International Day Of Clean Energy

The progress to clean energy is hopeful in a world where it is difficult to be hopeful. The demand for electricity is soaring, and data centers are imposing an enormous load on our communities for energy. Unfortunately, some of our elected officials are pushing various types of burning as clean energy. They want to include the burning of garbage as a form of clean energy. Burning in any form from your backyard fires to burning garbage is NOT clean energy.

wind generator

Today is the International Day of Clean Energy!

Today, let’s think positive and celebrate what is good and getting better!

Below is from the Carbon Almanac:

Celebrating clean energy

Today, January 26th, is International Day of Clean Energy. Clean energy refers to electricity generated from sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and hydro that emit little to no greenhouse gas emissions.

The World Resources Institute has summarized the key statistics when it comes to clean energy in this article. The article highlights some positive news such as:

  • how clean energy is creating the majority of new electricity capacity
  • Investment in green energy is higher than fossil fuels
  • Growth in clean energy jobs

There are still challenges to overcome in the industry including distribution of investment and length of time to bring a project from ideation to production. But there is a lot of momentum behind green energy and it will be interesting to see how 2026 shapes up for it. 

ICE Out Minneapolis

Federal Agents Not Allowed On This Property

Our American government has created chaos and fear in Minneapolis and some parts of greater Minnesota. People living in the United States of America are disappearing.

My city is under seige from our own federal government. Our immigrants and people and children that aren’t white have gone into hiding. Last week students at one Minneapolis high school were pepper sprayed. Safety mandated our children not attend school, walk on the street or go to playgrounds. Many helpers are delivering food to families confined to their homes. Many helpers are also monitoring minority business and neighborhoods. doing what they can to keep everyone safe.

Below link is from MinnPost

The ICE occupation, unlike the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, is an intentional disruption


A city’s limit (From the New York Times)
Minneapolis is on a knife’s edge. One week after a federal agent shot and killed Renee Good, aggressive arrests have enraged residents. The Trump administration has redoubled its effort to deport illegal immigrants, sending officers into residential neighborhoods and the parking lots of big-box stores in search of people to grab. They’ve also detained — and roughed up — several U.S. citizens, and social media is awash in viral videos of the confrontations.

Meanwhile, activists have sought to observe, document or impede the agents, Julie Bosman reports. On WhatsApp, neighbors watch out for immigration officers and run from their homes to shout at them. “It feels like our community is under siege by our own federal government,” State Representative Michael Howard, a Democrat, told The Times.

The encounters can be terrifying. My colleagues verified images circulating this week that show agents tackling a man at a gas station and shoving Elliott Payne, the president of the City Council. Payne told my colleagues that there were federal agents equipped with assault rifles and combat gear patrolling the streets, repeatedly unholstering their handguns. “It feels like a military occupation,” he said.
Some of the stops go beyond ordinary law enforcement. In a few of the run-ins, you can feel the animosity building between federal officers and citizens they serve. One man The Times spoke to said he was glad that there were other people around to film his encounter with federal agents, which occurred after they rammed their car into his, forcing him to a stop.

He said he believed the presence of people with cameras had helped lead the agents to let him go. But as the crowd grew — the crowds always seem to grow now — and began to yell at the officers, he worried that the situation could tip over into something darker, something violent. “It makes them act different. NYT

The United States Exits Important Agencies

Everyone needs to work to help our planet. So much leadership is needed!

A chance for other countries to lead. France, Germany, England, Italy, India?

U.S. leaves international climate agencies
This week the United States announced it would be leaving 66 international organizations, agencies, and commissions which includes many related to climate change.

Among these is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which was adopted by all member nations in early 1990s and is considered the treaty which led to 2015’s Paris Agreement. The U.S. also previously announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, which will officially take effect on January 20.

Also included are:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
International Renewable Energy Association
International Solar Alliance
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
With these actions, the U.S. has further separated itself from other countries in the climate change space. Does its withdrawal give pause to the activities of other nations? Or will it motivate other countries to lead in this evolving space?

This is from The Carbon Almanac

Hope

Start the day with hope. Spring will come! Collective positive energy can make things better.

All people matter!

Embrace a new year and each new day with hope!

The road is before us!
It is a new day, a new beginning,
And it is filled with hope.”
Walt Whitman

Start each day with hope!

