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Despite its size and financial resources, AWS lags behind every other major company that operates data centers on a large scale. Unlike Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, Amazon has disclosed very little information about its energy use and its impacts on the climate, and it’s easy to understand why. Google and Apple have longstanding commitments to running on 100% renewables and have provided updates on their progress to the public for years. Amazon now has a goal of moving to 100% renewables but no stated timeline for doing so.

Greenpeace rates AWS as a C in their 2017 ClickClean report. While this is an improvement over previous years, AWS still seriously lacks in many areas, most notably in the transparency category, where it received an F. We must continue to push AWS to report accurate environmental impact data and to release comprehensive yearly reports to public. Without this transparency there is no way to hold them accountable for their energy use.

A list of AWS clients, including businesses, governments, federal agencies and universities can be found here.

When you turn on your laptop and connect to the Internet, you may think you’re only using electricity to power your computer. But information on the Internet is stored physically on servers, which require electricity. These servers run on a mix of power sources, including coal, natural gas, nuclear, and renewables. The breakdown depends on the company that owns the servers as well as the geographic location of the servers. Servers run 24/7 so that users can access their data at all times.

We know that as a result of burning fossil fuels to power human activities, the average global temperature is increasing. Until we pressure AWS to reach 100% renewable energy, each time you open a site hosted by AWS, you’re promoting the use of coal-fired power.

Tech- and investment-advisory firm Digital Power Group released a report estimating that the total energy input of streaming a full-length movie from the cloud is more than what it would have taken to manufacture and ship a the same movie as a DVD. This highlights the importance of pushing companies like AWS to transition to renewables as quickly as possible.

Researchers at Greenpeace estimate that if the cloud were a country it would be one of the biggest consumers of electricity on the planet—sixth in fact, after Russia, and before Germany. In 2012, analysts at the New York Times estimated that cloud computing consumed 30 billion watts of power per year, or as much as can be produced by 30 nuclear power plants. In the US alone, data centers use energy equivalent to the amount used to power 6.4 million average American homes in a year.

AWS owns and operates a crucial piece of the digital economy, which uses a tenth of the world’s electricity each year. Simply put, it takes a lot of power to keep the cloud running.

We are calling on AWS to commit to:

1) accelerate its goal to increasing the share of renewable energy powering data centers to 100% by 2020, and cease the construction of new data centers that rely on coal-fired power;

2) Submit complete and accurate data to the Carbon Disclosure Project;

3) Issue an annual sustainability report following Global Reporting Initiative Guidelines.
 

Amazon Inc.’s cloud computing branch, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the single largest provider of cloud services, it is growing quickly, and its data centers consume massive amounts of energy. Amazon provides limited reporting on its energy use, lacks transparency compared with other large companies in the tech industry. After years of pressure from Green America and others, Amazon has taken steps committing to renewable energy sources.

Amazon reached 50% renewable energy use in 2018 and the company states it has a “long term commitment to achieve 100% renewable energy usage”. Unfortunately, this goal has no deadline. With more than 3 billion Internet users worldwide, demand for cloud computing is growing rapidly, and Amazon has a critical role to play. Now is the time for AWS to build a greener, cleaner cloud—powered by renewable energy. And we need to keep up the pressure to make sure they do so.

“The cloud” is a term that refers to the computing infrastructure that collectively comprises the internet. It is a network of data warehouses that store and process information. The cloud allows any internet user to access files stored there from any compatible device. With more than 3.2 billion internet users, the network of servers and data centers that make up the cloud is vast and rapidly growing.

We're telling companies to cut dangerous HFC emissions — starting with Kroger, Walmart, and Trader Joe's. 
 

The Problem

Appliances we use to keep cool are leaking gases that warm our atmosphere at a shocking rate.  

Refrigerators and air conditioning units humming along are easy to overlook...but substances called refrigerants that are used in these appliances to keep things cool are melting the ice caps.

Refrigerants transform from liquid to gas and back continually as they cycle through coils in appliances, absorbing heat and promoting cooling. The most common refrigerants are greenhouse gases called hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are intensifying the climate crisis. 
 

HFCs have thousands of times more warming power than CO₂.

These harmful, human-made gases are leaking out of refrigeration systems and rapidly entering our atmosphere. As we do the crucial work of cutting CO₂ emissions, we must also address dangerous, extremely potent HFCs.

Eliminating HFCs and adopting climate-friendly refrigerants is a top solution to address the climate crisis that can prevent nearly half a degree of global warming. Better cooling can help prevent 460 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years.

Climate Impacts of Supermarkets

Supermarkets use a lot of energy, and up to 60 percent is used for cooling and heating systems. But the largest climate impacts come from the refrigerants themselves. 

A typical supermarket consumes 4,000 pounds of refrigerants each year with a quarter leaking out due to faulty systems.

Refrigerant leaks from US supermarkets emit 45 million metric tons of greenhouse gases every year (the equivalent of 9.5 million cars on the road). 

To address this issue, companies must commit to: 

• Using only HFC-free systems in all new locations;
• Releasing concrete timelines to phase out HFCs from all facilities by 2030; 
• Rapidly repairing refrigerant leaks and publishing annual leak rates;
• And ensuring responsible refrigerant disposal to reduce emissions.  

Why Kroger

Campaign Update: Kroger said that it would address the issue in its latest Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Road Map which came out in January of 2023. Well, let’s just say the road doesn’t go very far. In fact, its own projections show HFC emissions going up before plateauing in  2025 onward. Not going down. Kroger must do better.   

Kroger is the largest grocery chain in the US and is failing to take action on HFCs. HFCs account for a staggering 63% of Kroger’s direct climate emissions, but Kroger is only committing to install non-HFC refrigerants in 7 out of their 2,800 stores. 

In June 2022, 35 percent of Kroger’s shareholders voted to encourage the company to take action on refrigerants. Join Green America in showing Kroger that customers also want the grocery giant to act fast.

Why Walmart

Walmart’s annual HFC emissions are over three million metric tons, or the energy equivalent of powering all the households in San Francisco.  

Walmart has failed to honor past agreements to address HFCs, even though they make up nearly half of the company’s total direct emissions.

Over 100,000 people joined us to demand that Walmart eliminate its highly potent refrigerant emissions, and Walmart finally announced that it will transition to “low-impact” refrigerants by 2040.

But two decades is too long to wait when communities are facing devastation from the climate crisis today.

Why Trader Joe's

Trader Joe’s has a bad record of emitting refrigerant gases that hurt the climate and the ozone. It received the lowest score on EIA’s Climate-Friendly Supermarket Scorecard, which assessed the company on its insufficient action to reduce the use and emission of HFCs.

Additionally, Trader Joe's doesn't publicly report its climate emissions or social responsibility practices, as many other large companies do to show progress towards commitments. 

Green America and Environmental Investigation Agency have teamed up to hold Trader Joe's accountable for its poor climate and labor practices and lack of transparency. 

Progress on HFC Refrigerants

While most supermarkets are lagging way behind, a few supermarkets have made progress in tackling HFCs. You can show your support by shopping at these stores and thanking them for taking action on HFCs.  

Find a Climate-friendly Supermarket
 

Written by Nicky Schauder of Permaculture Gardens, a member of our Green Business Network.

My family and I have a Climate Victory Garden in the suburbs of Washington DC. I wanted to give you a tour of our garden with the hopes it will inspire you. Permaculture designer Geoff Lawton is known for saying, “All problems can be solved in a garden.” The real problem of climate change is no exception. 

