Fighting Flygskam

It's no surprise to anyone what an impact air travel has on the collective, planetary carbon footprint. It's come to have a name: flygskam. This Swedish word, which popped up in 2017 but gained popularity  shortly before the pandemic began means "flying shame." It is defined as climate guilt from flying, and is a term that came into being during Greta Thunberg's activism and refusal to fly due to the fact that flights can be extremely hard on our environment and contribute to high rates of greenhouse gasses. Additionally, many Europeans especially can take high speed trains at a much lower impact. Their choices reduced the amount of air travel right before the pandemic, double hitting the aviation industry.

Clearly it's a problem that needs to be solved as our world becomes more global and there is a greater need for people to be in other parts of the world. How can we do it responsibly? It is going to take innovation to help solve the problems of climate change and other environmental issues.

Board Now is just one of the many innovative plans trying to work on this solution. Board Now is a program that has partnered many organizations to build a coalition to reduce emissions through sustainable aviation fuel.  This Fues would be "made from sustainable feedstocks such as waste oils from biological origin, agri resides or non-fossil CO2." By having companies buy into the program, more refineries that produce sustainable aviation fuel can be built, which over time will lower the cost of this type of fuel. When companies affiliate with Board Now, they make a commitment to the planet to reduce overall emissions and their own carbon footprint while also helping to make this a more sustainable alternative overall in the field of aviation. 

To learn more about Board Now, check out their website. Also, be sure to check out some of the members and partners that are affiliated and on board with Board Now.

Flygskam video from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-09-26/how-something-called-flygskam-is-hurting-european-airlines-video, Board Now video and logo from https://boardnow.org

Bill Nye The Science Guy

A bit ago (perfectly timed about a week before Earth Day) the Baltimore Speaker Series had their final speaker of the season: Bill Nye. To me, he'll always be known as "Bill Nye, The Science Guy" (because I'm in that age group that knew him as such.) It was a sweet li'l moment of nirvana to be in the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, basking in the presence of his wit, humor, and intelligence, talking about science and our planet during Earth Day season!

Being foremost a scientist as well as an engineer, an author, speaker, inventor, he knows a lot about a lot. Clearly he believes in science and wants us all to know that it's important. The whole evening, and now as I reflect back, I'm struck by this quote that hangs in my office which is from Neil Degrasse Tyson [who is a good friend of Bill Nye's, by the way]:

I love Bill Nye's approach to everything. He makes you think. He makes you laugh. He makes you think some more. It seems a lot more of us in the world need to adopt that approach! A big part of his conversation was that the denial of climate change is NOT going to change anything. The science is real. 2010 to 2020 was the hottest decade on record. There is science in ice core samples, tree rings, fossils, shrinking glaciers in Greenland, and more that backs up the fact that rising historic temperatures all point to human impact. 

Bill Nye made reference to the Earthrise picture of the planet (taken by Bill Anders from space December 24, 1968). This reminded me of my recent Amanda Gorman post. Their messages of both were the same. We have a shared reality here on planet Earth. No political boundaries. One place. One people.

He also made reference to the 2022 Oscars Night/Will Smith slap that was heard around the world. Of course by now, that news has died down a bit, but media in the instant aftermath was highly abuzz about it. Bill Nye said if we all were talking about climate change in the same way and to the same extent that everyone was talking about Hollywood news, we'd be "getting it done." His messages: 

1. We indeed need to be talking about climate change and science as much as possible. 
2. Secondarily, we need to be voting (with the environment in mind when we do) or basically shut up and get out of the way.

His third message, which I found a mirror to what I always say, is that it's going to take big ideas and innovation to solve the climate crisis, which he deemed one of the greatest problems we are facing. Because we all share this world--we all share the air--everything we do affects everyone else. We can't say "fire" in a movie theater without consequences. We all need to work together to figure "it" all out. No one is coming to save us --it's up to us to figure this out.

Bill Nye also commented about Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S Constitution and how one of Congress' roles is to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." Useful arts is engineering and innovation. He stressed that it is in the Constitution to go forward with our big ideas and be problems solvers using innovation! It is our job to "create the future we want." Not surprisingly, this is the motto and mission of The Solutions Project, where Bill Nye is one of the 40 funders. Their goals? 

