Ditch fast fashion and animal-based textiles. Fast fashion is an enormous, rapidly growing industry. The number of new garments made per year has nearly doubled over the past 20 years, and our global consumption of fashion has increased by 400%. The fast fashion industry is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for as […]
Take extinction off your plate. Meat production is one of the most environmentally destructive industries on the planet, responsible for massive amounts of water use, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction. So when you choose to eat more plant-based foods and reduce your meat consumption you reduce your environmental footprint. Also, food is the […]
Ditch plastic and switch to reuse. Plastic never goes away. At least 14 million tons of it ends up in the ocean annually, making up 80% of all marine debris. Every year thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed after ingesting plastic or getting tangled up in it. You can […]
Make it count: easy to adopt eco-friendly habits for the whole family Minnesota is known for being an environmentally friendly state, and Hennepin County offers a variety of environmental programs. Families wishing to make more sustainable choices may not always know where to start, and some eco-friendly tips won’t work for every family (e.g., if …
https://www.hennepin.us/choose-to-reuse/tips/2021-Eco-Friendly-Habits Read More »
The species help harness carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, deep in the ocean, but much is still unknown about this region and its fascinating inhabitants. On the rolling deck of a 56-foot-long research vessel in California’s Monterey Bay, Karen Osborn peers into a cooler filled with sloshing seawater and a galaxy of twitching life-forms. Moments …
These creatures of the ‘twilight zone’ are vital to our oceans Read More »
Greenhouse gasses are making the planet hotter, but some scientists argue focusing on temperature overlooks a more visible danger. For decades, environmental advocates have urged governments, companies, and individuals to take drastic actions to limit climate change and prevent the Earth’s average temperature from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial times. Now, …
Have we been talking about climate change all wrong? Read More »
Climate change is upping the odds that a disastrous flood with up to 10 feet of water might actually happen in California. The ARkStorm may not be real yet, but it’s scientifically plausible. If it happens, it will be relentless—sheets of rain streaming down on California over the course of weeks, totaling up to 10 …
What is the ARkStorm? California’s worst nightmare, potentially Read More »
At least five storms over the past decade would fit a new classification beyond Category 5—and engineers are working to figure out how to withstand them. When Florida International University turns on the “Wall of Wind” inside its airplane hangar turned engineering lab, the 12 enormous fans recreate the strength of a major hurricane. Within …
Should we be preparing for Category 6 hurricanes? Read More »
These carnivorous plants have evolved in ingenious ways—inspiring innovations from nonstick sprays to water repellants. What other mysteries do pitcher plants hold? Carnivorous plants have long captured popular imagination, portrayed to exaggeration in cult classics such as The Addams Family and Little Shop of Horrors as meat-eating monsters. Their real-life counterparts, albeit less bloodthirsty, are …
These plants are beguiling—and they have a taste for meat Read More »
Crystal mining can fuel worker exploitation and even armed conflicts, but there are steps consumers can take to make more ethical purchasing decisions. Martina Gutfreund knew it could be hard to make a living mining crystals. Still, she was shocked to discover, on a recent trip to Namibia’s mineral-rich Erongo region, that her purchase of …
How to buy crystals that don’t harm people or the planet Read More »