Remember, you don't have to fulfill all the commitments to have a Climate Victory Garden but getting to all 10 is not as hard as you may think. Start with one and grow slowly but surely from there. We're a family of 8 living in what some consider a tiny townhome, and we grow over 300 pounds of produce each year. Here's how we try to live the Climate Victory Garden commitments:

1. Grow Edible Plants 

We can all grow something, even during the cooler months. If you're going to grow a garden, you might as well get the most bang for your buck. Choose your plants wisely. Many people grow ornamental plants for their beauty. But selecting plants that are also edible allows us to capture carbon from the atmosphere and feed ourselves all in one go (not to mention, they're still beautiful). If your plant is also medicinal (i.e. herbs), then you have a 4th function to boot!

We grow food in our garden and home year-round. We grow over 300 pounds of produce per year in our townhome’s back and front yards (around 500 sq ft). In the spring and fall, we have cool weather crops like peas and carrots. We grow seasonal mushrooms both outdoors or indoors in logs, bags or mason jars. Summer harvests include beets and tomatoes, and in the winter we start seedlings and grow herbs and lettuce by the south-facing windows.

2. Keep Soils Covered 

There are so many reasons to keep the soil covered. Here are some of them:

• We are trying to maximize our space and therefore maximize our yield, especially when growing in small spaces. No “plantable” space should be left uncovered.
• Nature will help you out. Go with her flow. When weeds come to cover those empty spaces you've left bare, don't take the weeds out unless you have a better idea of what should live there and are ready to plant it in the weed’s place.
• Covering the ground reverses soil erosion and depending on what you plant, may even build-up your soil fertility.
• Covering soil keeps moisture in. Even if some ground cover doesn't provide apparent edible benefits, it may be harboring beneficial animals as well as shading other plants from too much sun.  

3. Encourage Biodiversity 

Just as in a community of people, in our garden, diversity is the key to abundance. And by diversity, we mean we encourage the growth of all the 6 Kingdoms on the planet! We want a diversity of plants, animals, fungi, algae, archaea, and bacteria even if we are planting in a small space. 

A monoculture (planting the same thing in rows) may give an appearance of neat and tidy-ness. But it is not a healthy one. If you must have rows of the same kinds of plants, consider planting what's known as a "polyculture" of alternating plants and planting diverse habitats around these production patches. From our experience, it is possible to design your gardens to be both beautiful and biodiverse at the same time.

4.  Plant Perennials 

Perennials provide stability to your garden. Less fussing with the soil, allowing plants to "take root" and establish themselves over time will lead to less work for you and the garden ecosystem. Perennials include powerhouse plants like trees, vines, and bushes. There is nothing like a tree to stabilize a garden. When you cut down a tree, you alter the weather. Trees are havens for biodiversity and great helpers in rain/water management. So, choose your trees wisely and remember that trees can outlive us! 

In our backyard, we plant apples, pears, cherries, native trees called pawpaws, and figs. We even grow bananas indoors! 

5. Ditch the Chemicals 

When talking about balance and ecosystem health, permaculture designer Geoff Lawton says, "You don't have a mosquito problem. You have a lack of dragonfly (or bat or mosquito fish) problem." Your species and crops have to be in a balance that favors bountiful yields and keeps “pests” in check. That balance is not achieved when we use pesticides and unwittingly kill the good bugs (and plants, and ourselves) too! 

We understand that everything affects everything else. So, we cannot in good conscience justify the use of chemical pesticides to wipe out a pesky population of mosquitoes (or rats or weeds) in our backyard. Instead, we have sought out natural alternatives that work in a holistic way. The balance in our yard is an ongoing process. But we have learned more and more every year how to slowly keep the "pest" population down and the favorable species population up! This takes more time than spraying chemicals, but it’s worth it!

As Ron Finley said, "If it's in the soil, it's in our food." We already know about all the evils of glyphosate. No thank you!

6. Compost 

Our garden is a cyclical one. We try our best to have a zero-waste gardening process and teach others to do the same. Our main household aim is to eventually become a zero-waste household. I was shocked to learn that if global food waste were a country, “it would be the third largest carbon emitter in the world.” What an inspiration for composting. We use several methods:

• chop & drop - just prune or chop leaves and let them fall close to the plants.
• mulch with leaves - we use what we have or ask the neighbors if they want someone to rake their leaves for free!
• hot composting - we use an 18-day process called the Berkeley method.
• compost pile - when we are lazy we just let our compost heap rot and harvest the rich remains to feed our garden after 3 months.
• vermicomposting - we have worm pets that eat our kitchen scraps and turn them into "black gold" quality soil.
• Bokashi - we put all non-compostables such as meats, bones, and fish into an anaerobic air-tight bin filled with EM (effective micro-organisms) that ferment these foodstuffs so they can be safely added to the outdoor compost heap or directly into the soil.

7. Integrate Crops with Animals 

The backbone of every Climate Victory Garden should be a pollinator-friendly patch. Or better yet, several pollinator corridors sprinkled throughout your garden beds. Our goal is to support the ones who do the real work in the garden. Bees rely on plants and flowers for their homes and food and our crops rely on bees.

Integrating crops with animals has a lot to do with diversity and function. We want the garden to be an ecosystem, a web of functions and relationships. The more crops and animals, the more stable your garden will be. That means fewer diseases, fewer crop decimations, and more wildlife. A total win-win-win all around.

In our garden, we keep mason bees and have made a cute little bee lodge for these early spring pollinators. We plant native varieties of flowers and plants to support the native species of wildlife in our region. As we learn more and more about plants and animals, we begin to see that plants that we once thought of as "weeds" and animals that we once thought of as "pests" shoulder the burden of stabilizing our local ecosystems, our home gardens, and our nutrition.

We don't have chickens or other large animals (our HOA won't even allow us to grow crops in our front yard!), but we've asked neighboring friends with farms and stables for manure to add to our compost for a natural nutrient boost that makes this “waste” useful. 

8. Use People Power, not Mechanization 

There are so many benefits to getting "grounded." To us, low-tech people power means:

• less dependency on fossil fuels and therefore less carbon released into the air.
• a healthier, truly mobile, human body. Our bodies were made to move! 
• a connection to the process of food production. 
• no mechanized tilling to keep the soil biome alive.

When we teach students how to best water plants, we tell them what Brad Lancaster writes in his book Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands Vol 2: households that use automatic timers and other high tech approaches tend to use more water than those who water by hand. For example, households that water with a hand-held hose use 33% less water than those that do not. That's why we try to capture the water into our landscape passively instead of sourcing it from the grid and spraying it into the air.

9. Rotate Plants and Crops 

We have written a whole boat-load about how we do crop-rotation in our garden. Basically, we try to keep renewing our soil's fertility with every action we take. How? By feeding it the way John Jeavon's teaches in his Grow Biointensive method: follow a “heavy-feeder” plant, with a “heavy-giver” plant. 

Tomatoes and most summer crops are heavy feeders. After the harvest, they can leave your soil depleted of trace nutrients and minerals. To help that cause, we plant nitrogen-fixing legumes in between large harvests. In fact, no garden bed is ever without a legume plant in our yard.  It’s that important!

Rotating annual crops also helps confuse pests like squash beetles. We usually give the squashes a rest for two years before we try again for this reason. And, we try different bug-resistant squash and cucumber varieties to keep from crying after a bad year when all baby cucumbers have been lost to beetles!

10. Get To Know Your Garden 

Finally, observe your yard. I cannot say enough about this. Don't just rely on garden manuals and Youtube videos. Find out what the weather is like by going outside and feeling it (in many areas of your garden). There is no replacement for your own personal observation. There are myriad ways to do this. 

By getting to know your garden, you will find out what gardening techniques work or not. Getting to know your garden is directly proportional to your gardening success. And by doing so, you will be able to better plan and prepare for an epic next year. In essence, observation and reflection is where the cycle of growing begins again.

Together all our gardens make a difference. 

Our family of eight eating from our tiny townhouse garden is but one version of what a Climate Victory Garden could look like. Your garden may be on an apartment balcony or in a community garden plot. You may have been practicing these Climate Victory Garden commitments all your life. Or you may only be "Ditching the Chemicals." 