• To celebrate those leaders in the forefront of climate awareness and justice. 
• To push for 100% clean energy by 2050. Not only would this significantly help our planet, but it could generate 3 million jobs in renewables.
• To offer grants and support to those out there making a difference through climate innovation.

Bill Nye left that evening with an inspirational call for action--to go forth and change the world. It's going to take us, people! Let's do this! 

Neil Degrasse Tyson quote created at Canva.com; Final picture from my camera. Earthrise pic from https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/dec/22/behold-blue-plant-photograph-earthrise, Bill Nye photo quote from https://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/great-bill-nye-quotes/84820033/

Nathan Sawaya: LEGO Artist for the Earth

Nathan Sawaya's story fascinates me. Not many people go from lawyer to LEGO artist with a traveling art exhibit of his own, but Nathan did in 2007. I was in awe years ago when I saw his Art of the Brick exhibit (then in Philadelphia). It's amazing to see what he can do with buckets full of LEGOs. Sharing his story becomes a favorite for both my kindergarten students and me as I share this video and inspire them all to use the design process to become creators and LEGO innovators.

For the last year, Nathan has a new element to his Art of the Brick exhibit. Working with Australian-born photographer Dean West, they created the PERNiCiEM Collection. PERNiCiEM is Latin for extinction. This part of the Art of the Brick exhibit highlights endangered species with a mix of Nathan's LEGOs and Dean's photography. They feature fascinating facts about 18 animals in 19 exhibits. Included are where on the ICUN Red List of Threatened Species these animals are and why their numbers have diminished. (Spoiler alert--human threat to habitation or humans themselves are often the cause.)

 

The message in their collective art is that it is imperative to work to save our planet from climate change, deforestation, declining sea ice, polluted waters, and loss of species and biodiversity--for if we don't and these animals become extinct, only the plastic, LEGO-fied versions of these animals will be left. Reality will cease to be that, instead going more toward an artificial reality where we can only see these animals in their natural habitats through art, photography, or a digitized version of our world. 

 

 

The showcased animals in PERNiCiEM were created by Nathan, then they were taken to their natural oceanic, forest, grassland or arctic habitats and photographed by Dean.  The included animals:

• African Elephant
• Arctic fox
• Beluga whale
• Chilean flamingo 
• Cheetah
• Giraffe
• Hawksbill turtle
• Humpback whale
• Malayan tiger
• 
  Military macaw
• Northern white rhinoceros 
• Orca
• Polar bear
• Reef shark
• Sumatran orangutan
• Vaquita
• Western lowland gorilla
• Whale shark

This is not the first time that Dean West & Nathan Sawaya have worked together. They are also featured in the "In Pieces" exhibits marrying Dean's photography with Nathan's LEGO creations in a series of several works of art.

 

The PERNiCiEM portion of The Art of the Brick is currently on display in San Francisco and in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry (until September 5, 2022). If you can't make it to either of these locations, the be sure to check out the animals and art on the PERNiCiEm Collection website.

 

Video from https://youtu.be/8CP9hzSm60Y and https://ktla.com/morning-news/california-science-center-adds-new-exhibition-perniciem-the-endangered-species-connection/; Images from https://arteza.com/blogs/articles/artseen-art-gallery-spotlights-for-june and https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2021/04/25/nathan-sawaya-uses-toy-lego-as-a-medium-of-art-and-exhibits-his-artwork-on-earth-day

Chef José Andrés & World Central Kitchen For The Win... Again!

Middle of last year ago (in the middle of the pandemic and hybrid teaching), I landed on an amazing book entitled Immigrant Innovators: 30 Entrepreneurs Who Made a Difference by Samantha Chagollan. The book, written for 8-12 year olds, was one of those books I read in one sitting... then I went to one of my 4th grade colleagues with zeal and excitement as it was a perfect book to use with their 4th grade Immigration unit. Being a fellow bibliophile and information junkie, she too was tickled pink alongside me. 

Finding 4th grade-level resources for students to do specific biography research can be difficult. The book would perfectly suit our needs with it's kid-friendly, 4-page spread of 30 biographies of famous, current, modern-day immigrants. Plus, it tied to my tech-nature and love of innovation... and with a biography visual report activity we have done (some years on the iPad and some years in Google slides).

