Plastic-Eating Microbes to the Rescue!

Not all heroes wear capes... nor are they all "larger than life." 

They may in fact be microscopic... and they maybe bit-sized bacteria. Bioengineered to eat their way through problems, these mini-sized superheroes are environmental problem solvers.... designed to digest plastic waste!

In an innovative twist, there is a growing field of science dedicated to the microscopic solution to a major problem: plastic pollution. Scientists are working to "genetically train" minuscule bacteria (called microbes) to break down PET plastic, which is the plastic used in soda bottles, clam-shell style plastic food containers, and synthetic fibered fabrics. 

Yes, it sounds more like science-fiction than science. 

But it is not new, and dates back to over two decades:

• In 2001, Japanese scientists led by Kohei Oda discovered a collection of bacteria at a garbage area that were degrading plastic. "Eating" it, if you will. As they consumed this plastic trash, it led to the bacteria to grow and multiply. 
• Scientific research over time led to the 2016 discovery by Kohei Oda and Kazumi Hiraga that the microbe Ideonella sakaiensis' enzymes could break down PET plastic. This in turn served as energy for the microbes.

Working in labs through research like this, scientists have discovered that they could help fast-track this process through genetic engineering. This "superpower" of science, combined with technology, helps speed up the process, helping to power through the plastic pollution problem. Of course, "speeding up" is all relative as it is currently still a rather slow process.

There's a name for this: biorecycling. It also could potentially help turn the plastic waste into new products, which ultimately saves resources down the line. Biorecycling is an emerging and growing field, so it not an overnight solution, Yet, it does open up possibilities of cleaning up oil spills, eliminating microplastics from water sources, and helping tackle hard-to-recycle materials. Additionally, with it being a new-technology, there are a lot of unknowns. Last thing anyone wants is for a solution to create new problems. Especially environmentally. (We've all seen the damage invasive species can do. Take Kudzu, Spotted Lanternflies, and Asian Carp for example.)

But it's hopeful to see a shift in the idea of "waste" as an end product. Rather than a dead end, it shifts to a "circular economy" model, transforming an item into something new rather than ending it in waste and pollution. Kind of nice to have a clean up crew of nature's tiny microbes!

Check out the clickable interactive below to learn more about how microbes can eat their way to our environmental solutions. I like the idea of having a shrinky-dink-sized clean up crew of nature's superheroes!

Click here for a screen-sized version of Microbes and How Microbes Eat Waste Digestion: Evolution and Engineering Concepts by Vicki Dabrowka

To do a deep dive into a some of the scientific research, check out these articles:

• Guardian's ‘We Are Just Getting Started’: The Plastic-Eating Bacteria That Could Change the World (9/23/2023)
• Eco-bees' Engineered Microorganisms (2025)
• University of Edinburgh's Microbes Transform Plastic Waste Into Paracetamol (6/23/2025)
• Nature Biotechnology's Plastic-Eating Bacteria Boost Growing Business of Bioremediation (9/23/2024)

Image created at Canva.com using the Magic Media tools; Interactive created in Canva.com using Canva Coding on June 23, 2025 with the following prompt: "Create an interactive HTML concept map showing how microbes evolved or were engineered to "digest" waste at a 5th grade reading level.Let students click each part of the images to reveal a short explanation." Circular vs linear economy image from https://www.facebook.com/storyofstuff/posts/pfbid0Gk9nmV5yx7vqS7jATiTxoL3arLuJo1aq7pBnPWZSdvggdUcqcwyHSWs8VQwG183Fl

Plastic Free July

Stop. 🛑 

Set a timer for 60 seconds. 

Watch that minute count down. 

In that minute (not to mention every other minute), the equivalent of one garbage truck full of plastic finds its way into the ocean. With 525,600 minutes in a year, that amounts to over 8 million TONS of plastic pollution created each year. 

But that's just what ends up in our waterways. Compare that to the approximately 400 million metric tons of plastic humans globally produce each year. And of that, 91% is often still not recycled--hard to believe when recycling has been "a thing" for decades. 