Wherever you are on your gardening journey, we salute you. We celebrate you. And we encourage you on your way, at your own gardening pace.  

Through our gardens, we are all connected in this environmental campaign. Each of our gardens, small or large, make more of a difference than we think. Together, they capture carbon in our soils and bring all of us closer to real global climate victory. With these Climate Victory Gardens, we all move the needle towards a greener, healthier, and happier life.

Join forces with us and sign-up to become a Climate Victory Gardener today!

Read more inspiring Climate Victory Garden stories and tips.

John Heermann uses diversity to turn dirt into soil.

Heermann is a dryland farmer in Haxtun, Colorado. Mention of the state conjures images of the Rocky Mountains, but—situated squarely between the mountain west and Midwest—Colorado also has a rich farm culture. The eastern half of the state is covered with farmland as far as the eye can see, and this is where Heermann got his start.

He grew up farming with his dad, but the thirty-year-old farmer points to self-education and experimentation as the path that brought him to regenerative agriculture. Heermann attended the No-Till on the Plains conference in 2014, which changed the direction of his dryland family farm and his mindset in general. For him, it became all about improving the soil.

“Our soils are currently on life support, so to be farming in a way that sustains a system on life support does not make sense to me. We have the knowledge, power, resources, and equipment to regenerate the soil so that it is no longer dependent on that life support.” Heerman has moved beyond the concept of sustainability to embrace regeneration, to heal the soils on his farm.
How does he do it? For Heermann, it’s all about growing diverse crops and keeping soils covered—two major tenets of regenerative agriculture.

When asked how he determined these two practices to be so crucially important to his farm’s soil health, he points to nature. Heermann strives to mimic what he calls “mother nature’s diversity” by planting multispecies cover crops that protect the soil between primary crop plantings of wheat, rye, oats, peas, millet, milo, vetch, flax, and chickpeas. Farming in this dry area that only receives 17 inches of annual rainfall, it’s vitally important to keep the soil covered at all times.

And, it’s not just about the surface of his fields. Living roots feed soil life, for reduced erosion and more bountiful crops. Heermann considers the different root shapes and depths, envisioning an underground world well-fed at all levels.

While each year is notably different from the next, Heermann’s yields have been steady. But, he points to better profit margins after adopting regenerative practices. Increased microbial activity in his healthy soils has allowed him to reduce his fertilizer use. A win for local ecosystems, consumer health, and his bottom line.

That’s one way to measure success. But, generally, regenerative agriculture—and its benefits—are difficult to quantify. Heermann says, “The best way to measure is with a shovel.” For him, the smell, shape, color, and appearance of his farm’s soil is the ultimate test. He also considers progress made over the years. His farmer’s intuition observes soil health in a way that’s not easy to translate onto paper or tidy metrics.

That’s the state of today’s regenerative agriculture. Farmers are transitioning around the world, adapting to site-specific challenges and adopting the practices that build the health of their soils. As the industry endeavors to find a way forward for a more standardized approach to regenerative, farmers like Heermann are leading the charge. To farmers interested in adopting regenerative methods, Heermann says, “Learn from your peers, find someone who’s been at it for at least five years. Surround yourself with support and separate yourself from those who are discouraging—meaningful change takes time.”

Written by Matt and Kara Rutter, founders of Project Victory Gardens, an agritherapy program in Aiken, South Carolina that brings together and supports veterans and a sustainable food system. They are also Climate Victory Gardeners, excited to share insight about how they identified and got started on their project.

Dig on for Victory

We have all seen the nostalgic posters promoting the World War II Victory Gardens. The posters are reminiscent of a time when every American was counted on to do their part. It was a time of great food insecurity due to a lack of labor, reallocation of transportation resources, and necessity to send food overseas. Americans responded in astounding fashion, with over 40 percent of the Nation’s produce supply raised in backyard gardens. Today we are once again on the brink of a food crisis and the need to mobilize. 

According to the 2017 USDA Farm Census, the average age of the American farmer is 57.5 years, with one third over age 65. Our aging transportation infrastructure is unable to keep pace with demand. Record breaking weather across the Nation leaves farms unplanted and farmers holding the seed bag. Demand for year-round availability of produce and exotic food choices have increased food miles to an unsustainable level. Agriculture is a major contributor to climate change, and it’s also immensely impacted by the effects of climate change. 

The Veteran Connection

At the same time, nearly 250,000 servicemembers transition out of the military each year. Almost half are under age 25 and lack a college degree, accounting for high unemployment rates. After almost two decades of sustained war, many veterans face PTSD, depression, and suicide. The US Departments of Agriculture and Veteran’s Affairs have identified that there may be a mutually beneficial solution to the issues that we see veterans face daily. 

Encouraging veterans to enter agribusiness is a perfect match. Veterans have already demonstrated the drive, work ethic, and commitment to service needed to succeed in agriculture. Providing them with a launchpad to begin a career in agriculture is what is needed. 

However, solving the farm labor problem is only half the benefit. The land is healing. Agritherapy and animal therapy have proven therapeutic for veterans suffering from PTSD and depression. Dirt contains microbes that trigger the release of serotonin in the body, improving mood, and decreasing anxiety. It’s a win-win solution.

Our Solution: Plant a Seed

As military veterans who retire next year after a combined 45 years of active service, we wanted to find a way to continue serving the Nation and our fellow military community. We knew that we wanted to find a way to utilize agritherapy to help veterans, servicemembers, and their families. But it had to be more than that. 

In the Army we were trained to be problem-solvers. We saw three problems: food insecurity, the challenges of two decades of sustained war, and an aging farmer population. So, what is the solution to this national food crisis? The same solution that worked during World Wars I and II: Victory Gardens!

We decided to use our farm to train and encourage both our military family and the community-at-large to plant gardens. In doing so, they receive the benefits of agritherapy and animal therapy, combined with the education to launch their own agribusiness, thus increasing food security. Like our friends at Green America and Climate Victory Gardens, we know that if everyone plants a garden, we can address the food crisis in America. Regenerative soil practices can heal soil damaged by overuse or chemical treatments, while reducing harmful effects to the environment. 

How We Got Started

In March, 2019 we started Project Victory Gardens on a picturesque 20-acre farm in Aiken, South Carolina and immediately the reaction and support were unbelievable, as was the work. While we had visions of petting chickens and planting seeds, launching an agribusiness requires you to don a lot of hats—caretaker, laborer, marketing director, financial manager, service provider—at times the list seems endless and daunting. And, yes, there’s paperwork.

Our first step was to form a Limited Liability Corporation. Once that was complete, we were in business! 

The idea of getting back to the land resonates with many of our peers in the Army, and we know that eventually Project Victory Gardens will pop-up across the United States. So, we applied for federal servicemark status for the use of “Project Victory Gardens”. Applying for a trademark is an extensive, complicated, and lengthy process. Applications are often not even reviewed for months after filing. If you want to trademark a product name or servicemark your goat-yoga slogan, do your research! We put together a business plan based on several we found online. 

Ultimately, we want to have heritage goats and pigs in our farm menagerie, but our current zoning restrictions limit the livestock we can keep, so we applied for rezoning from the county. This can be a long and often unsuccessful process. If you are planning on starting any business, please consult your local zoning regulations. 

These are just some of the many decisions we had to make. Many Agricultural Extension Offices offer assistance on these higher-level activities, beyond pickle recipes and soil testing. Of course, we are partial to our local Clemson Cooperative Extension, but there are other great programs depending on your location. 

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

We knew publicity was important too. We designed logos and marketing materials, bought the domain name, set up a website, and established a social media presence. Depending on your experience, much of this work may have to be outsourced. But don’t be afraid to just dive in and give it a try if you are on a shoestring budget. There are a lot of great website design sites out there or stick with the social media platforms until you get a little more established. 

