The Heat Is On: Sizzling & Sweltering this Summer

The end of June found Europe sweating, with over the top, record breaking temperatures.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the following countries all had areas that broke records, many of them for 3 consecutive days during the span of time between June 21--28, 2026: Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Not only is extreme heat a serious health danger, but the fact that temperatures don't give way during overnight is a huge problem. The lack of cooling starts us all off "behind the 8 ball." Bodies do not have a chance to recover, putting heat stress on top of heat stress in a cumulative manner.

Using Perplexity.AI and the World Meteorological Organization's June 29, 2026 article , I crafted this simplified graphic and using the following conversion from Celcius to Fahrenheit as: F = (C × 9/5) + 32. Given that, 40°C is approximately 104°F and 42°C ≈ 108°F.

Meanwhile, "across the pond," the following week we had DC, Maryland, Philadelphia, & Boston, among the major areas that had to postpone their 4th of July celebrations based on extreme temperatures with triple-digit heat indexes. A "heat dome" high pressure system trapped humidity from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic States. Power grids in many US locations were pushed to their limits. My 5 pm July 3rd weather was listed at 99°F with a "feels like" temperature of 110°F... well past the height of the heat of the day.

Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe, whom I adore, called it for what it is--a direct effect from climate change which has been impacted by fossil fuel pollution. Be sure to click the "see more" to read her entire post with coordinating links: 

It's not "just summer" when it comes to record breaking heat of this extreme.

A great resource for Grades 6-12 teachers is OER Project: Teach Climate Change, a collection of free lesson plans. I know it's summer, but this is when we teachers do our percolating, especially when we have climate news happening around us to the point where it may impact our vacations and our patriotic holidays. There are a multitude of other resources also available at OER for history, science, geography and more. 

We need to take note and educate ourselves that this heat wave is not just a quirk of nature with these sizzling, sweltering days. It's a health concern for our entire planet. We need to go forward, not with despair, but with informed, collective action using the science and common connections. Through these, we take small steps to caring for each other and our shared home.

Graphic created using Perplexity.AI and data obtained from https://wmo.int/media/news/record-breaking-heat-spreads-through-europe; Katharine Hayhoe's Facebook post from https://www.facebook.com/20531316728/posts/10154009990506729/

Eco-Anxiety: A Message from Our Future Selves

I had to chuckle when I first started watching author Heather White's November 8th, 2025 TED Talk on Eco-Anxiety: A Message from Our Future Selves. She referenced Michael J. Fox & the 1980s movie Back to the Future. I think the chuckling came from both my own fascination (my kids call it "obsession") with the '80s. It also came from recently seeing the on-stage production of Back to the Future: The Musical and loving it. (Backstory: this ways my requested Christmas gift. See also: my previous point.)

Of course, she also had me at environmental sustainability.

Thinking ahead to the future we want, is certainly a good way to help build the world we want! Let's go forward with a time-traveling mentality. 

For more about Heather White, check out the following: 

Her website.

Books by Heather White:

• 60 Days to a Greener Life: Ease Eco-anxiety Through Joyful Daily Action (2024)
  
• Eco-Anxiety: Saving Our Sanity, Our Kids, and Our Future (2024)
  
• One Green Thing: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet (2022)
  

Previous posts about Heather White's books:

• One Green Thing: Top Take Aways from the Book (5-17-2023)
  
• Heather White's "Think Like An Awesome Ancestor" TED Talk on Eco-Anxiety (2-11-2023)
  
• One Green Thing: Find Out Your Service Superpower (1-23-2023
  

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8bc6Ese4oQ, Images from https://www.amazon.com/Eco-Anxiety-Saving-Sanity-Kids-Future/dp/0785291326/ref=books_amazonstores_desktop_mfs_aufs_ap_sc_dsk_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=OIciv&content-id=amzn1.sym.9c9a049f-252a-49d9-a8c2-e300a1663200&pf_rd_p=9c9a049f-252a-49d9-a8c2-e300a1663200&pf_rd_r=139-4919241-6074336&pd_rd_wg=HKFxA&pd_rd_r=5e46a386-4857-47a7-a1d1-b9f69f148e14 and https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=563488706023864&set=a.213086551064083

Easter 2026 & The Renewal & Resilience of Nature In Springtime

Easter comes every year, for both the religious and the secular folks. For some it might be just a date on the calendar. For those in Christian traditions, it's the resurrection of Jesus after His crucifixion. For others, it's all Easter bunnies, hidden eggs, chocolate, & family feasts. For still others, it's the coming of spring with nature waking up. For many, it is the mix of all. 