Not to mention, a majority of this is single use plastic--used once, then tossed. 

We need to be "once bitten, twice shy" instead! And July is a great time to flip this script. Plastic Free July is the perfect time to ditch disposables, rethink packaging, and demonstrate that "plastic is not fantastic." 

Small behavior shifts can make a a difference in our consumption, our landfills, & our values. 

Grab your stainless steel straw, your reusable tumbler, your tote bag of tote bags to make moves to step away from plastic.

Here's an oldie but goodie--It's not me, it's you:

Places to check out:

• Plastic Free July's website:
• To learn, go to their Ideas & solutions 
• For inspiration from others, check out their What Others Do page
• Take their Plastic Free pledge where you can get inspired by their visual gallery of pledge cards
• The Story of Stuff's "Fight Plastic Pollution" page
• Plastic Bank's Facebook page

Videos from https://youtu.be/ByayHG5CscE?si=0WkLH0_YXsmmRhHA and https://youtu.be/-DEc16dEMns?si=SIOjks5X-RLzQHk1, images from https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/resources/assets/ and https://123timer.com/60-second

The Environmental Cost of AI

I have been embracing AI and trying out a multitude of platforms: ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, Claude, Google Gemini, Canva's "Magic Media Tools," and more. Increasingly, AI is integrated into existing platforms for teachers, students, everyone. I've used it for planning a trip to Spain, for the scrapbook commentary of my pics from that trip, for recipes, for lesson planning, for photo creation, for revising & summarizing, and  on and on more. Additionally, I'm planning a one-day teacher professional development workshop for one day this summer--so I've been living in it a lot!

Along my research travels, I ran across this infographic from Educators Technology that Med Kharbach, PhD. It describes the environmental impacts of AI. With us all on our computers all the time, we don't think that one more website might have as big of an impact as it does. But clearly, as it shows below, it's not just the website. There's the energy consumptions, carbon footprint, mineral mining & resource depletion, multiple levels of pollution, and transporation costs. It's a lot to consider here while technology's innovation solves many of our problems, it also creates new ones too... all of which highlights the importance of addressing environmental issues and making it a planetary priority!

Images from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1092111519614816&set=a.558590699633570

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.

Eight Ways To Celebrate Earth Day

Happy Earth Day 2024

If you are still looking for ways to celebrate your Earth Day, here are 8. Take care of Mother Nature today in order to feel your personal impact on the planet!

Erase Plastics in your life! With the 2024 Earth Day theme "Planet vs. Plastics," what can you do to eliminate your own plastics. How long can you go without plastics? A day? A few days? A week? A month? More? 

Also, check out the "End Plastic Pollution Earth Day Calculator" to see just how much you use...and what you can do to eradicate it.

Announce, applaud, admire, accept, and adopt a mindset that kindness, social justice, anti-racism, a sense of community, equality, fair treatment, and the betterment of society are all environmental justice issues. So often, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) populations and lower income/poverty level communities tend to get the negative effects of climate change, pollution, and more.. NIMBY ("Not In My Backyard") is an attitude of influence, prejudice, privilege and entitlement when it comes to polluting factories or landfills "should be over THERE" (aka: not here, in my backyard, where I have to see it and live with it.). Don't be that guy (or gal)! Abandon your prejudices and biases and argue in favor of equality!

Really go all in with all the R's...Repair something or reuse it versus replacing it. Reduce your waste. Refuse to trash something or buy it to begin with. Remove the need to keep up with the Joneses, buying what you don't need. Think responsibly. Act rationally, radically, and rally together, sharing ideas. Remind others of all they can do to help your local and global and planetary community!

Take an online quiz via Gapminder.org. Gapminder is an independent educational non-profit fighting global misconceptions, with their mantra "Upgrade your world view." Use their non-partisan, fact-based tools and teaching materials to get a true handle on what life is like in the world.

Some good Gapminder quizzes to start with include: Global Warming, Plastics in Ocean, Threatened Species, Electricity Access, Water at Home, and many more.