Do not neglect your online presence! Make do with what you have. Friends helped us shoot and edit an amazing promotional video. Use your resources and don’t be afraid to ask for help! After less than four months in “business” and with no official sales, we have an active following on Facebook and a presence on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. This might ultimately translate into donor support, expanding our network for publicity, and helping veterans find our program.

Knock on doors! Do whatever it takes to get the word out about your passion. We are currently finalists for a large grant opportunity that we never dreamed was possible, simply because we applied. It may cost a few hours of your time, but it could be tremendously valuable!

Whether you are looking to start a full-scale agribusiness or plant a tomato on your apartment balcony, jump in! The time is now—our food system needs your help. Join the Movement, plant a Climate Victory Garden, and grow your own food now!

Read more inspiring Climate Victory Garden stories and tips.

Plantain, known as Plantago major, grows all over North America and around the world. It is commonly found in yards and gardens where pesticides aren’t used. Chances are, if you’re a Climate Victory Gardener, you’ve come across this plant. And, while we’re often tempted to pull weeds to make space for fruit and veggies to grow, biodiversity and keeping plants like the plantain protects the soil and offers medicinal and nutritional benefits.

There are many types of plantain, easily identifiable by their tendency to lay flat and grow in areas that are often mowed. Their most noticeable feature are the parallel veins that run vertically along the leaves, that is, from stem to tip. If you’ve ditched the chemicals in your garden or yard, you may already have an abundance of plantain. When collecting, avoid plants in areas within eight feet of a road, where pesticides are used, and in areas frequented by pets.

Plantain’s Medicinal Uses

Any time you’re using herbs medicinally, seek advice from a local herbalist or your doctor. Do your research and educate yourself on the specific issues you’re treating. Herbalist and author of Heal Local, Dawn Combs, notes that there are no known contraindications for plantain, but do not eat this plant if you have a known allergy.

In Humbart Santillo’s Natural Healing with Herbs, plantain is called the bandaid plant, because it helps stop bleeding, supports tissue regeneration, and is naturally antiseptic. Chew or crush the leaves and apply directly to the skin and use a bandaid to keep it in place. After it dries, rinse the area with cool water. This also helps bring splinters to the surface for removal and neutralizes bug bites and poison ivy—all things we may come across in our gardens. 

This medicinal plant can also be infused, essentially into a strong tea. Combs highlights plantain’s diuretic properties, meaning it moves excess fluid out of the system. In her book The Top 100 Herbal Remedies, Annie McIntyre points to the plant’s ability to act as a mild blood cleanser, reducing toxin-based health issues. The infusion can be used in eye compresses, spritzed on a sunburn, applied to itchy skin and rashes, and dabbed on acne and eczema. When consumed as an infusion, it may help with colds, sore throats, allergies, sinus, chest congestion, and some digestive issues. To make a plantain infusion, put three handfuls of fresh leaves into a one-quart canning jar with boiling water. Seep up to overnight, strain the plant material, and it’s ready to use. 

Plantain can also be taken in tincture form. This is the most potent form and can be used in treating bladder infections and other internal concerns. Combs’s book Heal Local has detailed guidance on this.

Plantain’s Nutritional Benefits

Plantain is edible. According to herbalists and authors Combs and McIntyre, it’s a good source of bioavailable zinc, calcium, and beta-carotene. The plant can be eaten raw or cooked and used dried or fresh. 

In the spring, when the leaves are more tender, they can be used in salads and shredded as a healthy garnish for any dish. When added to smoothies, they provide chlorophyll, which nutritionist Paul Pitchford points to for increased purification, renewal, and anti-inflammatory support. 

Later in the year, you may prefer to cook the tougher leaves. They can be added to stir fries or wilted as a side dish. Remember to harvest and dry leaves throughout the summer for winter use, when they can be crumbled into bone broth or soups.

Many common “weeds” have medicinal qualities & are edible. Skip harmful pesticides, like Roundup, because they’ve been linked to many environmental and human health issues. By embracing these plants, we protect our local groundwater and biodiversity; we reduce the amount of labor needed to maintain our yards; we protect the soil by keeping roots in the ground to support soil communities; and we diversify our diet. 

Please share images of your plantain plants, remedies, and favorite recipes on the Climate Victory Gardening facebook page. Laurel Hobden (Laurel@LoveDandelions.com), the author of this article, is an active member of the group and often posts about the benefits of weeds and other important Climate Victory Gardening practices. She also suggests this additional resource for a deeper dive into herbalism, eating weeds, and using them medicinally: Healing Wise, by Susun Weed.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, environmental and consumer organizations are delivering more than 149,000 public comments to the Environmental Protection Agency advocating for a ban on glyphosate, aka Monsanto’s RoundUp, which is linked to cancer. The EPA is collecting public comments until July 5^th for glyphosate’s proposed interim registration review, which could allow glyphosate to be used in the U.S. for another 15 years.

“The science is clear about glyphosate. This dangerous herbicide causes serious health risks, including cancer, and threatens our environment,” said Jason Davidson with Friends of the Earth. “EPA must do its job and ban this toxic pesticide instead of prioritizing corporate profits.”
 

Monsanto (now owned by Bayer (BAYRY), made $4.8 billion in revenue from glyphosate sales in 2015. The EPA claims that glyphosate does not cause cancer, ignoring the United Nations and California’s Office of Health Hazard Assessment, both of which have classified the herbicide as linked to cancer. However, EPA’s Office of Research and Development determined that the Office of Pesticide Programs did not follow proper protocol in its evaluation of glyphosate. EPA included Monsanto-funded studies in its evaluation of the chemical and  has a history of collusion with industry.

“EPA is getting the science wrong on glyphosate, and needs to listen to international agencies and peer-reviewed literature on the dangers posed by widespread use of this herbicide,” said Drew Toher, community resource and policy director at Beyond Pesticides. “While continuing to pressure EPA, we encourage advocates to get active in their community, and work with their local elected officials towards organic policies that stop glyphosate and other toxic pesticides like it.”

"No company's profits are more important than children's health and the health of our fragile ecosystems. The EPA must uphold its mission and ban glyphosate," said Brandy Doyle with CREDO Action.

“It's time for the EPA to acknowledge that glyphosate, which is never used alone, if reapproved, will continue in the form of glyphosate herbicides, to contaminate our tap water, breast milk, baby food, formulas, cereals, thousands of food types, and cotton products,” said Zen Honeycutt, executive director, Moms Across America. “It will continue to destroy soil quality, which contributes to climate change, the decline of marine and wildlife and the environment. In short, the only way the EPA can do its job, is to revoke it's license.”

“Getting cancers like non-Hodgkin lymphoma shouldn’t be a condition of employment in agriculture or landscaping—or a risk of using a weedkiller at home,” said Alexis Baden-Mayer, political director of the Organic Consumers Association. “It’s time for the EPA to stand up to Monsanto-Bayer and protect farmers, farm workers, lawn care workers and consumers. If Trump’s EPA chooses to ignore the science, Congress should step in.”

“It is not enough for companies to offer some products that are organic to consumers who are willing to pay for them.  We need the EPA to protect all consumers from toxins in foods. And we need to protect our pollinators, farm workers, and the environment, so we can ensure that future generations have safe and healthy foods,” said Todd Larsen, executive co-director, Green America.

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Friends of the Earth fights to protect our environment and create a healthy and just world. We speak truth to power and expose those who endanger people and the planet. Our campaigns work to hold politicians and corporations accountable, transform our economic systems, protect our forests and oceans, and revolutionize our food & agriculture systems.

Join these gardeners. Be part of the climate solution.

Climate Victory Gardeners across the country are growing food, not only for their health but the health of our planet. 

