The chart below really got us thinking about the clothes we wear and how little we know about where they came from — and what it took to get them to the stores we buy them in.
The flow chart is from Mother Jones as part of MJ’s intensive investigation into Walmart’s attempt at greening their company in order to reduce its environmental impact.
Freecycle:
To recycle by giving away an item for free. This includes anything from books and magazines to clothes, furniture, appliances, bicycles, tools, and anything in between.
Join the online movement to keep perfectly good stuff out of landfills and share goods with people. Go to freecycle.org.
Norman Lear knew that film and TV could impact audience behavior 24 years ago when he co-founded EMA. EMA encourages TV shows and movies to incorporate environmental issues into story lines. Doing so increases awareness which leads to activism and eventually, change.
Researchers at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center released a study measuring a movie’s power to change the behavior of people who see it. The study of more than 20,000 people found that those who saw the 2010 Oscar® nominee Food, Inc. had significantly changed their eating and food shopping habits. Continue reading
McDonald’s will become the first national chain in the US to serve certified sustainable seafood at all locations. Many types of fish have been used in McDonald’s products over the years, and though at one time may have been sustainable, the new certification will ensure that all fish and seafood are up to sustainable standards.
This just might be the one time ‘dropping bombs’ is a good thing. Guerrilla gardeners are beautifying urban areas with desolate landscapes by dropping bombs on them. Seed bombs that is. A seed bomb (or flower grenade) is made up of compressed clay filled with seeds and other nutrients that are rolled up into a little ball.
The ball, or bomb, is then thrown into neighborhood areas that could use some sprucing up like empty lots, parking medians, and random sidewalk spaces. The bomb eventually ‘blows up’ into a patch of flowers or native plants – or herbs – or vegetables – or whatever, depending on what kinds of seeds are in the bomb. Continue reading
According to the Los Angeles Times article the Honda Civic’s two-year reign is over; the Prius is now King in California. Even though the Ford F-series is still America’s favorite vehicle, eco-conscious Cali is driving the Toyota Prius more than any other car.
The margin between California and the rest of the country is still rather large; the Prius didn’t even make it into the top 10 cars Americans drive. Perhaps a large reason that Californians prefer the various Prius models, and have a disdain for trucks, has something to do with long commutes and rising gas prices. Whether the preference is due to environmental reasons or just practical ones, we are still proud of this data.
This upcycled cheese grater makes a great hanging light. The cool reflections are an added bonus!
Via Unconsumption