Help out by a nearby park, neighborhood, schoolyard, or stream by going by and staging your own environmental clean up. Remove trash and litter to help create a happier habitat for the plants and animals that live there!

Downgrade your transportation needs for the day. Can you find a better way to get from Point A to Point B? Consider carpooling, biking, walking, or taking public transportation as a cleaner way to get around today, this week, or this month. Downsize your commute and your environmental impact by working from home if you can.

Abandon a wasteful mentality. Turn off the lights when leaving the room. Stop the faucet flow when brushing your teeth. Buy only what you plan on eating so you don't have to worry about cleaning the refrigerator or throwing away old food. Do you need 14 or the same shirt or with one or two suffice. Bring your reusable shopping bags so you don't need single use plastic or paper grocery sacks. Use a real fork or plate versus a consumable or plastic one. Going out to eat? Take your own reusable containers for your leftovers you want to eat at lunch tomorrow.  Argue against that idea that you need extras when you have enough!

Yearn to learn....never stop. "Yomp" as you go and explore nature and the natural world (aka; move quickly and energetically toward your goal with "determination and resilience"). Yield to new ideas that embrace a global perspective, a vision of human connection, and an attitude of environmental stewardship.

Happy 54th Earth Day, everyone! 

Would love to hear what YOU did 

to take care of our planet!

Earth Day sign and letters created with letter frames and pictures on Canva.com.

Happy New Year 2024

A new year is is ahead. 2024. 52 weeks of new are right here with the flip of the calendar page. 

Using ChatGPT, I created this ABC list of environmental well-wishes for your year ahead. May it serve as an inspirational checklist of 26 ways you can green your routine and your 2024.

Afforestation adventures await! Plant some trees or visit some new forests to check out their flourishing biodiversity.

Breathe deeply and take in the bliss of crisp, clean air by "getting out there."

Cultivate sustainable habits and conscious choices for a greener and cleaner future. Start by looking at your home products.

Dive into the depths of eco-conscious decisions. Say no to plastics when you have a pollution-free choice instead.

Embrace renewable energy by opening windows or curtains to bring the sun and wind power in.

Foster a love for our feathered friends. Visit a bird sanctuary or do a little backyard bird watching.

Grow a garden of green: make your backyard bloom with blossoms or a become a bounty to veggies to feed your family. 

Harness some humans-nature harmony: take time out in nature to find fellowship with flora and fauna.

Illuminate your home with energy-efficient lightbulbs to save money and energy.

Join hands with environmental advocates for Mother Earth.

Kindle the flames of environmental education to spread eco-awareness to keep knowledge going and growing.

Let love for our Earth be a guiding star, leading us toward sustainable practices and eco-friendly living.

Marvel at the beauty of marine life, less impacted by mankind, though not immune from pollution.

Nourish your body with organic food to maximize your own health and wellness.

Optimize waste management in your own home: turn trash into treasures when you recycle, upcycle, reuse, and refuse what you no longer need.

Plant the care of conservation by supporting endangered species and restoring ecosystems.

Quietly observe the delicate balance of nature, appreciating the beauty of the separate seasons.

Reduce your own transportation impact: while you might not be ready to buy a lower emission electric vehicle, can you carpool, walk, ride your bike, or take public transportation to get from point A to B?

Sow seeds of environmental stewardship, cultivating a sense of responsibility and care for our home planet.

Turn the tide on pollution, so that our rivers and oceans run free of marine debris.

Unleash your own creativity and celebrate the creativity of architects and artists who masterfully weave sustainable design and environmental awareness to their work.

Value, protect, and celebrate the variety that makes up the rich tapestry of species of life on Earth.

Walk gently on the Earth, leaving behind footprints of kindness and care.

'Xperience the joy of eco-friendly exploration. Go out and adventure into the great outdoors. We protect what we love.

Yearn for a world where green spaces thrive, especially in urban worlds where green spaces provide an escape. 

Zero in on sustainable solutions. May zero-waste lifestyles and circular economies become the norm.


