“Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.” – Declaration of Nyéléni, 2007 Forum for Food Sovereignty…
Category: ReNEWable Ideas
28 Posts
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The Impact of Space Exploration on Climate Change
The first piece of human trash was recently found on Mars, marking a monumental moment where our human impact has preceded our actual physical presence on the planet. While I admire the endless possibilities and wonder that comes with space travel and exploration, my environmentalist mindset is always thinking about the environmental impacts before anything else. That is why I wanted to explore the impacts of space travel and how…
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Plastic-Free Swaps That Are Free
It’s Plastic-Free July, and my social media feeds are full of countless ads for sustainable products that you can buy to be more eco-friendly. In my opinion, this creates a barrier for those who can’t afford to invest in a bunch of new, oftentimes higher, costs. There are many ways to live sustainably that don’t require spending any money, just adopting new habits. If you need extra motivation to cut…
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Tools for Coping with Eco-Anxiety
“The thing about climate change is that you can either be overwhelmed by the complexity of the problem or fall in love with the creativity of the solutions” – Mary Heglar. Eco-anxiety is the anxious feeling that we get when we look at the future threat of climate change. Eco-grief is the mourning or sadness that we feel at the loss of environmental landscape. Eco-paralysis is the sense of being…
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What Does Sustainable Development Look Like?
Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their needs”. Sustainable urban development is not a new topic of discussion. it actually was on the agenda of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. The four objectives of sustainable development are stable economic growth, conservation of natural resources, social progress and…
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Using Your Vote for Climate Action
We must vote like the environment depends on it, because it does! Electing local officials who have values that align with your community allows centralized, effective change take place. We do have power and a voice as citizens, and it is clear that it is our responsibility to inform and educate ourselves! Voting for representatives who have environmental justice at the forefront of their platform ensures that we can stay…
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Ambitious Climate Legislation in the U.S.
Climate bills have historically passed in the United States thanks to the tireless work of advocacy groups and activists. Generations of people have been fighting for these changes non-stop, and it boggles my mind how little progress we seem to have made in 2022. However, there have been some ambitious climate legislation passed in the U.S. over the past few years. This article features seven recent bills that have passed…
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15 Podcasts That Deal With Climate Anxiety
I don’t know about everyone else, but I have gotten hooked on podcasts over the past couple of years. They are an unbelievably convenient way to absorb information, and I listen to them while I’m driving to work, going for a walk, or doing chores. I have been feeling extremely burnt out this past month, and a large part of it was due to this extreme climate anxiety I was…
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15 Climate Wins in 2022
This month, I wanted to share resources filled with a bit of climate optimism because life is hard and we all need moments of happiness! While educating ourselves about climate issues is incredibly important for taking meaningful action, it can be quite draining. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Helen Keller This quote really resonates with me. Doom scrolling on…
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Low-waste habits that save you money
One of the largest barriers that scares a lot of people away from low waste lifestyle alternatives initially is the cost factor. So many people tell me that they want to make changes, but they don’t want to add more expenses to their lifestyle. Whether you are facing a financial barrier, or simply want to cut back on your monthly expenses, these low-waste tips have saved myself and many others…
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What is rewilding?
“Rewilding” is a term that I have been coming across quite frequently when reading environmental news, and I truly believe we are going to be seeing a lot more of this initiative as we move forward in the climate movement. This is a complex topic that I could write a whole book about, so I took a really high-level approach when explaining this topic. In this post, I explain what…
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Saying No to Single-Use Plastics: Portland Initiatives
I feel so lucky to be living in Portland, Oregon. Not only because of how beautiful it is, but because there are so many amazing sustainable initiatives, companies, and organizations out here! I spent last weekend trying out two amazing to-go ware reuse programs. Okapi Reusables provides to-go drink ware that can be returned to participating locations, and GO Box provide to-go food containers that can be returned to participating locations.…
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Energy Efficiency Tips That Save You Money
Working as the Program Coordinator for an energy assistance non-profit has opened my eyes to the importance of energy efficiency for both social and environmental reasons. Having heat and electricity in our homes is something that many of us take for granted, and honestly don’t give it a second thought. However, for many people across the world, paying for your energy bill gets pushed aside so that they can afford…
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Low-Waste Pet Care
People all over the world have had pets for centuries bringing them happiness and stress-relief. I personally have two furry cat children named Groot and Nebula, and they truly are a part of my family. I have also had two dogs named Tucker and Meeko, a hamster named Bobo, and a fish named Finley. That being said, I have seen a lot of waste created depending on the type of…
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What are Microplastics?
This week I wanted to cover the topic of microplastics. This is one that I have been wanting to write about for a while, but was kind of nervous to do so because it tends to paint a bleak picture of the situation that we are facing. While this topic can be a little overwhelming, I think it is incredibly important for people to start understanding the long-term effects of…