Hopeful Stories

I love the following stories of businesses, people, and governments doing the right thing for our Earth. These stories give me hope, and I hope they inspire you, too. Click on the links to read more of the articles.

** California will require solar on all new homes!

** Fabulous news on the plastic pollution front:

* The Chicago White Socks baseball team ban straws!

* The United Kingdom becomes the first country to ban straws, and wet-wipes

* The island of Vanuatu bans plastic

** James Shaw Jr. stopped the gunman, and then raised funds for the victims!

**Michael Bloomberg, donates 4.5 million for the Paris Climate Agreement!

** Some really good business news…. General Mills is growing crops for their organic products that are organic, help the soil, and don’t harm water, regenerative agriculture.

** And more good agricultural news, the European Union has banned neonicotinoids which are so harmful to our bees and butterflies!

Regenerative Agriculture. Regenerative Agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services

Marvelous May

Action For Happiness has a new calendar for May. I Hope your May is meaningful, and that you get outside to do something you love everyday. Going for a walk, time in my yard, and peaceful bike rides make me happy. What outside activities make you happy? Enjoy!

Create More Happiness in the World!

No Straw, Thank you!

This is from No Straws Please Mpls:

Everyday 500 million straws are used and thrown away in the United States. Many end up in the ocean where they do lots of harm. Watch Gutsy Grackles video

Active April

April is always, “Pick up litter” month. Can you get outside everyday and pick up at least one piece of trash for the 30 days of April? I challenge you to join me. On my daily walks I pick up litter.

Also, Action for Kindness has a new calendar for Active April. Have fun, be happy, be active, and help our earth. http://www.actionforhappiness.org

Also, pick up at least one piece of trash everyday! https://health4earth.com/2015/03/31/pick-up-one-piece-of-trash-a-day/

Eat For the Planet!

It’s meatless Monday!

Choose to Be Happy

March 20th is the International World Happiness Day. This year, 2018, Finland has been declared the world’s happiest country. Read about it here. Finland is followed by Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. It amazes me that these cold Nordic countries tip the balance of happiness, obviously there is a lot more than long dark winters for happiness! These countries that are more environmentally savvy and conscious and consistently top the list of greenest countries. Clean air, clean water, renewable energy, and reducing plastic pollution are their way of life.

Happiness suggestions from me and Actionforhappiness.org
1. Do things for others and volunteer your time
2. Take care of your body, go for a walk, eat fruits and vegetables
3. Pay attention and live your life mindfully
4. Learn new things, and lose yourself in something you love
5. Have goals or things to look forward to
6. Everything won’t go the way you want, but happy people bounce back and are resilient
7. Look for what is good and smile
8. Accept yourself, be comfortable with yourself and who you are
9. Be part of something bigger than just yourself
10. Get outside and enjoy our world! 11. Listen and be thankful!

Celebrating Women

Women are the heart of the earth, they get the big picture, and many see the need for community, and compassion for our Earth. If our planet is to survive, it is to the women we must turn. The past year has been an incredible year for women, and I hope many more women will feel empowered to move us to a better future. A future of community, communication and understanding beyond just power and profits! Get in your groove, and go girl go!

Worth a read: womenarebetterfortheplanet

Recent Good News

This is my occasional series on good news stories, I hope you learn something about the world and communities working together.

** Students of America stand up to their elected officials and the NRA. “We have the right to go to school without fearing for our lives!” Read at future leaders

** Across the Atlantic Ocean some awesome things are happening in regards to eliminating plastic. First, Queen Elizabeth declares war on single-use plastic at the palace and eating establishments that are part of the Monarchy. Also, a British supermarket eliminates plastic

** The marvelous country of Taiwan has set up a plan to eliminate single-use

plastic from their country. Read here

** A group is planning to plant over a billion trees in Trump’s Forest to counteract the negative environmental damage being done in the United States. Read at Trump Forest

** Below is from https://www.ecowatch.com/ about the positive things that have happened in renewable energy during 2017

The cost to install solar has dropped by more than 70 percent since 2010 in the U.S.

In fact, solar is on track to become the world’s cheapest source of power on an unsubsidized basis.

With no fuel cost and lower operating and maintenance costs, solar and especially wind are outcompeting even the most efficient new gas plants in states like Texas.

Renewable energy is creating jobs 12 times faster than the rest of the economy in the U.S.

While solar accounted for only 1 percent of our power mix in 2016, it already employs more people than the entire coal industry.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, solar installer is the fastest-growing occupation in the U.S., with wind technician coming in at a close second.

Other good news stories: https://health4earth.com/2018/01/29/our-world-is-moving-in-the-right-direction/

Ten Days of Love

“Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in.” Francis Moore Lappe

What better week than Valentine’s week to show love for our earth. Take the 10 for 10 challenge. Can you score a perfect 10 by completing these initiatives? Maybe you already do these things? Take a breath, slow down and think how you can positively make a difference. It’s easy, and I hope you learn something. Let me know how you do. Good luck!

Day 1 Go meatless, extra points if you also go vegan!

Day 2 Go plastic-free, no straws, plastic utensils, water bottles or containers, unless of course they are reusable.

Day 3, Reuse Day. Bring your lunch in a reusable containers, and remember your

reusable water bottle.

Day 4, Leave your car parked day. Walk, bike, car-pool or use public transit.

Day 5, Take a walk day. Enjoy the outside as you walk, listen for birds, the wind, water? What nature sounds do you hear?

Day 6, Water-Use Day. Become aware every time you use water. Is there a way you can reduce your water use?

Day 7, Cut Food-waste Day, Clean out left-overs and produce. Make a soup, a stir fry or wraps with your left-overs.

Day 8, Chemical-Free Day. Use vinegar and baking soda for cleaning, and shop for organic produce. Read about chemicals and air pollution here.

Day 9, Reusable-cup day. Bring your re-usable cup to the coffee shop, to meetings, and to work.

Day 10, Gratitude. Be thankful for our beautiful planet. What was the best thing about the past week? Could you complete 10 for 10?

Super Bowl of Recycling

Can the Super Bowl go zero waste? If they can, so can you! Minneapolis, location of Super Bowl 52, is an incredible place to go waste-free. We have recycle containers everywhere, and we have weekly home compost pick-up. Hennepin County and Minneapolis are committed to less landfill waste.

I think the NFL is sending an important message, “It is important to reduce our waste!” Yes, one big event is important, and we all need to educate ourselves and try to reduce our own waste. Read about the Super Bowl at zero waste.

Most communities don’t make it as easy as Minneapolis, but in tiny steps, we can all do better. Everyday I think about how I can generate less waste, and I know for a zero waste mentality to be successful, it must be EASY!

An easy way to reduce waste is to think REUSE. Before you throw something away, buy something new, or recycle something, ask yourself, “How can I reuse this?” I purchase products in glass jars that I will reuse, and I do reuse them. I believe in real dishes, real silverware, and cloth napkins. My reusable water bottles travel with me, something the NFL doesn’t allow at games! I reuse my plastic produce bags over and over, and take my reusable containers to fill with bulk items weekly. Hennepin County has a good list of how to start reusing, read it here. Remember to start easy, and you will get better, as you learn more ways to reduce and reuse.

I would start with cloth napkins as the easiest. As you get into the reuse mindset you will see many things you can do to reuse and reduce on your own. Good Luck!

Get out those real dishes, glasses and silverware for your Super Bowl party and have fun.