Disclaimer: AI was my friend with both the ABC list and the art of this post. I used ChatGPT and the following prompt on December 17, 2023 to build the inspiration for this post. My prompt that I used to create this post: "You are a creative and genius wordsmith who loves to craft creative text. Create an inspired ABC list of environmental well wishes for the new year ahead: 2024."  I then tweaked the verbiage a bit to make it a more streamlined post. Art created using the Magic Media tools of Canva.com using this prompt (then I added the embellishments of the year and graphics): "Happy New Year picture, realistic, pixar style people of all ages and races there, including white, asian, hispanic, and black people celebrating the new year with a happy new years signs around the room, in a party setting."

Microplastics are Everywhere.

What did you do the last hour? I went to the neighborhood coffee shop to grab a hot green tea and have some quiet time while waiting to go set up for a summer PD class I am teaching some school colleagues. Apparently I also inhaled 16.2 bits of micro plastics. Add that up, that amounts to an inhaled ingestion of microplastics per week, which is equivalent to the amount of plastic in a credit card. Yikes!

Sadly, it's not news (or shouldn't be) that we consume microplastics in our food. Plastic is everywhere. Fish consume plastic from marine debris in the seas. Unfortunately too, plastic can sometimes find its way into farm animals' feed. And, it has also been found in fruits and vegetables.  Those of us who eat (aka: all of us) end up eating whatever it was that they ate.  

Microplastics are classified as any plastic material that is less than 5 millimeters long. They can be produced intentionally (like glitter) or be by-products of degraded plastic.

I learned about this new way of taking in microplastics first by seeing this Instagram post from Plastic Pollution Coalition. From there I found the following article on IFLScience's UK-based website and written by Maddy Chapman: "We Inhale A Credit Card's Worth Of Plastic Each Week - Where Does It All Go?" (June 19, 2023). They referenced the Physics of Fluids study about inhalation of microplastics. The particles, once inhaled, larger were found in the upper airways, including the nasal cavity and the back of the throat. Over the course of a week, this amount totals to being about a credit card sized quantity. 

Thinking it through, not to be gross but that's a lot of icky plastic boogies and phlegm on top of ingested microplastics via food. (And yes, there are studies that indicates microplastics found in human waste and even human blood and breast milk.) Thinking all of THAT through, it certainly has the potential for major health concern over time. Even the thought of 52 credit cards stacked on the table to indicate a year, feels frightening when you consider that all ends up in your system--and all on the microbits of plastic that we eat by way of food consumptions! This definitely indicates we need to take a serious look globally at our plastic production and consumption to address the issue at hand.

Credit card being inhaled image created using the AI text to Image element at Adobe Firefly https://firefly.adobe.com/generate/images?prompt=a+person+inhaling+a+credit+card&style=photo&seed=97454&seed=9162&seed=47619&seed=31438&aspectRatio=square&locale=en-us, Plastic Pollution Coalition Instagram post https://www.instagram.com/plasticpollutes/?hl=en

Just in Time for Earth Day: Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All

On Earth Day this past Saturday, I was delighted to run across this post on social media from the Plastic Pollution Coalition.

I love that the White House issued this the day before Earth Day! As I have learned more and more over the past decade about environmentalism, it has been striking how much a part of it is tied to environmental justice. NIMBY is a real thing, and it impacts black and brown communities and those less affluent in many ways! 

NIMBY, by the way, stands for "not in my backyard," which is a philosophy of many of where we want -- and need -- different global solutions, but people don't want them in their backyard. Classic examples include subsidized housing, waste facilities, factories, wind or solar farms, homeless shelters, and more. Typically the ones complaining and who are heard, are also the ones with power, influence, voice, money, and majority. So more often than not, these items appear in lower income neighborhoods, where the negative impacts affect minorities disproportionately to those in the majority. Additionally, these populations also feel the greater impact of climate change.

Hence the need for environmental justice!

To read the White House Fact Sheet of Biden's Executive Order, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, click here.

