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/

Inspiring Heros: Nat Geo's 33 Changemakers

They had me at Harrison Ford. 

So I dug a little deeper and I was enraptured and captured by all 33 of National Geographic's "33 Changemakers" for 2026.

I love every way about how Nat Geo celebrates these environmental stewards, inspiring inovators, and bold thinkers. These people who have a commitment to the greater good of our planet and our people. They serve as leaders who model responsibility, perserverance and the power of activism and human impact. 

On National Geographic's Facebook Page, they shared some video shorts of each of these changemakers, speaking about what speaks to them. Here's the one that grabbed me and left me searching for more: 

To meet each and every one of this year's visionaries, go to their 33 Changemakers site and click to read about these remarkable people. (From there too, you can click a link to take a peek at the 2025 list as well.) From ocean advocates to climate technologists to explorers, defenders, pioneers, innovators, and more...who are from Hollywood indigenous tribes, and other global corners... these 33 leaders are passionate in their stewardship. Every one is worth clicking on to read their bios, then clicking in more to check out their deeper story.

For more video shorts and other videos about these innovators, go to Nat Geo's Channel and their 33 Changemakers links. 

Here is an overview of NatGeo's inaugural 33 Changemaker introduction last year.

Image from https://www.instagram.com/p/DV-_TYxlvvi/, Videos  from: https://youtu.be/79kLkjGR3JU?si=eZo4xs2mC10N7MmR (from the National Geographic 33 Changemakers of 2025) and https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1H5isyFN5R/

Are We Running Out of Clean Water?

The first line in this TED-ED video is: "From space, our planet appears to be more ocean than earth." 

We were reminded of this with some of the amazing pictures that came out from Artemis II's mission on April 1st to 11th, 2026.

Yet, water scarcity is real for many people globally. Accessibility of this water is our biggest issue, for where it is located versus where it is needed.

Watch TED-ED's "Are We Running Out of Clean Water" to learn more. Additionally, use the TED-ED's resources for both quizzing yourself and your students as well as their lesson prompts and plan.

Video from https://ed.ted.com/lessons/are-we-running-out-of-clean-water-balsher-singh-sidhu, image from https://www.facebook.com/nytimes/posts/nasa-shared-a-view-of-earth-on-friday-as-captured-by-reid-wiseman-the-artemis-ii/1337205921595201/

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

Social Media's Big Tobacco Moment

I've seen "it" slated as "Social Media's 'Big Tobacco' Moment" in at least a half dozen locations.

What is the "it?" The "it" is the fact that social media court cases are starting to loudly prove that yes, social media is an addiction, and it can cause harm to kids. 

Two landmark trials have been in the news in the past six weeks. Earlier this year on March 24th Meta (parent company to Facebook) was ordered by a jury in New Mexico to pay $375 million due to violating state consumer protection laws, viewing both the Facebook and Instagram platforms to be "a breeding ground for predators." The very next day, March 25th, a lawsuit in California sided with a 20-year-old female who was suing Meta & Google (who owns YouTube), awarding her $6 million for causing years of mental health issues. The endless scrolling, algorithms, and purposeful addictive nature created by social media companies were ruled to be the blame for endangering children. And while tech companies are appealing these verdicts, multiple additional lawsuits are cropping up. The very loud message: tech companies knew the dangers in these devices, platforms, and programs... and sold them to our kids anyway.

So the table is turning when it comes to technology, apps, doomscrolling, and more. 

For those who don't get the "Big Tobacco Moment" reference, here's the backstory. Smoking, which long goes back in our historic timeline, really became glamorized throughout society from the 1920s to 1960s. Seemingly everyone smoked. Despite growing scientific studies over time that this is not a healthy habit, smoking had been pitched as "It's all on the person, and it is a personal choice." Awareness and science began leaning more heavily to "The product is the problem, and we need to pitch the product as such." Tobacco companies put a lot of money into advertising and debunking these claims. The tide slowly began turning in 1965 when a Congressional ruling stated that cigarette packages need mandatory warning labels. Then, TV and radio ads were banned in 1970. But despite all of this, smoking continued to be a large part of global culture, with people viewing it as "cool," relaxing, and socially acceptable, regardless of what science had to say. 