From the nature side, Easter is often the world outside your window and the start of Spring: unexpected blooms popping from the ground, the arrival of bird songs at dawn, mud prints from little feet on your kitchen tiles, and sunbeams cascading through your windows earlier than they did the week before. Spring has this quiet way of insisting that life keeps going, even after the meanest of cold seasons... which this year felt true, for sure.

The cyclical nature of ✨nature✨ is a comfort in the way it circles and returns each year. We can count on it. The freshness of the rebirth of warmer weather and longer days can be a comfort--especially for anyone who struggles with seasonal affective disorder and the long, dark, gray days of winter. We are waking up again. Warming up again. 

I find definite comfort and a "coming to life again" during this rebirth season of Spring and Eastertime. There is an additional comfort to that, especially in a time where our national and global headlines can feel heavy. Whether it's political, social, humanitarian, economic, or climate/environmental news, we as a planet of people are living in a time where the many stories can feel overwhelming and exhausting

And yet, even as the TV ticker at the bottom of the news telecast scrolls by with one hard story after another, outside our windows there is a different headline is running. The circle of nature shows consistency, rebirth, and the resilience of nature. People are resilient too. This is evident in the slow, hopeful work that we all do to repair and restore what is broken, what needs healing, what needs attention. That is the message in the biblical story of resurrection and Easter, but it also is the message in every good news story of conservation and environmental stewardship. Regeneration and restoration are real.

For those who are religious, Lent is the 40 day observation prior to Easter to focus on prayer, fasting, reflection, giving something up, or doing something extra. Perhaps this Easter, regardless of whether you are religious or not, we all could celebrate in a similar way, honoring the cycles of life and countering the the weight of the news we hear. Perhaps this Easter we all do something to lift ourselves up, showcase the hope, and do something meaningful outside ourself. Doing it for our hearts, our homes, our community, our planet. A random act of kindness, if you will: 

• Mend one thing. 
• Plant one thing. 
• Protect one thing. 
• Reuse one thing rather than throw it away. 
• Write a letter to someone to show how they made a difference in your life. 
• Share positive messages on social media to purposely make someone's day.
• Take food to someone who could use a helping hand. 
• Volunteer your time helping to beautify a park, pick up sticks from the winter, serve food at a homeless center, read to others at a community center or school.
• Donate to a cause that helps others.

We can’t fix every headline or heal every hurt, but we can choose to be part of the quiet, local restoration that happens in ordinary places with ordinary people. One small deed, one planted seed, one well-written read sharing gratitude may serve as the small, simple act of repair that says, “I see the brokenness, and I’m still choosing hope.” 

Imagine a world if we all did that, and these small gifts lined up side by side, across neighborhoods and nations. They would collectively add up to something bigger than any one of us individually. The outcome would be the creation of a community that keeps showing up for each other and for the Earth, again and again, just like Spring.

20th Anniversary Earth Hour ~ March 28, 2026: Choose Your Studio, Make Your Pledge

Earth Hour is March 2026, 8:30--9:30 pm in your time zone. This year commemorates the 20th Anniversary. What began as the inaugural event in 2007 in Sydney, Australia is now marking two decades as a global, environmental movement.

Earth Hour has always been about one powerful, symbolic act: "switching off the lights for 60 minutes to shine a spotlight on our planet." Over the past 20 years (and the last decade in particular), the call has grown bigger to“Give an Hour for Earth.” This call is to highlight that what we do in that one hour can ripple far beyond the glow of an hour of candlelight. 

This year, instead of treating Earth Hour as a one-size-fits-all event, imagine a Choose-Your-Studio Night. Plan and create a 60-minute creative adventure that begins by design and ends with a plan of attack, a creative commitment, and a pledge to go forward making a difference. 

Some studios to consider... pick one, mix or match, and simply find what fits to make the most of your Earth Hour.

The point is not to “do it all” in one night. The point is to start with an entry point that feels and sounds like you. To provide you with some time for reflectionn or creativity. To help you set a realistic pledge and intention. To inspire you to keep going!  

What studio will you choose? What's your pledge going to be? And what will you be doing during Earth Hour 2026?

Earth Hour image from https://x.com/earthhour; Slideshow created by me https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-2PcXE3vsn9dBjjQAGoN4A3hcHtI5qdFRLmnf3ccO-Y/edit?usp=sharing

World Water Day: March 22, 2026

World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance that celebrates water, bringing to attention the global water crisis. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) #6 is to achieve safe water and sanitation for everyone by 2030. This year's theme is "Water & Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows." It highlights how gender equality is tied to safe water and water acquisition... and what happens when they’re not. This also ties to SDG Goal #5 through gender equality. Through both of these, the message is clear: safe water and sanitation are rights, not privileges, for all people and all genders.

