Not to be a downer, but one of the most beautiful places on the planet is burning. Any kid who’s seen Star Wars could recognize this as the forest moon of Endor; many adults will know a redwood forest when they see one. But whatever you call it, this wooded retreat is magic. In fact,…
Tag: climate activism
What I was going to say…
Nothing is about all I can muster at the moment. The Australian wildfires are simultaneously the one thing on my mind and the one thing I’m refusing to think about. I was working on a list of resources for composting in New York but I am experiencing a bit of a collapse at the moment….
Trading cotton balls for reusable rounds
Let’s talk cotton balls. They’re soft, they’re squishy, they’re incredibly disposable. Disposability is part of their appeal, but with serious questions about how sustainable it is to produce cotton, and ethics around farm labor, I’m trying to transition away from my more consumptive habits and opt to not buy cotton if I only intend to…
Toothpaste (that isn’t paste)
Designers take note! I’ve found a toothpaste that can actually look attractive while sitting on a bathroom shelf. It’s called Bite and I found it when researching alternatives to toothpaste sold in plastic tubes. I grew up using Colgate, so for me, nothing tastes cleaner than a mouthful of fluoride and I’ve been buying toothpaste…
Today’s tea: compostable packaging
Today’s Tea: Your compostable packaging is only compostable if you actually… compost it. Sure, we can applaud companies who use compostable plastic cups and compostable paper bowls but the praise is meaningless if we put those compostable items in the trash. When we put compostables in the trash, they go to the landfill where they…
Studying climate change with friends
This week I’ll begin a distance learning course on the topic of climate change, and I’ll be joined by a few friends. We’ll be studying the materials on our own and as a group, then hopefully we’ll be sharing what we learn with others through discussion nights, workshops, or other methods. The course is offered…
Goodbye, bags. Thanks for the litter.
It’s a big deal: New York state has banned plastic bags. The ban will take effect next March. So, prepare to say goodbye to bags in the trees, bags in the gutter grates, bags in the park, bags on the beach, bags tangled around a pigeon’s leg. We’ve had a good run plastic bags (have…
The Williams Pipeline and the airing of grievances
This was my view of last night’s DEC hearing on the Williams Pipeline, held at the Bay Ridge Manor in Brooklyn. Residents from New Jersey, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Rockaways, and beyond gathered to share their objections to the proposed pipeline that would carry fracked gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey to the Rockaways via New…
These are the young people suing the US government
Last night didn’t go exactly as planned. After work, I headed to the New York City Society for Ethical Culture on the Upper West Side. My intention was to attend the Food and Water Watch New York chapter’s monthly meeting, where we would discuss how to stop the Williams pipeline that is supposed to carry…
Climate Conscious 