Things significantly began changing in 1994 when several cigarette company CEOs came before Congress to say that nicotine was not addictive nor dangerous to your health (despite scientific evidence proving otherwise). The downfalls continued to come with multiple lawsuits. In 1998 there was a Master Settlement Agreement for over $206 billion, covering 46 states and making it the largest settlement in US history. This loudly emphasized that yes, smoking causes serious health risks, diseases, and cancer. This led to a 2-3 decade decline in smoking, where now in 2025 less than 10% of American adults smoke. Clearly the pendulum has swung and a majority of Americans now outwardly see the perils of this habit.

Which now takes us back to "Social Media's Big Tobacco Moment." With the first iPhone coming out in 2007, we are now nearly 2 decades into this "social experiment" of allowing handheld mini-computers into our daily lives. Not just adults, but kids and teens too. Throw in iPads, tablets, and ready-to-use laptops at every age, where are we now? Many of us (grownups and kids alike) are completely sucked into our devices:

• autoplaying the next video,
• scrolling scrolling down the suggested path created by stronger and more stringent algorithms than even a decade ago,
• fearing the loss of our "streaks"which brings us repeatedly back every day,
• riding the comparison mentality, stuck in social media with FOMO (fear of missing out),
• neglecting those around us while being addicted to what our online friends have to say,

Then insert AI in here, which makes everything even more complicated, addicted, and fuzzy as to where the blended line separating reality and "fake news" actually exists. All of which leads to an overwhelming state of loneliness and disconnectedness despited the moniker of "social" media.

And none of these features came by accident. Designers and programmers built these devices to act exacty in this way: holding our focus, bringing money to the company through our hijacked attention, and profiting off our clicks. 

And I must admit: I fall just as victim to it as all the rest! I am no better than any of the rest of us. Despit my "tech teacher, book reading" self! It makes us feel weak for getting sucked into the vortex and having no self control. And I'm an adult. What about our kids and our teens and our young adults?

But maybe... just maybe... it's all in the addictive nature of the dopamine-hitting design versus our own willpower. Just like the addictive nature of tobacco. Souds like it's not a fair fight. How are we ever to win? Perhaps though more guardrails that tech companies clearly need to help protect us all, old and small.

What that means is that we all need to both become informed citizens, and then start behaving like them. Advocate for safer design and legislation--especially those that protect our kids. That might look like taking action, signing petitions, or voicing your concerns to your community.

Additionally, we the parents, educators, and consumers all need to step up and fight the addictive nature and parent both ourselves and our children. This can also do include:

• Turning off all non-essential notifications to help us become less connected to our devices.
• Eliminating "tech-grazing time" by building in more boundaries in our homes and schools. This could look like "no-phone-zones" or windows of time where we don't use tech. (For example: before bedtime, right when we get up, less multi-tasking on multiple devices).
• Removing the apps on our phones that suck us in the quickest: games, social media, and other ones that get our most addictive attention. We need to break our own bad habits.
• Carefully curating your feed. Make it a space of inspiration, not gloomy news or topics that lend toward depression or anxiety, pulling you deeper into doomscrolling.
• Building in time limits on your kids devices, and creating opportunities where you "tech together" then play or learn together in no-tech ways too. 

The pull is hard. But it's not just us. The game IS rigged. And now by way of social media's 'Big Tobacco Moment," courts, doctors, researchers, educators, parents, and even some platform designers are saying what maybe we have already felt for a long time: The problems isn't just us or our willpower. The product is flawed by designed to keep us stuck. 

So it's up to all citizens to keep up the noise, the lawsuits, the conversations, the advocating for better guardrails, and the protection of our kids. It's also our role as parents and educators to really speak about how these tools work our brains, hearts, and emotions. Tech is a tool... but it isn't our everything or even a fraction of what is important. People are. That is certainly worth fighting for.