One of the 30 individuals mentioned in the book was Spanish-born Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen (and a multitude of other restaurants spanning at least ten cities). Shortly after assigning the biography study with the entrepreneurs from the book, I saw an article where José Andrés was giving out gift certificates to restaurant patrons in DC if they showed proof of vaccination. He was doing this to encourage more people to get vaccinated from the Covid-19 virus. That connection to our study had me excited, as we could bring this real world connection to our students.

José Andrés was in the news again earlier this year when he went to Poland with World Central Kitchen to help feed Ukrainian refugees after Putin and Russia's invasion into Ukraine. It was once again timed perfectly with our 4th graders' Immigration study. Additionally, for the past 3 years we have used the UNHCR [United Nations Refugee Agency's] website to teach the about the differences between refugees, migrants, internally displaced people, asylum seekers, returnees and more. The connections students were making to the news were incredibly strong. Additionally, it showed the value and importance of taking action to solve a global problem.

So it goes without saying, that once again, in difficult times, we look to the helpers. In the aftermath of the horrific Uvalde, Texas shootings,  Chef José Andrés is once again a helper. World Central Kitchen set up shop in Uvalde to feed the hurting community. Just as they have done time and time again with hurricane relief, wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes, families impacted by the climate crisis, and more.

Looking at the dedication of José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, you see the power of his humanitarian efforts. 

"World Central Kitchen started with a simple idea at home with my wife Patricia: when people are hungry, send in cooks. Not tomorrow, today.... You see, food relief is not just a meal that keeps hunger away. It’s a plate of hope. It tells you in your darkest hour that someone, somewhere, cares about you...This is the real meaning of comfort food. It’s why we make the effort to cook in a crisis.... After a disaster, food is the fastest way to rebuild our sense of community. We can put people back to work preparing it, and we can put lives back together by fighting hunger. Cooking and eating together is what makes us human." ~ Chef José Andrés

It makes me think of the UN Sustainable Goals. José Andrés has worked hard to knock at least 7 of the 17 goals out of the ball park. These are the things that give us all hope.

To learn more about José Andrés, check out these links:

• José Andrés' website
• World Central Kitchen's website
• ThinkFoodGroup--The parent company (founded by José Andrés) behind Andrés' restaurants. Their mission: "To change the world through the power of food."
• Watch "We Feed People" on Disney+ (Directed by Ron Howard, trailer below--the show is amazing.)

Images from: https://www.amazon.com/Immigrant-Innovators-Entrepreneurs-Made-Difference/dp/1950500276, UN Goals from https://www.materialise.com/sites/default/files/image-uploads/pages/Blog/corporate/un-global-goals-for-sustainable-development.png and modified by highlighting 7 of the boxes and adding a note, and http://edibledc.com/stories/bon-appetits-variety-show-will-raise-money-for-world-central-kitchen; quote graphic created at Canva.com, Video from https://youtu.be/-eYaSwwmGl4

What To Do When The World Feels Heavy

The world feels heavy right now. 

• The horrors of Uvalde & Robb Elementary School and the loss of 21 precious people
• 213 other mass shootings and 10 other mass murders in the US in 2022 alone (as of this writing)
• + years of Covid & pandemic with cases still going the wrong way
• Rising gas prices, inflation, the economy, & employment
• The invasion and War in Ukraine 
• The battle between autocracy and democracy
• Continued investigations of the January 6th Insurrection
• Partisanship at every turn, threatening rights of many
• Social, racial, gender-based injustice, bias, hate, and control
• Mental health and suicide rates at record highs
• The global climate crisis
• The perils of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news on social media

I could go on, but this certainly is getting depressing really quickly, which we can also add to the list as well.

It leaves many of us wondering "Why?" And "What can I do?" The first question often doesn't have an answer (or it has a complicated one). The latter question often leads initially to feelings of overwhelm or lack of power...but then with energy and anger it can lead us to take action, vote, and make a difference. 

But sometimes it takes a bit to get there.

It's no surprise that binge watching shows and finding escapes from reality inside our television are "a thing." I think that's why people have gravitated (especially during quarantine and beyond) to shows like "Schitt's Creek," "Ted Lasso," "Big Bang Theory,""This Is Us"... or maybe that's just me. But shows with heart, emotion, comedy, connection all tug at our heartstrings. They become treasured friends, and it's heartbreaking when "our" show comes to an end. We come to love the characters, and we learn a little bit about ourselves along the way.