Unfortunately, women and girls are disproportionately affected by water problems because of many reasons: unsafe or distant water sources, poor sanitation, and the fact that women are often left out of the decisions about how water is managed. Additionally, women and girls in many countries are the ones fetching the water, walking for hours to access the water. This in turn prevents them from being able to attend school or working in a paid position. It also places them in multiple unsafe situations along the journey, leaving them exhausted and more prone to sickness. It also creates additional issues of sanitation during times when girls and women are menstruating.

Despite the fact that access to safe drinking water is a human right, billions of people worldwide still lack access and safe management of water and sanitation services. Globally unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are responsible for deaths of approximately 1,000 children aged 0-5 daily. 

When communities secure reliable, safe water, and sanitation close to home, you start to see:

• Girls who are able to spend more time in school and less time questing and walking for water.
• Women who are able to take part in paid work, community leadership, and decision-making.
• Health improvements overall--from individuals to families, which then spreads economically in their ability to work and then spreads to their communities. 

By ignoring women’s experiences and their knowledge when it comes to these factors, water systems fail the people who use them most. Women need to be at the table when it comes to these decisions. In doing so, it builds a more hopeful future, one drop of water and one decision at a time.

 To learn more about World Water Day, check out the following resources:

• United Nations World Water Day: Where Water Flows Equality Grows Overview
• UN World Water Day Background Page
• UN World Water Day Fact Page
• UN World Water Day Activation Kit with activities for schools (listed by age ranges), communities, and other ways to actively engage and spread information about the importance of women, water, and safety.
• UN "Where Water Flows, Equality Grows" Posters
• UN Trello page of World Water Day resources 

To find all of these resources in another language, go to the section about 2026 Theme: Women & Gender.

Images from https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day-new/background-new and https://www.unwater.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/WWD2026_Posters_English.pdf and https://www.instagram.com/reels/CyL1C9IpH91/; Video from https://youtu.be/nFpcoji4gh0?si=e3eyf6aPMCaiZ2OF

The Four Winds of Change: Connecting the 1930s Dust Bowl & the 2020 Pandemic

A few months ago I listened to the audio book The Four Winds: A Novel by Kristin Hannah. It details the ten-year time period during the Depression and 1930s of the American Dust Bowl. Devastation hit farmers as drought and years of poor farming protocols let the topsoil to just literally go "flying in the wind." Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico all felt the ravaging devastation of this environmental crisis.

Having grown up in the Midwest, I know of those flat lands. Those farmlands. Perhaps that is why I was haunted by this book. I'm sure Kristin Hannah's powerful storytelling ability was also at play. She has a remarkable way of creating characters who rise through the resilience during hardship.

I also was struck by the similarities I noticed on the human impact of both the Dust Bowl (a major environmental issue nearly a century ago) and the COVID-19 pandemic (just 6 years ago in 2020): 

• There was economic fallout as people lost their jobs. Likewise, the ability to find and finance food was an issue due to supply and demand and availability issues, not to mention the logistical issues of transporting food. 

• Governmentally, policies needed to be shifted or newly put into place. This often came in both situations with push back and concerns.

• There were health, physical, and medical ramifications as as the air around us had the capability of making people ill. People needed to wear masks (or wet bandanas) to assist with breathing during the "black blizzards" of the Dust Bowl, just as we had to wear masks to protect ourselves from the germs of the virus in 2020. "Dust pneumonia" was a medical side effect based on the poor air quality of dust-filled air in the 1930s. Both epidemics resulted in respiratory health issues. Both epidemics resulted in thousands of people losing their lives. Both were certainly a time of a lot of stress.

• Socially, people were impacted in many ways, based on their decisions on how best to stay safe. Community gatherings couldn't happen in the same ways as before. This included schooling. Isolation was an issue. At times in both situations, people may have needed to move due to their circumstances. 

• Prejudice too was a parallel issue during both historic events: the "Okies" on the move to find work during the Depression were greatly looked down upon. Depending on your political slant during the COVID pandemic, you could get grief from friends, family, or neighbors based on how cautious you were or were not: Did you wear a mask? Did you wear it well or haphazardly? Did you scoff at the vaccine and the science that shifted as people learned more? The government leaders chose to make it a political, divisive issue, which created additional grief. 

From an agricultural sense, we have done a lot since the 1930s to farm smarter to maintain soil health over time. Purposely planting windbreaks and cover crops, promoting contour plowing, reducing over-tillage, and improving soil's water retention has made for a healthier culture of agriculture. But we can also see where if funding is reduced in any of these areas or if people use poor farming procedures, we can fall victim to Mother Nature when the rain ceases to fall. Droughts happen. Wind happens. Heat waves happen. Because of all of that, we need to be proactive with environmental policies. Climate change has significantly intensified all of that, and sadly the environment over the last decade or more has become political. 