Additionally, among the many facets of the executive order, Biden and the EPA have released the draft for "National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution." Open to the public for comment, this 41 page document (that you can access online), highlights the following 3 quoted objectives and proposed actions from page 1 of the document:

1. Reduce pollution during plastic production
2. Improve post-use materials management
3. Prevent trash and micro/nanoplastics from entering waterways and remove escaped trash from the environment.

Marine pollution is certainly a problem that even if we tackle it today, there is pollution and waste that is out there that will still make its way into waterways over time. 

Commitment such as both of these major moves is worth celebrating and I'm proud that Biden and the EPA unleashed it right during Earth Day season. It's time we start making forward movement collectively in favor of our planet!

Facebook post from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=606086091547046&set=a.478972317591758 and https://sustainability.uconn.edu/environmental-justice/ and https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/5-ways-we-can-improve-ocean-health/

Plastic Man in Senegal

A picture often speaks louder than words. 

That is what environmental activist Modou Fall is hoping for. And from the look of the foreground and surrounding area, plastic trash and pollution are certainly a problem, as seen here on Yarakh Beach in Dakar, Senegal. 

For over a decade, Modou has been traveling around West Africa to spotlight the pollution and environmental problem we are facing... and making sure he's remembered as he goes in his awareness uniform. Having founded the organization "Clean Senegal," Modou educates others on the peril of plastic pollution and its global impact. He goes by the name "Plastic Man." His plastic inspired uniform (which he has repeatedly stated is not a "costume") takes after Kankurang, a Senegalese cultural icon who protects the land, donned in woven grasses, protecting its people from evil spirits. He feels that by teaching others to protect the environment, he  has many of the same roles to the local people.

To read more about Modou, check out this article in the New York Times or see these pictures over at The Guardian.

Image from  https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2022/nov/21/plastic-man-in-senegal-on-mission-against-trash-in-pictures

Environmental Justice Index

I love a good mapping tool and online interactive. The Environmental Justice Index is just that type of tool that can help communities become aware (and track) environmental risks. Using a combination of data from the US Census, EPA, CDC, and more, the Environmental Justice Index helps track a myriad of information.

From their Fact Sheet: 

"The Environmental Justice Index (EJI) is the first national, place-based tool designed to measure the cumulative impacts of environmental burden through the lens of human health and health equity. The EJI delivers a single score for each community so that public health officials can identify and map areas most at risk for the health impacts of environmental burden. Social factors such as poverty, race, and ethnicity, along with pre-existing health conditions may increase these impacts. This tool helps public health officials prioritize action for those communities most at need."

The Environmental Justice Index tracks the following Health Index Indicators (click here for the PDF & graphic organizer):

• Social vulnerability
• Racial/Ethnic Minority Status 
• Minority Status
• Socioeconomic Status
• Poverty
•  No High School Diploma
• Unemployment
• Housing Tenure
• Housing Burdened Lower-Income Households
• Lack of Health Insurance
• Lack of Broadband Access
• Household Characteristics
• Age 65 and Older
• Age 17 and Younger
• Civilian with a Disability
• Speaks English “Less than Well”
• Housing Type
• Group Quarters
• Mobile Homes

• Environmental Burden
• Air Pollution
• Ozone
• PM2.5
•  Diesel Particulate Matter
• Air Toxics Cancer Risk
• Potentially Hazardous and Toxic Sites
• National Priority List Sites
• Toxic Release Inventory Sites
• Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Sites
• Risk Management Plan Sites
• Coal Mines
• Lead Mines
• Built Environment
• Recreational Parks
•  Houses Built Pre-1980
• Walkability
• Transportation Infrastructure
•  High-Volume Roads
• Railways
• Airports
• Water Pollution
• Impaired Surface Water

• Health Vulnerability 
• Pre-existing Chronic Disease Burden 
• Asthma
• Cancer 
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Poor Mental Health

All of this definitely highlights the intersectionalism of all of these issues and why environmental justice is social justice.

The Environmental Justice Index Interactive itself allows you to put in a location and then zoom in to see where its overall index falls between high, moderate to high, low to moderate, low, and no data. I was able to zoom into both my hometown county and city. I was able to get a lot of data--down to how high the prevalence of blood pressure is (or any on the list above). It's a lot of data on one location!