Watching the final 2 episodes of the series "This Is Us" recently, I found myself becoming philosophical. (No spoilers, I promise.) Of course that's the intention of this show with its many timelines, seeing the characters at multiple stages of their lives. Our memories are the lifelines that hold our own timelines together. It makes us reflect a little on our own lives. It weaves in the threads of compassion and gratitude. "Ted Lasso" and his quirky optimism did the same. Valuable life lessons can be gleaned from his locker room pep talks and way of living. In fact, entire articles have been written about it.

In reflecting over the hard things listed above, I certainly feel the sadness and anger that have us living in a world facing these crises. Yet, here on Memorial Day weekend, I am struck by the gift of time this three day weekend--and the fact that time is not ever guaranteed. We see that in the list above. But, it also reminded me of hope. As I was scrolling back in GTG to find my February 9th post on hope, I also passed a few others that give me hope and are listed here:

• Encouragement for the Overwhelmed
• Amanda Gorman's "Earthrise"
• A Trio of Messengers of Hope

For hope is verb, and with it, we can all use the gifts we are given to take action and make a difference. To make sure the losses listed above are not in vain. To not let the power of evil override all the good. And there is good out there, my friends. There is. I hope you find some of it for you this Memorial Day weekend... and I hope you feel the power that comes in hope!

Images from https://www.facebook.com/TheHappinessInstitute/photos/a.351516046204/10157057130131205/?type=3 and https://m.facebook.com/channelmum/photos/5211325855572773/ and https://www.facebook.com/BrainyQuote/photos/a.336016016410584/1070067773005401/?type=3

TED's "Playbook for Protecting the Planet

A good curated list of gems is a beautiful find. It's a definite gravitational pull for me, as evidence from my recent eco and edtech podcast posts.

I happened on another that TED has put together in partnership with General Motors. They call it "A Playbook for Protecting the Planet." That certainly is a playbook we all need! 

As of this writing, there are 6 TED talks in this collection that are tied to nature, biodiversity, building environmental stewardship and fostering climate activism. They're are here, a mere click away!

Image from https://www.ted.com/playlists/815/a_playbook_for_protecting_the_planet

Encouragement For the Overwhelmed

This morning before school, while I was doing my daily attempt to keep my body moving on the exercise bike, I was doing my typical scroll through Facebook. I ran across the following post from The Hands Free Revolution FB page, written by Rachel Macy Stafford. The title alone grabbed me. "Overwhelm" is certainly a feeling I had been feeling lately, especially here in the last weeks of school (all teachers will know what that means and feels like) and as I am mentally approaching an upcoming surgery. The surgery is one I know I need and I know it will give me great relief from some pain I'm encountering, but it's scary and overwhelming and worrisome, especially through recovery. 

But this post caused me to take pause and it gave me a new mantra: One leaf at a time. It gave me a chance to really breathe, and take note of my mom's text last night to just keep breathing. Always easy advice for me to give and far easier for me to forget to tell myself. Thank you Rachel Macy Stafford for reminding me (and all of us) during this very busy season. And thank you for inspiring me to take my own "one leaf" photo.

ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE OVERWHELMED

I had to do something excruciatingly difficult last week.

And because this ordeal also impacted my family, I had to help my kids through it. 

 

Three Days Before
The Day Of
And Three Days After
Every ounce of energy in my body and soul were swallowed up to tend to this task. 

 

This morning,
Five Days After the Hardest Day,
I faced All the Stuff That Piled Up while I tended to What Mattered.

Somehow the tasks and demands I’d set aside had grown like out-of-control weeds.

When I grasped just how dense the overgrowth was in front of me today, I couldn’t breathe.

Then, I remembered the leaf. 

The Day After the hardest day, I took a walk and came across this tiny, perfect leaf.

Its vibrant green hue indicated this leaf had fallen far before its time.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, because nature is worthy of loving regard, just like humans.

I looked around—not another leaf in sight.

Just this one,
like it was there for a reason,
like it was trying to tell me something.

I got up close to listen, but my busy brain kept going back to The Difficult Thing.

I decided to take this picture, hoping the message would come eventually.

Today was that day.

As I faced the Unruly Mound of Demands and Deadlines, I heard what I needed to hear: 

“One leaf at a time, dear one.”

That’s what the little green leaf, who fell off a tree before its time, wanted me to know.

It’s like the leaf knew…
I got a girl graduating.
I got a book deadline looming.
I got a hole in my heart that I wasn’t expecting.

