labor in the USA

In the Fair Labor at Home issue of the Green American, we highlighted the sweatshop conditions, wage theft and slave labor that occur right here in the USA. Providing legal protection for domestic workers is a key part of creating fair labor in America.

We’ve been blogging about labor issues in the USA — check out our other posts, may of them written by our editorial fellows, Krisna Bharvani and Sierra Schellenberg:

• Sweatshop Conditions in the US — the problem of wage theft
• Buying Sweatshop-Free in the USA
• An Employer’s Guide to Internships
• Sexual Harassment and Violence Against Immigrants
• Your Rights as an American Worker

Members make Green America’s fair trade programs possible. That’s why we’re sharing an incredible opportunity to make a difference while shopping. In celebration of Fair Trade Month, INDIGENOUS organic + fair trade fashion is offering 20% off to Green Americans, while donating 25% of each purchase to our fair trade programs on purchases made through November 15.

To INDIGENOUS, fair trade means much more than fair wages in the local context. It’s about providing good work to some of the poorest communities in the world, and transforming lives through opportunity. It’s the right to work in safe, clean conditions. And at its core, fair trade is about treating workers not as another commodity, but as humans worthy of respect.

INDIGENOUS makes stylish organic + fair trade clothing in Peru, location of the world’s longest history of textile design. In many Peruvian cultures, textiles were valued above all other treasures. It’s no surprise that imaginative and complex textile work is still found throughout the region, from small markets to high-end boutiques.

Traveling through South America in 1993, INDIGENOUS co-founder Scott Leonard was struck by two things: the amazing textiles that surrounded him, and the extreme poverty of the region. From this trip was born INDIGENOUS, one of the first eco-friendly and fair trade clothing companies.

The fast-fashion industry is notorious for environmental and human rights abuses. The quick turnover of the fashion cycle, combined with the race to profit, have led to an industry that hides its shame behind glitz and glamour. Sweatshops, child labor, rivers polluted with toxic dyes, and unsafe working conditions cannot and should not be ignored.

You deserve

to wear clothing that suits your morals as well as your style. That’s why INDIGENOUS, a long-time Green America member, has been doing things differently for over twenty years. Using fair trade principles as a guide for better business, INDIGENOUS invests in its artisans by providing skills training, access to grants and no-interest loans, fair wages, and safe working conditions—artisans like Ana (pictured left), a single mother who lives with her two children and her visually impaired father in a community for blind people and their families. Ana provides work for the people in her community, allowing them to help support their families. Fair wages and no-interest loans have helped her buy new knitting machines to take on more intricate work.

The INDIGENOUS line is made from 100 percent natural and organic fibers, including organic cotton, eco-friendly Tencel™, and free-range alpaca. Each piece is dyed with safe, low-impact dyes, or kept PURE with no dyes at all. Best of all, each piece is carefully created by artisans earning a fair wage.

By wearing clothing that honors both people and planet, you support a movement away from fast fashion, and toward a more sustainable and equitable future. During Fair Trade Month, celebrate with both Green America and INDIGENOUS. Through November 15, when you use your special Green America Member code at purchase, you will save 20%, and INDIGENOUS will donate 25% to our fair trade Initiatives on your behalf. These contributions will benefit Green America’s campaigns to end sweatshop labor. So what are you waiting for? Do some good. Get shopping!

INDIGENOUS makes natural-fiber clothing using the softest organic cotton and sustainably raised alpaca. Each piece is dyed with safe, eco-friendly dyes, or created PURE, with no dyes at all. Shop gorgeous sweaters, boiled alpaca wool coats, chic ponchos, and more.