Sitting here, nearly a century beyond the Dust Bowl, Kristin Hannah's The Four Winds reminds us that history’s lessons are never far behind. Environmental crises (whether dust storms or global pandemics) share a common truth: resilience begins when communities pull together and adapt with empathy, foresight, and innovation. Kristin Hannah's story and the insights we all gleaned in 2020 show us the importance of taking care of each other, honoring science, adapting as needed with resilience. These are some of the same essential traits we need to tackle global issues like climate change, biodiversity, food insecurity, pollution, environmental injustice and more. 

Dust Bowl, montage compiled by Vicki Dabrowka

In addition to reading Kristin Hannah's book The Four Winds: A Novel, you can learn more about the Dust Bowl here:

• Ken Burns: The Dust Bowl (PBS)
• Ducksters: Dust Bowl History
• The Dust Bowl | National Drought Mitigation Center​AAAS: Dust Bowl Wake Up Call for Environmental Practices
• Global Health Now: Covid-19 and Dust Bowl Parallels
• KidsKonnect: Dust Bowl Facts

Kristin Hannah's book cover The Four Winds from https://www.amazon.com/Four-Winds-Novel-Kristin-Hannah/dp/1250178614/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ZHk86GYtgb-Hz7mRQwjXx8OAIGc0VfaIf9tRRJg7KSH5JthzBNBP98Ii1BC8ar-XMWnqYVsq2TCTQI2nYmC6-mD-i2fXx8T03JvX4wd7OOxR27a_Lbp68ftKLGfTyW_ZuHCjC0re_6JBQVDTn4_wym4nJdMj0fBhL2qlHEZfvzJikdojYCFFi4PfXUon9hNpAeXok-MJ6BqKntAtUZxMWDpTbykS5rXW31e5pF1omSA.vQXQoncK9PexFwWoI_s42GHVUSqkc10acC67DGn7d4U&qid=1770577790&sr=8-1

Video created at Canva.com using images from TimelineTheatre's Instagram carousel post from April 14, 2024 https://www.instagram.com/p/C5v6pCzrD8C/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Things to Love This Valentines Day

It's Valentine's Day! Whether your heart is full with your loved ones, gal-pals for "Galentine's Day," or you are buying flowers for yourself to honor you, today is a day I hope brings you smiles. 

Here are some worldwide eco-wins to love and that are worth raising a glass of your favorite celebratory beverage to toast!

💖 A First For Clean Energy
3 cheers for renewable energy, which for the first time ever is generating more electricity globally than coal. Likewise, solar and wind power grew at record speeds in 2025. Love that it's no longer a hypothetical wish for the future, but a future that is happening and edging out fossil fuels and coal.​ 

💖 Cities and States Are Trendsetting Energy Leaders
What's not to love about states like Connecticut, Maine, and New York who are passing laws to speed up their push toward 100% clean energy timelines. This investment in climate solution will push toward expanding transit and lowering bills. Fun fact: Chicago's Midway & O'Hare airports and a large number of other city buildings are now powered entirely by clean energy. ​​

💖 Wildlife Comebacks For the Win
Once thought to be extinct, the black lion tamarin of Brazil is now counting at about1,800 tamerin-strong. Community-driven conservation and habitat restoration are to thank for that. Communities like the Sri Lanka Centra Highlands are putting in wildlife corridors which are helping to reconnect the leopards to their habitats as communities grow around them but with them in mind! New protections for the penguins in Patagonia are helping to protect their numbers and breeding potentials.​​​

💖 Rewilding Is On the Upswing
​Rewilding is when you let land and nature have the time and space it needs to heal from overusing the land. This is happening in Zimbabwe's Zambezi region where thousands of animals are being moved to enhance the health and biodiversity of their habitat and ecosystem. Another example is in Europe's Rhodope Mountains where animals such as red and fallow deer, wild horses, and European bison are reintroduced in order to create natural grazing and predator-prey relationships. The same is true with Argentina's Iberá Wetlands where locally-extinct specials like giant anteaters, pampas deer, and jaguars, were brough back to help the ecosystem 

💖 Communities Are Leading
Grassroots movements in many locations are working to make a difference to try to reverse harmful policies. Case and point: throughout Latin America, local communities worked to help conserve bird habitat across hundreds of protected areas. Other projects across the Amazon are being community-driven to protect millions of acres of forest. 