2025 has been a hard year. Wars are raging, too many die from gun violence, democracy is threatened, ICE is threatening communities, climate change brings storms, fires, drought and flooding. But we must move forward toward a new world. Our mental health is so much better if we start each day with hope and positive energy to make things better.

Below is from the NYT today:

While optimism is the belief that the future will be better, hope is the belief “that we have the power to make it so,” said Chan Hellman, the director of The Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma. It is “one of the strongest predictors of well-being,” he said. It helps improve the immune system and aids recovery from illness. More hopeful people may actually grow taller than less hopeful people.

To cultivate hope, people need three things. They first need to be able to envision a better future, either personally or collectively. Second, they need the willpower or motivation to move toward that future. And third, they must be able to chart “a path from where they are to where they want to be,” he added.

How to be more hopeful
There are a few ways, experts say.

People can set specific goals and then “begin brainstorming the pathways or road maps” to achieve them, ideally by writing them down, Hellman said. That can start small. “It is much better to set and focus on short-term goals rather than long-term, abstract goals,” he added.


That can often mean speaking more positively about other people. People gossip three times as much about the selfish things others do than about the generous things they do. To address that, an expert suggested “positive observation.”
Share one story of something positive that you observed or did that day. The research finds that when you know you’re going to have to share something, you pay a lot more attention to it.

Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and Heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as The list’ning skies,
let it resound loud as the Rolling sea

James Weldon Johnson, 1900

Daily Difference

Let’s all help to hold up our planet in 2026

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The Daily Difference Newsletter

Join the Daily Difference, a newsletter to help everyone around the world in taking action and making a significant positive impact. It’s not too late. The earth needs passionate people like you to spread the word and create meaningful change.

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December 30, 2025

It doesn’t need to be perfect

Taking action to heal the planet doesn’t need to be overwhelming.  It doesn’t need to be perfect.  It just needs to happen.   Take a moment today and be a difference […]

Read More

December 29, 2025

Doing the work

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is a report on the health of the world’s biodiversity. It is a comprehensive source of information […]

Read More

December 28, 2025

Shining a light on positive climate news

Negative climate stories in the United States often make the headlines – cancelling wind farm construction, accelerating oil and gas drilling, rolling back regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and air […]

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December 27, 2025

Voting for conservation

In Canada, and in many other countries around the world, it is often Indigenous people leading the way in sustainability and stewardship of nature. The Heiltsuk Nation, on British Columbia, […]

Read More

December 26, 2025

Packaging producers now pay in the UK

In the United Kingdom, companies who make packaging are now having to pay as the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has started its enforcement stage.  What is EPR? It is based […]

Read More

December 25, 2025

Helping young people engage in climate actions

Mihir Rao, an 18-year-old from Alberta, Canada, is helping other young people to learn how to influence decision-makers. Rao, who is also a winner of the 2025 I-SEA Youth Climate […]


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Less Stuff, More Joy

How can you generate less trash and less junk?

This is from the Story of Stuff. I hope you will give it some thought and make thoughtful purchases for the holidays and all year.
“This time of year, the pressure to buy more — and waste more — is everywhere.
Black Friday doorbusters, holiday flash sales, limited-time offers: overconsumption during the holidays isn’t an accident. It’s by design.

And the consequences are massive. Americans generate 25% more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s — an extra one million tons of trash every week. From impulse purchases tossed by January, to mountains of packaging, the holiday season has become a pipeline of extraction, production, shipping, and disposal.

What we rarely see are the impacts hidden upstream. Most of a product’s environmental footprint happens long before it reaches your door — through rapid mining of raw materials, energy-intensive manufacturing, and global shipping emissions that fuel the climate crisis.

Fast fashion hauls and holiday overbuying only accelerate the damage. Every second, a garbage truck’s worth of clothing is landfilled or burned. Electronics, toys, gadgets, and seasonal “stuff” flood into toxic e-waste dumps around the world.” Story of Stuff

But there’s a different story we can tell — and build — together.

Trying to be more climate friendly with gift giving this year? This holiday gifting guide will help you get in the spirit while saving you money and deepening the meaningfulness of your holiday season.

plastic-free tips

Start now to reduce your exposure to toxic plastic.

Small wins add up. Here are a few plastic-free tips to try this weekend.

☕Bring your own plastic-free reusable cup for drinks on the go.

🍴Bring your own metal fork from home so that you can skip plastic utensils.