Every garden looks different and uses unique combinations of carbon-capturing practices—we encourage and embrace this diversity. From balcony gardens to backyard plots to large community gardens, these gardeners are contributing to the climate solution using the very soil beneath their feet.

With over 100 million gardeners in the United States today and increasingly more young gardeners, there is so much potential for Climate Victory Gardens to become a movement with major implications for food production, the climate crisis, and future generations. 

WASHINGTON, D.C.—June 25, 2019—Only three retailers – Best Buy, Apple and Ben & Jerry’s – get top marks in how they deal with electronic and paper receipts, according to a Green America report providing an overview of the practices of 36 top US companies. On the other end of the spectrum, 17 companies earned a “D” rating, including Walgreens and Chipotle, for only offering paper receipts coated with bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol S (BPS).

The new edition of the Green America “Skip the Slip” report also shows that thermal paper usage and costs are increasing every year, and it discusses policy actions aimed to address unnecessary receipt waste.

The new “Skip the Slip” findings include:

• The majority of businesses (28) earned a “C” or “D” rating. A “C” grade designates that they offer an “opt-in” digital receipt program and use BPA or BPS thermal paper.  This less-than-ideal approach is used by CVS, Target and Lowe’s. A “D” grade designates that they fail to offer a digital only option and use BPS or BPS digital paper. Companies exploring alternatives are noted in the report, but the grading reflects current in-store practices.
   
• Consumption of thermal paper for receipts is increasing worldwide, including in the US, according to recent market analysis conducted by Grand View Research. In 2018, US consumption was 256,300 metric tons of paper and this is projected to increase at least through 2025.
   
• There are escalating costs for businesses automatically printing receipts that often are tossed in the trash. In 2018, market revenue for paper receipts in the US was over $386 million. Due to a severe shortage of leuco dye needed for thermal paper, costs will steadily increase each year. It’s projected that market revenue for paper receipts will surpass $566 million by 2025.
   
• US receipt use consumes over three million trees and nine billion gallons of water each year, according to Green America estimates using Grand View Research’s analysis and the Environmental Paper Network’s Paper Calculator. Receipt production generates over four billion pounds of greenhouse gases (the equivalent of 450,000 cars on the road) and 302 million pounds of solid waste.

The new report includes an update on legislation addressing receipts. This includes the status of recent efforts in California to reduce unwanted paper receipts and ensure customers have a choice for the receipt mode they prefer. Named after Green America’s campaign, the “Skip the Slip” bill, or AB 161, was introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting and was approved by the California Assembly.

“Customers should have a choice when it comes to receipts,” said Beth Porter, Green America’s Climate Campaigns director. “More and more people want no receipt or an electronic receipt, and when companies make these options available to customers it’s good for the environment, human health, and a business’ bottom line.”

Since 2017, Green America has campaigned to raise awareness on the unnecessary environmental impacts of paper receipts and the toxins coating paper receipts, most commonly BPA and BPS.

“Given the increasing cost of receipt paper and the shift of customer preferences, it makes environmental and economic sense for businesses to offer a digital option while providing phenol-free paper on request,” said Todd Larsen, Green America’s executive co-director. “There are digital alternatives that are being used by businesses from independent cafes and food trucks to nationwide retailers.”
 

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

Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

The United States uses over a billion pounds of pesticides each year, many that contain chemicals banned in other countries. These toxic chemicals have major impacts on both people and the planet. US regulation has fallen behind other major agricultural producers to side with the agrochemical industry at the risk of our health.

Brazil, China, the European Union, and the United States are the world’s four largest agricultural producers, growing over half of the world’s food; they’re also the biggest pesticide users. Of these four, US regulation is lagging the most, still allowing 85 pesticides that are banned in at least one of these other nations. 

Impact on People and Planet

Regulation isn’t improving. Over the past ten years, the US has even increased the use of some of these pesticides banned in other countries. We’ve seen an increase in impacts on human and environmental health as well. 

Many pesticides are linked to acute poisonings. These chemicals are used to prevent certain pests—weeds, insects, fungi, and bacteria—but they also affect humans and non-target species like bees. Some of these pesticides contain known neurotoxins with over 2,000 reported health incidents annually—and many cases go unreported due to farm workers’ worries of retaliation and language barriers. Antibiotics are also used in agriculture as pesticides, contributing to antibiotic resistance that impacts over two million people annually, with 23,000 cases of death each year.  

Maybe you’ve seen the news around the controversial pesticide RoundUp? There are currently over ten thousand cases against this Bayer/Monsanto product, which contains glyphosate. The World Health Organization has deemed glyphosate a probable human carcinogen. It’s also listed under California’s proposition 65 as a chemical known to cause cancer. It’s the most commonly used pesticide in the US and the world. And, while the lawsuits largely involve those using the chemical in agriculture and landscaping, residues are also found on foods and at alarming rates in honey. Yet US regulating agencies refuse to step in.

Farms and their surrounding ecosystems are negatively impacted by pesticide drift and runoff. Deep in the soils, pesticides kill the life needed to grow healthy foods, leading to soil degradation that has some scientists saying we have less than 60 years of farming left. High in the air, pesticide use and production contribute to climate change and kill pollinators. Streams become polluted, and diversity is lost. These chemicals leave a lasting impression on all aspects of the natural environment. 

The State of US Regulation 

Pesticides in the US are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is closely linked with the very industry it’s meant to oversee. On top of that, regulation can vary widely depending on the current administration. When regulating the chemicals in agricultural pesticides, the agency determines risk using a cost-benefit analyses, attempting to put prices on human and environmental health in order to measure the risks worth taking, an analysis fraught with issues and influence. 

In the US, bans on these chemicals are extremely rare. Instead, the EPA relies heavily on industry-initiated, voluntary cancellation of pesticides, making this a business decision that keeps the most profitable chemicals on the shelf, regardless of their toxicity. Voluntary cancellation does not happen often either, but when it does, companies are given eight years to phase chemicals out, leaving many more opportunities for harm.

The US still has access to some of the most harmful pesticides because they didn’t sign the Rotterdam Convention, which allows countries to block trade of these toxic chemicals and effectively ban them from their country. The US is only one of six countries in the world who did not sign this treaty, essentially keeping our markets and fields open to harmful pesticides. Some states—including California, New York, and Washington—have adopted their own protective regulations that are more stringent than those at the federal level. 

And, while the EPA is mandated to regulate the amount of pesticides found on food once it gets to consumers, residues almost always remain. For example, research from the EPA shows that kale—once the posterchild for healthy eating—can have up to 30 pesticides found on it in the US market.

Putting People and Planet First

Ten percent of the US’s pesticide use contains chemicals banned or unapproved in all three of the other top agricultural producers. That’s a sign that our regulatory agency isn’t putting people and planet first. It doesn’t have to be like that.

The EPA, agrochemical companies, and some producers will claim that these chemicals are necessary to feed a growing world. But, the European Union can be looked to as an example that toxic pesticides aren’t necessary to be a successful agricultural producer. Despite their limited arable land and some of the world’s tightest pesticide regulations, their agricultural exports are worth more than China, Brazil, and the US combined. More people- and planet-centric agriculture is not only possible but profitable. 

This can be done in the US as well, and some Soil SuperHeroes are already using regenerative agricultural practices that reduce the need for chemical pest management. But, the reality is that US is currently a laggard in this field, allowing widespread hazardous use of chemicals that other agricultural nations have deemed unsafe. 

Protect yourself by eating foods grown organically and regeneratively.

Take Action

1. Tell the EPA to ban glyphosate

2. Eliminate pesticides in your own gardens. 

Green businesses adopt principles, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, employees, communities, and planet. But just because a business claims they are “green” doesn’t mean they uphold the standards of social responsibility and sustainability. So how can you determine what is in fact a sustainable business, or how can your business achieve that high standard?