💖 Climate Education Is On the Rise
Let's toast states like Oregon, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, California, and Illinois who are now incorporating climate and sustainability education in their K-12 public schools. Maryland has long had their growing network of certified Green School who are putting environmental education central to their curriculum. We build environmental stewards by weaving climate literacy into everyday life.​

💖 Policy in Action
Environmental policies are starting to show up in many places, really starting to make a positive difference. New congestion pricing in New York City means that vehicles pay a fee to enter the busiest parts of town during peak times. That helps make transit choices will reduce both traffic and vehicular pollution while also having that charged fee go to improving public transit. In other places, climate task forces are creating plans to help mitigate flood or drought risks, tackle heat waves or fire risks, open cooling centers when needed, or providing business incentives for affordable and efficient heat pumps, insulation, or solar panels. Bringing healthier and more affordable solutions is always worth a toast!

💖  💖  💖

So as you celebrate love this year, make sure it's not just about who we love, but how we love the world we live in. Take notice of where we are healing both as people and as a planet. Cheering on not only what's winning in our own life and the things/people we love, but also those on a larger scale. All things flourish that we shower with love!

Hurricane Melissa, Cat 6, Katherine Hayhoe, & What You Can Do

On Facebook, I follow Climate Scientist Katherine Hayhoe, and I have written about her many times before.*

I was particularly struck earlier this week when I saw this post from her on Sunday, October 26th. In it, she detailed the intensity of Hurricane Melissa as it was approaching Jamaica, and how this storm was one of great concern. I also appreciate the extent to which she included links to her "Global Weirding" video series. In her post, she had specific links to read for specific situations that many fit with her many critics and climate skeptics. The level of information is not only informative and detailed, but very easy to understand. It is a teaching tool. Given that, I screenshot the first part of Kathrine Hayhoe's post, and then I compiled a slide deck that includes one slide per thoughts/concern and embed the videos that correspond with each link.

Katherine Hayhoe this week has also had some interesting thoughts on if perhaps we have entered the era where we really need a "Category 6" on the Saffir-Simpson scale. This "Cat 6" would be for hurricanes with sustained winds over 192 miles per hour. It makes for good food for thought. Especially since we really have not needed that level before. However, warmer waters generate more intense storms... and hence where we are.

She also shared this graphic this week from Jeff Beradelli, WFLA-TV Tampa Bay's Chief meteorologist and climate specialist. It details the significant increase in Category 4 and 5 storms in the nearly 50 years. You cannot argue that hurricanes have intensified given this data.

At this point (on Halloween when I write this), the storm has battered Jamaica, making landfall on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 with winds of over 185 mph. The island nation was devastated by the power of Mother Nature in this record-breaking storm. The storm also tore through the Caribbean and wrecked havoc on Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Bahamas as well. According to this CNN article, 77% of the country was out of power at one point along with multiple deaths with all of the destruction.

If you are looking for ways to help or donate to the hurricane recovery in Jamaica, consider these resources:

• Global Empowerment Mission ​​
• Project HOPE
• All Hands & Hearts​
• GlobalGiving​
• Charity Navigator 

​

*Note: Posts I've written about Katherine Hayhoe in the past include:

• Earth Day 2025 Resources  (4-19-2025)
  
• Katherine Hayhoe's Inspirational Recommendations for Climate Content  (12-29-2023)
  
• The Six Americas  (2-16-2022)
  
• A Trio of Messengers of Hope  (2-9-2022)
  
• Eunice Foote: Foot at the Front Door of Climate Change  (3-31-2021)
  
• Climate Change, Coronavirus, & Katherine Hayhoe  (9-26-2020)
  
• Global Weirding  (7-26-2017)

Slideshow created from Katherine Hayhoe's Facebook post on 10-26-2025 and compiled her: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MAw5X3xVtDpR8argRz_kTOgsvftvav4_Diq7CK6uR40/edit?usp=sharing, Image from https://www.instagram.com/p/C6xbBNKM7cz/ and https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1361109002252601&set=a.233252805038232

Coral In Crisis

Right now, coral reefs across the globe are undergoing the most severe bleaching event in recorded history. Warming oceans are to blame for pushing our already fragile corals to their limits. As the warming occurs, so does the bleaching: a loss of color, life, and balance to our ecosystems. 

Here are three tools to build your toolkit to help you learn more about coral in crisis:

1. Real-Time Coral Bleaching Tools

You don’t need to be a marine biologist to witness what’s happening. Use these free, open-source platforms to explore reef health and bleaching alerts across the planet. By zooming in and tracing lines on these mapping tools, you can explore the reefs to get a bigger picture on what is happening with coral communities.

• Allen Coral Atlas--this website tracks real-time satellite data on bleaching risk, reef habitat, and human stressors.

