Protect this precious resource. Never idle your car!
It’s a day to celebrate our beautiful planet! Enjoy some time outside it’s a day to think about the future and what we can do better. I think we need to concentrate better on keeping our air and water clean. We have elected officials that don’t care about our water or our air.
What difference can we each make for clean air and clean water this next year? Some things we can do: Buy less stuff, keep working to lessen your plastic use, drive less and walk or bike more, plant native plants in your yard, clean storm drains, and pick up after your pets.
Celebrate our beautiful earth by walking instead of driving today!
“Plastic is not in harmony with nature. What if we built a world where polluting people and the planet was never part of the design?” Plastic Pollution Coalition
Below is an excellent survey of grocery stores and the amount of plastic they use to package their produce. This is a topic I have been interested in for many years. Ten years ago I stopped shopping at Trader Joes because of their plastic packaging. I have found places to shop that are more suitable to my values, and I only shop where I can purchase produce in bulk. I hope you find the study from USPIRG worthwhile. Not all stores have the same plastic footprint. I recommend shopping local food coops, but many stores have bulk produce.
Below is from USPIRG:
The produce aisle has a plastic problem.
We’ve all had that frustrating moment at the grocery store, staring down a lone bell pepper or a bunch of bananas wrapped in completely unnecessary plastic.
But as it turns out, not all supermarkets have the same plastic footprint.
That’s what our researchers here at U.S. PIRG Education Fund found when we surveyed 40 grocery stores across five U.S. cities. We checked the packaging for common fruits and vegetables including broccoli, carrots, lemons, strawberries and more. Let’s take a look at what we found:
Big retailers have big plastic footprints Our survey found that retailers vary widely in how much — or how little — plastic they use. In fact, the most plastic-intensive grocer in our survey (Amazon/Whole Foods) used nearly double that of the least plastic-intensive grocer (Rainbow Grocery, San Francisco).
We also found that the largest grocers by market share also tend to be the most plastic-intensive. In our survey, Walmart, Kroger, Costco and Amazon all ranked in the top five for the highest use of plastic packaging.
When it comes to taking home less plastic, shopping small and shopping local may be your best bet.
Packaging design choices can have a massive impact. Rigid plastic clamshell containers use far more plastic per unit of produce volume than any other type of packaging. For example, selling fresh basil in a clamshell might use up to 36 times more plastic than simply using a twist tie.
Be sure to avoid rigid plastic packaging such as clamshells whenever possible. And if an unpackaged product is not available, choose non-plastic packaging such as a paper bag or cardboard.
Plastic isn’t always necessary Plastic is definitely pervasive…but is it necessary? In a word, no. Most of us remember a time when grocery stores, especially produce aisles, used a tiny fraction as much plastic as we see today.
Plenty of stores still sell fruits and veggies completely loose, without added packaging. And while plastic film produce bags are the norm across all the supermarkets we surveyed, four stores also offered paper bags.
If sustainability is at the top of your list when deciding where to shop, keep an eye out for supermarkets that let you buy a bunch of bananas or a head of broccoli without plastic. To go the extra mile, bring your own reusable totes and skip those thin plastic film bags in the produce aisle entirely.
Navigating the produce aisle shouldn’t feel like a plastic minefield. While we hope our research will help you make informed decisions at the grocery store, we must also move toward a future with fewer plastic-packaged items in the first place.
Happy Tax Day in the United States! Why is it important that we pay taxes? I’m not for wasteful spending, but we need to elect people that line up with our values and do not want to take away our rights.
Let’s work to make the world healthier and safer instead of destroying it!
Today is World Health Day in recognition that the world needs to work together for world health. this years theme is to stand with science.
On World Health Day a world leader is calling to bomb Iran to destruction. What nut case would call for destroying a whole society and culture. These are real people. They are kind and intelligent people. I was there the last time Trump was president. The citizens were so friendly and wanted to talk to the outside world. They agreed that the United States and Iran had terrible governments, but they said we both have good people.
People I met in Iran
I hope the military powers will say NO to such stupidity.
Instead of sending bombs and insults lets work for world health and world peace.
World Health Day 2026: Together for health. Stand with science
Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we have ever known! Carl Sagan
Can’t wait to see the first butterfly. This is the mourning cloak, usually the earliest butterfly
Be kind to our Earth and to all people and all life!
Yay, April, the best month of the year. It is a month of Hope and Joy. It is Earth Month, calling us to action to protect our Earth. It is native plant month and Arbor Day and Earth Day. It is a month to watch for migrating birds, clean up our yard and finally ride our bikes. April is a month to spend outside!
The theme for this year’s Earth Day is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’. This theme is a reminder that we all have the power to make a difference where we live and work.
Unfortunately, my country is at war. We need to be concerned and speak out against killing people, wasting money, and harming our earth, but we can’t allow a few silly men to destroy our joy.
More than ever we all need to make a difference. ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ is Earth Days’s theme, get put there and make a difference.
Every day I spend time outside; I look for new spring happenings, I look for new buds, new birds, new sounds, and new life. I focus on what is joyful and good and spend time with good people. I work daily on reducing the plastic we use in our home, we drive minimally, clean storm drains, and strive for creating zero waste.
What is good today? The New York Times has a new, “Look for the Good newsletter sign up to get next week’s sent to your inbox.
Important: The Earth is not merely a resource to be exploited; it is sacred ground, our shared home. What we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves and to all of those who come after us. What exactly do religions teach us about Earth Stewardship? Read more: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/…/sacred…
Be kind, be safe and enjoy your time outside. And remember, what is good? PEACE on EARTH
In a world full of fear, be courageous. In a world full of lies, be honest. In a world where there is little caring, be caring. In a world full of copies, be an original. Because the world sees you. Because the world hopes for you. Because the world can be inspired by you. Because the world can get better because of you. Our own life is our message. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~ ✨️❤️✨️
“I have the power yo make me happy or unhappy. I can choose what it will be!” Dalia Lama
These are the results of this year’s World Happiness survey. The United States fell to 24th behind Saudia Arabia.
This year’s findings include:The Nordic countries retain the top spots in the world happiness rankings, Finland is No.1 (again!), followed by Iceland then Denmark; Costa Rica has jumped to 4th place. Young people’s happiness is falling in English-speaking countries. In places like North America and Western Europe, young people are significantly less happy than 15 years ago, unlike most of the world, where youth wellbeing has improved. Heavy social media use is linked to lower wellbeing. On average, those who use social media for longer periods report lower life satisfaction than light users. Not all screen time is equal. Activities like messaging, learning, and creating content are linked to higher wellbeing, while passive scrolling, gaming, and “browsing for fun” are linked to lower wellbeing. How social media is designed really matters. Platforms that encourage connection tend to support happiness, while those driven by algorithms, influencers, and comparison tend to harm it Many people feel ‘trapped’ using social media. A lot of users say they’d actually prefer social media didn’t exist, but they keep using it because everyone else does. Connection in real life matters far more. Feeling a sense of belonging (e.g. at school or in community) has a much bigger impact on happiness than reducing social media use alone.
The research is clear – we need to prioritise connection and community over scrolling and disconnection.
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.
Today is the International Day of Clean Energy!
Today, let’s think positive and celebrate what is good and getting better!
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.
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?
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