Images from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/march-30-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment-newslitproject-xf2ac/ and https://highschool.latimes.com/news/a-big-tobacco-moment-for-big-tech-the-cost-of-addictive-design/ and Time Magazine cover screenshot from https://onlineexhibits.library.yale.edu/s/sellingsmoke/page/big-tobacco--big-lawsuits and https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/social-media-addiction-lawsuit-tiktok-meta-mark-zuckerberg-5q2mbkmsn

April 3rd: Jane Goodall Day

Jane Goodall has been a powerful influence on my environmental development since April 4th, 2008. It was a day after her 74th birthday, and she was visiting my new-to-me school: Gibson Island Country School. It was a Roots & Shoots Fair where she was the keynote speaker at this little school on the Chesapeake Bay, and I wasn't sure how I'd won this lottery. 

I was in awe of her level of serene powerhouse, especially when she made her iconic chimpanzee hoot for all to hear. 

Needless to say, I was quite saddened when she passed away last year on October 1, 2025. She's legendary, heroic, a woman ahead of her time, and was a non-stop agent of conservation and environmental stewardship.

To commemorate her lifetime of planetary achievements the Jane Goodall Institute has marked April 3rd as Jane Goodall Day as a global day of action. This year, she would have turned 92 on her birthday. Going forward, April 3rd will be an annual environmental day of celebration worldwide for this humanitarian and UN Messenger of Peace. A holder of hope, we need Jane Goodall's vision, enthusiasm, grit, and perseverance ... now more than ever!

In honor of Jane Goodall Day, you have two tasks today:

1. Learn more about Jane Goodall Day and Jane's legacy here at the Jane Goodall Institute. 

2. Go forth that day with a "Because of Jane, I will..." attitude of action. What can you do that would be "100% Jane Approved" for your neighborhood, community, world around you? Need some inspirational ideas, try one or more of these, and certainly come up with some of your own:

• Plant a tree, a pollinator plant, or some other local flora to support native wildlife.
• Go on a litter-pick up expedition somewhere in your community.
• Spend time outside taking in nature, sharpening your observation skills. 
• Reduce your plastic consumption by planning ahead with reusables.
• Write a letter/email to your local leaders/politicians to work for environmental protections.
• Learn about endangered species and spread the word.
• Donate to a wildlife conservation organization.
• Share the importance of Jane Goodall Day and her vision with friends and family to inspire others to take big or small actions.
• Spread kindness and patience so that ripple of empathy can move forward to others. We certainly need more of that!

Be inspired by Jane Goodall's spirit of hope and action. Because of Jane, what can you do to continue her legacy? What is one small, specific way you can live differently for this shared planet on April 3rd?

Image from https://www.greenteamgazette.com/2025/10/saying-goodbye-to-dr-jane-goodall.html with my photos taken from Jane Goodall's April 4th, 2008 visit to my school: Gibson Island Country School, which later became named Eagle Cove School; video from https://youtube.com/shorts/RguwGQGLyNY?si=Y0hTEAxdDpvHhUdh, quote image from https://blog.sleepingangel.com/jane-goodall-quote/

A Lesser-Plastic Lifestyle

I landed on these infographics on Plastic Pollution Coalition's February 28, 2026 Facebook Post. These make for great reminders and helpful hints if you are trying to cut down on your own plastic consumption.

For more ways to work on reducing your plastic use, check out these websites:

• The EPA's page "What You Can Do to Reduce Plastic Waste
• Eco-cycle's "Reduce Your Plastic Use page.
• The University of Maryland's Center of Environmental Science "PlasticWatch: What Can I Do" page (which has a wealth of ideas, resources, links and apps to help your quest for a lesser-plastic-lifestyle.

Images from https://www.facebook.com/PlasticPollution/posts/pfbid02rALGPo6wGa91AN2QwUnD5U76GeRxQp3D72hZLyj5oXRHgThsT2WmVnUHCaoTtYzbl

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

Story of Stuff & Their Endless Pursuit on Sustainability

I've been a long time fan of The Story of Stuff Project and their many documentaries. Their very first one came out in 2007, and I've been writing about them for awhile.

They have a few new features out in their Movies page of their website. "Reuse Revolution" is fairly new, and their first movie details Okapi Coffee and it's circular economy solution to keep waste out of landfills by encouraging patrons to use reusable cups:

Go to Okapi's website to learn more about where to find participating cafes that are in their network.