• NOAA Coral Reef Watch--this website shows weekly heat stress maps, temperature anomalies, and historical comparisons.

Want to take your coral curiosity further? Become a Citizen Scientist by using one of the following platforms to contribute live data:

• Reef Check – Participate in global reef monitoring efforts.

• iNaturalist – Record marine species sightings, tag reef health, and connect with a global community of observers.

• Marine Debris Tracker – Document plastic waste near coastal and reef areas.

2. Read Up on the Topic

Here are some good articles to show the concern, brought about by climate change.

• NBC News' article: 84% of the World’s Coral Reefs Hit by Worst Bleaching Event on Record
  
• The Guardian's article: ‘Catastrophic’: Great Barrier Reef hit by its most widespread coral bleaching, study finds
• Scientific American's article: Coral Crisis: Great Barrier Reef Bleaching Is "The Worst We've Ever Seen"

3. Play Coral Reef Jeopardy

Gamify your knowledge base with this coral-oriented Jeopardy-style game on Factile.com to learn more.

To go to a larger screen version, click here.

Explore more at Playfactile.
Jeopardy-style game, created by me at factile.com: https://www.playfactile.com/jeopardy-game/mcce2bax7w, Image from https://ejfoundation.org/news-media/corals-and-communities-ejf-report-highlights-devastating-impacts-of-climate-crisis-on-reefs

Independence Day & The Declaration of Interdependence

The summer is clipping along and the 4th of July is here. Our nation's birthday. Next year on this date, it will be our country's 250th anniversary of our country's birth.

Where are you on your Civics education? When was the last time you read the Declaration of Independence, written July 4, 1776? If it's been awhile, you can read it here at the National Archives. 

The 4th of July brings with it all the celebration of a national holiday and a day off of work: parades, pools, barbeques, and fireworks. Bigger than that though, it brings with it the ideas central to our nation: freedom, autonomy, self-determination. 

But, in a world growing more complex by the year with digital advancements, AI, social media, innovation, technological growth, environmental issues, climate change, and more--perhaps we're also on the cusp of needing more. Yes, we're celebrating our independence, but maybe there's also a need to celebrate our interdependence. Ways that we are all connected to each other and our planet, requiring not only life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but perhaps also an approach and vision toward shared responsibility. 

In doing so, we take note on how local actions ripple outwardly to our global community. How our stewardship of the Earth is tied not only to our greater purpose but also our greater connection. A vision toward sustainability and how caring for our shared home will impact everyone with the cleanliness of the water, air, the soil that grows our food, and the energy that powers this planet of ours. 

Knowing and understanding this interdependence is what environmental literacy is all about. 

Maybe this holiday as we are thinking about flags, fireworks, and freedom, maybe its time to think about freedom not about standing alone, but standing together. Maybe its worth create your own Declaration of Interdependence by filling in the blanks below, in the style of the Declaration of Independence's Preamble:

Creating a Personal Declaration of Interdependence by Vicki Dabrowka at Canva.com using Canva Code; Top image created in canva.com

The Invisible Rights That Hold Us: Flag Day 2025

Today is Flag Day, 2025. There's a lot of fanfare going on in and around Washington, D.C. today to honor that and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. All of which has caused me to reflect on our the flag and the heart of some of our founding American documents:

❤️ Our 1776 Declaration of Independence and it's powerful theme: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

🤍 Our 1777 adoption of the flag and how Flag Day was first formalized in 1916 by President Wilson then officially recognized by Congress in 1949 as an annual day of honor and celebration.

💙 Our Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, naming the first 10 Constitutional Amendments and our fundamental freedoms worth fighting for: free speech, religion, due process, right to assemble, and more.

Embedded in all of this is the knowledge there are other freedoms that aren't printed in these doctrines, but they are equally important. Ones with environmental impact, ones without which we cannot live. Maybe they aren't etched in marble or housed in the National Archives, but they are necessary. Quieter, simpler, maybe softer, silent, and invisible. Yet, they are vital and hold us all the same.

Click through the slides below to see the 10 Invisible Rights That Hold Us (and that we should hold dear):

“The Invisible Rights That Hold Us” by Dabrowka, Ms. Vicki

So this Flag Day, while the flags are raised for our country--a country with a long, layered history based on principles, resilience, strength, and democracy while also flawed and imperfect--let’s raise our awareness too of these other rights. These invisible rights. Let's protect them, and in doing so protect each other. 

Sometimes that comes quietly in observation, and sometimes we need to speak up when it counts. Here are three places that can help you do that:

• Learn how environmental law protects invisible rights at Earthjustice.
• Explore how enviornmental rights & human dignity are intertwined at The Center for Human Rights and the Environment.
• See how businesses are rethinking their impact in protecting our shared future via climate action at We Mean Business Coalition.