That’s where third-party certifications come in. A third-party certification serves to verify a business’s claims against their independently developed criterion. Such certifications reduce conflicts of interest and provide accountability to a business’s claims.

Green America's Green Business Certification is the leading trust mark for true green business practices. Our program recognizes businesses that excel in social and environmental responsibility, and the businesses found in our Green Pages directory have met or exceeded our certification standards to become leaders in the green economy.

The Green Business Network at Green America recommends businesses consider both environmental and social justice issues when making decisions. To earn our certification, businesses must meet both standards of social and environmental responsibility. If you are interested in becoming a green business, we’ve highlighted a few important steps—and if you’ve reached these steps, check out the full requirements of our Food certification. You may be ready to apply.

Environmental Responsibility

"Green" or sustainable business make planet health a core part of their mission. The following steps are ways your food business can account for environmental responsibility in its operations.

Go Organic, Non-GMO, and/or Fairtrade.

At least 50 percent of your ingredients are from one of these categories: USDA Organic; grown within 100 miles of production/processing/packaging site; fair trade certified, or Non-GMO Project Verified. Your ingredients cannot include GMOs, including animal feedstocks. You must be working towards the reduction of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on farms where ingredients are produced. You can find the USDA Organic guidelines here and the Non-GMO Project verification here.

Partner with food co-ops, farms, and farm shares near you.

This often helps businesses achieve step 1, because smaller, local farms tend to focus on holistic agriculture. We prefer businesses that participate in a sustainable agriculture initiative, organization, network, or coalition—depending on your partners, you may meet this criterion. You can also find food hubs at the USDA Food Hub Directory. Food hubs are the connection between local producers and consumers, so plugging in with them can build the relationships between your business and the local food scene. Ask these farms if they are certified organic by the USDA and/or the Non-GMO Project or, if sourcing internationally, ensure your partner is Fairtrade or will be going through a Fairtrade certification and if they refrain from pesticides and GMOs.

Ensure the Safe and Humane Treatment of Animals.

If you have animals in your supply chain, they must be free of growth hormones and the use of combined Animal Feeding Lots. By choosing USDA Organic, cage-free, free-range, and antibiotic-free, you are ensuring the health and safety of the animals. Similarly, if you produce and/or sell honey, extraction must minimize bee mortality.

Reduce Packaging Waste.

Restoring and protecting the environment includes responsibly handling your packaging waste. We recommend either reusable or made from recycled materials, such as recyclable cardboard, recycled plastic, or aluminum. Businesses that recycle, compost, or reuse all residues and waste materials from harvest and processing are leaders in sustainability.

Social Responsibility

Triple bottom line businesses are not only planet-kind, but they are also kind to people—hence, social responsibility. The following points are a handful of ways your business can be an ethical one. 

Uphold Transparency.

While we value integrity at all points in the supply chain, transparency in your ingredients promotes trust between you and your consumers. An accurate and complete list of ingredients, as well as information related to diet and personal health concerns on each product, uphold that transparency. This goes for products off and online.

Respect Workers.

If coffee, tea, chocolate, or olive oil are among your products or a primary ingredient, they must be either fair trade certified or include an explanation of how Fairtrade principles are upheld in production. The proves that overseas workers are respected and paid fairly. We condemn child labor in planting, harvest, and processing. For food that is not fair trade certified or produced locally, it must comply with the Fair Labor Association’s Code of Conduct.

Bonus: Serving the Community

Going the extra mile to invest back into the community is always applauded, such as providing a service for underserved communities and public health education. We are always interested to see the different ways businesses give back!

Why Certify?

In a sea of businesses claiming to be “conscious" or "natural," it’s hard for the average consumer to weed out the green from the greenwashed. Third-party certifications prove that your business has withstood the vetting of an outside body and come out as a truly socially and environmentally responsible business.

While these requirements are comprehensive, they are not definite. We love seeing businesses exceed these standards and take steps beyond certification to be even greener. In addition, our certification analyzes business practices and not individual products. We believe a sustainable future is also an ethical one and ensure the businesses that earn our certification reflect that.

If you have met these criteria, you can view the full requirements for Food businesses at our Food certification standard and begin the process of becoming a member and official sustainable business.

On June 4, 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Scripps Institute for Oceanography released their latest findings on atmospheric carbon dioxide. While past reports have been increasingly sobering and distressing, as a global community we can no longer ignore the alarm bell:

Average atmospheric carbon dioxide reached as high as 414 parts per million in May.

This constitutes the greatest level of atmospheric CO2 in the 61 years that it has been tracked at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, and, it marks the seventh consecutive year of major increases in CO2 globally. The safe upper level of carbon dioxide is 350 parts per million. According to NOAA senior scientist Pieter Tans, there is conclusive evidence that human-generated emissions are responsible for the increase.

Given this ever-worsening trend, one would logically expect that are our major financial institutions would be pivoting rapidly from fossil fuel investments and toward investment in the development and installation of renewable energy. This is clearly the only response with the hope of safeguarding people and the planet.

To the peril of human and environmental health, however, banks globally are not only continuing to fund existing fossil fuel industries, but many are even financing the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure into new areas. And the worst bank in the world for climate? JPMorgan Chase.

In the three years since the Paris Agreement on Climate, JPMorgan Chase has become the world’s largest bank funder of:

• fossil fuels to the tune of $196 billion; outpacing the next highest bank funder (Wells Fargo) by 29%;
   
• the expansion of fossil fuels with $67 billion for Arctic drilling, ultra-deep water oil and gas extraction, tar sands oil extraction, coal mining, and support for liquefied natural gas import and export facilities.

We are seeing massive and unconscionable increases in fossil fuel investment, driving the climate to ever greater chaos. US banks are at the forefront of this funding, especially JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi, and Bank of America.

While these US mega-banks are leading the way to climate catastrophe, banks globally have followed the same direction, bringing fossil fuel financing to $1.9 trillion since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2018.

What can we do to help stop Big Bank financing of fossil fuels? There are several actions to take:

1. Read Banking on Climate Change, endorsed by more than 150 organizations including Green America, so you have the latest facts from the Fossil Fuel Finance Report Card: educate yourself and your community!

2. Don’t bank with a mega-banks that funds fossil fuels. Get a better bank or credit union that supports communities and the environment. When you switch banks, be sure to tell the bank why you switched. Here is a sample letter.

3. Take our JPMorgan Chase action today! Tell CEO Jamie Dimon to halt investment in fossil fuel expansion, phase out funding for existing fossil fuels in accordance with the Paris Agreement, respect human rights that are regularly abused by fossil fuel extraction, and support renewable energy development and installation.

4. Organize educational events or local leafletting actions at JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi and Bank of America saying No Thanks, Fossil Banks, using our free downloadable flyers:

                * JPMorgan Chase

                * Wells Fargo

                * Citi

                * Bank of America

We haven’t a moment to lose – and together we can make a real difference for the climate for the sake of people and the planet and future generations.

bioDOGradable Bags is a US brand of USDA certified bio-based, 1non-PLA/non-PE compostable bags which has been leading the way in innovative sustainable material technology in efforts to aid in the movement on reducing plastic bag pollution. With products made in the USA by its parent company; beyond GREEN, LLC., bioDOGradable has been able to provide consumers with quality-controlled pet waste bags and dispensers along with its cutting edge composters to aid in environmental and social goals and needs. bioDOGradable’s mission is to prevent plastic pollution by providing products which are an alternative to plastics while reducing the current global plastic pollution by working with non-profits to help fund plastic pollution clean-up movements.

The bioDOGradable Difference: Made with renewable material and packaged in recycled material, bioDOGradable’s patented vegetable blend promotes minimized pollution and supports sustainable development goals. This allows bioDOGradable’s organic material to naturally breakdown in the environment and serve as food to be consumed by micro-organisms, supporting a circular lifecycle which works in harmony with the environment. In a market flooded with “green-washed” plastics, bioDOGradable is the trusted alternative backed by certifications from various organizations supporting their claims. bioDOGradable is more than just a product, it is a movement focused on educating consumers on the effects that plastics have on the environment, in hopes of a future without eco-destructive products.