Indented quote from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/eji/fact_sheet.html, image from https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1559555588358492160

If Trash Could Talk

We all want a voice, because in having one, then we can be heard.

Archaeologists have long since been the historical voice through their archaeologist digs. You can learn a lot through the remains, and that remains true for both ancient and modern day trash. In that way, archaeologists are trashologists or garbologists!

Just like the Lorax spoke for the trees, these resources below speak for the trash. The video (🎥) may bring a smile, the book (📙) of poems might bring some enjoyment, and the experiments (🧪) might bring some hands on science... but more than that, hopefully they cause you to pause and rethink what you are using in order to go forward making different choices.

📙 If Trash Could Talk: Poems, Stories, and Musings (2018) by Jacquelyn A. Ottman

🧪 If Trash Could Talk experiment from the American Museum of Natural History 

🧪 Trash Talks from AIA Education Department

🧪 Trash Experiments from KonnectHQ

🎥  If Trash Could Talk from Buzzfeed Videos:  

Emojis from https://emojipedia.org/

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGZto1xCXgk 

Floating Faucet of Plastic

Clamshell carryout containers.

Red solo cups.

Plastic bottles.

Straws.

Take-out utensils: Forks, Sporks, Spoons, Knives....all wrapped in plastic.

This is just a fraction of the carnage the last 20 months of pandemic carryout and ordering in. In fact, single use plastic has been up 250-300% since the pandemic began. As we shifted to single use items to help keep the Covid germs at bay, our consumption of plastic and single use items skyrocketed...which also means so did our waste and our over-reliance on plastic. 

In an effort to show how important it is to "turn off the plastic tap," Ben Von Wong created a 3-story art installation of a faucet pouring out plastic. Ben is known for other environmental installations including ones comprised of 168,000 straws, 18,000 plastic cups, or 10,000 plastic bottles. Part of what he wanted to show in this installation and the number of pictures he took was that "there is no away." We attempt to "throw things away," but this place does not exist. Nor can you "recycle things away." Plastic Pollution is a real problem, and one that needs a solution.

It's actually a really good message to keep in mind as we wrap up Thankgsiving, move past Black Friday (and their weekend deals), approach Cyber Monday, and make our way to Christmas. (Do you really need all of that plastic that's out there, tempting your wallet?!?)

To see more images of all of his installations, check out his website.

Image from https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/blog/2021/10/4/turn-off-the-plastic-tap, Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8ZJypW2IRw&t=24s

Continuing to Make a Difference, One Act At A Time

According to Wonderopolis, a video goes viral when it tops 5 million views, typically in a very short time and due to multiple shares on social media.

Over 18 million views strikes me as viral. 

This video, posted by Pall Sidgurddson in April 2019, showcases both how pollution in the form of marine debris has impacted nature AND how connected the human and natural world can be. The video details scuba divers helping an octopus replace its plastic cup shell with something far more protective. You can learn more about the dive and experience on Upworthy's article entitled "Kind Scuba Divers Try to Convince a Tiny Octopus to Trade its Plastic Cup for a Shell." This one small act of kindness potentially saved both this coconut octopus and any potential, future predators from consuming that plastic cup. 

One small act of kindness always makes a difference!

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTJbdy097m0

Environmental Justice Resources

From the EPA website, "environmental justice" is not as simple as a Websters definition. In fact, it has 3 defining points:

Sadly, over the eras, many of our black, brown, indigenous, and impoverished people have been living in the places where most of our environmental hazards have occurred. Some are due to bad luck and poor living conditions. Some are due to white communities adopting a NIMBY attitude (aka: "Not In My Backyard"). And sadly some have been purposeful governmental choices... making injustice far from a coincidence and rather by design. Due to this, environmental racism is a real thing.