Images created at canva.com.

Reading Season Is Here

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, college kids are home, graduations caps & gowns have been donned, and many of us just have a couple of days of school left--or are completely done!

Summer is here! Longer days of sun, pool-beach-boat plans abound.... and life starts slowing down as June, July, and August heatwaves head our way. Sounds like reading season to me!

I read all kinds of books: mysteries, romance, coming of age tales, non-fiction, work-related reads, chick-lit, biographies, young adults/kids books, and more. This past year, I've become a big fan of audio books, especially when driving about the world or doing laundry. It makes for the perfect escape and travel mate!

If you are a bibliophile like me, you might be looking for a few good books for your lazy, hazy days of summer ahead. 

Here are 8 booklists where you can find over 120 books to inspire your eco-reading this season:

• Doing Good Together's Picture Books to Inspire Environmental Justice Seekers

• Doing Good Together's Chapter Books That Inspire Kids to Heal the Earth

• EcoLit's Books: The Best Environmental Books We’ve Read in 2024

• The Revelator's 20 Books to Inspire You in the Year Ahead 

• Earthwatch's 23 Must-Read Science Books About the Environment

• Piqosity's Environmental Literature for Earth Day--divided by genre

• Penguin Random House's Environmental Science Books--divided by topic

• Climate Action's Booklist--divided by reading levels

Images created at Canva.com

Earth Day 2025 Resources

Earth Day is around the corner: Tuesday, April 22nd. 

Here are some ready resources for you...

• EarthDay.org is always has a wealth of information. In addition to a variety of resources, you can also find Earth Day activities taken around the world, ways to take action, Earth Day statements and imagery to add to your social media, lesson plans, quizzes-toolkits-fact sheets, on the Earth Hub, and more.

• Common Sense Media's "Free Activities for Earth Day and Learning About the Environment" has over 45 links to grade-level activities to investigate by yourself or with students.

• Common Sense Media also has a curated list of 27 climate education tools on their "Climate Change Resources for Students and Teachers"

• Columbia Climate School (from NYC's Columbia University) has a wealth of K-12 lesson plans & resources for teachers. Lots of good stuff here and on their whole website.

• Pick up the book Climate Champions: 15 Women Fighting for Your Future by Rachel Sarah. Written for young adult readers, even adults will learn a lot by these inspiring women. The book is divided into 3 categories: "Challenge the System,""Hold Fast to Science," and "Take a Stand for Justice." One of my favorite environmentalists, Katharine Hayhoe, is Chapter 6! 

• Check out PBS's Carmen's Eco-Farm Adventure interactive for 6th through 12th graders.

• Boom Learning's article entitled Activities That Inspire Environmental Stewardship has some great ideas and activities while also good reasons to start environmental stewardship while kids are young.

• For other resources, be sure to check out Earth Day archives here at Green Team Gazette.

Image from https://earthday.columbia.edu/

Grist's Interactive Tool on Climate & Inrfastructure Funding

As a person who has been writing an environmental, edtech, and innovation blog for 15 years, it has surprised me from time to time when something that should be very non-partisan becomes very partisan indeed. No truer is that than now with the current U.S. administration and the whirlwind of major changes nationally this last 6-7 weeks following the Inauguration in January.

Theoretically, we all should want a cleaner & healthier environment for ourselves and our children, a strong educational system that helps the youth of America rise to be the best and the brightest, willing to think outside the box to solve current problems to make for a strong and dynamic future. Politics & tech leaders during this administration (and numerous times over the last decade) have made this a harried and sometimes highly loaded conversation these days for sure, with people having strong opinions on both sides in this very partisan place we now all live in my country.

Given all of this, we need resources. We live in an age of data and doing our own research, so here's a resource.

Grist, an online publication dedicated to climate change solutions, has created this interactive tool. Entitled "Where Did Billions in Climate & Infrastructure Funding Go," this clickable map of the United States allows you to enter your zip code to see what projects are being funded--and what are currently being frozen--near you. You can investigate by governmental agency, category (ex: transportation, clean energy, broadband, clean water, etc.), or the act funding it. By funneling in on an area and a project near you, you can find out more details about it's funding, including in some places linked to federal databases which can reveal whether or not the funds have found their way to that project. 

It serves as a really good way to help determine how the federal government freezes can, will, or are affecting your local area. 