I'm eager to see what else Story of Stuff comes up with for their Reuse Revolution series!

In the mean time, here are more of their educational movies you can check out.

• Their 13 video set of their "Story of ..." Movies.
• Their 6 video collection of their plastic pollution documentaries.
• Their 3 video series "Exposed" about Coca-Cola Company's attempts & advertising campaigns, all of which essentially shut down recycling their glass bottles. 
• "Burning Injustice" about incinerators in California and the toxic air pollution they create.
• Their 10 video set on plastic solutions in "Solving Plastics."
• Their set of 5 videos entitled "The World We Need" showcasing activists standing up to make a difference.
• Their 15 video collection "The Good Stuff" where they look at some pollution problems and some potential sustainable solutions that would benefit us all.
• Their 3 video set of "Water Documentaries" about clean water and bottle water sources.
• Their 11 episode series "The Shift" on the coronavirus epidemic of 2020.

With 67 video shorts (as of this writing) over the last 19 years, this is a powerhouse collection of environmental and sustability resources... all just a click away! What a bounty!

Video from https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/reuse-revolution-coffee-without-the-waste/, image from https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/the-reuse-revolution/

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!

Starting the New Year On the Right Foot

(What was once lost is now found....more on that in my next post!)

It's a new year, and if you are like me, you like to "feel the fresh." Ergo...a "feel good" story was just what the doctor ordered for this kid! If you are looking for a new year's resolution or a way to make a difference this year, perhaps SpoGomi is for you.

Interestingly enough, it's not a new concept (though it felt new to me), and it's actually something I've written about before but with another name: plogging or plalking. If you are like most people, this is a new term for you. Basically, it's Swedish for "p"icking up "l"itter while you are jogging (plogging) or walking (plalking). Both have become quite popular over the past decade.

SpoGomi, on the other hand, is a bit more of a "sport," and it stands for "Sport Gomi" ("gomi" is Japanese for "trash"). It becomes it's own competitive level sport where  teams of three people compete to pick up the most trash in a set amount of time. There is even a World Cup for SpoGomi!

I think this is a great way to get people involved in cleaning up their communities. It's fun, it's competitive, and it makes a real difference. Maybe neighborhood SpoGomi is what we need! Who's with me?

Check out this poster I made (with a little help from AI) to show the basic rules!

 

The rules are simple:

1. Teams of 3: You need a team to compete... and you need to compete against a team.

2. Set the time: You have a set amount of time to pick up as much trash as you can.

3. Define a specific area: You have to stay within a certain area.

4. Types of trash: Different types of trash are worth different points. Cigarette butts are usually worth the most!

5. No sorting: You don't have to sort the trash, but you do have to pick it up safely. So take steps and wear safety equipment/gloves as needed.

What a great way to start the new year on the right foot. It's a small thing, but it can make a big difference. Let me know in the comments if you've ever heard of SpoGomi or if you'd be interested in starting a team!

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's make 2026 the cleanest year yet!

Images from https://www.facebook.com/1MillionWomen/posts/pfbid02HwVmLdpmMom5GSrYjxEs1W8Gfu76XWNwJcgHXhTcWvj6yZofZBjS7LNS8Ja8PsLvl and Spogomi Rules Infographic created using Perplexity.AI (and corrected in at least 4 places for spelling through my computer's editing tools--showing that it's always necessary to edit those AI requests carefully!!)

A Month of Holidays

Following up on my last post, I felt like it was good to mark our calendars. December is known by many as the month of Christmas and Hanukkah. But it's a month of much more than that when it comes to the many global, cultural, religious, and heart-centered holidays. 

In this season of giving, sharing, caring, and peace, it's good to know how full this season is for all. Click here for a bigger version.

Here are some brief snippets about some of the holidays that may be lesser known:

❄️ St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6th): Historically from the legend of bishop St. Nicholas, children in parts of Europe leave out shoes or boots to be filled with small gifts and treats, reminding families of secret kindness and the origins of Santa Claus.