"One leaf at a time.”

It’s been months since I’ve heard anything that makes so much sense.

In this particular season, I must take my eyes off the big, scary tree.

I must focus on one leaf
one breath
one step
At a time.

That is how I will make it to the other side

and not miss the beauty along the way.

© Rachel Macy Stafford 2022

Reposted from https://www.facebook.com/TheHandsFreeRevolution/posts/569592247857719; Image from my camera.

EdTech & Innovation Podcasts

With podcasts still on the brain, I figured I was due to give equal time to the other two sides of the triple pursuit of GTG. 

Here are some EdTech & Innovation Podcasts that you will want to be sure to check out. I know I'm going to be doing some deep divers into these lists!

• EdTech Magazine's "4 Must-Listen Ed Tech and IT Podcasts"

• Feedspot's "50 Best Educational Technology Podcasts"

• Player FM's Education Technology Podcasts

• Restart Recharge Podcast: A Tech Coach Collective!

• EDNC's Here Are 12 Education Podcasts You Should Know About

• Tech & Learning's Podcast Playlist for Innovative Educators

• Board of Innovation's 10 of the Best Innovation Podcasts

• 60 Best Innovation Podcasts

Eco-Podcasts

I'm a major fan of podcasts--especially on big chore days at home or when driving (especially during longer trips). Being an information junkie can do that to you. 

I was recently looking for some new ones to listed to and ran across these curated lists of the latest podcasts in the environmental world! These will definitely keep you busy!

• The Good Trade's "9 Thought-Provoking Podcasts To Inspire Sustainable Living"

• Pebble's "20+ Sustainable Podcasts That Will Inspire You To Change The World"

• Feedspot's "80 Best Sustainability Podcasts"

Any good ones you know about--recommend them here! Always looking for the latest listen!

Image created at Canva.com

Do Nothing Day

Sometimes you need a "Do Nothing" Day. That's where I was recently at after a particularly full week of work and a whole lot of extracurricular, parental driving. This followed up another full week of germs when deep in our house. [Somehow, maybe 30 years of teaching, I ended up with super immunity and fared better than the rest!] 

As I was contemplating that and my "sit-outside-and-contemplate-stuff-on-a-beautiful-spring-day" mood, I was reminded of this infographic I'd run across around Earth Day on MindShift's Facebook page. It was posted with the following caption: 

"We could never have loved the Earth so well if we had had no childhood in it." –George Elliot #sketchnote via @kwiens62

I found myself on my Do Nothing Day finding a sit spot, reading on my patio, gazing at the clouds, petting the dog, and ultimately writing here. 

Phineas & Ferb definitely said it well:

"No place where we have to go....so we're just going to go with the flow... Slow down, look around you, throw your to do list away... Let's have a Do Nothing Day."

Yes, a Do Nothing Day is the right answer in every way!

Video from https://youtu.be/eB9H4HVeMW4; infographic from https://www.facebook.com/MindShift.KQED/posts/4991285797573966

Celebrating All Mothers This Weekend

 Mothers come in all shapes and sizes:

• Infant-holding new moms and moms-to-be
• Phone-calling our adult moms when we are grown
• Grandmoms, Aunts, & Mothers-In-Laws 
• Sister-Friends, Step-Mothers, Besties and more
• Father's who are fathers and mothers
• Memories of our own from when we were little
• Memories of own when they were aging 
• Memories of children or mothers we've lost
• Memories of children we never had
• Mother Earth, Gaia, Mother Nature

Celebrating all moms this weekend. 

Image created at Canva.com

The Importance of Travel

Over Spring Break, I did a little bit of traveling. It definitely was what I needed to step outside my "same ole, same ole." I got the opportunity to go back to an old familiar place as well as go to a new locale where everything I encountered was new. After two years of pandemic, where many of us have stalled plans to see new sights, I was reminded of the importance of travel. It's a wonderful way to see all the amazing, unique and unusual places on this Earth of ours. It inspired me to create this:

Infographic created at www.canva.com with information from https://www.aworldtotravel.com/reasons-why-travel-is-important/ 

I always get frustrated when these do not upload with the clarity that they should, To see this at Canva, click here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAE7z7e2ZfM/TDuGLvxb_vzAJ6Ew8hr4PQ/view?utm_content=DAE7z7e2ZfM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

David Attenborough Lifetime Achievement Award

Sir David Attenborough is in the category of "Environmentalist Greats" like Jane Goodall, John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, Rachel Carson, and Sylvia Earle. (For more "greats," check out this Treehugger article. No doubt, the list could easily be 5 times longer!). 