Being environmentally conscious is not all about plastic bags; it’s about making everyday choices that will — quite literally — determine our success or failure as a species. We can be more conscious about reducing pollution, protecting wildlife, conserving natural resources and take other actions that can help slow the rate of climate change.

Everyone can make a difference, particularly when smart environmental choices become a habit and perhaps even begins influencing others into taking similar actions. Doing the right thing for the future of life on Earth can even have immediate personal benefits. It can tap into your creativity, can get you more engaged with your community and the world, and may contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

We need to reduce the amount of trash we create, and to reuse or repurpose consumer goods rather than throwing them away. United States is among the countries in the world that produce the most waste.

Alternatives to plastic: 19 genius inventions

It is not possible to offer an exhaustive list of things you can do to help protect the environment or rank them based on impact, but here is a short list of relatively easy things you can do to shrink your carbon footprint, lead to more green actions, and initiate change on a larger scale, so there are no more climate change effects that can’t be stopped.

To compile a list of ways people can reduce their environmental impact, 24/7 Tempo reviewed numerous scientific studies on sources of greenhouse gases and consulted dozens of non-profit organizations working to raise awareness about ethical consumerism such as Green America and government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

1. Recycle

Recycling conserves natural resources, reduces pollution and saves energy. Recycling involves sorting and cleaning up trash to produce "secondary materials" — mainly glass, paper, metal and plastic — for reuse in products. Recycled aluminum, for example, is a particularly valuable resource; manufacturing using recycled aluminum is 92% more efficient than when unused raw materials are used, according to the Aluminum Association. About 40% of the country's aluminum supply comes from recycling, but we are still throwing away nearly $1 billion worth of aluminum cans that could have been recycled every year.

2. Turn down the bag

Plastic bags pose ecological problems. They take hundreds of years to decompose and pose a particular threat to wildlife. Hundreds of thousands of marine mammals die every year after mistaking plastic bags, which are laced with chemicals, for food. Many animals get entangled in plastic bags and suffocate.

A sound approach to retail bags is to decline them when your purchase is otherwise carriable or bring your own bags. Use and reuse all those bags — paper, plastic, cloth — that have been accumulating in the closet over the years — whether or not they are designed to be "reusable." If they become too grubby to carry your new purchases, use them to line waste cans or for picking up litter. And, ultimately, dispose of them properly — recycle them if you can.

3. Buy only what you will use

Americans are huge consumers of cars, food, furnishings, household products, recreational equipment, and electronics — and we buy much more than we need with many of our consumer purchases getting very little use. Excessive personal consumption of goods means higher direct and indirect costs to the environment, including the energy used and pollution emitted in the extraction of natural resources, and in the manufacturing, transportation, and disposal of goods.

These costs can be substantially reduced by avoiding impulse buying and making a realistic assessment of need before making a purchase. When you do have to buy goods, find durable alternatives with the smallest amount of packaging and the lowest possible carbon footprint and keep them in good repair.

4. Buy second hand

Use eBay, Craigslist or other means to buy used items, particularly durable goods that are needed for a limited time, like nursery furniture. Second-hand goods can be nearly as attractive and often just as functional as brand new purchases, and giving a household item a second life cuts its carbon footprint in half. A third or fourth life is even better.

5. Don't invest in idle equipment

You are wasting money and natural resources used to produce them when you buy items you won't regularly need. When the equipment, tools, or party supplies that you need once in a great while are not available through friends, rent them from a specialty rental business or a home improvement store. For those items you already have in the tool shed that you don't regularly depend on, let friends and family know you are happy to share. Use block parties and everyday interactions to initiate a sharing culture in your neighborhood.

6. Donate used goods

Donation is a particularly positive alternative to throwing away used consumer goods in the trash. Give your used clothing, appliances, and furniture to GoodWill, the Salvation Army, or a local church; computers to schools or needy families; and building materials and tools to Habitat for Humanity. Of course, these are just a few suggested organizations and any organization will do. In addition to the environmental benefits of giving these items a second life, you are helping others and may be eligible for a tax deduction.

7. Buy products with less packaging

The waste landfills are bulked up with consumer product packaging. Containers and packaging made up the largest portion of municipal waste at almost 78 million tons, or nearly 30%, according to the EPA. Slightly more than a third gets recycled, but huge amounts end up in landfills. Packaging also adds significantly to both the cost and carbon footprint of consumer products.

When it's not possible to avoid packaging, reuse containers, polystyrene (styrofoam) fillers, and bubble wrap, or see if your local shipping service can use them. The third best alternative, after reducing and reusing, is recycling.

8. Avoid disposable products

Paper and plastic plates and utensils, disposable diapers, paper towels and napkins, cheap plasticware, and other non-durable consumer goods (goods designed to last for a short period of time) make up about 20% of America's waste stream, which amounted to 50 million tons in 2015, according to the EPA.

A great concern are the greenhouse gas emissions that result from these items manufacture and disposal. Store away a quantity of durable, bargain-priced dishes, flatware, and glassware for parties and picnics. Use cloth napkins, cloth diapers, cloth rags, rechargeable batteries, durable razors, and refillable coffee thermoses for take-out coffee.

9. Kick the bottled water habit

Americans consumed 13.7 billion gallons of bottled water in 2017, beating carbonated drinks for a second year in a row. Though America's tap drinking water supplies are generally clean and have to meet EPA standards for potability, it's the convenience of bottled water that makes it so popular. And consumption continues to grow as consumers move away from sugary drinks in pursuit of better health and still use bottled water to the detriment of environmental health.

According to researchers from the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California, energy required to produce, transport, and chill bottled water requires up to 2,000 times the energy required to produce tap water. In addition, plastic bottles can take 450 years or more to decompose. So, yes, drink plenty of water for good health, but use a reusable water bottle or simply a glass as you pour water from your tap.

10. Upcycle

Repurpose items that still have life in them. The internet is full of crafty ideas for reusing waste materials, from high concept artistic statements — like a chandelier from bicycle parts, an aquarium from an upright piano, or a pool table from classic car — to simple DIY projects like turning plastic bottles into planters, wine bottle corks into bath mats, and various containers into toy organizers. These kinds of reuses do not remove a large percentage of material from the waste stream, but, to the extent the reimagined objects take the place of new purchases, they save the energy and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions required for their manufacture.

11. Give new life to old electronics

The world's output of discarded electronic devices — known as e-waste — reached nearly 45 million metric tons in 2016, according to a report by United Nations Environment Program. Electronics require a lot of water, energy, and valuable resources in their manufacture, so their reuse and recycling are particularly critical to environmentally-sound waste management.

If your TV, computer, cell phone or other consumer product containing electronics still works, give it to someone who can use it. There are nonprofits that specialize in the charitable redistribution of computers and companies that refurbish electronics for resale. If your electronic device is no longer serviceable, there are many recyclers who are interested in the valuable metals it contains.

12. Upgrade to a green computer

When you are ready to buy a new computer, buy one with an Energy Star label to save 35%-65% in energy use, and consider a laptop, which uses much less energy than a desktop computer. Donate your old computer rather than recycling it. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, reusing just one computer with a CRT monitor, as opposed to buying a new one, keeps 1,333 pound of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

13. Invest in a clothesline

Your clothes dryer is one of the largest energy users in the home, and, for the average family emits over a ton of carbon a year. Air-drying can reduce the average household's carbon footprint by 2,400 pounds a year, according to Green America, a non-profit organization. Many retail outlets sell racks and well-designed accessories for indoor drying. When you do use your dryer, use the setting that provides an automatic shut-off when your clothes are no longer damp. Use just enough energy to get the laundry dry. Be aware that you will lose energy if you add wet clothes to a load that is already partially dry.