A lot of conversations have been happening over the last year or so particularly centered around racism. Nationally, it certainly came forefront to us all as we sat at home, gazing at our televisions and the news as there wasn't much else to do in 2020 in the middle of a pandemic and we saw the stories of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor surface. Likewise, we have also been talking about a lot of diversity, equity, and inclusivity issues at my school--more this year, but it's been a growing conversation over the last several. Books like Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho (and his YouTube videos), White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, and How To Be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi have been on my reading list over the last two years.

Given all of that, I was particularly struck when I ran across this extensive compilation of anti-racist resources for nature lovers. That was a thing? Why yes, it is--because of environmental justice (and injustice). Compiled by Wilder Child (a great website and now one of my new favorites to follow on Facebook as well), the resource list is entitled "Decolonizing Nature Connection: Resources for Raising Anti-Racist Nature Lovers." In addition to environmental justice by way of everything mentioned above, interestingly enough, nature is not necessarily as accessible as one would imagine! Environmental injustice has made being out in the great outdoors a more "white thing" than I ever thought. I mean, nature is free, right. And yet, I'm learning, it's not as free as I thought it would be.

The resources are plentiful and all through the lens of environmentalism. It provides a lot of interesting choices for my 52 Weeks/52 Books goal this year. In fact, my next book ready to read in my Kindle app is J. Drew Lanham's book The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature, one from the "Decolonizing Nature Connection" list. I'll be reporting back later on that read after I finish it.

If all of this leaves you wanting to dig more than into Wilder Child's growing list and you find yourself interested in doing a deeper dive into the conceptual background of Environmental Justice, check out these two articles:

• Yale Experts Explain Environmental Justice
  
• Vox's There’s a Clear Fix to Helping Black Communities Fight Pollution" by  Rachel Ramirez (2.26.2021)

Collage created on Canvas.com using pictures fromhttps://images.app.goo.gl/fbEiM9kfthK3Q6FHA, https://www.teatown.org/what-is-environmental-justice/, and https://comingcleaninc.org/environmental-justice, definition of Environmental Justice is a screenshot from https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/learn-about-environmental-justice, Dr. Robert Bullard quote image created on canvas.com, screenshot of "Decolonizing Nature Connections" by Wilder Child from https://docs.google.com/document/d/18-D6-ZZA5rmgiapiokAFMte3isYK8dVqXswE8d16xlQ/edit?fbclid=IwAR3LHO0HsmE0trGYJ9PYUsooCPu2GcJdiTUs3wXS-prKv98Gs9nOyLAG1Sc

World's Largest Lesson: Global Goals For Sustainable Development

While researching the late Sir Ken Robinson, I ran across this video series about the World's Largest Lesson. Created a few years ago, this ties in the with United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development, with their target date of making "our planet fair, healthy, and sustainable by 2030." Both were written by Sir Ken Robinson. And... with the second one narrated by Emma Watson, and the first narrated by Malala Yousafzai, how can it be anything but amazing?!

On The World's Largest Lesson website, there are a wealth of free resources (including lesson plans) and ideas for taking action as students. 2030 is a mere ten years away. 

With every year, it becomes more daunting, but we can certainly do the important work, if we put our minds to it! These videos certainly serve as inspiration!

The World's Largest Lesson pt 2 - with thanks to Sir Ken Robinson and Emma Watson from World's Largest Lesson on Vimeo.Videos from https://vimeo.com/worldslargestlesson/english-malala and Part 2:  https://vimeo.com/178464378, Part 3: https://vimeo.com/266852848

Sailing the Seas of Citizen Science

In the 3rd and final part of my series following some of the 2019-2020 Severn School Van Eney Fellows Projects, activism and advocacy continue as senior (now graduate) Baillie McNitt merged her love marine biology, citizen science, and global health initiatives to to a deep dive into microplastics. Her project involved constructing a Low-impact Aquatic Debris Instrument, or LADI trawl, which came to be known as True the Trawl. Additionally, she created a YouTube channel to curate & document her beach clean up and more.

Using her LADI trawl, she also analyzed and classified her microplastics findings into 5 groups to determine the original source of plastics: fragments, fibers, foams, nurdles, and microbeads. By having this level of research, Baillie was better able to make the connection to the item--which ultimately helps keep marine debris out of our waterways. From there, she created a set of guidelines to help people reduce their use of plastic.