⛔ Say no to receipts (BPA).

🫙 When it comes to leftovers, store food in glass, ceramics, or stainless steel foodware.

🍓 Shop naked. Buy produce that isn’t wrapped in plastic.

👝 Don’t forget your reusable bag so that you can skip single-use plastic bags.

What are your go-to plastic-free tips?

#PlasticPollutes#BreakFreeFromPlastic#PlasticFree

Toxics in Plastic– From Consumer Reports

Plastics contain a variety of harmful chemicals that can leach into food and beverages, posing significant health risks. These chemicals include bisphenolsphthalatescarcinogensneurotoxic chemicals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Exposure to these substances can lead to a range of health issues, including neurodevelopmental problems, metabolic disorders, reproductive issues, and even cancer. The presence of microplastics in the environment and human bodies further complicates the health risks associated with plastics. 

Consumer Reports

Buy Nothing Day

Go for a walk. Enjoy our beautiful world

Tempted to buy extra stuff today? The pressure is on, the ads are running, and it’s hard to avoid all of the sales. Here are a few ideas to manage the shopping frenzy:

💚

 Buy nothing.

🌳

 Step outside and get some fresh air.

💚

 Visit your favorite green space.

🌳

 Call or visit a loved one.

💚

 Spend time with yourself or a pet, with your favorite seasonal drink.

🌳

 Really need an item? Consider buying just essential items that need to be purchased anyway.

💚

 Support a local and sustainable small business, instead of big-boxed stores.

🌳

 Instead of purchasing something new, see if you can buy it second-hand, borrow it from a friend, or rent it.

Feel free to take the pressure off today (if you can), and buy nothing.

🗣️

Quote by earthlyeducation on IG

#BuyNothing#Overconsumption#PlasticPollutes#BreakFreeFromPlastic#BlackFriday

Make it a plastic-free day!

Thankful

Thankful

Sam Ssifton of the New York Times created this poem from six word phrases sent to him by readers reflecting on their gratitude.

The way my toddler says potstickers.
Did scary things. Didn’t die. Encouraging.
My backyard garden that feeds us.
The cold side of the pillow.
We celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary.
I’m grateful for being fired.

*

The joy of a wedding dance.
New beginnings and a playful Chihuahua.
The crow that brings me rubbish.
A July day at Wrigley Field.
My little orange cat, Cinnamon.
America’s compassion finding its voice.

*

Only momentarily a widow. Defibrillators rock!
Sun on snow, white diamonds glistening.
First house, fresh paint. Goodbye, gray!
Family, sobriety, heavy metal, Cheddar cheese.
Sun rising. Moon setting. Another day.
It won’t always be like this.

*

A man I melt into nightly.
I’m grateful for Spam. Comfort food.
Hummingbirds. Photocorynus. Clouds. Pula. Haiku. Sprites.
Sunny deck, soaring birds, hot coffee.
Love, enough money, health, moist turkey.
My one wild and precious life.

I hope you have a restorative and grateful holiday. Sam Sifton, NYT

gratitude makes you happy

Happy Thanksgiving!

Start From Where you Are!

Yes, we all can make a difference. Small changes can lead to big changes.

A great thought for the day. How can we have more control? The world can be a discouraging place. Especially when we have elected officials that are taking us in the wrong direction and wasting taxpayer dollars. The only thing we have control of is our own behavior, and instead of being angry we can use that energy to make a positive difference. Below are some ways you can make a positive impact without much effort. Good Luck. Below is from the Carbon Almanac:

When countries and companies lessen their commitment to targets and activities for climate change, it can be disheartening as systemic change is critical for big impact. If you feel powerless to influence systemic change, you can start where you are.

Some ideas of how to start:

  • Start by having a conversation with friends
  • Start by taking one less trip in a combustion engine vehicle
  • Start by shopping at a thrift store
  • Start by buying produce that is not wrapped in plastic
  • Start by bringing a reusable mug to your favourite cafe
  • Start by finding a local environmental group

And my list to get you started:

*Always carry reusable shopping bags

*Never idle the engine of your car

*Write letters to elected officials and newspapers expressing your opinion (positive and negative)

*Plant a native plant or a native tree

*Listen, smile and be kind

The key is to start (or keep) taking action. One action can lead to another and then another. And by sharing what you are doing, you can inspire others to join.