At the age of 95, he has been an avid eco-warrior for 7 decades. It is for that reason, he certainly deserves the honor that was bestowed on him last week, just before Earth Day: The United Nations Champion of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021. The Champions of the Earth awards are the highest award given out by the UN Environment Programme [UNEP] and is awarded to people for their contribution to biodiversity, pollution, climate change, other important environmental issues. They have been honoring environmental leaders since 2005. 

The Lifetime Achievement Award is not the only UNEP award given out annually. To date, the UNEP have honored "106 laureate, ranging from world leaders to technology inventors. They include 26 world leaders, 64 individuals and 16 groups of organizations." The categories and 2021 winners are as follows, and you can learn more about them here. Each award winner has a short video along with a tribute to their activities at the links listed below.

• Inspiration & Action Award: Nonprofit Group Sea Women of Melanesia
• Entrepreneurial Vision: Maria Kolesnikova from the Kyrkyz Republic
• Science & Innovation: Uganda's Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
• Policy Leadership: Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley

Check out this UNEP link to see the Laureates across all categories since 2018. Further filtering can get you to individual laureates dating back to 2005.

Image from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/04/movies/david-attenborough-a-life-on-our-planet-review.html; Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlvn23rSt0M

Amanda Gorman's "Earthrise"

The beauty about Earth Day is that we have come to the point, after fifty years and if you've been paying attention, that Earth Day should not be only one day. More than a day, more than "Earth Week," more than "Earth Month," every day should be Earth Day.

Many of us had never hear of Amanda Gorman until we were blown away by at President Biden's inauguration with her poem "The Hill We Climb." Since then, she's perhaps a modern day poet rockstar to many. As her website states, she's a wordsmith and a changemaker: rockstar indeed!

A dear friend from my very green school of days gone by shared this video of Amanda Gorman's poem "Earthrise" on Earth Day. Powerful. Inspiring. Meaningful and moving. Created before Inauguration Day in 2021! 

While Earth Day has passed, the meaning of the importance of that day has not. Every day should be Earth Day

Image from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55738564; video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOvBv8RLmo 

Earth Day 2022: What Are You Going To Do?

Happy Earth Day 2022.

With Earth Day this year on a Friday, it gives you not only Earth Day to make a difference, but the entire weekend.

My recent Earth Day post listed a lot of resources online to investigate. Excellent resources to learn from and, if you are a teacher, to help inspire you to bring environmental stewardship into your classroom. 

But Earth Day isn't just about education, it is also about "doing." It's about going out there and doing something that makes a difference to our planet Earth. Getting involved. 

For that reason, I'm referring back to a resource I listed in my April 13th post last week: EarthDay.org's 52 Ways to Invest in Our Planet. I love this list for so many reasons. It's a clickable list, so it is a great learning tool. I also love that there are 52 listed ideas. You could save one to do each week, giving yourself 52 weeks worth of planetary action to help make a difference. Additionally, you could print this copy I created and use it as a Bingo Board of taking action. 

How many things can you do this weekend to take action?

Bingo board created at www.canva.com using screenshots from EarthDay.org's list of 52 Ways to Invest in Our Planet: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/ . To print a higher quality version of this board, go to here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAE9f3yYDDw/s3FuUa50DTHnQedZ8-YzWA/view?utm_content=DAE9f3yYDDw&utm_campaign=share_your_design&utm_medium=link&utm_source=shareyourdesignpanel

How Well Do You Know Earth Day's History?

As a follow up to my recent post about Earth Day and with it swiftly approaching this Friday, it is time to test your knowledge! How much do you know about the history of Earth Day? Take this quiz and find out!

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F3KGYzN0lc, Image from https://www.cleanlink.com/news/article/The-History-Of-Earth-Day--13085

Holidays Abound

Surprisingly, it is not often when Easter Sunday, the eight days of Passover, and the month of Ramadan all overlap. 