❄️ Bodhi Day (Dec. 8): Celebrated by Buddhists worldwide, Bodhi Day honors the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama under the Bodhi tree, and is a day of meditation, study, and acts of kindness.

❄️ St. Lucia Day (Dec. 13): Especially popular in Sweden and Scandinavia, St. Lucia Day features processions of children dressed in white with wreaths atop their head, the singing of songs, and the sharing of baked goods, symbolizing hope and light in the darkest time of year.

❄️ Las Posadas (Dec. 16th-24th): Celebrated by Catholic, Mexico and Latin Americans, this holiday re-enacts the journey of Mary and Joseph, with nightly processions and communal hospitality reflecting unity and compassion.

❄️ Yule (a Pagan-Wiccan holiday) and Winter Solstice (Dec. 21st): Marking the shortest day of the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the return of the sun, with festivals of light, reflection, and hope for new beginnings.

❄️ Pancha Ganapati (Dec. 21st -- 25th): A five-day Hindu festival of family harmony, forgiveness, and renewal centered on Lord Ganesha.

❄️ Festivus (Dec. 23rd): Popularized by the show "Seinfeld," Festivus is a lighthearted, secular holiday that features quirky traditions like the "Airing of Grievances" and feats of strength. 

❄️ Jólabókaflóð (Dec. 24th): An Icelandic tradition that celebrates love and togetherness by exchanging books and reading with family.

❄️ Boxing Day (Dec. 26th): Traditionally celebrated in the UK, Canada, and Australia, Boxing Day began as a time to give gifts or charity to service workers and those in need, and today it’s most often marked by shopping, community donations, and sporting events.

❄️ Kwanzaa (Dec. 26th-31st): A celebration of African heritage, unity, creativity, and collective hope for a better world.

❄️ Guru Gobind Singh’s Birthday (Dec. 28th) A Sikh celebration honoring the Sikh leader’s teachings of equality, service, and peace.

❄️ Omisoka (Dec. 31st): Japanese New Year’s Eve, which is focused on family, home cleansing, sharing meals, and peaceful beginnings.

Calendar created at Canva.com.

Thanksgiving: The Ripple Effect & Circle Effect of the Season

Years ago, I had an incredibly small class--all boys--at a school I dearly loved. The school had water around 2 sides of the property, right on the Magothy River. I have a strong memory of a specific lesson that year where we went to the water, throwing stones in, watching our circles while discussing the importance of how our actions ripple out, often not knowing where our impact will go or end.

When I looked back (in an archival fashion) to see when I wrote about the pebble, the water, and the ripple effect, I was struck with the irony of it being Thanksgiving 2015--a decade ago. Maybe it was embedded on my brain... or perhaps it's just the cyclical nature of life:

The circles that grow from a pebble being thrown in the water...

The circle of family that gathers around the Thanksgiving dining room table...

The circle of hands that unite when coming together in union and thanks.

The circle of community that encompasses us--especially during holiday and hard times.

The circle of love that comes from a heartfelt hug or embrace.

The circle that leads toward sustainability.

Nature loves a circle. 

It all is like the ripple effect, and Thanksgiving certainly has its own. 

​​

Thanks, gratitude, and appreciation encircle us this time of year. It is from here we can pay forward the sentiment of the seasonal holiday by giving our thanks: to each other, to our faith, to our communities, to our surrounding environment and world. We can give the gift of thanks to nature by way of picking up litter, cleaning up our neighborhoods and parks, weeding gardens, plantings trees, donating food or time, or helping where needed. These "Acts of Thanks" not only can lift our spirits, but provide us with a sense of purpose, encircling us with gratitude and a sense of responsibility to others and our planet.

This gift keeps giving. It is the ripple effect. And it's a powerful gift that fills us with a greater connection to what surrounds us while simultaneously building unity and community.

It also reminds us that small acts such as these have a ​cumulative, heartwarming impact. Which begs the question: what small thing can you do to show your gratitude for the world around you?

So whether you celebrate Thanksgiving, "Friendsgiving," harvest, or something else, may this season fill you with appreciation and generosity. May it circle around you, spiraling forward and toward positive action--nurturing you, your loved ones, and the nature around you to help make the world a better place. You never know where your impact may end.