Image screenshot from https://grist.org/accountability/climate-infrastructure-ira-bil-map-tool/?utm_campaign=fy25-membership-special-email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=membership-email

Learning Through Laughter: Comedy & Climate Change

Grist is an online environmental publication which has been around since 1999--25 glorious Grist years. Focusing on the intersection of justice, equity, and the environment--particularly climate change. There is always a wealth of news stories on what is going on in the world.

I ran cross this article recently: Moving From Climate Doomerism to Optimism Through Humor (published 1-28-2025). For years there has been talk about how "doomerism" is NOT the way to inspire climate action. Instead it brings a fatalistic approach and heavy duty "doom & gloom" is only exhausting versus inspirational. Remove all hope and people wonder--why try, we're going to hell in a hand basket anyway. Hope is what is necessary, and I've written about that a time or two: here, here, and here.

The premise of this Grist article agrees: 

“Learning through comedy is like the old saying: take a spoonful of sugar, and it makes the medicine go down. I think that is true,” [director Morgan] Sackett said.

We can all take a lesson from content creators on social media: humor can definitely bring both the clicks and awareness to all sorts of issues: social justice, climate & other environmental action, politics, and more. In fact, if you are really creative and met the December 2024 deadline, the Natural Resources Defense Council ran a $20,000 Climate Storytelling Fellowship grant. For the 4th year in a row, 3 winners (either individual or writing teams) will receive the grant for a screenplay or pilot that creates a storyline with an impactful them addressing climate change. You can find an interesting take on comedy and climate change in the Sundance panel discussion "The Last Laugh: Comedy in the Age of Climate Change.”

To bring some levity and hope to climate change and knowing that laughter is indeed the best medicine, these PSAs (public service announcements) and/or commercials made me smile:

Videos from https://youtu.be/T5Us69fSM9M?si=MUnuYxcZZvVyvQe-, https://youtu.be/Y-CAMC8saDc?si=uMlLg3EC6mx1Ur6u, https://youtu.be/-DEc16dEMns?si=_WrILi-IJlfYiIxP; Image created at canva.com

One Week In: Resources for Dealing With the Rollercoaster of Change

In the United States of America, we are approaching one week under the new regime since Inauguration Day 2025. I'm actually not going to go all political---this is an education, technology, innovation, and environmental education blog. But, it's been a lot. Rapid fire, whiplash-level, deep impact change has come from our new president and his executive orders, sweeping pardons, walking-back previous policies, and more. 

It's. Been. A. Lot! 

I'm not going to go into detail on them all, but here's a substantial list from Axios if you'd like to check out the list yourself. Many of these have been a significant step away from US climate leadership.

With change, no matter if it's good or bad, positive or negative, or whichever side you are on, change comes with a lot of emotions.

Given that, I felt these resources might be of assistance for anyone on the rollercoaster of change.

🌐 Greater Good Magazine: Where Do We Go From Here? In the wake of the 2024 election, our contributors weigh in on what we can do now to preserve our well-being and our democracy. (Article by multiple authors, Nov. 6, 2024)

🌐 Greater Good Magazine: Seven Skills to Foster Connection in Divided Times (Article by Juliana Tafur and Chriss Cuervo, Oct. 28, 2024)

🌐 Greater Good Magazine article: "Can We Build a World Where We All Belong?" (Article by Sahar Habib Ghazi, Jan. 20, 2025)

🌐 Upcoming free webinar from Greater Good in Education: "Teaching in Troubling Times: A Conversation with Parker J. Palmer" on February 24, 2025, 3:30 pm PST (Register here.)

🌐 Earthjustice's webpage: "Action Tip Guide: Find your way to speak out for change"

Image created at Canva.com

California Wildfires, Climate Anxiety, & What You Can Do to Help

We all have been devastated by the ongoing destruction of the California wildfires. Our hearts go out to our California friends (those we know and those we don't but know because we are fellow humans) as they continue to deal with the enormous power of nature. The photos coming through media sources of all kinds are heartbreaking.

I think too, the question of climate events being made more and more extreme and exacerbated by human activity is only becoming more and more obviously clear.

I ran across this from Heather White's Facebook page. Heather is an environmental policy expert and author of  60 Days to a Greener Life: Ease Eco-anxiety Through Joyful Daily Action 60 Days to a Greener Life: Ease Eco-anxiety Through Joyful Daily Action,  Eco-Anxiety: Saving Our Sanity, Our Kids, and Our Future and  Eco-Anxiety: Discover Your Hidden Power to Help Save the Planet. Her commentary on her post I think helps guide how you can help through donations and how to help yours and other's climate anxiety.

Images from https://www.facebook.com/myonegreenthing/posts/pfbid0DdRRqZh8eKmjrEbvB4icEhfzCyuhwnPF8iFc8joiHv823G56tTPRzbWHWRD1VxWgl