Here is Baillie's 6 minute "TED Talk" style explanation of her project.
Van Eney '09 Fellows: Bailey McNitt '20 from Severn School on Vimeo.


To learn more about Baillie's design process and project, check out her Fellows website. Of particular interest, check out her video page on her website. My personal favorite: "Seven Household Products that Contribute to Micropollution."

Going forward, even though there will be college life after Severn, you can't take the environmentalist out of Baillie. She has plans to share some information from of her Fellows project with Severn's Surfrider Instagram page to promote reducing marine debris.

As you go forward, think about the big and little things you can do in your house to minimize your plastic use. If you don't use it, it certainly won't wind up in our waterways!

Video from https://youtu.be/L4L7fU806ww, Compilation image created at Canva.com using pictures from Baillie's website: https://severnfellows20bmcnitt.weebly.com and micro plastic image from https://severnfellows20bmcnitt.weebly.com/bullet-journal

Student Advocacy: Zero-Waste Lifestyle

In Part 2 of my series following some of the 2019-2020 Severn School Van Eney Fellows Projects, activism moves away from a documentary on activism and takes a look at living a zero/low-waste lifestyle. Environmentally-minded high school seniors (now graduates) Maddi Meyer & Solana Page did a deep dive into what taking on a zero-waste lifestyle would look like, living that life for the better part of a year.

Secondarily, they turned their own personal activism into advocacy by creating a guide for other folks to follow in their footsteps. Their pursuits had them in search of environmentally-friendly shops that promote zero-waste that use reusable containers and locally-sourced items. They looked at more natural products to replace common items such as dryer sheets or toiletries. Some of their finds included reusable snack bags, wool dryer balls, cellulose sponges, and bamboo scrub brushes. They visited the landfill to see where our waste ultimately lands.

Their guidebook plan shifted from a coffee table-style book (with plans to have it printed on recycled paper and with soy ink) to an eBook when the coronavirus quarantine shut down their publishing plan. That eBook guide can be found on their Fellows website, with distinct ways to reduce waste in your bathroom & kitchen, and at the grocery store, restaurant, beach, and with your school supplies.

Here is a brief 6 minute TED Talk style video explanation of their process and product.

Van Eney '09 Fellows: Maddi Meyer' 20 and Solana Page '20 from Severn School on Vimeo.

May their dedication on this project serve as inspiration for you to think through what you are using (and perhaps ultimately wasting) at home.

As Maddi said in their video: "Small changes can have big impacts."


Video from https://vimeo.com/422529761, image created at Canva.com using pictures from Maddi & Solana's website: https://severnfellows20meyerpage.weebly.com

Revisiting the Concept of Scrubbing With A Smarter Soap

These days, it's all about washing our hands. It's our best line of defense against germs and disease to wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.

Two companies have taken an environmentally sustainable mindset approach to soap that keeps the planet in mind. In doing so, they both attack the overuse of plastic, which then leads to plastic pollution.

I mentioned Forgo (from the Swedish company Form Us With Love) in my previous PBS Design Squad post. Forgo's innovation has us adding their soap powder with water to create a foaming hand soap. In doing so, it eliminates plastic pollution because of the refill and reuse concept. Forgo started on Kickstarter earlier this year with deliveries are expected for July 2020.



Another company with a similar approach is Blueland. Their approach is to add a tablet to water to create hand soap.. They also have other cleaning supplies that are tablet-based such as multi-surface, bathroom, or window/mirror cleaners. Blueland's mission statement is very environmentally-centered.



As more and more of our shopping happens online to be able to shop while keeping health in mind, these are two great approaches that may serve you and your family well while also helping our planet. I've not tried Blueland and Forgo is still coming, but these certainly are products worth checking out!


Videos from https://youtu.be/Nrfq2lI8P30 and  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK6KmMaHJ-I, photos from https://www.blueland.com/products/hand-soap-starter-set-multi and https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forgo/forgo-essentials-personal-care-reinvented