Image from https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/68594061-ripples-of-autumn-leaves-in-warm-golden-waters and https://stockcake.com/i/autumn-leaf-reflection_461084_76099 and banner image created at www.canva.com

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 

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*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

Still Thinking About Jane & Her "Famous Last Words"

I'm still thinking about Jane Goodall, here well over a week since her passing. I ran across this art from Eco With Em's Facebook Page and it felt powerful in this day and age. I'm already missing Jane's courage of her convictions and the fight backed by hope that she always led with.

If you like Eco with Em's style, check out Emily Ehler's website and her book: Hope is a Verb: 6 Steps to Radical Optimism when the World Seems Broken.  I wrote about this book my February 9, 2022 post A Trio of Messengers of Hope. This post also includes mention of Dr. Jane Goodall's book: The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide For Trying Times.

Also timely, last weekend, Netflix released their first episode of "Famous Last Words," a show concept where many famous people are interviewed individually, with the conversations kept under wraps until the event of their passing, at which point Netflix will air the interview postumously and as a celebration of the life of a cultural icon. Their first episode: Dr. Jane Goodall. Conceptually, this program stems from a similarly named show in Denmark “Det Sidste Ord” (“The Last Word”), created by Mikael Bertelsen.

For more on Netflix's first episode from Variety Magazine, click here. To watch the 55 minute documentary "Famous Last Words: Dr. Jane Goodall," check it out on Netflix. Watch this two minute trailer--which will leave you wanting more for sure! 

I found myself wanting for a world where there was more time for this amazing, compassionate, wise, optimistic, wonderful woman.

Image from:  https://www.facebook.com/ecowithem/posts/pfbid0YjqDLzNF5BTA6HpfNMVjjXLtDqiXr2n3RKBrzJoT4P9yi2cxppdeuCEjVhGJT6ksl, Dr. Jane Goodall "Famous Last Words" image and video clip from https://youtu.be/1BZ0je7I90E?si=HT6TdQbL4Iiy5ha4

Saying Goodbye to Dr. Jane Goodall

As a person who has curated their Facebook to have a plethora of environmental education sites, I feel like every other post I am seeing since Wednesday is paying tribute to the amazing Dr. Jane Goodall. A brilliant woman ahead of her time, a primatologist, conservationalist, environmentalist, and global advocate for the planet… Her loss hits hard.

I got the opportunity to meet her at my former “green school” school (Gibson Island Country School) in 2008 at the culmination of our Bay Week. How we managed to secure such an incredible speaker still is beyond me. As luck would have it, her visit was a day—one side or another—from her 74th birthday. 17 yrs ago. Jane Goodall and her sense of environmental hope have been a guiding light in my life. Upon news of her death on Wednesday almost all folks in my house (including my children) were like “noooooooo!” Jane Goodall most certainly is a global treasure whose expertise, guidance, and wisdom will be missed.  We thank you Dr. Goodall for your service.

Here are the 10 articles I have written about Jane Goodall here in GTG over the years, detailing her books, her philosophy, her grace, her wisdom, and her role as a leader. May we all be more like her in our pursuit for the betterment of our planet and society.

• Happy 91st Birthday, Dr. Jane Goodall  (Apr. 5, 2025)
  
• Presidential Medals of Freedom  (Jan. 15, 2025)
• Jane Goodall's 90th Birthday--Environmental Champion  (Apr. 24, 2024)
  
• A Trio of Messengers of Hope  (Feb. 9, 2022)
  
• Women's History Month, Environmental Style  (Mar. 24, 2021)
  
• 60 Seconds with Jane Goodall  (May 16, 2020)
  
• 3 Decades of Time, On Either Side  (Oct. 9, 2019)
  
• Jimmy & Jane (Fallon & Goodall, That is!)  (Sept. 23, 2017)
  
• The Love of Books... And Jane Goodall  (Aug. 29, 2015)
• Happy 80th Bday Jane Goodall!!  (Apr. 2, 2014)
  

Jane Goodall duo pic from https://deadline.com/2025/10/jane-goodall-dead-1236567674/; Collage created using Pic Collage and my photos.