14. Switch out your light bulbs

LED lights use 75% less energy to deliver the same amount of light as incandescents, and LED bulbs last 25 times longer. LED holiday string lights are not only more energy efficient and much cheaper over time, they also emit less heat (and therefore safer) and more durable. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, by 2027, the widespread use of LED lighting could save $30 billion in energy costs and reduce the use of electricity by the equivalent of 44 1,000-megawatt power plants.

15. Shut off lights

The cost of keeping a single light bulb on doesn't amount to much on an hourly basis: using a 60-watt bulb for one hour requires 0.06 kilowatt hours of electricity, costing about 1.2 cents if your electric rate is 20 cents per kilowatt hour. But the costs add up. Based on consumption data from 2015, lighting accounts for 12% of the average household electric bill. By shutting off unnecessary lights, such as in empty rooms, you will not only save money but also lower your carbon footprint.

16. Unplug electronics

Even when not in use, many electronic devices, including televisions, microwaves, scanners, and printers, use standby power to save warm-up time. In the United States, the total electricity consumed by idle electronics — sometimes referred to as vampire or phantom electricity — equals the annual output of 12 power plants, according to the Office of Sustainability at Harvard University. Use power strips for these devices to simplify plugging and unplugging.

17. Turn off your computer

It is true that your computer uses a surge of electricity when it starts up, but it's a small surge. The Department of Energy suggests that you turn off your monitor if you aren't going to use your PC for more than 20 minutes, and turn off your CPU and monitor if you're not going to use your PC for more than 2 hours.

18. Rein in heating and cooling

Combined, heating and cooling accounts for nearly half of household energy consumption. You can reduce energy consumption and save money by using a programmable thermostat. For every degree you reduce the temperature in the winter or raise it in the summer you are saving up to 1% in energy costs for each 8-hour period, according to the Department of Energy. Lowering your heating setting or raising your air conditioning settings by 10 degrees for eight hours a day could save you 10% on your energy bill — and reduce your carbon footprint.

There is added efficiency in doing this, in that lower interior temperatures in winter will slow the flow of heat to the outdoors, and higher interior temperatures in summer will slow the flow of heat into the house.

19. Eat healthier

You will reduce your carbon footprint if you limit the amount of meat and dairy you consume. Animal-derived food production has a much higher greenhouse gas output than grain and vegetable production because of the highly inefficient transfer of plant energy to animal energy. Depending on how it's measured, animal-based agriculture is responsible for about 15% of all worldwide GHG emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

By Xfinity

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You don't need to become a vegetarian or a vegan to reduce your foodprint. By eating chicken instead of beef for one year, you will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 882 pounds, and by having just one vegetarian meal a week you could save the GHG equivalent of driving 1,160 miles, according to the Center of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan.

20. Choose local and organic

Growing organic food is labor intensive but requires 30%-50% less energy to produce.

Eating locally-grown food also saves energy because of the lower transportation costs. Eating all locally-grown food for one year could save the GHG equivalent of driving 1,000 miles, according to the Center of Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan.

21. Stop throwing out food

According to a 2012 study by The Natural Resource Defense Council, American families throw out approximately 25% of the food and beverages they buy, costing the average family of four between $1,365 and $2,275 every year — even more in today's dollars. There are also energy, production costs, and resources involved in the production and transport of this thrown food. You can save these by matching your food purchases to your actual consumption through menu planning and grocery lists.

22. Compost

Nearly 30% of the waste stream consists of food and yard waste, according to the EPA. Over 50 million tons go to a landfill or incinerator. Composting not only saves disposal costs — and reduces the methane emitted from landfills — but it also creates a valuable soil amendment, reducing the need for manufactured fertilizers. You don't need to have a lot of land or technology to compost your household food and yard waste, so long as you follow a simple formula and keep meat, bones and dairy products out of the mix.

23. Save water

Using less water saves energy and infrastructure costs. Saving water also means less water is lost to contamination, and it helps assure an adequate supply of clean water for the future. In your own household you can conserve outdoor water use by mulching your gardens, keeping your grass a little longer, and washing your car on the lawn. Indoors, simply keep the water off when you are not actively using it, like when washing dishes, brushing your teeth, or generally cleaning up. Try this in the shower by turning the water on to the lather up, off while scrubbing up, and on again for the rinse. Shorter showers are good too.

24. Buy a cleaner car

Vehicles produce about one-third of all U.S. air pollution, and the contaminants emitted are more of a health threat than those from smoke stacks because they are at ground level, where we live, work, and play. Cars and trucks also account for 23% of total U.S. GHG emissions, with the average passenger vehicle producing about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to the EPA.

Buying a fuel-efficient car reduces air pollution and your carbon footprint, and can also save you money. The difference between a car that gets 20 miles per gallon (mpg) and one that gets 30 mpg amounts to about $708 in fuel costs per year, or $3,538 over five years. The U.S. Department of Energy has an online calculator that allows you to assess the efficiency of your car and compare it to others, including hybrids and all electric cars.

25. Drive efficiently

Fast accelerations and high speeds use up fuel, and abrupt stops waste energy. By driving gently you can lower your gas mileage by up to 33% on the highway and 5% in the city, according to the Department of Energy. The optimal highway speed for gas mileage is 50 mph; after that, your gas mileage drops quickly. Don't idle your car, especially while running the air conditioner. In the winter, give your car only 30 seconds to warm up — it will warm up quickly when you start driving. Regular maintenance will help your car run at top efficiency — fixing serious maintenance problems can improve mileage by up to 40%.

26. Leave your car home

While great strides have been made to reduce tailpipe emissions — 99% since the 1960s — we are driving more than ever. There are more cars on the road than there are licensed drivers, and each vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Whenever you avoid getting into your car, you are doing the environment a favor. Walk or bike when you can, and use public transportation where you can't. Find companionable people who make the same routine trips you do and form a carpool. Rather than taking short trips to do your errands, combine your trips, thereby reducing mileage and avoiding a number of cold starts.

27. Consider alternatives to air travel

Air travel represents a growing percentage of the world's greenhouse gases. If you take a round-trip flight between New York and San Francisco, or to Europe, your travel represents the environmental release of up to 2 or 3 tons of carbon dioxide per person, compared to the 19 tons generated by the average American per year. (The average European generates 10.) In business, you can reduce your company's flights by sending fewer people to events, using video conferencing, and communicating using a variety of online tools.

For pleasure travel, consider alternating "staycations" with travel vacations. Generally speaking, the energy intensity per passenger mile of air travel is comparable to driving an SUV or to taking a train. Driving with passengers (a family road trip) or in a hybrid car will make your travel much more efficient than any other transportation option.

28. Green your school

Work with your local school administrators and PTAs to shrink the carbon footprint of your child's school through architectural design, waste management, cafeteria choices, and energy conservation. Involve students in green programs, such as student-maintained gardens, cafeteria composting, and initiatives to reduce energy use and waste. Environmental projects are fun, and will raise awareness in parents, school personnel and children alike.

29. Involve the workforce

Join or start a workplace environmental committee to work with your company in making environmental impacts a consideration in everyday operations, by, for example, facilitating telecommuting and carpooling, reducing paper use, and providing drinking glasses instead of bottled water at meetings and events. Make sure someone has the responsibility of turning off electronics, lights, and heat in the evening and encourage the proliferation of green plants to improve air quality.

30. Volunteer

Many environmental groups, land conservancies and other environmental stewardship organizations have volunteer programs. Whether it is picking up litter, fund-raising, clearing trails, stuffing envelopes, or educating others, by volunteering you will meet new people, stay on top of current environmental issues, and make a difference in protecting our one world.

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