This year they do:

• Easter: April 17th
• Passover: April 15th--23rd
• Ramadan: April 2nd--May 2nd

The reason for this is in part due to Ramadan being the 9th month on the Islamic lunar calendar. Additionally, the Hebrew calendar follows a lunar calendar but adds a 13th month in 7 out of 19 years to meet up with the Gregorian/solar calendar that we all use to follow January to December. With these different calendars at play, the simultaneous timing of major holidays within the sacred traditions Christian, Jewish, and Islam religions only happens approximately every 33 years.

All of this, along with the also highly secular nature of Easter in the United States, reminds us that the world is filled with a beautiful variety of people. We are connected to each other on this planet of ours. Earth Day on April 22nd is another reminder of that. 

I ran across this quote from Ben Irwin on Preemptive Love's website that sums it up beautifully:

"Human diversity is a lot like biodiversity: once it’s lost, it’s gone. And we may not realize how much we need it until it’s too late."

May we all take this spirit of diversity and carry it throughout the entire month of April... if not the entire year. Whether you are feasting for Easter to celebrate the end of your 40 days of Lent, fasting for Ramadan to celebrate during Eid al-Fatr, or fasting from leavened grains yet feasting in other ways during your Passover seder, may your holiday be one filled with love, family, and joy.

Pictures created at www.canva.com.

Earth Day Is On The Way

With Earth Day 2022 less than a week and a half away, it's time to dive into some valuable resources about this valuable resource of ours: our planet!

Earthday.org always has a wealth of resources. Here are just a few:

• Information on Earth Day 2022's theme: Invest in Our Planet
• 52 things to do and ways to invest in our planet
• Fact sheets by topic
• Ideas of ways to take action
• Education and action resources
• Quizzes on a variety of environmental subjects
• Information on Climate and Environmental Literacy

Population Education is always one of my favorite resources. They have a vast array of Earth Day activities, with lessons and activity packets by grade level.

PBS has an Earth Day collection of grade leveled activities that blends together environmental awareness with social justice and conservation.

At the United State's Environmental Protection Agency's website you can find an Earth Day countdown, projects and lessons for teachers, history, and more.

What are you planning for Earth Day 2022?

image from https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/events/earth-day-2022/

Have Yourself an Eco Easter & Planet Friendly Passover

Spring has sprung as evident with the popping of flowers and the warming of the weather. We all are probably ready to bid winter "adieu!"

With Easter ahead next weekend and Passover starting the 15th, folks are probably starting to get preparations in order. Here are a few ways to get a sustainable start to your holiday festivities ahead:

Celebrations in General--including Passover Seders:

• Cook less to have less food waste. Do we really need all those sides? Do we really eat all those leftovers? Plus it saves money and calories! And, if you do have leftovers, focus on eliminating those first with your next meal plans!

• Eat fresh and go plant-based when you can. Less of an impact on meat is always a healthier approach to the planet. Organic for the win!

• Candles make it cozy. Go for the eco-friendly variety and save some electricity with more lights out and build an ambiance.

• Decorate with natural items: plants make a beautiful table setting.
  

• Cut back on the plastic where you can. Whether that's cups, cutlery, or plates, less plastic always makes things more eco-friendly. Reusable items and washing those dishes is the better plan here. If that doesn't work, go with something that composts or biodegrades.

• 
  Go for zero-waste. If you are Jewish and turning over your kitchen to rid your home of grain items or only have kosher items on hand, give away the food you are eliminating. Donate unopened items to food kitchens or shelters. Plan early to reduce shopping for items you'll soon be wanting to remove.

• Tupperware items are always better than baggies and wraps when it does come to leftovers. Not only will it keep the plastic from leaching into your food (which is healthier for your body), but it saves valuable petroleum for something other than purchased throw-away plastic!
  

Easter Specific:

• Save those plastic eggs from year to year. Yes, it's fun to go on that Easter egg hunt, but you'll save money and resources when you can pull out that saved stash of eggs from year to year. Or, repurpose them into a DIY Easter wreath or centerpiece decorations. You also might be interested in investigating these plant-based eggs where no plastic was used in their creation.

• Same goes for Easter baskets. They don't have to come cellophane wrapped and new each year! Reusable baskets wooden or wicker baskets work just as well and can make for part of the annual tradition. 

• Likewise, Easter grass for those baskets does not have to be green plastic strips. That plastic grass won't recycle and will just fill a landfill. Plus, it gets all over the place. Instead use crinkled paper grass which biodegrades. Or, use seed-paper to create your own grass/basket filling!

• 
  Who says an Easter hunt has to be eggs. Scavenger hunts can come in all shapes and sizes. They can include small meaningful toys (don't just buy junk at the dollar store) or self-created coupons for fun surprises or events! Also, create a list of natural items like certain leaves, acorns, pinecones, and more to make it a memorable outdoor event to connect to nature.

• Individually wrapped candy creates a bounty of packaging waste--most of it plastic and not recyclable. Consider making tasty treats instead! Along the way, Fair Trade Chocolate is also more planet-friendly.

• Cheap disposable decorations are just that--cheap and disposable. Decorate with natural elements. Use cloth table cloths. Think outside the single use throwaway posters and cutouts.

• Use natural dyes when coloring your eggs. Steer clear of the plastic wrapped paint pellets that we see so often on the shelves and rely on some of the recipes linked above. Plus it is a good way to do some science experiments with your littles and have them literally thinking outside the egg dye box!

• When buying eggs, go for the compostable cardboard egg cartons versus styrofoam, which never biodegrades. 

Many thanks to these resources for the above ideas: 

• Lemarc Agromond's "5 Ways to Be More Sustainable This Easter"
• Sophie Hirsh's "5 Tips for Keeping Your Passover Seder Eco-Friendly" from GreenMatters.com
• The Chicago Botanic Garden's "Tips for an Eco-Friendly Passover"
• Emily VanSchmus' "Skip the Plastic Eggs: 6 Ways to Be More Sustainable This Easter" from Better Homes & Gardens
• Kane County Connects "Countdown to Earth Day: Invest in a Sustainable (and Less Wasteful) Easter" by Jesica Mine
• Earth Friendly Tips' "How to Have an Eco-Friendly Easter"
  

Images from https://ssfu.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/sustainable-easter/, https://www.greenchildmagazine.com/eco-friendly-easter-basket-fillers/, https://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/decorating/easter-table-setting-ideas/; https://www.brit.co/seder-table-settings/, https://ecoadventures.org/special-events/

The Grist 50 Environmental Fixers

When we all start talking about environmentalism, it gets easy to get caught in the doom and gloom. That land of weight and worry tends to do nothing for our sense of hope for the future. "Hope" is a word that I've seen in a lot of my environmental reads lately. Likewise, it is part of the name of Jane Goodall's podcast: Hopecast. Truly, it's what we all need to keep fighting the good eco-fight and give us momentum to keep going!

Inspirational environmental innovators can be a way to see that hope and be energized. Since 2016, Grist.org has been focusing finding these "fixers." They see these people as folks who go forward as problem solvers and "solutionaries." Gaining nominations from their readers, Grist makes a list of their Grist 50--50 environmental leaders who are charging forward in the areas of sustainability, climate, and equity. These men and women fall in the categories of art, business, tech, media, science, health, food, politics and more. They are chosen by their ability to work toward a healthier, more sustainable future while making a positive impact in their community, going the distance to come up with new and creative solutions to environmental challenges.

This year's categories find 2022's fifty folks falling in these categories: 

• Arts & Media: Meet 10 creatives shaping a new climate narrative
• Business & Tech: Meet 9 founders jump-starting the green transition
• Climate & Energy: Meet 9 visionaries powering a cleaner, more just future
• Food & Farming: Meet 9 trailblazers transforming how we eat
• Policy & Advocacy: Meet 13 leaders creating a more equitable system

Be sure to check out their archives introducing you to the annual Grist 50. Going back to 2016, that gives us 350 eco-heroes to celebrate! Plus, Grrist's digital tribute is visually amazing and different each year, bringing innovation into each year's presentation of people. It's an energizing and inspiring way to learn about seven years of fascinating people and what they are doing for all of us!

Image from https://grist.org/fix/about-grist50/

Little Seed Libraries

I've written before about my love of the Little Free Libraries before. They are darling and promote such a love or learning and reuse. Every neighborhood should have one!

Along the lines of this, I ran across a Seed Library when I was perusing Facebook. I found the following image on the FB page The Heirloom Gardener - John Forti. Can you imagine if we had these waterproof cuties out in the world, along people's path? It would promote gardening and perhaps even community gardens. What a wonderful way to spread the love of nature to young and old alike!

Image from https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=521529449334892&set=a.235991337888706